Isaac Deschamps

Isaac Deschamps (c. 1722 – 11 August 1801) was a Canadian judge, and politician.

Born in Switzerland or England, Deschamps came to Nova Scotia in 1749. Believe to have been a bilingual Huguenot. Isaac and a son under age 16 years were mentioned in a list of settlers living within the Town of Halifax in July 1752; Deschamps was employed by Joshua Mauger, victualer to the navy at Halifax in 1751; by 1754 Deschamps was at Fort Edward (Windsor) as Clerk in Mauger's store; Deschamps acted as interpreter and translator for documents at the time of the expulsion of the Acadian French; 9 Sept. 1754 Halifax authorities replied to Capt. Alexander Murray, Commanding Fort Edward that his request to have Isaac Deschamps appointed a Notary Public could NOT be granted since the only person who could approve such a position was the Archbishop of Canterbury; it was felt that Deschamps could "do any little business the French Inhabitants want without any particular appointment" (Wm. Cotterell to capt. Murray, 9 Sept. 1754, RG 1, Vol. 134, p. 219): Isaac's name appears in Col. Winslow's Journal; Col. Winslow was the commander of the New England Provincial troops at Grand Pre during the evacuation of the Acadian French; he used the services of Deschamps who at the time was a merchant at Fort Edward, as an interpreter and translator.[1] He participated in the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755) at Fort Edward to remove the Acadians. He was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for 1759 to 1760 for Annapolis County and represented Falmouth Township from 1761 to 1770 and Newport Township from 1770 to 1783. In 1761, he was appointed judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and judge of probate for Kings County. In 1783 he was appointed to the Nova Scotia Council. From 1785 to 1788, he was the Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. He is buried in the Old Parish Burying Ground (Windsor, Nova Scotia).

Many of his recordings are held at the Nova Scotia Archives.

Family

Isaac Deschamps, first marriage (name unknown, probably a dau. of William Saul of Liverpool, England) he had one son (George b. 1746 probably England) Second marriage 17 Oct. 1758 Sarah Ellis (1733 - 1798) in Halifax, NS; d. 11 Aug. 1801 in Windsor, NS   In 1756, Isaac posted letters to his father and a brother Francis. Will mentions a Brother John.

Son George Married (1) Elizabeth Fletcher, b. c1746; d. 20 Oct. 1779; bur. Old Parish Burying Ground, Windsor, NS; she was probably related to Martha Whitfield of Mount Denson (Henry Denny Denson Estate Papers); a Robert Fletcher was living at Mount Denson at the time of Denson's death ir~ 1780; m. (2) 15 Feb. 1780 (Nancy) Anne Monk, b. 7 July 1743; d. 17 Jul. 1815 without issue; dau. of James Monk and Ann Deering of Boston and sister of Sir. James Monk, Attorney Gen. of Lower Canada (knighted 1825).

Children (1st marriage):

1a George3, b. 1770/1; d. 23 Feb. 1776 after an illness of five days; his father included information regarding his sons last days in the G. Deschamps Diary; bur. OPBG.

2a Sarah, b. 1772; d. June 1778; GR OPBG; her marker as well as the ones for her mother and brother George were recorded in 1974 but have since disappeared.

3a Anne, bp. 1775; St. Paul's records for Windsor, NS.

4a Elizabeth, probably the dau. b. 12 Feb. 1776; she and her sister Anne were listed in Isaac Deschamps' will of 1798 as sisters; m. ----FRY; they were living outside Philadelphia in 1817 in straitened circumstances; large family. (Monk Papers)

5a Isaac, bp. 1777; St. Paul's records for Windsor, NS1 in 1790 he was a student at the English School of King's College, Windsor, NS; his course of studies included Arithmetic, Writing and Reading; it is not known if he attended as a senior when the course of studies included Greek and Latin, Grecian History, Greek Testament, Virgil's Aeneid and Euclid's Elements; Isaac3 was living in April 1808 when he signed a document in connection with the estate of Col. Henry Denny Denson of Falmouth, NS; in a letter by Mrs. G. H. Monk dated at Philadelphia in 1817 she stated the whereabouts of Isaac were unknown. [2]

References

• Tratt, Grace M. (1983). "Deschamps, Isaac". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. V (1801–1820) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
• Elliott, Shirley B. (1984). The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758-1983: a biographical directory (PDF). Halifax: Province of Nova Scotia. p. 251&52–53. ISBN 0-88871-050-X.