Showing 28 results

Archival description
Accession registers
RG 53 volumes 148, 153, and 156 · Series · 1930-1989
Part of Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Forms part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia Archives and consists of accession books that list records (including published items) acquired for permanent preservation. Includes accession registers of the Halifax Branch of the Public Archives of Canada and library accessions (1942-1979).

Assembly petitions
RG 5 Series P · Series · 1816-1928
Part of Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Forms part of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and consists of petitions tabled in the House. Also consists of three subseries: Petitions seeking legislative action; Petitions seeking a grant of money; and Petitions arranged by subject.

RG 20 Series B · Series · 1787-1864, predominant 1787-1843
Part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands

Forms part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Land and consists of primarily, petitions from Cape Breton residents seeking land grants from the crown and other related documents such as surveyors' reports, plans and correspondence. Arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by name of applicant. Reports of the Cape Breton surveyor general, or other local surveying officials, to the Provincial Secretary are found at the end of the series. The existence of a separate Commissioner of Crown Lands for Cape Breton reporting directly to the Provincial Secretary, and distinct from the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Nova Scotia, survived the demise of Cape Breton as a separate colony in 1820 and continued until 1847, when the Crown Land Department Act abolished the position of surveyor general of Cape Breton.

Cartoons and other drawings
1987-137 · Series · 1951-1986
Part of Bob Chambers

Series forms part of Bob Chambers fonds and consists of cartoon drawing of political figures and subjects including John Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield, Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Mitchell Sharp, Judy LaMarsh, elections, scandals, the "Little Man", and various political, economic, and religious issues, 1962-1975. Other drawings include seascapes, vessels, urban scenes, buildings, children, fishermen, and political figures, 1951-1986.

Census abstracts
RG 1 volume 454 · Series · 1861
Part of Nova Scotia Board of Statistics

Forms part of Nova Scotia Board of Statistics and consists of the original abstracts of census returns created by the Board of Statistics from the original household returns. The only information in the abstracts is the name of the householder and gender, age, and mortality information on other members of the household. The abstracts have been grouped by electoral district and were bound in 1932 into volumes for each county. A separate abstract is included for residents of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane and includes information on their residence before entering the hospital, as well as the length of their stay.

Census returns
RG 1 volume 451-453 · Series · 1851
Part of Nova Scotia Board of Statistics

Series forms part of Nova Scotia Board of Statistics fonds and consists of returns collected by enumerators in Halifax, Kings, and Pictou counties. Local Sessions of the Peace had administrative responsibility for this census. The 1850 legislation required them only to forward an abstract of the findings to the Board of Statistics. The original enumeration was to remain with each county's clerk of the peace. Information collected includes the name of the head of household and information on other residents including ages, gender, marital status, race, property owned and assessed, occupations, religion, agricultural and fishery production, and articles processed or manufactured. The returns are arranged by electoral division within each county. The general abstract totals the information collected for each electoral district in all eighteen counties.

RG 20 Series C volumes 8-49 · Series · 1765-1905
Part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands

Forms part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands and consists of correspondence of the Commissioner of Crown Lands. Includes returns from deputy surveyors, drafts of grants, lists of grantees, lists of petitions, surveyors' reports, vouchers, receipts, some annual reports, abstracts of petitions, memoranda, appointments, bonds of surveyors, and royal instructions about granting land. Series also includes petitions, memorials, warrants to survey, and hand-drawn maps and plans of lands granted. Arranged mainly by County.

RG 53 volume 158 · Series · 1885
Part of Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Forms part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and consists of a book used by T.B. Akins, and others, for notes relating to reference inquiries. Notebook also contains "Directions for F.S.B." [Francis Stephen Beamish] relating to the organization of books and manuscripts of the Commissioner of Public Records.

2023-020 · Series · 1966-1983
Part of Rear Admiral Hugh F. Pullen

Consists primarily of correspondence relating to the search for William Hall’s military medals. Admiral Pullen and others wrote to organizations and institutions within Canada and abroad in their attempts, compiling documentation on the search as well as on William Hall himself. Also includes some material on the William Hall, VC memorial in Hantsport, Nova Scotia.

