On The Book Shelf...

For the last number of years, I have been researching Charlotte County's involvement in the First World War so imagine my delight when I was put on the trail of a memoir of a former Charlotte County resident retelling his days as a soldier in the war. So a special thanks to former Mayor of St. Andrews, John Craig, for putting this book on my radar and into my library.

"As It Was Then: Recollections 1896-1930" is a short, 106 page book written by Prof. Dr. Arthur O. Hickson, and besides telling an interesting story of his life, it provides details into life on Campobello in the early 1900s but more so, it offers insight into life as a solider in the First World War. The book was written in 1984 and published in 1988 by Acadia University.

Dr. Hickson was born on Campobello Island on 22 January, 1896, the son of Arthur Wellsley Hickson and Alice Blanche Taylor. In 1912 a young Arthur Hickson moved with his family to Saint John, as his father accepted a teaching position there. Prior to start of the First World War, Hickson joined the Militia in Saint John. Most of the book is focused on Dr. Hickson's war experience; from the training camps in Canada and England, to the front lines of Vimy and Passchendaele.

After the war, Arthur Hickson enrolled at Acadia University. After graduation, Hickson then onto teach at Brown, receiving his PhD there. Soon after he went on to teach at Duke Universi88ty, retiring in 1965. Dr. Hickson died on 14 October 1989 and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Durham, North Carolina, with his second wife.

As It Was Then: Recollections 1896-1930

Hickson, Arthur Owen. 1988, Acadia University Press. ISBN: 0-921476-01-9

On The Book Shelf...

New Brunswick is dotted with many small communities, far off the main highways and biways. Charlotte County is no exception, for a short drive off of Highway 1, heading north toward the “Ridges”, you will no doubt pass a number of small communities, many of which have long, complex histories. Not all settlers took up areas along the bays or rivers. Some settlers went inland, to work in woods and clear the lands. One of those such areas is the community of Moore’s Mills. Today, a walk through the local cemetery at Moore’s Mills one will notice large, well-decorated headstones, a statement usually reserved for affluent, prominent citizens and not typical of small rural “backwoods” communities. So it is easy to jump to the thought: “this community must have been a happening spot at one time”. To dig deeper on the story of Moore’s Mills, one might need to scour through countless microfilm reels to pick-up the few news items on the area. Or perhaps seek out insight from a few of the area’s “old timers”. So it was a very pleasant surprise to find that all of that work has already been done! Graydon Mitchell grew up in Moore’s Mills but now calls Kinsport-by-the-Sea, Nova Scotia “home”. The transplanted “Millieon” knew that his home village had a wonderful story to share with the world and he was the guy to get it done. Mr. Mitchell has put together a wonderful piece of work in his book “Life in a New Brunswick Village: Moore’s Mills, Voices from the 1890s”. Published in 2008, this book offers the reader a superb insight into this little community. And based on the book’s 200+ pages, one would believe this community is more of a modern town today versus the small rural area that Moore’s Mills actually is. The book is packed full of old photos of its past citizens, a lineage report on the settler William Moore and background on the landmarks of the area. As a local historian, I learned so much on the history of Moore’s Mills… thank you Graydon!! This book serves as a point that every community, no matter how big or small, has a history that is rich and vibrant, and that history should be brought together and preserved for the future generations.

Life in a New Brunswick Village: Moore’s Mills, Voices from the 1890s

Mitchell, Graydon. 2008, Mitchell Consulting. ISBN: 978-0-9810925-0-8

On The Book Shelf...

