David Raymond Amos@DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos@alllibertynews and 49 others Methinks some of the Irving Clan came over on
the same boat my Amos forefather did and Mary Keith claims not to
be related to the Keith Clan in Fundy Royal who are also my relatives
Small world N'esy Pas?
Early Irving in province deemed a 'poor squatter' in historic documents
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Murray Brown "New
Brunswick is home and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," Irving
said. "I am very proud of my New Brunswick roots."... He said from
Bermuda... His official residence?
Al Clark Irving: Bumming off NB for 200 years!
SarahRose Werner Poor squatter indeed. They're still not paying their fair share of property taxes!
David Amos
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: Oh So True
Shawn
Tabor They will have their chance, to be like their ancestors. Soon. Don’t forget to pay the ferryman... what a pathetic story.
David Amos
Reply to @Shawn
Tabor: Methinks I told you that some of the Irving Clan came over on
the same boat my Amos forefather did and that Mary Keith claims not to
be related to the Keith Clan in Fundy Royal who are also my relatives
Small world N'esy Pas?
June Arnott And
still they get free discounted stuff from governments today! I wonder
if their ancestors would care about how they have poisoned the lands
here
David Amos
Reply to @June Arnott: "And still they get free discounted stuff from governments today!" YUP
"I wonder if their ancestors would care about how they have poisoned the lands here" NOPE
Ronald
Parker And they are still asking today, why would they want to live anywhere else.
David Amos
Reply to @Ronald Parker: Methinks everybody knows the Irving Clan have been quite burden on their neighbours N'esy Pas?
Murray Brown
Reply to @Ronald
Parker: ... Actually... Isn't their 'official' residence Bermuda?
That's how they avoid taxes... Some people put their money in offshore
accounts... The Irving's just moved off shore and took their accounts
with them. Thus... No taxes whatsoever.
Early Irving in province deemed a 'poor squatter' in historic documents
Request for Crown land by an Irving ancestor marks start of rags-to-riches New Brunswick story
'Poor squatter' was written in pencil in this document related to George Irving's request to buy Crown land in 1835. (Submitted by Provincial Archives of New Brunswick)
Documents kept at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
detail the very first request for Crown land from a member of the
now-rich Irving family.
A letter from Scottish immigrant George
Irving sent to the province in 1835 gives an inside look at the
foundations of what would eventually swell to a family of billionaires
and one of the most powerful entities in Canadian history.
"In it they're asking for 100 acres," said Joshua Green, a photo archivist with the provincial archives.
"It's somewhat of a small grant request," said Green. "Lots of
people would ask for a lot more than 100 acres, and sometimes would get
it."
"It's seems to be they are a typical bunch of Scottish settlers," said Green.
Photo
archivist Joshua Green, says the petition for 100 acres of land is the
first request for Crown land by a member of the now-famous Irving
family. (Shane Fowler/CBC)
Today, 184 years later, descendants of that "typical bunch of Scottish settlers" are some of the richest people in Canada.
George Irving's grandson, James D. Irving would own and operate a sawmill and a trio of farms.
His
son K.C. Irving became the founder of many of the companies the family
name is known for. His eldest son, J.K. Irving, has operated J. D.
Irving Ltd., the family's massive forestry division, and his second son,
Arthur, has run Irving Oil.
The family also owns shipbuilding
operations and nearly every newspaper in New Brunswick, and has become
one of the largest landowners in both Canada and the United States.
The
letter, dated Nov 5, 1835, is a request from George Irving to the New
Brunswick government of the day to purchase the land he had built a
house on in Richibucto. (Submitted by the New Brunswick Provincial Archives)
This second half of the letter from George Irving completes his request for land. (Submitted by the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick)
And the Irving empire got its start, in
part, with a letter addressed to Maj. Gen. Sir Archibald Campbell,
lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick.
It's a petition from George Irving of Richibucto, which the writer says:
"Humbly sheweth,
"That
your petitioner is a British subject and desires to purchase one
hundred acres of vacant Crown land on the north west side of the Mill
Branch of Richibucto River, adjoining below the affiliation of Adam
Armstrong. On which your petitioner has lived three years, and built a
house, besides clearing about ten acres.
"Your petitioner lived in
a part of the country where but little intercourse with the world
exists, and he consequently did not hear of the notice requiring the
entry of his application before the 1st November; but as he is prepared
at present after great pains … to pay the first instalment, he most
humbly prays that your Excellency will be graciously pleased to permit
him to obtain the land at private sale, and at two shillings and six
pence the acre."
Although it is unclear who penned the letter dated Nov. 5, 1835, it is undersigned by George Irving of Richibucto.
According to the archives, the two shillings and six pence he paid per acre would be the equivalent of $1,440.52 Cdn today.
'Poor squatter'
The
government of the day followed up George Irving's petition with a
series of assessments of the property, which included a detail about
Irving's financial circumstances.
"On this one there are a number of different notes, and different hands on it, on the back of the document," said Green.
"And
there is a little pencil note — everything else is written in different
types of ink — but there is a strange pencil note that almost seems out
of context that says "poor squatter."
The
George Irving land petition includes the words 'poor squatter' to
describe the Scottish immigrant. It is unknown who wrote those words. (Submitted by the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick)
Green said it's not known who wrote those words nearly two centuries ago.
"It could have been any clerk, or surveyor," said Green.
"It's
unusual that there would be any sort of editorializing on these types
of documents. They're usually pretty dry. They're government forms. And
there was a standard way that government would respond."
George
Irving's request to purchase the land was eventually approved. It would
be followed by other requests and purchases of land by son Herbert in
the same area.
Proud of roots
That area would essentially become ground zero for the Irving family and its eventual empire.
CBC News requested an interview with someone from the Irving family.
Mary
Keith, a spokesperson for J.D. Irving Ltd., responded with a statement
from J.K. Irving, the 91-year-old great-great-great grandson of George.
"New Brunswick is home and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," Irving said. "I am very proud of my New Brunswick roots."
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