Africa's Children. Sharon Robart-Johnson
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4 Community of Greenville: Earliest Black Settlement in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The name Greenville is one of three once given to this community, earlier names being Salmon River and Riverdale. The names of some of the people who lived in the community between Porcupine Lake and Jebogue Lake are shown on the map1 that was created in 1864. This tiny village, totally populated by Blacks, was known as Greenville as early as October 23, 1869, as is recorded on a land deed issued by George Gideon Dies to the trustees of the then-called African Church in Greenville. Today, the church is the Greenville United Baptist Church. Another deed dated February 4, 1911, states that Greenville was formerly known as Riverdale. The eastern limit of Greenville was defined by Salmon River Lake (sometimes known as Pleasant Lake), Salmon River, and Porcupine Lake.
Greenville was appropriately named more than one hundred years ago for the appearance of the surrounding vegetation of the time. The roughly built log houses with rags covering glassless windows were completely enshrouded in lush, thick trees, low-growing green bushes, and wild berry bushes. The community of Greenville was a pastoral, peaceful Eden for those who struggled to make a home for their families there. The gravel road into and out of this haven was no more than a horse-and-buggy trail. Although the road was widened somewhat with the invention of the motor car, there was scarcely enough room for two vehicles to pass each other, if indeed they could achieve even that.
Recorded history has Greenville first settled around 1820, the year David Dize was freed from his indenture to Nehemiah Porter. David Dize (Dyes, Dise) was a Black man originally from Kingston, Jamaica.2 Born in 1798, he was the son of James Dize and Lydia Dize, also of Jamaica. Young David arrived in Yarmouth at the age of fourteen after having been placed on a man-of-war ship in Kingston.
A.F. Church was commissioned to create this very large map, approximately four feet by four feet, in March 1864. It is hanging on a wall in the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives. The names of the people who lived in the different communities of Yarmouth County and the town of Yarmouth appear on the map. According to the museum curator emeritus, Eric Ruff, the printing was completed in 1867.
Just over seventeen years of age in 1815, he signed an indenture placing himself apprentice to Nehemiah Porter Sr., the coroner for the town of Yarmouth. This indenture was for a little over four years, after which time David would be released from his servitude. As shown in the following document, among other stifling stipulations, the man was not even allowed to marry or have any close relationships whatsoever with a woman during the full four years of his indenture:
WITNESSETH, That DAVID DIZE (Black Man) Foreign Born, now residing in the Township of Yarmouth in the County of Shelburne Province of Nova Scotia, Freeman, Hath put, himself and by these Presents, Doth voluntarily, and of his own free will and accord, put himself APPRENTICE to NEHEMIAH PORTER, Senr. of the Township of Yarmouth County of Shelburne & province of Nova Scotia
To learn the Art, Trade and Mystery of as Menial Servent or the usual Nova Scotia occupations of an Husbandman as Common in Yarmouth and after the manner of an Apprentice, to serve from the day of the Date hereof, for and during and until the full End and Term of Four years Seven Months and Nine days or till he is 22 years old which will be on the 2d Jany 1820 next ensuing. During all which time, the said Apprentice his said master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep, his lawful Commands every where readily obey; he shall do no damage to his said master, nor see it done by others, without letting or giving notice thereof to his said Master, he shall not waste his said Master’s Goods nor lend them unlawfully to any; shall not commit Fornication, or Matrimony contract, within the said Term; at Cards, Dice, or any other unlawful Game he shall not play whereby his said Master may have damage; With his own goods nor the Goods of others, without License from his said Master, shall he neither buy nor sell he shall not absent himself Day nor Night from his Master’s service, without his Leave, nor haunt Ale-houses, Taverns, or Play-houses; but in all things behave himself as a faithful Apprentice ought to do during the said Term. And the said Master shall use the utmost of his endeavour to teach or cause to be taught or instructed, the said Apprentice in the Trade and Mystery of a Menial’s servent or the usual occupations of an Husbandman as Common in Yarmouth —
And procure and provide him sufficient Meat, Drink, Apparel, Lodging, and washing, fitting for an Apprentice, during said Term of Four Years Seven Months and Nine days or till he is 22 years old which will be on the 2d Jany 1820, and at the Expiration of said apprenticeship shall give him One complete suit of Clothing over and above his every day Clothing
AND for the true Performance of and singular the Covenants and Agreements aforesaid, the said Parties do bind themselves each unto the other firmly by these Presents. In Witness whereof the said parties have interchangeably set their hands and seals here unto. Dated the Eighteenth Day of May in the Fifty fifth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Annoque Domini, One Thousand Eight
Hundred and Fifteen, /s/
Signed sealed and delivered, David [his X] Dize
in the Presence of
Benjm Bingay
Samuel C. Porter
Nehemiah Porter
Above registered by Benjamin Barnard, Notary Public
on 18 May 18153
Now, David Dize was not a formally educated man. He was, however, clever enough to know how to survive. This man not only lived on for many years but became the strength and inspiration of the people who followed him and settled in the community of Greenville. Many of his followers had come with the Black Loyalists who settled in Shelburne and eventually made their way to Yarmouth County. They came to settle in a place that appeared to them to be a safe haven.
So it was that David Dize had become one of the spiritual leaders in this community of Greenville. “Reverend” Dize went on to serve his church and community faithfully for many years. During that time he and his wife took several children into their nurturing care, but when David passed away at the age of ninety-three in 1891, he was a resident of Yarmouth’s Poor Farm.4 It is possible that he is buried in Riverview Cemetery (established for the Poor Farm), but there is no record available. Although various other sources have his age at time of death as 106,5 the indenture he signed with Nehemiah Porter in 1815 states that David would be twenty-two years old on January 2, 1820, making his year of birth 1798, and his age at death as ninety-three.
Indenture of David Dize. This very old document outlines the conditions that David Dize had to follow after his indenture to Nehemiah Porter. Those conditions were very restricting to say the least, but knowing that he would be a free man at the end of his servitude, he obeyed them all.
Deacon David Dize, circa August 1, 1890. The foundation for David’s homestead is still visible. When the deputy warden for the Municipality of Yarmouth, Walter Churchill, was dictating notes about some of the residents in the municipality, one of the stories was that David Dize buried his wife halfway between the back of his house and Churchill’s Lake. It is not known which wife as David was married twice. In searching for this grave, I have found a location that could be one, but there is another location that also has been suggested as the site. The search continues.
One can only imagine the high hopes these people shared for a future in their beautiful country landscape as they began to rebuild their lives away from their former existence. As far as can be determined, Greenville was the first and only true home of many early Blacks.
SOLITUDE, HOPES, LOST DREAMS, POVERTY
Is that not what settling in a new place was all about? For some, yes, but for Blacks, it was most definitely! As it happened, these newcomers