Transcription of Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 25

Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) - Page 25

Percy Mehans’ wife died Thur. a.m. Oct. 19-39
Earthquake morning of Oct 19-39
Mrs. Dan Gregory died Oct 25.39.
Doris & Wendell married Oct 28-39 – Church wedding
Mr. John Long died Mon., Nov 1st, 1939. age 80 yrs [sic].
Mrs. Hazelwood died. Mon. A.M. Nov 6-39.
Myron Hazelwood was hit & killed by car
driven by R.C.M.P. Ackman, Nov-34
Sat. Nov 11-39. Armistice Day. No holiday, working ran full
Mrs. Nan Collings, Fred’s mother, died Nov 14-39.
Election Day in N.B. Mon. Nov 20-369 Lib. [sic] still in power
York co. elected 4 con. [sic] men.
Christmas 1939 nice day had Xmas dinner
on Sun. & Cma Day dinner with Ralph & Jen
Walt & Flod spent Xmas in St. John at Frank’s

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Cover Page]

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 24]

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 26]

A Fredericton Region Museum project … exhibiting the history of Fredericton and central New Brunswick!

A BIG thank you to Kristel who has volunteered to help me with the Pike diary transcriptions!!!

Transcription of Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 24

Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) - Page 24

War was declared between Great Britain
& Germany. Sunday morning at 6:30
Sept. 3-39.
Mrs. John Finnamore died Sat. a.m. Sept 9-39
Canada declared war on Germany Sun. Sept 10-39
Mrs. Lovett, a former resident, died near St. John
Sept 18-39, buried here on Thur. the 20-39
Joss & Ernie & children came home Sun. Sept 24-39.
their 9 yrs. anniversary
Summer of 1939 very dry
Mill started on 5 days week of Oct. 1-39
Thanksgiving Day Oct 2-39 no holiday
Pythian Sisters’ [sic] sponsored clinic includ [sic]
house Sat Oct. 7-39.  -29 children had
tonsils removed, Dr’s [sic] Gerow, Chalmers, Wright & Ramey
Doucet child died Oct. 12-39
First Snow Oct 17-39 real cold & windy

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Cover Page]

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 23]

[Jennie Pike’s Date Diary (1932-1940) – Page 25]

A Fredericton Region Museum project … exhibiting the history of Fredericton and central New Brunswick!

A BIG thank you to Kristel who has volunteered to help me with the Pike diary transcriptions!!!

Thomas Mowatt (1809-1892)

Entry found in Daniel F. Johnson’s New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics pertaining to Thomas Mowatt.  Thanks to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick for making this database available on-line!

Volume 85 Number 1168 
Date December 21 1892
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper The Daily Sun

Harvey (York Co.) Dec. 18 – Thomas MOWATT, who died at Harvey 13th inst., was born in the village of Ford in the North of England on May 4th, 1809 and thus in the 84th year of his age. Before emigrating to New Brunswick he was in charge of a grist mill. He joined a colony of emigrants who sailed from Berwick-on-Tweed in the “Cornelius” in May 1837 and landed in St. John in July and was located at Harvey at that time an unbroken forest. He had charge of a grist mill at Woodstock for two years, but after that he joined the pioneers at Harvey and shared with them their struggles. The 13th saw the last remains of Wm PATTERSON, sr., aged 81, laid in his last resting place. Mr. MOWATT and Mr. Patterson were fellow emigrants and lived as neighbors. Mr. MOWATT was the father of Rev. A.J. MOWATT, late of Fredericton, now stationed at Montreal.

A Question about Loyalist Military Uniforms

Question:  “Hello, I’m a reenactor in a company portraying Beverley Robinson’s Loyal American Regiment (http://www.LoyalAmericanRegiment.org), raised in the lower Hudson Valley and eventually settling near Fredericton.  Since we portray light infantry marksmen, we’ve been wearing cut-down “coatees” in green with madder red facings (our “early war” impression).

We’d like to have late-war uniforms, and have had conflicting information regarding the facing color.  We’ve seen portraits of Col. Robinson and Lt. Anthony Allaire showing dark blue, but we’ve read that madder coats with green facings were also sent from England for Provincial troops.  Do you have any information on what the LAR was issued, were wearing at any particular time, or turned in after the war?  Any suggestions who else we could ask?

Thanks very much for your time …”

Answer:  “Greeting from Fredericton; … Like most Loyalist Regiments, the LAR started with wearing a green uniform, but when permission was given to Loyalist Regiment to wear the British regular “scarlet” uniform for 1778 campaign season – being considered an honour – the LAR took to wearing the red uniform.  To the best of my knowledge, the facing for the LAR uniform was buff.  As a reference, I refer to Charles M. Lefferts book “Uniforms of the American, British, French and German Armies of the American Revolution”.  I believe him to be a pretty solid authority.

You have selected an interesting regiment to reenact.  I live close to the sites of both the homesteads of Beverley Robinson and Anthony Allaire homesteads.

I note on your website that it states Captain Joshua Barnes “received no land grant and disappeared to an unknown fate.”  I offer that Captain Joshua Barnes from Philipsburg, NY, settled after the war on the Long Reach of the St John River, King’s County.  (That is between Saint John and Fredericton).  He died there in 1817.  Regards,   Bob Dallison”

Reply:  “Buff facings is quite a coincidence, since I also reenact the 3rd East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) in the 1812 era.

