The Legends and Reality of Sleepy Hollow, Part 1: Headless Hessians

On 18 Oct, 2017 0 Comments

“What fearful shapes and shadows beset his path amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a snowy light! –With what wistful look did he eye every trembling ray of light streaming across the vast fields from some distent window!”  Ichabod Crane was often “thrown into complete dismay by some rushing blast, howling among the trees, in the idea that it was the Galloping Hessian on one of his nightly scourings!”

Lost Loyalists: Loyalist Women

On 11 Oct, 2017 8 Comments

In this special edition of Lost Loyalists you will learn about five amazing women’s lives during the American Revolution.  Loyalist women are often under-researched as they did not typically participate in the war as part of the military, but that does not mean that they did not have an impact on its outcome. These women have fascinating stories, and I am happy to share them with you.

The Atlantic Adventures of Lt. Samuel Richard Wilson

On 3 Oct, 2017 0 Comments

The following post features one of the loyalists who is portrayed in our upcoming story mapping project "New Brunswick Loyalist Journeys."  Please watch this page for further announcements on this exciting, new way to understand the lives and experiences of loyalists. 

A City in Panic: Cholera Strikes Saint John

On 13 Sep, 2017 0 Comments

The citizens of Saint John, New Brunswick were gripped by fear during the mid-nineteenth century as a haunting spectre was sweeping the globe. Yet, this menace was not of a paranormal nature. Rather, it was one of humanities oldest foes: contagious disease, this time in the form of cholera.

Dueling for Honour or (Il)legal Murder?: Two Case Studies

On 6 Sep, 2017 4 Comments

In the early nineteenth century, two fatal duels took place in the Maritimes: one in Nova Scotia and the other in New Brunswick. These duels happened between prominent members of society and were fought with pistols. Despite duels being illegal, they still happened, and like the cases that will be discussed in this post, they occurred as a result of bruised egos and served to defend personal honour.

Geo-Historical Sleuthing

On 16 Aug, 2017 0 Comments

The quest to pinpoint historical places, even those from the late eighteenth century, can prove a difficult endeavour for researchers and requires the skills of both Sherlock Holmes and an experienced historian.  In New Brunswick, for instance, two main cites existed under alternate names for the early period of loyalist settlement:  Parrtown or Parr Town for Saint John and St.

The Abel Sands Mystery: A Case of Bastardy (Part One)

On 19 Jul, 2017 0 Comments

On September 6th of 1816, Abel Sands appeared in the Saint John County Court House as the alleged father of a bastard child with Ann Mickens. About 200 years later, this record was transcribed by a student assistant in the Microforms Unit—marking our very first encounter with Mr. Abel Sands. As you can probably tell by the chicken scratch handwriting pictured below, this first encounter was definitely not straightforward.

Loyalist New Brunswick and the Absence of Party Politics

On 5 Jul, 2017 0 Comments

For many living in present day New Brunswick, Canada party politics has become normalized. People vote for the party that has the most agreeable party platform, and the elected Member of the Legislative Assembly becomes an ambassador of the party first and their riding second. Many do not know that party politics was imported into New Brunswick with the signing of Confederation in 1867.

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