Ruby M. Cusack
Cliff and I usually had the kitchen table to ourselves but tonight both Mum and Dad were sitting there along with Mr. Reid who was asking them questions. He carefully recorded each answer. It seemed he wanted the birth dates of all the household members, our religion and Dad's occupation. Mum said she didn't work. I couldn't understand her reasoning as she worked really hard and long hours at caring for the family with cooking meals and washing and cleaning, but I guess that didn't count. Dad seemed to be doing some figuring on a piece of paper and then reported on the number of milking cows, calves, pigs, hens and how many acres of the farm had been used for oats and cutting hay.
While Dad was seeing him to the door, Cliff asked Mum, "Why does Mr. Reid want to know all about the family and the farm?"
She replied, "It is the information needed for the Census."
I still wasn't any wiser as I didn't know what ‘census' meant.
Little did I realize then, that in the future when I became involved in tracing the family tree, census would become a much used word.
The facts in the census records provide details not only on family units but on the residents of institutions.
In the 1901 Census of Saint John County in Wellington Ward, page 34 to 37, there are listings for Waterloo St. and Cliff St. which include the Sisters of Charity, teachers, domestics and the names of 60 orphans.
Sydney Ward, page 36 to 38 lists the names of: 13 boarders at the Home for Aged Females; 21 patients in the Home for Incurables; 21 inmates in the P. O. Asylum (Protestant Orphanage) and 41 inmates of the Evangeline Rescue Home of the Salvation Army - aged 1 month to 27 years
Duke's Ward, District 2, page 25 gives the names of 23 inmates of the Wiggins Male Orphan Institution.
May O'Lean aged 102 who entered New Brunswick in1830 was one of the 75 boarders in Queen's Ward, page 41- 43. All are Roman Catholic therefore I assume it is the Mater Misericordie Home on Sydney Street.
The 1901 City Directory listed 294 Brussels Street as a Home for Little Girls. Prince Ward, District 3 gives the names of 7 girls aged 6 to 14 at this address.
The listing for the patients in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum are found in Lancaster Parish, District 3, page 50 to 61.
The inmates of the Reformatory, St. Patrick's Industrial School and the County Alms House are found in Simonds Parish, District 3, page 23 to 27.
One cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness for all those who through no fault of their own, but due to illness or the lack of family made it necessary for them to take up residence in an institution.
Query 98-726
Baxter: Augustus Baxter, Jr. (sometimes known as Augustine),
a
Loyalist, arrived at River St. John in the fall of 1784. He may
have
traveled with uncles named Augustus, Frederick, Lockwood
and
an aunt named Phoebe, but probably he was with Augustine, Sr. who
was
born in 1756 in Westchester, New York. Augustus Baxter, Jr., settled in
the
Amherst area of Nova Scotia and with Deborah - possibly of Mic
Mac
descent - whose last name is unknown, he had five children named
George,
Jacob, Willis, Joseph and Phillip. His second
marriage
to Sara Wilson in 1826, produced three more children, Adolphus,
Charlotte
and Ann. My hope is to be able to document the parents of
Augustus
Baxter, Jr. and find his place of birth if it is other than
Westchester, NY.
Any information received will be greatly appreciated and will be
shared
with others doing Baxter genealogy.
-Richard Baxter, Lincoln
Cove
Road, Perry, Maine, 04667. E-mail to myraven@midmaine.com.
Query 98-727
McGovern - Quinn: I am seeking information on the McGovern
family of New Brunswick. Philip and Ellen McGovern arrived from
Liverpool in the Bay of Chaleur area on Jun. 29,1847 with their 6
children: Mary 1832; Thomas 1834; Peter 1835; Alice 1837; Michael 1839
and Patrick born in 1841. The latter
being my Great-grandfather. The years of birth come from the 1851
Dalhousie
census. Ellen the mother died in the 1860s and I think Philip
moved
to Wisconsin with his son Patrick. Patrick McGovern married Marie
Quinn.
I believe Ellen is buried in New Brunswick. I would like to hear from
anyone
with any information on this family or might know where they lived or
where
in Ireland they came from.
-Patricia (Mc Govern) Fifarek, N1453 Keller Road, Marinette,
Wisconsin,
54143. E-mail to fifi@vbe.com.
Query 98-728
Fielding - Perry - Sweet: I was born in the old General
Hospital in Saint John in 1934. My father was Arthur Alford Fielding,
the General Manager
for F.G. Spenser for many years. I am trying to trace the Fielding
Family
genealogy. My father's parents were Alfred Steiner Fielding (1860-1929)
and
Bessie Perry (1869-1941). I have no trouble tracing Bessie Perry's
lineage,
however I have run into a roadblock with Alfred Steiner Fielding's
parents.
I have a photo taken of them by Climo Studios, but that is all. Their
names
were: Robert A. Fielding and Aileen Sweet. If anyone can provide me
with
information on Robert and Aileen's parents and other children they had,
it
would be greatly appreciated.
-Raymond R. Fielding, R.R.#1 Pleasantville, N.S., BOR IGO. E-mail
to cleverfield@ns.sympatico.ca.
Telephone (902) 543-2286. Nov 24,
2005 E-mail address changed to cleverfield@eastlink.ca
Query 98-729
Goff: I am searching for information on my ancestor William
Francis
Goff. He may have been born in New Brunswick in 1782. He was married in
Maine
to Rebeccah Bates and they settled in Sidney, Maine. I would appreciate
any
leads on this elusive fellow.
-Marilyn Armstrong Otterson, 10 Lane Drive, Bedford, New
Hampshire, 03110. E-mail to rosiedoggie@juno.com.
Query 98-730
Roberts - Smith: I am searching for information about my
Great-grandfather, James Frederick Roberts. I believe he was married
twice and had as many as
21 children. My great grandmother's name was Emma Elizabeth Smith and
she
was his second wife. My Grandfather James Frederick Roberts, Jr., was
born
on Dec. 5.1891 in Cody, Queens County and moved to Princeton,
Massachusetts when he was 17. He lived with his half-sister Belle and
her husband Remington Hamilton. His birth was never recorded according
to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Two siblings were
listed on the Late Registrations of Births: Emerson Farris Roberts born
Aug 19, 1898 and Lottie Forbes Roberts born Jan.23,1890. If you have
any information about either James Frederick Roberts or Emma
Elizabeth Smith, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Sandy Balboni, 249 Joslin Street, Leominster, MA, 01453. E-mail
to sbalb10667@aol.com.