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Officers of the Township of Granville for the Year 1815

Surveyors of Lines & Boundaries and Overseers of the Poor:
Daniel Sanders
John Brown
Samuel Chesley jr.
Robert Clark
Jacob Eaton
Wm. Gilleard (Gilliatt)
Thomas Delap
Thomas Roblee
Daniel Haynes
Luke Rider

Assessors:
Joseph Troop
Elisha Foster
Rob't bath
Joseph Fellows
Samu'l McCormick sr.
John Troop jr.
Francis Mills
Richard Halfyard
James Hall
Wm. Anderson

Collectors:
Wm. Ruffy (Ruffee) jr.
Israel Fellows 2nd
Joseph Wade
Seth Wade
James Reid
Silas Hardy
John Johnson
Joseph Anthony jr.

Constables:
Joseph Chute
John Randle (Randall)
Warren Bent
Rubin Dodge
James Read
Simco Willit (Willett)
James Walberry
George John
Wm. Covert
James Merret (Merritt)

Surveyors of Highways and Back Roads:
Wm. Ruffy (Ruffee)
John
John (Jack?)son
John (K?)atha(ri?)ns (Katherns?)
Henry Ir(vin?)
Benjamin Foster
John Bath jr.
Joseph Fellows
Israel Longly
Oliver Foster
Obedier (Obadiah) Parker
Thimothy Ruggles jr.
John Gilleard (Gilliatt)
Jacob Eaton
Valentine Troop
Abner Troop

(Surveyors of?) Back Roads:
Hanly Chute
Seth Chute
Joab Young
Sam'l Milbury
Stephen Parker
James Vanblarcum
Samuel Hall
James Reid
Thomas Roblee
James Delap jr.
Jacob Bogart
John Qureau (Quereau)
Darby Cronin
George Wooster jr.

Surveyors of Lumber:
Amos Randal
Michael Miller
Thomas Fowler
Wm. Letanny (Letteney)
Jacob Everet
George Harvey


Surveyors of Hay:
Henery Rickson (Ricketson)
Joseph Bent
Wm. McKenzey
John Healey

Fence Viewers:
Benjamin Chute
James Chute sr.
Abraham Gesner
Thimothy Ruggles jr.
Wm. Mills
John Haliday
James Fleet
Nehemiah Merret (Merritt)

Smoked & Pickled Fish Inspectors:
Jacob Chute
Hanly Chute
Joab Young
Stephen Parker
Wm. Oliver
Wm. Letanny (Letteney)
(Sylvan?)us Snow
Jo(hn?) McCaul jr
James Fleet
L(uke?) Bogart

Hogg Reeves:
Francis Crab
John Monrow (Munroe)
Valentine Troop 2nd
John McColly
George Wade
Edward Covert
David Hall
Daniel Simeons
Sam'l Moorhouse
Fird (Ferdinand) Shafner

Scalers of Leather:
Wm. Patten
Joseph Troop
Valentine Troop
John Healey

Scalers of Weights & Measures:
John Criskill (Crosskill)
John Bath sr.
James Hall
James Thorne

Inspectors of Barrels:
Thomas Clarke jr.
Samuel Chesly
Stephen Parker
Wm. Oliver
George Wooster jr.
Isaac Anderson

Pound Keepers:
Rob't Bath
John Bath jr.
Valentine Troop
Abner Troop
Abaraham Bogart
Edward Thorne jr.

Town Clerk:
Ezra Foster

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Annapolis County Slave-owners in 1808

(For 25 years following the arrival of the Loyalists in 1783 and the advent of a sizeable black population in Nova Scotia, free Black Loyalists lived alongside the black slaves of prominent American exiles. From the outset, this disparity undermined efforts to maintain a system of slavery. Annapolis County slave-owners, hard-pressed to retain their "property", were forced to litigate to collect money earned by errant slaves working for other people. In an effort to clarify the status of slavery in Nova Scotia, this document was presented in the legislative assembly of the colony on behalf of the petitioners by Hon. Thomas Ritchie, member for Annapolis. An ensuing bill to regulate "negro servitude" passed second reading but never became law. The practice of slavery was unenforceable in Nova Scotia after that date (1808) and soon ended altogether.)

