Beginnings

by Cleadie B. Barnett

AUSTIN - Henry Albert
Saint John City and County / Independent / 1874 / MLA

Henry Albert Austin was b. 11 Feb 1833, Scotchtown, Canning Parish, Queens Co, NB; d. 6 Jan 1911, at res. Mt. Pleasant Ave, Saint John, NB; bur. At Fenhill Cemetery, Saint John, NB. He was s/o Samuel Austin, Jr. (1892-1841) and Ann Marshall; grand s/o Samuel Austin, Sr. & Eva Gabel and John Marshall. All Loyalist.

{Samuel Austin, Sr. was a Virginia Loyalist, and one of the original grantees of Saint John, drawing lot 1295. He was an architect by profession, and m. Eva Gable, d/o David Gabel, a native of Frank-Fort on the Main. They had 10 children}

Henry was educated in the public schools, and Mt. Allison Academy. He located at Saint John, NB, and engaged in the mercantile business, and subsequently the insurance business, establishing a wide reputation. He was a director of the St. John Industrial School; the Deaf and Dumb Institution; and sat on the Portland Town Council. He was a member of the A.F. & A.M. and the I.O.O.F.

He was first elected to the House of Assembly of New Brunswick, as one of the members for St. John City and County, at the General Election of 30 Jun 1874, in support of free non-sectarian schools. Sat until dissolution in 1878, when he retired from active politics.

Henry Albert Austin, m. Jan 1876, to Minnie R. Easton, d/o Aaron Eaton, Esq, of Saint John. They had one son and two daughters.

1) Edna Laura, d. Aug 1836, unmarried
2) Ralph Waldo
3) Amelia Ray, d. 28 Mar 1922

Ancestry:
    Samuel Austin m. Eva Gabel. Samuel was a loyalist, born in the State of Virginia, where he left six brothers; came to St. John in 1783 and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by George Murray. He was by trade an architect and builder. He was drowned near Grand Point in July 1824, when coming up the lake in a small boat from Saint John, which contained beside himself, Rev. Abraham Wood and others. His body was never afterwards recovered. (For particulars of the accident, see WOOD, (Rev) Abraham.)
    John, James and Charlotte are still [1786 or 1876?] living. James lives in Enniskillen, Ontario and is a wealthy farmer and a Justice of the Peace. John lives at White's Cove, Queen's County, and is the only one of the family now in that county.
    M.D. and H.A. Austin, merchants at Indiantown (St. John) are sons of Samuel. H.A. Austin is a member for St. John City and County in the Assembly of New Brunswick.
Children:
01: Samuel John m. Ann Marshall
02: David m. Elizabeth Sypher
03: Catherine m. John Buzzell
04: Elizabeth m. John Shearer
05: James m. ? (moved and m. in ON)
06: Justus m. Rebecca Cox
07: Sarah chr. 28 Feb 1786, Gagetown, Queens Co, NB m. Issac Brown
08: John E. m. Ann Earl (res White's Cove)
09: Charlotte m. Alexander Clark

Ref: - see source list for more proper citation names

01: Graves Papers, vii / iii / p.12
02: Legislative Library file cards on politians.
    Date of election
03: History of Queens County New Brunswick - The Watchman - 1876, by E. Stone Wiggins
    To Saint John, 1783 - Architect & Builder
04: Gagetown Anglican Church Records
05: Early Loyalist Saint John, David Bell
    Came in Unit 34 aboard the GRACE / 11000 at NY to May 1784

Background from Wallpaper World   /   Bars from Hee Yun's Graphic Collection
Mounted on RootsWeb: 11 Oct 2001
This page was last Modified:Tuesday, 23-Sep-2003 12:09:54 MDT