Port Royal Habitation

The best way to answer would be to go back in time and find out first hand. But this is not "Back to the Future" and we do not have a time machine. We can only read what has been recorded in the history books about the Habitation. Not everyone enjoys reading history books.

A better way, a more interesting way would be to visit the site where they lived. See and feel the clothes they wore, the tools they worked with, the kitchen they cooked in and the beds they slept in. Want to appreciate what we have today? Take a look at what the early French settlers had to work with back then. Come join me on one of my visits to the Port Royal Habitation with my son, nieces and nephew and get an insight as to what it was like.

I will start with a short history of the Port Royal Habitation and how it began. Now in 1603 a fur trade monopoly for Acadia was granted to Pierre Dugua de Mons on the condition he build a colony there. So he set out in 1604 with his geographer & mapmaker, Samuel de Champlain. With 120 priest, noblemen and pheasants on 4 ships, they all headed for the New World. After weeks of living on the seas they arrived at their destination. They immediately proceeded to look for a suitable site to build their colony. They decided on St. Croix Island off the coast of Maine. Now they had to build shelters and gather food to prepare them for the upcoming winter.

But they had a disastrous winter of cold, hunger and scurvy. There was not enough shelter of food on the island. Samuel de Champlain and Francois Pont-Grave set out to find a better-sheltered location for their colony. They came across what is now called

The Tidal Annapolis River Runs Through The Beautiful Annapolis Valley

the Digby Gut. They sailed into the basin and found the most beautiful river running through a valley protected by two small mountains. Champlain was so taken with the beauty he named the place Port Royal, or Royal Harbour.

They built their buildings set together in a square around a center courtyard. They became friends with the local Mi'kmaq and started a fur trade with them. They built a mill farther up river that was to be the first mill in the new world. To overcome boredom they started the first social club, the "Order of Good Cheer". Here Lescarbot wrote the first drama in the new world called "Theatre of Neptune". The settlement was becoming self-sufficient. But in 1613 Capt. Samuel Argall, of Jamestown, Virginia completely destroyed the fort, burning it to the ground. Most of the French returned to France after this. There were a few that stayed and lived with the local Mi'kmaq.

Today, you may visit a replica of this Habitation thanks to the work of a few local people. They convinced the Canadian Government to rebuild this historic site in 1939-40.

It was a beautiful, warm sunny day in the Annapolis Valley. We had been showing a visitor from Toronto around to different sites all week. This day we decided to go to the Port Royal Habitation. I had been there several times before, we went every time we had visitors from out of town. But this time was different. This time we all decided to really try to feel the experience of living in this early French settlement..

Crown Glass Was Used In The Windows.
Notice The Impurities In The glass.  

We arrived at the Port Royal Habitation and parked in the parking lot. Today the Port Royal Habitation sits on cleared well-landscaped land, but it was not like that back in 1605. We decided to try and picture what it would have been like back then. We pictured this area as being all woods, tall trees and low brush. Thickets of briers, falling trees and rocks would have made walking and navigating hard. This would all have to be cleared in order to erect the fort. Remember they did not have chain saws back then, it had to be done with axes and maybe bow saws.

Before we entered the Port Royal Habitation we took a look down at the shore and the Annapolis River. Was the tide in so they would be able to float their boats right up to the shore? What about when the tide was out? Then they would have a long walk over the mud flats, or have to wait the six hours for the tide to change. Much of their life at the Port Royal Habitation would have been influenced by the changing.

The Well & Shingle Making In The Center Court Yard.

tides in the Annapolis River.

We entered the Habitation through the big heavy doors. We then find ourselves entering a courtyard completely surrounded by buildings. There is a well in the center of the courtyard, imagine digging that out by hand. We look at the buildings and notice the steep roofs with the many chimneys. Just off to the right of the well there is one of the guides dressed in period costume. He is making wooden shingles demonstrating the techniques and answering questions.

We start out going into the blacksmith shop. This was a busy shop, much of the hardware for the building was made right here. They also made metal works to trade with the natives. We notice the rather large bellows that were used to keep the fire going in the forge. There is a foot-powered grindstone in the corner. A look around the shop displays other tools that were used in the 17th century. The kids ask

The Blacksmith Shop Showing The Forge,  
The Hugh Bellows and Tools That Were Used.  

about the gravel floor. We are told this was for safety with all the sparks that would be falling to the floor in there.

Then it is into the kitchen where we see a large fireplace with a turnspit. There are pots, pans and utensils hanging up on the walls, along with herbs and some small wild game. There is a small table in there for working on. We make jokes to each other about making meals in here. But seriously people did make their meals in here. They made big meals three times a day and for several men at a time. No four-burner stoves, microwaves and other modern conveniences for them. They only had a few pots and pans and a fireplace.

Next we enter into the "Common Room" a good-sized dinning room. There is a big wooden table in the center with heavy wooden chairs and benches. The table is set with Pewter plates mugs and utensils. There is a big inviting fireplace on the outside wall. This is where they ate their meals and took part in their social club the Order of Good Cheer. Curtis and Jason spied a couple of old brooms made of straw and a big

     Port Royal Habitation Common Room,
  Where "The Order Of Good Cheer" Was Held.

pole. They remark about how hard it would have been to sweep and clean these floors.

Next we head up to one of the two platforms that stick out the front of the Habitation. This was a canon platform and provided the men inside with a lookout for enemy ships. There are holes left open to shoot their cannons and muskets etc.