To the Honorable the Representatives for His Majestys Province of Nova Scotia in General Assembly convened,
The Petition of the Subscribers, proprietors of Negro servants, brought from His Majestys late Colonies now called the United States of America Most humbly sheweth,
That, prior to the late American Revolution, Your petitioners were inhabitants of His Majestys late revolted Colonies;
That, when His Majestys authority began to be opposed in those Colonies, your petitioners adhered to their allegiance, and recieved the Royal assurance of full protection to their persons and security to their properties;
That, at that period, throughout all His Majestys Colonies (without any exception) a property in Negroes was maintained and acknowledged if not encouraged; And your petitioners know not of any public act since that time, whereby such sort of property has been declared untenable= On the contrary, the Royal Proclamation and the Acts of Parliament admitting and encouraging persons of your petitioners political principles to remove out of the United States into this Province, expressly authorize them to bring their Negro Slaves.
Your petitioners are far from pretending to advocate Slavery as a System. With the creation of that System they had nothing to do. The introduction of Negro Slaves into His Majestys Colonies was at a time long before your petitioners were born. It was authorized by the controlling authority of Parliament, in which authority the Colonists had not by representation any share= But, when your petitioners came to the age of discretion, they found that His Majestys Colonial Subjects possessed the rights of holding a property in Negroes upon the same ground that they possessed the right of holding any other species of property, and concieved that right to be as strongly guarded by law as any other of their rights or privileges whatsoever.
But, unfortunately for your petitioners, owing to certain doubts now entertained by The Kings Courts of Law in this Province, such property is rendered wholly untenable by your petitioners, whose Negro Servants are daily leaving their service and setting Your petitioners at defiance=
For, if it be no longer incumbent upon the Negro who claims his liberty within a colony, to produce the Certificate of his emancipation; or to shew that he was born of free parents- or, at the least, to prove that at some former period of his life he exercised the rights of a free person, it is in vain that his possessor attempts to litigate with him.
Negroes, universally thro the Colonies, passed like other chattels; Sometimes by Bills of Sale, at other times by mere tradition- As in the case of other chattels, possession was a proof of property till the contrary was shewn. And your petitioners are prepared to prove their property in the Negroes they possess against all adverse claimants. But, as Negroes are transitory, Your petitioners are not (nor from the nature of the thing is it possible they should be) prepared with a legal course of testimony, for deducing such Negroes Pedigrees from an African slave ancestor- Much less (as Colonists) are they prepared, or (as they humbly conceive) in reason called upon, to maintain the legality of a System which the Parliament of Great Britain has authorized, and the Parliament of The United Kingdoms doth still allow.
Leaving all subtle reasoning to better heads, Your petitioners rely, and must rely, in this, as in many other cases, upon the long established usage in His Majestys Colonies, and must humbly hope for the same rule and measure of justice here, as might, in their case, be hoped for by His Majestys free colonial subjects of any other of his transmarine dominions.
Perhaps however, the peculiar circumstances of this Province, or perhaps the true interests of Humanity, may require, in this Colony, the abolition of that particular species of property claimed by your petitioners (these however are problems that your petitioners presume not to solve). But if so, it seems but reasonable and just, that your petitioners, and others under like circumstances with them, should bear only their proportional parts of the loss or expense attending such abolition.
Upon the whole therefore, Your petitioners confiding in the chaste manly and deliberate wisdom of this House; and fully relying upon the justice integrity and honor of this Assembly Most humbly pray, That their case may be taken under Your Consideration, and that either such regulations may be made as in your wisdom shall be deemed expedient for securing Your petitioners property in their Negro Servants; or, that, if such property is to be sacraficed to the public good, Your petitioners may, from that public, recieve their equitable compensation.
And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray,
Decem 3rd AD 1807
County of Annapolis
Rec'd 9th January 1808

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Owners of Negro Servants viz.: Men, Women, Children

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Muster Roll of the "Coloured" Members

Muster Roll of the "Coloured" Members of #2 Company of the Annapolis Militia dated 13 February 1872:-

James Bell, age 47
Richard Bell, age 45, seaman
Joseph Brothers, age 21
James Brothers, age 22
William Brothers, age 50
George Brothers, age 18
Joseph Brothers, age 21
James Brothers, age 18
John Brothers, age 24, married
Jacob Brothers, age 30, married
Robert Butler, age 47
John Butler, age 23
Edward Butler, age 20, married
Stephen Cuff, age 50
John Currie, age 18
Andrew Clements, age 45
William Clements, age 32
Isaac Clements, age 36, married
Andrew Clements, age 18
John Clements, age 32, married
Israel Clements, age 36, married
Nathan Camps, age 19
Ephraim Camps, age 40, married
George Dixon, age 33
Henry Essor, age 50
Matthias Essor, age 47
Frederick Eaton, age 21, sailor
Cause Franklin, age 18
Henry Franklin, age 19
James Fowler, age 18
David Fowler, age 29, married
Charles Fowler, age 20
Charles Fowler, age 22
James H. Francis, age 26, married
William Francis, age 23
Joseph Francis, age 19
Israel Francis, age 39, seaman
Richard German, age 25, married
John Harris, age 40, married
David Harris, age 23
Frederick Hill, age 44, married
John Johnson, age 22
John Johnson, age 40, married
Robert Johnson, age 52
George Johnson, age 30, married
John Johnson, age 30
George Jackson, age 31
Henry Jackson, age 26
Edward Jackson, age 25
Charles Jackson age 24
Ebenezer Jones, age 48
Matthias Kimber, age 29, married
John Asa Moses, age 32, married
Elias Marsh, age 40, married
Albert Marsh, age 18
Jesse Mitchell, age 37
Samuel Mitchell, age 45
Albert Mitchell, age 30, married
John Mitchell, age 40
Elias Mitchell, age 30
George Owens, age 25, married
James Owens, age 23
John Pomp, age 50
George Pomp, age 24, married
Thomas Pomp, age 25, married
Edward Pomp, age 53
George Pomp, age 40, married
David Pomp, age 31, married
Samuel Pomp, age 25, married
Stephen Pomp. age 29, married
Moses Pomp, age 21, married
Charles Pomp, age 49
John Peters, age 31, married
Charles Peters, age 24
Minard Robinson, age 23, married
Charles Sims, age 18
Jacob. H. Sims, age 37, married
Whitfield Sims, age 21
Joseph Sims, age 24, married
Henry Sims, age 28, married
John Sims, age 58
William Sims, age 53
Scot Sims, age 21
Abraham Skank, age 56
Israel Skank, age 51
Herbert Skank, age 20
Oliver Skank, age 18
Willard Skank, age 18
Henry Tallow, age 45
John Tallow, age 48
William Turner, age 34
Thomas Wright, age 18

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