Page:New Brunswick Magazine Issue 1.djvu/52
became Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, in his narrative of the events of 1710 and 1711 at Annapolis, has the following reference to Madame Freneuse.
About this time they dispatcht almost unknown to us—the "priest" from Manis to Canada with an Acco't as may be supposed, of all this—and at the same time, a certain woman by name "Madam Freneuse,"—came from the other side of the Bay of Fundy in a Birch Canoo, with only an Indian and a young Lad, her son—in the Coldest part of Winter. This woman as there is a great deal of Reason to believe was Sent by Ordrs from Canada, brought by Mr. St. Castine—to keep the French in a Ferment and make them backward in supplying the Garrison with any necessary's and pry into and give an Accot of our Secrets, till occasion should offer of endeavouring to drive us out of the Country. In all this indeed She was but too lucky, tho she came with quite another story at first, she said that want of all manner of necessary's had put her to the Extremity of venturing all—for all to cross the Bay—at that unseasonable time of the year—that the Indians of penobscot—were entirely Starving, and that she was forc'd to come to try whether she could be admitted to live undr the new Govenmt she was upon this received Very Kindly by Sr. Chas. Hobby—and had the Liberty she desired granted to her.
Here we obtain our last glimpse of the first French settlers of the St. John River, for the documents in the archives of Acadia make no further mention of Madame Freneuse. That river had ceased to be a French possession and more than half a century was destined to pass away before the first English settler made his appearance on its banks. All the surviving members of the d'Amours family doubtless returned to Quebec, their original home; their graves are there; the fields they cleared were soon reclaimed by the wilderness. Yet, if in telling what is known of their story, I have awakened an interest in the mind of the reader in the men and manners of that bygone time, this paper will not have been written in vain.
The St. John fire department was disbanded on the the 30th of November, 1862, and the present paid force was organized. The volunteer department had been organized on August 7th, 1849. The first steam fire engine, Extinguisher No. 3, was procured in February, 1863.