 |
Retrieval
Number: 7740/2/6/7 |
||||
|
This
highly-detailed map shows the landholding pattern of this part of the
marsh, confirming the fragmented nature of property ownership with
its origins in the 1761 cadastral survey. While the sizes of holdings
range between half an acre to thirty acres, the vast majority are between
10 and 15 acres. And while some are squared-off parcels, others are
narrow strips. All parcels were apparently accessible from the network
of marsh roads displayed in green on the map. The distribution of ownership
is diverse; while there are certainly some owners who have larger holdings,
the 130 parcels of land represent a cross section of Sackville residents,
a legacy of the 1761 cadastre. There is little evidence of consolidation
of property in this map (and even one instance of apparent further
sub-division). Note, however, that the names of prominent members of
nineteenth century Sackville’s business community are preserved
in the marsh road names (Crane, Ogden, Read and Cogswell). This map
would have been used to assess taxes for work directed by the Commissioners
of Sewers and is therefore a useful indicator of the difficulties of
carrying out collective action in support of marsh agriculture. In
an era of horse or oxen-drawn farm implements and individually-worked
lots, the small fragmented holdings of the West Body of marsh provided
an important counterpart to the wood lots and town lots of many Sackville
inhabitants. With increasing intensification of marshland agriculture
and rapid mechanization of farm equipment in the early twentieth century,
these small lots were an obvious impediment to increased production. |
|||
 |
This
project was made possible -in part or entirely - through the Canadian
Culture Online Program of Canadian Heritage, the National Archives of
Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives. |
 |