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He came often to Tatamagouche, for during his first years he was, as well, in charge of the Cobequid Parish, which had been without a Priest. In his last years, after his escape and return to France he wrote his autobiography.* There he relates that under his direction and through his efforts the French Chapel was built at Tatamagouche. There too, was built a Presbytery where the transient Priests could lodge, for there was never, so far as is now known, a resident Priest at Tatamagouche Tatamagouche was part of the Cobequid Parish and Le Loutre shortly after his arrival built the Parish Church - the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, at Cove de’Eglise, the modern Masstown, so named by the New England settlers of Onslow, who came about 1760. Old residents of Masstown yet point out the spot where, according to tradition, the church stood, though today there is nothing on the ground to identify its site. It was burned in October, 1755, when the Cobequid villages, on the Fundy Bay shore, were destroyed by the British as one of the closing acts of the Expulsion. At first, Le Loutre gave much of his time to the inhabitants of the Cobequid
Parish, particularly during the season when the Indians were away on hunting
expeditions. Three additional small Chapels-at-ease, under his directions were
built about four, five or six leagues distant from the Parish Church. Their
sites are not now known. In 1741 Father Girard arrived as the Parish Priest and
remained till 1752 when during the migration proceeding the Expulsion, he went
with the Acadians to Point Prime. Back |
