Irish-related Communities by County:
(Communities of possible Irish connection are listed with an asterisk in green font)
Included here are further essays about individual communities as well as general essays about the Irish influence within a county. Noted next to the county name is the ICCANB Chapter responsibile for that area.
Albert County (Moncton area [WAK] ICCANB):
Dorn, Galway, Hopewell Parish, Kent Settlement, Kerry (New Ireland), New Ireland, St. Almo (a.k.a. Castleton Settlement, Campbell Settlement, & Ireland), Teahans Corner, *Curryville
See also:
The Irish of Albert County
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Carleton County (Upper St. John River Valley ICCANB):
Carlow, Chapmanville, Connel,Irish Settlement, Johnville, Kilfoil, Limestone, Lindsay, McCafferty Settlement (a.k.a. Middle Simonds), McKenna, Murphy Corner, Newburg,Upper Wicklow, Watson Settlement, Wicklow, Wicklow Parish (formerly part of Kent Parish), *McGrath Corner, *McKeaghan, *Murphy Corner
See Also:
Military Grantees of Kent Parish, Carleton County – submitted by Bill Flynn
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Charlotte County (Charlotte Co. ICCANB):
Hibernia (Fairhaven), Hospital Island, Irish River, Kerrs Ridge, Kerr Lake, Linton, McCarthy’s Point, New Ireland (island), St. Patrick Parish (included Dumbarton Parish), *Gleason Road or Gleason Settlement, *Haggerty’s Cove, *McCullough’s Pond
See also:
Charlotte County by Ann Breault
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Gloucester County (Bathurst ICCANB):
Belledune, Black Rock, Culligan, Culligan Siding, Innishannon Brook, Janeville, Kinsale, New Bandon, New Bandon Parish, North Tetagouche, Pokeshaw (included Riordan), Salmon Beach, Youghall (now within city of Bathurst), *Dempsey Settlement
See also:
New Bandon Parish, Gloucester County and the Early Irish Families Who Settled in the Community by Irma Downing
From Disadvantage in County Cork, Ireland to Small Industry in Gloucester County, NB – Thomas W. Riordan: Grist, Carding and Sawmills by Greg Riordan
Kinsale Settlement (Now Known as North Tetagouche) by Sheila O’Kane
The North Shore Irish – Irish Settlements in Gloucester & Restigouche Counties by David John Doyle
Reflections of Two Irish Communities – Pokeshaw and Black Rock by Gregory Riordan
From Glanmire, County Cork, Ireland to Glenmire, Gloucester County, NB – Is There a Connection? by Rod O’Connell
Passenger Lists of Some North Shore Irish Immigrants – submitted by Paul Delicat
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Kent County (Moncton area [WAK] ICCANB):
Balla Philip,Caissie Cape, Dohertys Mills, Murphy Settlement, Saint-Grégoire, Sweeneyville, *Cormierville (first called Gailey), *Murphy Settlement
See Also:
The Irish of Kent County
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Kings County (Saint John ICCANB):
Baskin, Cassidy Lake, Chambers Settlement, Cheyne Settlement, Connorsville, Dingleycooch, Donegal, Hampton, Irish Settlement, Joliff’s Brook, Keohan (Smith’s Creek), Lisson Settlement, Londonderry, Long Settlement, Mount Theobald, Smiths Creek (also included Keohan, Farmingdale, Ryan’s Corner), Thomond (became part of Irish Settlement), Urney, Vinegar Hill, Walker Settlement (also included Arnoldville), Waterford (first called Seely’s Mills), Waterford Parish, Woodpecker Hall (formerly Nason’s Vale, became part of Hampton Station then Hampton), *Barnesville (first called South Stream, then changed to Barnesville. Included Droylan Settlement, Erin Go Brah, Primrose Settlement), *Filomarco Settlement (a.k.a. Philmunro, also included Foster’s Croft), *Keatings Corner, *Meehans or Meenans Corner (became part of Quispamsis), *Ratter’s Corner
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Madawaska County (Upper St. John River Valley ICCANB):
Clair, Clair Parish, Connors, Martin Siding, Riceville (included Colin, Oulette),Saint- Jacques , *McManus Siding
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Northumberland County (Miramichi Chapter ICCANB):
Allison Settlement, Barnaby River, Bartibog, Boom Road, Carroll’s Crossing, Chatham, Coughlan, Doyles Brook, Dungarven Settlement, Keenan Siding, Middle Island, New Bandon, St. Margarets, Shinnickburn (formerly Horse Shoe Settlement), *Barryville, *Fitzpatrick (became part of Auburnville), *Gregan, *McGraw Brook, *Morrissey, *Nelson-Miramichi, *Nowlanville (became part of Nelson-Miramichi and today is within the city of Miramichi), *Semiwagan Ridge
