See GC3HWQ3: Historic Saint John Series – County Courthouse for the first in the series.
Saint John is a city steeped in history. Commonly referred to as ‘the Loyalist City’ as well as ‘Canada’s Most Irish City,’ Saint John is Canada's oldest incorporated city (1785). Saint John is home to this country's oldest museum and farmers market. Saint John also established Canada's first police force. This city has been welcoming people from Eastern Europe, England and Ireland for centuries, with each group of immigrants leaving their unique imprint on Saint John culture, architecture and language.
One of the most famous educational institutions in the city is Saint John High School, but most of us in this city aren't quite as familiar with it's predecessor. The corner lot adjacent to GZ is in fact where it stood - The Saint John Grammar School. This was the first publicly funded school in Canada.
During the early 1800's, over 25 years after the original Loyalists found a home on these rocky shores of "Nova Scotia" (as the combined provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were known back then), churches abounded for the community's spiritual welfare, but no schools existed for educational welfare. Those who could afford it sent their children away, some to England, and some back to various New England towns, which in spite of everything were still "home" in the hearts of the Loyalist fathers and mothers. Those who could not afford any of these opportunities had to rely on Sunday Schools or any other such training that a busy household could find time for. The need for proper and adequate educational institutions was very strong. Many of the Loyalists were college graduates and fully realized the value of a practical and finished education. In their dreams for this city they had founded, there were visions of the achievements of the sons and grandsons standing beside them.
So on March 5, 1805, the New Brunswick Legislature passed, "An Act for encouraging and extending literature in the province." The passage of this act led to the creation of The Saint John Grammar School to meet the needs of a "... proper and adequate educational institute" for boys only.
Subsequently, on March 19, a meeting was held at which the full school board was present. Mayor Campbell made the announcement that the Common Council of the city of Saint John had granted 100 pounds toward the erection of a school building. The search then began for a suitable site for the building with the most eligible being a corner lot on King Street belonging to Trinity Church corporation. Pending an answer from Trinity Church, building plans were drawn up. But as it turned out, the King Street lot was not available. After a great deal of discussions had taken place, Mr. Thomas Horsfield, one of the largest land owners in the city, made an offer and after due consideration, was accepted. No record apparently was kept of the entire financial transaction with Mr. Horsfield. The records in the registry office show only that in consideration of five shillings Mr. Horsfield "granted, bargained and sold" to the President and Directors of the school board, two lots on Germain Street, making together an oblong square 100 x 200 feet, at an annual rental of 6 pounds. A condition was stipulated that a public street (current day Horsefield St.) was to be laid out through the property from what is now Germain Street to Charlotte Street. This new street was to be forty feet wide with twenty feet to be taken from the Grammar School lot.
The carpenter work was awarded to a Mr. Yenning and the first teacher hired was a Mr. Jameson who agreed to be ready to open the school on June 1, 1805. The next several months were unfortunately, a difficult time. Finally by May 30, 1806, the first pupil, Peter James Bowry, was admitted to the school. On June 1, 1806, Mr. George Ironside was appointed principal of the Grammar School.
The early years for this fledgling school were troublesome, to put it mildly. The staff faced many challenges and much instability.
It wasn't until April 20, 1812, before any definite rules and regulations were put into place governing the conduct of the school.
From 1812 to 1818 the Grammar School was torn between financial difficulties and incompetent principals. In 1818 after some trouble, two people were inadvertently hired as principals, one a Mr. Jonathan Wainright and a Mr. Bremner who on Mr. Wainright's appearance generously offered to resign. After a meeting of the Board, Mr. Bremner was established in the school. Mr. Bremner was also the Coroner for the County and City of Saint John, but this duty apparently didn't interfere with his school duties, but when he later accepted also the position of postmaster, the Board asked Mr. Bremner to resign from the last acquired office. This he declined to do and for two years or more continued to fill the positions of coroner, postmaster and principal. Apparently the staff was not totally satisfied with this arrangement, and in January, 1818, Mr. William Patterson, was hired to fill the position and began a long reign from 1819 to 1870 as principal.
"The Commons Schools Act" of 1871 led to the Grammar School coming under the supervision of the School Board and the creation of a girls' school. By 1874 the closing exercises of the Grammar School and the Girls' High School were a joint venture.
In 1876 the Victoria Building was opened as the girls' high school. Unfortunately a year later the Great Fire destroyed both this new school and the "... ancient looking wooden building..." on the corner of Germain and Horsfield. A new Victoria School for girls was opened in 1878 but the Grammar School was located in a variety of buildings until a new high school building was erected on Union St. for both boys and girls. It opened as Saint John High School in 1897. Even though the students were housed in the same building now, segregation of the sexes still existed. Few students would have received instruction from members of the opposite sex. A few activities, like the school orchestra was co-ed. This building served the students of SJHS until the 1930s when academic demands and curricular changes drove a need for the building of a new school - the current day Saint John High School
Congrats to the team of ynds and Sgt Pick on being FTF!