Opening Windows to Our Past - This Thursday 7:30pm - Come Explore the Diaries of the ACM

The Albert County Museum is excited to host our first of five "Opening Windows to Our Past" Diary Explorations, Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 pm. Taking place the last Thursday of every month, the "Opening Windows to Our Past" Series, is going to explore some of the many diaries in the museum's collection. It's going to be a walk through the past as told by the very people who lived it! 

The first diary to be explored belonged to Emeline Stevens and was recently discovered in the museums collection at last year's Mystery Box Talks. Emeline was the third child of James Stevens and Eleanor Steeves who lived in the small farming community of Memel, NB.

The diary begins on August 20, 1882 and is a fascinating look at daily life in rural Albert County. It records many of the daily routines and activities a young lady working on a farm in the 1880's did. One of the highlights of the diary is the recording of one of the major events to happen in September 1882, so come and hear what she has to say!

The Opening Windows to Our Past Series is:

Thursday, May 26 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, July 28 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, August 25 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, September 29 @ 7:30pm

Lest We Forget - Donald MacKenzie Moore - Killed in Action 101 Years Ago Today 05.22.1915

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Donald MacKenzie Moore was from Hopewell, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born March 19, 1877. He listed his next of kin as C. Archie Moore of Vancouver, BC. He enlisted with the 30th Battalion in Victoria, BC on November 9, 1914. He was listed as Wounded and Missing in Action during the Battle of Festubert in France on May 22, 1915. He has no known grave and is memorialized on the Vimy Monument. 

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 16th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here.  And Here. 

You can learn about the Battle of Festubert Here.

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Museum to Open “Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County” Exhibit and Make Major Steeves Family Announcement - May 21 @11 am

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The Albert County Museum is excited to announce the Grand Opening of their Steeves: 250 Years in Albert County exhibit, on Saturday, May 21 at 11am. At the opening, the museum will be announcing a major component of the exhibit which has just been approved by Library and Archives Canada, to be ready in time for the Steeves Family Reunion in July. The day also marks the opening day at the museum (9:30am -5:30pm) and is also the first Weekly Farmers and Crafters Market hosted by Foods of the Fundy Valley (9am-1pm) of the season.  The weekly ‘Breakfast at the Museum’ (9am-noon) starts on the 21st as well.

The “Steeves: 250 years in Albert County” exhibitis planned as a special exhibit at the Albert County Museum which coincides with the 2016 Steeves 250 Family Reunion and is scheduled for exhibit for two years. A full gallery of the museum has be dedicated to this theme and includes displays of ‘all things Steeves’. The exhibit has been carefully selected from over 700 Steeves related artefacts in the museum collection, with each artefact on the display having some special historic significance. The highlight of the exhibit is the original 18th century clock that Heinrich and Regina Stief brought from Germany. [photo enclosed]

The exhibit is arranged chronologically, leading the visitor through the story of the Steeves family and their significance in, not only, Albert County’s history, but Canada’s history. A few of the members of the Steeves family that will be included are: William Henry Steeves, Father of Confederation; Simon Newcomb, Astronomer and Mathematician; Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset; Dr. Esther Clark Wright, Author, Historian and Scholar; Jack Layton, former Leader of the Opposition.

2016 marks the Sestercentennial of the arrival of the Stief (Steeves) family and in celebration of this, the Steeves Family will be holding a reunion on a substantial scale.

The major announcement at the Grand Opening will relate the Steeves 250 Years in Albert County exhibit with the Museum's Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring the two First World War Trophy Cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape.

The exhibit was made possible by partial funding from the province of New Brunswick, Heritage Branch.

Connecting the past with the future through seeds and stories

Seeds are a connection between the past and the future. When you save seed from one crop, you anticipate planting, growing and harvesting more food in the future. But seed can be more -- it can connect us to our heritage.

The Albert County Museum is embarking on an exciting project to bring the past to life through food, seeds and stories. We will celebrate the history of Atlantic Canada while strengthening cultural bonds for the future.

