John N. Grant

Historian John N. Grant appears in “The Laker”

/ Diane

Author and historian John N. Grant was interviewed for “The Laker”. Here is an excerpt.

EAST HANTS: Hidden on a side road straddling the Halifax and East Hants County line lives John N. Grant, an historian well-known and respected in his field, both in history and in genealogy.

The retired university professor has several books to his credit. Three of the most recent publications focus on school history and one provides details on ships patrolling Maritime waters during the First World War, ships that never existed according to the Canadian government.

One might say A History of Oldfield Consolidated School 1962-2017 hits close to home. In fact, it’s very near where Grant lives.

Continue Reading at “The Laker”: Local historian writes books on schooling, mystery war ships

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John N. Grant’s New eBook

/ Diane

Up until this week, A History of Oldfield Consolidated School 1962 – 2017 by John N. Grant had been available only from the author and only in paperback form. That has changed.

The booklet, which contains 50 pages of extensive research on the many schools that went into forming Oldfield Consolidated School, is now available as an eBook exclusively at Amazon.

This allows Kindle Unlimited members to access the book.

Download your copy today.

The eBook contains seven coloured images of the school. It also mentions staff, teachers, students and those involved in the consolidation process.

Continue reading →

School History Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

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Do you have someone on your Christmas list who enjoys history books? Someone who loves reading about the schools in Nova Scotia?

Historian John N. Grant has copies still available for both his books on schools: Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016 and A History of Oldfield Consolidated School 1962-2017.

Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016

A Case Study of Public Education in Rural Nova Scotia

The history of schooling reflects the impact of economic, political, military and other social forces on the local community. The history of schooling in Guysborough  County covers almost 300 years. In 1735, there was one school in the County; in 1959, there were almost one hundred; in 2018, there were three. This is the story of what happened in between.

Learn more about this book on its HOME PAGE.

A History of Oldfield Consolidated School 1962-2017

School Section #98, Enfield, Nova Scotia

John Grant Oldham Consolidated School history

Including an outline of the story of schooling in Goffs, Oldham, Oakfield, and the ‘border district’ of Enfield, NS, from 1820 to 2017

In 1962 the school sections of Goffs (Guysborough Road), Oakfield, Oldham, and Enfield Border were dissolved and Oldfield Consolidated School was built to serve the new school district. School consolidation is never easy. This is the story of the process and the life of the new school.

These communities are near or straddle the borders of Hants County and Halifax County, Nova Scotia.

Learn more about this book on its HOME PAGE.

How To Buy

To purchase either or both of these books, contact John N. Grant by email: jgrant@stfx.ca

Book Launch: Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary 1892 – 1893

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David, of Little White Schoolhouse Press, writes,

We are delighted to have our Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary book launch hosted by the library, the very building where Mary attended the Provincial Normal School. Mary’s diary is in our museum collection, and we are so grateful to two of our Board members, Melanie Ballard and John Grant, who have spent countless hours editing and preparing the manuscript for publication to bring Mary’s diary to life so it can reach a larger audience.

Details of Book Launch

  • Where: Colchester-East Hants Public Library, 754 Prince Street, Truro, Nova Scotia
  • Date: November 23, 2021
  • Time: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Space is Limited – Registration is a MUST

If you wish to attend, call 902-895-4183 or email info@cehpubliclibrary.ca to register.

Continue reading →

Introducing John N. Grant

/ Diane / 2 Comments

Recently, Diana Tibert of Quarter Castle Publishing interviewed historian John N. Grant about his book, Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016 – A Case Study of Public Education in Rural Nova Scotia.

Grant is the author of several Nova Scotia history books, including Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary 1892 – 1893 (with Melanie Ballard) and A History of Oldfield Consolidated School: 1962 – 2017.

Interview

Tibert: In a few sentences, tell us a little about Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016. Give us a glimpse into the material covered.

Grant: Schooling in Guysborough County, 1735-2016 provides an overview of the efforts made by generations of parents to provide for the education of their children. The first Guysborough County school of which I found a record was in in Canso in 1735 and as the population grew and changed, so did the schools. At one time there were about 100 schools in the county. Today there are three. This book tells the story of what happened in-between.

Tibert: From where did you gather the bulk of your material?

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100 Copies of Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016

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The boxes have arrived, so if you’ve been waiting to order Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016, now is the time. One hundred copies of the softcover copies are available for sale.

Description

The history of schooling reflects the impact of economic, political, military and other social forces on the local community. The history of schooling in Guysborough  County covers almost 300 years. In 1735, there was one school in the County; in 1959, there were almost one hundred; in 2018, there were three. This is the story of what happened in between.

Learn more about the book on its book page: Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016.

How to Buy the Book

Buy the book directly from the author John N. Grant. Write to him at: jgrant@stfx.ca

“Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary 1892-1893”

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Melanie Ballard and John N. Grant released their book Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary 1892-1893 earlier this spring. Copies are available through John N. Grant (contact him through email: jgrant@stfx.ca) and the Little White Schoolhouse Museum in Truro, Nova Scotia. Contact the museum through their contact page. While the book has yet to be added to their website, they have copies on hand to be purchased in person or through the mail.

Learn more about the book on our website here: Mary Kaulbach’s Normal School Diary 1892 – 1893.

Sneak Peak at Upcoming Book about Mary Kaulbach at Normal School

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Historians Melanie Ballard and John N. Grant are set to release a wonderful piece of Nova Scotia history involving one student’s experience at the Normal School located in Truro, Nova Scotia. Over the past several years, they’ve been compiling material for the book, which includes the diary of Mary Kaulbach, a brief history of Mary’s life, images related to the subject and details to elaborate on the people, places and events mentioned in the diary.

Who was Mary Kaulbach?

Mary Kaulbach was one of nine children born to Elizabeth and Francis ‘Frank’ Kaulbach. She was born May 22, 1874 on the family farm at Conquerall Mills, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

Mary’s birth record is found on the Nova Scotia Genealogy website under the following file name: Mary Kaulback [sic] birth Conquerall, Lunenburg County in 1874; Birth Registration: Year: 1874 book: 1817 page: 298 number: 626.

The record states Mary was born July 1874. No exact date appears to have been recorded unless it has faded over time. Her father, Frank, was a farmer who was born and was living at Conquerall. Her mother was Elizabeth (nee Fancy). Mary’s birth was registered at Bridgewater with the clerk J. Whitford. The informant was Reverend W. E. Gelling, which may indicate why the birth date was recorded incorrectly as he was a travelling clergyman, who recorded several births from his visits around the county.

Mary attended Normal School from fall of 1892 until June 1893.

Continue reading →

Schooling in Guysborough County by John N. Grant

/ Diane / 1 Comment

John N. Grant, author of A History of Oldfield Consolidated School 1962 – 2017, has a new book for history enthusiasts. In late August, he released Schooling in Guysborough County 1735-2016 – A Case Study of Public Education in Rural Nova Scotia.

Description

The history of schooling reflects the impact of economic, political, military and other social forces on the local community. The history of schooling in Guysborough  County covers almost 300 years. In 1735, there was one school in the County; in 1959, there were almost one hundred; in 2018, there were three. This is the story of what happened in between.

Continue reading →