The Sierra Leone Company was incorporated to find settlers for the West African country of Sierra Leone. In 1791, Thomas Peters of Annapolis went to London to approach the Sierra Leone Company about the plight of the Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia. Peters was assured that those who wanted to leave Nova Scotia would be given free passage to Africa.
In October 1791, John Clarkson, representative for the Sierra Leone Company, met with the people of Birchtown in their meeting house where he described the alternatives offered to them by the British Government:
The will of the people of Birchtown was clear: "....they were unanimous in the desire for embarking for Africa, telling me their labour was lost upon the land in this country and their utmost efforts would barely keep them in existence - being now sunk to the lowest wretchedness they had made up their minds for quitting this country." :- John Clarkson.
The response across the province was overwhelming. In all, 1190 people signed up to go to Sierra Leone, 544 of whom were from Shelburne and Birchtown, half of the area's black population.
The loss of these 'good and efficient Citizens' was felt throughout the province, but especially so in Birchtown. The sailing of the 15 ships from Halifax for Sierra Leone in 1792 signalled the end of Birchtown as a viable Black community.
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