Formation of the Axe Fire-Company (1812-1861)
Many publications rightly pointed out that the Axe Fire Company had been founded in July 2, 1813 (M. Parker 2002) (Baird 1986) (Lawlor 2005). However, its foundation can be traced to 1812, in yet another amendment of the Act of 1762. The House of Assembly enacted the Law giving birth to a company made of twenty “Fire-men” who would be using the tools required for doing forcible entry, rescues, and the pulling down of buildings. Basically, the ancestor of today’s truck companies. Corroborating this legal framework was a letter from the Axe Fire Company to the Firewards in 1818 stating that, “Conceiving the present axe Company to exist agreeably to the laws of this province” (Nova Scotia Archives 1813-1838). There is a reference in another Act in 1838, which states: “[…] the Fire-men of the Town of Halifax, (commonly known as and called Axe men) […]”
Clause two, three and four of the Amendment dealt with the creation of a company that would be known as the Axe Fire-Company the following year.
II. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful for the said justices, in their said Sessions, from time to time, and so often as the same may be necessary, to choose and appoint such number of prudent and discreet men, not exceeding twenty, as may be found necessary, who shall be denominated Fire-Men, and shall have the charge of the said Hooks, Chains, Ropes, Ladders, Axes and Saws, and shall be obliged to keep them in good order, and fit for service on all occasions, and the persons so appointed shall be exempted from all Statute Labour upon the highways.
III. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That at the time of any alarm, or breaking out of Fire in the said Town of Halifax, or the suburbs thereof, the said Fire-men shall, without delay, repair to the place where the said before mentioned implements are kept and deposited, and shall bring the same to the place or places where the Fire shall have been discovered, and shall there diligently use and work with the same under the direction of the Firewards in such way as shall be deemed most likely to extinguish such Fire.
IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That one of the said Fire-men, to be named by the Justices in their Sessions, shall have the power and authority of a Fireward, to order and command any necessary assistance in taking the said implements to or from the place where any Fire may happen, and any person or persons refusing to obey such orders, shall be subject to the same fine or fines imposed by the said Act, whereof this is an amendment, on any person or persons refusing or neglecting to obey the orders of said Firewards (Province of Nova Scotia 1812).
Following this amendment, the Firewards ordered the following equipment for the newly created company on April 8, 1812: ten firehooks, ten chains, ten ropes, three 34-foot ladders, twelve axes, and six saws. The reason these were specifically requested in writing was because of the first clause of the amendment:
I. Be it enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Assembly, That at the next Session of the Peace, to be held for the County of Halifax, and at any other Sessions of the Peace for the same County, so often as the same shall be found necessary, the Firewards for the said Town of Halifax shall report in writing, to the said Sessions, the number of Hooks, Chains, Ropes, Ladders, Axes and Saws, which they may think necessary to be provided for the service of the said Town, and also the amount of the expenses of repairing and keeping the same in good and sufficient order; and it shall and may be lawful for the Justices, in their Sessions, from time to time, to order such, or so many, of the said implements to be provided, as the said Justices may deem expedient, and may from time to time order the cost and charge of providing the same, as well as the expense of repairing and keeping the same safe and fit for service, to be assessed and levied in the same manner, and with the same power and authority, that Money is now assessed and levied on the Inhabitants of the said Town of Halifax, for the support of the Poor (Province of Nova Scotia 1812).
Regarding the discrepancy between the act of the Legislative Assembly and the Axe Fire Company’s creation date, the working hypothesis is that the group appointed in 1812 had its members organized themselves into a society called the Axe Fire Company in July of 1813. The same pattern occurred with the Union Engine Company: they were appointed in 1783 but appeared to have grouped themselves into a society ten years later. The bottom line is that an axe company was operating in Halifax, under the Board of Firewards, as of 1812. If it had been created on July 2, 1813, there would have been no reason for the Firewards to buy the above-described equipment the year prior. Although not mentioned by the Firewards, some members were assigned sledges, presumably to carry some equipment in the winter. The first set of regulations of the Axe Fire Company, hand-written in July 1813, is for the most part unreadable, unfortunately (Nova Scotia Archives 1813-1838).
Sometimes in 1812, Union Engine Company’s Captain, Benjamin Bridge, resigned and was replaced by William Patterson. Bridge had served at least 22 years as the captain of the company, based on available records (Theophrastus 1812), but it could be as much as 29 years, if he was the captain at the time of the Company’s creation.
Like in 1811, four new members were added to the Union Engine Company’s ranks in 1812: John Liswell, John Barron, Alexander McRae, in Division 1, and William Varge in Division 2. There is some confusion surrounding the name John Liswell, but the current working assumption is that the individual of interest to us was born in 1777, married Martha Mitchell on September 3, 1803 (Nova Scotia Archives 1803), and died in 1821 while still active with the company (The Old Burying Ground Foundation 2023). There is also another John Liswell who was born in New England in 1729, and died in Halifax, also in 1821. However, there is only one Grave under that name at the Old Burying Grounds, thus, it is difficult to know which of the two Wiswell is buried there. John Barron left the Company in 1816 (Canadiana 1817) and died in 1833 (The Old Burying Ground Foundation 1833). Alexander McRae appears to have been a ship builder; he left the company a year later, 1813, likely because he moved out of Halifax. William Varge (Verge) was a cooper (Nova Scotia Archives 1838) who married Catherine Adams in 1810 (Nova Scotia Archives 1810); he resigned from the Company in 1825 (Canadiana 1825).