Migration from Rockport, New Brunswick to the Boston States

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Westmorland County, New Brunswick

Between the end of the American Civil War and the decline of shipbuilding and grindstone cutting, the town of Rockport, New Brunswick was depopulated. Many stayed nearby and migrated to Sackville, Moncton or other places within New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. Some went west, but a sizable number went south. By 1920, Rockport was basically empty. My grandmother grew up in Rockport during this time and told me that everyone went to "The Boston States" as they called it at the time.

Rockport had a substantial connection with Boston prior to this migration so it was a natural place for people to migrate to. Rockport was populated with people recently from Massachusetts. People like Jonathon Ward, Benjamin Tower, Gersham Maxwell, Charles H Delesdernier, Martin Cole and others.

Many of those that emigrated came from seafaring families. Many are included here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Sackville_Sea_Captains

The person that served as an example for this page was Alice Maxwell Reed who was born in Lower Rockport but moved to Massachusetts as a young woman.

A significant member of this migration was Austin Tower who was Chaplin at the Seamen's Bethel in Vineyard Haven. Many from Rockport would stop in there as part of their journeys or and I'm sure a familiar face from home was comforting.

Over time I'll add to this page with anecdotes and clusters of individuals that went to similar locations. In the meantime, they are collected in the categories at the bottom this page. Note that Maine was split off from Massachusetts in 1820 so migrants before that would be Migrants to Massachusetts.