- Call Number:
- HIL-MICL FC LPR .N6P8C3
- Category:
- Nova Scotia
- Creator:
- Nova Scotia. Public Records.
- Material Description:
- 16 microfilm textual records (26 volumes) ; 35 mm
- Background:
Prior to 1763, when Cape Breton became a British possession at the end of the Seven Year's War, Cape Breton Island had a long association with both Britain and France beginning in 1497 with John Cabot's voyage. From 1763 to 1784 Cape Breton was formally part of Nova Scotia. In 1784 it became a separate colony and remained so until 1820 when it was re-annexed to Nova Scotia.
This Collection does not contain all the records for Cape Breton as a separate colony. The land papers, for example, are part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia RG 20 Series. Conversely, the Collection contains records which fall outside the 1784 to 1820 period.
- Contents:
The Records are organized in two sections, but only the first and main section is available in the Loyalist Collection. They consist of dispatches from the Secretaries of State to the Governors of Cape Breton; Minutes of His Majesty's Council in Cape Breton; and Papers of the Island of Cape Breton.
The Papers include: warrants; petitions; memorials; correspondence; orders-in-council; instructions; parliamentary estimates; grants; road appropriations; and numerous other documents. Several of the volumes have an internal table of contents.
- Originals:
The original records are held by the Nova Scotia Archives.
- Archival Ref. No.:
The Inventory of Manuscripts in the Public Archives of Nova Scotia. Halifax : PANS, 1976, provides a detailed inventory of this material and indicates where the list of contents for each volume is located.
PANS RG 11, vols. 315-340.- Finding Aids:
A photocopy of the inventory description and a microfilm shelf list by reel number, with the corresponding volumes and dates, is available.
- PDF Finding Aid:
- Records of Cape Breton as a Separate Colony Shelf List.pdf Catalogues_Records-Cape-Breton_NS-Public-Records.pdf Dispatches_Records-Cape-Breton_NS-Public-Records.pdf Contents_Records-Cape-Breton_NS-Public-Records.pdf
- Notes:
The Table of Contents for volume 317A, which is not included in the PANS Inventory, is available in print.
Reel 1 begins with the latter part of volume 314 and contains many petitions and other documents addressed to the House of Assembly, c.1838.
The second section of this Record Group contains, mainly, militia commissions, ordinances and miscellaneous papers and must be consulted at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia.