Our Holdings
Here are just some of our archival holdings
Family Records
- Papers of Loyalist Reverend Jacob Bailey (1759–c.1800); his journals, letterbook and sermons.
- Cronin family papers (1763–c.1910). Family papers of Irish-born Dennis Cronin, a native of Ballinlanders, County Limerick, who arrived in Granville in 1783 with the Loyalist evacuation of New York; his nephew and heir, Darby Cronin, a prominent merchant in Lower Granville; and Darby’s son John, and grandson Daniel, both sea captains involved in trade with ports in Massachusetts. Papers include two journals kept by Dennis Cronin during his time as a corporal with the British army, one while stationed in the Caribbean at the conclusion of the Seven Years War, the other during time spent in New Rochelle, New York; also letters to and from members of the Irish diaspora.
- Elizabeth Delancey – her cyphering book c. 1800
- Delap family papers (1884–1891), including the ship’s log of the barque Lancefield
- Lent/Ruggles family papers (1798–1945), including the will of Hercules Lent of New York, father of Loyalist Abraham Lent, an early settler of Clements. Papers include contract for building a sailing ship in 1848.
- Mills, Pickup, Ritchie and Shafner families – their scrapbooks and papers.
- Isabella Owen, Maria McClafferty and Hortense Gilliatt – their scrapbooks, first half of the 20th century
- Perkins family papers (c.1860–c.1960). Photographs and papers of descendants of Rev. Cyrus Perkins, Anglican successor to Rev. Jacob Bailey at St. Luke’s. Grandson Cyrus and great- grandson William R. operated hotels in Annapolis Royal, first the original Queen Hotel and later the Hillsdale House.
Public records
- Various maps, licenses, certificates and commissions.
- Several Granville Marsh Body records (1890–1968).
- Records of Carman O’Dell as Provincial Game Inspector (1903–1919)
- Insurance plans of Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry (1906–1924)
- Granville area school records (1860–1980s)
- Records of Boy Scouts of Canada, Annapolis Royal (1930–1992)
- Records of the Granville Hearse Co.
- Act incorporating the Willing Workers Society of Lower Granville (1928)
- Records of the Junior Reading Club (1928–1960s)
Business records
- Frederic Beeler, cobbler in the Annapolis area, and his son, George F. Beeler – ledger c. 1819
- Eben Cutler, dry goods merchant in Annapolis – ledger 1790–1793
- Gilbert F. Ditmars, Moose River (Clementsport) – ledger 1832–1841
- Fortier Lumber Company and Annapolis Hardwood Company- shipping records, first half of the 20th century
- Lequille Carding Mill – business ledger 1903–1948
- Ernest Mills – shipping records concerning A.D. Mills & Sons, Pickels & Mills, and Ernest A. Mills Enterprises, including records of the schooner F.W. Pickels
- Hotel registers
Photograph collections
The archive holds thousands of photographs relating to the Annapolis Royal area and its environs. Many have been donated individually over the years, but the collection also includes family photograph albums, as well as photograph collections on the reconstruction of the Port Royal Habitation, the building of the Annapolis River Causeway, and early apple production and associated pest control. In addition there are collections of images by a number of professional photographers in the area. Most of the photograph archive has been digitized.
Check out our Sample Photographs section to view a sample of our photograph collections.
