For viewing times, please make an appointment.
Call 902-467-1211
The Museum features displays of the shipbuilding industry; Bear River being one of the great shipbuilding towns of the province, as well as agricultural, social, community, education, household and native M’ikmaq displays. A small admission fee is charged.
We reside in the Oakdene Centre, the former school in Bear River,
1913 CLEMENTSVALE RD
Bear River Historical Society 
Hi,
We are looking for a picture of the sloop MARY M ROMKY
Built at Smith Cove, N-S, 1902, 70,5 f. long for 77 tonneaux
Pierre-Philippe Landry
Sec. Société historique de la Côte-Nord
http://www.shcote-nord.org/
See listing Guysborough County Historical Societies for possible assistance:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canns/guysborough.html
It appears the “Mary M. Romkey” was built by Captain John Romkey in Necum Teuch on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore. Necum Teuch is near Smith Cove. According to a Romkey family history published on line:
http://www.anneontheweb.com/?p=10
the vessel was built in 1902 and weighed 77.10 tons.
I am looking for information of John Smith ( from Norway) & Mary Robinson ( from NS) who were married 8-6-1871 in Digby..civil record indicates St Marys Bay but I am not sure of that…residence on marriage record is Hillsburgh….they had at least 3 children born in Bear River 1873…1876 and possibly 1879.
These are my great grandparents….they came here to Boston about 1880…I have records from then on but is there anyplace I can contact for info while they were in Bear River area ??? John was a ships rigger.
Thank you
Kay Ford
reposted from Facebook:
Vbrd Vbrdeau
Hello Looking for family of William Wesley and Josephine Hortense Bradley of Bear River. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.. Thankyou
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Bear River Historical Society & Museum Hello!
Are these living people, or are you doing genealogy?
Is Wesley the middle or last name of Wm?
Give us some more info & we might be able to help, or to refer you someplace that could.
Thanks, & best wishes
jm
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Vbrd Vbrdeau Hello Jim… Who I am trying to find birth information on is Josephine (known as but not listed as Marjory) Wesley. She was born in Beaver River approximately 1899, she moved to Saint John, New Brunswick where she married John Richard Graves from Yarmouth (son of Daniel & Jerusa Beales). On her marriage license, she lists William as father – her mother was Josephine Hortense Bradley. The husband of Josephine is also listed as Arthur Willett Wesley (brother of brother Elsworth D). The sisters Josephine (whose birth record I cannot locate) and Effie (no birth record) married the brothers Arthur & Elsworth. However – there is an earlier reference to William having married Josephine and remarried (widowed) on Jan 18, 1910… So, there you are, I am quite confused now… Thankyou for any help to untangle this maze. Valerieps: it states on her marriage cert. as well that her father William was also born in Bear River.
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Bear River Historical Society & Museum Hi Valerie, BRHS also has a blog, where there seem to be more genaologists lurking. http://bearriverhistory.ca/ Maybe you can manage to paste your questions there – At the BR Museum we have digital copies of the Digby Courier, which I believe also carried Bear River news; most issues from 1877-1977 or so. You could stop in and have a browse. We also have a few books on specific families, but I could not tell you which ones, right now. Also, if you look back to earlier posts on this page I believe I posted some links to genalogy sites. They were posted in connection to our Family Photo workshop. Also check out the Admiral Digby Museum, in Digby, they have extensive genaology resources. Hope this helps – I’m not into genealogy myself, but I know where to send people! I’ll also try to tag this or forward it to catch teh attenton of the local people who might know the names. Hope this helps. (and that was jm, for Jenny M!)
Bear River Historical Society
bearriverhistory.ca
Nova Scotia, Canada
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Bear River Historical Society & Museum I note your reference to “Beaver River” as the birthplace of Josephine (Marjory) Wesley. That would certainly tie in more closely with your references to Yarmouth. i guess my question would be, “are you looking in Beaver River or Bear River”? While I am not immediately aware of Wesleys in Bear River, the surname ‘Wesley’ can be found in the Annapolis Royal area.
do you have any thing on a marriage for a charles Clark/e and an evelyn rice??? iw ould love to know the year
Looking for information on my 3rd great grandfather, George Wedon Harris. He died in Caribou Maine in 1892 and his death certificate says he was born in Bear River N.S. about 1910. Would love to know who his parents were and if he had any siblings. It appears from Bear River he ended up in Salisbury N.B. and from there went to Maine. Thank you for any information.
Correction. He was born in 1810 not 1910 in Bear River.
“31. B. Ivie-Allen. 2002. George Wedon Harris. e-mail 10 June 2002.
Beth Ivie-Allen sent this e-mail inquiry:
“The information I have about my direct line of Harris ancestors is as follows:
George Wedon Harris b. between 1810-1814 Bare River, Nova Scotia; d. 15 Dec 1892 Caribou, Maine; married Deborah Taylor. George and Deborah’s son:
Abner Taylor Harris b. 10 March 1857 Salisbury, New Brunswick; d. 8 May 1938 Perham, Maine; married Augusta Ann Lewis. Abner and Augusta’s son:
Fred Abner Harris b. 13 May 1886 or 1887 Washburn, Maine; d. 14 April 1955 in Flemming Settlement, New Brunswick; married Mabel Coburn 18 Aug 1909 Perham, Maine. Fred and Mabel’s daughter:
Avis Rebecca Harris b. 19 Nov 1912 Perham, Maine; d. 5 March 1968 Maine; m. Edward Keith Nickerson 31 Dec 1935.”
from: http://www.condortales.com/MaritimeCanada/a-harris-family-bibliograph.html
and possibly more info here: http://records.ancestry.ca/george_wedon_harris_records.ashx?pid=635061
Thank you, Flora, for your quick response. Beth is a cousin of mine. We have struggled for years to find out who George Wedon Harris parents were. I have the book The History of Annapolis County Nova Scotia and have spent many hours trying to link him to the Harris families listed in that book to no avail.
Visiting Bear River Oct 22nd and 23rd. I’m looking for information about my Grandmothers family. She was Mary E Kniffen, born Feb 6th, 1897, her father was Stephen Kniffen, and her mother was Melissa Kniffen. I’ve done a bit of research, and I see that there is a part of your town named after the family. I would love to know more.
I left you a pretty confusing phone msg. Please email me if that is easier. Thank you!