Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Hilhard, George Arthur
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1879-1958
History
George Arthur Hilyard (1879-1958) was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of Henry Hilyard and Theresa McDonald, both members of shipbuilding families. He married Mary Hammond Roberts, the granddaughter of shipbuilders on both sides of the family. As a result of his interest and family connections, George Hilyard accumulated and inherited a large number of records of ship building businesses and the families who ran them.
A large part of the collection relates to Hilyard Brothers. Thomas Hilyard (1810-1872), the son of a ship builder, served an apprenticeship at the ship carpenter's trade and then journeyman prior to engaging in business for himself. He purchased a saw mill in 1853 and carried on an extensive lumber manufacturing and ship building business. He and his wife Matilda Dyer (1821-1896) had 16 children including Henry (1848-1909) and Thomas, who inherited their father's business, which became Hilyard Bros. in 1873. They manufactured lumber, laths, herring boxes, nail kegs, staves etc. Henry was mayor of the city for a year and belonged to St. Luke's Church.
Henry Hilyard married Theresa McDonald (1850-1931), daughter of Arthur McDonald, a shipbuilder in Saint John. Their son, George Arthur, continued with the business until 1915.
The business records of Alexander McLachlan Seely (1812-1881) are also included in the collection. Seely married for his second wife, Lillian Hammond, who was related by marriage to George Hilyard's wife. Seely was a lumber surveyor, then became a merchant. He also carried on ship building, was involved with the Spring Dale Paper Company and ran a saw mill on Chesley St. He was a member of the Legislative Council, president of the Council, president of the Commercial Bank of Saint John and a trustee and secretary of Leinster St. Baptist Church.
Source:
New Brunswick Biographical Review, 1900;
The City of Saint John, 1908;
Hilyard and McLachlan fonds