What Do I Need to Start My
Research
"How do I get started doing my family tree?"
is the question asked by many when they first get the idea that
they would like to research their roots.
I am going to try to give you some beginner hints
on How to Get Started on Searching Your Roots in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The following ideas are based on my personal experiences.
I would suggest you purchase:
Scribbler I prefer the small Spiral Bound,
6 inch x 9 inch, 5 subject type, about 300 pages. Write only on one side
of the paper. This scribbler is your working copy that always travels with
you.
Two Three Ring Binders in which to keep
all your photo copied pages and microfilm print-outs.
Clip Board
Magnifying Glass
Pens or Pencils will be needed.
A Three Hole Punch is a real luxury item.
Before you write one piece of information, make
yourself this solemn promise: "I will always note the source of each
piece of information and the date on which I found it. I will also note
the Who, Where, When and How as the source for any oral information I am
given".
Take one section of your scribbler and write down
every fact you know or have heard rumoured about the family you are going
to search. Start with yourself and work backwards. By that I mean put
down your parents' names and any dates (birth, death, marriage), and include
your aunts and uncles and their families. Next take your grandparents and
do the same. If you are fortunate enough to have a grandparent, aunt or
uncle, talk to them. Ask such questions as, "Where did you live as a child?"
"Where did you go to School?" "What jobs did you work at?" "Did you ever
hear your Mother or Father talk about their younger days?" "Did any relatives
ever come from afar to visit when you were a child?" "Who has the Family
Bible?" "Who has all the old pictures?" "What Church did you attend?" I'm
certain you will think of many more questions to ask.
The Search Begins
Finally, you have decided that you are ready to
enter that world which is strange to you now but which will soon become
your favourite place to go -- The Saint John Free Public Library. Go uptown
to Market Square. Go to the second floor and enter the Library. Don't stop
here. Go right up those long stairs to The Information Center.
Now What? Everything looks very confusing to
you.
Just ahead of you is a Round Table, and
in back of it is a cabinet filled with little drawers. Sit down at that
Round Table and take a look at the Blue Three Ring Binder. This Blue
Three Ring Binder is going to become your best friend and partner in
your search. It tells you what is available on Microfilm and
the Reel Number of the Microfilm.
Different people will give you different ways
to start the Search. I am going to suggest that if you know the complete
name of the Ancestor, you look in those little indexed drawers - called the
Miscellaneous Card File Index - behind the Round Table. At this
time, all you are interested in doing is just copying references. Look up
at the top of the Cabinet of Drawers and you will see a sign
that will explain some of those letters and numbers
on the Card. If after ten minutes, you have not found your ancestor (now
don't try to write down all the references to the name "Smith", just to your
particular full named ancestor) leave this part of your search for another
time.
Let's
Take A Tour
Stay sitting at the Round Table for a few minutes
and just Look Around You! Get up and walk towards the Information
Desk; this is where you go to ask a Staff Member for information,
but don't stop. Those machines on your left are Microfilm Readers
and the first one is the only one that you put your money in to
get print outs of the microfilm articles you want. Walk past the
microfilm readers and on your right you will find metal cabinets that contain
the reels of microfilm. (Don't refile these reels - take them to the information
desk.)
As you walk back up by the microfilm readers,
you will see on your right - The Big Blue Box cabinet referred to
as the CB (meaning cabinet) Files of Family History.
The families are arranged in alphabetical order, and you choose the one you
are interested in and look it over. For the most part, the CB Files are made
up of information that people have donated and newspaper clippings pertaining
to Genealogy.
The Tall Beige Cabinet, behind the Big
Blue Box of Family History Files contains the Vertical Files. (Index
for this file is in a book at the Information Desk.)
On the other side of this tall beige Vertical
File Cabinet is a smaller Blue Box Cabinet, -- it is the
CB FILES of Local History.
Straight ahead, near the last aisle is a beige
low metal cabinet. On top of the cabinet is a very large Black Book
referred to as the ROE & COLBY ATLAS - 1875. This Atlas
shows all the Wards and Parishes of Saint John County. It
is of great assistance when doing research in Census Records
As you head back to the round table and
as you pass the Information Desk you will notice another wooden file cabinet
of little drawers. This is an Index of miscellaneous articles. If you
wish to check this source, ask one of the staff for assistance.
Go back to the Round Table, our starting
position. The Photocopier is at the head of the stairs and is coin operated.
We are going to tour the other end of the Information
Center at this time. See the red EXIT sign and little rooms on
your right? Walk past that EXIT sign and here on the right,
against the wall are the books that have been compiled on
Family Histories. They are arranged in alphabetical order. Also
on the shelves are:
City Directories
Vital Statistics From New Brunswick Newspapers
Index to the Saint John County Probate Court
Case Files
Census Books
The Green Boxes contain some Epitaphs from
Cemeteries.
There are several booklets that have indexes
to some of the Scrap Books on microfilm.
Make a left turn at the end of the Library Shelves.
Look up! At the end of every shelf there are little signs, with
numbers on them - this is the way books are arranged in a Library. Look
for the aisle where the 900's begin. Walk up the aisle and watch for the
920 section. STOP when you spot the numbers 929.3
on the back of the books. Here are books dealing with Genealogy.
