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Early History The following was obtained via documentation that is found at the "Nicholas Denys' Museum in St. Peters, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Mrs. Alice Burke informs us, that the source is supposedly not only fact but also part 'oral history' handed down from generation to generation and therefore may not be necessarily completely accurate. It was 1713 and the Treaty of Utrecht whereby Great Britain and France agree to cede Acadia and Newfoundland to the English. Many French families wanting to remain loyal to the French Crown decided to leave Acadia and they settled in Île Royale or as it is called today Cape Breton Island. Under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht the Island of Cape Breton remained under the control of France. It is these French Acadian families who were among the first that made up the citizenry of L'Ardoise. By 1720 there were several families, numbering approximately 60 souls living
in L'Ardoise. These early French Acadian founders had named the village
L'Ardoise because of the large deposits of rock and slate which could be
found on or near it's sheltered shore line. These new settlers made their
living by fishing or through fishing related endeavours. They are said
to have had large gardens, cattle, sheep, domesticated foul, horses and
a number of boats; A few of which were quite large and used to carry wood
and or other provisions to and from the village. |
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Family Surnames From articles written by early 1720 period writers such as Fr. Lesion a Roman Catholic Missionary priest who served the people of the area, and in the next century Mrs. Alice Burke who lived in "Lower L'Ardoise" district of L'Ardoise, Cape Breton Island and who passed away in 1986 at the grand age of 90, we are given the surnames of many of the early families of L'Ardoise. A number of those founding family surnames are listed below. Many of their descendents still live in the L'Ardoise area today. These are then the families of Briand Coste Gracie LaBille Landry Longuepee Martel Mombourquette Pitre
Prejean Samson |
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The fall of Fortress Louisbourg in 1758 meant that the citizenry of L'Ardoise had to take to the woods. They lived in hiding for several years, some from as early as 1758 until as late as 1763 in-order to avoid capture by the British. Capture would have meant expulsion and or perhaps in all likelihood incarceration for many. With peace in 1763 came a return to L'Ardoise of her citizenry who were once again free to engage in their peaceful pursuit of the fishing trade. "And pursue it her citizens did". L'Ardoise became a fair sized commercial fish exporting centre. Her wharfs contained many warehouse facilities from which fish were exported to such far off places as Halifax, Nova Scotia, Boston, Massachusetts and various other major cities of the New England States and Europe. |
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From her sixty [60] odd souls in the year of 1720
the populace base of L'Ardoise grew.
Stats
were taken from the known L'Ardoise census forms |
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In his description of Cape Breton Island Samuel Holland gives L'Ardoise the English name of "Allen's Cove". In these notes he states that the land was of middling height, intermixed with sandy beaches. He stated also that the lands and woods along the coast of L'Ardoise were "indifferent" but at a distance from the shore they grew better. He also stated in his notes that at this time [about 1774] there was a Fishery in operation at L'Ardoise. The next point of reference in our history of L'Ardoise that gives us an indication as to the way of life in the village is the census of 1861. This census tells us not only the population base of the village but also gives us the occupations of the various inhabitants. There were 3 Tailors, 9 Carpenters, 5 Merchants, 4 Blacksmiths, 3 Traders, 1 Clergyman, 7 Miners, 28 Labourers [presumably working in the 3 Forges], 238 Farmers and last but not least 264 Fisherman living in L'Ardoise. Of those that died that year 12 died of scarlet fever, 5 of fever, 4 died of consumption [tuberculosis], 1 of pleurisy, 1 of whooping cough and 1 of brain fever. By 1861 L'Ardoise was made up of seven [7] locales, these being the districts of Rockdale, West L'Ardoise, L'Ardoise Highlands, L'Ardoise, Lower L'Ardoise, Gracieville and Point Michaud. The populace base of L'Ardoise at the time was made up of 1,395 persons who were born in Nova Scotia, 41 who were born in Scotland, 14 who were born in Ireland, 6 who were born in Prince Edward Island, 4 who were born in other regions of Canada, 4 who were born in England, 3 who were born in France, 1 who was born in Russia, 1 who was born in the United States and lastly 1 who was born at Sea. Of these people 1,354 were of the Catholic faith, 54 were of The Church of Scotland, 52 were of the Presbyterian faith, 11 were of The Church of England and 1 was of the Baptist faith. The fortunes of L'Ardoise in the mid to late 1890's started a downward trend which unfortunately could never be halted. You see at this time the "Steel Industry" through Sydney was being introduced to Cape Breton Island. With the steel industry and it's hungry coke ovens came the call for coal. The Lingan, New Waterford, Bridgeport, Glace Bay and Sydney Mines areas of Cape Breton, which were all adjacent to Sydney, were known as coal havens. These areas were with their promises of higher wages and increased standards of living, luring the younger generations of Islanders away from their sheltered villages and hamlets from across the island. These little out ports including L'Ardoise could never hope to hold their own against the lure being offered to their young folk and their families. Today L'Ardoise has a population base of about 500-700 souls. The majority of these residents being children. There are still perhaps some 35 families engaged in the fishing industry along the coastline of L'Ardoise. Farming itself is only a shadow of what it once was. The Village of L'Ardoise is today geared to more or less the catering of the tourist trade. It is now and probably will always continue to be a beautiful bed and breakfast community; a most wonderful location for one to retire to. |
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Links to Historical Documents |
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