Irish immigrants in New Brunswick indexed

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St. Patrick’s Day will find us pondering our Irish heritage, whether our portion be great or small.

We know the Irish were vital to the building of cities such as Bangor, Old Town and Portland. Then, too, many of us have Irish ancestors – like my Orrs and Givens – who settled first in New Brunswick.

One book still in print is P.M. Toner’s “An Index to Irish Immigrants in the New Brunswick Census of 1851,” published in 1991. Fogler Library at the University of Maine has this book.

Or, if your Irish heritage is plentiful, perhaps you’d like to purchase a copy for yourself from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.

In U.S. funds, it’s just $20, plus $5 postage, from the Associates of the Provincial Archives, c/o Provincial Archives, P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5H1 Canada.

Other volumes they have for sale include “Pioneer Profiles of New Brunswick Settlers,” “Starting a Family History Project in New Brunswick, Canada,” and “Saint John Board of Health Records – Listing of Burial Permits 1832-1919.”

Find out about these and other books for sale on the Archives Web site at http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives/Default.aspx?L=EN.

The Penobscot County Genealogical Society will mark St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday with a 6 p.m. meeting on the “History of the Irish in Bangor,” at Bangor Public Library. Sara Martin, deputy director of the Bangor Museum and Center for History, will give the program.

Even at a slim 77 pages, “Old LaGrange Volume I” covers a lot of ground. Written by Bill Sawtell, Josephine Blake Bail and others, the book’s topics range from events to industries, stores, farms and schools in the small Piscataquis County town.

One of the most interesting aspects, I think, is the tale of William Kroemer, whose 1,000 acres of farmland was in 1945 home to German POWS who picked potatoes. Because Kroemer himself was from Germany, he could converse with the prisoners in German.

Early settlers of the area in the 1820s, known originally as Oxford and as Hammond, included:

. David Hinkley of Livermore and wife, Betsy.

. Orrin Fuller.

. Capt. John Freese, son of Abraham Freese of Orono.

. Zadock and Welcome Bishop of Monmouth and Leeds.

. Reuben and Rebecca Knowles.

Also featured are reminiscences of, or chapters on: Miles Lufkin, Tom Howard Sr., Curtis Chase, teacher Marion Campbell Cook, Richard Johnson, railroad man Fred Armstrong, sawmill owner and steamboat captain Lewis M. Blake, Willard E. Brown, Marcell “Sonny” Dyer, Marie Cummings and Windy Ridge Farm.

The book is available from Bill Sawtell for $15.68, postage included. Write him at William Sawtell, P.O. Box 272, Brownville, ME 04414.

I might mention that Sawtell also has published “The Wall: A Milo Man’s Experience in Vietnam and Beyond,” available at the same address for $9.75.

The biography of Scott W. Smart is both a war story and a story of survival, in Sawtell’s view. It is a difficult story but illustrates the fact that almost everyone has a story to tell.

I’m reminded of the fact that in my dad’s later years, I asked him often about his military service and taped one two-hour interview on the topic. Now that he’s gone, that interview is priceless.

The Wassebec Genealogical Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, in the Mayo Regional Hospital Conference Room, entrance off Dwelley Avenue.

The speaker will be Dick Brown, who will share his adventures researching his Irish roots across two continents. All are welcome to attend.

For directions or further information, contact Estella Bennett at 876-3073 or Jack Battick at 564-3576.

Interested in writing a children’s book based on your family history? You might want to try a daylong workshop, “Creating the Family Story,” presented by Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at 1326 Washington St., Bath.

Led by author Michelle Dionetti, the workshop costs $55 for members, $75 for others. Pre-register by calling 386-1400.

3253. NORWOOD-STOCKBRIDGE-STAPLES. Seeking ancestry of Sarah Norwood, born in 1810-1820, married in 1842, Benjamin Stockbridge, possibly of Deer Isle. He was born in 1817, son of John and Ruth (Joyce) Stockbridge. Benjamin and Sarah had son Isaiah J. Stockbridge, born Feb. 28, 1843, maybe Swans Island. He married 2) Elwilda Staples. Danny W. Howard, DECF Box 428, Machiasport, ME 04655.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.