Culinary traditions are an essential part of cultural heritage. Recipes and seeds have been passed down from generation to generation. We will rejuvenate and celebrate this practice while also honouring our multicultural past and future. We will plant heirloom varieties of traditional food crops at public gardens in Albert County at Riverside Consolidated School, Albert County Museum and perhaps Forest Dale Home. By linking people's stories with the plants, we will bring the heritage alive. Also, we will save the seeds from the plants and share these with gardeners in the following years. In particular, we hope to create a more vibrant garden and seed collection to celebrate Canada's 150th year in 2017.

Do you have seeds or stories to share? If so, let us know.  Contact Janet Wallace by email at janetwallace @ xplornet.com or at  www.JanetWallace.ca 

Learn more about the project by visiting here. 

New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War - Come Share Your Memories and Memorabilia - Sat. June 11, 2016 10am-4pm

On June 11, 2016 from 10am until 4pm we are hosting a New Brunswick Battalions of the Great War Event, where we are bringing together collectors, museums and individuals to share Memories and Memorabilia of the First World War. If you have one piece or a whole collection of items from any of the New Brunswick Battalions and Batteries we encourage you to come out. Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Admission is a free-will donation to the Victory Cannon Campaign, which is restoring two WW1 German cannons that sit in the square in Hopewell Cape, NB. This event will be held in the Community Hall at the Albert County Museum, in Hopewell Cape, NB.

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Top Ten Most Interesting Artefacts at the Albert County Museum

A Top Ten List of the 10 Most Interesting Artefacts at the Museum sounds like a easy list to make, until you ask people to submit their ideas. It turns out, when you ask 12 different people to submit their top 10 items at the museum, you're going to get almost 120 different items. Which causes a problem when 10 is what you need. 

So we had a decision, narrow down the items or narrow down the people we ask. For safety sake, we narrowed down the people we asked. So, we asked our Manager/Curator Mr. Donald Alward, who pretty much lives at the museum during the summer months, what he thought were the Top Ten Most Interesting Artifacts at the Museum.

His list is quite surprising, it ranges from the spectacular to the more mundane, some items he picked because of the story behind them, others from their sheer historic significance, and others for their curiosity. Each one has their own unique place in our past and an important story to tell. If you're curious why Donald picked these, and the story behind them, then come to the museum and find out! We're open May long Weekend until Mid-September. 

This is his list: 

Mustache Mug

Music Box

Fold-away Bed

1919 Victory Loans Flag

Ice Cream Scoop

John Benjamin Weir’s wooden leg

Irish Mail

Steeves Clock

Bed Key

Bennett Silver Salver

We encourage you to write in the comments some of the other artefacts you love from the museum. 

On the 99th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge - April 9, 1917 - An Update

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It was 99 years ago today, (April 9, 1917)  that the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) fought the Battle of Vimy Ridge. It was the first time the Canadian Corps fought together as a single unit and achieved the first Allied Victory of the War.  It was also the day the 27th Battalion captured the K14 10.5cm Cannon (s/n 590) that sits in Hopewell Cape Square. The people of Albert County won the cannon in the 1919 Victory Loans Competition for raising the greatest percentage over their target anywhere in New Brunswick. The County raised three times their goal of $110,000.00 with a realized sum of $347,600.00 (6.92 million in today's dollars). 

The capture of the K14 cannon is a story legends are made of, fighting in the third wave of the attack, the men of the 27th Battalion stormed the enemy lines, while Bandsman Paddy Smith played the regimental march on his piccolo. In the words of the company commander, "The battalion charged the last 50 yards with a cheer and leaped into the gun pits, where the gunners put up a stout fight. Our line lead by Captain Lane seized the guns, put out of action those of the crew who resisted and took the remainder prisoners, and prevented the guns from being dismantled." What a story of courage and sacrifice, it sends shivers down my spine every time I read it. 

Two days later on the 11th, these guns were turned on the enemy under direction of officers from the Canadian 6th ARTILLERY Brigade, and sent back several thousand rounds captured with them. So not only did our cannon fight for the enemy, the Canadians turned the cannon back on them and returned the favour. It's amazing, that the cannon which sits in Hopewell Cape not only fought against our troops, but then fought with them. What a story!