See Also:
Wine River: An Extract – by Betty Lynch and William J. Flynn
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Queens County (Capital Area ICCANB):
Adair Settlement (Enniskillen), Ballyshannon, Carlow, Clones, Codys, Cootes Hill (or Cootehill Ridge), Cornwall, Emigrant Settlement (a.k.a. Hibernia Settlement), Enniskillen, Hamilton Mountain, Hibernia, Inchby, Irish Settlement, Lawfield, McFarlane Settlement, New Ireland (a.k.a. Hibernia), New Ireland Settlement, North Clones, Patterson or Patterson Settlement (also crosses over Sunbury County), Phillipstown (included Victory), St. Bridget’s (also crosses over Sunbury County), Shannon (a.k.a. Shanahan), Shannon Brook, South Clones, Summer Hill, Waterloo Corneer (became part of Irish Settlement), *Annidale (formerly called Boydsdale or Boyds Settlement), *McNallys
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Restigouche County (Bathurst ICCANB):
Kavanaugh (Campbellton), Doyle Settlement, Doyleville, Dundee, Kavanaugh’s Point, Shannonvale
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Saint John County (Saint John ICCANB):
Bean Brook, Coleraine, Hibernia, Milford, Partridge Island, Saint John, Seaview (formerly called Irishtown, also included Pisarinco), Shanklin, (a.k.a. Patterson Settlement), *Hardingville (first called Ryan’s Settlement)
See Also:
Ryan Settlement – A Long Way From Tipperary by James M. Whalen
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Sunbury County (Capital Area ICCANB):
Boland Settlement, Boyne (see also Sand Brook), Doherty, Haneytown, Hoyt, Kelly Island, Patterson or Patterson Settlement (also crosses over Queens County), St. Bridget’s (also crosses over Queens County), Sand Brook (included Boyne), *Darby Gillans (a.k.a. Gillans Corner), *McGowan’s Corner (a.k.a. Bridges Corner)
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Victoria County (Upper St. John River Valley ICCANB):
Carlingford, Ennishone, Ennishore, Gillespie Settlement, McCluskey Settlement, *Costigan, *McManus Siding
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Westmorland County (Moncton area [WAK] ICCANB):
Cadman Corner, Dungiven, Gallagher, Gallagher Ridge, Irishtown, Irishtown Reservoir, Keenan Hill, Malden, Melrose, O’Neils *Calhoun, *McGinley or McGinley’s Corner (became part of La Hêtrière, then Memramcook), *McManus, *McQuade
See Also:
The Irish in Westmorland County
O’Neill’s Settlement by Shirley Cail
Tankville by Shirley Cail
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York County (Capital Area ICCANB):
Acton, Birdton, Blaney Ridge, Carroll Ridge, Claudie Settlement, Cork, Cork Station, Dinnen Settlement, Donnelly Settlement, Giants Glen, Hamtown Corner, Hanwell, Hayesville, Hurley Corner, Irishtown, Kelly’s Creek, Killarney Road, Magundy, McKinley Ferry, Newmarket, Roach, *Hartin Settlement, *McKeens Corner, *Pokiok Settlement
Community Histories
Other Community Names of Possible Irish Connection
Annidale:Settlement, 2 mi. SW of Highfield and 3 mi. SE of Salmon Creek, on Johnston/ Springfield parish boundary: Johnston Parish, Queens County: first called Boydsdale or Boyds Settlement: in 1866 Boyds Settlement was a farming community with about 15 resident families including Hugh, John and William Boyd: community name changed in 1879: PO Annidale 1879-1947: in 1898 Annidale was a station on the Central Railway, with 1 post office and a population of 35: today it is a dispersed community.
Barnesville:Settlement, 5 mi. SW of Upham, on road to Upper Loch Lomond: Upham Parish, Kings County: John Barnes settled here about 1820: first called South Stream: in 1871 South Stream and surrounding district had a population of 200: community name was changed to honour Thomas G. Barnes the first postmaster: PO Barnesville 1854-1957: in 1866 Barnesville was a farming community with about 53 families: by 1866 Barnesville included Droylan Settlement which was a farming community with approximately 5 resident families, Erin Go Brah which was a farming community with about 10 families and Primrose Settlement which was a farming community with about 10 families: in 1871 Barnesville had a population of 150: in 1898 it had 1 post office, 2 stores, 2 churches and a population of 200: today Barnesville is a dispersed community.
