Zealand, New Brunswick

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Zealand is a small unincorporated town in York County, New Brunswick, Canada. It is located on the Keswick River, a tributary of the St. John River, between the towns of Burtts Corner and Millville.

History

Loyalist Philip Crouse came to New Brunswick in November 1789 and settled in the Keswick Valley, eleven kilometers from the mouth of the Keswick River. There he obtained a four hundred acre land grant from the British Crown, in two 200 acres phases.^[1]^[2] In 1831 Philip’s son, Gould Crouse, purchased from his father two hundred of those acres. Gould named the area New Zealand (sometimes referred to as New Zealand Settlement) after the birth place of his father in Zeeland, a southern province of the Netherlands.^[3]^[4] Other Dutch settlers of Keswick Valley included the surnames Alieen (Allen), Brouwer (Brewer), Jansen (Hanson), Jurkse (Yerxa) and Lauren (Lawrence), just to name a few. The area where Philip Crouse lived was sometimes referred to informally as the Hanson Settlement area by some locals, until the mid 1870's.

Early Postal Service

The earliest and 1st official Post Office in the community called New Zealand on record at the Library and Archives Canada was ran by Thomas Woodworth in 1868. Before that Mr Woodworth operated it as a way office. He ran the New Zealand Post Office from July 1st 1868 to Oct 24 1871 when he resigned. Newly married Darius E Brewer next ran the next office until 1885. Rev.Peter O. Rees took over from him as the new name for the office changed from New Zealand to Zealand Station. from 1885-08-01 to 1899-04-04.Its final change came after several Post Masters in 1961 to simply Zealand as we know it today. The Book Geographical Names of New Brunswick confirms this as it lists the name PO (Post Office) Zealand Station being from 1889 to 1961. The book also states that from 1961 to the present the Post office name was simply shortened to Zealand. No Post offices were listed before 1868 in this community. They began officially after Canada’s birth on July 1st 1867.

For the record Thomas Woodworth lived just below at what we know today as Brewers Mills. While Darius E Brewer lived at Brewer's Mills. The Rev. Peter Reese lived just below the Present day Oswald Burtt Zealand Bridge. Many claims exhist as to how Zealand got its name however none have been as yet established as fact. A few books in publication claim theories based on assumptions and misreading the Allan Rayburn Book. The book is a study and even warns so, It never assumes absolution on many names including Zealand. however nothing to date has been established as fact based on good evidence.

In 1831 Philip’s son, Gould Crouse, purchased from his father two hundred of those acres . The area became known as New Zealand possibly ( Not proven officially with records or documentation ) after the birth place of his father in Zeeland, OR from many of the other settlers there also that came from this exact same area (Zeeland) that was a province in the Netherlands. Jansen’s (Hansons), Brouwer’s (Brewer's), Alieen’s (Allens) Jurkse's (Yerxa),Lauren’s (Lawrence) just to name a few. ALL of these families were Dutch in origin as the 1911 New Brunswick Census will attest to as well and as the multiple records from New York and New Jersey families will attest to.

The earliest written documents from verified written church records that refer to the area as The New Zealand road, was in 1859 and onwards, Before that it was refereed to as the Upper Keswick River area. This is a locally well known fact with documentation to support it. Many post marked envelopes from that time verify that record. All were post marked Upper Keswick River. The area where Philip Crouse lived WAS known as the Hanson Settlement area and remained so until the mid 1870's. In the 1970's it became more known as a part of Stone Ridge. This is also very well documented and fact. It is highly suspected that in fact a group of Irish settlers may have had something to do with the community receiving this name which they all refereed to as The New Zealand Road. Their influence after the great Irish potato famine influenced many New Brunswick community names such as near by Cardigan. A popular Irish trait was to settle on high points of land which in turn were known as the See Land. Add to that the Irish pronunciation of the words and you get Zee land. Documentation is unclear and vague at this time on that issue. There is also the possibility of a Malecite name.

Original Census Documents which do on some pages fortunately list locations along with Anglican church records show clearly that the beginning references to New Zealand Road area were in a newly opened settlement area above the settlers that were in the area post 1840.

For a while the lower end of the new community was called the Foot of the New Zealand road according to many documents making that reference from the families that lived there. Land deeds also all along the road term the locations of each property as New Zealand ROAD. The government had opened a new area blazing the road through it around 1845. A church soon followed at what would later become known as the Head of the New Zealand Road (Brewer's Mills area). Claims to the Morehouse road area being the former New Zealand Road are incorrect as some researchers have claimed. The original road to the Hanson Settlement area came via the Adonijiah and Jane Morehouse property. That original road is still there today on that property. Documents from schools, maps and churches as well as documents on various home owners along that road bear this fact out well.

Early Railroad

When the Gibson railway line was commissioned in 1870 an immediate line was under construction winding through the New Zealand communities valley. It was completed through the Keswick Valley, in the late 1880's, Railroad stations became established as access points to local communities. Sometimes these community access points were quite a distance from the established community centers, Cardigan Station, at what is now called Burtts Corner was established from the influence of the nearby Cardigan Settlement some 10 miles away from the Station. Then what was called Lawrence Station and then Zealand Station evolved. Next up the Keswick was Burnside Station and then Burt Lake Station, Millville etc etc all the way to New Burg Station just above Woodstock. After Burt Lake the railroad left its winding trail along the Keswick River. Since the railroad line needed to run a relatively straight path and communities had a more scattered pattern. The end of what was refereed to as the Foot of the New Zealand road was about one half of a kilometer from the railroad station that served it. The locals that worked for the Gibson Railway line as section men named the access point, The Zealand Station. This was readily excepted by the railway. Immediately the center of the community started shifting toward the economic and social center growing around the railroad station, and in short order the community became known as Zealand Station. In the 1980's, with the dwindling influence of the railroad, the community name became more widely excepted as Zealand. Many new documents in hand outlining and detailing the early history of the area are coming forth as these more advanced times proceed forward. With today’s technology many genealogist are turning up more and more factual documents on this area.

Community

Today multiple sand and gravel as well as cement companies have the community's natural resources as the backbone of their thriving industries. One of the highest skilled labour forces per capita makes its home here as well as a thriving outdoor enthusiasts' paradise reign supreme. The cleanest river system in the province as well as a sportsman's haven await all who visit this friendly and well managed area. Zealand was the first rural community in the province to be totally wired for high speed Internet. Also, the first piece of the Trans Canada Trail system in Canada, completed in the 1990's, runs through the community. Several churches and companies call this wonderful community home. A proud history indeed to a prouder future.

Notes and References

^ Crouse, R. "Crouse Family History, Second Edition" Rogue Publishing, 2000.
^ Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB), Land Petitions
^ “Geographical Names of Canada" Natural Resources Canada, 2006.
^ Fellows, Robert F. “Community Place Names in New Brunswick, Canada.", 1998, page 274.

Simon, John “ACTS of the General Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of NEW BRUNSWICK” Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, 1840.
“Journal of the House of Assembly of New Brunswick”, New Zealand Settlement, Provincial Archive of New Brunswick, 1855.
Tracy, John C. “John C. Tracy Book” Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, 1927-1932.
Bright and Douglas Parish Anglican Church Records.
1851,1861,1881,1901,1911 Douglas and Bright Parish Census Records
Library and Collections Canada www.collectionscanada.ca
Zealand Historical Society. Holdings, Zealand, New Brunswick, Canada

External links

Queensbury Bright and Douglas Anglican Church Records