That's not all though, through the detailed notes of the 27th Battalion, we can pinpoint on a map the exact location where the cannon was on the battlefield. Which we can view on Google maps, what was 99 years ago a battlefield, is now happily, a family's backyard complete with a swing set and slide. 

So today while we pause and remember the sacrifices of the Canadians 99 years ago, it's fitting to give an update on our own campaign to restore their captured trophy. The Victory Cannon Campaign has raised over $10000.00 to date of a goal of $15000.00, we are on the last stretch of our campaign. So please donate. CLICK TO DONATE

The cannon wheels of the K14 are in the process of being restored, our Wheelwright Mike Hartigan is currently working on them. What is left to do on the project, is to complete the restoration of the cement pads the cannons sit on. Then to give the cannons a good primer coat and paint them in their original camouflage markings. Then we need to develop a fitting way to tell their exciting story. The Museum is researching ways to best tell the cannons' story; from their capture on Vimy Ridge, to their being turned and firing back on the enemy, and then being won by Albert County in the 1919 Victory Loans Campaign. 

Now that's a story worth saving!

The Victory Cannon Campaign is raising funds to restore the two captured World War One cannons that sit in Hopewell Cape. These cannons were captured by Canadians during the Great War, and were awarded to the people of Albert County. You can donate online to the Victory Cannon Campaign here, and best of all you'll be sent a tax receipt!  Click Here to Donate!

Yes, It was an April Fool's Joke - But the Question Still Remains Was Tom Collins Guilty or Not?

The story we posted earlier about Tom Collin's getting an official pardon, was an April Fools fabrication, it was done tongue-in-cheek, and if you took the time to read the article that would have been quite clear as the guilty party was named as Zeke Midas Wolf a.k.a. The Big Bad Wolf from Walt Disney. It was also posted with the the tags: The Big Bad Wolf and April Fools. 

Zeke Midas Wolf - The Big Bad Wolf from Walt Disney.

The purpose of such stories is to spread knowledge of the real event, if it gets people interested in learning the rest of the story, then mission accomplished. If you felt this was in bad taste, please understand we face an uphill battle getting our stories/history heard, and if you know the story then there are many who do not. This April Fools Story was meant for those people may not have previously heard it, and are now hopefully interested in learning more. It should be noted that the majority of the post was taken verbatim from the Tom Collins story posted on our website. 

The Tom Collins story was (and still is) a divisive one in the community, especially as to his guilt or innocence. If you're interested in reading about the Tom Collin's story now please visit http://www.albertcountymuseum.com/the-tom-collins-story.  The museum has a number of artefacts from this trial and we encourage you to visit the museum and learn more about the whole story. 

The Museum is open May Long Weekend to Mid-September. 

Albert County's 100 Year Old Axe Murder Mystery - The Tom Collin's Story

Tom Collins was he really Guilty?

In what was called the Trial of the Century in New Brunswick, the grizzly axe murder has become the stuff of legends; from the discovery of the body, to the chase from Saint John to St. Stephen, and Collins' eventual capture. Every detail was published by the press and read by anxious readers all across the province. The press took an immediate liking to the prisoner. Many members of the general public began to speculate that the murder had not been committed by Collins, but by someone who killed Mary Ann during a robbery of the rectory. After all, the rectory had been robbed several months before Tom had arrived. There was even talk that some people in the community did not like Mary Ann. One story even suggested that Father McAuley had killed Mary Ann because she was pregnant with his child, although that was doubtful, since she was 52 years old at the time. The case attracted so much attention that the Premier of the Province, Lemuel Tweedie, acted as Crown prosecutor during the preliminary trial.

Tom Collins would be tried three times for the murder of Mary Ann McAuley. He is thought to be the first man in Canada ever to be tried for the same crime in three separate trials. All three trials would be held at the new court house in Hopewell Cape, constructed only two years earlier.

Tom would be detained, during the three trials, in the jail located next to the court house.

