Baron
Philippe Mius d’Entremont
Pubnico is located in what was called,
before the Expulsion, Cape Sable, which, even at the beginning, around 1614, had as its
center what is now Port La Tour, called then Port Lomeron, David Lomerson having here a
trading post, dealing with fur and fish. Charles de Biencourt, who was at the head of the
small group of Frenchmen of what was then Acadia, comprising the south-western part of the
peninsula, died around 1624. In 1631, Louis XIII named as Governor of Acadia, Charles de
La Tour, who had been a faithful companion of Charles de Biencourt. It is then that the
name of Port Lomerson was changed to Port La Tour. He was named Governor of Acadia again
in 1651, while in France, from where he came back, bringing with him Philippe Mius
d’Entremont, who was to be his Major. It is Philippe Mius d’Entremont who was to
be the founder of Pubnico.
In 1653, Charles de La Tour gave to Philippe Mius
d’Entremont the choice to settle wherever he would like. He chose what was then known
to the Indians as Pobomcoup, meaning "a place where holes have been made through the
ice to fish." Charles de La Tour built the place into a barony, the first ever
constituted in Acadia, and the second in all of Canada. He gave to Philippe Mius
d’Entremont the title of Baron. The center of the barony was located on the east side
of the harbor, not far from its head.
It was in this same year, 1653, that Philippe Mius
d’Entremont came to live here with his wife, Madeleine Helie and their daughter
Marguerite, who was born in France and was to become the wife of Pierre Melanson, the
founder of Grand-Pre. It is here that were born Philippe Mius d’Entremont’s
three sons, Jacques, Abraham and Philippe, and Madeleine, the youngest of the family.
We know very little of Philippe’s life at the Barony
until 1671. The census of that year lists his family names and livestock of 26 horned
cattle, 29 sheep, 12 goats and 20 pigs on six acres of land under cultivation.
In 1675, a crew of Dutchmen landed and invaded Pubnico and
took possession of Philippe’s riches. He left shortly thereafter. In 1670 after
Acadia became under French domain once again, he was appointed the King’s Attorney
General of Acadia, an office and title he was to hold until his retirement. In this
position, he was to travel as an aide to the governor; and that is why he did not stay
long at the Barony, and in 1678, we find him in Port Royal with his family.
In 1679 Philippe is found at Beaubassin (Amhurst) where
Michel Le Neuf, Sieur de la Vallire resided. In 1684 Philippe was again at Port Royal,
since Francis Perrot was named governor and chose Port Royal as his residence. In 1687,
Philippe retired to Grand Pre where his daughter, Marie Marguerite and her husband, Pierre
Melanson (brother to Charles) was living.. This couple were the founders of Grand Pre in
1680. It is here Philippe died in 1700. His wife had died about 1670.
It was his eldest son Jacques who built at the center of
the barony the manor house, which stood till the time of the Expulsion. It is here that he
brought up his family. The Barony of Pobomcoup was devastated and burned to the ground by
the English in September of 1758. As to Abraham, although he had a large family, his
children did not leave any descendants. Jacques’ descendants dropped the name Mius,
to keep only as a surname the name of d’Entremont.
The youngest son, Philippe kept only Mius as his surname
and is the ancestor of the Mius family, now spelled Muise or Meuse, which was the real
patronymic or family name. He married two Micmac Indian wives, both of whom seem to have
been given the name of Marie. He established himself at first on the eastern shore of what
is now the Bay of Barrington. His oldest son Joseph is the father of the Acadien Mius
family of today. All of his other children integrated into the Micmac tribe leaving Joseph
to take residence in Pobomcoup. Information
from Le Musee Acadien, W. Pubnico, Nova Scotia and Father Clarence d’Entremont. |