Thanks, Bob, for the bonus information on Joshua Barnes. Keep an eye on the events schedule on our web site; we often go to Stony Point SP (not too far from the site of BR’s house) for their big weekend in July.”

15th Regiment of Foot in Fredericton in the 1860s

If you think you can help us please leave your comments here.  If you have any research queries that you would like posted here, let me know by filling out the form found on our website.

Question:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was referred to you by Ian … of the Fredericton Heritage Trust. I am the great-great-granddaughter of Private 189 John White who served in the 15th Regiment of Foot in Fredericton in the 1860s. His daughter Mary Anne White was born in Saint John on 31st May 1865 and baptised in Fredericton on 1st July 1865. The family later returned to England in 1879, at the end of John White’s military service. We have his long service and good conduct medal, his daughter’s birth/baptismal certificate and some details of his army record.

My brothers and I are coming to Canada shortly and will be visiting Fredericton on Tuesday 24th August, primarily to visit historic sites associated with the 15th Regiment, such as the Guard House which has a display of items used by the 15th Regiment. We are interested in any records or other sources of information about the 15th Regiment of Foot in Canada between 1862 and 1868, and would be very grateful for any pointers you might be able to give us. We will be bringing the medal with us, along with the various documents we have, and wonder whether you might be interested in seeing these?

Regards, Katy (Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK)

August 3, 2010

Gary,

Do you have any suggestions for Katy?  

Ruth (Executive Director, York Sunbury Historical Society & Museum)

August 3, 2010 … later that day …

Dear Katy and Ruth,

First, I think that it is a wonderful that Katy and her family are going to retrace her ancestor’s footsteps in New Brunswick! Second, Ruth – thank you for inviting me to participate.

According to my notes, the 1^st Battalion of the 15^th Regiment deployed to New Brunswick in the winter of 1862 as part of the troop reinforcement in response to the Trent Affair of 1861.  This link will take you to an article about this event – http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/caj/documents/vol_02/iss_4/CAJ_vol2.4_14_e.pdf.

The regiment was stationed in various locations in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.  The two main garrison locations in New Brunswick were Fredericton and Saint John.  The 15th was involved in the Fenian Raid of 1866.  You can find out more about their role in Turning Back the Fenians: New Brunswick’s Last Colonial Campaign (Robert L. Dallison. Goose Lane Publications, 2006).  This book is available from Westminster Books on King Street in Fredericton, just a couple of blocks from the York-Sunbury Museum.  The regiment left for Bermuda on 21 April 1868.

While you are in Fredericton, I would highly recommend you tour the Historic Garrison District where the 15th was stationed.  Besides the Guard House, a visit to the York-Sunbury Museum would give you a better sense of garrison life in Fredericton.  If you have time, I would suggest a visit to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick that is located on the campus of the University of Fredericton.  They currently have an exhibit on Juliana Horatia Ewing, who lived in Fredericton in the late 1860s.  There are period photos of Fredericton and copies of her drawings. Her husband, Alexander Ewing, was the Commissariat officer here. The archives also have files related to the regiments that were here and, if time allows, you might wish to have a look at the file for the 15th.  Again, depending on time, you might wish to travel to Saint John where the regiment was also stationed. A visit to the Carleton Martello Tower might be of interest to you. It has some information on the military history of Saint John. The 15th had a small detachment stationed there in the 1860s. 

As a historian and collector, I would be most interested in seeing your ancestor’s medal and papers.  It would be interesting to see if he was also entitled to the Canada General Service Medal that was issued for the Fenian Raids. Many soldiers, who qualified for it, did not receive it as it was issued in 1899 and only to those who were still alive. 

I hope that this information will help you to plan your trip to Fredericton. I am looking forward to meeting you. 

All the best, Gary 

… August 3, 2010 continued …

Dear Ruth and Gary,

Thanks so much for your speedy and helpful responses.   …

I’m just working through the various emails from Gary before replying properly, so this is just to say to both of you how grateful we all are for your generous help – and interest. John White was just a private in the 15th Regiment of Foot, nobody special (except to us) and it’s amazing to encounter such a warm and enthusiastic response.

More soon, once I’ve digested all the info sent, Katy

… August 3, 2010 continued …

Hello Gary and Ruth,

Just to say John White was certainly alive in 1899. He died on 29th Jan 1914 of chronic Bright’s disease and gangrene of the legs. Not a pretty way to go but at least he missed seeing his grandsons go to Flanders.

I have his full posting details from the medical records in his discharge documents, showing location and date of arrival:-

28 Apr 1867 Aldeny (Alderney?)

16 June 1860 Ireland

24 Mar 1862 Saint John, New Brunswick

6 June 1862 Fredericton, New Brunswick

28 Apr 1868 Bermuda

28 Dec 1870 Birr [where??]

26 July 1871 Curragh Camp

21 Mar 1872 Dublin

28 Sep 1872 Cork

22 Sep 1873 Guernsey

1 Jul 1876 Sheffield

3 Jul 1777 Preston

7 Oct 1778 Mullingar

21 Feb 1779 Tipperary

So he was definitely in Canada at the time of the Fenian Raid in 1866. Maybe the records for the 15th regiment at the archives may shed some light. This is fascinating!

More later – I have to go out now Katy