When checking to see what books are in the Library,
the numbers are your guide to the proper shelf. Look carefully for an
"R" or "RA" in front of the number. If you see an "R"
it is telling you to look upstairs in the Information Center on
a shelf. If you see "RA" it is telling you that this is Archival
Material and you will need to ask a Member of the Staff
in the Information Center to get it for you.
If you do not see "R" or "RA"
then the book is on the First Floor - Circulation Dept.
Blue Book Binder -Inventory of
Microfilms
This book is divided into several sections. Take
time to look through it very carefully.
- Burial Permits
- Census Records
- Marriage Registers
- Land Petitions
- Newspapers by Place and by Title
- Probate Records and other Headings
Near the back of the Blue Binder is
the Listing of the Reels placed by the Saint John Branch of the
New Brunswick Genealogical Society: Church Records, Probate Court Files,
etc.
Directories of the City
of Saint John
City Directories are made up of an alphabetical
listing of the names of people that were working in Saint John in any
given year and will usually include the Head of the Household. Businesses
and their Advertisements are also listed. The Street Directory is
at the end of the book, and this appears to list the Head of the Household.
Check the Beginning Pages of each Directory to determine what
is in this Particular Directory.
Here are some names from page 245 of the 1915-16
Directory:
Cusack Cedric J, painter
C McDade, bds 33 Marsh Rd
Cusack Edward, bds 202
Waterloo
Cusick Fred., eng Partington
Pulp & Paper, h(ome) Havelock,w e
Cusack George, grocer
29-33 Marsh Rd, h do
Cusack Harold, butcher
Geo Cusack, bds 33 Marsh Rd
Cusack John J, clerk Geo
Cusack, bds 33 Marsh Rd
Cusack John, laborer,
h 25 Winslow, w e
Cusack M Stephen, glass
blower M A Wks, bds 202 Waterloo
Cusack Mariner, emp AM
Steam Laundry, bds 66 Metcalf
Cusack Mary A, wid Edward
J, h 202 Waterloo
Looking at this, What conclusions can I come
to?
#1 George Cusack has a Grocery Business at 29-33
Marsh Rd. The "h" means home and the "do" means same place. Since there
is a "do" after "h", when it names the business "grocer", we also know he
has his store and home at the same address, on the Marsh Rd. He has a business
so maybe I can find an advertisement in this Directory or in another one.
#2 Since there are three males Cedric J. Cusack,
Harold Cusack and John J. Cusack all boarding at 33 Marsh Rd. and we now
know 33 Marsh Rd is home (h) of George Cusack we could assume that they
are probably the sons or relatives of George Cusack.
#3 By checking the Street Directory page
867, we find that 33 [29-33] Marsh Rd. is occupied by George Cusack. We
also see that it is almost on the corner of Short St.
#4 Since we know from family stories that this
Cusack Family lived near the Marsh Bridge, we now, probably, have the
names of three of their children.
Upon checking City Directories, we were able to
establish the approximate time of death of George Cusack, as Elizabeth
Cusack was listed as widow of George Cusack and residing at 33 Marsh Rd.
in 1920. We now can work backwards or forwards with the City Directories.
In all probability, we will be able to follow the places of employment of
the family members as well as the addresses for their residences.
A Little Hint: When using City Directories, always check the Street
Directory Section to see who else lives at that street address. Many
a time it has been the key that opened a door for me. The abbreviation "bds"
(boards) is also worth watching for.
1900 is a Special Directory,
as at the back of this directory there is also a listing for Saint
John County.
Saint John City Directories for the years 1863, 1864, as well as
the years 1869 to 1982 are on microfilm as is the Business Directory for
1859. On the shelf are some of these Saint John City Directories. I suggest
you look on the shelf for the Directory that you need and, if it is not there,
then go to the microfilm. (The New Brunswick Museum on Douglas
Avenue, has most of the City Directories on their shelves)
Census
Records
The first Census that gives personal information
on the inhabitants of Saint John County is the 1851 Census. If
the person was not born in New Brunswick, the 1851 Census tells us the
year the person arrived in the province and what country he came
from. It has been compiled as a book.
Little of the 1861 Census for Saint
John County has survived.
An Index has been compiled for the 1871
Census of Saint John County. (May be possibly kept at the Information
Desk - ask for it)
The 1881 Census for Saint John County has
not been indexed.
An Index of the 1891 Census of Saint
John County has been compiled and consists of two books.
(May not be in the Library)
The 1901 Census is on microfilm.
Check all possible Spellings for the name you
are researching. For example I have found when researching the name Tays
that the spelling given was Teas and the name O'Brien spelled
Bryan.
The following four pages give details on the type
of information to be found in the Census Records. Sometimes the
search is easier if you start with the 1891 Census.
If you are uncertain of the place of residence,
look in a City Directory.
If you need the Parish or Ward,
look in the Roe & Colby Atlas of 1875 .
1851 Census Saint John
Printed in Book Form
Surname McBrearty Page ??? Ward/Parish Sydney
The names and information provided
in this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records.
