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Alexander Donald MacNeil, (1867-1892) was born in Orangedale, Cape Breton. He was the son of the late James & Julia (MaxQuarrie) MacNeill. He received his early education in a one-room Orangedale school, attended Sydney Academy where he received a medal for excellence in literature and began writing poetry. He attended Queens University in Kingston, Ont. His education was interrupted when his mother died (1884) and while returning home he and his brother were caught in a snowstorm. He subsequently got a cold and later contracted Tuberculosis and died at age 25.

John Jobe "Johnny" Abbass held the title of president of Abbass Studios. He went on to own and operate Econo Colour camera stores throughout the Maritimes. A prominent businessman and member of the local community, he served as vice president of the Professional Photographers Association of Canada and was involved with the Progressive Conservative Party and the Rotary Club of Sydney. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for outstanding contributions to his community. After his retirement from the business, his sons Blaise and John took over the Studios.

Albert Almon was born at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1872. He married and had five children: Patrick, Joseph, Cleophas, Mary and Annie. Almon was a self-taught plumber and owned his own business in Glace Bay. An amateur historian, he earned him an honorary Masters of Arts degree from St. Francis Xavier University and recognition from Pope Pius XII. He died in 1960.

Archie "Larry" Gillis was the son of Lawrence (Larry) Gillis and Ann MacDonald (Post). His father emigrated from the Isle of Barra in 1833 at the age of 10. A native of Rear Beaver Cove, he married fellow parishioner Mary MacSween and moved to North Sydney in 1913. A carpenter by trade, Gillis would eventually find work at the steel plant but always yearned to return to the calm and peace of the countryside. He composed many songs, many of them of a humorous nature.

Captain Henry Wolsey Bayfield (1795-1885) was born in Kingston Hull, England. At age 11 he entered the Royal Navy. He moved up in rank and served in the Mediterranean, off the coasts of France, Holland, and Spain, in the West Indies, and at Quebec and Halifax before joining the British flotilla on Lake Champlain in October 1814. He became acting lieutenant in Kingston, Upper Canada, on the sloop Star, a vessel employed in the Royal Navy’s surveying service on the Canadian lakes under the command of Captain William Fitz William Owen. Bayfield assisted Owen in the summer of 1816 in the survey of Lake Ontario and the upper St Lawrence from Kingston to the Galop Rapids at Edwardsburg Upper Canada. Bayfield soon became in charge of surveying. Bayfield was promoted commander in 1826. While in England he persuaded the Admiralty that a survey was required of the St Lawrence River and Gulf, to be connected with the chain of surveys from Lake Superior eastward. The Admiralty appointed Bayfield superintendent of the St Lawrence survey in 1827. One of Bayfield’s special concerns was to obtain measurements of the distances between the meridians of Quebec, Halifax, and St John’s. By 1848 Bayfield had surveyed the entire coastline of Prince Edward Island the Northumberland Strait coast of Nova Scotia, and the northeastern extremity of the Gaspé. In the next five years, he concentrated on a survey of Cape Breton Island begun in 1847, the Strait of Canso, Isle Madame, and the Bras d’Or Lake.

Archibald Beaton was a resident of Mabou Mines, Nova Scotia.

Elizabeth Beaton grew up on a farm in Antigonish County. She was educated at St. Martha’s Hospital, St. F. X. University (BA Celtic Studies), Memorial University of Newfoundland (MA Folklore) and University of Manitoba (Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Studies). She served as a CUSO volunteer in Guyana from 1967-1969, and stayed on in Guyana until 1973. She taught courses in Folklore, Geography, and Community Studies. She spent 33 years at Cape Breton University, including as a Senior Researcher at the Beaton Institute. Her primary interests have always been the culture and traditions – and relevant societal milieus -- of Cape Breton Island. This has led her to study and write about immigration and ethnic relations; the steel industry; housing as a reflection of culture and status, agriculture and the livelihood of farmers especially in Inverness County. As a Senior Research Fellow with the Centre for Cape Breton Studies, her current area of study and writing is on the material culture of the gaspereau fishery as a farm income supplement. She is also active on a committee dedicated to bringing farmer immigrants to Cape Breton Island. Elizabeth now spends a great deal of her time gardening, and cheering on the excellent young scholars who are involved in bringing a deeper and wider understanding of Cape Breton peoples and their respective cultures.

Mudoch Beaton lived on the Shore Road in Harbourview near Port Hood. He married Mary Christina MacDonell. He is remembered for his wit and talent as a storyteller.

Sister Margaret Isabella Beaton (Sister St. Margaret of Scotland) was born on October 7, 1893 to Eoin Beaton and Annie MacDonald in Broad Cove, Inverness County, Cape Breton. She was baptized two days later, on October 9, at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Broad Cove. She spent her early years at the local school before spending her teen years enrolled with the Sisters of the Congregation at the Inverness Convent and at the Mabou Convent boarding school. After finishing high school, she taught school in Inverness County for two years and spent a year in Sydney, Nova Scotia at the Holy Angels Convent, where she obtained her Grade B teaching license.

At this time, she decided to enter the Congrégation de Notre-Dame (C.N.D.) in Montreal, Quebec. Postulants were sent into communities to teach, and Sister was sent to the Diocese of Joliette and then to the École Jeanne-Le Ber in Quebec. She entered the profession on December 16, 1915 and her first assignment as a C.N.D. was as a teacher at the high school in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Throughout her time teaching, she never stopped her own studies and she obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1935, her Master of Arts from the University of Montreal in 1937, her Master of Library Sciences from the Catholic University in 1949, and finally her doctorate in English from the University of Montreal in 1958. She also took courses in Archival studies in Ottawa and from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 1955, Sister returned to Cape Breton and the Holy Angels Convent. She joined the staff of Xavier Junior College in Sydney as a librarian. Through this role, she realized that many documents of historical and literary significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost due to neglect and the lack of an appropriate repository. In a pro-active response to this challenge Sr. Beaton began collecting Cape Breton related documents and artifacts with the objective of preserving materials of historic significance for future scholars.

In 1957 the first manuscript – The Minutes of the First Agricultural Meeting in Cape Breton – was aquired. Collecting, in the beginning, was sporadic and unplanned – more serendipitous in nature, but fruitful all the same. By 1966, Sister Margaret turned her attention to building Cape Bretoniana and the College of Cape Breton Archives on a full-time basis. Cape Bretoniana grew substantially during these years with several appeals to the local community for donations of archival material. As a result, there was the on-going need for additional space for the archives, first housed within the library then in the MacDonald Arts Building on George Street in Sydney, followed by a move to the MacLeod Building on Nepean Street in 1967 and then to the Logue Building at George and Pitt Streets in 1970.

In 1975, Cape Bretoniana was expanded to include two main divisions: the Archives and Institute Library, and the division of Ethnic Studies, Folklore and the Social and Cultural History of Cape Breton Island. In the same year the Archives was struck a blow with the sudden death of Sr. Margaret as a result of a car accident on June 12. After a funeral mass held at Sacred Heart Church in Sydney she was laid to rest on June 15, 1975.

Cape Bretoniana was renamed the Beaton Institute in honour of its foundress and as a pledge that the work of this outstanding woman would continue.

Alexander Graham Bell, teacher of the deaf, inventor, scientist (born 3 March 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland; died 2 August 1922 near Baddeck, NS). Alexander Graham Bell is generally considered second only to Thomas Alva Edison among 19th- and 20th-century inventors. Although he is best known as the inventor of the first practical telephone, he also did innovative work in other fields, including aeronautics, hydrofoils and wireless communication (the “photophone”). Moreover, Bell himself considered his work with the deaf to be his most important contribution. Born in Scotland, he emigrated to Canada in 1870 with his parents. Bell married American Mabel Hubbard in 1877 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1882. From the mid-1880s, he and his family spent their summers near Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, where they built a large home, Beinn Bhreagh. From then on, Bell divided his time and his research between the United States and Canada. He died and was buried at Baddeck in 1922.

