The World at Your Fingertips
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has an
on-line database from
the Hutchinson New Brunswick Directory for 1865-66
Ruby M. Cusack
Mornings in our little one-room school were devoted to Math. The teacher assigned pages to each group and then she rotated from one grade to the other - explaining and correcting. With eight grades, she certainly didn't have much time to spend with any one student. I loved Math so I never found the mornings long as some of my classmates did.
We were all working away, quiet as little mice, when the silence was
broken by a loud knock on the door. Naturally we all forgot about Math and
watched as the mailman entered carrying a heavy box. Once he left, we gathered
around the teacher's desk as she opened it and carefully took out books.
Cliff was standing by me and I whispered, "How come they sent so many
copies of the same book?"
I was really disappointed as my hopes were for new books for the cupboard we called our library. My whisper was overheard by the teacher. She explained that the school had been given a set of 15 encyclopedias. That didn't mean anything to me as I had never heard of a book called an encyclopedia and why would we want 15 copies.
We were allowed to take one of the new books to our desks. My disappointment soon turned to joy and a little bit of puzzlement as I thumbed through the pages. Everything in my book started with the letter "G" but as I looked over at Cliff's copy, all his topics started with the letter "B".
This set of encyclopedias was really something!
I could look at all the beautiful pictures and read about so many things
of the world.
The books were so big and heavy that a shelf had to be built on the wall for them.
Things have changed over the years. Today that great big set of encyclopedias has been put on a CD that I can carry in my purse.
Last week, when one of my grandchildren wanted information on planets, it simply meant inserting the CD into the computer and typing in "PLANETS" and all the information was at their fingertips. Another push of a button and it was printed.
It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I spent my time looking for "PLANETS" in our old set of encyclopedias.
Changes have also been made in the way we access information in genealogical research. The first directory for the whole province was the Hutchinson New Brunswick Directory for 1865-66, with a listing of inhabitants arranged first by county and within the county, alphabetically by community. By inputting all of these names, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has created an online database for residents of the whole province that one can access at http://www.gnb.ca/archives/e/index.htm. There are several ways to look at the information. You can find all the "Heads of Households" with a specified surname who lived in all of New Brunswick or in only a particular county or typing in the letter "A" will bring up all the surnames that begin with "A". If you want to know all the shoemakers or any other occupation listed for a county or the province, you can choose the occupation category only.
Although all this information is available to me as I sit at the computer, the old way is still important to me. I like to hold the book in my hands. For example, I can look in Kings County and choose Barnesville which included Droylan Settlement, Erin Go Brah and Primrose Settlement and all 72 heads of Household in that community with their occupation will be right in front of me: - Thomas Allan - shingle maker; Samuel Bell - merchant; George Barnes is listed as a tanner and currier as well as being the Justice of the Peace; Mrs. John Crumley - farmer; William McDade - wheelwright; Sam Montgomery - weaver and farmer; Robert Crawford - teacher; Rev. James Lawson - Presbyterian minister, George Lyne - carpenter.
Knowing the neighbours in the community may lead to many discoveries concerning connections between families who lived in the same area. This information has solved more than one mystery for me.
Most research institutions in New Brunswick will have the 1865-66 Hutchinson directory in their collection or on microfilm.
The community our ancestor inhabited as well as his occupation and
neighbours can add interesting leaves to a family tree.
* *
Shain - Sprague: I am seeking heritage which is based in the counties
of Saint John and Kings. In the 1861 census it lists William and Mary Shain
with their children, Benjamin and Ellen. They were listed as natural citizens.
Also, Edward Sprague and Susan Ann Sprague were listed with children, both
natural citizens. I am looking for information on all four people as far
as births, deaths, maiden names, their parents before them etc.
-Dale Mansfield, 39 Norman Drive, Gales Ferry, Ct., 06335-1521, USA.
E-mail to JMansfi359@aol.com.
Query 98-762
Dunphy: I am interested in the family of Joseph Dunphy living in
the parishes of Douglas and
Kingsclear, York County. Joseph was born about 1765 in New Brunswick according
to the 1851 census and died after 1851. I do not know his wife's name. I
have names of two sons: Thomas (1798 - 1881) married in 1821 to Prudence
Wheeler and Charles was born about1820 and died
after 1891. I am helping a friend who is a descendant of Thomas and has a
lot of data. She is searching for information on Joseph - name of wife, death
dates, names of parents and where they were born etc. In 1982 a cousin mentioned
that Dr. Esther Clark Wright had written a Dunphy History, if so help is
needed in locating it.
-Betty Mitchell, 39 Rockfield Cres., Nepean, Ontario, K2E 5L6. E-mail
to bamitch@magma.ca.