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
| First Name |
Relation to Head of Family |
Age |
Place of Birth |
Date Of Arriving in N.B. |
Occupation |
| John |
Head |
32 |
Ireland |
1848 |
Wheelwright |
| Bridget |
Wife |
26 |
Ireland |
1848 |
|
| Patrick |
Son |
4 |
Ireland |
1848 |
|
| Margaret |
Daughter |
2 |
Native |
|
|
| James McKinney |
Visitor |
23 |
Ireland |
1848 |
Carpenter |
The names and information provided in this
example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household through
census records.
John McBrearty
lives in Sydney Ward, (South End of Saint John)
is the Head of the Household is 32 years old (in 1851), making his birth date about 1819
was born in Ireland arrived in New
Brunswick in 1848, occupation
is Wheelwright.
We can also conclude that his wife, Bridget is 26 years old thus born about 1825
arrived in N.B. in 1848 from Ireland.
His son Patrick was born about 1847 in Ireland.
His daughter Margaret was born in N.B. about 1849.
The information also suggests to us that
John and Catherine were married in Ireland
Son Patrick came with them from Ireland
Daughter Margaret was born after they arrived
in N.B.
Residing in this household at the time was a Visitor, James
McKinney, who is 3 years younger than Bridget. As the research on the McBrearty
Family is continued, one should make note of the name McKinney.
Since James McKinney arrived in New Brunswick the same year as Bridget
and John McBrearty, he could possibly be a relative.
The names and information provided
in this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records.
1871 Census Saint John Index
is in Book Form - Ask at the Information Desk.
Only Name and Reference Number are given
in this Index Book.
Read page i Using The Census Index for
explanation of codes used in this book.
Prov. of N.B. District No _______ District Duke
Enumerator ___________________ Page ___________
The names and information provided
in this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records.
| 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
| Name |
Sex |
Age |
Born
within
12 mos |
Country
Province
of Birth |
Religion |
Origin |
Occupation |
| Brown Henry |
M |
54 |
____ |
England |
Ch of Eng |
Engl |
Grocer |
| Margaret |
F |
51 |
____ |
Scotland |
Ch of Eng |
Scotch |
|
| Ryan John |
M |
21 |
____ |
Ireland |
Catholic |
Irish |
Servant |
| 15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
Married
or
Widowed |
Married
within
12 mos |
Going
to
School |
Over 20
unable
to read |
Over 20
unable
to write |
Deaf
or
Dumb |
Blind |
Unsound
Mind |
| M |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| M |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
| ___ |
___ |
___ |
/ |
/ |
___ |
___ |
___ |
From the above information, we could determine
this Family lives in Duke Ward, South End of Saint John and that
Henry Brown
is 54 years old in 1871 so was born about 1817
was born in England
is a Grocer
is a member of the Church of England
is able to read and write.
His wife Margaret
is 51 years old so was born about 1820
was born in Scotland
is also a Member of the Church of England
is able to read and write.
Living with them in this household is John
Ryan
21 years old so was born about 1850
born in Ireland
is a Servant in their household
is a Catholic
is unable to read or write.
The names and information provided in this
example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household through
census records.
1881 Census Saint John Not
Indexed - Search Microfilm
Your search in this Census will be much easier
if you have some idea of the parish or ward your ancestor lived in so
I suggest using the McAlpine's 1880 Directory first.
The names and information provided
in this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records.
| 6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
Family
Number |
Name |
Sex |
Age |
Born
within
12 mos |
Country
Province
of Birth |
Religion |
|
Smith Robert |
M |
74 |
____ |
Scotland |
Bapt |
|
Smith Sarah
|
F |
70 |
____ |
N.B. |
Bapt |
|
Brown John |
M |
18 |
____ |
N.B. |
Presbyt |
|
Jones Matilda |
F |
40 |
____ |
N.B. |
Bapt |
| 13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
| Origin |
Occupation |
Married
or
Widowed |
Going
to
School |
Deaf
and
Dumb |
Blind |
Unsound
of
Mind |
| Scot |
Farmer |
M |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
| Eng |
___ |
M |
__ |
__ |
/ |
__ |
| Scot |
Farmer |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
| Scot |
___ |
W |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
The names and information provided
in this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records..
Robert Smith
74 years old and was born in Scotland about
1807
married
Baptist
Farmer
His Wife Sarah Smith
70 years old and was born in New Brunswick
about 1811
family origin was English
Baptist
blind
Also in the Household is John Brown
18 years old and born in New Brunswick about
1863
Presbyterian
not married
Farmer
And Matilda Jones
40 years old born in New Brunswick about
1841
Baptist
Widowed
As the search on the Family is continued, one
would try to find the connection, if any, of John Brown and Matilda Jones
to Robert and Sarah Smith. Matilda Jones could possibly be a daughter or
since Sarah Smith is blind, she could be the housekeeper.
The names and information provided in this
example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household through
census records.
1891 Census Saint John
A Two Volume Index of this Census by Timothy Walton
lists the Head of Household and gives the Page Number, Ward or Parish
and District Number on the Reel of Microfilm.