Barryville:Settlement, 4 mi. SW of New Jersey, on road to Bartibog Bridge: Alnwick Parish, Northumberland County: Edward Barry was a settler: PO 1904-1965 with James Barry as first postmaster: today Barryville is a dispersed community.
Calhoun:Settlement, 4 mi. N of McGinley’s Corner, on the road to Meadow Brook: Dorchester Parish, Westmorland County: PO 1879-1958 with T.B. Calhoun as first postmaster: in 1898 Calhoun was a station on the Intercolonial Railway and a farming and milling settlement with 1 post office, 1 store, 1 steam sawmill and a population of 150: today Calhoun is a dispersed community.
Cormierville:Settlement on Northumberland Strait, 2 mi. NE of Breau-Village, on coast road to Saint-Thomas-de-Kent: Dundas Parish, Kent County: Jacques Cormier settled about 1786: it was first called Gailey: PO Gailey 1873-1892: it was renamed in 1892: PO Cormierville 1892-1955: in 1898 it was a farming and fishing settlement with 1 post office, 2 stores, lobster factories and a population of 75: today Cormierville is a dispersed community.
Costigan:Settlement, 2 mi. NE of Upper California, on road to Limestone: Grand Falls Parish, Victoria County: probably named for John Costigan (1835-1916), MP for Victoria County 1867-1907: PO 1883-1917: in 1898 Costigan was a farming settle- ment with 1 post office and a population of 50: today it is a dispersed community.
Curryville:Settlement, 2 mi. SE of Demoiselle Creek: Hopewell Parish, Albert County: Daniel Curry was a settler in 1830: PO 1854-1959: in 1866 Curryville was a farming settlement with approximately 58 families, including those of Daniel and John Curry: (Daniel Curry – Date of Entry 1830 – Methodist – 1851 Irish Census)
Darby Gillans:See Gillans Corner (Burton Parish, Sunbury County)
Gailey:See Cormierville (Dundas Parish, Kent County)
Gillans Corner: Former settlement situated where the highway intersects the Burton- Blissville-Gagetown boundary, 7 mi. SE of Geary: Burton Parish, Sunbury County: formerly called Darby Gillans for a local settler and post house operator about 1826.
Dempsey Settlement: Former community, 5 mi. W of Pointe-Verte: Beresford Parish, Gloucester County: John, William and Catherine Dempsey were settlers: it became a locality.
Filomarco Settlement: See Philmunro (Waterford Parish, Kings County)
Fitzpatrick: Former settlement on Bay du Vin River, 2 mi. S of Auburnville: Hardwicke Parish, Northumberland County: PO 1895-1913 with John Fitzpatrick as postmaster: in 1898 Fitzpatrick was a farming and lumbering settlement with 1 post office and a population of 75: Fitzpatrick became part of Auburnville.
Foster’s Croft: See Philmunro (Waterford Parish, Kings County)
Gillice Brook: Flows N into Little Sevogle River, Named for Donald Gillice, settler in 1812.
Gleason Road or Gleason Settlement: Community, 3 mi. N of Scotch Ridge: Saint James Parish, Charlotte County: Michael and Martin Gleason were settlers: PO 1900-1928: today Gleason Road is a dispersed community. ( Martin is in the 1851 Irish Census for NB)
Gregan: Settlement on Miramichi Bay, 2 mi. W of Hardwicke, on the road to Point Gardiner: Hardwicke Parish, Northumberland County: PO 1915-1958 with Robert Gregan as the first postmaster: today Gregan is a dispersed community.
Haggertys Cove: Settlement, 1 mi. E of New River Beach, on road to Lepreau: Lepreau Parish, Charlotte County: today Haggertys Cove is a dispersed community.
Hardingville: Settlement, 5 mi. S of Upham and 4 mi. SE of Barnesville, on the road to Barnesville: Saint Martins Parish, Saint John County: first called Ryan Settlement for John, Thomas and Michael Ryan who were settlers: renamed when the post office was created: PO Hardingville 1878-1909 with V. Harding as the first postmaster: in 1898 Hardingville was a farming and lumbering settlement with 1 post office, 1 store, 2 sawmills, 1 church and a population of 150: today it is a dispersed community.
Hartin Settlement: Community, 4 mi. W of Canterbury: Canterbury Parish, York County: was named for Thomas Hartin, an Anglican clergyman who encouraged set- tlement in 1865: in 1866 Hartin Settlement was a farming community with about 26 families: PO 1910-1914: today Hartin Settlement is a dispersed community.
