Summerville

History

The identities of the Acadians who settled this community prior to the Expulsion of the Acadians are unknown.

After the American Revolution, Summerville, Hants County was first settled by American Loyalists Captain John Robert Grant (1729 - 1790) and his wife Sarah of the famous Bergen family of New York.[1] They married in 1759 in New York. Captain Grant was born in Strathspey, Scotland, along with John Small (British Army officer).

Grant fought in the War of the Austrian Succession and served in the famous 42nd Regiment of Foot (Black Watch) (the same regiment as Major General John Small who settled the neighbouring Douglas Township, Hants County after the war). During the Seven Years War, he was in the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, where he was wounded. He fought again in the American Revolution in the Battle of Long Island. He later became a Captain of a Queens County, New York militia.

He arrived in Nova Scotia on the transport SS Stafford, October 16, 1783 after evacuting his home in New York. He brought a significant number of slaves to Nova Scotia who are buried on his property. Captain John Grant died in Summerville in 1792 at the age of 64. The Grant homestead was on what now is called Loyal Hill.

A large wharf was built at Summerville in the late 19th century to export gypsum. It was also used to repair ships and later became a vessel graveyard for old sailing ships converted to gypsum barges. Trace of the hulls of several of these large sailing vessels may still be seen at low tide, including the hull of the Barque Hamburg, the largest barque ever built in Canada.[2]