Chambers' Home Book Volume 3; Or, Pocket Miscellany, Containing a Choice Selection of Interesting and Instructive Reading for the Old and the Young (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 Excerpt: ...but containing a considerable portion of Canada; and he and his heirs were appointed hereditary lords-lieutenant of the district, with something very like sovereign powers. A territory without people on it is, however, of little value either to sovereign or proprietor. To induce British subjects, especially Scotsmen of rank, to take land in the district, the new dignity of Baronets of Nova Scotia was created. It was to be conferred on acceptable persons, who paid for and received a giant of 16,000 acres of land in the colony. The Earl of Stirling's son becoming involved in difficulties, sold his American privilege to a French colonist; and by the treaty of St. Germain in 1632, these North American British colonies were all ceded to France. At the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, they became again a British possession, but on a new foundation, as if they had never belonged to Britain before. Perhaps the government might have restored any family claims of a reasonable kind that could have been shown to be lost by the French conquest, but the Alexanders, as we have seen, had disposed of their right. Though some persons were from time to time spoken of as representatives of the distinguished family, no one made a serious attempt to resume the title and its privileges, until the present century, when the individual above mentioned, laid his plans in the remarkable manner which we are now going to describe. The name of the gentleman in question was Alexander Humphrys or Humphreys.-His first step was, in 1824:, to obtain a royal license to assume the name of Alexander. He stated in his application, that he had a maternal grandfather of that name, and he wished to assume it, 'as well out of grateful respect to his memory, as out of respect for the wishes oftentimes expre...