MG 1, vol. 2790-2845 · Series · 1885-1989
Part of Helen Creighton

Series forms part of Helen Creighton fonds and consists of correspondence received by Creighton primarily from the 1930s to the late 1980s, including letters from colleagues and collaborators, folk singers and musicians, informants, employers, publishers, some letters from friends, family and admirers, and a small portion of copies of outgoing correspondence. Series also contains scrapbooks assembled by Creighton and others, which include newspaper clippings, articles, programs and other ephemera concerning her career, ca. 1918-1986; her field journals and notebooks which contain daily descriptions of collecting trips, [193-?]-1960; transcripts of folk music and folk tale recordings; sheet music, 1885-1924; lyrics; personal diaries, ca. 1937-1962; draft manuscripts of books including Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia, Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia, Bluenose Ghosts, and her autobiography A Life in Folklore ; published and unpublished articles, short stories, songs, and poems by Creighton and other writers; research notes; newspaper clippings; contracts and royalty statements; lectures; broadcast scripts; reports; file cards; biographies of informants; index to songs and singers; certificates; and ephemera such as programs, brochures, and posters. Under the general subject of Maritime folklore and history, aspects of Creighton's work include folk songs, supernatural beliefs and superstitions, dances, games, cures, proverbs, and children's folklore. Series also contains records relating to Creighton's personal activities and her involvement with the Canadian Authors' Association, CBC, and other organizations.

Crown Lands grants maps
F/230 · Series · 1759-1970
Part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands

Forms part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands and consists of maps created by deputy surveyors relating to land grants in the province. Textual records accompany a few maps. Arranged alphabetically by county and chronologically within each county. Maps were created as part of the deputy surveyors' reports.

RG 20 series C volumes 85-93 · Series · 1753-1864, predominant 1784-1830
Part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands

Forms part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands and consists of records relating to the granting and, in a few cases, sale, of Crown Lands, including land grants, plans, surveys, petitions, warrants and correspondence. The records are arranged by County, as follows: Annapolis, Cumberland, Guysborough, Halifax, Kings, Lunenburg, Pictou and Shelburne, and chronologically within each county. When the records were arranged at the office of their creation, excerpts and copies of records were placed in order according to the date of the original document rather than the date of the copy, which was not recorded.

General correspondence
RG 53 volumes 1, 95-110 and 188 · Series · 1908-1991
Part of Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Forms part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and consists of correspondence relating to requests for information about the history of Nova Scotia, archival holdings, potential donations and acquisitions. Includes Halifax Branch of the Public Archives of Canada correspondence, 1922-1931.

1992-22 · Series · 1909-1992
Part of Mike Parker

Contains research materials and interviews for Mike Parker's book Guides of the North Woods: hunting and fishing tales of Nova Scotia (1860-1960). These records consist of 83 sound cassettes recorded of interviews made by Mike Parker with 57 informants, primarily male. Additionally, this series contains the textual material compiled and/or collected by Parker in the course of his research for the book. Records include photocopies of clippings, minutes of meetings, and other records relating to guiding and lumbering.

Journal of Titus Smith
RG 1 volume 380a-b · Series · 1801-1833
Part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands

Forms part of Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands and consists of journals Titus Smith kept while surveying Nova Scotia. Journals cover Smith's surveys of Western Nova Scotia and the Eastern Shore and Antigonish area. Along with description of land and property, the journals also provide lists of plants, grasses, shrubs, trees, and general observations about nature. Titus Smith toured the province to do this work in 1801-1802, on order of the government, to report on the suitability of lands for settlement.

Also included are:
Survey Notes 1829-1833
Receipts for Roadwork 1816-1829 (not inclusive)

Smith, Titus, 1768-1850
Official lists of electors
Series · 1967-1988
Part of Chief Electoral Officer

Consists of voters' lists compiled prior to provincial elections held in 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1984, and 1988. The lists contain the name, address, and sex of each voter as well as the bounds of the each electoral division. Lists prior to 1988 sometimes included the occupation of the elector. The Elections Act prescribes that voters' lists for urban areas be prepared in geographical order by streets, roads, and by apartment or unit numbers or, in the case of a large institution, in alphabetical order. Rural lists were prepared in alphabetical order by the last name of the elector.

Nova Scotia. Chief Electoral Officer
Paving Projects albums
2002-015 · Series · 1936, 1937, 1938
Part of Nova Scotia Department of Highways and Public Works

Forms part of Nova Scotia Department of Highways and Public Works and consists of three presentation albums containing photographs documenting the paving of sections of the Trunk highway system across the Province, and technical drawings of paving plants. The photographs predominantly show completed sections of Trunk highways, but there are also photographs showing the reconstruction process, laying drainage pipes, grading and paving, and photographs showing machinery, equipment, paving plants, pavement, and unidentified men working. Photographs also show automobiles, streetscapes, landscapes, residences, farms, businesses, bridges and other landmarks.

