MC3293: George Inch fonds
Dates
of creation: 1852-1945
Biographical Sketch / Administrative
History
Of
Irish descent, George Inch, the son of Ann Armstrong (1797-1878) and Nathaniel
Inch (1797-1891), was born at Gagetown, N.B., on 17 August 1825. His parents
and three eldest siblings, Ann (Russell), Leonard, and John, immigrated to New Brunswick from near Ederney Bridge, County Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1824, and settled at Jerusalem, Queens County. Between 1826 and 1838, Nathaniel Inch's family expanded to
include George, William, Elizabeth Frances (Machum), Nathaniel, James Robert,
and Phoebe Jane.
George
Inch married twice, first, in April 1850, to Mary Jane Woods, who died on 3
April 1894; and second, in 1896, to Matilda Smith Harrison (b. 1839), a widow.
George Inch had no fewer than 7 children from his first marriage: Maggie (d.
1881), C. Amelia (McKiel), Phobe Jane (d. 1859), Marian (d. 1861), Eveline S.,
G. Frank, and James N., (b. 1859). George Inch settled at Oak Point, Greenwich
Parish, Kings County, where he farmed and operated a general store. His
brothers, John Inch (1823-1902) and Nathaniel Inch (b. 1832), made their homes
in Jerusalem, Queens County, while his brothers Leonard, William, and James
Robert lived in York County. John Inch farmed and served as a Justice of the
Peace for Queens County.
In
1877 George Inch's mercantile business was located near Flewelling's wharf, at
Oak Point. In the 1880s his store operated under the business name, George
Inch & Sons. Beginning about 1892, the firm did business under the name
Inch, Palmer & Co. general merchants, which was succeeded by J. N. Inch
& Co. These records suggest that from the 1890s until about 1920, George
Inch and his successors operated the post office at Oak Point. George Inch
died on 19 April 1905 and was buried in New Jerusalem United Church Cemetery, Queens County.
Scope
and Content:
The
digitized content of this collection consists of a ledger regarding mail going
to or through Oak point, collections for the Methodist minister taken by
George’s son James and his brother Nathaniel as well as a note book from Mount Allison University, belonging to a J.F. Inch. It also includes various day books and
account books, one of which was kept by George Inch as Commissioner of Highways
(1897-1898).
Note:
Due to the
large size of this collection only MS3 and MS4 are digitized. Below the
inventory for these digitized sub series the inventory for MS1 and MS2 is provided
for reference purposes only. These latter items are available for viewing at
the Provincial Archives.
INVENTORY
MS 3 Miscellaneous
volumes
1 General
Ledger of Registered Letters at Oak Point, 1892 to 1916
Not
paginated but 285 pages, including 12 loose sheets. Approximately 50 entries
per page.
23 x 36 cm.
“Record
of Letters received, for delivery at, Mailed at, or Passing as Forwarded through
the Oak Point, N.B., Post Office.”
Information
includes where mailed, date, name of person posting, address of letter, name and
place, when received, signature of recipient.
2 Small
notebook, “J.N. Inch, Collector at Oak Point”
‘Subscriptions
for the Support of the Methodist Minister on the Jerusalem Circuit’ year ending
31 May 1882.”
13x20
cm. 2 of 4 pages used.
3 “D
Book,” 1876-78
Perhaps
a day book or personal accounts. Creator not identified.
9x32
cm. Approximately 43 pages, 2 sheets.
Includes
such information as lumber bought.
4 Account
book, 1873-1875
9x24
cm. Approximately 51 pages.
12
pages at the end used for personal accounts (tumble).
5 Day
book. Not dated.
Seems
not to be part of series above.
10x
18 cm. 80 pages.
Miscellaneous
account notes, including some on wages paid.
6 Unidentified
account book, 1873-1881
10x
18 cm. 68 pages, 3 sheets.
Includes
personal accounts and some notes.
7 Record
Book, 1897-1898
Commissioner
of Highways, George Inch.
District
No. 1, Parish of Greenwich.
10x16
cm. 24 pages used.
8 Accounts,
Nathanial Inch Senior, Chapel Warden, Jerusalem.
13
June 1852 to 1868
Monies
collected and payments made to minister (Methodist).
78
pages, 10x15 cm.
9 Mount
Allison Notebook of J.F. Inch.
Not
dated, perhaps 1932-33. Note of what appears to be assignment due date of Jan.
1933.
18x23
cm, 266 pages, 22 sheets.
