Scotch Colony Lot Map (Cadastral) (after 1884?)

Update 10 July 2018:

Success. I figured out how to overlay this map on Google Maps satellite photos. http://williamlduncan.com/GoogleMapOverlayAPI%20122217-1%201.html

Original post:

I understand colonists didn’t get title to the land until they occupied their assigned lot for some time. This map may represent Scotch Colony lot ownership after 1884. I’m using that date because Margaret Cocker’s (mapped on lot 34) husband, James, died in 1884. There are several other widows on the map and the records we have show their husbands died before 1884.

We have more detective-work to find a more exact date. I’ll post any additional information in a reply. Please reply with comments or questions.


(this is a new version of the video, uploaded in the fall of 2014, with newer and sharper underlying aerial photos.)

The video is a flyover of the map, overlayed on Google Earth’s recent satellite photos and 3D topography (elevation exaggeration was set to 2 so there is some extreme distortion). To make text legible, change your YouTube Settings to 720P  (the little gear symbol that appears after you hit play). Hit pause to make it easier to read the map.

I think seeing the lay of the land and today’s forests and fields really brings the map to life and makes it easier to locate the lots. The map is a little out of alignment but look for the logging clear-cuts and field-edges on the photograph to get a more accurate fix.

Here’s a detail of the same map, showing the Scotch Colony.  Click to enlarge.

1200px wide
2616px wide, massive but great detail.

This map was assembled from portions of two maps, New Brunswick Department of Lands and Mines #81 & #72. These were apparently working maps and show handwritten notes up through the 1960’s.

You can download the individual maps (uncropped) from the Provincial Archives site:

Map source page #81 (Bon Accord): http://archives.gnb.ca/Exhibits/Communities/Details.aspx?culture=en-CA&community=392

Map source page #72 (Upper Kintore): http://archives.gnb.ca/Exhibits/Communities/Details.aspx?culture=en-CA&community=4170

updated on 16 Oct, 2014 with new version of video and some text editing.

Here is another cadastral that I copied from Melvin Barclay. I wonder if this map is older. I appears to be undated.

Update 23 Aug, 2016.
I just discovered that you can take my image of maps 81+72, overlay it on Google Earth in your computer, and position your viewpoint to study result. Similar to the effect in the video but with the added advantage of giving you complete control. There is a also flight simulator in Google Earth for real map geeks like me.
This is a link to my .kmz file containing image of maps 81+72 and position coordinates:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24107146/ScotchColonyCadastralMaps81%2B71%20051013-1OpenInGoogleEarth.kmz
Download and open this file in Google Earth (you also need to download and install Google Earth if you don’t have it already) to see the maps overlayed in position on the earth with Google’s satellite photos and topography (topography feature must be turned on) showing though. The map gets more out of position towards the north (along the Tobique River). You should be able to slide the map around a little to better match the satellite photos. Let me know if you have any issues or are successful.

This is our Google map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1FJVCNDbiyv7HmsbPJkIw-L0PAUI&usp=sharing
We have tried to add the original lot owners.
If you would like to navigate to any Points of Interest please note that a mobile signal/cell-data is not available in all areas. I suggest that you add pins to your own the map under you Google account and then download a map of the area to your mobile phone.

Note to self: For the 150 Colony anniversary in 2023, I would like to be able to send interested folks (myself included) out into the Colony to explore the lot of their ancestors using Google Earth and the overlayed map as a reference. I’ll work on this.

–Bill

Comments 2

  • wonderfully admirably ingeneous!! Fly over of a lot map!

  • What you folks are doing to preserve ‘our” history if I may is exemplary inspiring and admirable. Correct me please but I have to consider “the Scotch (Scottish) colonists as historic as the “Plymouth rock” puritans of Massachusettes their “mayflower compact”.

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