Albums are inscribed with the name of the R.W. McColough who was Chief Engineer (1924-1939) for the Department of Highways, then Deputy Minister (1939-1943) of Department of Highways and Public Works.

The 1936 Paving Project album documents the following paving projects: Sydney Contracts; Irish Cove, Portage, East Bay; James River - Heatherton; Saltsprings - New Glasgow - Broadway; Town of Pictou; Truro Contracts; Lantz - Shubenacadie; Middle Sackville - Ardoise School; Ardoise School - Wolfville; Middleton - Bridgetown; Saulnierville - Weymouth; Eel Brook Aboiteau - Arcadia Corner; Freshwater Brook - Pubnico Head; Queens-Lunenburg County Line - Broad River; St. Margaret's Bay Road; Preston Road.

The 1937 Paving Project album documents the following paving projects: Port Hawkesbury - St. Peter's; Monastery - Mulgrave; Broadway - Heatherton; Scotsburn Road - Alma; Kemptown - Saltsprings; Glenholme - Bass River; Atkinson Road - Springhill - Oxford; Truro Contracts; Fall River - Enfield; Middle Sackville - Ardoise School; Middleton - Annapolis; Annapolis - Victoria Bridge; Digby - Saulnierville; Meteghan - Darling's Lake; Pubnico Head - Arcadia Corner; Freshwater Brook - Pubnico Head; Walls Corner - Birchtown; Bridgewater - Queens-Lunenburg County Line; Mahone Bay - Bridgewater - Lunenburg; Hubley's - Halifax-Lunenburg County Line.

The 1938 Paving Project album documents the following paving projects: St. Peter's - Irish Cove; Port Hawkesbury - St. Peter's; Monastery - Mulgrave; Heatherton - Monastery; Kemptown - Saltsprings; Upper Moose River - Atkinson Road; Bass River - Upper Moose River; Fall River - Enfield; Broad River - Wall's Corner; Birchtown - Atwood Brook.

Petitions
RG 5 series GP · Series · 1780-1907
Part of Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Forms part of Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and consists of petitions and memorials addressed to the governor or lieutenant governor. Covers a wide range of subjects, some falling within the jurisdiction of the Legislature, to which petitions were often referred for consideration. Also includes requests for appointment to provincial office - especially notary public, justice of the peace and magistrate - and for the award of patents.

1987-187; 1990-035; 1992-351; 1992-352; 1995-362 · Series · [1850]- 1989
Part of Helen Creighton

Series forms part of Helen Creighton fonds and consists of photographs (albums, prints, negatives, glass slides, postcards) created and accumulated by Creighton in the course of her personal and professional life. From ca. 1910-1920 the Creighton family operated a private darkroom in their home, and the early period of Helen's life is subsequently well-documented. Images include portraits of several generations of Creighton family members and friends taken mostly between ca. 1850-1930 (some unidentified); Creighton's childhood activities and family travels; college and early work experiences including the Royal Flying Corps and Nova Scotia Red Cross Caravan; scenes of Nova Scotia, including Halifax and Dartmouth after the Halifax Explosion; her informants at Devils Island, Cape Breton and other communities; Mi'kmaq singers; musicians, friends, and associates; folk festivals and conferences attended; Canadian Authors' Association tours; honourary degree and awards ceremonies; productions based on her publications and life such as "The Collector"; and her family home "Evergreen". Several family photographs and publicity photographs were taken by professional photographers. Series also includes drawings of Helen Creighton and Mrs. Dennis Smith, and ink drawings of birds by Ed McCurdy; one includes the sailing vessel SS Helen, Dartmouth.

Series · [ca. 1937]-[ca. 1968]
Part of Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Forms part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and consists of photographs of the exterior and interior of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia when it was located on the campus of Dalhousie University, Halifax. Photographs show the outside of the building and entrance, the library, the showroom (museum and art gallery), the Provincial Archivist's office, patrons, public research areas, and artefacts. Many of the photographs were undoubtedly commissioned by the Provincial Archivist, particularly those taken in the 1960s. Some of the photographs are undated.

