Christmas 1868 In New Brunswickers' Own Words

Five years after the events in this article, Juliana Horatia Ewing would publish a Christmas short story called ‘Old Father Christmas’ which was set somewhere suspiciously reminiscent of Fredericton. In the story two children spot an old man carrying a tree down the road and spy on him, suspecting that he is Santa Claus. The old man slips on some ice and takes a nasty fall, and the spying children rush to get help. The children save the old man, who, it turns out, actually was Santa. This 1873 illustration of the story was made by Gordon Brownie.

Let’s read some New Brunswickers’ diaries and letters from 153 years ago to see how, in their own words, they celebrated Christmas in 1868!

This story appears in the book Backyard History: Forgotten Stories From Atlantic Canada’s Past Volume Two order a signed copy from the author here!

That Christmas Eve Georgina Parry wrote in her diary that she had driven her horse and sled to Fredericton’s orphanage to deliver “shirts, dresses, and petticoats to all the children.” She had ordered the clothing from England, and was quite relieved when the box had arrived on the 19th, as she was growing concerned it wouldn’t make it for Christmas.

She then drove the orphans to the Exhibition where they had a special tea party, and decorated a large outdoor Christmas tree.

Throughout the holidays, Georgina Parry was suffering a persistent toothache. A potential cause could have been New Brunswick’s Christmas doughnut tradition, which verged on obsession.

In 1808 The Saint John Globe newspaper wrote: “The doughnut is the king of the feast: fat, juicy, and crisp, well cooked and wholesome. We are half ashamed of them, though a requisite of Christmas culture, we eat them in a furtive manner. Most old fellows carry doughnuts around in their pockets, and eat them at all sorts of unreasonable hours. Some families make them by the barrel.”

Elizabeth Ann Odell, who was considered one of the better cooks in Fredericton, had brought some of her homemade Christmas doughnuts to Georgina’s house days earlier.

Odell jotted down her doughnut recipe on a blank page of a book which was recently discovered in a Fredericton attic. She called it “Elizabeth’s Healthy Doughnuts” and wrote: “a cup and a half of sugar, one of sweet milk, two eggs, one tablespoonful of butter, one teaspoonful cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, add 3 ¾ cups flour until it is almost as stiff as pie crust. Cut into U shape, twist the ends, and fry in hot lard.”

Possibly after a taste test she added: “Update: Suggested additions – 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla. A few grains of salt. Ginger, soured cream, molasses, or nutmeg to taste.”

That Christmas Day was Georgina Parry’s 24th birthday, which she mentioned only briefly in small print in the margins of her diary. On that day she attended a Christmas Military Service at the Barracks that morning, then drove to the Cathedral for the Christmas service.

After Church she visited her friend Juliana Horatia Ewing, but wrote that she “found her in bed with a cold and feverish attack.”

Juliana Horatia Ewing was a famous British author who was living in Fredericton with her husband Alexander, who was part of the British Garrison stationed there. For the preceding week she had been bedridden with a bad flu.

That Christmas morning Alexander had brought her breakfast in bed. Then, in a case of rather poor timing, he informed his sick wife that he was likely to be deployed somewhere else when they departed Fredericton. This meant it would be several more years before they would return home to England.

Juliana wrote a letter to her sister describing her reaction: “I couldn’t hold out and when Rexie came in to talk about it I broke down and had a regular good cry — I knew it was very selfish for he prefers being abroad and I expected him to be quite vexed — but I couldn’t keep it back. But oh! He was so kind! He sympathized and comforted me & made me feel all right again — I have never loved him so much!”

Her husband left to lead the Barracks’ Christmas event, while Juliana stayed home alone – she had given her servants the day off so that they could enjoy their own Christmas with their families.

Juliana wrote to her sister that while alone she heard a knock on the door. She struggled out of bed and to the door to answer it. When she opened it there was no one there, but on her step sat a mysterious wrapped up package. Attached to it was an anonymous note thanking her for putting up with them all year. Inside the package was what she called a “VERY pretty” silver coffee pot.

On the other side of Queen Street from the Barracks where the morning Christmas celebration was held, stood a candy shop owned by Charles Sampson. An advertisement in the Colonial Farmer newspaper had announced that “Santa Claus has appointed Charles A. Sampson, Confectioner, Agent for the Holiday season.”

Santa and Charles Sampson must have had quite the close working relationship indeed – four years later his little candy shop on Queen Street would be the first ever place in New Brunswick Santa would ever make an in-person appearance.

Up the hill stood UNB, where 19 year old Robert Raymond was a student whose exams finished December 20th. He wrote in his diary that after their exams the students were assembled and the President “declared the term closed.” The students responded to the announcement by singing Auld Lang Syne three times. Raymond wrote that evening his Professors “opened their hearts and gave us a couple of turkeys, to make amends for all former lackings.”

As one of only three Saint Johners attending UNB, Raymond went home for the holidays, where he found his family “all well and happy to greet me.” That Christmas Day he went to two separate church services, first in Saint John and later in Lower Norton. Raymond wrote that the churches were joyfully decorated, and the services “quite animated and humorous,” but also declared “the singing was not extremely good.”

Raymond wrote that one Minister offered the young ladies dating advice in his Christmas sermon: in order to measure how good of a husband a man will make, they should observe how he treats his mother.

Outside of New Brunswick’s major cities, there were fewer options for Christmas entertainment. On the Kingston Peninsula, farmer Benjamin Crawford’s Christmas Day diary entry read simply: “We thought to take a sleigh ride but the ice was too thin so we came back again.”

Railway workers at the Prince William Train Station had to work on Christmas Day. When they arrived at the station they were surprised to find awaiting them was “a nice large turkey accompanied by all the necessary fixings for a good dinner.”

They published a thank you note to the mysterious turkey-giver in the Saint John Globe: “May your shadow never grow less and you live to a good old age, and may many likewise show you the kindness you showed these forgotten railway men on Christmas.”

This story appears in the book Backyard History: Forgotten Stories From Atlantic Canada’s Past Volume Two order a signed copy from the author here!

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