Passamaquoddy Bay
Traceable to the Passamaquoddy Peeskutam-akadi or
Peskutu-maquadik, meaning "the place where pollack leap entirely out of
the water." The name was originally applied to the waters seperating
Campobello, Deer and Moose Islands, and was later transferred to the entire
bay. One of the earliest references, Pesemouquote, is found in the
Jesuit Relations (1675). It appears as Pesemonquady on the
Franquelin-DeMeulles map of 1686, and as Pesmoucadie on the Cocagne
chart of 1749. By the end of the eighteenth century, the contemporary spelling
is verified by the George Sproule chart of New Brunswick (1799). Of
Passamaquoddy, Esther Clark Wright has written: "The bay is an extraordinary
maze of channels and tide rips which alone would make a unique and fascinating
area. But in addition... it is a location where the past is always present in
place names bestowed so long ago, in the international boundary line, not seen
but ever protruding."
Sources: Places and Names of
Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Douglas
There are several
communities in New Brunswick named after Sir Howard Douglas (1776-1861),
lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick. These include Douglastown
(Northumberland); Douglas Harbour (Queens); Douglas Island (Charlotte); Mount
Douglas (Queens); and Douglasfield (Northumberland).
Grande-Anse
Grande-Anse is a common place
name repeated throughout New Brunswick and other parts of Atlantic Canada. It
is an Acadian description and refers to an "indentation or cove in theline of a
coast or shore, rounded in form and small in
size."
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic Canada
(1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Oromocto
The name of the river is
derived from the Maliseet "Welamooktook," meaning "good river for easy canoe
navigation." Earlier spellings were "Ramouctu" and "La Rivière Kamouctu"
(Freneuse seigneurial grant, 1684). "Oromocto" was given by Charles Morris in
1775 and has been the spelling from the early 19th century onwards. Oromocto
Island and Oromocto Lake take their name from the river. The town of Oromocto,
incorporated in 1956, is the headquarters for Canadian Forces Base
Gagetown.
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic Canada
(1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Nauwigewauk
Like the Nashwaak
River, Nauwigewauk (in Kings County) is derived from the Maliseet word
Nahwijewauk, of uncertain meaning. Nauwigewauk is located on the Hammond River,
a tributary of the Kennebacasis River.
Sources: Places
and Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Plumweseep
Located east of Sussex,
Plumweseep was originally named Salmon River. However, since there were many
other locations with this name in New Brunswick, it was decided during the
course of railway construction to go with a translation, back to the Maliseet
for Salmon River, Plumwe-seep'.
Sources: Places and
Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
St.
George
On the Magaguadavic River; named for the patron
saint of England. The names stems from the parish, which, in turn, was inspired
by the presence nearby of place names dedicated to other saints. Known for a
time as "Magaguadavic," and later as "Granite Toen," for the presence of
red-granite quarries in the area. The town was incorporated in
1904.
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic Canada
(1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Goldsmiths Lake
The lake is
adjacent to Highway 1; Goldsmiths Stream flows into the Waweig River. Both
features were named for Loyalist Henry Goldsmith, who settled here in 1784. He
was a nephew of the Anglo-Irish poet, novelist and playwright Oliver Goldsmith
(1728-1774). In 1796 the family moved to Halifax. Henry's son, named Oliver
Goldsmith (1794-1861) for his grand-uncle, also aspired to be a poet, but had
limited success. New Brunswick poet Fred Cogswell has noted that Goldsmith's
The Rising Village was "the first volume of verse by a native-born
Canadian to receive serious attention at the hands of critics." Unfortunately,
his work thereafter was " undistinguished and makes the reader view Goldsmith's
retirement from verse-making without regret."
Sources:
Places and Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B.
Hamilton.
Apohaqui
Apohaqui, in Kings County,
was first known as "Mouth of Millstream" for its location in relation to this
feature. William Frances Gagong suggests the name, of Maliseet origin, is
probably their name for Millstream, but possibly it may mean the junction of
two streams." The post office was opened in 1869. Apohaqui is the birth place
of former premier Frank McKeena.
Sources: Places and
Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Gagetown
Gagetown, located
approximately 50 kilometres east of Fredericton, was named in 1765 for General
Thomas Gage (1721-1787), one of its original grantees. Following service in the
Seven Years War (1756-63), Gage became military governor of Montreal, and
later, upon the outbreak of the American Revolution, was appointed governor of
Massachusetts.
On May 17, 1767, Gage divested himself of
his vast holdings on the west bank of the St. John River. As quoted by W.O.
Raymond: 'For ten pounds current money of the province of New York his 20,000
acre grant was transferred to Stephen Kemble,' and the area was thereafter
known for a time as 'Kemble Manor.'
