For the most part, the writers who have researched and compiled the histories of communities, villages and the towns in Kings and Hants County are little known and rarely celebrated outside their immediate areas.

But without the efforts of these writers – often they devoted years researching – most of their work would never see the light of day. These writers deserve to be recognised much more than they are. With this in mind, I’d like to profile those “local historians” in an occasional series beginning this week. I welcome input for the series; if you are aware of a Kings or Hants historian that should be recognised, please contact me.

Larry Sinclair Loomer (1930-2003). Born in Windsor, Loomer was noted as a historical writer, artist and antiquarian. Early in his career Loomer worked as a journalist for several Maritime newspapers. While he authored and published books on art, his main interest appears to have been Hants County history. He has three historical works to his credit. His book, Windsor Nova Scotia: a Journey in History is a brilliant retelling of Windsor’s history and the period when Kings and Hants were a single county. This is one of my favourite historical books and Loomer is one of my favourite historical writers. I recommend his Windsor book to anyone who likes history served with humour and irony.

John S. Erskine (1900-1981). A teacher in the Annapolis Valley for many years, John Erskine was noted as a keen student of natural history and was a published writer on the botany of Nova Scotia. Erskine liked to investigate archaeological sites as well; his life long study of Acadian sites resulted in a book entitled The French Period in Nova Scotia, A.D. 1500-1758. In effect, this is a historical and archaeological survey of the Acadian period. In the book Erskine identified many Acadian homestead sites in Kings County. The book, a paperback, is out of print but occasionally copies shows up at yard sales. Copies can also be found in the archives of the Kings Historical Society.

Ernest L. Eaton (1896-1984) Born in Upper Canard, Kings County, Eaton was a Professor of Agronomy and Senior Horticulturist with the Department of Agriculture. He was a devoted historian as well and wrote many invaluable papers on the Planters, early Kings County farms and the dykelands, several of which were published by the Nova Scotia Historical Society. Most of his historical research is unpublished and is held privately. However, Eaton’s historical articles can be found on the Internet at: http://nseaton.org/Eaton/Library/E.L._Eaton_Archive.html.

Marie C. Bishop (1929-2011) Born in the United States to Canadian parents, her family returned to Coldbrook when she was three and eventually settled in New Minas. Bishop was noted early in her career for the crafts she created. While she was a paraplegic since age eight, she was active in various Valley organizations and clubs throughout her life. Her interest in history resulted in her compiling several books. Two of her best known works are The Pioneers of Canaan (1994) and Memories of Coldbrook (1999). Bishop was also one of the major compilers of genealogy for the four volume Tangled Roots, a Bishop Family Association publication.

Douglas E. Eagles (1927-2008) One of the most prolific historical writers and researchers in the Annapolis Valley, Douglas E. Eagles was born in North Grand Pre, Kings County, attended school in Wolfville and graduated from Acadia University with an Honours B. Sc. Degree in 1948.

Eagles has four major publications to his credit, most of which can be found in the provincial archives and in museum collections. Eagles’ major works include: A History of Horton Township (1975) A Genealogical History of Long Island, also Eagles Families of North America (1982) and Lockhart Families of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Besides these works Eagles has at least eight historical papers to his credit, all either privately published or stored in the provincial archives and in local museums. Among these papers are works on several Kings County churches, papers on Horton Township records (deaths, births, marriages) and the cemeteries of Horton Township.

When the French made a coasting craft in Louisburg in 1604, they didn’t realise it would one day be hailed as a Canadian first.

“Reliable sources” record that this pioneering event took place in Cape Breton, writes Gordon Hansford* in the introduction to his 1953 Master’s thesis on shipbuilding. Based on this, Nova Scotia can “technically claim the first shipbuilding in Canada and New England,” Hansford concludes.

From this starting point Hansford takes an in depth look at shipbuilding. He conjectures that Nova Scotia’s early prominence in shipbuilding was partly due to its long, greatly indented coastline, which induced people to look to the sea for a living. There were other factors that led to this prominence, of course, but the marine environment was a key element.

For a long time Kings County, which included present day Hants County, was one of the most productive shipbuilding areas in Canada. Reading the thesis courtesy of Hansford, I was amazed by how many prominent shipbuilders once thrived in Kings/Hants and the great number of superbly crafted sailing ships that came out of their yards.

For a time, the coastline in and around Canning, Kingsport, Wolfville Hantsport and Windsor were the chief shipbuilding areas and its shipbuilders were known all over eastern Canada and beyond. While there were shipyards of various sizes all along the Bay of Fundy, Minas Basin coastline, these were the most productive areas.

Some of the noted shipbuilders early on were the Bigelows, Coxes and the Churchills. Hansford says that the two Ebenezers – Ebenezer Bigelow and Ebenezer Cox – operated in Kingsport and Canning and their names for a long time were synonymous with local shipbuilding. In Canning and in Kingsport ships were being built as early as 1790.

One of the most prominent builders was Ezra Churchill of Hantsport. As Hansford notes, Churchill was known as one of the largest ship builders and ship owners on the eastern coast of Canada. Another prominent ship builder and owner was Shubael Dimock of Windsor. Hansford says Dimock began building ships in 1867, noting that while he made Windsor a shipbuilding centre, there was activity all along the coast in places like Noel, Cheverie, Walton and other small Hants communities.

So there you have it. In the golden age of sail, in Kings and Hants County, shipbuilders turned out countless hundreds of ships, making this area renowned in Canada, the United States and well beyond. Hansford admirably chronicles that era in his thesis and I hope this short review of his work will stir readers into looking up the likes of Ebenezer Cox, Ebenezer Bigelow, Ezra Churchill and Shubael Dimock.

*A Wolfville native. Gordon Hansford taught in Kings County schools for 30 years. Retired, he lives in Kentville. Hansford is the creator of the Annapolis Valley tartan for which he was recently honoured. His thesis, quoted here, was a requirement for a Master of Arts degree, which he received at Acadia University in 1953.

** “Ships,” as used here, is a generalization. Actually, when it comes to sailing vessels, ships refers to three-masted vessels, while other two and three masted vessels, depending on how their sails are rigged, are known as barques, brigs, brigantines, schooners, etc.