Farmer, merchant, and lumberman John Eakin McAuley, the son of Lucy Patterson (d. 1918) and William McAuley, Jr. (d. 1903), was born in 1857 at Waterford, Kings County, New Brunswick. On 22 August 1882 he married Sarah Patterson (1863-1930) of the parish of Waterford, and they had no fewer than 6 children: Alberta May (b. 1884), Lucy Jane (b. 1886), Thomas Samuel (b. 1893), W. Walter (1890-1989), Sadie Annie (b. 1895), and John Leonard (b. 1898). Following Sarah's death in 1930, he married Jennie B. who survived him.

The McAuleys resided at Lower Millstream, Kings County where John E. operated a farm, a lumbering business, and a general store, The store, which sold dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, and lumber, had opened prior to 1893. Sometime after 1906, J. E. McAuley's son, Walter, joined him in the business under the name J. E. McAuley & Co. The store was still operating when J. E. McAuley died on 1 November 1932. The business was eventually taken over by Walter McAuley and continued under the name McAuley & McKnight.

Source:
Kings County Probate Records
Kirk Hill Cemetery Records (Sussex, N.B.)

Funded in 1974 under the federal government Opportunities for Youth grant programme "A la Decouverte de la Republique", the Madawaska building project was designed to identify historic or notable buildings in the Madawaska area and to prepare a profile on each. Such profiles were to include names of owners, building plans, a sketch of the location, details of construction, information on the building's history, and photographs. The project workers responsible for compiling the information were, Rodolphe Caron, Luc Albert, Michelle Maltais, Kenneth Babin, Lèo G. Thèriault, Robert Saucier, and Normand Corno. In all they prepared profiles of 26 buildings.

The Black Watch Regiment (RHR) of Canada has three battalions. On June 6, 1970, the First and Second Battalions participated in the ceremony of Trooping the Colors at CFNB Gagetown, Oromocto, New Brunswick. Colors are the flags or ensigns of a regiment, presented by a member of the Royal Family. Historically the flags were the rallying points of the battalion in action and were paraded or "trooped" before the regiment in order that they would be recognized and provide inspiration for the troops in battle.

Charlotte County Grammar School was situated in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. It was probably similar to others in the province. Schools in New Brunswick were initially established through private interests or by the church rather than government grants. The educational ideals of grammar schools were modelled on the English system of classification, but as more of the working class filtered into the system, the government realized their importance. They began setting aside funding for grammar schools, regulating schools and placing the minimum requirement for teaching.

"The Grammar School Times" was established in 1893, but only lasted a year. In 1895, Hubert Stinson and Robert Clarke, students at the school, edited a handwritten school paper. In 1935, the newspaper was re-established under the name "Grammar School Review" to "provide a permanent record of [student] activities and to develop literary talent". The "Review" was published every Monday by the the Student Council. In 1935, the editor-in-chief was J. V. Gibson (class of 1936); the advertising manager, H. Bartlett (class of 1938); and business manager, V. Stinson (class of 1936). It was printed by Beacon Press.

The Nashwaak Bicentennial Association was organized in December 1981 for the primary purpose of commemorating the contributions of Loyalist settlers in the Nashwaak Valley of New Brunswick to the development of the province and Canada in general and of Central New Brunswick in particular. To accomplish this aim, members of the association undertook to conduct historical research on the settlements along the Nashwaak, the early settlers, their social life, industries, schools, churches, and other aspects of local development. It was their hope to perpetuate a continuing interest in these Loyalist settlers and their descendants long after the bicentennial celebrations had concluded. While the association had decided initially to focus exclusively on the Loyalists, the research plan was later expanded to include all settlers of the Nashwaak area.

In June 1984 the association released the product of its research, a book entitled "And the River Rolled On." The following month a "Homecoming Week" was held, also in celebration of the bicentennial. In 1986 the Nashwaak Bicentennial Association produced a companion volume to "And the River Rolled On," "Nashwaak Families 1785-1885," that contains a listing of names of early Nashwaak settlers.

In October 2007, the association held a meeting to wind up its business and officially disband.

The Association of Professional Engineers of the Province of New Brunswick was incorporated in 1920 by an act of the provincial legislature. The association's primary purposes are to regulate and govern the practice of engineering in New Brunswick and to establish and maintain standards of professional knowledge, skill, and ethics among its members. Amendments to the act of incorporation were made in 1960, 1970, 1974, and 1999.

The association changed its name in December 1999 to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick, reflecting new fields of research and professional practice. The APEGNB maintains a close relationship with the University of New Brunswick and other institutions of higher learning. In 2001 the association has a membership of approximately 4,000 which includes all categories (full, life, honourary, university students etc.) and reflects various levels of education and experience. Its main offices are located at 535 Beaverbrook Court in Fredericton, N.B.

The New Brunswick Highland Games and Scottish Festival was incorporated as a Not-for-Profit-Corporation under the New Brunswick Companies Act, on May 30, 2003. The organization attained Canadian Revenue Agency charitable status in the spring of 2005. The New Brunswick Highland Games and Scottish Festival Inc. (NBHG&SF) was incorporated with a mandate to advance knowledge of Scottish/Celtic culture and heritage in New Brunswick by holding an annual festival presenting educational workshops in language, genealogy, history, cuisine, the arts and traditional atheletics as well as show-casing performing arts, crafts and traditional athletic events.

