# Kingsclear Parish, New Brunswick

Kingsclear is a geographic parish in York County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Prior to the 2023 governance reform, for governance purposes it was divided between the city of Fredericton, the Indian reserve of Kingsclear 6, the incorporated rural community of Hanwell, and the local service district of the parish of Kingsclear, all of which except the Indian reserve were members of Capital Region Service Commission (RSC11). The LSD includes the special service area of Oswald Gray.

## Origin of name

The parish's name may be a shortening of King's Clearing, a reference to early clearing of forests in the area.

## History

Kingsclear was erected in 1786 as one of the county's original parishes. The parish ran twelve miles back into the country and included the islands in front of it in the Saint John River.
In 1845 Madam Keswick Island (Keswick Island and Mitchells Island) was transferred to Douglas Parish.
In 1850 the area behind Fredericton was included in the newly erected New Maryland Parish; Merrithews Island (Upper and Lower Shores Islands) was transferred to Douglas; and Kingsclear was extended back to the Charlotte County line.
In 1855 the rear of Kingsclear was included in the newly erected Manners Sutton Parish.
In 1867 Nevers Island and part of Sugar Island were transferred to Douglas.
In 1869 the 1867 changes were repealed.
In 1903 the 1867 changes were reinstituted.
In 1973 Nevers Island was returned to Kingsclear.

## Boundaries

Kingsclear Parish is bounded:
* on the north by the Saint John River;
* on the southeast by a line beginning on the Saint John River about 2.4 kilometres upstream of the Westmorland Street bridge and slightly downstream of Riverside Court, then running south-southwesterly along the prolongation of the western line of the University of New Brunswick Game Refuge and the Refuge itself to the rear line of Fredericton, then running southwesterly about 23 kilometres along the New Maryland Parish-Hanwell boundary to the northeastern line of Manners Sutton Parish;
* on the southwest by a line running north 45º west, along the rear line of Hanwell and the southeastern line a grant to James Taylor on the western side of Route 640, to a point about 1.25 kilometres past Jewetts Creek;
* on the northwest by the prolongation of the northwestern line of the New Market Settlement Grants, which run along Route 3 east of Kings Landing, striking the Saint John River on the eastern side of Wheeler Cove;
* including all islands in the Saint John River in front of the parish except Upper Shores, Lower Shores, Mitchells, Merrithews, and Keswick, and part of Sugar Island roughly north and west of the Baseline Road.

## Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality, incorporated rural community or Indian reserve
* Central Kingsclear
* Fredericton
** Garden Creek
** Springhill
* French Village
* Hanwell
** Somerset Park
** Starlite Village
* Island View
* Kingsclear
* Kingsclear 6
* Longs Creek
* Mazerolle Settlement
* Newmarket
* Oswald Gray
* Smithfield
* Yoho

## Bodies of water

Bodies of water at least partly within the parish.
* Saint John River
** Glooscap Reach
** Grand Pass
** Scoodawakscook Bend
* Nasonworth Millstream
* South Branch Rusagonis Stream
* Currier Creek
* Garden Creek
* Kellys Creek
** Kellys Creek Basin
* Longs Creek
** Longs Creek Arm
* Shin Creek
* Mactaquac Lake
* Murray Lake
* Tower Lake
* Yoho Lake

## Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use
* Burpee Island
* Clements Island
* Currie Island
* Dunphy Island
* Eqpahak (Savage Island)
* Hartts Island
* Jewett Island
* McGibbon Island
* Murray Island
* Nevers Island
* Parsnip Island
* Pitt Island
* Ross Island
* Sugar Island

## Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
* Mactaquac Dam
* University of New Brunswick Wildlife Refuge
* Woolastook Provincial Park

## Demographics

Parish population total does not include Hanwell, Kingsclear 6 Indian reserve, and portion within Fredericton