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New Brunswick Tourism Region : Southeastern New Brunswick
Description From Owner:
- The area was first settled by the Acadians and known by a number of descriptive names: La Chappelle (the chapel), Le Coude (the elbow [in the Petitcodiac R.]), and Terre Rouge (red ground, for the red banks of the river).
- Following the expulsion of the Acadians, the lands were resettled in 1765 by Pennsylvania German immigrants. Family names such as Stief (Steeves), Lutz (Lutes) and Trietz (Trites) are still common throughout the district.
- The new settlers landed at a place the Acadians had called Panacadie, but which the newcomers renamed Halls Creek for John Hall, captain of the sloop that had brought them from Pennsylvania.
- For a time this place was also called The Bend, after the bend in the Petitcodiac R. It was renamed Monckton for Robert Monckton (1726-1782), commander of the British expedition against Fort Beauséjour in 1755.
- In 1786 the 'k' in the name was omitted by clerical error in official documents and the place name Moncton was used.
- In 1930 a campaign was mounted to replace the missing letter and 'in a burst of sentimental enthusiasm,' as a local newspaper reported, the name was changed and for 36 days the city was again officially Monckton.
- The public did not support the change and following a public outcry the council resolution was rescinded and the 'incorrect' name was returned.
- Bernard Lord (1965-), New Brunswick's youngest premier, who served from 1999 to 2006, was born in Roberval, Que., but calls the Moncton area home.
- Moncton was also home to a premier who enjoyed the shortest term in office -23 days. James Alexander Murray (1864-1960) was sworn into office on Feb. 1, 1917 and the next day called an election for Feb. 24,1917.
- As minister of agriculture in Premier Flemming's government, Murray had announced 'The Patriotic Potato Gift,' New Brunswick's contribution to the First World War effort. The plan was to ship 50,000 barrels of potatoes to the people of Great Britain and
- Party faithful pressured the Conservative government to buy potatoes only from party supporters, pay-offs and kickbacks abounded, inferior potatoes were purchased, few were shipped overseas and most wound up rotting on piers and in ship holds.
- The budget was wildly exceeded and the government concocted an elaborate coverup. During the brief and bitter campaign the Liberals capitalized on the potato scandal and won the election.
- Moncton also was the birthplace o Clifford William Robinson (1866-1944), premier from 1907 to 1908.
- Westmorland County: The county borders on Nova Scotia at the Isthmus of Chignecto and was established in 1786.
- The name was chosen because it was contiguous to Cumberland C. in Nova Scotia which then was the case with two similarly named counties in England.
- With permission from 'New Brunswick Place Names' David E. Scott 2009
Address of this page: http://nb.ruralroutes.com/Moncton
