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NS Archives document: "Una Gibson, Shelburne" http://ow.ly/hgXFq
Under the leadership of Col. Stephen Blucke, of the all-Black regiment the Black Pioneers, the land for the settlement of Port Roseway (present-day Shelburne) was cleared. Colonel Blucke also oversaw the design and building of the town. Blucke and the other Black Loyalists were not permitted to live in the town and were instead restricted to the outskirts of the surrounding area; they established the community of Birchtown.
Among those Loyalists was David George, the first Black Baptist pastor/minister in Canada. His Shelburne Baptist Church is the second-oldest Baptist Church in Canada, and his ministry marked the beginning of the Black Baptist Church in Canada. Reverend George’s preaching style attracted both Black and White followers. Born in the then British colony of Virginia, Reverend George came to Nova Scotia as a Black Loyalist who had supported the side of the British against the United States during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783).
When it became clear that the British Government was not going to honour its commitment and promises to the Black residents, a petition was delivered to the British monarch by Thomas Peters and, as a result, almost half of the African Nova Scotian population relocated to Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Source:
African Nova Scotian Tourism Guide
Historical Black Settlements in Nova Scotia (Google Map)
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