Alnwick Parish, New Brunswick

This article is about the geographic parish, former local service district, and rural census subdivision. For the incorporated rural community, see Alnwick, New Brunswick. For other uses, see Alnwick (disambiguation).

Alnwick
Parish
Location within Northumberland County, New Brunswick
Coordinates: 47°17′06″N65°08′33″W / 47.285°N 65.1425°W / 47.285; -65.1425
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Northumberland
Erected	1786
Area [1]
• Land	668.84 km2 (258.24 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	3,615
• Density	5.4/km2 (14/sq mi)
• Change 2016 revised - 2021	0.7%
• Dwellings	1,852
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)
Figures do not include portions within the village of Neguac, the Esgenoôpetitj 14 and Tabusintac 9 Indian reserves, and the regional municipality of Tracadie

Alnwick is a geographic parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada. ^[4]

For governance purposes it is divided between the village of Neguac, ^[5] the Indian reserves of Esgenoôpetitj 14 and Tabusintac 9, the incorporated rural community of Alnwick, ^[6] and the regional municipality of Tracadie. ^[5] Neguac and Tracadie are members of the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission, while Alnwick is a member of the Greater Miramichi RSC. ^[7]

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the rural community of Alnwick was divided between four local service districts: Fair Isle, Oak Point - Bartibog Bridge, Tabusintac, and the parish of Alnwick, which also included the islands that are now part of Neguac. ^[8]

Origin of name

Alnwick and Newcastle Parishes were erected simultaneously. Alnwick and Newcastle are the county town and largest city of Northumberland County, England. This is probably the origin of the two parishes' names. ^{[9] [10]}

History

Alnwick was erected in 1786 as one of the original parishes of the county, ^[11] with very different boundaries from today. ^[12] The modern communities of Burnt Church and Bartibog were near or on the southern edge of the parish, which was nearly rectangular and ran west past the Nepisiguit River.

The 1814 reorganisation of Northumberland County's parishes gave Alnwick its modern shape, ^[13] removing all territory in what's now Gloucester but adding modern Barryville, Oak Point, The Willows, Bartibog Bridge, and Winston.

Boundaries

Alnwick Parish is bounded: ^{[2] [14] [15] [16]}

• on the north by the Gloucester County line;
• on the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence;
• on the south by Miramichi Bay, Miramichi Inner Bay, and Miramichi River;
• on the west by a line beginning at the mouth of the Bartibog River, then running upriver to the Route 8 bridge, then north ^{[lower-alpha 1]} to the county line;
• including Sheldrake Island, Portage Island, and all islands in front.

Evolution of boundaries

The 1786 boundaries were a line running due west from the mouth of the Big Tracadie River in the north, a line running due west from the northern tip of Portage Island in the south, and in the west a line running north from the mouth of Cains River in what's now Blackville Parish. ^[11] Alnwick included most of the modern parish along with parts of Allardville, Bathurst, Newcastle, Northesk, and Saumarez Parishes. ^[12]

The 1814 reorganisation of Northumberland County's parishes gave Alnwick nearly its modern boundaries, ^[13] removing all territory in what's now Gloucester County and Newcastle and Northesk Parishes but adding modern Barryville, Oak Point, The Willows, Bartibog Bridge, and Winston. The Newcastle line ran only six miles up the Bartibog River before going north to the county line, ^[13] probably putting the departure point south of Sproule Road.

In 1850 the western boundary was moved upriver to its current departure point, ^[17] transferring a strip of territory to Alnwick, most of it wilderness.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. ^{[14] [15] [16]} bold indicates an incorporated municipality, Indian reserve, or regional municipality

• Allainville
• Barryville
• B artibog Bridge
• Bayshore
• Breau Road
• Burnt Church
• Cains Point
• Covedell
• Drisdelle Settlement
• Esgenoôpetitj 14
• Fairisle
• Gaythorne
• Lagacéville
• Lauvergot
• Lavillette
• Neguac
  • Comeau Settlement
  • Lower Neguac
  • Rivière-des-Caches
• New Jersey
• Oak Point
• Price Settlement
• Robichaud Settlement
• Saint-Wilfred
• Stymiest Road
• Tabusintac
• Tabusintac 9
• The Willows
• Regional Municipality of Tracadie
  • Brantville
  • Pontgravé
  • Rivière-du-Portage
• Village-Saint-Laurent
• Winston
• Wishart Point

Bodies of water

Bodies of water ^{[lower-alpha 2]} at least partly in the parish. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

• Bartibog River
• Big Eskedelloc River
• Burnt Church River
• Rivière des Caches
• Rivière du Portage
• Little Bartibog River
• Little Eskedelloc River
• Oyster River
• Tabusintac River
• Cowassaget Stream
• Grand Lac
• Gulf of St. Lawrence
• Gammon Bay
• Miramichi Bay
• Neguac Bay
• Tabusintac Bay
• Grand Dune Inlet
• Bass Fishing Channel
• Old Seal Gully
• Old Tabusintac Gully
• Ship Channel
• Tabusintac Gully

Islands

Islands at least partly in the parish. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

• Brant Island
• Grand Dune Island
• Hay Island
• McLeods Island
• Old Dans Island
• Portage Island
• Redpine Island
• Sheep Island
• Sheldrake Island

Other notable areas

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly in the parish. ^{[14] [15] [16] [20]}

• Brantville Protected Natural Area
• North Branch Burnt Church River Protected Natural Area
• South Branch Burnt Church River Protected Natural Area
• Tabusintac Lagoon and River Estuary
• Tabusintac Protected Natural Area
• Tabusintac River Protected Natural Area
• Tracadie Military Training Area

Demographics

Parish population total does not include Neguac, the Indian reserves or portion within the Regional Municipality of Tracadie. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Population Population trend [21] [22] [23] Census Population Change (%) 2016 3,640 3.5% 2011 revision 3,771 36.3% 2011 5,922 3.7% 2006 6,152 6.3% 2001 6,566 4.6% 1996 6,884 1.5% 1991 6,988 N/A

Language Mother tongue (2016) [23] Language Population Pct (%) French only 2,645 73.3% English only 865 24.0% Other languages 30 0.8% Both English and French 70 1.9%

See also

• List of parishes in New Brunswick

Notes

1. By the magnet of 1850, ^[17] when declination in the area was between 21º and 22º west of north. ^[18] The Territorial Division Act clause referring to magnetic direction bearings was omitted in the 1952 ^[19] and 1973 Revised Statutes. ^[2]
2. Not including brooks, ponds or coves.

References

1. "Profile Page". Statistics Canada. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
2. "Chapter T-3 Territorial Division Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
3. "Chapter I-13 Interpretation Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
4. The Territorial Division Act ^[2] divides the province into 152 parishes, the cities of Saint John and Fredericton, and one town of Grand Falls. The Interpretation Act ^[3] clarifies that parishes include any local government within their borders.
5. "Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission: RSC 4". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
6. "Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission: RSC 5". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
7. "Regions Regulation – Regional Service Delivery Act". Government of New Brunswick. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
8. "Local Service Districts Regulation - Municipalities Act". Government of New Brunswick. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
9. Ganong, William F. (1896). A Monograph of the Place-Nomenclature of the Province of New Brunswick. Royal Society of Canada. p. 217. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
10. "Alnwick Parish". Place Names of New Brunswick: Where is Home? New Brunswick Communities Past and Present. Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
11. "26 Geo. III Chapter I. An Act for the better ascertaining and confirming the Boundaries of the several Counties within this Province, and for subdividing them into Towns or Parishes.". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick, passed in the year 1786. Saint John, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 1786. pp. 3–12. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
12. Ganong, William F. (1901). A Monograph of the Evolution of the Boundaries of the Province of New Brunswick. Royal Society of Canada. p. Map No. 35. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
13. "54 Geo. III c. 17 An Act in further addition to an Act, intituled 'An Act for the better ascertaining and confirming the boundaries of the several Counties, within this Province, and for subdividing them into Towns or Parishes.'". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick; Passed in the Year 1814. Saint John, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 1814. pp. 16–18. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
14. "No. 42". Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development. Retrieved 18 June 2021. Remainder of parish on maps 43, 52, 53, 61, and 62 at same site.
15. "114" (PDF). Transportation and Infrastructure. Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 18 June 2021. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 115, 134–137, 156–159, 173–175, and 190 at same site.
16. "Search the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB)". Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
17. "13 Vic. c. 51 An Act to consolidate all the Laws now in force for the division of the Province into Counties, Towns and Parishes.". Acts of the General Assembly of Her Mjaesty's Province of New Brunswick, Passed in the Year 1850. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1850. pp. 142–152, 145–149. Retrieved 20 March 2021. Book was poorly proofread, resulting in title typo and reuse of page numbers 145–152.
18. "Historical Magnetic Declination". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
19. "Chapter 227 Territorial Division Act". The Revised Statutes of New Brunswick 1952 Volume III. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1952. pp. 3725–3771. Scans of this Act may be requested from the Legislative Library of New Brunswick.
20. "Explore New Brunswick's Protected Natural Areas". GeoNB. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
21. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
22. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Alnwick Parish, New Brunswick
23. "Census Profile, 2016 Census Alnwick, Parish [Census subdivision], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 24 September 2019.

External links

• Alnwick Parish Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2001 from Statistics Canada
• Village of Neguac
• Tabusintac Local Service District
  • Barryville-New Jersey

47°17′06″N65°8′33″W / 47.28500°N 65.14250°W / 47.28500; -65.14250 (Alnwick Parish, New Brunswick)