While the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick remains closed to the public, it has made available on its website a new record collection, called Executive Council: Cabinet Meeting Records, 1840 – 1862.
The mid-19th-century executive council records touch every corner of the province during a time that was critical in New Brunswick’s development.
The executive council, or cabinet, is the top administrative unit of government. It is the body that directs and makes decisions on much of what the government does.
Many topics overseen by the executive council in the 19th century concerned routine local matters.
Before you think these records won’t be of much use to family historians, enter some family names to see if you uncover anything.
Easy to search
To test the database, I conducted a full-text search, using Dever as the keyword. (Knowing that Steeves is a popular name in New Brunswick, I searched that name as well.)
While I don’t think my family is related to James Dever, the liquor importer, or John Dever, the grocer, finding these men makes me want to research them further to find out where in Ireland they once lived.
Clicking on the link to the number of pages in the first column of the results page leads to images of the original documents. It is easy to zoom in and out and to download the document.
If there’s any chance one of your relatives lived in New Brunswick between 1840 and 1862, I encourage you to search for their names in the Executive Council collection.
Also search for the county name and look at those items that are petitions applicable to the parish, town, or village your ancestors may have lived in. You may come across their name as a signatory.
Terrific suggestion. Thanks for sharing!