Village of New Maryland

In 1783 the Maryland Loyalists, a provincial regiment from the colony of Maryland which had fought in the American revolution as part of the British American Corps, was taken to what is now New Brunswick at the end of hostilities with most of the other loyalist regiments.

These units were settled on blocks of land along the upper St. John River. The members of the Maryland Loyalists were assigned Block Number One opposite Fredericton.

In 1817, some descendants of the Maryland Loyalists moved to the highland area away from the St. John River and south of the parish of Fredericton where they engaged in farming and lumbering. In 1818, Scottish immigrants also settled in the area which was known as "Maryland Hill". The area was subsequently set off in 1846 as the Parish of New Maryland. In the 1960's, a Local Service District was formed in the parish and on June 1, 1991 that part of the parish adjoining Fredericton was incorporated as the Village of New Maryland under the provisions of the Municipalities Act.

The Village's Coat of Arms had a variety of iterations before it was approved. Click on the coat of arms to view the design and development of shield of arms.

The resulting shield incorporated elements which can be said to represent the Loyalist and Scottish origins of the first settlers and the Street-Wetmore duel which is significant in New Brunswick's social history and looms so large in the annals of New Maryland.

The proposed crest, which is placed over the shield, is also designed like the shield, to be an identifying device. The main element is a "mural crown" which is commonly used to indicate a municipality. It takes its colouring, "Or masoned Salbe" (gold with black mortar), from the two principal tinctures on the shield. On the mural crown is placed "a saltire Argent fimbriated azure" (a silver or white cross edged blue, or St. Andrew's cross) to allude in a positive way to the early Scottish settlers of New Maryland.

The motto "PROGRESSIO ET CONCORDIO" (Progress and Harmony) is displayed on a scroll or ribbon beneath the shield. Although a motto can be in any language, Latin is perhaps the most common language used and is in keeping with heraldry's very old traditions and practices.

John L. Williamson
October 10, 1994

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