Tancook History

HISTORY OF TANCOOK ISLAND

1755 - name of Tancook was written Tencook on map, called Queen Charlotte in 1761, written Royal George & Little Tancook in 1776, US map of 1783 shows Charlotte Bay for Mahone Bay - Gloosecap says Tencook is Mic-Mac for "the island" or "the big island" and is used for Newfoundland. The word Tancook means "facing the open sea".

1759 - The Tancooks and Starr Island were granted to Patrick Sutherland, Esq, II, escheated for non-performance of condition.

1788 - Tancook was surveyed and divided by the Department of Lands and Forests - "In obedience to this warrant I have caused to be surveyed and laid out unto John Henry Flieger and George Grant Six hundred and sixty acres situate, lying and being three islands

To wit for John Henry Flieger the western part of Great Tancook Island bounded as follows, begining at the mouth of a small rivulet discharging itself from the north part of said island and from thence to run east fifteen rods, thence north one degree thirty minutes west to low water mark and from thence south one degree thirty minutes east 332 rods or until a line produced east will fall in the centre of a large cove on the south eastern part of said island and from thence runing round the curves of said cove easterly and southerly and round the island westerly and northerly by low water mark to the rivulet aforesaid."

1792 - Islands were regranted to John Henry Flieger (south west), described as a gentleman of Halifax, and George Grant (north east), described as a merchant of Halifax.
1795 - Flieger mortgaged his grant to Charles Morris Jr. (Halifax) for a loan of 260L (pounds). (22L - approx $900 in 1797)
1796 - Flieger discharged mortgage to Morris and sold to Jean Becker for 500L. Flieger took back a mortgage of 250L.
1797 - George Grant sold his grant (though possibly not Little Tancook) to Henry Kaulback and Casper Heckman, Jr. described as yeomen, Lunenburg, for 340L.
1797 - Boundary dispute between Kaulback/Heckman and Becker family.
1798 - Kaulback and Heckman sold to Jacob, Henry and Frederick Becker and John Krass, described as farmers, for 515L (Great Tancook only)
1800 - Jean/John Becker/Baker discharged mortgage
1801 - John Baker divided south west half of Great Tancook Island among his sons: Jacob, Henry, Frederick, Christian, Andreas and John Krass (John Rodolph Cross), husband of Anne Catherine Baker
1801 (possibly earlier) - first sale of land to non-family member, Jacob Slaughenwhite (1 eighth part of still undivided northern half of Great Tancook)
1807 - George Steebing (Stevens) purchased all of Little Tancook from Christian Graves - subdivided in 1827 and 1830
Copy of the Original Grant of Tancook Island

NOVA SCOTIA, George the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith and so forth:

To All is whom the Presents shall come Greeting:

Know ye, that we, of our official grace, certain knowledge and mere motion have given and granted; and by these presents for us, our Heirs and Successors, do give and grant unto John Henry Fleiger and George Grant all those certain three several Islands situate, lying and being in Mahone Bay within the County of Lunenberg in the Province of Nova Scotia aforesaid and called and known by the name of Great Tancook, Little Tancook and Star Islands, containing in the whole six hundred and sixty acres of land being the same formerly granted to Patrick Sutherland, Esquire, and lately escheated for nonperformance of the conditions of the Grant to the said Patrick Sutherland; that is to say unto the said John Henry Fleiger, the western part of Great Tancook Island bounded as follows:

Beginning at the mouth of a small rivulet discharging itself from the Northern part of the said Island and from thence to run East fifteen rods, thence North one degree thirty minutes West to low water mark, and from thence South on degree thirty minutes East, three hundred and thirty two rods, or until a line produced East will fall in the center of a large Cove on the South Eastern part of the said Island; and from thence running round the courses of the said Cove Easterly and Southerly and round the Island Westerly and Northerly by low water mark to the Rivulet aforesaid and containing two hundred and seventy nine acres.

Also one half of Little Tancook Island being the North Eastern half thereof and divided by a line produced from a Ledge of rocks in a Cove on the Northwestern part of the said Island across the said Island; the said line to run such course as will divide the said Island into two equal parts, and bounded on the Eastern, Northeastern and Northwestern parts by the several courses of the shores of the said Island at low water mark and containing fifty acres.

Also the whole of Star Island containing one acre; the whole of the said John Henry Fleiger's part or share containing three hundred and thirty acres.

And unto the said George Grant the Eastern part of Great Tancook Island bounded as following: beginning at the mouth of the small Rivulet aforesaid, and from thence to run East Fifteen Rods, thence North one degree thirty minutes West to the water at low water mark, thence South one degree thirty minutes East three Hundred and thirty two rods, or until a line produced East will fall on the center of a Cove on the South Eastern part of the said Island and from thence running round the Courses of the said Cove Easterly and around the shores of the Island at low water mark Northerly and Westerly to the bounds of the division line and containing two hundred and eighty acres.

