Fleur-de-lis stopcock

Copper, fleur-de-lis stopcock (7cm long) recovered from Saint Croix Island

Saint Croix Island is a small island located on the border of Maine and Canada. In 1604, French colonists formed the first attempted French settlement in their territory of “l’Acadie” and one of the earliest European settlements in North America. To sustain themselves during the journey and settlement, the colonists would have brought supplies from France. This copper fleur-de-lis stopcock, or spigot, would have been used to regulate the flow of liquids such as water or wine from a barrel. By turning the stopcock, the flow of liquid could either be started or stopped.

While the settlement started out with seventy-six settlers including leader Pierre Dugua and explorer Samuel Champlain, during the harsh winter of 1604-1605 thirty-five members were lost and buried on the small island cemetery. Pierre Dugua then decided to move the colony off the island and founded the settlement of Port Royal in modern day Nova Scotia.

During this 1604 voyage, Champlain charted the coast of Maine and named Mount Desert Island “l’ile des Monts Desert”, roughly translated as “island of the barren mountains.”