Blissfield is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in Northumberland County,

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. For governance purposes it is divided mainly between the village of

Doaktown Doaktown is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick. The village has a prosperous lumber industry including the Russell and Swim sawmill, now owned by J.D. Irving Limited. Atlantic Salmon fishing is a very popular sport in ...

and the Greater Miramichi rural district, with small areas along the eastern and western borders belonging to the incorporated rural communities of

Miramichi River Valley The Miramichi Valley is a Canadian river valley and region in the east-central part of New Brunswick. It extends along both major branches of the Miramichi River and their tributaries, however it is generally agreed that the much larger Southwe ...

and Upper Miramichi, respectively. All are members of the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission. Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between a much smaller village of Doaktown and the

local service district A local service district is a type of designated place in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, a local service district is a defined area led by an elected committee responsible for the deliv ...

of the parish of Blissfield.

Origin of name

Blissfield was named in honour of John Murray Bliss, was Administrator of the province prior to Lieutenant-Governor

Howard Douglas General Sir Howard Douglas, 3rd Baronet, (23 January 1776 – 9 November 1861) was a British Army officer born in Gosport, England, the younger son of Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, and a descendant of the Earls of Morton. He was an English ...

's arrival. Neighbouring Blackville Parish was named in honour of William Black, Administrator of the province due to Douglas's absence at the time both parishes were erected.

History

Blissfield was erected in 1830 by the three-way split of Ludlow Parish, Blissfield in the middle and Blackville to the east.

Boundaries

Blissfield Parish is bounded: Remainder of parish on maps 68, 76, 77, 85, 86, 96, and 97 at same site. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 216, 217, 230–232, 246–248, 262–264, 279–281, and 295–297 at same site. * on the north by a line beginning at a point on the York County line near McConnell Brook, then running north 72º east by an astronomic bearing to the northeastern corner of Blackville Parish, a point 537

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

s (10.8 kilometres) from the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

line through Quarryville on a line running north 22º west from the mouth of the

Renous River The Renous River is a tributary of the Southwest Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. The Renous River has its origins south of Holmes Lake in the Miramichi Highlands, part of the Appalachian Mountains, in the northwest corner of Northum ...

; * on the east by a line running north and south from the mouth of Donnelly Brook, which is on the southern bank of the

Southwest Miramichi River The Southwest Miramichi River is a river in New Brunswick, Canada. The river has its origin in Carleton County, at Miramichi Lake in the Miramichi Highlands (a part of the Appalachian Mountains). Its two branches join near the hamlet of Junipe ...

west of Upper Blackville Bridge; * on the south by the

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and

Sunbury County Sunbury County (2016 population 27,644) is located in central New Brunswick, Canada. A large military base (CFB Gagetown) is located in the western part of the county south of the town of Oromocto. The county also hosts forestry and mixed farm ...

lines; * on the west by a line running north and south from the mouth of Big Hole Brook, which is on the western edge of

Evolution of boundaries

When Blissfield was erected the eastern line extended to the Westmorland County line, putting part of modern Harcourt Parish in Blissfield. In 1845 the Kent County line was changed to run southwesterly instead of southeasterly, now meeting the line between

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

and Sunbury Counties. A triangle of wilderness at the southeastern corner was transferred to Kent County.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality; ''italics'' indicate a name no longer in official use * Amostown * Blissfield * ''Gilks'' * Grand Lake Road * Hazelton * McGraw Brook * Renous Forks * Storeytown * Weaver Siding * Doaktown ** Russelltown ** South Road Settlement

Bodies of water

Bodies of waterNot including brooks, ponds or coves. at least partly within the parish. * Bartholomew River *

Cains River The Cains River is a river in New Brunswick, Canada. It is 113 kilometres long. The Cains River has its origins in the " Bantalor Wildlife Management Area" in the eastern part of York County, near the boundary with Sunbury County. Generally flowi ...

* Dungarvon River * Gaspereau River *

* Devils Back Lake * Little Lake * Shakey Lake

Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish. * Mercury Island * Pine Island * Weaver Island * Brown Bar * Wasson Bar

Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish. * Big Rocky Brook Protected Natural Area * Doak House Provincial Park * Doaktown Airport * Dungarvon Whooper Spring Woodlot Protected Natural Area * McGraw Brook Picnic Site * Plaster Rock-Renous Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

Parish population total does not include former incorporated village of

. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Population

Population trendStatistics Canada
Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data

Language

Mother tongue (2016)

Notes

References

{{coord, 46, 35, 24, N, 66, 03, 18, W, name=Blissfield Parish, New Brunswick, display=title, region:CA-NB_type:adm3rd_scale:100000 Parishes of Northumberland County, New Brunswick Local service districts of Northumberland County, New Brunswick