The names and information provided in
this example are fictitous and used only to demonstrate tracing a household
through census records.
| 5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
Family
Number |
Name |
Sex |
Age |
Married
or
Widowed |
Relation
To Head
Of Family |
Place
of
Birth |
French
Canadians |
| 45 |
Bell John |
M |
39 |
W |
|
N.B. |
___ |
|
Clara |
F |
10 |
__ |
D |
N.B. |
___ |
|
Bain James |
M |
18 |
__ |
N |
N.B. |
___ |
| 13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
Birth
Place
of
Father |
Birth
Place
of
Mother |
Religion |
Occupation |
Read |
Write |
Deaf
and
Dumb |
Blind |
Unsound
of
Mind |
| Scot |
N.S. |
Method't |
Tinsmith |
/ |
/ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
| N.B. |
U.S. |
Method't |
___ |
/ |
/ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
| N.B. |
N.B. |
Presbyt |
Cooper |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
__ |
By now you are getting really good at reading
the Census Records so I will not spend time explaining this example of the
1891 Census.
Quite often while working with Census Records
it helps to start the search in the 1901 or 1891 Census and work back to
the 1851 Census.
Summary of Census Records For Saint John
1851 Published in Two Volumes
1861 Forget that year
1871 Index Book
1881 Not indexed - Must search Reel
(Check 1880 City Directory for an Address)
1891 Index Books
1901 Not indexed - Must search Reel
Do not be concerned about the spelling of the
names or the ages that were given. In those days people spelled words
as they sounded. A name such as Wright may be written as Rite.
You need to be a good detective and check all possible spellings of surnames.
I suggest you look at the households before
and after the one you are interested in, as quite often you will find
relatives living near one another.
Late Registration of Birth
1810 - 1887
These Registrations of Birth are based upon proof
supplied by the individuals who required a birth certificate.
The information was typed on cards. The cards
were sorted alphabetically and microfilmed.
There are 12 Reels of Microfilm of these documents.
For example let us say I am looking for members of the Quinlan Family.
Look in the Blue Book for the Reel Number.
G 8 Murphy, A. to Nesbett, M.
G 9 Nesbit, K. to Robertson C.
G 10 Robertson, C. to Steeves, K.
We would find Quinlan on Reel #G 9
Sample:
Name of Child Walter Cornelius Quinlan
Date of Birth June 30, 1882
Place of Birth West St. John
Sex of Child Male
Name of Father Robert Bird Quinlan
Father's Birthplace Salmon River N.B.
Name of Mother Frances O'Leary
Mother's Birthplace Ireland
The above Late Birth Registration gives
the researcher a great deal of information. There are 25000 cards on these
12 Reels of Microfilm.
_____________
Inquire where the booklets on Birth Registrations
for the Province of New Brunswick are kept. If you are looking for a Saint
John County Birth - also check book "Z" as there is a section at the end
containing Saint John County Birth information. (In the fall of 1998
these Birth Records were placed on the Internet as a searchable data base
by the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick at http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives
)
Probate
Records
The Probates of Saint John County for the years
1785-1887 are on six Reels of Microfilm. The Index is on Reel
#48 and covers the years from 1785-1912. When you find the name you
are searching for in the Index, note the date. The books were arranged
in alphabetical order by year. For example, the Probate of William Donald
might state: June 27, 1828. You would look in the Blue Book and see
that the year 1828 is on Reel #49.
After you have found and carefully read the Probate
then search The Saint John County Probate Court Case Files. These
Files are arranged alphabetically by the year for 1785-1932.
An Index is on Reel #G 0 and it also is
in Book Form. (On the shelf next to the City Directories). Some names
have been omitted in the index therefore I suggest you always check the
microfilm for the year of or the year after the
ancestor's death even if the name is not in the Index.
Since very important information may be found
in Probate Records, always take the time to search all available material.
The division of material possessions or property may give some insight of
the character of your ancestor.
Reading the last wishes of an
ancestor may be as close as we will
ever get to really knowing that person.
Marriage Registers
Marriage Registers
for Saint John County from 1810 to 1888 are on Microfilm.
If you look in the Blue Book on the Round
Table, you will see that there are eleven Marriage Books or
Registers for Saint John County. They are lettered from "A"
to "K"
Reel # 21 has the Indices for Registers
"A" to "K".
The marriages were indexed for each register
in a sort of alphabetical order for the Groom. For example all the
men with surnames starting with "F" are in the one column and the Brides'
names are in the next column. Check all possible spellings
of the surname. There is no alphabetical listing for the brides.
Once you have found your desired name, then consult The Blue Book for the
proper Microfilm Reel Number.
When you find the Marriage there are several
things to look for:
Groom
Name
Married before Widower
Address Usually the Parish
Occupation
Signed his name or marked with an X
Bride
Name
Spinster if not married before
Married before Widow or Alias
Address Usually Parish
Signed her name or marked with an X
Look carefully at the Witnesses, for on
many occasions they are relatives of either the Bride or Groom.
The minister or priest that performed the Ceremony
might lead you to their Religion, but not always.
Marriage Registers were kept in the County Office,
and the Officiating Person, at his convenience, would record the Marriage.
Do not be concerned about the different spellings of the names. On one
entry, the recording person might write the Bride's name as McCarthy
and the witness as McCarty or Carty, yet they were all of the
same family.
There are also marriages recorded in the Church
of the marriage. I have found marriages that were not recorded in the
Civil Register by the Officiating Person but were recorded in the Church
Records.
