242
��Lancaster in Acadie and the Acadiens in Lancaster.
��[April,
��transferred to Harv-ard. They arrived in February, 1756, and the accounts of the town's selectmen for their support were regularly rendered until February, 1 76 1. They were destitute, sickly, and apparently utterly unable to support themselves, and were billeted now here, now there, among the farmers, at a fixed price of two shillings and eight- pence each per week for their board. Sometimes a house was hired for them, and, in addition to rent paid, we find in the selectmen's charges such items as these : —
£ ^ d qr
��To cash pd for an Interpreter and
� � �paper,
�3
�4
�To what Nessecareys we found them,
�I
�8
�To 472 weight of Befe cost,
�3 3
�2 I
�To Corn that they have had &
� � �yoused, with Sauss,
� �10 8
�To one Bushel of Salt & Salting the
� � �Befe,
� �56
�to one washing tub, 2 earthen pots
� � �& pail.
� �4
�to wood for the winter season for the
� � �year 1757,
�I
�6 8
��Direct evidence to the helpless con- dition of the two families of French Neutrals in Lancaster is given in a letter from the selectmen, dated January 24, 1757, found in Massachusetts Archives, xxiii, 330 : —
" and here Foloweth an account of the curcumstances, age and sexes of those people, thare Is two famles Con- sisting of fifteen In Number, the whole to witt. Benoni Melanso with his wife of about fourty four or five years of age, and they have seven children thre Boyes and four Girlls, the Eldest Girl about 17 years old, the boye Next about 15 years old, Sickly. Can Do Nothing. ye Next Boy 12 years old. ye Next boy 10 years old, and ye four Girles all under them Down to two years old, and the woman almost a Criple. . . .
��The Name of the others Is Jefray — & his wife, he almost an Idot and aboute 46 years old, . . . they have four children 3 Boyes & one Girll. ye Eldest Boye 10 yeares old & ye Rest Down to two years old.
"Wm. Richardson ~\ Selectmen "JOHN Carter >- of "Joshua Fairbank j Lancaster."
Shortly after the date of the above, these unhappy people suddenly dis- appeared from their habitation. Reck- less with homesickness, they had stolen away, and made a bold push for the sea, in the vain hope that on it they might float back to the Basin of Minas. This was in the depth of winter, February, 1757. They came to the coast at Weymouth. There they soon encountered the questioning of local authority, and to excuse their intrusion Melanson made complaint against his Lancaster guardians, the history of which is in Massachusetts Archives, xxiii, 356.
" The Committee to whom was re- ferred the Petition of Benoni Melanzan in behalf of himself and sundrie other French People, Having met and heard the Petition and one of the Selectmen of Lancaster, relating to the several matters therein Complained of and also have heard the Representative of Weymouth where the French People mentioned in s Petition at present reside : Beg leave to report as follows. Viz : That it doth not appear that ye Petitioner had any Grounds to complain of the selectmen of Lancaster or either of them relating the matter complained of, and therefore Beg leave further Report that the Committee are of oppinion that the said French People be ordered forthwith to Return to Lancaster from whence they in a dis-
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