Charlotte County Archives

Charlotte County Archives Preserving and promoting the documentary heritage of Southwest New Brunswick

Happy Easter! Skating bunnies from an ice show in St. Andrews, 1954, photographed by Rose McKay Haughn.
04/05/2026

Happy Easter!

Skating bunnies from an ice show in St. Andrews, 1954, photographed by Rose McKay Haughn.

Inspired by this month’s theme , we’re sharing pages from a sample book of tweeds made by Charlotte County Cottage Cr...
03/26/2026

Inspired by this month’s theme , we’re sharing pages from a sample book of tweeds made by Charlotte County Cottage Craft, ca. 1930s-1940s. Employing local women and traditional skills, Cottage Craft turned inspiration from the region’s natural colours into yarns, fabrics, clothing and accessories.

Happy first day of spring! Let us hope we can soon be enjoying the outdoors with our flowers--and, perhaps, pottery, lik...
03/20/2026

Happy first day of spring! Let us hope we can soon be enjoying the outdoors with our flowers--and, perhaps, pottery, like the photographer of this hundred-year-old spring view. Despite its age, this is an original colour photograph, made via the rare Paget process in the late 1910s - early 1920s. Like the (slightly) more well known autochromes, Paget plates used a matrix screen fixed to a glass negative to capture natural colour, even if somewhat diffusely.

At CCA, celebrations of Irish history remind us of the significance migration holds across the Irish experience. Like ma...
03/17/2026

At CCA, celebrations of Irish history remind us of the significance migration holds across the Irish experience. Like many places around the world, Southwest New Brunswick owes layers of its rich history to the millions of Irish migrants who left home for new horizons. Today CCA would like to share the story of one of the many families whose journeys brought them to Charlotte County.

John Dick (1825-1886) and Susanna McGibbon (1828-1907) married on the 11th of October, 1844 in Ireland. The first two years of their marriage saw monumental change. In 1845, their son William was born; that same year marked the start of the Great Famine, a period of mass starvation that lasted almost a decade. Roughly one million people died across Ireland, and a greater number fled–John, Susanna, and William among them. They sailed to New Brunswick in May of 1846, coming first to St. Stephen before settling in Moore’s Mills. The couple would go on to have 9 children in Canada.

The Dick Family is represented in our vault by letters that will resonate with anyone who has been parted from a loved one. In correspondence from Lisdalgan, 1850 and 1851, John Dick’s father relentlessly lists the prices of things; his mother, Mary, relays stories from home; and his brother, William, shares news of workplace scandals. In their casual conversation, one finds a measure of closeness despite the ocean between them.

Today, in the spirit of the Irish, we hope you have resilience on your journeys, hold your loved ones close, and welcome neighbours, old and new. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

To read the rest of the Dick Family letters, visit: https://charlottecountyarchives.omeka.net/collections/show/619

Space is still available! Explore archival materials as inspiration for your poetry!Join CCA and the Fundy Bay Writers f...
03/04/2026

Space is still available! Explore archival materials as inspiration for your poetry!

Join CCA and the Fundy Bay Writers for our Poetry Workshop this Saturday, March 7th.

There will be time for writing, exploration, and reflection in a supportive environment of like-minded creatives. Pens and paper will be provided, but please bring any notebooks, laptops, or other writing tools you desire. Warm drinks (with lids) are welcome.

Poets of all ages and skill-levels are encouraged to attend what is sure to be a delightful afternoon! Registration in advance by email sent to [email protected] is encouraged.

We look forward to writing with you ✒️🩵

This Black History Month, we encourage you to reflect on the remarkable legacy of Edward Mitchell Bannister, the St. And...
02/27/2026

This Black History Month, we encourage you to reflect on the remarkable legacy of Edward Mitchell Bannister, the St. Andrews-born artist who became the first Black person and Canadian ever to win a national art award in the United States. Bannister’s life offers an enlightening view of Black history in North America. Just one generation removed from enslavement, Bannister achieved groundbreaking success in a field that systematically excluded Black people. Despite his singular accomplishments, Canadian recognition of Bannister’s legacy was negligible until the early 2000s.

CCA regrettably has little archival material on Bannister. We do have on microfilm a copy of his parents' marriage record. In the fonds “MC0143: Collection about Edward Mitchell Bannister” two biographies can be found, one from 1914 originally published by Bannister’s friend George W. Whitaker and one from the 1970s by Arnold B. Ajello. We also have the art book “Edward Mitchell Bannister” and John N. Grant’s article “Edward Mitchell Bannister: The New Brunswick Years” available for reference in our Research Room.

To learn more about Bannister, you can read CCA’s article “Edward Mitchell Bannister” here: https://ccarchives.ca/bannister/

02/14/2026

We hope you enjoyed these stories of love from the Charlotte County Archives! CCA wishes everyone a love that lasts so long the archivists of the future admire it ❤ Happy Valentine’s Day!

In this personal letter dated December 14, 1895 from Hayter Reed to his wife Kate, the author reassures her he will be h...
02/14/2026

In this personal letter dated December 14, 1895 from Hayter Reed to his wife Kate, the author reassures her he will be home soon and expresses his affection for their son Gordon.

Source: MC0482, Kate and Hayter Reed fonds

In this untitled poem written on birchbark from the Bessie and Gladys Thompson fonds, an unknown author describes Charlo...
02/14/2026

In this untitled poem written on birchbark from the Bessie and Gladys Thompson fonds, an unknown author describes Charlotte County in terms so romantic one can’t help but admire the natural beauty of this corner of the earth.

Source: MC0331, Bessie and Gladys Thompson fonds

In the 19th century, autograph books were a popular way of collecting information about others’ interior worlds. In hers...
02/14/2026

In the 19th century, autograph books were a popular way of collecting information about others’ interior worlds. In hers, Bessie Gove captures her friends’ and family’s favourite colours, where they would most like to live, and even their ideas of happiness.

Source: MC0048, Bessie Gove Autograph Book

Dorothy and Ken Langmaid kept many pets–even providing sanctuary for strays–who they plainly adored and often made the s...
02/14/2026

Dorothy and Ken Langmaid kept many pets–even providing sanctuary for strays–who they plainly adored and often made the subject of Dorothy’s photography.

Source: P459.A2, Langmaid McCurdy Album 2

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123 Frederick Street
Saint Andrews, NB
E5B1Z1

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