DATES OF CREATION:
1850 - 1965, predominant 1850 - 1950

PHYSICAL EXTENT:
1.49 m of textual records and other material

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY/BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
The first family member represented in the fonds is a Christopher Harper of Westmorland County New Brunswick who died 22 April 1876. His son, J. Chipman Harper, (1847 - 1928) was involved in education in Westmorland County and served as Secretary of the School Trustees in School District 11, the School Lands Committee and the Middle Sackville Baptist Church. He also served as Commissioner of Marsh Lands in the Tantramar area. J. Chipman Harper’s son, Donald Chipman Harper, (27 November 1904 - 4 May 1965) of Middle Sackville, was educated at the Middle Sackville Superior School and graduated from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He engaged in farming and took an active interest in agricultural affairs in New Brunswick. First elected to the House of Assembly in 1952, he was re-elected in 1956, 1960 and 1963. In 1963 he became a member of the Executive Council of New Brunswick, was appointed Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the NB Electric Power Commission in the government of the Hon. Louis J. Robichaud until 1963 when he was appointed Provincial Secretary-Treasurer. Member of the Liberal Party and follower of the Baptist faith, he also served as Treasurer of the Middle Sackville Baptist Church and Burying ground. He was married to Helen Hanson, daughter of Norman Hanson, Durham Bridge, New Brunswick in 1947 and they had one son, James Harper.

CUSTODIAL HISTORY:
Fonds was brought to Mount Allison University in 1977 by Mr. James Snowdon who had obtained it from Mrs. Donald C. Harper.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS:
Fonds consists of records created, collected, and used over the lives of three generations of Harper family members. The primary focus of the fonds is on the ownership and administration of Sackville Parish marsh properties. Records of the Commissioner of Sewers and Clerks of Commissioners, such as Alex Smith (1889 - 1899), H.R. Fawcett (1911 - 1919), Frank Palmer (1920 - 1927) and the New Brunswick Marshland Reclamation Commission [1949?] are included as well as records related to schools and Baptist Church functions.

The fonds is arranged in eight series
Series 1 - Harper family daybooks, business records, correspondence
Series 2 - Marsh records, assessments, account books, time books and maps
Series 3 - School District Number 11 records
Series 4 - School Lands Committee
Series 5 - Upper Sackville Burying Ground
Series 6 - Middle Sackville Baptist Church
Series 7 - Honourable Donald C. Harper, Member of the Legislative Assembly
Series 8 - Miscellaneous

SOURCE OF TITLE:
Title based on contents of fonds

ACCRUALS:
Not expected

ASSOCIATED MATERIALS:
None known

FINDING AIDS:
Inventory available at repository

IMMEDIATE SOURCE OF ACQUISITION:
Purchased from Mrs. Donald C. Harper through Mr. James Snowdon, 1977

LANGUAGE:
English

LOCATION OF ORIGINALS:
Mount Allison University Archives

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Not available

RELATED RECORDS:
Not applicable

ALL OTHER NOTES:
Not applicable

RETRIEVAL NO.:
7740

REPOSITORY:
Mount Allison University Archives

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS, USE AND REPRODUCTION:
Open for research purposes. Copying and/or publication only with written permission of the Mount Allison University Archives.