Soldiering on
Members of the New Brunswick Militia from 1787-1867
are listed in a useful book by David Facey- Crowther
When I looked out the window on this Saturday morning, I yelled for Cliff to come and see what had happened during the night as the ground was covered with snow
Cliff and I gulped down our breakfast of porridge, pancakes and sausages and grabbed our woolen snow pants and jackets. Mind you getting the overshoes with those horrible buckles fastened was a task in itself. Finally the mittens and hats were also on and out the door we ran. About a foot of snow had fallen during the night and the temperature was hovering about the 38-degree mark which made for great snow fort building. We rolled the balls of snow and then lugged them to build our fort higher and higher. In the woodshed, we found a wooden box with the bottom broken and that became a window. Some old boards were used to form a header for our crawl space entry. Pieces of slabwood served as cannons mounted on the top of the walls. We were transformed instantly into soldiers, protecting our land from attack. The cats and dog served as the enemy as they approached the fort. They took off in a hurry when a snowball shot whisked by them.
When Gramp drove in the yard, he took one look at our fort and asked, "Are you members of the First Battalion Kings County Militia?" "Which one of you is Colonel Gilfred Studholme?"
I looked at Cliff and shrugged my shoulders because I didn't have a clue what Gramp was talking about. We thought we were soldiers and I couldn't understand why adults had to use these big words that little kids didn't know the meaning of.
David Facey-Crowther has compiled two publications on New Brunswick Militia. One being "The New Brunswick Militia Commissioned Officers' Lisits 1787 -1867" with a list of the commissioned officers in each regiment arranged by county and by regiments within the county along with a short history.
The First Battalion Kings County Militia was formed out of the Kings County Regiment when the latter was restructured in 1808. Its period of greatest activity was during the 1820s and 1830s. It was at battalion strength in 1867 with its headquarters at Kingston, Kings County. The uniforms in that year consisted of a scarlet tunic with blue facings and navy blue trousers. Some of its members were: Barnes, Barret, Belyea, Carvell, Clark, Ford, Hennigar, Mabee, Nase, Peatman, Prince, Whelpley and Wright. The Second Battalion Kings County Militia was formed in 1808 with a troop of horses attached.
The Saint John Fencibles was formed in 1833 from sea-faring residents of Saint John and were the equivalent of marines. This unit was formed in the coastal centres where they were designated for coastal defense.
"The New Brunswick Militia Commissioned Officers' Lists 1787 -1867" is a 429-page book filled with names of men and the date they were commissioned.
The other book, "The New Brunswick Militia 1787-1867" examines the role of defending the province in an emergency and the place of the militia in a colonial society and is filled with historical information on the militia and its regiments. The author states, " The New Brunswick Militia had its origins in the first provincial militia act of 1787. For the next eighty years, New Brunswick maintained an independent militia force based on the principle of compulsory military service by the adult male population of the province. . . New Brunswick was at the forefront of militia reform in the early 1860s, producing a militia system that was hailed as the best in the country at the time of Confederation." A map has been included that shows the location of Battalion Headquarters of the New Brunswick Militia in 1867.
Join forces with the New Brunswick Militia to march some facts into your family tree.
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Query 788
Stewart - Spaulding: Family oral history states that Alexander Stewart
of fled Norwich, CT. because he wore "the king's red coat". I have
been unable to find any record of him after 1770 when he signed himself as
"Alexander of Norwich" on a land deed. His wife was Ame Spaulding Stewart.
Missing also in the same time frame is their son Alexander Jr. born in1742.
Does anyone have information as to their being in New Brunswick?
-Robert Stewart, 9911 Blackfoot Dr., Bakersfield, CA., 93312, USA.
E-mail to bstewart@kern.com.
Query 789
Tait - Porter - McCrea - McAdam: William J. Tait, was born in County
Tyrone, Ireland about 1820. He married in 1844 at Douglas Ann (Nancy)
Porter, born in Ireland about 1828. Their children were: Jane, James, Mary,
Ann, Robert, William John, Elizabeth and Margaret. Jane Tait married Samuel
McCrea. William John, the son, married first Helen McAdam, who died
young; their children were Agnes and James Tait. Does anyone have information
on the Tait family of Douglas?
-Ruth Warren, 44 Decker's Way, Marshfield, MA, 02050, USA. E-mail to
thurlow@tiac.net.
Query 790
Dibblee - Pearce: I am trying to confirm the parents of Samuel Jarvis
Dibblee - possibly the son of Ralph Dibblee - who married Margaret Pearce
in Hampton or Norton, Kings County on Jan.18,1826. He was born abt 1788 and
died 1870. Caroline Mary Dibblee was a witness at his wedding.
-Stephen Pearce, 10 Hogarth #1708, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4K 1J9.
E-mail to spearce@interlog.com.
Query 791
Magee - Edgett - Tingley: I am seeking information on John Magee
born in 1830 (possibly in Machias, Maine) to George Magee and Elizabeth
Edgett. On Jun. 21, 1855, he married Alice Roxanna Tingley in Hopewell, Albert
County. The family later moved to Maine. I am especially interested
in locating his parents and their origins.
-Linda Dodge, 9 Hastings St., Stow, MA., 01775, USA. E-mail rlsdodge@cs.com.
Query 792
Connell: Robert Alexander Connell was born about 1850 in Saint John,
New Brunswick or possibly in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Robert or William Connell
and Mary White. He was found in records in New Zealand by 1879. Here
he began a family in 1881. As he did not marry the Mother of his children
until 1910 we wonder if he had left a wife behind? He did not talk
about his life in Canada but was believed to have left after a family argument.
There seems to have been mention of a brother who may have been a printer.
I am ever optimistic of finding the story of his life that he left behind.
-Gail Griffin, 10 Charlton Ave., Mt Eden, Auckland 1003, New Zealand.
E-mail to gig@ihug.co.nz.