"THANKS, DAN!" Campaign 
 
More than 15 years have passed since the untimely death of our friend and colleague, Dan Johnson. During that time various options were explored by the Saint John Branch of NBGS to memorialize his life and his contributions to history and genealogy in New Brunswick, finally settling on the objective of endowing two scholarships in history at the Saint John Campus of the University of New Brunswick.
 
Patrons
 
The Branch was fortunate to have three eminent persons serve as Patrons of the Campaign and their continuing support is appreciated.
 
David A. Ganong, O.C., BBA, MBA, is well known as the president of Ganong Brothers, Ltd.  Mr. Ganong has also served in many non-profit roles including Chair of the UNB Board of Governors and Chair of the NB Business Council. For this, and his outstanding business and community contributions he was granted an honorary degree from UNB in May 2012.
 
Marion Beyea was the Director of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick from 1978 until her retirement.  She served as founding president of the Canadian Council of Archives, president of the Association of Canadian Archivists, New Brunswick’s representative on the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Chair of the Committee on Best Practices and Standards of the International Council of Archives.
 
Dr. Gregory Marquis, BA, MA, PhD, is professor of history at the Saint John campus of UNB. He taught at several Canadian universities before moving to UNBSJ in 1999 to teach Canadian and criminal justice history.  Professor Marquis has served on the editorial boards of Acadiensis and the Social History of Alcohol and Drugs. He has also been active with several community organizations.
 
The endorsement of this campaign by these three eminent persons is appreciated.
 
The Fund
 
The intent of the Campaign was to provide two $800 scholarships each year to third- or fourth-year students in a bachelor’s programme or candidates in the master’s programme in the Department of History at UNBSJ. Only the income from the fund can be used to provide scholarships, the capital cannot be touched. Selection of the recipients will be handled by the University
 
Funding the scholarships in perpetuity required a capital sum of at least $50,000. To raise this amount the Branch called for support from all the members of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society as well as all the users of Dan’s Vital Statistics from New Brunswick Newspapers.
 
The Campaign
 
The fund-raising commenced in 2012 and continued for the subsequent six years.  All donations received are turned over to the Greater Saint John Community Foundation and administered by that organization. The Foundation was established in 1976 as a way for people to fund certain worthy causes. The Foundation currently administers more than 30 different scholarship and bursary funds and has over $18 million of assets under administration.
 
The roles of the Saint John Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society are to run the fundraising campaign and to monitor the number and amounts of each scholarship. The capital sum can never revert to the Branch.
 
At the end of the Community Foundation's 2019 fiscal year the fund balance exceeded $57,000 and several scholarships had already been awarded.
 
The PANB Web Site
 
Following Dan’s death, through the co-operation of Dan’s mother, Fay Johnson and Dan’s sister Celia and brother Mark, and with the assistance of the Friends of the Archives, as well as Marion Beyea, all of Dan’s Vital Stats were made available, free, on-line, from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. It is an unique resource and we owe a debt of gratitude to Dan for devoting two decades of his life to producing this outstanding historical and genealogical resource.
In addition to Vital Stats Dan also produced a vast quantity of genealogical and historic materials, which are listed in the bibliography below.
 
Daniel F. Johnson’s Biography
 
Daniel Fred Johnson was born on August 25, 1953 in Fort Fairfield, Maine, the youngest child of Fay (Tregunno) and Verdell C. Johnson. He grew up in Perth-Andover and graduated from Southern Victoria High School in 1971. He obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick in 1975 and settled into employment in the commercial and insurance fields.
 
Danny's early attentiveness to family stories and his own love of telling stories presaged his later passion for history and genealogy. His first employment in the field was as manager of a project sponsored by the Victoria County Historical Society collecting stories of the county for their annual publication, the Tobiquer. He stayed with the project long past its formal termination and between 1979 and 1990 edited the stories and saw to their publication. The undertaking fostered his interest in history, genealogy and publishing. 
 
Danny's work on his own family history and the knowledge and skills he gained as he did his research led to a broader involvement in genealogy and he began to assist with the searches of others. He taught one of the first organized courses in genealogy in Saint John in 1979. Along with a number of his students from that course, and others, Danny was instrumental in founding the New Brunswick Genealogy Society. He served as president of the Saint John Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society and as vice-president of the provincial body. He was also one of the first people to obtain certification through the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes. He remained supportive of the Institute's goal of achieving high standards of professionalism in genealogy. 
 
A frequent presenter at genealogical workshops and conferences, he also transcribed cemetery records, provided a genealogical research service for those who could not get to New Brunswick sources and advised and helped genealogists from across Canada and around the world, always generously, finding satisfaction in their successes. Danny was quick to embrace the computer as a tool for genealogy. He quietly and competently became one of the pre-eminent leaders in New Brunswick genealogy as genealogy became his passion and his full time occupation. 
 
Danny was interested also in the history of New Brunswick, particularly of Kings and Queens Counties, Saint John, the Loyalists, pre-Loyalist settlement and the military settlements of his native Victoria County. He was author of a number of articles and books on subjects ranging from specific families, to Jack the Ripper, to compilations of sources and records that would assist genealogists, such as World War l - Canadians at War: Victoria and Carleton Counties.
 
In 1995, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to local history and genealogy, Danny was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the American Association for State and Local History. 
 
Daniel F. Johnson died February 22, 2005.
 