An Index to the Marriages for all of New Brunswick
1887 - 1926 can be found on the PANB website at http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives.
Many of the Saint John County Marriage Registers
have been transcribed.
Burial Permits
These documents are exactly what the title suggests, a permit
to bury a body. In using these permits, I have found that they were
only for those burials of people who:
Died in Saint John City
Were being brought to Saint John to be buried
Were being sent through Saint John to be buried elsewhere
Burial Permits were issued from March 17,1889 to 1919.
The Burial Permits are in the order that they were issued.
The Burial Permit Index is on Reel #14 and is in 10 Parts
Part 1 1889 - 1900
Part 2 1901 - 1910
Part 3 1911
Part 4 1912
Part 5 1913
Part 6 1914
Part 7 1915 - 1916
Part 8 1917
Part 9 1918
Part 10 1919
If a Burial Permit were found in the Index dated Feb. 08,1904
- then one would look in the Blue Book and find that the year 1904 is
on reel # 6. The next step is to view reel # 6. The Burial Permit
would be found in the month of February.
An Index to the Burial Permits can be found on the PANB website.
LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH
RETURN OF DEATH ON APPLICATION FOR A BURIAL
PERMIT
This information is from a Burial Permit on Microfilm Reel #8, page
85:
Date of Death
Jan. 29, 1908
Name of Deceased Ann DeBoo
Age
66 yrs
Colour
White
Sex and whether Single,Married or Widowed Female -
Married
If married Woman's Husband's Name
William DeBoo
Residence
455 Main St.
Place of Death
St. John
Place of Birth
Hampton, Kings Co.
Occupation -----
Name of Father James Kenny
Birthplace of Father - Ireland
Place of Interment Old Catholic
Cemetery
Nature of Disease or Cause of Death - Asthmatic Bronchitis
Name of Physician
James Christie M.D.
Name of Undertaker John O'Neil
Land Petitions
Many of the residents of New Brunswick petitioned
for a piece of Crown Land. They did not always receive the land
they petitioned for but in many cases they left valuable information for
Researchers.
The Land Petitions are indexed in alphabetical order on six Reels
of Microfilm. If I wanted to check to see if a member of the Floyd Family
petitioned for Crown Land anywhere in New Brunswick I would look at:
Land Petitions - Index
Reel #1 Aasley, Daniel - Chambers, J.
Reel #2 Chambers, James - Foster, Isaiah
Reel #3 Foster, Isaiah - Kimbal. Moses
Reel #4 Kimbal, Richard - McNiel, Norman
Reel #5 McNiell, Donald - Steeves, Enoch
Reel #6 Steeves, Frederick - Zinger
I would choose Reel #2 of the Index since the name Floyd
would be between Chambers,James and Foster, Isaiah. When I look
at this Index, I might find that James Floyd had petitioned for Land in
1825. If I wish to view this document I would return to the Blue
Book and look for the year 1825 of Land Petitions. I find there are 4 Reels
for 1825:
Reel #50 1824 J Stewart - 1825 J Cain
Reel #51 1825 J Caldwell - 1825 A Hicks
Reel #52 1825 J Hicks - 1825 W McLeod
I will choose Reel #51 as the name Floyd would be between
J Caldwell - A Hicks.
Some petitions have lots of information, while others contain
little to interest us. It seems to me that the earlier ones have more
biographical information on the person that is applying for a grant than
the later ones. The Applicant may state that he arrived in New Brunswick
four years prior, or a woman may state she is petitioning for land as she
is a widow with a family.
An Index to the Land Petitions 1783 - 1918 is available at the PANB
website.
Crown
Land Grant Index Book
This book lists the following information:
Name of person receiving Grant of Land
Location of Grant
Parish of the Grant
County of the Grant
How many acres in the Grant
Date of the Grant
Volume and Number of its Recording
When I looked in this Crown Grant Index Book I found:
James Floyd
Received Grant #3 Hardingville,
Parish of St.Martins, County of Saint John,
Contains 200 acres,
Date; May 02,1825
Recorded Vol. 7, Number 1795.
Land Grant Maps
On the Grant Map we are able to see the location of the Grant
as well as the neighbouring grants.
Land Grant Maps can be purchased at:
Service New Brunswick - King's Square North -
Saint John
Land Transactions
The Registry Office is located in the Provincial Service
Centre in the
Old Calp's Building, King's Square North
There is an access fee for using these records.
When you visit the Registry Office, you will find
that The Index Books are arranged by Years and Indexed Alphabetically
by both the Grantor and the Grantee.
On the left page the Name of the Grantor is given (The Grantor
is the person transferring ownership), followed by the name of the Grantee
(The Grantee is the person to whom ownership is being transferred). Next is
the Parish, then the
Reference as to what the transaction is: Sale or Mortgage or Lease.
This is followed by the reference to the Volume Number and the page number. |
On the right hand page the name of the Grantee is first, followed
by the name of the Grantor. |
Each page is in alphabetical order.
Newspapers
I have included a Chart to help you determine
the Newspapers that are available for any certain time period.
(Check Blue
Book for Update of Newspapers that are on Microfilm in the Library.)
