New Brunswick Historical Tidbits

Meductic

By Mitch Biggar

In 1731 Father Jean-Baptiste Loyard died at the Indian settlement of Meductic. Soon after his death the Maliseet abandoned the settlement and moved downriver to a group of islands below the falls of Kingsclear. The Maliseet referre to this area as Aukpaque. Also at this time French settlers were taking up residence between Jemseg and St. Anne's Point.

By 1767 Meductic was completely abandoned by the Maliseet and by 1794 the Maliset had been given title to the Kingsclear area. While there is no definite reason for the Maliseet to have given up the Meductic area many historians believe the missionary Jean-Pierre Danielou may have encouraged the reloctaion. It is also believed Danielou did so in anattempt tto prevent English claims to the lower St. John River.

This page was designed by Irene Doyle September 1999