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Mines," and Governor Brouillan writes of him as "An old inhabitant, honest, loyal and poor." He was continued as chief man at Mines in 1703, all the orders of the governor being sent to him, and probably he occupied this position until his death. In the proceedings of the Council at Annapolis in 1724 it was decided that La Verdure's children having abandoned and left the country had no right to any of the marshes.

Charles Melanson, Pierre's brother, was twenty-eight years old when the census of 1671 was taken. His wite was Marie Dugast, a daughter of Abraham Dugast, the armorer, and he had four children, all girls. He was the richest man at Port Royal in 1671, being the owner of forty head of horned cattle and six sheep, and having twenty arpents of land under tillage. Anne Melanson who married Jacques La Tour, son of Charles La Tour, was probably a daughter of Charles Melanson. She had four children, the oldest of whom, Agatha Campbell, succeeded in uniting in her own person the title to most of the La Tour estates. Jacques La Tour died in 1699 and his widow contracted a second marriage with Alexandre Robicheau. Magdelaine Melanson married the Sieur Louis Simon de St. Aubin le poupet, Chevalier de la Boularderie, an officer at Port Royal in 1702.

The Melansons were prominent in Acadia and there is frequent mention of the name in its annals. Paul Melanson was deputy from Mines in 1720. Philip Melanson was sent to Annapolis by the inhabitants of Mines in 1721 on public business. This same man was at Annapolis in 1722. Paul Melanson of Mines is mentioned in 1724 as having ransomed an English prisoner from the Indians. The Annapolis oath of allegiance of 1730 was signed by nine persons of the name of Melanson, three Jeans, three Charles's, Joseph, Ambroise and Claude. The Melansons seem to have