Keatings Corner: Settlement, 3 mi. W of Public Landing: Westfield Parish, Kings County: PO 1885-1889 with John Keatings as postmaster: today Keatings Corner is a dispersed community.
McCulloughs Pond: W of Kerr Lake and N of St. Andrews. Settled by McCulloughs C.1839.
McGinley or McGinleys Corner: Settlement, 1 mi. SE of La Hêtrière, on the road to Memramcook: Dorchester Parish, Westmorland County: PO 1879-1899: in 1898 it was a farming and lumbering community with 1 post office, 2 stores, 1 sawmill, 1 grist mill, 1 wood working factory and a population of about 600: McGinley became part of La Hêtrière, then Memramcook.
McGowans Corner: Settlement on the E side of Saint John River, 2 mi. E of Sheffield: Sheffield Parish, Sunbury County: was named for a McGowan who ran a tavern at the wharf: Thomas McGowan was a lumberman in 1860’s: also called Bridges Corner: PO Tilley’s Landing 1854-c1880: in 1866 Tilley’s Landing was a farming community with approximately 6 resident families: today McGowans Corner is a locality.
McGrath Corner: Settlement, 1 mi. SE of Knoxford, on road to Centreville: Wicklow Parish, Carleton County: today McGrath Corner is a dispersed community.
McGraw Brook: Settlement, 11 mi. W of Grainfield, on road to Plaster Rock: Blissfield Parish, Northumberland County: today McGraw Brook is a dispersed community.
McKeaghan: Settlement, 2 mi. W of Connell and 2 mi. NE of Williamstown: Wilmot Parish, Carleton County: today McKeaghan is a dispersed community.
McKeens Corner: Former settlement on E side of Saint John River, 3 mi. SE of Keswick Ridge and 1 mi. N of the Kingsclear Indian Reserve #5: Bright Parish, York County: named for Alexander McKeen, a lumberman in late 1800’s: became part of Keswick Ridge.
McManus: Former station, 3 mi. N of Memramcook, on Canadian National Railway line to Calhoun Station: Dorchester Parish, Westmorland County.
McManus Siding: Settlement and railway siding, 3 mi. NE of Grand Falls, on Canadian National Railway line to Drummond Station: Saint-André Parish, Madawaska County and Drummond Parish, Victoria County: named by CNR for Frank McManus: today McManus Siding is a dispersed community.
McNallys: Settlement on the E side of Saint John River, opposite Kingsclear, 1 mi. S of Lower Line Queensbury: Queensbury Parish, York County: PO McNallys Ferry 1912-1914 with A.C. McNally as postmaster: McNallys Ferry operated to 1967: formerly called Mazeralls Ferry: McNallys became part of Lower Line Queensbury.
McQuade: Settlement on McQuade Brook, 3 mi. NW of Irishtown: Moncton Parish, Westmorland County: PO 1887-1932 with James McQuade as first postmaster: in 1898 McQuade was a farming and lumbering settlement with 1 post office and a population of 150: today it is a dispersed community.
Meehans or Meenans Corner: Community on Kennebecasis River, 2 mi. NE of Quispamsis and 2 mi. E of Gondola Point: Rothesay Parish, Kings County: became part of Quispamsis.
Morrissy: Settlement, 3 mi. NW of Newcastle, on the road to Trout Brook: Newcastle Parish, Northumberland County.
Morrissy: Former settlement, 3 mi. NE of Fairisle, on the road to Tabusintac: Alnwick Parish, Northumberland County: possibly named for John Morrissy, MLA: PO 1927-1957: became part of Stymiest Road.
Murphy Corner: Settlement, 2 mi. NE of Johnville: Kent Parish, Carleton County: today Murphy Corner is a dispersed community.
Murphy Settlement: Community, 1 mi. NE of South Saint-Norbert: Saint Mary Parish, Kent County: today Murphy Settlement is a dispersed community.
Nelson-Miramichi: Settlement on S side of Miramichi River, 1 mi. S of Chatham Head: Nelson Parish and Chatham Parish, Northumberland County: PO Nelson 1842-1868: in 1871 Nelson had a population of 600: in 1898 Nelson was a station on the Canada Eastern Railway and a farming, lumbering and fishing community with 8 stores, 1 hotel, 2 sawmills, 1 tannery, 1 carding mill, 1 shook factory, 1 brick kiln, 3 churches and a population of 600: included settlement of South Nelson: PO 1853-1968: in 1866 South Nelson was a farming and lumbering community with 33 resident families: it included the community of South Nelson Road: PO South Nelson Road 1883-1947: PO Nelson-Miramichi from 1968: included the community of Nowlanville, 5 mi. SE of Newcastle where Patrick, James and Michael Nowlan were early settlers: Nelson -Miramichi was incorporated as a village in 1967: now is part of the city of Miramichi.
