Blackville 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 authorit ...
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 between the
incorporated rural community of
Miramichi River Valley and the Greater Miramichi rural district,
both of which are members of the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission.
Prior to the
2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between the village of
Blackville and the
local service districts of
Renous-Quarryville and the parish of Blackville.
Origin of name
The parish was named in honour of
William Black, Administrator of the province at the time of its erection due to the absence of 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 ...
.
Neighbouring
Blissfield Parish was named in honour of
John Murray Bliss, who was Administrator of the province prior to Douglas's arrival.
History
Blackville was erected in 1830 by the three-way split of
Ludlow Parish, Blackville being the easternmost and Blissfield in the middle.
Boundaries
Blackville Parish is bounded:
[ Remainder of parish on maps 69, 77, 78, 86, 87, 96, and 97 at same site.][ Remainder of parish on mapbooks 217, 218, 232, 233, 248–250, 264, 265, 280, 281, 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 a point 537
chains (10.8 kilometres) from the
Canadian National Railway line through Quarryville on a line running north 22º west from the mouth of the
Renous River;
* on the east by a line beginning 537 chains northwesterly of the above railway and running south 22º east
through the mouth of Renous River to the
Kent County line;
* on the south by the Kent County line;
* on the west by a line beginning at a point on the Kent County line about 3.1 kilometres south of Meadow Brook Lake and running north
through 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, to the starting point.
Evolution of boundaries
When Blackville was erected it extended to the
Westmorland County line, including much of
Harcourt and
Huskisson Parishes. The original boundaries can be seen by prolonging the existing eastern and western boundaries of Blackville.
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. Most of Blackville's territory was transferred to Harcourt and Huskisson Parishes. The parish's boundaries were essentially the same as they are today.
Changes in the wording of the boundary with
Northesk Parish and later
Southesk Parish in 1850, 1877, and 1954 made little if any difference in the parish line.
Communities
Communities at least partly within the parish.
bold indicates an incorporated municipality
*
Arbeau Settlement
* Barnettville
* Bartholomew
*
Blackville
** Breadalbane
** Coughlan
** Underhill
* Grainfield
*
Gray Rapids
* Keenan Siding
*
Lockstead
* McCann
* North Renous
* Pineville
*
Renous
* Smiths Crossing
* Shinnickburn
* The Lots
*
Upper Blackville
* Upper Blackville Bridge
*
White Rapids
Bodies of water
Bodies of water
[Not 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 flow ...
*
Dungarvon River
*
Renous River
* Sabbies River
*
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 ...
* Meadow Brook Lake
* Smiths Lake
* South Lake
Islands
Islands at least partly within the parish.
* Doctors Island
* Morehouse Island
* Washburns Island
Other notable places
Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
* Dungarvon Whooper Spring Woodlot Protected Natural Area
* Dunphy Airstrip
* Shinnickburn Protected Natural Area
Demographics
Parish population total does not include former incorporated village of
Blackville. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.
Population
Population trend
[Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census]
Language
Mother tongue (2016)
See also
*
List of parishes in New Brunswick
The Canadian province of New Brunswick is divided by the ''Territorial Division Act'' into 152 parishes, units which had political significance as subdivisions of counties until the Municipalities Act of 1966. Parishes still exist in law and inclu ...
Notes
References
{{Subdivisions of New Brunswick, counties=yes, state=expanded
Parishes of Northumberland County, New Brunswick
Local service districts of Northumberland County, New Brunswick