Forts Gaspereaux, Lawrence, and Beauséjour are all part of a defensive system on the border of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. But in the eighteenth century, it was the British against the French and the French had no desire of sharing this New World with the Brits.
Beaubassin wasn’t just excellent ground for farming, it was also a vital part of a trade route that connected New England and New France with Europe. The waterways between Baie Verte and Beaubassin acted as a canal between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy.
Fort Lawrence was named after Major Charles Lawrence as the British advanced on Beaubassin in 1750 with 700 soldiers. The wooden fort was built on the remains of the Beaubassin village that the French had razed to prevent capture.
Fort Beauséjour was built on the other side of the Missaguash river in hopes of saving fertile Acadian land for France. It saw heavy fighting in 1755 when the British attacked from Fort Lawrence and seized the location. It was renamed to Fort Cumberland by the British and extended to build up its defences.
Fort Lawrence was abandoned after as the British captured Fort Beauséjour. It was used as a prison camp for Acadian males but 86 of them escaped by tunnelling their way out. Soon after, 1,100 Acadians were deported to the southern colonies. Nothing is left of the fort today.
Fort Gaspereaux on the other side of the waterways at Baie Verte was built by the French to keep the British out. It was also a provisioning base for the Acadian fort further away from the Atlantic. Colonel Monckton (after whom Moncton is named), captured Fort Beauséjour, forcing Fort Gaspereaux to surrender because there were only 19 soldiers posted there. The English burned it a year after capturing it due to its poor condition.