Query 98-763
Crockett - Chambers - Deniston - Nixon - Maxwell - Mundy - McAuley -
Boles - Crombie - Crumley - Magilton: I have been working in an effort
to locate and collect information on the Crocketts of Upham Parish, Barnesville,
Loch Lomond, Upper Third Lake, Passakeag, Portland and Saint John. 1)
Thomas Crockett, a joiner was born in 1806 in Ireland. He purchased property
in Dec 1828 in the Loch Lomond area of Saint John County although reference
has been found to his being in Hampton Parish. He married Mary Chambers in
Saint John at St Andrew's Kirk in1835. George Deniston and Mary Crockett
(sister of Thomas) were the witnesses. 2) George Crockett my great-great-grandfather,
was born about1811 in Ireland, arrived in New Brunswick in1830 according
to the1851 Kings County census. He married Elizabeth Chambers, sister of
Mary Chambers Crockett in 1837 at St Stephen's church in Saint John
- (Thomas Crockett was a witness) and believed to have settled in Portland
but in 1851 and 1871 living in the Barnesville - Third Loch Lomond Lake area.
His death occurred in Loch Lomond in 1872 according to the newspaper. His
son, James Crockett was born in1848 and married Susan Ann Maxwell, a daughter
of Robert Maxwell and Kate Mundy. He worked as carpenter in Saint John and
leased property from the heirs of R. Hazen in 1878-1880. They moved to Boston
about 1879-1880. There were at least 11 children in the family of James and
Susan Crockett. * {Robert Maxwell was a widower with a daughter Susan Ann
when he married Mary Fulton in 1851 in Saint John. He died of Cholera in
1854 and is buried in Fernhill Cemetery - lot 437. In that lot are 8 others
- John Maxwell 1812-1888; John's wife Jane 1819-1891 as well as 4 of their
children. Also a Margaret Donaldson Leitch 1786-1867 and 17 year old Margaret
Jane Maxwell who also died in the Cholera epidemic of 1854} * 3) Anthony
Crockett purchased land at Third Lake in 1850 and is buried in the Covenanter
Cemetery at Barnesville. 4) William Crockett was born in 1807 in Ireland
and arrived in New Brunswick in 1835 and had property in Passakeag, Kings
County. Records of his children have been found in the Rev. Gray's Journal
and residence is given as Passekeag. He died on Paradise Row, Saint John
in 1875 and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery at Passekeag but upon
the death of his wife in 1894, he was removed to Fernhill Cemetery. Although
George Crockett is my direct ancestor, I am seeking information on other
members of the family in search of finding his place of birth in Ireland.
The Crocketts are associated with these surnames Chambers, Deniston, Nixon,
Maxwell, Mundy, McAuley, Boles, Crombie, Crumley, and Magilton. Any connections
to these names is much desired to assist in my Crockett research. I am also
interested in finding information on the parents, siblings and descendants
of John Maxwell 1812-1888.
-David Crockett Hodgdon, 7 Eileen Street, Albany, New York, 12203, USA.
E-mail to HODGDONDC@cs.com.
Query 98-764
McBrine - McBrien: I am looking for information about my great-great-grandfather
Christopher McBrine/McBrien born about 1831 in Ireland. His wife Mary Eliza
Burns was born circa 1842. Christopher settled first in about 1856 in Golden
Grove near Saint John, New Brunswick. Where and when was he married and who
were Mary Eliza Burn's parents? He moved with his wife and his first
3 children to Carleton Co in 1870. Does anyone know where the records
would be from the old Church of England church that was formerly at Golden
Grove? I would also like to find out when Mary Eliza Burns McBrine died although
I think it possibly was after 1901 and probably in Carleton County.
-S. Cook, Box 442, Vanderhoof, B.C., V0J 3A0. E-mail to gscook@hwy16.com.
Query 98-765
Harris - Handley - O'Brien: I am seeking information on my
paternal grandmother's family. William Harris was born about 1811 and lived
in Charlotte County. He married Matilda (?), who was born in Nova Scotia
about 1817. Their known children are: 1) Isaac Harris (1838) married Catherine
Handley. 2) William Jr. (1836) married Rebecca O'Brien. William, William
Jr. and Isaac were all listed in 1867-68 as fisherman in Back Bay, Charlotte
County. I believe all of the eight children of William, Jr. and Rebecca O'Brien
were born in Charlotte County. There were strong ties to Eastport, Maine
and several were married in that place. If anyone has information about the
lives of the Harris family, I would gladly share my research and pictures.
-Laura Allen, 52A West Street, New Milford, Connecticut, USA, 06776.
E-mail to allennmct@snet.net.
Query 98-766
Keller: I have been unable to confirm the name of the father of
John Keller (1802-1880), resident of Hampton Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick.
I have data placing John with his wife and children in Hampton Parish in
1851. His wife Jacquebina or Jacobina (1787-1872) was Scottish immigrant
in 1821. Their children were Catherine, Michael (my great-grandfather), and
John. They are of German ancestry. I am trying to confirm that John's father's
name was Michael and where he came from. John's mother Elizabeth was
listed in the 1851 census as immigrating in 1783 from the US. This seems
to indicate that she was probably a Loyalist forced to leave. I am blocked
in my research at this point as I can find no record of a Michael
and Elizabeth from the US. Any help would be appreciated.
-Charles D Tupper, 1 Deer Trail Dr, Brookfield, Ct., 06804, USA. E-mail
to ctupper@snet.net.