When you are looking up an obituary or other event,
take time to check all the newspapers for that date. One
newspaper obituary may state the person was born in Ireland and another
newspaper could say in the village of Bantry, County Cork.
Newspapers on microfilm
| 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870
1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
City Gazette 1811-1841
incomplete |
|
|
Daily Sun
1878 - 1910 |
|
Daily
Citizen
1936-1939 |
|
|
Loyalist
1842-1852 |
Daily Telegraph
1862 - 1923 |
|
|
|
|
Morning News
1839 - 1862 |
Herald
1877-1878 |
Telegraph
1899-1904 |
Evening Times
1927 to date |
|
|
|
Morning Freeman
1851 - 1884 |
|
New Freeman
1900 - 1929 |
|
|
New Brunswick Courier
1811 - 1865 |
St.John
Morning
Journal
1865-1869 |
Saint John
Monitor
1904 - 1913 |
Telegraph
Journal
1923 to date |
| 1785 - 1872 Royal Gazette 1785 - 1972 |
St.John
Gazette
1784-1807 |
|
|
Saint John
Daily News
1863-1884 |
|
Saint John
Standard
1909-1922 |
|
|
Star
1820-1829 |
|
|
Saint John Globe
1862 - 1875 1877 - 1927 |
|
|
|
Weekly
Chronicle
1836-1859 |
|
|
|
|
St.John
Star
1901-1903 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watchman
1875-1877 |
Telegraph
1899-1904
Semi-wkly |
|
|
|
|
| 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910
1920 1930 1940 |
If you are looking for a Newspaper for Saint
John, let us say, for the year 1899. Look at the above table - 1890 column
- then look down that column. You will see that for the year 1899 the following
newspapers have been microfilmed:
(1) Daily Sun
(2) Daily Telegraph
(3) Royal Gazette
(4) St.John Globe
(5) Telegraph.
** Check Blue Book for Update
of Newspapers that are on Microfilm in the Library.
Place Names Can Be Confusing
I tell this story quite often, so will I repeat
it again.
When my husband and I first started researching
the Cusack Family, we knew just about
zero on background information. We knew that some of the family lived in
the States. We became very excited when we found a Marriage stating
Elizabeth Moran of Portland married George
Cusack. I copied the marriage in my note book and very carefully
inserted after Portland the letters USA, as everybody knows
that Portland is in the States. We were very pleased because we now knew
the family connection to the States - My husband's Grandmother lived
there! But how come so many other relatives all lived in Portland, USA?
After much puzzling, we finally stumbled across the
information that Portland was the town that bordered Saint John,
and had been a part of Saint John for about a hundred years. If we
had looked at the Roe & Colby Atlas, we would have been much
more knowledgeable.
The other incident that stands out in my mind
was the Obituary of Margaret Moran. We knew little about her, except
that some of her children stayed in Saint John while others went to the States.
The Obituary or Death Notice was very short and stated she had died in South
Bay. I copied this information and very carefully added after South Bay
the words New Brunswick. Everybody knows that South Bay is just
outside of Saint John. We were puzzled as to what member of the family
she might have been living with. Many years later we found out that
she had died in South Bay, Boston. If you insert your interpretation
make a note of it.
Some others to watch out for:
Carleton - West Side of Saint John;
Crouchville - East Saint John
Pisarinco - Lorneville;
Marsh Road - Rothesay Avenue
Botsford Mill Road - Loch Lomond Road to
Silver Falls
Rural Cemetery - Fernhill Cemetery
Old Catholic Cemetery - St. Mary's Cemetery
New Catholic Cemetery - St. Joseph's Cemetery
Church
Records
Look in the Blue Book for the Church records that
are available on microfilm in the Information Center. Because the Roman
Catholic Church Records are housed in the Archives of the Diocese of Saint
John, I will deal with those records in detail in the following pages.
Catholic Church Records
Diocese of Saint John - Archives
One Bayard Drive
Saint John
New Brunswick
Canada
E2L 3L5
Telephone (506) 653-6807
Visits by Appointment only.
Contact the Office for fees charged.
I wish to thank Mary McDevitt, Archivist of
the Diocese of Saint John, for the following summary of the Available
Resources of the Archives of the Diocese of Saint John in 1992.
Church records on microfilm:
Saint John County
1. St. Malachy's Church, Saint John 1814 -
1855
St. Malachy's was the first Catholic church in
the Saint John area. It was built in 1814, and with numerous additions
and alterations, served the Catholics of Greater Saint John until the Cathedral
was built in 1855. With the opening of the Cathedral on Christmas Day
1855, the old St. Malachy's chapel was used as a school and meeting hall.
It burnt on the day of the Saint John fire, in June 1877. The present-day
St. Malachy's Memorial High School stands on the site of the old church.
The records for St. Malachy's are complete except
for the period from late 1819 to mid 1821, and, for the most part, are
in good condition.
2. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
Saint John 1856 - 1889
The Cathedral was constructed in 1855 and is still
the Seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Saint John. The records from
1855 up to the end of 1899 are complete and in very good condition. Diocesan
policy is that post-1900 records of baptism and marriage are considered
confidential, out of respect for the privacy of those who may still be
living. (Inquiries about those records must be made directly to the church
in which the ceremony took place.)
