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ESTHER CLARK WRIGHT ARCHIVES
ACADIA UNIVERSITY
WOLFVILLE, N.S.
2 Daniel W. Crockett sous-fonds. - 1858 - 1896. - 31 cm of textual records. - 4 maps on 3 sheets : ms., ink and hand col. in pencil crayon ; 2.2m x 0.5 m and smaller. - 1 photograph : sepia toned ; 28 x 15 cm
Daniel W. Crockett, son of James and Mary (Munroe) Crockett, was born 12 September 1836 at Marshdale, Pictou County, NS. He married Mary Jane (Jennie) Rood of Indian Harbour (now Port Hilford), Guysborough Co., on 18 December 1867. They had 12 children, including the donor of this fonds, Asa James Crockett. (See Appendix for Crockett genealogy.)
Daniel attended the Presbyterian Theological Seminary at West River, Pictou Co., NS for one year, in 1852. He was not interested in the ministry but, rather, went there to prepare himself for a career in teaching. While there he studied Greek and Latin grammar, mathematics (including surveying and navigation), natural philosophy, history, and geography. There then followed a number of teaching appointments - at West Branch, Pictou Co. (1853); Elmsdale, Hants Co. (1856); Halifax (1856-1858); Churchville, Pictou Co. (1858 - 1860); and Green Hill, Pictou Co. (1860).
In 1861, gold was discovered in Guysborough County, NS. and Crockett gave up teaching to go to Wine Harbour, Guysborough Co. In 1864, he went into partnership with two others and they established a general merchandise store known as Isaac Willett and Co. Crockett was not only a shareholder, but was the partner who ran the business on a daily basis for a wage of $400.00 per year. He also got involved in gold mining, and ship building and shipping. He became quite prominent and eventually became a manager of the Eldorado Gold Mine. He also held the positions of Deputy Land Surveyor and Deputy Gold Commissioner for the province. He later took on a contract for putting the Western Union Telegraph lines through from Canso to Halifax.
After losing his Wine Harbour store to a fire in the autumn of 1881, he and his family moved to Pictou County to live in Hopewell, where he became a shareholder in the Hopewell Woollen Mills Co., functioning as its Secretary. Unfortunately, in 1888 the mill burned and it appears that Crockett then continued as a land surveyor, Commissioner of Mines, and a flour and feed merchant. A letter from his brother-in-law Captain Asa Rood, ca 1892, indicated that Crockett was considering retirement. Crockett died sometime between 1896 and 1901.
East Pictou Families and Genealogies. - [1914]. - 1.5 cm of textual records
File contains a typewritten volume that consists of a compilation of information about the history and early families of East Pictou County, NS. The title page states that the information was taken from the 1828 Colonial Patriot, and from the scrapbooks of Rev. A. McLean Sinclair of Hopewell, NS. Although not dated, references in the text make it apparent that it was written ca. 1914 by an undetermined author. The Crockett family genealogy occupies the end of the volume and it is annotated/updated in A.J. Crockett’s handwriting.
Note: Title transcribed from volume
Asa James Crockett. - 1889. - 1 photo : b&w ; 10.5 x 16 cm
Photograph shows Crockett as a young man.
Note: Photographer was A.I. Rice, New Glasgow, NS
Pictou’s Pioneer Period. - [19-]. - 5 cm of textual records
Between November 1957 and January 1959, Crockett wrote a series of articles for the New Glasgow News. The articles told the history of Pictou County during the years 1748 to 1783. Files consist of handwritten and typescript manuscripts of the articles.
Note: Title transcribed from items
Note: See also file 1900.012/1/3/16, a scrapbook of Crockett’s newspaper articles in which the final version of this series was pasted.
See also the Mary Kinley Ingraham fonds, accession 1944.001, for correspondence between Asa J. Crockett and Ingraham, who was the University Librarian during the time that Crockett made his donations. There are also A. J. Crockett records deposited at Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, Halifax, NS
1 Asa James Crockett sous-fonds. - 1852 - 1964. - 2.75 m of textual records. - 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 16 cm
Biography
Asa James Crockett was born in Wine Harbour, NS on 16 July 1870, the son of Daniel W. Crockett and Mary Jane (Jennie) Rood. He grew up in Wine Harbour and Hopewell, NS, attended school in New Glasgow and was a graduate of Pictou Academy. He graduated from Acadia University with a BA in 1892 and with a MA in 1919. Following a year spent as a school teacher, Crockett attended Rochester Theological Seminary from 1893-96. Prevented by ill health from pursuing a professional career, he returned to Nova Scotia in the late 1890s and after recovering from an operation, engaged in business from 1904 to 1916, in New Glasgow, NS, where he worked for I. Matheson & Co. Ltd., R. M. McGregor & Sons, and then J. W. Carmichael & Co., Ltd.
In 1916 Crockett was appointed a Stipendiary Magistrate, but in 1923 he was appointed the first full time juvenile court judge in Pictou County. . In addition to his service as a judge of the juvenile court, Crockett acted as chair of the court of referees under the Unemployment Insurance Act, for the counties of Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough, and Colchester.
Crockett had many interests. He was secretary of the Canadian Patriotic Fund, 1916-23. He was a member of the Board of School Commissioners for East Pictou, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Training School, the Nova Scotia Regional Library Commission, the Maritime Home for Girls, and the Interprovincial Home for Young Women at Coverdale, NB. A member of the First Baptist Church in New Glasgow, he served as secretary of the Baptist Social Service Board. He was a Charter Member of the Canadian Association of Social Workers and was extremely active in the Childrens’ Aid Society
Appointed a Governor of Acadia University in 1931, he gave many years of service to his alma mater. He also served for many years as a member of the University Senate. In 1951 he was the recipient of a D.C.L. (honoris causa) from Acadia University.
Asa Crockett’s wide ranging interests also included local history. For many years he wrote newspaper articles about Pictou County history.
Crockett married Jessie Boggs, daughter of M. F. and Louise Boggs of Hopewell. They had three daughters, Helen, Elma Louise, and Edith Marjorie. Helen and Elma were both graduates of Acadia University. Crockett was predeceased by his daughter Edith and his wife (in 1961). He died in 1966 at Hopewell, NS.
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