Minas Astronomy Group — 2012 January meeting
at Avonport, 475 Bluff Road
( If unsure of the location, email me RLB@eastlink.ca and I will reply with detailed directions. – If the parking lot is full when you arrive, parking is also available off-pavement directly in front of 475 Bluff Road, and in the driveway next door (my home) at 465 Bluff Road.)
Castle Frederick
Speakers: Jim Bremner and Roy Bishop
Few people know where Castle Frederick is located, and fewer still know its history or how it got its curious name. The area was settled over 300 years ago by the French Acadians, and following the Seven Years War was resettled 250 years ago by Europeans and New England Planters. During the decade 1763-1773 its most famous resident, J.F.W. DesBarres carried out the greatest survey of the coasts of Nova Scotia ever done up until that time. DesBarres named his estate Castle Frederick, erected an astronomical observatory there, and during the winters prepared hydrographic charts that he eventually incorporated into the most elaborate marine atlas ever published, the “Atlantic Neptune”.
– Jim Bremner, a descendant of J.F.W. DesBarres and a lifetime resident of Castle Frederick, will describe the early history of Castle Frederick and its central location on the route from Halifax to the Annapolis Valley.
– Roy Bishop, a descendant of New England Planters, will give a sketch of DesBarres’ life, his observatory, and his monumental publication, the Atlantic Neptune.
The Bremner Girls, Erin, Robin , AIyson and Kathryn, together with their parents, Jim and Frances, own and operate Castle Frederick Farms Inc. in Falmouth, NS. The girls are the 8th generation on the farm, descendants of Colonel Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, who was granted the land in 1763.Castle Frederick Farms consists of approximately 300 head of cattle, 100 sheep, 200 acres of pasture and 200 acres of p roductive marshIands for hay and forage to feed the Iivestock through the winter. There are 1500 acres of forest Iand producing several forest products today.
These Iands are serviced by roads and trails, frequented by wildlife and utilized by many for hunting and other recreational activities.The Bremner Famjly is proud of their Iong history in the agricultural community, as well as their dedication to environmental stewardship. A recent biodiversty study revealed many unique species of plants, insects and birds on the property, as weil as a healthy ecosystem that has been and will continue to be sustained for many years . Protecting the watershed is high on the priority list as the farm borders on approximately 7 kilometres of the Avon River. In summer of 2010 Ducks Unlimited restored a wetland on the farm and this is now a popular feature with visitors.
The Archaeological Land Trust of Nova Scotia signed a Stewardship Agreement with the Bremner family a nd Castle Frederick Farms lnc. to ensure the protection of six archaeoIogicaI sites . Castle Frederick has been the subject of a number of archaeologica linvestigations over the past two decades and is considered to be an area of archaeoiogical significance in Nova Scotia.