By Jonathan Bowie, Library Assistant - Government Publications & Reference Services
Upon retiring from his position as a travelling auditor for the Inter-Colonial Railway, James Clarence Graves of Kings Co., New Brunswick devoted his leisure time to genealogical and historical research. The compilation of his research notes, New Brunswick Political Biography, later completed by his son Dr. Horace B. Graves culminated in a multi-volume series known as The Graves Papers.
The Graves Papers consist of twelve volumes of biographical research on individuals who held political positions or judicial positions in New Brunswick, as well as individuals who represented New Brunswick at the Federal level politically or judicially, between 1784 and 1969. Later, in 1982, Diane Beattie compiled a list of dates and total number of years each member of the Legislative Assembly sat in the House which is also included in this collection.
Now condensed to ten volumes, The Graves Papers have long proven an invaluable research tool for the Legislative Library. Prepared in alphabetical order, researchers can find extensive biographies that include titles, dates, jurisdiction, and in some cases family information. The papers also prove useful for comparative purposes, when one is asked to find everything one can on a person, or to ‘leave no stone un-turned’.
