Description Pictou Parade June 28 1978

Roland Sherwood’s

Pictou Parade

June 28, 1978

NEW FLAG

                It is certainly nice to see the bright, new national flag flying at the Tourist bureau at the Rotary. Flattering in the wind along with the provincial flag of Nova Scotia, the flags are beautiful in the eyes of the beholders.

STREET NAME

                The name “Creighton” for a street in Pictou is not the original name for that street running from Front Street down to the waterfront. The name was originally, “Crichton”, named for the Honorable David Crichton.

                Over the long years since that man was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, the pronunciation of the name changed from “Crichton” to “Creighton” and the latter name was easier to pronounce, so by continuous use the street is now known as “Creighton”.

TOWN CRIER

                During the Pictou Lobster Carnival on July 7 and 8 Peter Cox of Historic Properties, Halifax, will be in town acting as Town Crier for the many events scheduled for those dates. He will be quite an attraction, as he will be dressed in the costume of the early years. But this will be in contrast to the original costume of the Town Crier of Pictou.

                That first, and only Pictou Town Crier was William Sharp, of the 82^nd Regiment, who, in addition to being the Town Crier, giving the news of the comings and goings of ships, and the local gossip, was also in the rum business. His costume was a battered hat, a faded coat, ragged pants, worn shoes, and instead of the bell used by present Town Criers, Sharp beat upon a small drum.

LAUREL HILL

                Laurel Hill Cemetary is a quiet, beautiful place where rest the departed men and women of early Pictou. Initially that plot of land was just for the burial of transients and sailors without friends. In the early days, “the best people” of Pictou were buried in Durham Cemetery, 9 miles away, which must have been a terrible journey for undertaker and pallbearers when someone died in the dead of winter. Laurel Hill became a respected place of burial only when Deacon John Patterson, the Founder of Pictou Town in 1788, was buried there. Laurel Hill, in the early days, was known as The New Cemetery.

                Today, while known as Laurel Hill because of the abudance of laurels in the vicinity, that sacred spot is also The Old Cemetery, as no burials have taken place there for years. But it is still attended to by caretakers under a Cemetery Trust committee.

NAME RIGHT

                It has often been said that “I don’t care what you write about me, but be sure and spell my name right” or words to that effect. I suppose it won’t make any difference to Jotham Blanchard as he sleeps in Laurel Hill Cemetery but it was startling to see the big type in last week’s Advocate, wherein the name of the Partriot of Pictou was spelled with an “N”, instead of an “M”. Jotham is rather an unusual name, and most people read it as “Johnathan”. The name is pronounced as “Joe-Tham”.

                Incidentally, Jotham Blanchardd didn’t fall in love with, and marry the jailor’s daughter. He married Margaret Spears, and she lies buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, with her name engraved on the tombstone.

FLOWERS

                Once again the Pictou Horticultural Society has set their sights on adding some floral beauty to the town. Notice the double buckets of flowers on the poles along the main streets, and the bright colours of flowers in the beds on the spare lots at various places. Now, if the flowers can be kept well-watered during the hot spells (we’ll have some, I hope), those brilliant flowers and plants will last all Summer.

MONUMENTS

                Many citizens are aware of the monument on Church street erected to the memory of Sir William Dawson. The plaque thereon faces toward Church Street and is easily read. But, only those who enter the plot of ground on which the monument stands and looks at the West Side, see the plaque to the memory of Dr. George Mercer Dawson, C.M.G., L.L.D., F.R.S.

                George Mercer Dawson was as famous as his father. He was the eldest son of Sir William, and was a geologist in his own right.

PARTING THOUGHT

                “Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and departing leave behind us, footprints on the sands of Time.”

By Roland H. Sherwood (D. Litt.)

Historical Writer