Fredericton's Old Burial Ground - Seann Chladh

Yesterday, John NEILL passed away at his home in Gibson (York Co.). He had been inflicted for some time with enlargement of the heart and this culminated in his death. He came to this country about the year 1842 from Whitborn in Scotland and for a time after coming out he taught school. He then engaged in the hardware business in the firm of Stewart & Neil. He was always a most enterprising man and is said to have introduced from the Scotland the first bone crushing mill ever brought to this country. He was connected through his mother with the Stewarts of the largest hardware house in Edinburgh.  He leaves two sons and five daughters living: Jas. S. NEILL, hardware merchant, Albert NEILL, Mrs. J.F. McMURRAY, Mrs. W.R. LOGAN, Mrs. Wm McKAY, Mrs. Arthur SEWELL and Miss Alice NEILL. His widow survives him.  He was a prominent member of the St. Andrew's Society of which he was secretary from 1847 to 1852. He also occupied the offices of 1st and 2nd vice-presidents. Through hi...

At 19 years of age, John Gregory was the youngest founding member of the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew. He arrived in Fredericton in 1818 — along with his friends Robert Gowan and Thomas Robertson — as a member of the 74th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot. Throughout his lifetime John Gregory was an “active and prominent member of the Society,” serving as Secretary (1828-1837), as well as Vice-President (1838-1841; 1858-1861), and President (1861). He is also credited — along with his close friends and fellow Society members Francis Beverly, Robert Fulton, Thomas Robertson, and Robert Gowan — with founding St Paul's Church. Born into a family of law professionals in Edinburgh, Scotland, John attended private schools and commenced Law studies at the age of 15. After interning for two years, it is said that his “pride was hurt” when the senior attorneys criticized his work. He felt the criticisms were unjust, and what made matters even worse, his father agreed with them! John thu...

by Ian Andrews -  Past President, Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew -  The first Mayor of Fredericton was John Simpson, a prominent citizen of Scottish origin who had been actively involved in the life of his chosen community. Since John Simpson was a founding member of the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew in 1825, the FSSA decided to research and produce a short monograph on this “citizen of Fredericton”. The booklet was edited by FSSA members Ellen MacGillivary, John Ross and Wallace Brown and was published in 1987 under the title John Simpson: First Mayor of Fredericton and the First Secretary of the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew . The following biographical sketch is adapted from this source.  John Simpson (1795 – 1863)  John Simpson was the epitome of a civic minded individual. His obituary declared that his death on February 22, 1863 had “…deprived the community of one of its most valuable citizens.” John Simpson’s immediate community included the ci...