Jacob Bailey

Who was Jacob Bailey?

Jacob Bailey, a Church of England clergyman and author, was born in the United States and was married with at least six children. He started his career in the ministry as a Congregational preacher in New Hampshire but converted and became an Anglican clergyman in 1760.

Bailey moved to Nova Scotia in 1779 because the political unrest in the colonies was spilling over to the Church of England. He served in the parish of Cornwallis for a period and then moved to Annapolis Royal where he remained for the rest of his life.

It is through his writings that Bailey’s place in Canadian history was assured. His poetry was widely known and his verse satire was considered to be styled like that of the English poet, Samuel Butler.

He wrote a considerable amount of prose as well and much of this can contribute to historians studies of those times.