Nowlanville: Settlement, 4 mi. N of Barnaby River, on road to Nelson-Miramichi: Nelson Parish, Northumberland County: Patrick, James and Michael Nowlan were settlers: in 1866 Nowlanville was a farming community with about 15 families: it became part of Nelson-Miramichi and today it is within the city of Miramichi.
Philmunro: Former settlement, 11 mi. E of Sussex: Waterford Parish, Kings County: John, James and Archibald Munro were settlers about 1831: included Foster’s Croft: PO 1884-1908:was named for Sir George E. Foster (1847-1931), MP and senator: in 1898 Foster’s Croft was a farming settlement with 1 post office, 1 church and a population of 60. (NB Irish Census – 1851 – John and Archibald Monroe – Date of Entry 1838 – From Co. Fermanagh)
Pokiok Settlement: Community, 3 mi. NW of Lake George, on road to Prince William: Prince William Parish, York County: PO Lower Pokiok 1878-1913: in 1898 it was a settlement with 1 post office, 1 church and a population of 100: today it is a dispersed community.
Ratter Corner: Settlement, 4 mi. S of Apohaqui and 4 mi. N of Southfield: Sussex Parish, Kings County: PO Ratter’s Corner 1855-1915 with John Ratter as postmaster: in 1866 "Ratter’s Corner" was a farming community with about 40 families including that of John Ratter: in 1871 it had a population of 150: in 1898 it had 1 post office, 1 store and a population of 110: Ratter Corner is a dispersed community.
Semiwagan Ridge: Settlement, 3 mi. SW of Barnaby River: Nelson Parish, Northumberland County: settled about 1832: in 1866 Semiwagan Ridge was a farming and lumbering settlement with about 11 families: PO 1891-1961: in 1898 Semiwagan Ridge had 1 post office and a population of 200: today it is a dispersed community.
Wine River: An Extract1
By Betty Lynch and William J Flynn
Note: Wine River is located on Route 440 (off Highway 11) just a few kilometres southwest of St. Margaret’s, Northumberland County.
History of the Community
The community of Wine River began with the settlement of Irish immigrants approximately around the year 1830. Stories are that the Bay du Vin River which flows into Miramichi Bay was originally named Bay du Vent meaning Bay of Wind in English. Sometime over the years it was mistaken for Bay of Wine. The river crosses Highway 11 and from this point on it is called Wine River. The obvious reason is that the community just beyond was English speaking.
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| Wine River Land Grant |
The families of Wine River were primarily farmers. They built their homes and cleared the land for their farms. They also worked in the woods harvesting logs for pulp and lumber. Horses were required to get the logs from the woods and some of the family farms raised them for this purpose. During later years as more roads were built they found casual employment working on road construction, clearing brush
from the sides of roads etc.
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| Wine River School |
The community had it’s own school, one room as was common in those days. The school shut down sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Patrick Power moved it up to his home in St. Margaret’s and sometime later Albert McGrath bought it and moved it by his home in St. Margaret’s where it stands today.
The families of the community for the most part married within the Wine River, St. Margaret’s, Redmondville area. In many cases sisters and brothers of one family married sisters and brothers of another family. St. Margaret’s was their parish church and the place of most of the baptisms, marriages and funerals. In the church cemetery you will find the headstones for many of the people listed on the families page.
There was a covered bridge over the river in years past but it is now gone, replaced by an uncovered bridge. The homes are all gone and most of the land was purchased by the government. The last two homes were Albert McGrath’s and his mother’s home. They were both moved to St. Margaret’s in 1957 and still stand today.
As some of the older people will tell you today, they worked hard on the farms and in the woods to feed their families which were quite large. This would not have been an easy task but looking out to future generations those of us who have descended from these families have a lot to be thankful for. Amongst these descendants who are scattered across Canada and parts of the U.S. you will find many professional people, Teachers, Nuns, Priests, Doctors, Nurses and most of all just plain hardworking people who have carried the work ethic of their ancestors with them.
