Death on the Sea: The Crew of the Eclipse

On 13 Jun, 2018 0 Comments

At the head of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, in 1831, the end came for seven sailors belonging to the brig Eclipse like many others employed in this potentially lethal occupation.  The story of the crew of the Eclipse is just one of the dramas that is revealed through common, local county court documents.  The primary documents assembled below demonstrate the very practical concerns surrounding shipwreck deaths and the treatment of its victims.

Saint John, New Brunswick and the Origins of Canadian Mental Health Care

On 16 May, 2018 1 Comments

With open discussions about mental health and mental illness becoming much more prominent and accepted in contemporary culture, it is interesting to track the history of mental health care and responses to mental illness in Canada. In fact, for New Brunswickers, it can be surprising to discover that the roots of Canada’s mental health care can actually be found in our own back yard: loyalist Saint John County.

Academic Rags to Riches: New Brunswick Loyalist Story Mapping Project

On 7 Mar, 2018 2 Comments

“I need a job” says one bleary eyed and impoverished student to another; “one that is within my academic field.” However, in order to eventually get that dream job instead of a nightmare career (where the employee watches the clock tick to 4:30 with hungry eyes and assumes the running position), a person needs experience. What does “experience” even mean, and why is a student’s degree not enough?

Naming Culture in the Book of Negroes

On 21 Feb, 2018 2 Comments

The naming of an individual can offer insight into the worldview of the name giver, including perspective on their religious, national, ethnic, and gender identities. The culture of people of African descent in North America during the eighteenth century is particularly difficult to research using the standard historical record because of their lack of representation among written documents.

Smallpox and Fear of Inoculation

On 31 Jan, 2018 0 Comments

Children suffering in any form will always cause a reaction from parents and making the right choice isn’t always easy.  It was no different when Dr. John Jeffries inoculated children at the hospital on Georges Island near Halifax, Nova Scotia in the eighteenth century.

Pages