Book
is somewhat damaged by mould and/or water.
MS 4 Correspondence
1 29
letters, 1944-1945 from United Kingdom to Canada.
Primarily from Mary Thornton,
4 or 5 from Rev. Lawrence Thornton of 2nd Bn. The Royal Scots; to Mr.
& Mrs. George Inch (Mom and Dad); several to John N. Inch.
2
12 letters, 5 partial letters,
1896, to George Inch from G.F. Inch in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
3 39
letters, ca. 1880 to 1900 to George Inch from various writers.
4 29
letters, misc. dates and recipients ca. 1876 to 1900. 11 with good covers.
5 18
postcards, miscellaneous recipients, 1890s.
6 13
sheets loose accounts and receipts 1887, 1895-1900.
7
5 miscellaneous items: St.
Patrick’s Day card; blotter; Connor washer advertisement, no date; unidentified
photo; shipping tag for Pence and Clawson, Furs & Skins, N.Y.
Note: Due to volume the following records
have not been digitized. They are available for viewing at the Provincial
Archives.
MS 1 Ledgers
– (current accounts)
1 1874-1875 George
Inch.
265
pages used, index at end. Approximately 15x38 cm.
2 1878-1880
500
pages. Approximately 21x32 cm.
3 1886-1892
600
pages. Approximately 21x32 cm.
4 1892-1902 Inch,
Palmer and Co.
553
pages, index. Approximately 21x 32 cm.
MS 2 Day
Books (Some are labelled “Order Books”)
1 1878,
(July to November)
18
x 24 cm, 200 pages
2 1878
- 1879
13
x 33 cm. Not paginated (approximately 200 pages).
3 1880
16
x 42 cm, 200 pages
4 1881
(January) - 1882 (August)
“Order
book No. 4.”
16
x 42 cm., 400 pages
5 1882-
1883
Geo
Inch & Sons, “B No. 5.”
16
x 42 cm, 260 pages
Includes
accounts like: “Union Line of Steamers; Capt. Allen”, 1883.
“Trustees
of Wesley Hall,” 1883.
“Account
of lumber delivered to Geo Inch.”
6 1883
(September) – 1885 (July)
“No.
6”
16
x 42 cm, 496 pages.
7 1885
– 1887 (August)
Geo
Inch & sons
“Day
Book No 7.”
16
x 42 cm., 600 pages
8 1887-1889
“No.
8”
16
x 42 cm, 510 pages
9 1889
(August) – 1891 (August)
“No.
9. Geo Inch & Sons”
16
x 42 cm, 500 pages
10 1892
(11 April) – 1894 (September)
“Day
Book No.1.” Inch Palmer & Co.
16
x 42 cm, 500 pages. Attachments
11 1894-1896
“Day
Book No. 2.”
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages. Attachment
12 1896-1897
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages
13 1898
16 x 42 cm, 400
pages
Note on flyleaf:
“In survey a firm, make all papers in names of each member of firm doing
business under the firm name for [example] John W. Inch, James N. Inch &
H.E. Palmer doing business under the firm name of Inch, Palmer & Co.”
14 1891
to 1900, in various sections.
16
x 42 cm.
Pages
1 to 139, 1891, “Day Book No. 10, Geo Inch & Sons.”
Pages
140 to 189, “Day Book No. 5, Inch, Palmer & Co.”
Pages
190 to 285 are blank.
From
the back - pages 398 back to page 286, 1892 to 1900
Various
accounts – perhaps settling of accounts when new firm formed
“Geo
Inch to Geo Inch & Sons”
“Geo
Inch to Inch, Palmer & Co.”
Last
page, “collections taken up in the Oak Point Methodist circuit.”
15 1900
(16 April) - 1901 (30 December)
“J.N.
Inch & Co., Oak Point”
16
x 42 cm, 390 pages
16 1902-1904
“J.N.
Inch & Co, successors to Inch, Palmer & Co. General Merchant”
“Day
Book No. 2”
16
x 42 cm, 382 pages
17 1904-1905
“Day
Book No. 3”.
16
x 42 cm, 303 pages
18 1905-1906
No.
4.
16
x 42 cm, 412 pages
19 1907-1910
No.
5.
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages
20 1910-
1912
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages. Note account for NB Tel.
21 1912-1914
No.
7.
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages
22 1914-1915
16
x 42 cm, 300 pages
23 1915-1916
16
x 42 cm, 400 pages