New Brunswick Historical Tidbits

Simonds, Hazen and White

By Mitch Biggar

In the summer of 1762 a group of Massachusetts settlers arrived at Saint John. Among this group of settlers were James Simonds, William Hazen, and James White. By 1763 the three had formed a partnership to create a trading company.

In the beginning James Simonds was the leading partner and William Hazen returned to New England to handle the distribution of the goods. Soon the three partners were dealing in lumber, shipbuilding, hay, lime, and liquor.

The company acquired a land grant of five thousand acres at what is now present day Saint John. They then built a tidal mill at Mill Pond and a trading store. Nearby at Lilly Lake the company had a grist mill. During the first ten years of their business they exported 3500 hogsheads of lime. Simonds and Company also built the first ship ever entirely constructed on the St. John River. In 1769 a schooner named Betsy was constructed at a cost of 24 shillings a ton.

This page was designed by Irene Doyle September 1999