The Cathedral records also contain the records
of St. Peter's Church in Portland, until 1884. The original St. Peter's,
a small wooden chapel, was a mission of the Cathedral and, previous to
that, of St. Malachy's. That is, it had no resident priest and no separate
record book. In some, but not most, cases, the entry identifies the parties
as being members of St. Peter's. In 1884, with the construction of the present-day
St. Peter's, St. Peter's kept separate records.
3. St. Peter's Church Portland
North End of Saint John 1884 - 1899
The records for this period are complete and in
good condition.
4. Cathedral Missions:
Golden Grove, Kennebecasis and Musquash --
St. Patrick's,
St. Bridget's and St. Elizabeth's, respectively.
1857 - 1870.
The records of these three missions of the Cathedral
were kept in a separate book for this thirteen year period. They are in
excellent condition, with no missing months.
5. Church of the Assumption,
West Saint John 1849 - 1899
These records are complete for the period noted.
They are not as readable as the Cathedral records, but this is a function
of small, indistinct handwriting, not of missing pages or parts of pages.
These records appear to encompass residents of many of the outlying regions
of the western part of the harbour and coast.
7. St. Rose of Lima, West Saint John, the Milford
area. 1886 - 1899
This church was a mission of the Assumption from
its construction in 1879 up to 1886, when they began to keep separate
records.
8. St. John the Baptist, South End Saint John
1889 - 1899
This church was a mission of the Cathedral from
its construction in 1884 up to 1889, when they began to keep separate
records.
8. Holy Trinity Church, Valley area of Saint
John 1892 - 1899
9. St. Joachim's Church, Silver Falls, East
Saint John 1880 - 1899
10. St. Williams's Church, St. Martins 1847
- 1899
This church served quite a wide area and had as
mission churches: St. Luke's, Upham, St.Mary's, Black River, and St. Catherine
of Sienna, Saddleback. The records are complete for the period noted and
most are in good condition.
Other material for Saint
John County
Along with the aforementioned church records,
the Archives also contains the following:
1. An indexed guide to obituaries in The New Freeman,
from 1900 to present day.
2. Complete records of Fitzpatrick's Funeral Home,
Saint John 1889 - 1980.
3. Burial Permits for the City of Saint John 1889
- 1919
4. Records of interment for:
St. Mary's Cemetery,
St. Joseph's Cemetery,
Old St. Peter's Cemetery
Indiantown Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery and
Assumption Cemetery.
These records are not as complete as the baptismal
and marriage records. Most have been compiled by staff of the Archives
using other sources as aids.
5. Lot-owners' cards for St. Joseph's, St. Mary's
and Holy Cross cemeteries.
6. Tombstone inscriptions from the Catholic cemeteries
in the area, as well as many cemeteries in other parts of the Diocese.
7. Mater Misericordiae Home Records (Saint John)
8. Various Family Histories.
9. Brief biographical files on priests who have
served in the Diocese.
10. Many of these records have been transcribed
and reconstructed into family groups. They have been cross-referenced
according to the woman's name and cross-checked with available burial
and census records. This is an on going project.
Kings County
1. St. Alphonsus, Hampton 1896 - 1899
2. Sacred Heart, Norton 1893 - 1899
3. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rothesay 1896 -
1899
4. St. Francis Xavier, Sussex 1845 - 1850; 1871
- 1899
The St. Francis Xavier Church in Sussex served
the whole Sussex area and had as mission churches: Norton, Ward's Creek,
Dutch Valley and White's Mountain. Before places like Norton got a resident
priest and started keeping separate records, they were served by priests
from St. Francis Xavier, and records were all kept in one central location.
The second volume was, most unfortunately, lost in a fire. Hence, the twenty
year gap in the records. This loss preceded the dawn of micro-filming and
so these 1851-1871 baptismal and marriage records are lost - except for
those that were recorded in the civil records.
Queens County
St. Joseph's Church, Chipman 1863-1899
Charlotte County
1. St. Andrew's Church, St. Andrews 1827 - 1899
St. Andrew's is the sight of one of the oldest
Catholic churches in the province. The records are complete for the period
noted but require the patience of Job to read for any length of time.
Some areas are better than others.
2. St. George's Church, St. George 1886 - 1899
3. St. Stephen's Church, Milltown 1838 - 1899
The records of the St. Stephen's Church in Milltown
are in better condition than those early records of St. Andrew's. Like
the St. Andrew's records, they contain a few scattered references to Maine
residents.
4. Holy Rosary Church, St. Stephen 1887 - 1899
These four Charlotte County churches were quite
far-ranging, the early churches in St.Andrews and Milltown particularly
so. Places like Flume Ridge and Rolling Dam were missions.
Sunbury County
1. St. Vincent de Paul, Oromocto and
St. Ignatius, Petersville 1866 - 1899
York County
1. St. Dunstan's, Fredericton 1827 - 1870
Some gaps in these records - 1832 to 1836 are
missing. The original records are in Fredericton but apparently the period
1832 - 1835 was missed by the micro-filmers. Fredericton also has 1825 -
1826. These years were not filmed either.
2. St. Anthony's Fredericton - Devon 1887 - 1899
3. St. Ann's, Kingsclear 1824 - 1858
Carleton County
1. St. Gertrude's, Woodstock 1842 - 1899
St. Gertrude's served quite a large area, being
the only Catholic church in the area for a time. The early records, 1842
to 1850, are barely legible. The remaining ones are better.
