The scenic, sleepy landscape along the Tantremar River belies the region as a hub for relatively powerful Loyalist settlers who “acquired” farmland here, and actively traded in enslaved labour to work the land.
This parcel of land, originally called Botsford Island, was the early site of habitation for Amos Botsford (1784-1790) before he later moved to “the House on Botsford Lane.” (102 Old Hospital Loop Rd, Westcock, NB, Canada).
Botsford was a Loyalist from New Haven, Connecticut, who became an agent for other Loyalists and came to Nova Scotia in 1782, and moved around the Bay of Fundy before settling in this region. He secured a government appointment and then became a member of the Legislative Assembly, where he was appointed Speaker multiple times until his death in 1812.
Whitfield’s Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes listed an unnamed Black woman on an account shared between Botsford and his neighbour, Charles Dixon, a well-known enslaver in the area. There are other instances mentioning enslaved labour between Botsford and Dixon.
An interesting document on slavery in the area can be found here, though, like many sources, it perpetuates the idea that slavery in the North was “milder” than that found in the United States.
Like many sites in this visit list, you can contemplate the named and nameless Black people who worked this land, created the built heritage and maybe tread these same paths during their work day, or as an escape from constant surveillance.
Sources:
James Snowdon, “BOTSFORD, AMOS,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed June 2, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/botsford_amos_5E.html.
Whitfield, Harvey Amani. Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes. Edited by John G. Reid and Peter L. Twohig. Toronto: University of Toronto Press; Acadiensis Press, 2022.