The first trial began in January 1907. It lasted nine days, a very long time for any trial by the standards of the day. Most trials took only one day for a decision to be reached and even other murder trials rarely lasted nine days. Father McAuley took the stand and identified the valises carried by Tom as being the ones stolen from him and that the contents of the valises matched the objects that were taken from the house. However, some of the stolen objects, including the missing jewelry, were not found in the valises. One key piece of evidence was a razor found in the stolen valise, it may have been the one used to cut Mary Ann's throat. Two razors had been stolen from Father McAuley, and he identified the one found in the stolen valise as his, the other was still missing. Although the defense argued that the razor found in the valise was not Father McAuley's but was instead the razor which had been loaned to Tom by Mr. William Williamson. 

The axe thought to have been the one used to kill Mary Ann and also used to smash the closet doors in Father McAuley's bedroom, had been found the previous month behind the commode in Father McAuley's bedroom. During the three trials, many questions surrounding the discovery of the axe would arise. Why had Father McAuley not found the axe? It was the new house keeper who had discovered it. Why had the police not located it in their search? Why had the murderer hidden the axe but not disposed of Mary Ann's body?

During the first trial, the defense did not call any witnesses and Tom did not take the stand. None of Tom's relatives from England attended the trial, however several friends and family from England wrote letters testifying to Tom's good character. Both the defense and the prosecution gave long, well-written summations, lasting a total of five and a half hours. In the end, Tom was found guilty and sentenced to hang. However, his defense was able to successfully argue that the judge, in his charge to the jury, had committed errors, so a new trial was ordered. The second trial of Tom Collins lasted seven days. At this trial Tom did take the stand in his own defense. Tom's defense throughout all three trials was that he was a thief and a liar who had stolen from Father McAuley, but that he did not kill Mary Ann. His lawyers would argue that the evidence against him was all circumstantial and that someone else could have robbed and murdered Mary Ann. The second trial ended in a hung jury. The third trial also lasted seven days, the verdict returned was the same as in the first trial: death by hanging. 

The community was split as to Tom's guilt or innocence. Many people contributed to his defense fund. Four hundred and eighty-eight people had signed a petition asking for lenience, but their pleas would go unanswered. The High Sheriff of Albert County, Mr. Lynds, refused to hang Tom, and threatened to quit if ordered to do so. The hangman arrived by train from Montreal and inspected the gallows. On the morning of November 15th, 1907, Tom Collins, after writing a letter thanking those who had helped him, was taken to the gallows and hanged by the neck until he was dead. His body was then buried in an unmarked grave outside of the jail, which had been his home for over a year. His body was re-interred at a nearby cemetery sixty years later, when the jail and court house became a museum.

Tom was the only prisoner ever to be hanged at the Albert County Gaol. His case was referenced in the Supreme Court to justify the Double Jeopardy amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code. For a more detailed view of the murder and trial you can read more here. 

***This was the page for an April Fools Story from 2016, rather than delete it we have removed the fictitious elements and left what we know to be the truth. Please follow the link above to read more or better yet come to the Museum and examine the evidence yourself. We have many articles from the original trial on display. ***

*** The comments below reflect the original article.***

Lest We Forget - On This Day 100 Years Ago Charles Humphrey Berry was Killed in Action - 03.27.1916

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Charles Humphrey Berry was from Hillsborough, New Brunswick and was born February 18, 1892. He listed his next of kin as Mrs. Sarah Crossman of Dorchester, NB. He enlisted with the 55th Battalion on May 5, 1915 and transferred to the 26th Battalion on November 5, 1915. He was Killed in Action in France on March 27, 1916. He was listed as killed by shell fire. He is buried at the La Laiterie Military Cemetary in Belgium.

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 26th Battalions War Diary Entry for that day here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

The Top Ten People of Albert County that Everyone should Know About Are... Drum Roll Please!