NBHG&SF accomplish the objective by continuing the presentation of the New Brunswick Highland Games and Scottish Festival which has been held annually since 1981. The Games were first held in Oromocto until 1991, then moved for a brief time to the Fredericton Exhibition Grounds before settling into the current home on the grounds of Government House on Woodstock Road in Fredericton.

Until 2002, the New Brunswick Highland Games and Scottish Festival was organized by a committee of the New Brunswick Scottish Cultural Association (NBSCA) but became independent in late 2002 when the NBSCA dis-associated from the event. With the support of the NBSCA, NBHG&SF was formed to operate the Games.

The New Brunswick Highland Games Festival is organized by a volunteer Board of Directors supported by an event organizing committee and festival volunteers. Key partnerships include the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and staff of Government House, the City of Fredericton, the Province of New Brunswick and Canadian Forces Base Gagetown as well as the local business communities and supporters of the Friends of the Games Program.

Sources: Information above supplied by Dave Macfarlane.

Queen Elizabeth II's coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 was an occasion for celebration throughout the Commonwealth. Televised coverage of the coronation ceremony heightened public interest in such state occasions. In 1954 the coronation robes and replicas of the coronation regalia went on display in various cities throughout the Commonwealth.

In New Brunswick the Committee for the Exhibition of the Coronation Robes and Regalia was organized at a meeting held 29 September 1954 at Fredericton and chaired by Premier Hugh John Flemming. The committee's primary function was to organize the exhibition of the coronation robes and regalia in Fredericton between 20 and 25 November 1954. F. E. MacDiarmid was named president of the committee; Brigadier J. R. B. Jones, vice-president; Greta Brewer, secretary; and R. S. FitzRandolph, treasurer. Working committees were set up to oversee property and display, publicity, security, and finance. An admission fee of $.25 was to be charged to cover local expenses, with the balance to be credited to the Westminster Abbey Restoration Fund.

The exhibition was a success, with approximately 6,130 persons in attendance (2,640 adults and 3,490 children). Along with the actual Purple Robe of State worn by Queen Elizabeth at her coronation and the actual Coronation Bible she carried, visitors could view replicas of St. Edward's Crown, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb, the Sceptre, and the jewelled Sword of State, among other items.

These electoral lists were compiled by Emmet Lyons, the federal returning officer for the 1958 federal election, which saw John George Diefenbaker's Conservative government returned to power with 208 seats -- the highest number held by a single party in Canada to that time. Preliminary lists of names of eligible voters were compiled for each voting district and urban center. Voters were invited to submit corrections before the final list was published.

Agricultural Societies had their beginning in New Brunswick in 1790, when Governor Thomas Carleton established the Saint John Agricultural Society. It was only in 1819 that a second society was formed in this province, the Charlotte County Agricultural Society in Saint Andrews. “In the mid-1820’s, agricultural and emigrant societies were established in Saint John, Westmorland and Northumberland Counties...” (White, page 21) Expansion continued in 1839, with agricultural societies established in Gloucester and Northumberland counties. Generally, agricultural societies were formed to encourage greater agricultural expansion and to end the need to import food. It was expected that increasing the number of farmers within the Province and improving their methods would accomplish these goals.

In 1849, the provincial government invited Professor J.F.W. Johnston to visit New Brunswick and make a report. One outcome of Johnston's "Report on the Agricultural Capabilities of the Province of New Brunswick" (1849) was the establishment of a provincial agricultural society. This was the New Brunswick Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Home Manufactures and Commerce throughout the Province, formed in 1850 to unite the efforts of the local agricultural societies across the Province. In turn, those societies were expected to send financial support to the central society. Dr. James Robb played a "leading part in forming the Society" and became its "first president in 1850, and then for some years, its corresponding secretary." (Alfred Bailey) The most notable project of the Society was the Provincial Exhibition of 1852, which was modeled after the London Exhibition of 1851. For its design and construction, the Society called upon architect, Matthew Stead of Saint John. Unfortunately, the lifespan of the provincial Society was very brief.

A second outcome of Johnston's Report was the passing of "An Act of the Encouragement of Agriculture" (Chapter 38, Revised Statutes, 1854) which provided aid to Agricultural Societies, up to £200 annually to any District. These funds were to be used for the "encouragement or improvement of agriculture or manufactures" and a required a follow-up Report to the Provincial Secretary showing how the funds had been used.

With the failure of the NB Society in 1855, an investigation was held and its report led to the establishment of the Provincial Board of Agriculture in 1859. The local societies submitted returns, including statistics, suggestions, and recommendations as required by this new Board. In turn, the Board made rules and regulations for the governing of the local agricultural societies and exercised supervision and control over them.

In 1875, the Board of Agriculture was replaced by the Secretary of Agriculture. Finally, by Act 51 Victoria, chapter 3 (1888), the Department of Agriculture was formed. The duty of administering the Department was mandated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council to a member of the executive, the head of either the Department of the Provincial Secretary, or of Public Works, or of Crown Lands, who in addition to his other duties, presided over the Department of Agriculture as its Commissioner. The Commissioner's position was not paid. In 1913, a Minister of Agriculture was appointed.

Sources: John D. White, “Speed the Plough: Agricultural Societies in Pre-Confederation
New Brunswick (MA Thesis, UNB, 1976)
"James Robb" by Alfred G. Bailey in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, volume ix, pp. 665-667
"Matthew Stead" in Music of the Eye by Gary K. Hughes (1992)