 
Daniel F. Johnson Bibliography
 
Books
 
  • New Brunswick census of 1851 for Victoria County. Perth-Andover: D.F. Johnston, 1979.
  • The Johnson family of the Millstream: Descendants of Nathaniel Johnson, 1741-1829. Perth-Andover: D.F. Johnson, 1980.
  • New Brunswick Vital Statistics From Newspapers Volumes 1-5. New Brunswick Genealogical Society. Fredericton. (chairman of committee) 1982-1984.
  • Descendants of Nathaniel Johnson and Sarah Mersereau. Saint John: Daniel F. Johnson, 1984.
  • Vital Statistics From New Brunswick Newspapers Volumes 6-102. Saint John, NB: D.F. Johnson, 1985-2005. 
  • Saint John County and Work House Records, 1843-1850. Saint John, NB: D.F. Johnson, 1985.
  • Passengers to New Brunswick: The Custom House Records, 1833, 34, 37 & 38. Saint John: Saint John Branch, New Brunswick Genealogical Society, 1987.
  • Tobique Indian Reserve (Researcher/Compiler Daniel F. Johnson). Perth-Andover, NB?: 1987.
  • New Brunswick Lineages - The Ancestral Charts of over 250 researchers who trace their lineage to New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John: Daniel Johnston, 1988.
  • The New Brunswick Genealogist – Volumes 1& 2. Saint John: Daniel F. Johnson, 1988.
  • Cedar Hill Extension Cemetery: Saint John, N.B., Canada. Saint John: D.F. Johnston, 1989.
  • The South African War, 1899-1902: New Brunswick Men at War. Saint John: D.F. Johnson, 1989.
  • Genealogist’s Handbook For Atlantic Canada Research. (Chapter on New Brunswick) ed. Terrence M. Punch. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. 1989.
  • The Old Cedar Hill Cemetery and Carleton Burial Ground of Saint John West, N.B. Canada. Saint John: D.F. Johnson, 1990.
  • The Writings of W. O. Raymond – The New Brunswick Historical Journal – Spring, Summer, and Fall editions, 1991. Saint John, NB. Daniel F. Johnson, 1991.
  • The newsletter of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society. Saint John: Daniel Johnson, 1993.
  • Foot-Prints in Time. Saint John: New Brunswick Historical Society. 1994.
  • American Civil War: The Service Records of Atlantic Canadians with the State of Maine Volunteers. Saint John: D.F. Johnson, 1995.
  • The Irish Emigrants & Their Vessels: Port of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1841 to 1849. Saint John: D.F. Johnson, 1996.
  • The Ganong Family of New Brunswick – The Ancestor and Descendants of Thomas & Joanna (Barlow). Saint John, NB. by William Francis Ganong with additions by Daniel F. Johnson, 1997.
  • The Case Family of New Brunswick – The Descendants of Elisha Case & Waite (Hopkins). Saint John, NB. by Dr. Erastus Case with additions by Daniel F. Johnson, 1997.
  • Irish Emigration Through the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1841 to 1849. Saint John: Clearfield, 1998.
  • The Sherwood Family of New Brunswick – The Descendants of Andrew Sherwood & Martha (Curry). Saint John, NB. Daniel F. Johnson, 1999.
  • World War I: Canadians at War, New Brunswick: Victoria & Carleton counties : Military biographies of the men who enlisted in World War I from the counties of Victoria and Carleton, New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John: Daniel Johnson, 2003.
 
Journals
 
  • “State of Accounts.” Generations 2 (September 1979): 1- 10 .
  • “Pioneers of King’s County pt 1.” Generations 5 (August 1980): 1 - 2.
  • “1851 Census Returns. St. Martins East Point.” Generations 6 (November 1980): 23 - 24.
  • “Miscellaneous Passenger Lists to New Brunswick.” Generations 7 (February 1981): 36– 37.
  • “Naturalization Papers.” Generations 9 (October 1981): 28 - 33.
  • “Murder of Captain Clayton Tilton.” Generations 10 (December 1981): 28 - 30.
  • “Royal West India Rangers.” Generations 11 (March 1982): 28 - 34.
  • “St. Simon & St. Jude Anglican Church Cemetery, Belleisle Creek.” Generations 41 (September 1989): 39 -47.
  • “Was Brigham Young a Descendant of New Brunswick U.E. Loyalist?” Generations 42 (December 1989): 2 - 5.
  • “Militia Returns. Campobello and York County.” Generations 52 (June 1992): 39 - 42.
  • “News & Notes – The Empty Library Shelf.” Generations 63 (Spring 1995): 64.
  • “Normal School Students. Fredericton, New Brunswick August 1885.” Generations 66 (Winter 1995): 21 - 22 .
  • “Normal School Students. Fredericton, New Brunswick January 1885.” Generations 66 (Winter 1995): 18 - 20 .
  • “Loyalist Graves at Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick.” Generations 20.3 (Fall 1998): 9 - 12.
  • “Old Burial Ground, St. Stephen.” Generations 64 (Summer 1995): 23 - 24.
  • “Old Steamboat Days on the Lower St. John.” Generations 19.4 (Winter 1997): 2 - 4.
  • “Roots of the Mysterious Stranger.” Generations 64 (Summer 1995): 10.
  • “The Sharp Family.” Generations 2: 24.
  • “Soldiers of the King’s New Brunswick Regiment.” Generations 55 (Spring 1993): 8 - 12.
  • “Grandmothers of Kings County.” Generations 22.4 (Winter 2000): 13 - 18.
  • “Old Bible Inscriptions.” Generations 23.2 (Summer 2001): 32.
  • “Treasure Trove or Pile of Junk.” Generations 24.3 (Fall 2002): 21.
  • “Masters & Mates 1871-1893.” Generations 25.4 (Winter 2003): 2 - 6.
  • “Masters & Mates 1871-1893.” Generations 25.2 (Summer 2003): 2 - 6.
  • “Masters & Mates 1871-1893.” Generations 25.1 (Spring 2003): 2 - 6.
  • “Voyage from Kinsale, Ireland to Saint John.” Generations 26.1 (Spring 2004): 6 - 8.
page updated Mar 2021