This fonds documents the business activities, political career, and personal life of Joseph Leonard O'Brien.

Records relating to his years in provincial politics include correspondence, notes from his diaries, political scrapbooks, and materials relating to election campaigns and his position as Speaker of the House of Assembly. Federal political records include correspondence, copies of speeches, scrapbooks, photo albums, and materials pertaining to election campaigns and the Progressive-Conservative Association (letters, memos, minutes, briefs). A few of the political records pertain to his father, John O'Brien, who was a member of the House of Assembly for New Brunswick.

Records from J. Leonard O'Brien's years as Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick include official and private correspondence, speeches, invitations to various events, thank-you and congratulatory cards, scrapbooks, photo albums, guest books from Government House (1858-1965), an honorary degree, and materials pertaining to royal visits (1950s), the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and the Order of Malta.

Business records include correspondence, financial records, account books, day books, ledgers, agreements, court records, and other material pertaining to O'Brien Limited; correspondence, minutes of board of directors meetings, financial records, agreements, inventories, reports, payroll records, purchase records, account books, ledgers, cash books, sales books, vouchers, invoices, and receipts pertaining to Chatham Industries Limited; correspondence, financial papers, inventories, purchase invoices, sale invoices, and loading orders for Trafalgar Mills Ltd.; and correspondence, financial records, agreements, a copy of the letters patent, a ledger, and reports regarding Plaswood Corporation of Canada. Business records dating to the years prior to 1917 relate to John O'Brien's business activities.

Also included are financial records, correspondence, invoices, account books, general ledgers, and inventories relating to the O'Brien Store; correspondence financial records, and an agreement pertaining to Miramichi Concrete Products Co.; and correspondence, financial records, and guests lists for the Big Hole Salmon Fishing Club, Limited, which was incorporated in 1907 with its heading office in Hillsborough, Albert County; New Brunswick. J. Leonard O'Brien was probably a director or a shareholder or both of this company.

Lastly, the fonds contains his personal records including general and family correspondence; documents pertaining to the O'Brien and McPeake family histories; financial records and photographs; a few records relating to the North West Boom Co., the South West Boom Co., Atlantic Sugar Refineries Ltd., Acadia Pulp and Paper Ltd., Bank of Nova Scotia, and J. McPeake O'Brien Store; documents pertain to the estate of Kathleen O'Brien; and documents and printed material pertaining to a number of associations, clubs, and universities including Canadian Red Cross Society, Boy Scouts of Canada, University of New Brunswick, Université de Moncton, St. Thomas University, and Mount Allison University.

A number of maps showing mineral occurrences, mining claims, the location and extent of Chatham Industries Limited lands, various hydro electric projects, and other areas of the province have been moved to the Map Section. Oversized records also have been moved to the Map Section. Loose photographs have been transferred to the Photograph Section. There are also several lithographs of Fredericton and area dating to the 1830s.

The fonds is an account book of the Moran, Galloway & Co. It is a financial account of the voyages of the ships owned by the company.

This collection contains a published booklet which outlines an act of parliament of the Dominion of Canada which was meant to regulate Canada’s fisheries. This booklet also details amendments and additions that were made to this act.

This fonds consists of the administrative and financial records of T. McAvity & Sons Limited, dating from 1879 when the firm was reorganized after the Great Fire. It includes minutes of directors and shareholders meetings, general ledgers, statements of profit and loss, records of mortgages and bonds, records of sales, travellers' accounts, inventories, machine tool pattern books, appraisals, stock certificates, and dividend books.

In addition, there are unemployment insurance and workmen's compensation records, statistical reports, correspondence and government reports (some relating to the Second World War years), and a typescript copy of the history of the firm. A few newspaper clippings and several photographs are also included.

This fonds contains material related to the shipyards operated by Charles Short in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and Calais, Maine. It includes a newspaper article and booklet on the history of one of their ships, the "Rocklands".

This fonds consists of correspondence between Samuel Mayes and George Botsford and their customers, 1884-1904.

1 volume of textual records
Item is a ledger used by George Campbell and Sons Ltd. to record a variety of business transactions. A number of pages are headed with an individual’s name, followed by transaction records listing dates, services, cost, and payments. Payments to employees as well as other business records are included. An index of names is located at the front of the ledger.

1 volume of textual records
Item is a minute book which documents meetings and activity of the Sackville Marsh Improvement Company. The shareholders listed on page two, holding 20 shares each at $40 a share, were Albert Fawcett, George Campbell, Josiah Wood, Wesley Fawcett, and Henry A. Powell.

Item is a yellow, black and white cardboard sign advertising Enterprise Foundry stoves and ranges.
Sign: "For good service! / Enterprise Stoves & Ranges"

This series consists of notices and petitions for the weir fisheries and fish ladders on the Magaguadavic River.