RG 53 volumes 129-141 · Series · 1929-1984
Part of Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Forms part of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and consists of subject file accumulated by Phyllis R. Blakeley on a wide variety of topics relating to the administrative and operational functions of the archives.

Public Works and Services
Series · 1766-1930
Part of Treasury Papers

Series forms part of Treasury Papers and consists of records outlining the interests and responsibilities of the Public Works and Services Board of the Provincial Government. It has been further broken up into several subject categories, as follows:
• Public Buildings principally concerns Province House, House of Assembly and Government House, but also Market House, Parsonage House, the Governor’s farm and the Lord Bishop’s Estate. Records regard repairs to the buildings, lists of supplies, rents and assorted bills. These records also include accounts and lists regarding carpenters, masons and other labourers, as well as suppliers from the community.
• Records regarding Education primarily consist of Provincial government warrants for services, such as teaching, repairs, and supplies, as well as records of funds for the establishment of public schools and various educational institutions across the province. Institutions documented include, but are not limited to, the Academy at Windsor, Grammar School in Halifax, College at Windsor, Kings College, Acadian School, Dalhousie College, Academy at Pictou, School for Orphans and Poor Children, National School, Halifax Catholic School and Horton Academy.
• The Provincial Government, through the Board of Works and The Commissioners for the Settling of Isle Sable, took great interest in Sable Island and in safeguarding its potential trade and investment. These records include accounts of voyages to and from the Island, shipwrecks on its shore, the lighthouses, settlement and settlers, and descriptions of the Island and its ecology. Records demonstrate several ways the Government generated revenue from the Island, including the salvage of shipwrecks (appeals from shipwrecked crews are also included), and the sale of such products as oil, skins, cranberries and horses. Records include accounts of settlers and officials on Sable Island (Edward and William Hodgson), agreements between the Commissioners and ships’ captains or Masters (Joseph Darby, William Cook), receipts and lists of supplies and services, wages for labourers, and funds set aside for the support of the settlement.
• The expenses of the Halifax Poor House and Poor Relief in general fell under the banner of Public Works for a period between the 1760s and 1860s. These records focus on government expenditures in support on the Poor House in Halifax, but also contain some records (mostly warrants) for the support of the transient poor and the Orphan House. Communications from the Master of the Poor House at Halifax (John Woodin) and the accounts of the Overseers of the Poor for things such as burials, coffins, and clothing are also included. Many of these records include lists of residents maintained and supported in the Poor House, often mentioning any ailments and other details. The Master and Keeper of the Poor House (Jeremiah Marshman) provided monthly memorials and accounts, which are included, as well as his financial transactions with the Treasury and the Overseers of the Poor.
• Workhouse and Jail records mostly regard construction and repairs to the buildings, as well as payments to the Sheriff and to the Keeper of the Workhouse and the Halifax Bridewell.
• Board of Works general expenditures and accounts include receipts from the Receiver-General and Quarterly Accounts Current.
• Records of Revenue Boats mostly consist of expenses for supplies and maintenance, principally of the schooner ‘Hunter’ (Charles L. Leonard, Commander), which was ‘employed to prevent illicit trade in the Bay of Fundy and elsewhere.’ These revenue boats were used in the service of the Superintendent of Trade and Fisheries (George Leonard) for the prevention of smuggling, though occasionally these ships were sent on missions to supply the Navy. Records also regard the payment of employees, the suitability, qualities and maintenance of the ‘Hunter’, the schooners ‘Union’ and ‘Vaughn,’ embargos and trade with the United States, and the Halifax Steam Boat Company.
• Electric Telegraph Company records detail posts and lines, with tenders and applications for their supply. Also included are some communications between the Commissioners of the Nova Scotia Electric Telegraph and the Associated Press.

Also included with the Public Works records are accounts for the Hospital for the Insane, including lists of patients being maintained by the Province and as accounts of supplies and services provided, as well as information on labourers employed in the construction of New Market House and accounts and receipts of the Commissioners of Public Markets

1993-29 · Series · 1950-1997
Part of Mike Parker

Includes taped interviews and other research material assembled by Mike Parker during the course of his research for his book Running the Gauntlet.... There are 55 interviews conducted by Parker with Canadian men who served as Merchant Seamen during World War II. The interviewees discuss their personal experiences as merchant seamen including the ships they served on, convoys, conditions on board the vessels, cargo, dangers encountered at sea, capture, internment and release, veteran status, benefits acquired, etc. Fifty of the fifty-five interviews are represented in Parker's book.