In 1763, a number of the leading men in Cumberland met together and appointed a committee to draft a memorial to the Governor, asking theprivilege of sending a representative to the Assembly at Halifax.The request was granted, and Joshua Winslow was chosen as the first representative of the township.Colonel Fry had previous to this time represented Cumberland in the Assembly, but he was not elected by the people.The following is the text of the memorial:
"To the Honourable Montague Wilmot, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Province of Nova Scotia, and Colonel of one of His Majesty's regiments of foot, etc., etc., etc.
"The inhabitants of the town of Cumberland, in Nova Scotia, beg leave to congratulate Your Honour on your appointment by His Majesty to the chief command of this Province and in your safe arrival therein.
Although remote from the Capital, and perhaps last in our addresses, yet we flatter ourselves not the least sincere in assuring Your Honour of the happiness we feel in finding ourselves under your government.
"It would give us particular satisfaction was it in your power to look upon ourselves in the same light with the other towns in the Province.
But as we are yet destitute of that sanction which would put us on the same footing with our neighbours, we cannot help presuming upon the liberty of signifying to Your Honour our regret thereat, and praying that you will be pleased to permit the solution of our affairs to be laid before you, not doubting but upon a just representation thereof you will be pleased to think we are deserving in common with the other settlements of Your Honour's countenance and protection.We beg to rely on your goodness therein.
"By desire of the inhabitants,"(Signers),John Huston (Ch.).Elijah Ayer.
Wm.Allen Josiah Throop.
J.Winslow.Jos.Morse.
Abel Richardson.
"CUMBERLAND, Nov.1st, 1763."
Although thirty-five families had settled in Cumberland at this time, and six hundred acres of land had been cleared of timber, the larger part of the land was still held by the Government.Application was therefore made in this year by the following persons for grants of land in Cumberland:
GRANTEES' NAMES
Joseph Morse.Joshua Winslow.
Elijah Ayer.Jesse Bent.
Josiah Throop.Gamaliel Smethurst.
John Huston.Sennacherib Martyn.
James Law.Abel Richardson.
Sara Jones.William Best, Sr.
Obediah Ayer.William Nesbit.
William How.Windser Eager.
Arch.Hinshelwood.Gideon Gardner.
Samuel Danks.Thomas Dickson.
Zebulon Roe.John King.
Henry King.Joshua Best.
Jonathan Cole.Elieu Gardner.
Jonathan Eddy.William Huston.
Alex.Huston.Simeon Charters.
Thomas Proctor.Brook Watson.
William Allan.Jonathan Gay.
Daniel Gooden.Martin Peck.
Ebenezer Storer.John Walker.
Benine Danks.Henry M.Bonnell.
John Allan.Amos Fuller.
Charles Oulton.Samuel Gay.
David ----------.Assell Danks.
Daniel Earl.Isaac Danks.
Anthony Burk.Ebenezer ----------.
John Fillmore.Robert Watson.
Samuel Raymond.William Welch.
John Collins.William Sutherland.
Thomas Clews.Nehemiah Ward.
Abel Richardson.Joseph Ayer.
Winkworth Allen.William Milburn.
Liffy Chappell.George Allen.
The Glebe.Jabez Chappell.
The School.The Presbyterian MinisterCol.Joseph Morse was a native of Delham, Mass., and took an active part in the Seven Years' War.He lost heavily in the expedition against Oswego.In crossing the Atlantic he was captured by the French, and obtained a good taste of the quality of French dungeons in which his health became shattered.He was exchanged, after which he visited London and received many marks of personal favor at the hands of George II, amongst these a pension, and tracts of land in Virginia and Nova Scotia.His last days were spent in Fort Lawrence, where he settled after the expulsion of the French.He left one son, Alpheus, and a daughter, Olive.The former married Theodora, a sister of Col.Jonathan Crane the father of Hon.Wm.Crane; the latter married Col.Wm.Eddy, of Revolutionary fame, who was afterwards killed in the British attack on Machais, and the Fort Lawrence property inherited by his wife was escheated to the Crown.After Alpheus Morse's death his widow married Major How, an officer in Eddy's command.Upon the failure of the rebellion, Mrs.How and Mrs.Eddy fled to the United States.Alpheus Morse's sons were Alpheus, James, Joseph, Silas, and John.The two first lived in Cumberland, where their descendants are still found.
Judge Morse and Dr.Morse, of Amherst, are sons of James.Joseph emigrated to Ohio, where his descendants now live.Silas married a sister of Judge Alexander Stewart, C.B.Among his descendants are Sir Charles Tupper's family, Rev.Richards (sic) Simmonds' family, and Charles Fullerton, K.C.John Morse married a daughter of Sheriff Charles Chandler, the father of Lieutenant-Governor Chandler.Among his descendants are the family of the late Judge Morse of Dalhousie, and the C.Milner family of Sackville.A daughter of Alpheus Morse married Judge Stewart.Among his descendants are Judge Townsend of Halifax, and Senator Dickey's family of Amherst.
There were three Ayers--Elijah, Obediah and Joseph--who came with the emigration of 1763 and settled in Sackville.Obediah joined the Eddy rebels in 1776, and was made a commodore by the Continental Congress after he left Cumberland.The Ayers in Sackville are descendants of these grantees.
Josiah Throop was an engineer in the British army.He surveyed the township of Cumberland, and Throop's plan is still referred to.His grant was in Upper Point de Bute, where some of his descendants still live.He represented the township in the Halifax Assembly in 1765.
There were three Hustons--John, William and Alexander.They lived near Fort Cumberland.The name occurs still in the county of Cumberland.