Also the South-Western half of Little Tancook Island containing fifty acres, making in the whole of the said George Grant's part or share of the two Tancook Island, three hundred and thirty acres; the whole of the said Island being wilderness land; and now granted agreeable to a former promise made by the late Lieutenant Governor____________________________and hath such shape, form and marks, as appears by a plot thereof hereunto annexed; together with all woods, underwoods, Timber trees, Lakes, Ponds, Fishings, Waters, Water Courses, Profits, Commodities, Appurtenances and hereditaments whatsoever thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining; together also with privilege of hunting, hawking and Fowling, in and upon the same and mines and minerals; saving and reserving nevertheless to us, our Heirs and Successors, all White Pine Trees, if any shall be found growing thereon, and also saving and reserving to us, our Heirs and Successors, all mines of Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead and Coals; to have and to hold the said parcel or tract of six hundred and sixty acres of land and all the singular other premises hereby granted unto the said John Henry Fleiger and George Grant in severally agreeable to the shares and proportions herein before mentioned and as the same is severally allotted and marked out to them respectively on the plan thereof hereto annexed and to their several and respective Heirs and Assigns in free and common Socage, they the said John Henry Fleiger and George Grant respectively, their several and respective Heirs and Assigns, yielding and paying therefore unto us, our Heirs and Successors, or to our Receiver General for the time being, or to his Deputy or Deputies for the time being yearly, that is to say, at the feast of Saint Michael in every year at the rate of Two Shillings for every hundred acres, and so in proportion according to the quantities of acres hereby granted; the same to commence and be payable from the sail east of St. Michael which shall first happen after the expiration of two years from the date hereof; provided always and this present Grant is upon condition that the said Grantees, their Heirs or Assigns shall and do within three years after the date hereof for every fifty acres of plantable land hereby granted, clear and work three acres at least in that part thereof as they or they shall judge most convenient or advantageous; or else to clear and drain three acres of swampy or sunken ground, or drain three acres of marsh, if any such contained therein. And shall and do within the time aforesaid, put and keep upon every fifty acres thereof accounted barrer, three neat cattle, for every fifty acres or otherwise if any part of the said Tract shall be stony or rocky ground and not fit for planting or pasture shall and do within three years as aforesaid, begin to employ thereon and continue to work for three years then next ensuing, in digging any stoney quarrey or mine one good and able hand for every fifty acres it shall be accounted a sufficient cultivation and improvement provided also, that every three acres that shall be cleared and worked, or cleared and drained as, aforesaid, shall be accounted a sufficient seating cultivation and improvement to save forever from forfeiture fifty acres of land in any part of the Tract hereby granted; and the said Grantees, their Heirs and Assigns at liberty to withdraw ____________ or their stock, or forbear working in any Quarry or mine, in proportion to such cultivation and improvements as shall be made upon the plantable lands, Swamps, Sunken Grounds or Marsh therein contained.

And if the said rent hereby reserved shall happen to be in arrear or unpaid for the space of one year from the time it shall, become due, and no distress can be found on the said lands, Tenements and Hereditaments hereby granted, or if this grant shall not be duely registered in the Register's office of our said Provence within six months from the date hereof, and a Docket also entered in the Auditor's office of the same, then this Grant shall be void, and the said lands, Tenements and Hereditaments hereby granted; and every part and parcel thereof shall revert to us, our Heirs and successors; and provided also, and upon this further, condition, that if the land hereby given and granted to the said Grantees and their Heirs as aforesaid shall at any time or times hereafter come unto the possession and tenure of any persons whatever, inhabitants of our said Province of Nova Scotia, either by virtue of any Deed of Sale, conveyance, enfeoffment, or exchange, or by Gift, Inheritance, Descent, Devise or Marriage. such person or persons being inhabitants as aforesaid, shall within Twelve months after his, her or their entry and possession of the same, take the Oaths, prescribed by law and make and subscribe the following Declaration, that is to say. "I do promise and declare, that I will maintain and defend to the utmost of my power, the authority of the King, in his Parliament as the Supreme Legislature of this Province," before some one of the Magistrates of the said Province and such Declaration and Certificate of the Magistrate such Oaths have been take, being recorded in the Secretary's Office, of the said Province; the person or persons so taking the Oath aforesaid, and making and subscribing the said Declaration, shall be deemed the lawful possessor or possessors of the lands hereby granted. And in case of default on the part of such person or persons in taking the Oaths, and making and subscribing the Declaration within Twelve Months as aforesaid, this present Grant, and every part thereof, shall and we do and hereby declare the same to be null and void to all intents and purposes, and the lands hereby granted and every part and parcel thereof, shall in like manner revert to and become vested in Us, Our Heirs and Successors, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

Given under the Great Seal of our Province of Nova Scotia, Witness our Trusty and Well-Beloved John Wentworth, Est., our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief in and over our said Province this Seventeenth day of December in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety two, and in the Thirty Third year of our Reign.

Nova Scotia, Halifax. J. Wentworth, Nova Scotia Registered the 19th, December, 1792, J.M. Freke Bulkeley, Register. Audited the 19th December, 1792, Halifax, Wm. Frow. Signed in Council, J.M.Freke Bulkeley, Secretary of Province. By Command of his Excellency the Lieutenant Governor. J.M. Freke Bulkeley, Secretary of the Province.