Upcoming History of Saint John High School
by Richard Thorn
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The Macfarlane Children Make their Parents Proud
 
Aunt Ethel never left the classroom behind her. Today’s visit was no different. She was lecturing me on studying hard so when I graduated from high school, I would win the Governor General’s Medal and make her so proud.

Probably James and Mary Anne Macfarlane of Saint John were proud parents in 1866 when their son William Stuart Macfarlane was the first student at the Saint John Grammar School to win the Parker Silver Medal for Mathematical Leadership. Judge Robert Parker donated 50 pounds in 1864, the interest of which was to pay for the silver medal. It is still awarded although it has been converted to a cash prize. Both Judge Robert Parker and his brother Judge Neville Parker had attended the Saint John Grammar School which, with the addition of the Victoria School for Girls, became Saint John High School in 1897.

William Stuart Macfarlane was a Gold medalist graduate of the University of New Brunswick in 1869 and a graduate of Harvard. At the time of his marriage to Margaret Russell, author and composer of music, widow of Baron von Stratendorf, daughter of wealthy Edward Russell, he was a lawyer in Boston.

James and Mary Anne were proud parents at least two other times. Their son Wallace Macfarlane graduated with honours from Harvard in 1879 and was appointed United States District Attorney for New York City by President Cleveland in 1894.

Their daughter Annie Robertson Macfarlane, was not allowed to attend the University of New Brunswick with her brother, as girls were not admitted, instead she attended the New Brunswick Provincial Normal School in Fredericton. She later moved to New York and contributed to Scribner’s Magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, and was literary critic for The Nation. Scribner’s commissioned her to go to Montreal to write a series about French-Canadians.  She married John E. Logan, a poet who wrote under the name Barry Dane. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City in 1908, Annie Logan published a life of Champlain, hopefully remembering the explorer’s association with Saint John, her own city of birth.

In 1929 Annie was the donor of  $8,000.00 to the University of New Brunswick for the foundation of the William Stuart MacFarlane, Scholarship for Classics, which is still active.
                      
By the way, the prestigious Parker Silver Medal that was presented in 1866 to William Stuart Macfarlane was donated this spring by Rev. J.S.S. Armour of Montreal  to Saint John High School to be displayed in the School archives.

Richard Thorne, a former vice-principal of Saint John High School is compiling a history of the school in anticipation of the 200th anniversary in 2005 . He would be very interested in hearing from anyone with information on former students, medals, scholarships or photographs prior to the 1950's.  Of particular interest are the graduation programs from 1898 to 1914 or graduation photos from 1880 to 1910 with names attached. Richard Thorne’s postal address is 69 Norton Shore Road, Hampton, NB, E5N 6J5. Telephone 1-506-832-0604 or email rsthorne@nb.sympatico.ca.

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Queries

Macfarlane - Cameron: Rev. J.S.S. Armour of Quebec is seeking information on the above mentioned, James and Mary Anne (Cameron)  Macfarlane, and their children, William, Wallace, Ewen and Annie.  He would also like to learn more about the father of James Macfarlane as well as the siblings of Mary Anne Cameron. If you have any information, please contact him by E-mail at jss@magma.ca.
Query 1090
Gallant - Scott:
Private Clarence Joseph Gallant died at the Mowat Sanatorium in Portsmouth, (Kingston), Ontario on 11 Sep 1917. He was 18 years old. His parents were Jack and Flora Gallant from Campbellton.  His records indicate that his body may have been shipped to his parents in Campbellton. His religion was listed as Catholic. He served with the 171st and 148th Battalions. .  .  . Private John Richard Scott was drowned at Saint John on 23 Dec 1915 en route to Vancouver, where he had enlisted, when the accident occurred. His death registration indicates that his residence was the YMCA in Vancouver. His next-of-kin was listed as Matthew Scott, Glen View, Amberley, Strond, Glos, England. A Saint John newspaper article recorded that his body was shipped back to Vancouver, despite his next-of-kin being in England. According to the paper, Pte. Scott had worked in a bank in Vancouver before he enlisted.  Any assistance that can provide in locating their graves will be greatly appreciated. They are entitled to a Commonwealth War Grave Commission headstone, therefore, we would like to locate them.
    -Bob Parsons, Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Telephone  613-992-3224. Fax 613-995-0431. E-mail RMPARSON@vac-acc.gc.ca.


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