Kingsclear Parish, New Brunswick

The parish's name may be a shortening of King's Clearing, a reference to early clearing of forests in the area.^[6][7]

Kingsclear was erected in 1786 as one of the county's original parishes.^[8] The parish ran twelve miles back into the country and included the islands in front of it in the Saint John River.

In 1845 Madam Keswick Island (Keswick Island and Mitchells Island) was transferred to Douglas Parish.^[9]

In 1850 the area behind Fredericton was included in the newly erected New Maryland Parish; Merrithews Island (Upper and Lower Shores Islands) was transferred to Douglas; and Kingsclear was extended back to the Charlotte County line.^[10]

In 1855 the rear of Kingsclear was included in the newly erected Manners Sutton Parish.^[11]

In 1867 Nevers Island and part of Sugar Island were transferred to Douglas.^[12]

In 1869 the 1867 changes were repealed.^[13]

In 1903 the 1867 changes were reinstituted.^[14]

In 1973 Nevers Island was returned to Kingsclear.^[15]

Kingsclear Parish is bounded:^[2][16][17]

• on the north by the Saint John River;
• on the southeast by a line beginning on the Saint John River about 2.4 kilometres upstream of the Westmorland Street bridge and slightly downstream of Riverside Court, then running south-southwesterly along the prolongation of the western line of the University of New Brunswick Game Refuge and the Refuge itself to the rear line of Fredericton,^[a] then running southwesterly about 23 kilometres along the New Maryland Parish-Hanwell boundary to the northeastern line of Manners Sutton Parish;
• on the southwest by a line running north 45º west,^[b] along the rear line of Hanwell and the southeastern line a grant to James Taylor on the western side of Route 640, to a point about 1.25 kilometres past Jewetts Creek;
• on the northwest by the prolongation of the northwestern line of the New Market Settlement Grants, which run along Route 3 east of Kings Landing, striking the Saint John River on the eastern side of Wheeler Cove;
• including all islands in the Saint John River in front of the parish except Upper Shores, Lower Shores, Mitchells, Merrithews,^[c] and Keswick, and part of Sugar Island roughly north and west of the Baseline Road.

Communities at least partly within the parish.^[16][17][21] bold indicates an incorporated municipality, incorporated rural community or Indian reserve

Bodies of water^[d] at least partly within the parish.^[16][17][21]

Islands at least partly within the parish.^[16][17][21] italics indicate a name no longer in official use

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.^[16][17][21]

• Mactaquac Dam
• University of New Brunswick Wildlife Refuge^[22]
• Woolastook Provincial Park^[23]

Parish population total does not include Hanwell, Kingsclear 6 Indian reserve, and portion within Fredericton

• List of parishes in New Brunswick

• City of Fredericton
• Hanwell Rural Community
• Kingsclear Local Service District
• Upper Kingsclear community
• York Rural Community Project

45°53′06″N 66°54′27″W / 45.88500°N 66.90750°W / 45.88500; -66.90750 (Kingsclear Parish, New Brunswick)