Ward Record Book
Jigsaw puzzles were great to keep us busy on a stormy evening. No television to watch when I was a kid. I would sit with Ken and Cliff for hours trying to put together those two thousand piece puzzles. It seemed that Mum could walk by and lean down and fit a piece into its proper spot. She would just smile and continue on with her evening chores of mending and darning socks.
We had spent weeks on this puzzle and the end was nearing. Once we finished Mum would cover a sheet of brown paper with wall paper paste and place it on the back of the puzzle. Dad's chore was to varnish the puzzle. This sure made a pretty picture on the wall.
As soon as supper was over we headed for the card table. We were certain we could finish the puzzle before bedtime, but this was not to be. One piece was missing. We searched beneath the couch, looked under the cushions and inspected every inch of the floor but the missing piece was not to be found.
In genealogy research there's often has one missing piece to a puzzle. I was looking for the place of origin of John Frost who died in 1874 in Saint John. I couldn't find his obituary in any paper and was about to give up when I stumbled, with the help of the Librarian at the Saint John Free Public Library, upon Reel #144. This contained the Ward Record Book. I went looking for the "F" page and there it was - John Frost was a native of Staffordshire England. It appears the newspaper that held his obituary was missing when the microfilming was done.
Clarence Ward must have spent many hours compiling this Record Book. He recorded not only information of a vital statistic nature but included several pages of historical information at the end of each alphabetical section,. Mr. Ward's obituary of 1915 states that for more than 30 years he occupied a desk in City Hall as confidential clerk to the succeeding mayors and as license clerk. He was known as an authority on local history and consulted by many.
To give you an idea of the kind of items included in Clarence Ward's book, here are a few notes from the "C" section:
1817, Feb. 14: Samuel Chadburn - wrecked while on a voyage to Campobello - found on the shore by Indians, badly frozen, taken to Moose Island, where he died.
1824, Aug 14: Chapel to be erected on N.W. corner King Sq. by Rev. Jas. Priestly.
1825, Sept. 30: Wm. Clarke to Mary daughter Jas. Thompson, Ayrshire.
1825, Sept. 23: Comet - a bearded of great brilliancy observed 2 am due south - tail tending westward.
1826, Sept 15: Colledge at Fredericton - corner stone laid by Sir Howard Douglas, contained a Newspaper, Almanac and coins of the present reign
1827, July 8: Lieut. John Coombes - half pay Jersey Volunteers died Prince William, age 74, came 1783.
1827, Sept. 30: Ann Clarke, daughter late Dr. N. Clarke to Capt. Jas. Eecles 2nd Royal Vet. Battalion at Douglas, York Co.
1828, June 10: Joseph Clarke, son of late Dr. Jos. Clarke, Maugerville, died age 69. Came 1783. (In Old Burial Ground)
1837, Apr 8: During the last week cows belonging to the following gentlemen were taken up and impounded under the act passed last session to prevent nuinaneco within the city of St. John - Lewis Burns - John Ward - Walker Tisdale - H. G. Kinnear - John Johnston - Thos. L. Nicholson - Jas. E. McDonald and Jas. O. Betts.
1837, May 19: Mary Ann Cameron, widow of Capt. John C., daughter of Wm. Phillips, Nantwich, England, died age 36 - funeral from house of Erven Cameron - Lower Cove.
1838, June 28: Coronation Queen Victoria - Three fine oxen were two days roasting whole in the different Squares . . . .(Lots of details given.)
1838, Oct. 8: Common Council appointed Alderman Porter, Ian Horne and Humbort to meet L. Donaldson, John Ward Jr. and M. H. Perley to make inquiry, obtain plans etc. as to the practicability of building a bridge over the Flats of Courtenay Bay.
1840, Dec.: Centenary Church - St. George St - Bell hung - rung Christmas eve and morning - made by Thos. Mears and Sons, London. . . . .largest bell in the city.
1841, June: Jas. Crawford, son of Jas. Crawford, Hampton died New Orleans.
1843, Mar. 18: Cave discovered at Lily Lake by Cornelius Harbell - Jackson McDonald and John Jones.
1851, July 4: Craven Calverley died age 86 was a Sargent; kept the canteen -afterwards West India Merchant; built Stone House, Main St.- owned by J. Turnbull at time of Big Fire 1877.
1881, Apr. 29: Amy Campbell 2nd daughter late Colin Campbell died St. Andrews, age 70 at residence Jas. Stoop.
* *At City Hall there is a book with similar information as found in the two books on microfilm #144 at the Saint John Free Public Library. Plans have been made by the City of Saint John to scan this record book and place it on their website in the near future. As soon as it is accessible, I'll make mention of it.
During his lifetime, Clarence Ward was always ready to give of his time and help in any quest for historical or genealogical information concerning the local area as well provincial matters.
Although he left this world nearly 85 years ago, he continues still to share his knowledge to the present day generation through his Record Book.
Query 98-557
Mullin: I am researching the descendants of John Mullin, Loyalist, a member of the Guides and Pioneers in the Revolutionary War, who settled in the Stewarton area of Springfield Parish, Kings County. He and wife Elizabeth had children: James married Susanna Hurder and Nancy Parks; John Jr. married Mahala Fowler; Peter Connor married Phoebe O'Dell, Sarah Worden and Jemima Spragg; Thomas married Ann Fraser; George (unknown); Nancy(unknown); Mary married John Duff; Jacob married Ann Dross; Stephen married Pricilla Thorne and Sarah Ann married Elias Burgess. I am including some more information on Jacob Mullin and his wife Ann Dross. They married in 1825 in Wickham, Queens County and later settled in the Havelock area of Kings County and then moved to the Red Bank area of Northumberland County. They were referred to as the Butternut Mullins in Northumberland County. Their children were: Anabel; John Foster married Naomi Keith; George; Mary E.; Sarah, Asa married Elizabeth Burgess, Mahala, Alexander married Mary B. Allison; Robert W. married Sarah Jane Mills; Rebecca; Bliss Thomas; James and Roland. Jacob and his wife Ann died in the Miramichi area in the 1880s. If you have researched any of these people or think you may be a descendant of this family too, please contact me.
-Michelle Falkjar, 40 Bedell Rd., Saint John, N.B., E2P 1H2. Or E-mail to falkjare@nbnet.nb.ca.Query 98-558
Belyea - Jones - Whelpley: My Mother's name was Myrtle Olive Belyea. Her father, Theodore Raymond Belyea was born in Somerville, Mass., USA on Jul.17,1883. His father John Gerow Belyea was said to have been born in Saint John in June of 1850. He married Mercy C.
Jones of Kings County and at some time they moved to Massachusetts. His father was William Henry Belyea who is believed to have married Julie Ann Whelpley on Aug. 05, 1846. At that point I lose their trail. Any help is most welcomed.
-Ted M. Fielder, 116A Pebble Beach Drive, R.R. # 1, Callander, Ontario, P0H 1H0. Or E-mail to TFmiss@aol.com.
Ruby Cusack is a genealogy buff living in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Readers are invited to send their New Brunswick genealogical queries to Ruby at rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca. When E-Mailing please put Yesteryear Families in the Subject line. Please include in the query, your name and postal address as someone reading the newspaper, may have information to share with you but not have access to E-mail. Queries should be no more than 45 words in length.
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