We enter several different rooms where the more prominent men stayed. There is also one where Sieurs de Mons and de Poutrincourt lived. These luxury rooms contain bunk beds with curtains to pull across, a fireplace, table & chair, a wardrobe and a bench. Most of them were set up for four men, except for Sieurs de Mons’ room. His quarters were private of course and had a desk and some shelves in it.

"The Gentlemen's Bed" Found In The Rooms Of The More
Promenient Men Living At The Port Royal Habitation  

Then we go up the outside stairs to the room where the rest of the labourers and trades men stayed. This is a long room full of bunk beds with straw mattresses and wool blankets on them. There are even some mattresses on the floor, and there are two bunks that are completely enclosed. We are informed that these were for the sick as they were closer to the chimney and therefore a bit warmer. I could not see how anyone could stay warm over night in here, especially in the middle of winter. Downstairs again we are in the artisans’ workrooms. We notice the primitive tools, and marvel at how well they could use them to get things done

The next room we enter is the Trading Room. This has a counter in the middle and several pelts and furs hanging on the walls. There are also axes, knives, beads, and kettles among other things they would trade with the Mi'kmaq for the furs. The furs they would ship back to France where they were high in demand.

One of the guides asked the kids if they wanted to try on some of the

      My Brother John Standing At The Counter
       In The Trading Shop At The Habitation.

clothes and they readily agreed. They try on hats and capes and posed for me to take their picture. Missy and Kari said the clothes were heavy and itchy, not something they would want to wear all the time. Curtis says we cannot go until we go down into the wine cellar and powder magazine. I am not real thrilled with these places and I do not stay in them for long, but the kids check them out good.

The girls ask how so many men could live in this relatively small area together, especially in the winter months. Wouldn’t they be at each other's throats? Then the guide tells them about the social club started by Samuel de Champlain, The Order Of Good Cheer. This was started to give the men something to occupy their minds and help make sure they were eating good nutritious meals.

My Son, Nieces and Nephew Dressed Up At   
The Port Royal Habitation              

They had seen enough scurvy last winter and did not want a repeat winter here.

Every couple of days each man took turns of putting on a feast with entertainment. The men took this seriously and would make sure they went either hunting or fishing a few days before their turn. Each man tried to be better than the one before him. Many times Membertou, chief of the Mi'kmaq of the area, and several other natives would be invited. The Order of Good Cheer only lasted one winter at the Port

        The Kitchen Fireplace Was Used To
       Cook Many Big Meals At The Habitation

Royal Habitation, but it fulfilled its purpose.

Another way that helped over come boredom and keep the men’s spirits up was through a play written by Lescarbot in 1606 called "The Theatre de Neptune". Both the Frenchmen and the Mi’kmaq, upon the return of Poutrincourt, preformed this on the water in canoes. This was the first drama play written and preformed in the new world.

This was a glimpse of the Port Royal Habitation and life in this early French settlement. Not wanting to spoil a visit for you, I only touched on a small bit of what you will see and learn there. It is interesting to see and learn how the buildings were made and how the materials were used. There are some interesting windows in the building.

More information can be learned about the Port Royal Habitation at their official website. However the best way would be to come visit yourself; I think you would find it very interesting. They are open daily from May 15 until October 15. There is a small admission charge.

There were many men who spent time at the Port Royal Habitation. Many labourers including carpenters, blacksmiths, locksmiths, masons, metal workers were among a few of the tradesmen that stayed here. There were also quite a few prominent figures that spent time at the Port Royal Habitation. Here is a list of some of the key figures who contributed to the success of this French settlement at Port Royal:

• Pierre Dugua de Mons - was granted the monopoly for the fur trade in Acadia in 1603 and set out in 1604 with 4 ships and 120 men to start a colony there.
• Samuel de Champlain - was de Mons geographer and mapmaker. He was the only one beside a few labourers who actually stayed the winters of 1605 & 1606 in Port Royal at the Habitation. Using Port Royal as a base Samuel de Champlain went on to explore and map the eastern seacoast.
• Sieur de Poutrincourt - received a grant of land at Port Royal by de Mons. He sailed back to France to gather supplies for the colony and did not make it back to the Port Royal Habitation until the spring of 1606.
• Charles de Biencourt - Poutrincourt's son who sailed back with his father. He ended up staying on in Port Royal after the Habitation had been destroyed, living with the Mi'kmaq.
• Louis Hebert - was a cousin who was an apothecary and horticulturalist. He stayed at the Port Royal Habitation for several years before moving on to Quebec.
• Marc Lescarbot - a lawyer and poet from Paris. He wrote the first play in Acadia "The Theatre de Neptune", and "Histoire de la Nouvelle France. He stayed for one year and studied the customs of the native people.
• Claude de Saint-Etienne de La Tour & his son Charles de Saint-Etienne de La Tour who were to play a major role in Acadia. Upon the death of Charles de Biencourt, he bequeathed his processions to Charles de La Tour.

The years at Port Royal Habitation were also important because of the relationships formed between the French and the Mi’kmaq. The Mi'kmaq taught the French much of the agriculture of this new land and how to survive on it. The French brought the Mi'kmaq new tools to use along with decorations to wear on their clothing. They were also responsible for Christianizing and schooling the natives. Even though they had two different languages they found ways to communicate. They even began to learn each other’s language. The British, no matter how hard they tried, never could come close to the same type of relationship with the natives.

Link from Port Royal Habitation Page back to Historic Sites Page Link from Port Royal Habitation Page back to Home Page