Norwich bulletin., 1914-12-11
WHEN THE AcADIANS
 WERE IN CONNECTICUT
PareeEied Out Among the Towns-147
 in Vicinity of Norwich.

The interesting paper on the Aca- dians in Connecticut by Miss Julia Burbank, read recently at a meeting of the Ruth WyIlys chapter, D. 4. R. invites further recital of details con- corning the Acadians in Hartford, writes William DeLoss Love in the Hartford Times.
 A few Of these Neutral French" arrived in 1755 at New London and the smallpox The main company comprised about four hundred and ar rived January q, 1756. Others arrived on May 22. The former company were brought from Nova Scotia in Captain Roclwelfs sloop and dready voyage it must have been for these Acadian exiles. The general assembly appoint ed a committee consisting of Hezekiah Huntington, Gurdon SaltonstalI, Chris topher Avery and Pygan Adams, to i distribute them among the towns of the colony. Thirteen were allotted to Hartford. the same number Of Wind sor and nine to Wethersfield. An act was passed by the general assembly embodying the conditions of this dis trbiution, and ordered to be printed and sent to each town. The select men were required to care for them the town" Most of them were simple peasant farmers. so they were to be let out to suitable persons to work in the fields. The act provided that the aged and sick were to be cared for at the expense of the town that received them. They were forbidden to leave that town without 8 written permit. It was also ordered, to the l credit of the general assembly, that | families were not to be separated. Some were. however, by mischance be- | fore they reached Connecticut and the theme of Longfel1ow's Evangeline was Justified by their experiences. Paul 1 Landre and his wife were sent to | Maryland. Two of their children were
 placed in another ship and came to Woodbury in this state, where their l parents later found them. The alIot-
 ment for each locality was conveyed | to the nearest seaport in New Lon
 don vessels. Thus they reached Ston- 1 ington. Norwich, Saybrook, New Ha- ven and Fairfield. From Norwich, 1 Thomas and Samuel Leffingwell trans 1 ported in carts the parties for Can 1 terbury. Plainfeld and other inland | towns.
 1 If is thought to have been about 1 the first tof July, 1756, when the com pauy for Hartford arrived. They were 1 keTs sloop the Hannah. Probably the number thirteen only included the | adults. They had some portable house. hold goods, but their wealth in lands
 and herds had been left in Nova Sco- 1 tia Where they were at first housed
 is uncertain. On December 6, 1757, however. the town of Hartford pass
 ed resolution to build or procure a house for them as no comfortable hab-
 itatton could be hired for them.
 The house they lived in, or which
 was then hired for them, was located and Pearl streets. They were an in- | dustrious people, peace loving and do- nleStic very like the Belgiaus. Thus the first company of Roman Catholics known to have settled in Hartford
 were these simple French peasants with such pathos, from the land o1 Evangeline.
 1 In 1767 these Acadians petitioned the l general assembly for transportation
 back to their native land Their old
 homes and lands, they state, had beer
 of Canada had offered to settle then in a desirable place. In their petition
 they describe themselves as havinH lived for eleven years as Strangers iT
 strange land. among a people of z
 different tongue and religion" com
 forting themselves with the hope that after the trouble of war was over, they
 could have liberty to return to theil homeland. The petitioners represent
 ed company of ~forty persons" M ! action Is known to have been talzeI
 or this request, but they probably re-
 turned shortly afterwards to Canada
 In 1766 a similar petition was madt
 in behalf of one hundred and forty
 seven Acadians living in the vicinit.
 of Norwich. The following year Cap
 tain Richard Lefhngwel1 sailed iron
 New London with a company of tw4
 hundred and forty. Let us hope tha
 the descendants of these old-tim' guests of Hartford are living happil.
 somewhere in the north land.