Though published in 1975, Passamaquoddy: Genealogies of West Isles Families still represents the most recent cumulation of family genealogies for the Parish of West Isles of Charlotte County, New Brunswick. Author Martha Ford Barto has compiled a comprehensive report on over 70 surnames from the areas of Deer Island, Campobello Island and various other smaller islands, as well as points along the mainland of both Canada and the state of Maine. However the 348 page books does not jump immediately into a genealogy report; Barto first offers the reader a wonderful reflection on the history of the Passamaquoddy area, from the early settlements of the Passamaquoddy People and Champlain’s settlement at St. Croix Island to the establishment of island communities by early settlers. From reading Barto’s sources, it is easy to see that she put many years of research into this single, soft bound book. Not only does she utilize several local history books that have been long forgotten or simply lost with time but also incorporates the rarities of family bibles from local families and church records, something that not every researcher would have access to. Overall, Passamaquoddy: Genealogies of West Isles Families is an asset for anyone interested in families from the Fundy Isles or general history of New Brunswick. However good luck in acquiring a copy as this book has been out of print for several decades and is quickly become one of those long lost books that Barto herself used as reference.

Passamaquoddy: Genealogies of West Isles Families

Barto, Martha Ford. 1975, Lingley Printing Co. Ltd. 348 pages

On The Book Shelf...

Over the last three months, I have acquired two books dealing with a topic that is perhaps somewhat uncomfortable for many... death. While these books may deal with aspects of death such as the customs surround the inevitable event, as a genealogist, my interest in the subject as grown likely due to the time that I spend in cemeteries. From outside, looking in, we can learn much from cemeteries as they relate to the quest in our family history. Headstones can provide vital information such as dates of birth and death, but many more in recent decades provide date of marriage. However be warned: the data on headstones can be incorrect as it is often provided to the headstone company by the family and they may have provided the incorrect date of birth for your great-grandmother.

So as I explored cemeteries from Ireland to New Mexico, from Germany to Cuba, I found it very interesting how different cultures buried and memorialised their dead. While there is not a large collection on the subject, I was able to add to my own collection two new additions:

Corpses, Coffins and Crypts: A History of Burial by Penny Colman (1997, Henry Holt and Company) was written with a target audience of young adults. Eight chapters voyage through subjects on dealing with death, cremations, cemeteries and what happens to corpses. The book looks at aspects of death and dealing with dead by various cultures and throughout history. This book may be a good option for those of you looking for a little (not a lot) of insight into subject. Colman has crammed a fair amount of research in this 205 page book but avoids information overload.

The History of Death: Burial Customs and Funeral Rites, From the Ancient World to Modern Times by Michael Kerrigan (2007, The Lyons Press) may read more like a text book for those looking for an easy read on a difficult subject. And since it is formatted in such as way, the expectation may be a little higher. Therefore, I would have like to read more on the history of cemeteries, particularly those in North America.

On The Book Shelf...

I finally got my hands on a copy of “The Family of Zadock Hawkins”. The large, hard-covered book (over 700 pages) was published in 2005 as a collaborative effort by three of the books authors: Lynn Garn, of Virginia, Ronnie Hawkins Sr., of Michigan, and G. Christian Larsen of Pennfield. This book details eleven generations of descendants of Zadock Hawkins and his wife Lydia Wilmot. In additional, information is offered on the ancestors of Zadock and his wife, as well as details on the places that the Hawkins families settled. The three author pull together years of research into a single, comprehensive source. This book is the most recent purchase in a series of local family genealogy books. Priced at $50 plus shipping, the book is certainly worth its weight in valuable data! If you would like to order a copy, please visit Online Order Form or send an email to Chris Larsen. By the way, Chris has been the coordinator of RootsWeb’s Parish of Pennfield (Charlotte County, NB) website for the past decade.

On The Book Shelf...

Recently I discovered this wondering book: “Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census”. This 224-page book guides the reader through the various census in Canada, starting as early as the Acadian Census in the 1600s, through early regional census in the 1800s, to the first “National” census in 1851. The book then follows each of the National Census already released to the public… 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911. Then it continues on with census yet to be release… 1921, 1931, 1941, etc. With each census comes its own set of questions and this book does a great job offering insight into those questions. The author, Dave Obee, says that this book is meant to help researchers “make the most of the Canadian Census.” Mr. Obee is no fly-by-night genealogy specialist. He has been involved with genealogy in a professional manner for several decades. Currently Mr. Obee is teaching family history courses at Royal Roads University and can be found as a keynote speaker at many genealogy events across Canada. The book cost $30 and is available at some specialty book stores or from Mr. Obee’s own website at http://www.daveobee.com

Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census

Dave Obee. 2012. ISBN 9780973514346

On The Book Shelf...