With over 2000 votes cast we have a final list of 10 people who everyone from Albert County should know about. It's a wide range of people from a Prime Minster to a Father of Confederation, Entrepreneurs and Pioneers, War Heroes and Architects, and our own Trail Blazing Ship's Captain. A list spanning 300 years and one to be proud of and emulate! The Ten People chosen will form a new exhibit which will open this May, be sure to come by the Museum and see it. So, without further ado, I give you the Top Ten People of Albert County Everyone Should Know About listed in order of number of votes received. 

1. Myrtle 'Molly' Kool  (February 23, 1916 – February 25, 2009) was a Canadian-born American sea captain. She is recognized as being North America's first registered female sea captain or ship master.

2. Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC KC (3 July 1870 – 26 June 1947) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from 7 August 1930, to 23 October 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years. Following his defeat as prime minister, Bennett moved to England, and was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Bennett.

3. Mary Majka - Born in Poland in 1925 (d.2014) to a Czechoslovakian countess and a Polish school principal,  It was in New Brunswick that she would finally feel at home and it was there that Mary would begin her life’s work, saving wildlife environments, preserving historic sites, and educating Canadians about the natural world.

4. Fred Colpitts (1887-1963) a keenly community minded citizen, spearheaded the breeding of Black, Silver and Platinum foxes in North America. Born in 1887 at Little River, Fred Colpitts spent only a few years at the small country school, then moved to Salsibury. In 1913 he bought three Black foxes and from this small beginning he developed the largest ranch in the British Empire.Through selection and inbreeding, Fred developed the Platinum fox. This breed gained world recognition and attracted visitors from many countries. His Platinum foxes received top sales figures in Montreal, New York and London. One matched pair sold for $5,000.00, winning the highest awards at many major shows across Canada. In 1927 he bought an Alberta dairy farm and moved the registered Holstein herd East. The herd still continues today as the "Little River Holsteins". He was also a founding member of the New Brunswick Branch Holstein-Friesian Association.Colpitts was also a well known lumberman, and during World War II he employed hundreds of men in cutting pitprops for the British Ministry of Supply. Colpitts represented his county as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1930 to 1939. Colpitts was also instrumental in having Fundy National Park located in Albert County.

5. William Henry Steeves (May 20, 1814 - December 9, 1873) was a merchant, lumberman, politician and Father of Canadian Confederation.

6. Heinrich Stief (son of Augustin Stief and Anna Barbara Worner) was born 12 Dec., 1718 in Sirchingen, Wurttemberg, and died between 1778 and 1780 in Hillsborough, Albert Co., New Brunswick. He married Regina Stahleker Feb 25, 1745 in Münsingen, Wurttemberg. The couple are the progenitors of upwards of 250,000 descendants around the world.

7. Reid Bros (3) Architects- Were Canadian architects, who founded the California architectural firm, Reid & Reid. Born in Harvey, New Brunswick to William J. Reid and Lucinda Robinson. They were James W. Reid (1851-1943), Merritt J. Reid (1855-1932), and Watson Elkinah Reid (1858-1944) Notable buildings are the Hotel del Coronado, the Riverside-Albert Consolidated School, the Albert County Court House and Victoria Manor (home of Lt. Gov AR McClelan).

8. Lt Col. Cyrus Peck -  VC, DSO & Bar (26 April 1871 – 27 September 1956) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Peck was one of the seven Canadians to be awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions across the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France. Peck is the only VC winner to be a sitting member of Parliment.

9. Judge Albert Watson Bennett was born in Hopewell Cape in 1864.He attended school there and went on to study law in Dorchester. He was admitted to the bar of New Brunswick in 1885 and practiced in the town of Sackville. Several years later he was appointed to the County Court of Westmorland and Kent. Throughout his career he saw many different life situations and witnessed the inequality of health services. When he retired in 1945 he began to seriously consider the state of healthcare in this region. He decided to make a difference by contributing towards creating equally accessible medical treatment for every one. He did this through making a large bequest to the Albert County Hospital. Upon his death in 1963, his estate went to his wife and it was not until she passed away in 1973 that the contribution was bequeathed to the hospital in the amount of $232,000. The following year the fund had accumulated to $359,286.63 with interest. Many improvements, equipment purchases, scholarships and educational opportunities have been made in the spirit of Judge Albert Bennett's vision of improved and quality healthcare for the residents of Albert County through the Bennett and Albert County Health Care Foundation Inc. (formerly the Bennett and Albert County Hospital Foundation).

10. Gaius Samuel Turner (August 12, 1838 – April 25, 1892) was a businessman and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1879 to 1892 as a Liberal-Conservative. He was born and educated in Albert County, New Brunswick, the son of Isaac Turner and Elizabeth Colpitts. In 1876, he married Lucy E. Stiles. He was a justice of the peace. Turner was a ship builder in Harvey, New Brunswick, and also was a director for the Albert Railway. He was named to the province's Executive Council in 1883 but resigned later that year. He died in office at Fredericton at the age of 53 after a long illness.

3 Days Left to Vote on the Ten People of Albert County That Everyone Should Know About?!

There are 3 days left to vote on the 10 people of Albert County that everyone should know about.  Last Chance to make your voice heard!

The 10 people that receive the most votes will be featured in a new exhibit at the Albert County Museum. Voting will close March 4, 2016.

• Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC KC (3 July 1870 – 26 June 1947) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from 7 August 1930, to 23 October 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years. Following his defeat as prime minister, Bennett moved to England, and was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Bennett.

• Myrtle 'Molly' Kool (February 23, 1916 – February 25, 2009) was a Canadian-born American sea captain. She is recognized as being North America's first registered female sea captain or ship master.

• William Henry Steeves (May 20, 1814 - December 9, 1873) was a merchant, lumberman, politician and Father of Canadian Confederation.

• Lt Col. Cyrus Peck -  VC, DSO & Bar (26 April 1871 – 27 September 1956) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Peck was one of the seven Canadians to be awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions across the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France. Peck was also the only VC winner to be a sitting member of Parliment.

• John Smith - Founder of Albert County John Smith, 2nd, settled at Shepody, Albert County. He was a member of the New Brunswick Legislature, and Justice of the Peace.

• Reid Bros (3) Architects- Were Canadian architects, who founded the California architectural firm, Reid & Reid. Born in Harvey, New Brunswick to William J. Reid and Lucinda Robinson. They were James W. Reid (1851-1943), Merritt J. Reid (1855-1932), and Watson Elkinah Reid (1858-1944) Notable buildings are the Hotel del Coronado, the Riverside-Albert Consolidated School, the Albert County Court House and Victoria Manor (home of Lt. Gov AR McClelan).

• Pierre Thibodeau - Born in 1631 in Poitre, France, Pierre Thibodeau lived on a farm as a child. He moved to Acadia as a young man when he was offered a piece of land in a Seigneury. In 1698, at the age of 67, he left Port Royal to found a new settlement at Shepody.

• Gaius Samuel Turner (August 12, 1838 – April 25, 1892[1]) was a businessman and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1879 to 1892 as a Liberal-Conservative. He was born and educated in Albert County, New Brunswick, the son of Isaac Turner and Elizabeth Colpitts. In 1876, he married Lucy E. Stiles. He was a justice of the peace. Turner was a ship builder in Harvey, New Brunswick, and also was a director for the Albert Railway. He was named to the province's Executive Council in 1883 but resigned later that year. He died in office at Fredericton at the age of 53 after a long illness.

• Judson Arthur Cleveland was possibly the most outstanding citizen of Alma for his role in holding the community in place as his saw mill ran despite tiresome bad economic times, providing livelihoods so that families might remain. He was a long-standing champion of Community on the County Council as a warden and councilor. Judson Arthur Cleveland, son of David Cleveland and Mary (Martin), was born 25 Nov. 1867. He married Ella Jane Keirstead Sept. 19, 1900. Judson died 6 Nov. 1951.

• Mary Majka - Born in Poland in 1925 (d.2014) to a Czechoslovakian countess and a Polish school principal,  It was in New Brunswick that she would finally feel at home and it was there that Mary would begin her life’s work, saving wildlife environments, preserving historic sites, and educating Canadians about the natural world.

• Abner Reid McClelan (January 4, 1831 – January 30, 1917) was a Canadian senator and the tenth Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.Born in Riverside-Albert, New Brunswick, the son of Peter McClelan and Lucy (Robinson) McLelan, he was educated at Mount Allison Wesleyan Academy in Sackville, (now Mount Allison University). He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1854 and served until confederation in 1867 when he was called to theSenate of Canada for the senatorial division of New Brunswick. A Liberal, he resigned in 1896 when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. He served until 1902. McClelan died in Moncton, New Brunswick in 1917.

• William Andrew Cecil Bennett PC OC (September 6, 1900 – February 23, 1979) was the 25th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. With just over 20 years in office, Bennett was and remains the longest-serving premier in British Columbia history. He was usually referred to as W.A.C. Bennett, although some referred to him either affectionately or mockingly as "Wacky" Bennett.

• William James Lewis (September 23, 1830 – June 22, 1910) was a physician and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1879 to 1896 and Albert in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 1904 as an Independent and then Liberal member.

• Charles Joseph Osman (April 15, 1851 – 1922) was a businessman and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1897 to 1908 as aLiberal member. He was born in England, was educated in Hertfordshire and later emigrated to New Brunswick. Osman married Laura E. Tomkins. He was the manager of a plaster mill and quarries at Hillsborough. He was first elected in an 1897 by-election held after William James Lewis was elected to the Canadian House of Commons. Osman served as speaker from 1907 to 1908.

• Sir George Robert Parkin - Organizing Secretary for Rhodes Scholarship. Born at Parkindale near Salisbury, New Brunswick, he was a graduate from the University of New Brunswick. From 1867 to 1871, he taught at the Bathurst Grammar School. From 1872 to 1889, he was the headmaster of the Fredericton Collegiate School, where the poets Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, and Francis Shermancame under his influence. He attended the University of Oxford in 1873–1874. From 1895 to 1902, he was the headmaster of Upper Canada College. He was the organizing secretary of the Rhodes Trust (1902–1922) and the Toronto Round Table Group (1910–1922). Lord Milner was an ardent admirer of Parkin's imperial ideas. He was the author of Imperial Federation: The Problem of National Unity (1892) and a school textbook, Round the Empire. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1898 and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours for his work with the Rhodes Trust. His daughter Alice married Canadian businessman and diplomat Vincent Massey, who would become governor general of Canada shortly after Alice's death in 1950.He was the maternal grandfather of the philosopher George Grant.

• Harold A. Terris Spitfire pilot ww2/MLA was a military pilot, civil servant, and politician in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. During World War II, Harold Terris served overseas as a Spitfire pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. After the War, he worked as a civil servant for the province of New Brunswick. In 1987 he was the successfulLiberal Party candidate for the riding of Albert, defeating incumbent Malcolm MacLeod. Terris chose not to seek reelection in 1991.

• Malcolm Noble "Mac" MacLeod (born 8 February 1928) was a Canadian politician. Born in Moncton, he served as a longtime member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick representing the electoral district of Albert from 1970 to his defeat in 1987 when his Progressive Conservatives lost every seat in the legislature. He was the second longest serving Minister of Agriculture in New Brunswick, serving as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 1974 to 1985. He served as Minister of Natural Resources and Energyfrom 1985 until the defeat of his government in 1987. Following the election he served as interim leader of the PC Party until the election of Barbara Baird in 1989.

• Judge Albert Watson Bennett was born in Hopewell Cape in 1864.He attended school there and went on to study law in Dorchester. He was admitted to the bar of New Brunswick in 1885 and practiced in the town of Sackville. Several years later he was appointed to the County Court of Westmorland and Kent. Throughout his career he saw many different life situations and witnessed the inequality of health services. When he retired in 1945 he began to seriously consider the state of healthcare in this region. He decided to make a difference by contributing towards creating equally accessible medical treatment for every one. He did this through making a large bequest to the Albert County Hospital. Upon his death in 1963, his estate went to his wife and it was not until she passed away in 1973 that the contribution was bequeathed to the hospital in the amount of $232,000. The following year the fund had accumulated to $359,286.63 with interest. Many improvements, equipment purchases, scholarships and educational opportunities have been made in the spirit of Judge Albert Bennett's vision of improved and quality healthcare for the residents of Albert County through the Bennett and Albert County Health Care Foundation Inc. (formerly the Bennett and Albert County Hospital Foundation).

• Alexander Rogers (February 12, 1842 – July 2, 1933) was a merchant and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1875 to 1878 and Albert in the Canadian House of Commons from 1878 to 1882 as a Liberal member. He was born in Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick, the son of William Rogers and Eliza Loughead, and was educated at Mount Allison College. In 1866, Rogers married Bessie Moore. His election to the provincial assembly was appealed twice but Rogers won the by-elections which followed each time. He died at Hopewell Hill at the age of 91.

• John Wallace (November 18, 1812 – January 1, 1896) was a New Brunswick farmer and political figure. He represented Albert in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1878 and then from 1883 to 1887 as a Liberal and then as a Liberal-Conservative. He was born in Hillsborough, New Brunswick in 1812, the son of James Wallace and Catherine Copp, and grew up there. His grandparents had come to New Brunswick from Donegal in northern Ireland. Wallace was president of the Albert Agricultural Society and also a justice of the peace. Besides operating a large farm, he also owned a sawmill and was a director of the Albert Southern Railway. Wallace was originally a Liberal. After his election in 1882 was appealed, he was elected again in an 1883 by-election after running as a Liberal-Conservative.He was married three times: to Eleanor Russell in 1846, to Cynthia Foss in 1859 and to Charlotte Stackford in 1872.

• Harry Orliff Downey (May 9, 1897 – April 17, 1974) was a fox rancher and political figure in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. He represented Albert in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1931 to 1952 as a Liberal member. He was born in Curryville, New Brunswick, the son of Oscar E. Downey and Rose E. Matthews. Downey was speaker for the provincial assembly from 1944 to 1952.

• Claude D. Taylor (September 13, 1911 – 1970) was a real estate agent and political figure in New Brunswick. He represented Albert in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1952 until his death in 1970 as a Progressive Conservative member. He was born in Edgetts Landing, Albert County, New Brunswick, the son of Douglas Taylor and Bernice Steeves, and was educated at the provincial normal school in Fredericton and at Mount Allison University. In 1938, he married Winnifred Way. Taylor served in the province's Executive Council as Minister of Education and Municipal Affairs from 1952 to 1954 and Minister of Education from 1954 to 1960. Taylor was also a public school teacher for 13 years. Claude D. Taylor School (an elementary school in Riverview, New Brunswick) is named in his honour.

• Heinrich Stief (son of Augustin Stief and Anna Barbara Worner) was born 12 Dec., 1718 in Sirchingen, Wurttemberg, and died between 1778 and 1780 in Hillsborough, Albert Co., New Brunswick. He married Regina Stahleker Feb 25, 1745 in Münsingen, Wurttemberg. The couple are the progenitors of upwards of 250,000 descendants around the world.

• Fred Colpitts (1887-1963) a keenly community minded citizen, spearheaded the breeding of Black, Silver and Platinum foxes in North America. Born in 1887 at Little River, Fred Colpitts spent only a few years at the small country school, then moved to Salsibury. In 1913 he bought three Black foxes and from this small beginning he developed the largest ranch in the British Empire.Through selection and inbreeding, Fred developed the Platinum fox. This breed gained world recognition and attracted visitors from many countries. His Platinum foxes received top sales figures in Montreal, New York and London. One matched pair sold for $5,000.00, winning the highest awards at many major shows across Canada. In 1927 he bought an Alberta dairy farm and moved the registered Holstein herd East. The herd still continues today as the "Little River Holsteins". He was also a founding member of the New Brunswick Branch Holstein-Friesian Association.Colpitts was also a well known lumberman, and during World War II he employed hundreds of men in cutting pitprops for the British Ministry of Supply. Colpitts represented his county as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1930 to 1939. Colpitts was also instrumental in having Fundy National Park located in Albert County.