William Odber Raymond was born on 3 February 1853 in Woodstock, New Brunswick, son of Charles William Raymond and Mary Elizabeth Carman. . He was the recipient of the Carleton County scholarship to the University of New Brunswick where he was awarded a BA degree in 1876 in the subjects of mathematics and natural science. He then entered the Anglican ministry, studying under Bishop John Medley and was ordained deacon in 1877. He spent the next six years in the parish of Stanley, York County. It was during this time he married Julia Nelson (1846-1931) and they had two children: William Odber (1880-1970; m. Florence Gillespie, 1907 in Toronto, Ontario) and Alice Winnifred (b. 1879; married George G. McNellie in 1913).
In 1884, he was called to St. Mary's Church in Saint John, N.B. where he was rector until 1916. He was appointed archdeacon of Saint John in 1908. Dr. Raymond contributed historical writings to many scholarly periodicals and newspapers. He edited "The Winslow Papers 1776-1826" and wrote "The history of the River Saint John, 1604-1784".
Dr. Raymond was forced to leave the ministry in 1916 due to ill health. The Raymonds moved first to Woodstock, then to New York and Michigan, and finally live with their daughter and son-in-law in Vancouver and Toronto, where he died in November 1923.
Published
Title is based on the contents of the collection.
This collection consists of 4 microfilms of W. O. Raymond's scrapbooks containing copies of his writings clipped from newspapers (1884-1916). There is also a photocopy of another 289 page scrapbook created by Raymond from clippings from the Woodstock " Dispatch", 1894-1896 and the Saint John "Telegraph" ca. 1897.
Also included is a photocopy of a two volume genealogy of the Raymond family, compiled by Raymond and including information on the Carman, Moore, Hallet, Lamb, Horsfeld Beardsley, Dibblee, Barlow and Jarvis families.
Additonal items transferred from the L. P. Fisher Library in 2015 include a journal kept by Raymond while a student at Montreal Diocesan Theological College from 1903-1904; a handwritten account of proceedings in Woodstock regarding "Fenian trouble," recorded in 1865; a ledger of Woodstock area barristers including J. C. Winslow, L. P. Fisher and W. H. Tucks, 1858-1866; "A System of Drill and Maoeuvres for the Militia of New Brunswick as Revised by Major-General Sir Henry Torrens", 1827, and other publications the formed part of the Raymond Room at the L. P. Fisher Library.
Four scrapbooks on microfilm (1884-1916) were donated to the Provincial Archives by the Free Public Library of Saint John before 1983. Another scrapbook (1920) was prepared by Marion Lindsay, Librarian (Woodstock, NB?) and assistants Ann Elles and Catherine Fox as a centennial project in 1967. It was indexed and later a photocopy was donated to the Archives by R. Wallace Hale in 1983. The genealogy was donated by Raymond's grandson, C.W.Raymond in 1981. Additional material was transferred from the L. P. Fisher Libary in 2015.
Some material was transferred to the Archives from the L. P. Fisher Library in 2015.
Information about the custody of these records prior to acquisition is incomplete.
Microfilm nos. F120-F123
The Provincial Archives holds other material relating to W. O. Raymond on film -- his history of New Brunswick (F120) and two articles, one each on names and bears in New Brunswick that appeared in the collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society, volume 12, (F792). As well, the Archives holds a microfilm copy of the W.O. Raymond collection housed at the L. P. Fisher Library in Woodstock, 1699-1936, (F346). See also MC3855 Scrapbook of W.O. Raymond newspaper articles.
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An inventory is available.