Families of Wine River
Johnny Lynch and son John
Mike McGrath
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| Terrance & Annie McGrath |
Terrence McGrath and wife Melanie Goguen
Children:
Thomas McGrath
Bernard McGrath
Albert McGrath
Mary McGrath
Rita McGrath
Eva McGrath
Thomas Power and wife Jane Cook
Children:
Julia Josephine Power
Catherine Ellen Power
Bridget Power
Anna Jane Power
Clara Elizabeth Power
Maria Theresa Power
Thomas Aloysius Power
Cecelia Power
Terrence Power
John Alexius Power
Katherine Power
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| Thomas Power and Marcella Flanagan |
Thomas Aloysius Power and wife Marcella Flanagan
Children:
Elizabeth Power
Jane Theresa Power
Catherine Power
Patrick Power
Ellen (Nellie) Power
Thomas John Power
Stephen Power
James Power
Martin Power
Vincent Power
Gertrude Ann Power
Alesis Power
Joseph Power
Thomas Power and wife Catherine Deigan
Children:
Mary Power
Jennie Power
Catherine Power
John Power
Ellen Power
Judy Power
Thomas Power
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| Patrick Flynn & Annie Power |
Patrick Flynn and wife Annie Power
Children:
Herbert Flynn
Peter Flynn
Alexis Flynn
Thomas Flynn
Frances Flynn
Alexis Power and wife Anna Malloy
Children:
Dorothy Power
Evelyn Power
Helen Power
John Power
Terrence Power
Leo Power
Thomas Power
Edna Power
William James Flynn and wife Frances (Fanny) Lynch
Children:
James John Flynn
Bridget Flynn
Peter Flynn
Patrick James Flynn
James John Flynn and wife Cecilia Power
Children:
James Edmund Joseph Flynn
Patrick Harold Flynn
Joseph Flynn
Maria Frances Flynn
Jane Bernadetta Flynn
Ann Lillian Flynn
Mary Flynn
Thomas Warman Flynn
Johnny Lynch and sister Kate Lynch
John Reinsborough and wife Catherine Ellen Power
Geraldine Reinsborough
Lawrence Reinsborough
Jane Reinsborough
Annie Reinsborough
James John Flynn
Cecilia Power
Julia Josephine Power
Tales from the Past
My father recalled a story years ago when his father (John married to
Katie Power) was building their house at Wine River. There was a board
across the front entrance to keep the cattle out and my grandfather
would work at night after his farming chores were done (they also kept up
to 10 horses for working in the woods). One night around midnight the
neighbour up the road (a Flynn) jumped over the board and began to chat
with John. Only after his leaving did my grandfather realize that this
gentleman had been dead for two years….gotta love them Irish and their
imagination…perhaps this fellow was your grandfather….
Submitted by Kenneth Reinsborough
One night my mother saw a bright light flash across the sky. When she saw it she told us we were going to hear bad news. The next day they found out that an old man across the river Mike McGrath had passed away.
Submitted by Maria Nowlan (Flynn)
A common saying in the St. Margaret’s / Wine River communities was “the Flynns/Quinns and Daley boys.” It is reported that it was first said by a parish priest and continued as a common saying afterward.
Submitted by Bertha McGrath/Reg McDonald
Dad was very superstitious, passed on down the line to him. He always said if you heard 3 knocks you knew you would soon hear that someone in the family had passed away.
Submitted by William J. Flynn
In the spring of the year the men drove logs down the Wine River. Some of us who were too far from home to go home for lunch would try to see what the men were doing. The teacher told us not to go. Being children curiosity always got the best of us and we would sneak out. When we got caught we had to write out lines 40 times.
Submitted by Maria Nowlan (Flynn)
References:
Material for this community’s history was gathered from genealogical material and research conducted by Betty Lynch and William J Flynn. A more detailed history is available from the authors.
[1] From “Wine River, Northumberland County, A Tribute to Wine River and the People Who Lived There so the Community and the People Would Not be Forgotten” , compiled by Elizabeth Lynch and William J Flynn.
Tankville
By Shirley Cail
The village of Tankville was located north of Moncton along the Irishtown Road (Route 115). It began at Caledonia Road and extended to the Irishtown line–a distance of about 6 kilometers. It became a suburb of Moncton with amalgamation – part of it in 1956 and the rest of the village when Moncton was extended to the Irishtown limits in 1973.
For many years the area, mostly marshland, was known as ‘Irishtown’ – like the village further along Route 115 – simply because everyone in Moncton assumed that everything north of Moncton was ‘where the Irish lived’. Tankville did have some Irish settlers, and other family groups as well.
When shipbuilding began to decline in Moncton in the 1850’s, many families left to make a living elsewhere. Some settled on crown land on the Irishtown Road (Route 115) in the Tankville area. One such family was the Richard Anketell family. They left Ireland in 1831 and came to the Moncton area, later moving to Tankville around 1860. They came from Emyvale, parish of Donagh, County Monaghan where they once lived on a great estate and were part of the Irish landed gentry. However, Richard, disgraced after having married a Catholic, was sent off the estate and he left Ireland for New Brunswick.
