Biographical Data Relating to New Brunswick Families Especially of Loyalist Descent Collected by D.R. Jack.

            David Russell Jack was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on 5 May 1864, the son of Henry Jack and Annie Carmichael Johnston. His maternal ancestry included both Planters and Loyalists, his maternal great-grandfather being the prominent Loyalist,Thomas Millidge. Loyalist descent could also be traced through his father's ancestry. In 1884, his father died, and David Jack was compelled to take over his insurance business to support the family. Always civic minded, he served on the Saint John Common Council, the Board of School Trustees, and on the 1904 committee that organized the celebrations for the tercentenary of the arrival of Pierre Dugau Sieur de Monts, and Samuel de Champlain, at the St. John River in 1604. However, Jack is usually remembered as a respected historian and author, and as the editor and publisher of Acadiensis from 1901 until 1908. His interest in history can be seen not only in his writings, but in the organizations to which he belonged. He was an active member of the New Brunswick Historical Society, the New Brunswick Loyalist Society, and the St. Andrew's Society, to name only a few. Publications included: Centennial Prize Essay on the History and County of St. John, 1883; History of St. Andrew's Church, Saint John, 1913; an entry on his grandfather, David William Jack, in Biographical Review, 1900; and the collected biographical data on Loyalist families which is recorded in this microfilm reel.  A History of New Brunswick Loyalists and their Descendants was in preparation at the time of his death at the age of forty-nine while being treated for a heart condition at Clifton Springs, New York.            

            Nine hundred and twenty three biographical sketches of New Brunswick families, especially of Loyalist descent, have been microfilmed on this reel. The names are arranged in alphabetical order through four volumes, but each volume has a separate page numbering sequence. The amount of biographical data in the entries can range from a single reference for an individual or family, to a long biographical essay which may include quotations from primary sources, letters from descendants, and even a genealogical chart. The longer sketches often contain information on the location of the former colonial residence and early family connections; military service during the American Revolution; records of births, marriages and deaths, frequently for several generations; as well as settlement location and family history in New Brunswick. Biographical details come from many sources and are all carefully documented. They include: Edward Winslow Papers; Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution by Lorenzo Sabine, 1864; United Empire Loyalists: Enquiry into the Losses and Services in Consequence of their Loyalty: Evidence of Canadian Loyalist Claims : Archives of Ontario, 1904; Judges of New Brunswick and their Times by Joseph W. Lawrence, 1907; History of Queens County, New Brunswick, E. Stone Wiggins, 1876;  Biographical Review by Isaac Allen Jack, 1900; New York Genealogical and Biographical Record; New Brunswick Historical Society Collections; New Brunswick Royal Gazette, and other newspapers; quotations from legal documents; extracts from both conversations and correspondence with descendants of Loyalists; and many other sources.            

            A table of contents, which gives the alphabetical sequence of names in each volume, has been microfilmed at the beginning of the reel. The table of contents is available in print with the Loyalist Collection Finding Aids. 
 An Index of Names in Biographical Data Relating to New Brunswick Families Especially of Loyalist Descent has been created by the author of the Loyalist Collection Inventory. The Index is available in print with the Loyalist Collection Finding Aids and on the World Wide Web.