Post Offices of
New Brunswick 1783 - 1930
Aunt Ethel knew I loved to read books
and she often brought them, but this one she handed me with the title, “Collecting
Stamps” was very different. The pages were filled with little blocks that
had faint images of stamps.
It seemed that one of her teacher friends had decided to give up her stamp
collecting material before she even got started and I had fallen heir to
the book, hinges and a chocolate box filled to the brim with stamps.
As I was placing stamp after stamp in its right location, Gramp stopped
at the kitchen table and watched. He looked at Gram and asked, “Do you
think our philatelist will find an 1851 Three Penny Beaver?”
As usual I couldn’t figure out what that man was talking about. I wondered
what Phil somebody, pennies and beavers had to do with stamps?
If I had only had access to the internet way back then, I could have clicked
on the National Archives of Canada website at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/
and paid a visit to the Postal Archives at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020117_e.html
to view the Three Penny Beaver, Canada’s first stamp that was issued 23
April 1851. In fact many images are available at that site, with information
about every postage stamp issued by Canada and British North America since
1851.
The database of Post Offices and Postmasters at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020109_e.html
is an excellent source of information on open and closed post offices. It
documents changes of postmasters at individual post offices located across
Canada. You can search by the name of the post office, electoral district,
province or name of the postmaster:
When I searched Nauwigewauk, I found the following information. J. A. Fowler
was the post master in 1868, followed by W. W. Dodge, Thomas Tays, William
H. Henderson, William W. Dodge, Thos. P. Trueman, W. H. Hill, J. C. Henderson,
Reuben R. Wanamaker, Mrs. Mary McLaren Wanamaker, J. F. Humphrey, Joseph
Blacquiere, Earle D. M. Henderson and Mrs. Sadie May Russell. It was closed
in 1969.
At a chronology of Canadian Postal History - http://www.civilisations.ca/cpm/chrono/chcmene.html
- I found that in 1783, a Post Office was established at Saint John, New
Brunswick, and a service was established between Saint John and Halifax,
Nova Scotia. By July 1, 1867, New Brunswick had 46 post offices and 392 way
offices. Lots of facts can be found on this website.
Over time a community may have lost its identity through abandonment, name
change or merger with a neighbouring village. Thus, details on its post
office could provide the missing link to the geographical location of your
ancestor’s place of residence.
The mail played an important role in the lives of those who lived in the
past by bringing them news of family members who were many miles away. Finding
information on a post master may bring some long awaited news into your
family tree.
The publication, “Post Offices of New Brunswick 1783 - 1930", compiled
by George E. MacManus includes information on the location of the post office,
its opening and closing dates, and the postmaster’s date of appointment
and duration.
The book is available in several research institutions in New Brunswick.
Query 1208
Roach - Innis - Coghland: I am looking for information on Margaret
Roach born circa 1700 in Sussexvale, New Brunswick. She died January of 1834
in Bleheim Township, Ontario. She was married to John Innis, who born in Newfoundland
on 12 Feb. 1767 and died 1834 in Blenheim Township. His parents, James Innis
(1743 - 1817) and Elizabeth Coghland (1748 - 1828) were both from Ireland
and were buried at Sussexvale New Brunswick.
TIM MOORE
3559 Sarsfield Road
Sarsfield, ON
Canada, K0A-3E0
E-mail bcmoores@hotmail.com
Query 1209
McCarron - McSharry: Searching for Patrick McCarron born 1832
or 1836 to John McCarron and Mary McSharry in Harvey, Albert County, New Brunswick.
Information states that there are siblings, John and Catherine.
DENISE DOMMER
3225 Alden Nash SE
Lowell, Michigan
49331, USA
E-mail bddommers@aol.com
Query 1210
Melliday - Corkery - Corcoran: Michael Melliday was possibly
from County Clare, Ireland. He arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in time
to court and marry Mary Ann Corkery or Corcoran on 26 Nov. 1840 in St. Malachy's
Catholic Church. He was engaged in the mason trade. Michael and Mary
Ann Melliday had 4 known children, William Stephen, Ann, John J., and Francis
X.
BETTYE HEINRICH
P O Box 1648
Grass Valley, CA.
95945, USA
E-mail bettyejps@sbcglobal.net
