Northesk Parish, New Brunswick

Northesk is a geographic parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada.

For governance purposes it is divided between the city of Miramichi; the Indian reserves of Big Hole Tract 8 (North Half), Big Hole Tract 8 (South Half), Eel Ground 2, Indian Point 1, Red Bank 4, and Red Bank 7; the incorporated rural community of Miramichi River Valley, and the Greater Miramichi rural district. The city, rural community, and rural district are all members of the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission.

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between Miramichi, the various Indian reserves, and local service districts of Sunny Corner and the parish of North Esk, which included an area along Route 430 that is now part of Miramichi.

Origin of name
The parish was named in honour of the Earl of Northesk, third in command at the Battle of Trafalgar. Six of the parishes erected simultaneously in Northumberland County in 1814 were named for prominent British military figures.

History
Northesk was erected in 1814 from part of Newcastle Parish and unassigned territory to the west and north. It contained part of Newcastle Parish until 1824, and most of Southesk Parish along with parts of Derby until 1879.

Boundaries
Northesk Parish is bounded:


 * on the north by the Gloucester County line;
 * on the east by a line beginning on the Gloucester County line about 10.2 kilometres westerly of the Canadian National Railway line, then running south to the southeastern corner of a grant to Oliver Willard on the western side of Jones Cove;
 * on the south, beginning at Jones Cove and running up the Northwest Miramichi River to the mouth of the Little Southwest Miramichi River, then running north 45º west to the Victoria County line at a point about 150 metres south-southeast of Route 385;
 * on the west by the Victoria County line.

Evolution of boundaries
When Northesk was erected it had fairly similar boundaries to the combination of modern Northesk and Southesk Parish, although it contained part of the former town of Newcastle, from about the intersection of Newcastle Boulevard and Beaverbrook to Jones Cove; a triangle in its northeastern corner was part of Newcastle Parish.

In 1824 the boundary with Newcastle was moved to Jones Cove and ran more northerly, losing a triangle of land in the south but gaining a triangle of territory from Newcastle.

In 1830 the southern boundary west of Nelson Parish was moved north, removing a strip of territory with the modern Route 108 running through it. The lost area was transferred to Blackville, Blissfield, and Ludlow Parishes.

In 1850 the southern boundary with Nelson Parish was moved north, placing part of Warwick Settlement in Nelson. The boundary was moved back to its original location in 1856.

In 1879 the territory south of the Northwest Miramichi River and a line running northwest from the mouth of the Little Southwest Miramichi River was erected as Southesk Parish. This gave Northesk its modern boundaries.

Communities
Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality or Indian reserve; italics indicates a name no longer in official use


 * Big Hole
 *  Big Hole Tract 8 (North Half)
 *  Big Hole Tract 8 (South Half)
 * Boom Road
 * Chaplin Island Road
 * Curtis Settlement
 * Curventon
 *  Eel Ground 2
 * Eel Ground
 * Exmoor
 * Indian Falls Depot
 *  Indian Point 1
 * Lumsden Road
 * Maple Glen
 *  Miramichi
 * North Esk Boom
 * Popple Depot
 *  Red Bank 7
 * Sevogle
 * Strathadam
 * Sunny Corner
 * Trout Brook
 * Wayerton
 * Whitney

Bodies of water
Bodies of water at least partly within the parish.


 * Big Sevogle River
 * Little River
 * Little Sevogle River
 * Little Southwest Miramichi River
 * The Oxbow
 * Mamozekel River
 * Nepisiguit River
 * Devils Elbow
 * Moose Bogan
 * Nepisiguit Deadwater
 * Northwest Miramichi River
 * Portage River
 * Tomogonops River
 * Clearwater Stream
 * Little Millstream
 * Mullin Stream
 * Northwest Millstream
 * Hawgee Creek
 * Indiantown Creek
 * Castor Bogan
 * Packsack Lake
 * Sole Leather Lake
 * more than fifty other officially named lakes

Islands
Islands at least partly within the parish.


 * Chaplin Island
 * Copps Island
 * Exmoor Island
 * McHughs Island
 * McLaughlin Island
 * McNeill Island
 * Oldfields Island
 * Patsys Island
 * Quigley Island
 * Shaddick Island
 * Three Islands
 * Tozers Island

Other notable places
Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
 * Bellefond Protected Natural Area
 * Big Bald Mountain Protected Natural Area
 * Consolidated Mining and Smelting
 * East Branch Portage River Protected Natural Area
 * Freeze Lakes Protected Natural Area
 * Heath Steele Mines
 * Mount Carleton Provincial Park
 * Mount Carleton Wildlife Management Area
 * Mount Denys Protected Natural Area
 * Mount Elizabeth Protected Natural Area
 * Nepisiguit Protected Natural Area
 * Sevogle Airport
 * South Branch Big Sevogle River Protected Natural Area
 * Stony Brook Protected Natural Area

Demographics
Parish population total does not include Indian reserves and portion within Miramichi

Population
Population trend

Language
Mother tongue (2016)