The article deals with the initial period of the British colonial regime in Nova Scotia since the conquest of the French colony of Acadia during the War of the Spanish Succession till the end of 1740s. It reveals the specifics of the control system set up there and shows the problems faced by the colonial administration in the given period. Special attention is paid to the relations between the British authorities and French settlers, Acadians, who remained in the colony, in particular regarding the question about their oath of allegiance to the King of England and the preservation of their neutral status. It analyzes the attitude towards Nova Scotia of the London government as well as of the neighboring British colonies. It is concluded that Nova Scotia took specific position as a part of the British Empire in 1710s - 1740s.