THE MONTGOMERY SETTLERS In order to understand the situation and problems confronting the first Stanhope settlers, arriving on the Falmouth in June, 1770, it is necessary to consider briefly the history of the Island as a whole. As He St. Jean, it surrendered to the British on July 23, 1758, after the fall of , and it was officially ceded from France to under the terms of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. All except about 30 families of the Acadian population were rounded up and deported, and the British Government had a new unpopulated colony on its hands. A survey was made by Captain Samuel Jan Holland, the newly appointed Surveyor- General; an officer of the Royal Engineers , he was a skilled cartographer, and had fought under Wolfe at and Quebec . He completed a very accurate survey of the Island in the remarkably short period of time between February and October of 1765, dividing it into 3 counties, 14 parishes, and 67 townships of approximately 20,000 acres each. The British government, anxious to colonise its new possession, arranged for these townships to be drawn for in London on July 23, 1767 by various prominent persons in the British government, army and naval officers, and those to whom the Government owed favours. Since this was a lottery, the 67 townships were known as "Lots", as they are to this day. Lot 34 was drawn by John Dickson the Younger of Kilbucho, Peeblesshire, who died later in 1767, and it was bought from his heirs by his neighbour Sir James Montgomery , the Lord Advocate of Scotland , who had already drawn Lot 7. As well as surveying, Samuel Holland made detailed notes on each township as to the quality of the land for agriculture, the forestry potential, harbours and fishing facilities, fauna and flora. For Lot 34 he said: Woods very good and an extreme fertile soil, particularly on the . A pretty good place for fishing but most advantageously situated for farming, and it has also an excellent communication with the interior part of the Island. 8