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Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

Dictionary of Miramichi Biography

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SIMONDS, RICHARD (1789-1836)

SIMONDS, RICHARD, businessman, JP, JCP, and MLC; b. Saint John, 24 Apr 1789, s/o James Simonds and Hannah Peabody; m. 1st, 1813, Ann Charters, and 2nd, 1829, Margaret (Walker) Newton; d. Saint John, 2 May 1836.

Richard Simonds was a nephew of Francis Peabody of Chatham, and in 1810, he and his brother Edward became Peabody's partners in business. In 1812 he was appointed a justice of the peace. He was married in Newcastle on 18 August 1813 and was appointed a captain in the 1st Battalion of militia two days later. He served in the militia until 1823, when he retired with his rank. He was a school trustee of Newcastle parish and one of the founding trustees of the County Grammar School in 1819. He was secretary of the first local agricultural society at its formation around 1824.

While residing on the Miramichi, Simonds held an appointment as a justice of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. He also played an active part in politics, and in the provincial election of 1816 took one of the two Northumberland County seats in the House of Assembly. He was successful also in the elections of 1819, 1820, and 1827. In 1819-20 his legislative colleague was Joseph Saunders. From 1820 to 1827 his colleague was Hugh Munro, who resided at Bathurst, which was within Northumberland County until 1826.

Simonds sat as a member until 1828, when he resigned his seat and was appointed provincial treasurer. He also became speaker of the Assembly in 1828. He was a member of the New Brunswick Council from 1829 until it was abolished in 1832, and he was among the original appointees to the Legislative Council.

Simonds wound up his affairs on the Miramichi in 1824 and later lived in Fredericton and Saint John. In 1842, six years after his death at age forty-seven, the Northumberland County property which belonged to his estate was sold at public auction. He and his first wife, Ann Charters, had seven sons and a daughter.

Sources

[b/m] DCB [d] Gleaner 10 May 1836 / Facey-Crowther; Gleaner 1 Aug 1842; Graves; Manny Collection (F22); Spray (ENC)


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