Voters’
Lists of New Brunswick
As Cliff and I approached the back door,
we could hear raised voices coming through the kitchen window.
In a loud tone, Dad was saying, “Instead of Hugh John just running for
Carleton county, he should have been on the ticket for premier. But anyway
you look at it, the Tories will sweep the province!”
Tom pounded the table and yelled back at him, “McNair’s been the premier
for four years and the Liberal party will go back in again for another term!
Mark my words!”
The years have passed and few people remember the discussions held around
the kitchen tables in the mid forties or at other election times, but the
List of Voters that have been preserved are sought after by family history
researchers.
The Kings County Museum in Hampton has the List of Voters for 1904 of Kings
and Albert Counties. You will not see any women listed as they were not
given the right to vote until 1919.
On the St. George Parish site at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbpstgeo/stge1.htm
you will find the
Voter's List Upper Mills-1867, Lower Falls-1874 , St. George-1891 and the
1904 for St. George.
The Charlotte County Archives in St. Andrews has Voters’ Lists on file.
The Archives & Research Library of the New Brunswick Museum has a number
of lists of voters, including, Simonds 1877, Lancaster 1877, Lepreau Parish
1857,1874,1876, Saint John Prince Ward 1785-1869, 1900, Saint John 1785-1858,
1874,1876-1878, 1882, 1885, 1890, 1938 and for the parishes of Welford,
Richibucto and Harcourt of Kent County 1889.
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in Fredericton has Dominion electoral
lists from the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. They are organized by electoral
district (usually County based) and are on microfilm. There is also a 1926
Dominion Election list for the Electoral District of Saint John. It is organized
by Ward and first letter of surname and is on microfilm F17104.
By the way, in 1785 all males in New Brunswick were eligible to vote. However,
beginning in 1791 in order to vote electors were required to swear an oath
that was in conflict with Catholic religious principles. In 1810 a simple
oath of allegiance was substituted for the 1791 act, which was religiously
acceptable, and came into effect in June 1811.
Until 1855 and the introduction of the secret ballot, all voting in New
Brunswick was done by voice and recorded in a poll book. Following the introduction
of the secret ballot, an elector no longer had to publicly declare a candidate's
name in order to have his vote recorded. The Returning Officer was the local
sheriff who might or might not be aided by a poll clerk who noted who had
voted in a poll book.
* * *
Query 1083
Fowler - Sprague: Maria Fowler was born in 1824. She died in 1902 at
Coates Mills, Kent County, New Brunswick. Her marriage to John Sprague in
1849 gives place of residence for both as the Parish of Sussex. Additional
information on a Sampler made by Maria Fowler was that it was made at Miss
Nesbitt's School in Sackville in 1845. I am looking for the place of
birth and parents of Maria Fowler.
-Vonda Adams, 608-611 University Drive, Saskatoon, SK,
Canada, S7N 3Z1. E-mail ev.adams@shaw.ca.
Query 1084
Briggs - Fitzgerald - Johnston: Information needed on Eliza Briggs who
was born May 1876 in Gagetown. Her mother was Sarah Briggs, and her maternal
grandparents were William and Ann (Fitzgerald) Briggs. I have reason to believe
that she may have changed her name to Eliza Johnston.
-Darrell Little, 216 Gondola Point Road, Rothesay, NB,
Canada, E2E-2A3. E-mail to dblittle@nbnet.nb.ca.
Query 1085
McKenzie - Hart - Cossar Farm: I am searching for information on my uncle,
John McKenzie, the son of William Young McKenzie and Isabella Hart. He was
born about 1908. He emigrated at age fifteen on 8 Oct 1924 as a farm labourer
on the S S Montreal from Glasgow, Scotland to the Cossar Farm at Lower Gagetown,
New Brunswick. He later lived in Ontario. Does anyone have information on
him or his family?
-Ruth S Conner, 11/13 Parmenter Ave., Corrimal, New South
Wales 2518, Australia. E-mail to
shiningstar@optusnet.com.au.
