“Monsieur le Gouverneur, I am François St. Germain Mangeant, and this is my wife, Marguerite, and my children, Samuel and Louise. Jacques is my first mate.”
“You say you are here seeking sanctuary. Why would a French gentleman and his family enter an English colony seeking protection? And protection from what?”
“If you would permit me a private audience, Excellency, I will relate my story. There are too many sensitive details to describe here amidst so many.”
“Sir, you must present yourself formally to my council and describe fully the circumstances that have brought you here. You may take up temporary residence in the priest’s quarters at the garrison. At present, he is absent from Annapolis.”
“You are more than generous, monsieur.”
The soldiers were instructed to disperse, and Armstrong personally led the visitors toward the fort, giving the impression he was about to entertain honoured guests.
The oddity of this event did not escape us as we continued our tasks in the shipyard. Although we were not privy to Mangeant’s presentation to the council nor the telling of his story, the details would be revealed to us in good time. My great-uncle on my father’s side, Abraham Bourg, was an Acadian delegate on the Lieutenant-Governor’s Council and he would enlighten us.
True to our prediction, Uncle Abraham began his visits to the Acadian homes throughout the Annapolis community to reveal the nature of Mangeant’s mysterious arrival at the colony. When he finally arrived at our home in Melanson Village, the fantastic story Uncle related was far more unusual than even we could have imagined. He spoke of how Mangeant, having immigrated to Acadia from Paris several years back, had arrived in Beaubassin, married one Marguerite Caissie, and then moved to Quebec, where he proceeded to amass a considerable fortune in the shipping industry. Apparently, Mangeant’s fleet grew to such a size that he became one of the wealthiest men in New France.
The extraordinary details of the story were delivered with great ceremony by Uncle Abraham, who tended toward the histrionic.
“Mangeant explained that on board one of his own ships, after being at sea somewhere close to the entrance to the River St. Laurent, his captain, one Joseph Alphonse Lestage of Quebec, did, and I quote, ‘most basely and heinously insult, affront, and provoke’ him, forcing him to attack and wound said captain. The captain’s wounds were so severe he died two days later. Evidence was submitted to the Admiralty Court at Quebec, where Mangeant was found guilty of murder. Shortly after, he escaped on one of his ships with his family and a first mate, sailing continuously until he reached Annapolis. He has made a formal request to settle in our colony. And the most astounding development is that, in the presence of the council, he declared he was prepared to swear the oath of allegiance to King George without qualification.
“Could you trust such a man?”
He paused for dramatic effect, and then he resumed. “Apparently so, for our lieutenant-governor not only accepted Mangeant’s story but declared that his actions against his captain were justified. Can you imagine? He believed every word of his story without question! Armstrong has assured his safety in Acadia, allowing him to settle here. I believe the lieutenant-governor was quite taken by the gentleman. Mangeant does have an exquisite carriage and impeccable manners.”
My grandmother interrupted as expected. She had an opinion on most things.
“The lieutenant-governor got the consent of all those present, without any dissent?”
“Madame Melanson, the lieutenant-governor did not request our consent. Major Cosby seemed very suspicious of Mangeant, however, and not certain of his story or his motives for settling here, other than it was clear he was not able to flee to any French colony because of his murder conviction. Cosby cross-examined him relentlessly. I believe it was more to vex Armstrong than on account of any feelings he may have had against Mangeant.”
“It is well known that the lieutenant-governor and Major Cosby share an enmity for one another,” I interjected, wanting to contribute to the conversation.
“The fact is, Major Cosby is the brother-in-law of our ever-absent Governor Philipps, and Lieutenant-Governor Armstrong sees him as both a threat and a spy. He feels Cosby’s opposition at every turn. God bless Major Cosby.”
“Amen,” we all chanted in unison.
Chapter 6
With the arrival of Mangeant, we experienced a change in the atmosphere of the town. Darkness seemed to descend. Those living in the lower or upper town readied themselves for the next reign of terror and, therefore, the next round of negotiations with the British rulers. With little warning, Lieutenant-Governor Armstrong insisted that an unconditional oath of allegiance to the newly crowned King George II be taken by every French-speaking subject in Acadia. He publicly admonished Ensign Wroth, who had been sent to Grand Pré and Pisiquit to administer the oath to the French inhabitants, for accepting a conditional oath. When the Acadian delegates at Annapolis requested that the clause allowing the French to maintain their neutrality in wartime be accepted by the ruling council, the lieutenant-governor jailed the lot of them, including poor Uncle Abraham. In such times of trouble, most Acadians distanced themselves from the British as best they could until the storm passed.
This was easier for us at Melanson Village. We were at a distance of eight miles from Annapolis by road and four by river. My grandfather, Charles Melanson, had established our settlement close to the mouth of the Dauphin River, later known as the Annapolis River, in 1664. Our family farm faced directly across from Goat Island, known to us then as Île aux Chèvres. Grandmama always declared that the distance between us and the fort was a blessing from God. For the time being, she was correct.
Benjamin came to stay with us during this period because René had purchased land in the lower town and was building a stone residence to rent out. He travelled each day by boat to and from Annapolis with my brother Charles to work on this structure.
Now a young man, like me, Benjamin had retained the good looks he had possessed as a child. In truth, he was inordinately handsome. However, unlike many blessed with fine features, he had a profound inner toughness and a strong character. He also had a great commitment to fairness and justice, which would help define the rest of his short life.
Having been raised at Grand Pré, Benjamin had little contact with the British and had little fear of those that governed his community from a distance. He had been influenced by his grandfather in all things and chose to live with him in the last ten years of Uncle Pierre’s life, thus insuring his inheritance of the ancestral home in Grand Pré. His father had remarried and had produced a household of new children. Benjamin was tutored in the ways of the English by a man born in Yorkshire, but he had learned from him that the British were not to be trusted. It was a matter of getting along, taking advantage when you could, and enjoying your freedom while it lasted.
One Sunday, after we had returned from mass at St. Jean Baptiste in Annapolis, Grandmama pointed to a huge wooden chest in the corner of the room. It was covered with an ancient woven rug. She directed Benjamin and me to use the key she was grasping tightly to unlock the chest. She then instructed us to lift the lid and discover what was inside. To our surprise, it was filled with muskets of every design and size.
“These were weapons my father designed and constructed over his lifetime,” she remarked with pride. “Some date back to France some seventy years ago when he was gun-maker to the king. Do you know he invented muskets for King Louis’s own musketeers? I wish to make you responsible for maintaining these weapons. Clean them and ensure that they are in working order. Promise me, Piau.”
Benjamin and I were stunned by the appearance of this arsenal of vintage muskets.
“It would be a great honour, Grandmama. You can rely on me to get them in good working order.” I could feel the privilege that was being bestowed upon me.