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The Anketell farm (the house is typical of an Irish cottage – but built with wood instead of stone)
Anketell took up farming and his son (who was also named Richard) carried on farming after his father passed away. The Anketell name was prominent in Tankville until 1993 when Mary, the daughter of Richard Jr., and the last surviving member of the family, passed away.
Other persons granted land in Tankville included: Harper, Crossman, Humphrey, Delahunt, Gray, Ritchie, Sellick, Hannagan, Kennedy, Bishop, Russell, Carmichael, Morrison and Hickman.
The village was given the name Tankville in 1904 when a post office was established in the community. The post office existed from 1904 until it was closed in 1927. Brunswick Steeves was the postmaster from 1904 to 1913 and Reuban King from1913 until 1927.
The Moncton & Buctouche railway passed through the village, stopping at the Tankville station on its way to and from Buctouche. There was a large water tank located beside the station where the train would take on the water needed to run its steam engine. It was from this tank that the village was given its name – Tankville.
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| Tankville train station and tank looking north towards Irishtown (courtesy of local artist – Brian Hansen) |
The train was an integral part of the community. It was used to get to and from Moncton – especially in the wet weather seasons when the road was barely passable. It also delivered mail to the community. The local postmaster would meet the train when it stopped at the station coming from Moncton and pick up the mail. On the return trip from Buctouche the postmaster again met the train and sent the outgoing mail to Moncton.
One cannot mention Tankville without thinking of the infamous Philip Sellick – even if he wasn’t Irish! Originally from Prince Edward Island he was given a land grant in Tankville in 1889. He owned property behind the school. He had an innate fascination with wild animals and would capture wild animals and keep them in pens on his farm. One of his main interests, of which he had many, was taming moose and at one time he had six moose on his farm. He would have shows in Moncton where he would have the moose on display and at one time he even took them to a show in Boston.
The story most people remember about Philip concerns his bear and a hired man. As the story goes the hired man went out to the barn to feed the bear that was chained in its pen. The bear sprang toward the man and broke his chain. He leaped upon him cutting him badly around the face and neck area. Philip was away at the time and his wife, who was in the house, heard the man screaming for help. She immediately let their dog out and he tackled the bear allowing the hired man to escape. Philip was not far away and he heard the dogs barking. He quickly returned to the house and was able to quiet the bear and returned him to his pen. The dog died of its wounds. Philip had his own special homemade ointment that he used to nurse the hired man back to good health.
Social activities in the community were limited. The Christmas concert at the school was one of the major events of the year attended by almost everyone in the community. From time to time there would be a Chicken Raffle. Some families in the community raised chickens. When the chickens got too old and were laying very few eggs they needed to be replaced. A card party would be arranged with each person paying a fee to play a game. Whoever won a game was given a chicken to take home – alive and usually in a burlap bag. The money from the raffle often helped to buy new chickens.
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| The Tankville School, 1934 |
There was a one-room school in the community located near the railroad station. It is not known when the first school was built but we do know that it existed as far back as 1873. School records for 1881 show that there were 41 pupils attending school that year. That was the largest number of children to ever attend the school up until it was closed in 1967. Considering the size of the school at that time, pupils must have had half-day classes with half of the children attending in the morning and the other half attending in the afternoon.
The school has been restored on its original site and is now a museum with a basement added serving as a community centre. The schoolroom is now a museum and it is open to the public five days a week during July and August with a student on duty to provide information.
Located on land that is now part of the Irishtown Nature Park, the school has become a popular destination for school children in the Moncton area. Daytime excursions by school bus to the school have become quite popular with the children. They get to sit in the old double desks in the one room school and see what school was like so many years ago. They also get to enjoy the many trails of the nature park as well.
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Bibliography
Cail, Shirley Landry, Village of Tankville, Moncton, Privately published, 2004.
Ryan Settlement
A Long Way from Tipperary
By James M. Whalen
Early in September 1847 – the year of the Irish potato famine – the New Brunswick Courier carried an obituary of an elderly Irish gentleman of an enterprising nature who died from apparent natural causes.
“At Ryan Settlement, in the Parish of St Martin’s … on the 25th ult. Mr. Thomas Ryan, aged 72 years. Mr. R. was a native of Tipperary, Ireland, and emigrated to this Province twenty-seven years ago, where with a numerous family, he formed a settlement…”1
Mr Ryan was one of several Irish immigrants who came to New Brunswick in the pre-famine period and was spared the dreadful consequences of hunger and disease that caused the death of so many of his countrymen in the 1840’s.