2. St. Thomas / St. Agnes, Debec 1881 - 1899
3. St. John the Evangelist, Johnville 1863 - 1899
4. St. Bonaventure, Lakeville 1891 - 1899
Northumberland County
1. St. Raphel's, Blackville 1837 - 1871
2. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, The Forks 1837 -
1871
3. Sts. Peter & Paul, Bartibogue 1801 - 1826
4. St. Bridget's, Renous 1853 - 1871
5. St. Patrick's, Nelson-Miramichi 1826 - 1858
The Miramichi records are much more complete in
the Miramichi parishes themselves. St. Michael's Museum Association in
Chatham may be particularly helpful.
The above list of material available at the Archives
of The Diocese of Saint John
One Bayard Drive, Saint John, E2L 3L5
was compiled by the Archivist, Mary McDevitt.
It is necessary to make an appointment to visit
The Archives of The Diocese of Saint John at One Bayard Drive, Saint John, E2L 3L5 .
Family Group Sheets are $2.25 each.
If you write and request information, you can expect
to pay a fee for this research work.
The records that the staff of the
Archives of the Diocese of Saint John have transcribed and arranged in Family
Groups have been a great help to me and have saved me hours and hours of
searching.
Books
I'm giving names of some of the books that I often use
in doing research.
Index To The Death Roll of the St.John Globe
1897 - 1926
Ruby M. Cusack
In a January issue of the St.John Globe, from 1897 - 1927, with
the exception of 1915, a DEATH ROLL of about 500 names of some residents
and former residents who had died during the previous year would be published.
It gave the date of each death and in some cases the age of the deceased.
If you find the name you are searching for in the list then go to the
microfilm of all newspapers of that time period and search for an obituary.
The Burial Records of the Church of England Cemetery
Saint John, N.B.
Lennox W. Bagnell
Some Burial Records of the Loyalist Burial Ground
Saint John, N.B.
Graeme F. Somerville
The Old Cedar Hill Cemetery and Carleton Burial Ground
of
Saint John West, N.
B.
Daniel Johnson
The Cedar Hill Extension Cemetery, Saint John
D. Johnson
We Hardly Knew Ye: St. Mary's Cemetery, Saint John
Mary Kilfoil McDevitt
Passengers to New Brunswick:
The Custom House Records 1833 1834
1837 1838
Together In Exile
Peter Murphy
Families that came from Carlingford, County Louth,
Ireland and settled in the
South End of Saint John.
The Loyalists of New Brunswick
Esther Clark Wright
Vital Statistics From New Brunswick Newspaper
Daniel Johnson
Provincial and City Directories
Indexes to Scrap Books
Index To The Saint John County
Probate Court Case Files
1785--1910 (1960)
Roe & Colby
Atlas of Saint John County 1875
Gazetteer of
Canada: New Brunswick
Geographical
Names of New Brunswick Alan Rayburn
Researching Your Ancestors
in New Brunswick Robert Fellows
Early Loyalist
Saint John D. G. Bell
Early New Brunswick
Probate Records 1785-1835 R.W. Hale
Take a look at http://www.rubycusack.com/Bookshelf.html
for names of other books.
Other
Helpful Sources
I have found the following sources very helpful when I have been
doing research at the Saint John Free Public Library.
CB Files - Family History
They are in the big blue chest-like cabinet, before you reach
the microfilm readers. The material is mainly photocopies from newspapers
and articles that have been donated by folks that are doing or have done
work on Family Research. You never know what gems of information
you will find!
Biographical Data Relating to N.B. Families D.R. Jack
This material, collected by D.R. Jack, is on microfilm and has
been a great help to me.
Journals of the House of Assembly of the Province
of N.B.
If you have some free time before you leave the Library, take
a stroll down past the microfilm readers -- way back -- to the
other side of the last set of shelves. Here are the Journals of the
House of Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick. Take one out and browse
through it. The information you can find reminds one of opening presents
on Christmas Morning; you may not find anything that is of any use
to you, but you may find something you have always been looking for.
Genealogical
Society
Saint John Branch
New Brunswick Genealogical Society
P.O.Box 2423
125 Rothesay Avenue
Saint John, E2L 3V9
The Genealogical Society welcomes anyone who is interested in
doing Family Research to attend their meetings. I have found that I
have gained a great deal of research information not only from the programmes
but in conversation with others over a cup of tea at the end of the meeting.
(April 2003 - the Meetings are usually held in the Lion's Den at the Loch
Lomond Villa, Loch Lomond Road on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:30
P.M. Occasionally Field Trips are taken elsewhere.) Visit the Saint
John Branch Website at www.nbgssj.ca
Other Institutions
with Family History Material of Saint John
Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
Saint John
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton
New Brunswick Museum, Saint John
Catholic Archives of the Diocese of Saint John 1 Bayard
Drive (Appointment necessary)
**********
Provincial Archives of New
Brunswick at http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives/WhatsNew.aspx?L=EN
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