Diary sheds light on Acadian deportation in 1755

A transcript of a diary written by a British soldier who was involved in the deportation of Acadians from Canada has been found in Nova Scotia.

A transcript of the diary was found by historical archeologist Jonathan Fowler and was publicly displayed Thursday at Saint Mary’s University by Fowler and Earle Lockerby, an expert on the deportation.

The deportation forced the French Acadian population from Nova Scotia after they refused to swear an oath of loyalty to the British.

Bancroft was a junior officer to Lt.-Col. John Winslow, whose own diary provides much of what is known about the deportation, which displaced about 7,000 Acadians in 1755 to Britain, Louisiana and France.

The diary also fills in historical gaps at Grand Pre from mid-November to the end of December, when Winslow left Grand Pre for Halifax.

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