Mabel Gardiner Hubbard Bell, aeronautics financier, community leader, social reformer and advocate for the deaf (born 25 November 1857 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; died 3 January 1923 in Chevy Chase, Maryland). Bell actively supported and contributed to the work of her husband, inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Her financial investment in his work made her the first financier of the aviation industry in North America. She was a community leader in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, where the Bell family spent their summers. She was also a social reformer and supported innovation in education.

Jacques Nicolas Bellin was appointed hydrographer (chief cartographer) to the French Navy at the age of 18 in 1721. He was eventually named the official hydrographer to King Louis XV. A member of the French intellectual group, the philosophes, Bellin's work was known for intellectual rigour and high quality often copied by other cartographers. His maps set a high standard of production and accuracy and were often copied by other cartographers. During his term in office he was commissioned to carry out major coastal surveys. In 1764 he published the Petit Atlas Maritime in 5 volumes.

Joseph Bernard, marquis de Chabert was a French naval officer, geographer and astronomer. He was commissioned in 1750 to go to North America to correct the maps of the coasts of Acadia, Isle Royale and Newfoundland. It was during this trip that Bernard visited Louisbourg and established an observatory. He documented his findings in the publication "Voyage fait par order du Roi en 1750 et 1751".

Stephen R. Black was born in Grand Mira North to parents Roderick and Ann MacDougall, both of whom were born in Scotland. He worked as a carpenter-contractor in Sydney for most of his adult life but also spent a few years in Boston. Black was remembered as a great Gaelic scholar and vocalist. He was very active in the Scottish Catholic Society of Canada.

Phyllis R. Blakeley was born in Halifax, N.S., on 2 August 1922, the daughter of Cecil Pearson Blakeley and Clara Amanda McLearn. She received a BA (1942) and MA (1945) from Dalhousie University. She taught briefly at Alexandra School in Halifax and joined the staff of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia as a research assistant in 1945. She served as Assistant Provincial Archivist, 1959-1977; Associate Provincial Archivist, 1977-1981; and Provincial Archivist, 1982-1985. She received an honourary LLD from Dalhousie University in 1977, was a member of the Order of Canada (1978) and a Fellow of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society (1979). She wrote extensively under her own name, as well as under her early pseudonym, Ruth Blake. Phyllis Blakeley died in Halifax on 25 October 1986.

Elizabeth Anne 'Liz' (MacDonald) Boardmore was born in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia in 1940. Liz was educated and trained as a teacher at the Provincial Normal College, Truro, and at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish. After graduation, Liz taught at Duncan MacMillan High School in Sheet Harbour, where she met Harry Boardmore in the 1960s. Liz and Harry married and came to Sydney in 1966 to teach at Xavier Junior College, later UCCB. The original plan was to come to the Junior College for two years and then be transferred to Antigonish, but Harry said, "there was something in the air... and we hated to leave." Liz and Harry established the Xavier College Drama Society and early productions and drama festivals took place on the top floor of the Lyceum in Sydney, which became the Xavier College Theatre. The productions America Hurrah! (1969) and The Serpent (1970) were particularly well received at both provincial and Dominion Drama festivals. When the new College of Cape Breton campus opened in 1979, the drama society and theatre moved to its new permanent home at the Playhouse. In 1990, it was renamed the Boardmore Playhouse in honour of Liz and Harry Boardmore, for their unwavering dedication to the development of community theatre in Cape Breton. Liz was a professor of English at UCCB for 28 years and she was much loved by her many students. Her enthusiasm and passion for theatre and education was always evident. She was recognized for her work with a Cultural Life Award (1993) from the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia and with award from the Association of Teachers of English, Nova Scotia. Elizabeth Boardmore passed away on Sunday, February 15th, 2004 at the age of 64.

