Barrington is an unincorporated
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
rural community of about 4,000 people on the northeast corner of Barrington Bay
in
Shelburne County
Shelburne County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
History
Shelburne County was founded in 1784 shortly following the influx of Loyalist settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America. It was originally ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
.
Barrington is part of the much larger
Municipality of the District of Barrington
Barrington, officially named the Municipality of the District of Barrington, is a district municipality in western Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Statistics Canada classifies the district municipality as a municipal district.
Geography ...
, also wholly within Shelburne County.
History
Barrington's inhabitants are mostly
descendants of the first settlers from
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
and
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
on
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
,
who emigrated to the area during the 1760s. One such settler was Solomon Kendrick, father of
John Kendrick, explorer and
maritime fur trade
The maritime fur trade was a ship-based fur trade system that focused on acquiring furs of sea otters and other animals from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and natives of Alaska. The furs were mostly sold in China in ex ...
r. Solomon moved from Harwich, Cape Cod, to Barrington in the 1760s.
There are several interesting historical sites in the second of the villages which have as part of their name Barrington. Actually Barrington Head is named only locally as such because of it being located at the head of Barrington Bay. The actual village is that of Barrington, but for geographical identity we shall accept the three names stated above.
The first of the historical sites is that of the Barrington Woolen Mill situated on the Barrington River near where it lets out into Barrington Bay. This popular site houses some of the equipment used for preparation, processing and manufacturing of woolen products. The site is open about five months of the year with a guide in period costume to interpret the nature of the exhibits for the public.
The second of the sites is that of the Old Meeting House. This church was the earliest in the area and is a favorite for many of the history buffs travelling through the area. It has a raised pulpit which is accessed by a stairs up the back. Surely the minister was closer to heaven when preaching there. Another of the curious items found there is the offering boxes on long handles so as to allow the ushers to not have to bodily pass in front of the parishioners while receiving the offerings.
The third historical site is the 2/3 replica of the lighthouse on Seal Island. The original was located on Seal Island some 20 miles at sea, west of Clark's Harbour on Cape Sable Island. Visitors love to climb to the top and view the vistas available on clear sunny days. This is a favourite for those maritime enthusiasts who love lighthouses.
In popular culture
Disguised as "Barringford," Barrington is the main setting of Canadian novelist
Hugh Hood
Hugh John Blagdon Hood, OC (b in Toronto, Ontario 30 Apr 1928 – d in Montreal, Quebec 1 Aug 2000) was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, essayist and university professor.
Hood wrote 32 books: 17 novels including the 12-volume New Ag ...
's debut 1964 novel, ''
White Figure, White Ground
''White Figure, White Ground'' is the first novel by Canadian author Hugh Hood. It was first published in 1964 by Ryerson Press. One of the main themes in the novel surrounds libertinism, as the main character attempts to distinguish between libe ...
''.
See also
*
List of communities in Nova Scotia
This is a list of communities in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, as designated by thUnion of Nova Scotia Municipalities For the purposes of this list, a community is defined as an unincorporated settlement inside or outside a municipality.
...
References
External links
Barrington on Destination Nova Scotia
{{coord, 43, 33, 46, N, 65, 33, 42, W, region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title
Communities in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
General Service Areas in Nova Scotia
Populated coastal places in Canada