The rural community of Ryan Settlement was located in Saint John County about six kilometres southeast of Barnesville. In addition to Thomas Ryan, the founders – all of whom acquired land from the Crown – included John and Michael Ryan, also from County Tipperary.2
The number of Irish Catholics who settled along the Quaco Road at or near Ryan Settlement gradually increased and by 1850, a small chapel dedicated to St Joseph was erected there. The exact date the Diocese of Saint John had it built is uncertain but when fire destroyed it in August 1914, it was said to be 65 years old.3
For decades, especially in the nineteenth century, the people of Ryan Settlement – a farming and lumbering area – supplied timber for the local sawmills, for export or for the shipyards in St. Martins, about twelve kilometres away. But, as iron and steel-hulled ships with steam engines replaced wooden sailing vessels, St. Martins needed considerably less timber for shipbuilding and the lumbering industry at Ryan Settlement slowly went into decline. Then in 1878, a post office established at the back of Harding’s general store resulted in an unexpected change. Ryan Settlement was suddenly renamed Hardingville and got its new name from its first postmaster, John H Harding.4 From then on, Hardingville appeared on all maps and effectively replaced Ryan Settlement, some three kilometres distant, as the principal place-name of the area.
About the same time as the post office opened, the Hampton and St. Martins Railway went into operation. Although the railway did not go through either Hardingville or Ryan Settlement, it passed within a few kilometres of them. The railway was not enough to revive the area because the small population there and elsewhere along or near the line did not generate enough industry to make it profitable. Nonetheless, the railway continued in service for several years but was finally closed in 1940.
After Hardingville was established in 1878, the name Ryan Settlement lingered on but once the Catholic chapel there burned down in 1914, it was all but forgotten. It is believed that the fire was deliberately set. Father William P Hannigan, who said mass at Ryan Settlement – a mission of St. Williams in St. Martins – just the day before the incident – was very upset over the loss of the church. According to a report in the New Freeman, it “…appeared to have been nothing more than wanton and wilful destruction.”5 The estimated value of the building was said to be $1,200. The church was not rebuilt after the fire because it was not insured and the Catholic population was not large enough to support a new one. Just too many people had moved away and made a new start in life in Saint John or the “Boston states”. According to Mr. Craig Chouinard, who authored a booklet on the history of the Catholic churches in the vicinity, after the fire most of the remaining parishioners of St. Joseph’s at Ryan Settlement “would now probably be absorbed by St Anthony’s” at Upham some seven kilometres away and that is basically what happened.6
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| A gravestone at Ryan Settlement dedicated to Rody Ryan (c. 1798-1840), his wife, Julia Dwyer and various members of their family |
Today, at the site of the former Catholic chapel is the long abandoned Ryan Settlement Cemetery that predates the chapel by at least twenty years. The cemetery is indisputable evidence of a once thriving Irish-Catholic community that existed on the now deserted lots nearby. It is said that this pioneer cemetery – the care of which is sporadic – contains the remains of upwards of one hundred persons, including several from County Tipperary. Possibly the first burial took place there as early as 1828 and the last over 100 years later – in 1935. The names found on the tombstones that remain appeared in Generations, No 22, in 1984.7 The surname Ryan, of course, is very much in evidence but Broughill, Cusack, Dunn, Flannigan, Hurley, McGrath, Murphy as well as other mainly Irish names are included.
One way to reach the old graveyard is by going out to Loch Lomond Road to Baxter’s Corner. You then turn up the Quaco Road and go about five kilometres past the last house until you come to the Hardingville Road and the burial ground is right on the corner.
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Note: the author is a descendant of Hugh and Catherine Ryan as well as Peter and Johanna (Ryan) Broughill, all of whom are buried at Ryan Settlement along with some of their children.
[1] New Brunswick Courier (Saint John), 3 September 1847.
[2] Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) RS108, Land Petitions, Thomas Ryan et.al. 1821, Saint John County, Microfilm F-4191.
[3] New Freeman (Saint John) 8 August 1914.
[4] Library and Archives Canada, Records of Canada Post, Postmaster, John H Harding, Hardingville, Federal Electoral District, Saint John, Appointed 01 November 1878.
[5] New Freeman (Saint John) 8 August 1914.
[6] Craig Chouinard, People, Priests and Parish: The History of St Joseph’s, St William’s and St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Parish from 1847 to 1994, Saint John: St. Joseph’s Parish Council, 1994, p. 21.
[7] New Brunswick Genealogical Society, Generations, No. 22, 1984.
[7] New Brunswick Genealogical Society, Generations, No. 22, 1984.