Kingsclear is a geographic parish in York County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Prior to the 2023 governance reform, for governance purposes it was divided between the city of Fredericton, the Indian reserve of Kingsclear 6, the incorporated rural community of Hanwell, and the local service district of the parish of Kingsclear, all of which except the Indian reserve were members of Capital Region Service Commission (RSC11). The LSD includes the special service area of Oswald Gray.
Origin of name The parish's name may be a shortening of King's Clearing, a reference to early clearing of forests in the area.
History Kingsclear was erected in 1786 as one of the county's original parishes. The parish ran twelve miles back into the country and included the islands in front of it in the Saint John River.
In 1845 Madam Keswick Island (Keswick Island and Mitchells Island) was transferred to Douglas Parish.
In 1850 the area behind Fredericton was included in the newly erected New Maryland Parish; Merrithews Island (Upper and Lower Shores Islands) was transferred to Douglas; and Kingsclear was extended back to the Charlotte County line. Book was poorly proofread, resulting in title typo and reuse of page numbers 145–152.
In 1855 the rear of Kingsclear was included in the newly erected Manners Sutton Parish. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
In 1867 Nevers Island and part of Sugar Island were transferred to Douglas.
In 1869 the 1867 changes were repealed. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
In 1903 the 1867 changes were reinstituted.
In 1973 Nevers Island was returned to Kingsclear. The original printed version is cited separately to distinguish it from the edited version available online.
Boundaries Kingsclear Parish is bounded: Remainder of parish on maps 126, 136, and 137 at same site. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 370, 389, 390, and 408 at same site.
on the north by the Saint John River; on the southeast by a line beginning on the Saint John River about 2.4 kilometres upstream of the Westmorland Street bridge and slightly downstream of Riverside Court, then running south-southwesterly along the prolongation of the western line of the University of New Brunswick Game Refuge and the Refuge itself to the rear line of Fredericton,This was the western boundary of Fredericton before the amalgamations of 1973 and is what's used in the Territorial Division Act. then running southwesterly about 23 kilometres along the New Maryland Parish-Hanwell boundary to the northeastern line of Manners Sutton Parish; on the southwest by a line running north 45º west, along the rear line of Hanwell and the southeastern line a grant to James Taylor on the western side of Route 640, to a point about 1.25 kilometres past Jewetts Creek; on the northwest by the prolongation of the northwestern line of the New Market Settlement Grants, which run along Route 3 east of Kings Landing, striking the Saint John River on the eastern side of Wheeler Cove; including all islands in the Saint John River in front of the parish except Upper Shores, Lower Shores, Mitchells, Merrithews, and Keswick, and part of Sugar Island roughly north and west of the Baseline Road.
Communities Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality, incorporated rural community or Indian reserve
Central Kingsclear Fredericton Garden Creek Springhill French Village Hanwell Somerset Park Starlite Village Island View Kingsclear Kingsclear 6 Longs Creek Mazerolle Settlement Newmarket Oswald Gray Smithfield Yoho
Bodies of water Bodies of waterNot including brooks, ponds or coves. at least partly within the parish.
Saint John River Glooscap Reach Grand Pass Scoodawakscook Bend Nasonworth Millstream South Branch Rusagonis Stream Currier Creek Garden Creek Kellys Creek Kellys Creek Basin Longs Creek Longs Creek Arm Shin Creek Mactaquac Lake Murray Lake Tower Lake Yoho Lake
Islands Islands at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use
Burpee Island Clements Island Currie Island Dunphy Island Eqpahak (Savage Island) Hartts Island Jewett Island McGibbon Island Murray Island Nevers Island Parsnip Island Pitt Island Ross Island Sugar Island
Other notable places Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish. Mactaquac Dam University of New Brunswick Wildlife Refuge Woolastook Provincial Park
Demographics Parish population total does not include Hanwell, Kingsclear 6 Indian reserve, and portion within Fredericton
Population Population trendStatistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census Census Kingsclear Hanwell Total Population Change (%) 2016 2,822 4,7507,572 2.4% 2011 revised 2,651 4,7407,391 0% 2011 7,391 --7,391 10.5% 2006 6,689 --6,689 5.4% 2001 6,349 --6,349 4.6% 1996 adj 6,653 --6,653 13.8% 1996 5,844 --5,844 15.6% 1991 5,055 --5,055 N/A "2011 revised" reflects the result after the creation of the Rural Community of Hanwell
Language Mother tongue language (2006)2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Kingsclear Parish, New Brunswick Language Population Pct (%) English only 5,760 86.68% French only 655 9.86% Other languages 185 2.78% Both English and French 45 0.68%
See also List of parishes in New Brunswick
Notes
References
External links City of Fredericton Hanwell Rural Community Kingsclear Local Service District Upper Kingsclear community York Rural Community Project