Harry Boardmore grew up in Longton, Staffordshire in the English Black Country. His initial interest in acting and drama was born out of trips to the local cinema with his grandmother as a child. In the 1950s, he attended the College of St. Mark and St. John in London where he pursued studies in speech and drama preparing for a career as a teacher. In the 1960s, Harry made his way across the Atlantic to Canada; he began teaching at Duncan MacMillan High School in the rural eastern shore community of Sheet Harbour, which is where he met Elizabeth 'Liz' MacDonald. Harry and Liz married and moved to Sydney to teach at Xavier College in 1966. The original plan was to come to the Junior College for two years and then be transferred to Antigonish, but Harry said, "there was something in the air... and we hated to leave." Liz and Harry established the Xavier College Drama Society and early productions and drama festivals took place on the top floor of the Lyceum in Sydney, which became the Xavier College Theatre. When the new College of Cape Breton campus opened in 1979, the drama society and theatre moved to its new permanent home at the Playhouse. In 1990, it was renamed the Boardmore Playhouse in honour of Liz and Harry Boardmore, for their unwavering dedication to the development of community theatre in Cape Breton. Harry was a faculty member at the University College of Cape Breton, teaching English and overseeing theatrical productions. He directed 64 plays during his tenure, and was credited for bringing contemporary and experimental theatre and voices to the stage. Harry Boardmore passed away in Bolivia in April of 2013 at the age of 82.

Matilda Bown was born in 1827 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Bown taught art and painting in North Sydney. She spent a considerable amount of time on Sable Island and she became very interested in its natural history. Bown died 12 October 1910 at North Sydney.

Angus Joseph (A.J.) Boyd was born in River Bourgeois, Richmond County, Cape Breton on May 10th, 1854. He married Mary Fraser in 1882 and together they raised ten children. In 1882 he opened the general store A.J. Boyd, General Sales, which he continued to run until his death in 1938. The store was later managed by his son, and remained a family operation until its closure in 1975.

In addition to running a successful business, he was appointed as the Indian Affairs Superintendent for the Guysborough, Pictou, Antigonish, Richmond, Inverness, Victoria and Cape Breton Counties on May 14th, 1907. There is documentation that supports that he held this position until the mid-1920s. It is possible that Morrison’s General Store operated as a Canadian federal Department of Indian Affairs depot, under Superintendent Angus J. Boyd. There is also evidence indicating a retail relationship between the Department of Indian Affairs and the Morrison's General Store. More research is required to establish the historical relationship between the Department, Boyd and Morrison’s Stores Ltd.

Dougald Robert Boyle was born 10 September 1847 at Glenora Falls, Nova Scotia, the son of Scottish immigrants. He took his first teaching position at Port Hood ca. 1868 and later taught at West Arichat. Boyle married Mary Anne Tyrrell in 1872 and the couple had eleven children. Following teaching, Boyle was appointed Fishery Officer and Stipendiary Magistrate for Richmond County. He held these positions until 1911. Boyle was also active in community affairs, such a pressing for the Lennox Passage Bridge, improvements at Petit de Grat and for a rail line running between MacIntyre's Lake and Arichat. Boyle died in 1914.

Thomas Bray was born in Port Morien, 1932. He graduated from St. Anne’s High School, Glace Bay. He furthered his education at Xavier Junior College and the Nova Scotia Teacher’s College in Truro. He attended additional courses at St. Mary’s University, Dalhousie University, the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, and at University of new Brunswich earned three degrees (B.A., B.Ed., and M.Ed.). He met his wife Karen at UNB.

After high school he spent some time working for The Royal Bank of Canada before pursuing degrees in Education. He then taught for 32 years at Donkin Morien High School.

Douglas Neil Brodie was born on 15 January 1872 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of Neil MacNeil and Margaret (Carroll) Brodie. He received his early education at the Halifax Academy. In 1901 he married May, the daughter of alderman D.H. Campbell. In 1900 Brodie moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia where he established a printing shop. Brodie later became a director of the Glace Bay Credit Union, served as a Corporal in the 63rd Rifles, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Cape Breton East as a member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), 1941-1945. He died at Glace Bay on 14 September 1954.

Barbara Davison married Richard Henry Brown on the 23 of November, 1864. She had five children, Margaret Sibella, Elizabeth Purves, Anne Ethel, Richard Charles, and Lillian Seward.

