John Payzant (17 Oct. 1749 in

Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...

– 10 April 1834 in

Liverpool, Nova Scotia Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality, which is the local governmen ...

) was a Foreign Protestant, prominent New Light Congregational minister in

and was taken captive for four years with his siblings and pregnant mother after the Raid on Lunenburg (1756). He was born Jean Paysant in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands to French

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

Louis Payzant (1695–1756) and his wife Marie Anne Noget (1711–1796). The family moved to

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Lunenburg () is a port town on the South Shore (Nova Scotia), South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. Historically, Lunenburg's economy relied o ...

, in 1753. At the May 1756 raid, mercenary natives for the French shot and scalped his father and three others. According to DesBrisay, they were later buried on Heckman's Island, Nova Scotia. For the first year, he and his siblings were adopted by the Indigenous family while his pregnant mother was taken to

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. John learned to speak their native language. He later wrote: “I was atera languattor ranslatorfor the Indians as I had learnt that Language when prisoner among them." After one year of captivity by the natives, he and his siblings were eventually released to re-connect with their mother in Quebec. “When I arrived at Quebec I was sent to the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

to be instructed in the Learning of that Academy and during my stay there I made great proficiency in the Arts that were taught in that School, and as they were fond to proselyte they took the more pains with me." In 1760 they all (including a sister born in Quebec in December 1756) returned to Nova Scotia, settling in Falmouth. Payzant then became a minister in

(1793). He was part of the

Great Awakening The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late 20th cent ...

and was a follower of

Henry Alline Henry Alline (pronounced Allen) (June 14, 1748 – February 2, 1784) was a minister, evangelist, and writer who became known as "the Apostle of Nova Scotia." Born at Newport, Rhode Island, he became a New England Planter and served as an itiner ...

and married his sister Mary in 1774. They had one daughter and eight sons. Rev. John Payzant died at 84 and is buried in Liverpool's Old Burying Ground.Burying Ground
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