The North British Society (also known as "The Scots" and "Scots Club") was founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1768, the oldest Scottish heritage society outside Great Britain. North British is an adjective used as an alternative to "Scottish".
Contents
History
The Society was established "for the benefit of ourselves and assistance of each other, who may be afflicted with disease or any other casualty or misfortune." Since 1768, the Society has continued to support the Scottish community in Nova Scotia.
The Society met regularly at the Great Pontack (Halifax).
The Society likely commissioned the portrait of Prince Edward by William J. Weaver which now is in Province House (Nova Scotia) (1797). The Society raffled the portrait on the eve of the North British Society's local celebration of the St. Andrew's Day, when the patriotic sentiment was roused by the stunning news of Admiral Nelson's glorious naval victory over Napoleon in the Battle of the Nile.
The Society public activities include commissioning three works for Victoria Park, Halifax: the Robert Burns statue (1919), the Sir Walter Scott bust (1932), and the Sir William Alexander cairn (1957).
Notable members
Political figure
William Annand
Sir William Young (Nova Scotia politician)
George Henry Murray, longest serving Premier of Nova Scotia
Charles James MacDonald
Doctor
John Halliburton (surgeon)
Duncan Clark (surgeon)
Legal Profession
Judge Brenton Halliburton
Robert Sedgewick (judge)
Chief Justice Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange
Merchant
John Black (New Brunswick merchant)
Alexander Keith (Canadian politician) and brewer
James Fraser (businessman)
John Esson
Alexander Brymer
William Bowie (merchant)
William Murdoch (merchant)
Military officer
James J. Bremner
Andrew MacDonald (military officer), Rogart
Henry Duncan (Royal Navy officer, born 1735)
Patrick Leonard MacDougall
Other
Archibald Gray (minister)
Sandford Fleming
Alexander Forrester (educationist)
Sir Charles Frederick Fraser
George Lang (builder)
Andrew Brown (minister)
Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk (1804)
John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll