The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877Stewart, George
History
The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877
Stewart, George
Saint John (N.B.) -- Fire, 1877
respective public uses, intents and purposes aforesaid forever, but to
or for no other or private use, intent and purpose whatsoever."
It further states that in case of the lands coming into possession of
any other persons, they shall take the prescribed oath of allegiance
within twelve months, and in case of their neglect to do so, the lands
shall revert to the Crown. The grant was registered at Halifax, 29th
June, 1784, and at Fredericton on December 23rd, same year. These lands
were situate on the north side of Queen Street, extending east and west
from Sydney to Carmarthen Streets, and north from Queen Street 100 feet.
They contain 10 city lots and form a block of 100 by 400 feet.
Charles McPherson, once the owner of "Coffee House Corner," survived
the other trustees, who died before any of the buildings mentioned in
the grant were set up. A change had come over the people's views since
then, and the site was not approved of by those interested. It was not
central enough, and in 1815 it was decided to ask for a site in the
upper part of the town. Wm. Pagan, Hugh Johnston, senr., John Thompson,
James Grigor, John Currie, Alexander Edmonds, and William Donaldson were
the new Committee whose duty it was to provide "a meeting house for the
use of such of the inhabitants as are of the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland." In this year the survivor of the trustees of 1784,
Charles McPherson, relinquished his interest in favour of the new
Committee. James Grigor selected the present site of the church in
Germain Street, and in 1815 he purchased it for £250 from J. V.
Thurgar's uncle, Mr. John L. Venner. The lot is 100 feet in width and
200 feet in depth. Mr. Grigor and wife, by deed, on the 20th June, 1815,
just sixty-two years ago, on the day of the fire, conveyed the property
to Wm. Pagan and the rest of the Committee. On June 4th, 1816, another
grant of land was given to the Committee by the Corporation of St. John.
This lot was in Duke's Ward, and known on the plan as one of the public
lots, letter B, bounded on the east by Carmarthen Street, on the west by
Sydney Street, and on the south by lots 1086 to 1077 inclusive. The
latter lots are on St. James' Street. This also was in special trust for
the Kirk of Scotland in this city, and the grant was unconditional. This
block was four hundred feet square, and a vacant field. The Committee
built houses upon it some years after, and laid out the street from
Sydney to Carmarthen, known as St. Andrew's Street. William Campbell was
Mayor, and Charles J. Peters, Clerk.
The Act 56 George III., cap. 28, passed 16th March, 1816, recites to
this effect:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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