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Acadians in Exile

See Acadian Exile and Prisoner Records for Available Reports

Between 1755-1760, Acadians were exiled by the British from Nova Scotia, Fort Louisbourg [Ile Breton] and Ile-St-Jean [Prince Edward Island]. [Note: Some had actually been expelled from Fort Louisbourg in 1748 but France regained Fort Louisbourg in 1752 so these aren't officially part of the Acadian Exile.]

The information below is derived from "Scattered to the Wind" The Dispersal and Wanderings of the Acadians, 1755-1809" by Carl A. Brasseaux. [Note: I have permission from Dr. Brasseaux to use summary information from his book. This 84-page book should be read by all Acadians who want to understand the events leading to Le Grand Dérangement and the hardships endured by the Acadians in Exile.]

Note: Not all Acadians were exiled. Some escaped to Quebec and Montreal and some were imprisoned.

Distribution of Acadian Exiles in 1755:

Georgia 400 South Carolina 942 Virginia Note: Virginia refused to accept these and they were sent to England - nearly half of the 1500 died in England between 1755-1763. The survivors were sent to France in 1763 where most were settled on Belle-Isle-en-Mer. 1,500 Maryland 913 Pennsylvania 454 New York 344 Connecticut 731 Massachusetts 735 Destined for North Carolina [on The Pembroke ], but the Acadians took control of the ship before it left Acadia. Most of those on the Pembroke ended up in Quebec but some joined the resistance and were later imprisoned. Some of those imprisoned left in 1764 and 1765 and went to Louisiana. 232 Total: 6,301

Acadians in Exile 1763 [Note: This number will include those exiled in 1758-1759 from Fort Louisbourg [Ile Royale] and Ile St-Jean [Prince Edward Island]. It also includes movement from one location to another as well as marriages and births. The Acadians weren't technically "exiled" within Nova Scotia and the St. John River Valley, N.B. but these are included to show the scope of the dispersal and those who resisted within Acadia]

Massachusetts 1,043 Connecticut: 666 New York 249 Maryland 810 Pennsylvania 383 South Carolina 280 Georgia 185 Nova Scotia 1,249 St. John River Valley, N.B. 87 England [Note: 1500 were sent to England!] 866 France In the winter of 1758-1759, Acadians and French from Isle Royale and Isle St. Jean were repatriated to France after the fall of Fort Louisbourg. [Note: Although Acadians had gone to Isle St. Jean and Isle Royale beginning in 1748 and especially in 1751/1752, they weren't technically exiled since they were not in Nova Scotia - they were repatriated to France since Isle St. Jean and Isle Royale were French possessions at the time]. Approximately 48% of those on the Ships drowned at sea of died shortly after arriving art St. Malo - see Arrival of the Ships at St. Malo. The Acadians in France were sent to various places between 1758 and 1785. Most of the Acadians who had been sent to England in 1755 and repatriated to France in 1763 when the war ended were settled on Belle-Isle-en-Mer. In 1785, Seven Ships provided by the King of Spain took over 1500 Acadians to Louisiana. Note: Not all Acadians in France in 1785 went to Louisiana. Our Acadian cousins in France have identified some who stayed in France. 3,400 Quebec 2,000 Ile St-Jean [PEI] 300 Baie des Chaleurs 700 Total 12,218