f one shilling sterling to
be made on Michaelmas day for every fifty acres, the quit rent, to
commence at the expiration of ten years from the date of the grant.

Second.--The grantee to plant, cultivate and improve, or inclose,
one-third part within ten years, one-third part within twenty years
and the remaining third part within thirty years from the date of the
grant, or otherwise to forfeit such lands as shall not be actually
under improvement and cultivation.

Third.--To plant within ten years one rood of every thousand acres
with hemp, and to keep up the same or a like quantity during the
successive years.

Fourth.--For the more effectual settling of the lands within the
province the grantees shall settle on every five hundred acres one
family at least with proper stock and materials for improvement of
the said lands within two years of date of grant.[73]

[73] The last of the conditions above quoted was a somewhat variable
one, and is sometimes found in this form, "The grantees shall
settle one-fourth part within one year, in the proportion of
one family of Protestants (to consist at least of four
persons) to every thousand acres, one-fourth part within two
years, another fourth part within three years, and the
remaining fourth part within four years, otherwise the lands
remaining unsettled to revert to the crown."

The arrival of so considerable a number of English speaking
inhabitants as came to the River St. John in the course of a few years
after Lawrence had published his proclamations, rendered it necessary
that measures should be adopted for their government. When Nova Scotia
was divided into counties, in 1759, what is now New Brunswick seems to
have been an unorganized part of the County of Cumberland. For a year
or two the settlers on the River St. John were obliged to look to
Halifax for the regulation of their civil affairs, but this proved so
inconvenient that the Governor and Council agreed to the establishment
of a new county. The county was called Sunbury in honor of the English
secretary of state, the third Earl of Halifax[74] who was also
Viscount Sunbury.

[74] It was after the same English secretary of state that the city
of Halifax was named in 1749.

The first intimation we have of the formation of the new county is
contained in a letter of James Simonds to William, Hazen, dated at
Halifax, March 18, 1765, in which