Introducing -- the Diocesan Archives
by Harvey Malmberg, Diocesan Archivist
Twila Buttimer, Provincial Archives
The Diocesan Archives reside in the Provincial Archives buiding on the
Fredericton Campus of the University of New Brunswick.
Those of us who work regularly with the Archives of the Diocese of Fredericton are continually impressed with their richness and how much they tell about the history of the Anglican Church in New Brunswick (at the same time being aware of how many details are missing). Archives are sometimes regarded as "the dead letter office " ofan organization. Farfrom it! In reading many of the documents the people involved take onflesh and blood. At least half a dozen of the clerics who have served in the past century or more call outforfull-fledged biographies.
Over the course of a few articles, we hope to acquaint readers of The New Brunswick Anglican with the scope and organization of the Archives and some recent donations. Reference will also be made to interesting historical research which is going on in association with the Archives.
The Anglican Church has had a presence in New Brunswick since 1768 when the Rev. John Eagleson was sent by the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to minister to the people living in the Tantramar area of New Brunswick/Nova Scotia. That initiative has developed over the past 230 years into the Diocese of Fredericton with 90 parishes in all parts of the province.
In that period much church history has been made and recorded at the Parish, Deanery and Diocesan levels. (The large number of parish histories currently being published bear testament to interest in our past.) Have you ever wondered what has happened to all that history? Some of. it has disappeared; some of it is to be found in churches, rectories and peoples' attics; quite a bit of it has' made its way to the Diocesan Archives where it is arranged, described, made accessible and given longterm storage.
Though the Diocesan Archives was only founded in the 1960's, interest in preserving Church Registers pre- dates the founding by at least eighty years. In 1887, the Committeee on Safe-Keeping of Parochial Registers reported (to Synod) of having "under consideration a scheme for the preservation of Registers." Nine years later, the report to Synod given by the first Registrar, C.E.A. Simonds, indicated that early records, other than Registers were also being preserved. He noted that he had "examined the archives in the possession of the Bishop" and he then included a catalogue of 92 Land Conveyances and 188 Deeds of Consecration of Churches and Burial Grounds, 1826-1895, found therein. Noting that there are also "petitions for consecrations, letters, accounts and papers relating to patronage of rectories etc.". Simonds explained that "all these documents are contained in a box deposited in a vault at the Bishop's residence." In 1908, a fire-proof vault was built at Christ Church Cathedral and church records were collected and preserved there. Some of the key documents mentioned below (i.e. Diocesan Church Society records and Synod Journals) and also Church Registers and other parish records began to be placed there.
In the 1960's, through the foresight and initiative of now retired Archbishop Harold Nutter, who built upon the early interest and efforts made towards preserving Anglican records, the Diocesan Archives, as we know it,.was formally founded. In June 1963, Dean Nutter, the chairman of the Sub-committee on Archives, sent a letter to all the clergy of the Diocese, requesting that they complete a survey of their Parish's records. His letter also announced the establishment of the Diocesan Archives:
With each year the records of the life of the church in this Diocese increase in age and importance, not just to historians, but also most vitally to the whole Church. All are aware of this, and many are aware too of the problems of preserving such material. With this in mind the. Executive Committee of the Diocese has sanctioned the establishment of a Diocesan Archives which will serve as a repository for both Diocesan and Parish Records.
The following year, Synod delegates were asked to bring their Parish's historic records with them to the Synod meetings for deposit in the new Archives, where organizing and filing was expected to begin immediately. A Diocesan Archives Committee was set up and in. 1981, Canon IX was passed by Synod, formally establishing the position of Diocesan Archivist. In the early years, archival duties were handled by Dean Nutter, Professor Earl, Archdeacon A. B. Craig and Canon Draper.
Until 1988, the Archives was located in the Cathedral Hall and the Cathedral safe. In that year the Diocesan Synod and the Provincial Archivist signed an Agreement, with the Provincial Archives agreeing to provide "long-term maintenance, preservation and reference services" for the Synod's Archives in exchange for an annual grant. The Diocesan Archives is now located in the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (in the Bonar Law-Bennett Building on the University of New Brunswick Campus) in a climate-controlled environment, and supervised by professional staff. The Diocesan Archivist serves as liaison between the Diocese and the Provincial Archives.
Currently, the Diocesan Archives occupies approximately 80 metres (close to 300 feet) of space in the Provincial Archives and the collection is growing all the time. A future article will outline the organization of the Archives and describe its collection as well as mention some recent donations.
Because of its large and varied collection, the Diocesan Archives can be of service to the occasional researcher as well as the specialist. The Archives is open 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday to Friday and 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Saturdays.
In our Diocesan Archives
Some key documents of interest
Letters Patent issued to John Medley,
creating the Diocese of Fredericton, April 25, 1845.
The official Registers of past Bishops
(In Bishop Medley's case, his official Register and his personal Journal).
A complete set of the annual Diocesan Church Society Reports, 1836-1897.
An almost complete set of the Synod Journals since 1869.
Missing are the Journal of the 63rd Synod held in 1932
and the 104th Synod in 1979. Anybody have copies?
A complete set of The Diocesan News, October, 1953 - January, 1977
(Gift of Miss Betty Jean Markham,
daughter of long-time Editor, the Rev. Canon Cecil J. Markham.)
Complete sets of colour photographs of
all the Anglican Churches in the Province of New Brunswick.
One set donated by the late Jerry Williams of Fredericton, the other donated by the
Rev. William. Forgrave of Moncton. These gentlemen took the photographs as well.
Labors of love!
The New Brunswick Anglican, April 1977 - present.
(Thanks to a recent donation by Editor Ana Watts, only the September 1984 issue
is not in the Archives. Anyone have a copy to donate?)
A printed report and a growing database of more than 600
Anglican clergy who have served in the Province
since the Rev. John Eagleson in 1768.
The list was begun by Ms. Elaine Mercer as part of the Sesquicentennial of the
Diocese in 1995. Financial support was provided by the Crake Foundation.