ANDERSON, WILLIAM (1853-1936)

ANDERSON, WILLIAM, businessman; b. Burnt Church, 17 Apr 1853, s/o John Anderson and Marjorie Loggie; m. 1880, Janet Sewell, d/o John Sewell and Mary Dickson, of Burnt Church; d. 17 Apr 1936.

William Anderson was a partner with his brothers James and John Anderson in the Burnt Church fishing, lumbering, and merchandising firm of J., W., & J. Anderson. As noted elsewhere, this was one of the two firms which succeeded Loggie & Anderson after the death of John Anderson in 1874. Fishing was not the main activity of J., W., & J. Anderson, but in 1879 their firm was nonetheless the third largest shipper of salmon from the Miramichi, accounting for roughly ten per cent of exports.

Anderson was exceptionally active in civic affairs. For forty-two years, until his retirement in 1933, he was a county councillor, and he served three one-year terms as warden. He was a member of the Miramichi Hospital Board for a number of years and president from 1928 to 1930. In 1908 he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to a seat in the Legislative Assembly. He did not offer again, but at the time of his death in 1936 his son W. Stafford Anderson held a seat and was a member of the cabinet of Premier A. Allison Dysart. His wife, Janet Sewell, predeceased him in 1922. He was survived by two daughters and four sons, including W. Stafford Anderson and Walter D. Anderson.