Sources: Places and
Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Grand
Manan Island
The name is derived from a
combination of Amerindian and French sources, in particular, the
Maliseet-Passamaquoddy word "Munanook," meaning "island," to which the French
added the prefix Grand to distinguish it from Petit Manan, in present-day
Maine. The original French name assigned by Champlain was "Menane." It appears
on Franquelin-DeMeulles map of 1686 as La Grand Menane. The contemporary name,
Grand Manan Island, is consisitent from the late 18th century onward. In local
conversation, "Island" is usually dropped in favour of simply "Grand
Manan."
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic Canada
(1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Maugerville
This New England
Planter settlement on the east bank of the St. John River, below Fredericton
was first known as Peabody for Francis Peabody, an early grantee. The name was
changed to honour Joshua Mauger (1725-1788), a native Jersey who established
himself as a merchant in Halifax during the period 1749-61. Later he became the
agent for Nova Scotia in London. In 1763 he was successful in securing for the
New Englanders along this stretch of the river formal title to their lands.
Thus the community was re-named Maugerville in his
honour.
Its importance in the evolution of New Brunswick
has been outlined by Esther Clark Wright: "The New England pattern of living
would have been only a minor factor in New Brunswick but for the Maugerville
settlers and their diffusion throughout the province. The Maugerville
settlement was successful because it was formed by a closely knit group, with
religious ties, and experience in a not dissimilar environment. The Maugerville
settlers came because they wanted to come. They succeeded because they wanted
to succeed."
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic
Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Evandale
Evandale, is located in
Kings County on the west side of the St. John River opposite Eagles Nest.
Following the american Revolution, the community was named Wordens, for New
York Loyalist Jarvis Worden (circa 1756-1842). The contemporary name dates from
the establishment of the post office in 1886. Lord Evandale, a character in Sir
Walter Scott's Old Mortality, amy well have prvoen the inspiration for the
community's current name.
Sources: Places and Names of
Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Point
la Nim
This place name is a bit of a puzzle and
does not appear to be of direct French origin. The best explanation is to
consider it a corruption of a Mi'kmaq designation for "lookout place." This is
a logical explantion, as many Mi'kmaq and Maliseet palce names were descriptive
of the landscape.
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic
Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Gin
Hill
Located near Nason Brook, in the northern
sector of Victoria County, Gin Hill is named for a 19th century incident in
which "two workers had their load of logs upset on this hill and a case of
Geneva gin...was partly destroyed; (later) the horses returned without the men,
and a search party found them drinking gin at the foot of the
hill."
Sources: Places and Names of Atlantic Canada
(1996) by William B. Hamilton.
Saint
John
Prior to being called Saint John, the city was
called Parrtown on the east side and Carleton on the west. The two sides joined
and chose the name Saint John. The city was incorporated on May 17, 1786, with
the un-abbreviated "Saint," as the correct spelling, perhaps to differentiate
it from St. John's, Quebec. However the "Saint" was often abbreviated to
"St."
The Telegraph Journal used the "St." up until March
14, 1925. Here is the article that appeared in the paper on that
day:
"Since the suggestion was made recently that the city
revert to the old name of Parrtown, there has been much discussion as to the
desirability of so radical a change. Along with leading businessmen and
citizens, the Telegraph Journal is of the opinion that the best way at the
moment to make the name of the city distinctive is to spell out the name Saint
John instead of the abbreviated form that has been prevalent, and beginning
with today's issue the Telegraph Journal will in future use the extended form,
already being used by many business houses with the hope that it will become
universal."
On April 28, 1925 common council endorsed the
unabbreviated form of Saint John for the city. The Saint John Globe and
Telegraph Journal had already made the change.
Many
believed the full spelling of Saint, in Saint John, was used to differentiate
between Saint John, N.B. and St. John's, NFLD,; however, while it may have
played a part in seeking a more distinct form of the name, Newfoundland did not
join the Confederation until 1949.
The choice of Saint
John for a name is due to its location at the mouth of the St. John River,
which was named by Samuel de Champlain, when he landed, at what we call "Market
Slip" today, on the festival of Saint John the
Baptist.
The Maliseet called this area "Menaqesk," which
means "where land meets the sea."
Sources: Dr. Peter
Toner, UNBSJ;Places and Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton;
Telegraph Journal files; linguist Emelda Perley.
Plumper Rock
Plumper Rock,
northeast of Point Lepreau, was named after the HMS Plumper. On Dec. 5. 1812
HMS Plumper with a cargo "of much specie on board" was wrecked on this
navigational hazard. In the tragedy 50 people lost their lives. The
contemporary Bay of Fundy Pilot still advises mariners to "give this rock a
berth of at least half a mile."
Sources: Places and
Names of Atlantic Canada (1996) by William B. Hamilton.
The information below was taken
from the "Reader" found in the Times Globe every Saturday.
