Alnwick is a geographic parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada. For governance purposes it is divided between the village of Neguac, the Indian reserves of Esgenoôpetitj 14 and Tabusintac 9, the incorporated rural community of Alnwick, and the regional municipality of Tracadie. Neguac and Tracadie are members of the Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission, while Alnwick is a member of the Greater Miramichi RSC. Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the rural community of Alnwick was divided between four local service districts: Fair Isle, Oak Point - Bartibog Bridge, Tabusintac, and the parish of Alnwick, which also included the islands that are now part of Neguac.

Origin of name

Alnwick and Newcastle Parishes were erected simultaneously. Alnwick and Newcastle are the county town and largest city of Northumberland County, England. This is probably the origin of the two parishes' names.

History

Alnwick was erected in 1786 as one of the original parishes of the county, with very different boundaries from today. The modern communities of Burnt Church and Bartibog were near or on the southern edge of the parish, which was nearly rectangular and ran west past the Nepisiguit River. The 1814 reorganisation of Northumberland County's parishes gave Alnwick its modern shape, removing all territory in what's now Gloucester but adding modern Barryville, Oak Point, The Willows, Bartibog Bridge, and Winston.

Boundaries

Alnwick Parish is bounded:

Evolution of boundaries

The 1786 boundaries were a line running due west from the mouth of the Big Tracadie River in the north, a line running due west from the northern tip of Portage Island in the south, and in the west a line running north from the mouth of Cains River in what's now Blackville Parish. Alnwick included most of the modern parish along with parts of Allardville, Bathurst, Newcastle, Northesk, and Saumarez Parishes. The 1814 reorganisation of Northumberland County's parishes gave Alnwick nearly its modern boundaries, removing all territory in what's now Gloucester County and Newcastle and Northesk Parishes but adding modern Barryville, Oak Point, The Willows, Bartibog Bridge, and Winston. The Newcastle line ran only six miles up the Bartibog River before going north to the county line, probably putting the departure point south of Sproule Road. In 1850 the western boundary was moved upriver to its current departure point, transferring a strip of territory to Alnwick, most of it wilderness.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality, Indian reserve, or regional municipality

Bodies of water

Bodies of water at least partly in the parish.

Islands

Islands at least partly in the parish.

Other notable areas

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly in the parish.

Demographics

Parish population total does not include Neguac, the Indian reserves or portion within the Regional Municipality of Tracadie. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Population

Population trend

Language

Mother tongue (2016)