Retrieval Number: 7922 4b/31
Chignecto - Fort Lawrence in 1755.
Mount Allison University Archives, Robert Cunningham fonds.
May be reproduced only with permission of the New Brunswick Museum Archives through the Mount Allison University Archives.

Evidently a copy of a drawing by Captain J. Hamilton of His Majesty’s 40th Regiment, the scene depicts Fort Lawrence and the adjacent settlement. The latter contained at least 29 buildings, among which was the Commandant’s summer house, a brew house, stable, and the “Fives Court,” used to play a form of handball popular among upper class British gentry. Also of interest is the depiction of the foreground, which consists of a large field enclosed by snake rail fencing, but which seems to be divided into ploughed land and pasture. The zone beyond is notable for the scrubby vegetation, and suggests that the trees that once occupied this area may have been cut down in order to maintain sight lines for the security and defense of the Fort. It was from this base that the British launched their assault on the nearby Fort Beausejour in June of 1755.