LE3 .A278 1991

1991

Moody, Barry

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

History

History & Classics

This thesis examines the effects of the Church of England's participation in the settling of the Loyalists in the Town of Digby. Through the compilation and analysis of contemporary records, the thesis describes the difficulties that occurred in settling Digby, and the influence of the Loyalist town leaders and the Reverend Roger Viets, who was the first Anglican rector in Digby. In particular, it focusses on their influence on the Church's role in the settlement, and on the evolution of the Church itself. This thesis concludes that the Church of England played a predominant role in the Town of Digby, as it did in the other major Loyalist settlements throughout the Maritime provinces. It also examines the important and complex relationship that developed between the clergy, vestry and town leaders, which contributed to the development of an elitist church, unable to satisfy the needs of the rest of the Digby community and in particular the residents of the nearby black community.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3707