Early nineteenth-century Halifax society possessed a rigid, hierarchical structure. Power and wealth remained the monopoly of a small elite consisting of high government officials, wholesale merchants and officers of the military garrison. Their life style was modeled on that of the English gentry. A visitor, praising the elite for their "refinement", "elegance" and "fashion", went on to declare: "The language, the manners of the ladies and gentlemen, the style of dress, the dancing, the . . . small talk, the apartments, the furniture, the refreshments, are all akin to England." As in England, disputes among gentlemen frequently climaxed in pistol duels. The elite flaunted their authority and affluence by erecting impressive private residences. Then they filled them with imported carpets, mahogany furniture, English porcelain and costly services of silverware, family portraits and well stocked wine cellars. Genteel homes also boasted a private library, a pianoforte in the parlour, several carriages and sleighs along with numerous domestic servants.
Shown here are the dining room and master bedroom in the house of C.R. Prescott, a Halifax merchant who retired in 1799 to the shores of Minas Basin where he built a large brick mansion surrounded by elaborate gardens. Prescott reigned here for some sixty years as local squire. The restored residence now survives as a reminder of Halifax's age of gentility.
Courtesy: Nova Scotia Communications and Information Centre