I love finding genealogical treasures! While picking through books at a used book store in Saint John, I discovered a wonderful little book entitled “The Descendants of Charles Dyer Wilcox on Grand Manan Island - New Brunswick Canada”. The small 52-page book was written by the late Mr. Elmer N. Wilcox in 1980 and not only offers great genealogical data on the Wilcox, Card and Dyer families but also several photos of the Wilcox family that I am sure any Wilcox researcher would love. Plus the book offers additional insight on early community of Grand Manan Island. Back in the last century, many folks would privately publish books such as these and today these rare little gems can offer some unique data that we may not find in the archives or library. Books such as these usually use reference material such as family bibles and good old oral discussion with people long departed. It is a great find and will certain be a wonderful source data for those Grand Manan queries that I tend to stumble upon.

"The Descendants of Charles Dyer Wilcox on Grand Manan Island"

Elmer Wilcox, 1980

On The Book Shelf...

A friend recently reminded me of a book on short stories of Charlotte County that was published a few decades. The book, “Stories from the Fog’s Inn” was not on my library shelf and so I went off to search and after a month of poking around online and in the corners of local used book stores, I finally have a copy. Published by Charlotte County Community Ventures Inc. back in 1990, the book is a collection of short stories steep in local folklore. The majority of the book’s sources come from “storytellers” from many of the county’s schools. Despite being full of “stories that my grandfather told me”, this book does provide for an interesting read and sheds light on many local folklores include tales of ghost and place names. A few of my favorite stories include: “Lake Utopia Sea Monster”, “Milkmaid of Tunaville” and “The Legend of Deer Island”. Though not built on facts or historic research, this book is a must for anyone interested in the tales of Charlotte County.

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Stories from the Fog’s Inn

Charlotte County Community Futures Inc. 1990, Beacon Press. ISBN: 0-9694552-0-8

On The Book Shelf...

One book in my home library that sees heavy use is "St. Stephen Rural Cemetery, Tombstone Inscriptions of Charlotte County", by the New Brunswick Genealogical Society; published by Picton Press (1996). While working at the Charlotte County Archives one cold February morning, I came across this wonderful book. Expecting to open the front cover and see that this book was long out of print, I was happy to see that the book was a little over a decade old and perhaps still still available from the publisher. So I contacted Picton Press, located in Rockland, Maine, and found that the book was still available (though no longer in print) with only a few left on the shelf. This book is a must for anyone researching Charlotte County. An index at the back of the book points to vital information and a section-by-section map of the cemetery makes locating plots very easy. St. Stephen Rural Cemetery is perhaps the largest cemetery in Charlotte County and his book is an essential tool in my library. A job well done by the folks from the Charlotte Branch of the NBGS back in the mid-1990s! Keep in mind that the publisher is no longer printing this book, but they do have a few copies left. You can contact Picton Press via their website, http://www.pictonpress.com/.

Happy Father's Day - Cemetery Book

I am not sure how many fathers would be delight to receive a book on cemeteries for Father’s Day but I certainly was! The latest book to my collection is “Old Canadian Cemeteries: Places of Memory” by James Irwin with photographs by John DeVisser (2007, Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1-55407-146-3). This book is almost to big to be a reference book and plays more like a coffee table/picture book. However, don’t be fool. Mr. Irwin does a great job offering readers on the world of cemeteries. From burial methods to the various ages of headstones and headstone design. After reading this book, I discovered many items that I was unaware of. Thank you Mr. Irwin for delivery a very interesting book to us of "taphophilia" but a special thanks to my son and wonderful wife for the gift!

Old Canadian Cemeteries: Places of Memory”

Irwin & DeVisser; 2007, Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1-55407-146-3