Elizabeth Purves Brown was the daughter of Richard Henry Brown and Barbara (Davison) Brown.

Lillian Seward Brown was the daughter of Richard Henry Brown and Barbara (Davison) Brown.

Margaret Sibella was the daughter of Richard Henry Brown and Barbara (Davison) Brown. Margaret became an artist and served on the directorate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Richard Charles Brown was the son of Richard Henry Brown and Barbara (Davison) Brown. Richard studied engineering and worked with his father at the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company.

Richard Henry Brown was born 13 November 1837 at London, England, the son of Richard and Sibella Margaret (Barrington) Brown. Brown married Barbara Davison (1842-1898) on 23 November 1864 and the couple had five children: Margaret Sibella, Elizabeth Purves, Anne Ethel, Richard Charles, and Lillian Seward. The family resided in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia where Brown worked as manger of the General Mining Association (later the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company), and served as the mayor of the town of Sydney Mines. Daughter Margaret (1866-1961) became an artist and served on the directorate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Richard Charles (1872-1928) studied engineering and worked with his father at the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company.

Author, John James Bryden was born in at the very end of the Highlands Road in Rear Christmas Island. His great-grandfather was Thomas Bryden, an English soldier and aristocrat who converted to Catholicism while serving in Spain. Disinherited for converting, Thomas emigrated to Cape Breton where he settled and established a mill. Fr. John James himself operated the mill before commencing his studies.
Fr. Bryden didn't go to Montreal. Instead, he became the first seminarian from the Diocese of Antigonish to complete his studies in Halifax. He was parish priest in many places but spent the most time posted in Grand Mira and finally, Mabou where he died in 1948.

Dr. Ken Bryson is a Professor Emeritus at Cape Breton University. He received his B.A. from Saint Patrick’s College, Ottawa; his B.Ph from Saint Paul University, Ottawa; his M.A. from the University of Ottawa; his L.Ph from Saint Paul University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa. He is Editor of Philosophy and Religion sub-series at Rodopi (Brill Publishers).

David M. Burchell was the first mayor of the town of Glace Bay in 1901. He remained in office until 1907.

Dr. Alvinus Calder was born on the Island of Grenada in 1892. He opened his medical practice in Sydney in 1920 and in 1938 bought the property known as "Calderwood" on Kings Road. He died in Sydney in 1975.

Daniel Cameron was the mayor of the Town of Glace Bay from 1915 to 1916.

Hugh Cameron was born at Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1836. He practiced medicine in Mabou for many years and represented Inverness County in the House of Commons from 1869-1872 and 1882-1896, and in the Nova Scotia Legislature from 1879-1882.

John Allan Cameron was born in Glencoe Station, Inverness County, in 1938, a nephew of the great composer and fiddler, Dan R. MacDonald. A graduate of St. F. X. University, he became a professional musician in 1968 and his career has brought him international acclaim.

Judge Andrew D. "Hump" Campbell was born at Red Islands, Nova Scotia, in 1890. His family moved to Reserve Mines when he was young. He was a lawyer, a juvenile court judge, and a popular sports figure in Cape Breton. He died in 1942.

Angus Campbell was born in Benbecula, Scotland. At the age of 18 he immigrated to the Salmon River area of Grand Mira parish. He was a well-known and respected musician and bard whose songs, for the most part, have not been published. His songs "Creach na Samhna" (The Halloween Raid)and Oran a'Mhathain (The Bear Song) can be found in the book Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia.

Finlay Campbell was severely wounded in WWI, became a world renowned singer, famous throughout Europe. He studied Gaelic and violin with Malcolm Gillis, Margaree. Eulogy of Malcolm Gillis and the religious life of the people of Margaree.

John Campbell was born into a farming family in Boularderie. His parents were Malcolm and Christy MacAuley. John operated a store at Boularderie before moving into Sydney where he operated a successful business. John was an Elder and caretaker of St. Andrew's United Church. He was well-known as a fine Gaelic singer, translator of hymns and composer of the song Marbhrann, a lament for the death of his wife Annie (née Buchanan) in 1939. His skills as a translator earned him first prize in Hymn translation at the Vancouver Mod in 1947. Some of his translations as well as his Marbhrann appear in a pamphlet published in 1947.
Campbell's daughter, Mae Campbell Cameron (1906-2005) was head of the Cape Breton Gaelic Chorale and deeply involved in the Gaelic scene in Sydney.

John Colin Campbell was born on January 22, 1935 to Vincent Campbell and Viola MacNeil in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He married Dolores Campbell on December 26, 1963 and together they had four children, Mary Campbell, Susan Campbell, Archie Campbell, and Flora Campbell. As a young man he wrote an obituary for a local boxer and received a job offer from the Cape Breton Post and worked as a journalist until his retirement, including 13 years as editor of the Cape Breton Highlander. In 2000, he was nominated for and won the Atlantic Journalistic Achievement Award. He died on September 21, 2022.

Joseph Campbell was a Big Pond farmer, Justice of the Peace, and county councillor. He died in 1973.

Malcolm Campbell was the son of Michael Campbell and the grandson of Neil Campbell. He was a crofter/fisherman who lived on the island of Mingulay, south of Barra. His aunt, Jane (Campbell) MacNeil emigrated to Cape Breton in 1822 and settled at Boisdale. was recorded on the census of 1901 as being 80 years old.

Peter J. MacKenzie Campbell was born in Johnstown, Nova Scotia on 3 March 1898. He was the son of James P. and Mary Jessie (MacKenzie) Campbell. He attended local schools and later attended St. Francis Xavier University. He was employed for many years with the Cape Breton branch of the Co-operative Wholesale Services. He helped organize and was the first president of Johnstown Credit Union. He was president of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Union, director of the Sydney Credit Union, and director of the Co-operative Union of Canada. In 1975, Campbell was presented with a service award by St. Francis Xavier University Extension Department, and was granted an honorary Doctor of Laws, also by St. Francis Xavier. He was a third degree member of the Sydney KOC and a member of Sacred Heart Parish. He was a well known author, especially on Scottish heritage and Cape Breton history. He died on 8 December 1985.

John Carey was a teacher and the first town clerk of Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. He was later manager of the Greener Mine.

Thomas Carter was born in 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carter studied History at Brown University in Rhode Island, and continued his education at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and Indiana University where he completed graduate work in Folklore. Dr. Carter's interest in folk music and ethnomusicology led to completing fieldwork in Nova Scotia. In 1970, Carter and his friend Hal Cannon, traveled to Inverness County, Cape Breton and connected with the Beaton family through Isabelle Kennedy, a nurse from the area. Dr. Carter later shifted his area of study and teaching to vernacular architecture, focusing on building traditions of Utah’s Mormon population, and filled the role of Building Historian for the State of Utah. Professor Carter retired in 2010 from full-time teaching, but continues to research and publish.

Colin Cash was born on 23 November 1849, the son of Thomas Cash. He married and had twelve children: Joseph, Mary M., Roderick, Sarah, Margaret, Lizzie, Annie, Catherine, Peter, Thomas, Ambrose, and Mary M. Cash and his family resided at Irish Cove, N.S. where he was a carriage maker, blacksmith, and a miller. Cash died on 3 January 1934.

Catherine MacNeil, also known as Catrìona Iain Ruaidh or Catrìona Bean Ruairidh, was a well-known bard who lived in the far eastern part of the Highlands, Rear Christmas Island. Catherine's father was born in South Uist and came to Cape Breton in 1822. She married Iain Ruairidh "Gilleonan" MacNeil and settled near the foot of Eskasoni Mountain in Rear Christmas Island. The couple remained childless and their life was supposedly difficult, being so far from neighbours. Catherine would later spend considerable lengths of time living with the MacLean family in Rear Christmas Island. Catherine MacNeil was illiterate but Mrs. MacLean states that she insisted in integrity of her songs being preserved by anyone who wished to sing them.