Yarmouth
Friday, 13th May. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The first Europeans to make a settlement on these shores were the French Acadians in the mid-17th century. New England Planters settled at what is now the town of Yarmouth in 1759; the grantees were from Yarmouth, Massachusetts and they requested that Yarmouth be named after their former home. Yarmouth was founded in 1761 when a ship carrying three families arrived from Sandwich, Massachusetts. During the American Revolution, some in Yarmouth were sympathetic to the rebellion. Following the war, Acadians from the Grand-Pré district who returned from exile in 1767 settled in the Yarmouth area. After the American Revolution, substantial numbers of United Empire Loyalists arrived in 1785.
Through the 19th century the town was a major shipbuilding centre, at one point boasting more registered tonnage per capita than any other port in the world. As wooden shipbuilding declined in the late 19th century, Yarmouth's shipowners re-invested their capital into factories, iron-hulled steamships, and railways.
Tourism has been a major industry in Yarmouth since the 1880s when Loran Ellis Baker founded the Yarmouth Steamship Company. Steamship and railway promotion based in Yarmouth created the first tourism marketing in Nova Scotia. Baker's steamships operated between Yarmouth and Boston. In 1939, examiners at Yarmouth's Merchant Marine Institution made seafaring history by issuing master's papers to Molly Kool, the first female ship captain in the Western World. The growth of post-war automobile-based tourism led to additional ferry service with New England, a region with many family connections to the Maritimes dating to the 18th century and which accelerated during the first half of the 20th century.
We disembarked at 10.45 and had a 20 minute Zodiac trip in thick mist to the shore. Then had a 30 minute stroll around the town by ourselves, followed by a Lobster Boil at Ruggers Restaurant. This was fantastic and put the lobster roll in Portland to shame. The waiter was also exceptionally friendly. Then we had a 3 hour guided walk around town by a very pleasant girl, only about 12 of us in her group . We were shown some really attractive old houses, mainly built for sea captains. Entered the house of the “famous” brush man, Mr Fuller, which formed part of the local museum, housed in the adjacent , disused, church. Here we discovered the Acadians, who had come out from west France in the 1700s, and still exist; but no one seemed to know anything about them (must do some research on them!). Then a stop at the Perky Owl Cafe, with its charming interior and yummy cakes. Then on to the Nova Scotia Firefighters museum, and finally down to the memorial of all those known to have perished at sea from around 1800 to the present day: a great many
.Click on any thumbnail photo and get a larger photo
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Back on board I gave Raphael a notice on Bridge to put in the first Chronicle of the next leg from Halifax before having a swim and going to see, the pretty awful, cruise video: Denis had obviously been mesmerised by New York and forgotten about Charleston, Newport , Portland and Yarmouth . Then a reception in the Observation Lounge for the 30 odd guests who were continuing on from Halifax to Southampton. A problematic dinner in the Terraza with sizzling, microwaved, soup
Oscar bidding farewell to Lea- 3 cheers!!
On to Halifax
Chris Grant 2022 Barbados-Svalbard Cruise