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Archives provinciales du Nouveau-Brunswick

Dictionary of Miramichi Biography

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YORSTON, FREDERICK POTTINGER (1869-1935)

YORSTON, FREDERICK POTTINGER, principal of Harkins Academy, 1892-1901; b. Douglastown, 27 Mar 1869, s/o William Yorston and Isabella Henderson; m. 1899, Susan Auwasta Harrison, d/o Frederick Harrison and Mary Ann Fisher; d. Montreal, 8 Feb 1935.

Frederick P. Yorston was the son of a ship carpenter and master builder who came to the Miramichi from the Orkney Islands. An outstanding student, he was the junior medalist at the Provincial Normal School at age eighteen and was hired soon afterwards to teach at Chatham Head. He was engaged there until June 1888 and then alternated terms of teaching (including six months as principal of the Douglastown school in 1890 ) with periods of study at the University of New Brunswick. He took a BA with honors in 1892 and was awarded the Douglas Gold Medal.

Yorston was principal of the Charlotte Street School in Fredericton for a few months before returning to Newcastle in the fall of 1892 as principal of Harkins Academy and supervisor of the town's elementary schools. In 1893-94, and again in 1897-98, he served as president of the County Teachers' Association. Meanwhile, he continued his studies at UNB on a part-time basis and was granted an MA in 1894.

In 1893 the wood-frame structure which was the original Harkins Academy, or Seminary, was lost to fire. Soon afterwards the architectural firm of Dumaresq & Mott was engaged to design a new building. This was erected under a contract let to J. K. McDonald & Co. of New Glasgow, N.S., and was officially opened on 22 October 1894. The school inspector reported in 1895 that the school was being ably administered by Yorston and was among the best elementary-secondary schools in the province. In 1896 the inspector noted that, although Harkins was classified only as a superior school, it was second to none of the grammar schools in New Brunswick and should be reclassified as such. The Union Advocate reiterated this assessment in 1900 and stated that Yorston was deserving of the highest commendation for his educational leadership. When he resigned and left the teaching profession in January 1901 it was noted that his "exceptional powers of mind" would be a serious loss to both the Miramichi and the larger educational community.

Yorston left teaching to study medicine at McGill University (MD CM 1904). He had a general practice at Sawyerville in the Eastern Townships of Quebec until 1917. He then relocated in Montreal, where he practiced and taught pedology in conjunction with the Children's Memorial Hospital. He and his wife, Susan A. Harrison, had a son who was a forest research scientist.

Sources

[b] church records [m] World 16 Aug 1899 [d] Leader 15 Feb 1935 / Advance 5 Oct 1893, 25 Oct 1894, 7 Oct 1897; Advocate 8 Jun 1887, 9 Nov 1892, 29 Aug 1900; Educ. reports 1893-1901; Educ. Review, Aug 1892, Dec 1894


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