Page:1898 NB Magazine.djvu/383

Melanson, who was the daughter of Pierre Melanson, who had come from Scotland to Port Royal. Mr. Gaudet also cited an affidavit made at the same time by Jean Baptiste le Blanc, who says that Pierre Melanson had come from Scotland, and had been married, after abjuring Protestantism, to Anne Mius of Port Royal. Judge Savary now changes his ground, and while admitting that the first Melanson in Acadia came from Scotland says he must have been of French origin. Judge Savary must be accustomed to weigh evidence, but he is unable to offer any proof that Melanson is a French name. He states that he has "overhauled" a directory of Scotland and cannot find any name that could be identified with Melanson or Gallicised into that form. He therefore concludes that a Melanson came from France to Scotland between the years 1547 and 1560, married a Scotch woman and became a Protestant, and that one of his descendants, Peter or Pierre Melanson came to Nova Scotia with Sir William Alexander, and that this Pierre Melanson joined the French colony, embraced the faith of his ancestors and married the Acadian lady mentioned in the affidavit.

This is one way of writing history, but we doubt whether it will find any very general acceptance. In his first paper in which he denied that the original Melanson came from Scotland, Judge Savary dwelt on the improbability of one of Sir William Alexander's humble Scotch followers being made the tutor and guardian of D'Aulnay's children, for Melanson, who also was called the Sieur La Verdure, held that position, and was also in 1654 Captain Commandant of the garrison of Port Royal. The Judge is probably now willing to abandon this argument, for if Melanson came out with Sir William Alexander he must have regarded himself as Scotch for his family had been for at least seventy years in Scotland, even if we accept.