GNB
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

Index to Petitions for Teachers' Licences & Payment 1812-1882 (RS655)

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Material/Index:
There are 6645 records in this index: it includes the name of every teacher requesting a license or payment for teaching services. In the case where many teachers appear on a single document, the document is filed under the first name and all other names are cross-referenced. Many of the same names appear often since teachers or the school board had to apply for reimbursement on a yearly basis. The index also indicates the county where the teacher lives and/or taught.

Scope and Content:
This series comprises petitions, certifications and copies of licenses. The extant records in this series are records of action when teachers asking for government licenses submitted petitions between 1812 and 1882. These documents contain biographical data such as names, country of birth, education, teaching experience, church affiliation and samples of handwriting. Local school trustees and clergymen attached certificates verifying the petitioner's teaching ability and his/her moral and religious character. Certificates were submitted by the justices of the courts of general sessions giving the names of the teachers entitled to pay. The files are arranged alphabetically within a year.

Historical Information:
When New Brunswick was established in 1784, instructions to Governor Thomas Carleton included direction that the Province licence and make provision to pay teachers of education. As a result, the Governor-in-Council (cum Lieutenant Governor-in-Council after 1786) oversaw matters of education until well into the nineteenth cenury.

In 1837, in an attempt to improve the quality of education, an act was passed approving the establishment of county school boards to provide unified examining services for the schools at the county level, and to receive applications from persons desiring to obtain parish school licenses. Acceptable candidates were recommended to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. Teachers received their pay after local officials submitted a petition to government containing a list of their names and the salaries to which they were entitled.

The Provincial Board of Education (later Department of Education) assumed this function in the late-nineteenth century.

In 1969, an Office of Teacher Certification was established to conduct reviews of teacher education and teacher certification. Just as teachers in the nineteenth century had to have their credentials reviewed, teachers of the late-twentieth century had to meet academic and professional qualifications.

Records on Microfilm:

MicrofilmDate and first file on filmDate and last file on film
F103181812   Hayward, John1823   Gough, Maurice
F103191823   Gray, William1828   Arseneau, Charles
F103201828   Babbit, Samuel1830   Gray, Benjamin
F103211830   Hackett, Patrick1832   Doran, Michael
F103221832   Eagles, William1833   McEldowney, James
F103231833   McEwen, Jane1834   Wood, Rebecca
F103241834   Wood, Thomas W.1836   Morton, John O.
F103251836   Mount, Hugh A.1837   McEwen, Jane
F103261837   McGravey, John Keys1839   Wood, Thomas
F103271840   Atkinson, Thomas1841   McNamara, Michael
F103281841   Nesbit, Sophia Meliora1842   Enery, Paul
F103291842   Eppes, Henry1842   Murphy, Dennis
F103301842   Murray, Edward1842   Stark, James
F103311842   Stevenson, Alexander1843   King, William
F103321843   Laird, James1844   Borthwick, Elizabeth
F103331844   Boyd, Michael1844   Summers, William E.
F103341844   Terrice, William F.1845   Newcomb, James
F103351845   O'Corcoran, John1846   Leary, Dennis
F103361846   LeBlanc, Dominique M.1847   Cassidy, Hugh
F103371847   Caulfield, William1847   Peters, Catharine Jane
F103381847   Phinney, John S.1851   Fillmore, King D.
F103391851   Harvey, Mary1859   Roberts, J. C. Edward
F104401860   Barclay, Ann1882   Harley, Timothy F.

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