Nova Scotia

An agreement was made between British representatives in Jamaica and Nova Scotia resulting in the transport of the Maroons from Trelawny Town to Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the time, Nova Scotia was in desperate need of military aid and labourers. The agreement also stipulated that the Jamaican government would be financially responsible for the care of the Maroons once they landed in Nova Scotia. This fund, in the amount of £25,000 would serve as reparations for their accomodation in this new settlement. However, after their struggle to regain freedom, the Maroons refused to be put in a position that felt far too similar to slavery. They created an agreement, which required a signature from anyone wishing to have Maroons in their employ. This outlined their own terms and conditions for their labour in Nova Scotia.

Three ships made the journey from Jamaica to Halifax: the Dover, the Anne, and the Mary. The ships were called prison ships because of their brutal conditions. Though the voyage only lasted six weeks, 17 Maroons died on these ships. They arrived in late July, 1796 with approximately 540 on board. They were accompanied and supervised by Commissary General William Dawes Quarrell, Deputy Alexander Ochterlony (for which a street is named in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), and Dr. John Oxley.

The Arrival of the Maroons in Nova Scotia

An agreement was made between British representatives in Jamaica and Nova Scotia resulting in the transport of the Maroons from Trelawny Town to Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the time, Nova Scotia was in desperate need of military aid and labourers. The agreement also stipulated that the Jamaican government would be financially responsible for the care of the Maroons once they landed in Nova Scotia. This fund, in the amount of £25,000 would serve as reparations for their accomodation in this new settlement. However, after their struggle to regain freedom, the Maroons refused to be put in a position that felt far too similar to slavery. They created an agreement, which required a signature from anyone wishing to have Maroons in their employ. This outlined their own terms and conditions for their labour in Nova Scotia.

Three ships made the journey from Jamaica to Halifax: the Dover, the Anne, and the Mary. The ships were called prison ships because of their brutal conditions. Though the voyage only lasted six weeks, 17 Maroons died on these ships. They arrived in late July, 1796 with approximately 540 on board. They were accompanied and supervised by Commissary General William Dawes Quarrell, Deputy Alexander Ochterlony (for which a street is named in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), and Dr. John Oxley.

Living in Nova Scotia

Settlement in Preston was chosen partly because it allowed for the segregation of the Maroons from the larger white population living in nearby Halifax. Preston is located in the Halifax Regional Municipality along the Trunk 7 highway and was previously known as the Township of Preston. The area was first settled by Black Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies, who departed for Sierra Leone in 1792.