On January 22nd and 29th, the Big Cove Reserve was sanctioned in 1802.
This was to be 10 miles long and 8 miles wide covering a total acreage
of 51,200. Big Cove was then known as OALNIMGOAG.
In 1809 came the petition of Amasa Killam,
Jocob Powell, John Wheton and Andrew Ritchie. They were granted in the
same year. The Powells were Loyalists from Long Island New York. They
were involved in helping the white settlers take this New York area
from the American Indians and documents from the provincial Archives
indicate that the same intention may well have come with them to this
new land.
1810 is the first mention of William
and Robert Pagan who erected wharves and buildings on the Richibucto
River. Another Micmac name for Richibucto was "MAGTAOEGENATGOIGTOG".
It means, "Where there is a big flag pole ".
The point above Richibucto was called
"PATGOETAGENTJ" by the time Micmacs, meaning "The execution table",
for it was on a large rock at this point that the Micmacs condemned
one of their own men to be stoned to death. He had been found guilty
of treasonable dealing with the Mohawks.
When the English settled at Richibucto
they changed the name to Liverpool. Before this, Richibucto was Richibucto
in name only with no legal right to use the name.
The boundaries of the town (always considered
the Shire town of Kent Co.) went from Blanchard’s Creek (Mooney`s) to
Davidson`s Creek (Weldon). It was in 1826 at a meeting in the Yellow
House on Yellow House Point (York Point) that the residents decided
to change the name Richibucto to Liverpool (after Liverpool England).
Clause 8 of the act making Kent a County also made Liverpool a Shire town.
When the first law court was held at Richibucto, the building used as
a court house was a big yellow house at the extreme North end of the
town. The point on which this house was located they named (Yellow House
Point). Before this building a great flag pole was erected. The Supreme
Court was held in this building until the new court house was started
in 1826 and was finished in 1829. Another flag pole was put in front
of the new building.
But the name Liverpool created many problems.
There was also a town of Liverpool in Nova Scotia. On account of letters
from the old country and what in now the United States intended for
Liverpool, Kent County, New Brunswick going to Liverpool N.S., there
was a lot of annoyance and so the people of Liverpool, Kent co in the
year 1832, changed the name back to Richibucto.
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