author
W. O. (William Odber) Raymond
1853–1923
A New Brunswick clergyman who became one of the best-known early historians of Loyalist life in the province, he wrote with a deep sense of place and a lasting interest in the St. John River and its people.
1 Audiobook
Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784
by W. O. (William Odber) Raymond
About the author
William Odber Raymond was a Canadian Anglican clergyman and historian, born in Lower Woodstock, New Brunswick, on February 3, 1853, and died in Toronto in November 1923. He studied at the University of New Brunswick, where he earned a BA in mathematics and natural science, and later entered the ministry.
Much of his working life was divided between church service and historical writing. While serving as a rector in Saint John, he became closely involved with the New Brunswick Historical Society and helped preserve and interpret the province’s Loyalist past. He is especially remembered for historical works connected with early New Brunswick settlement and for writing about the St. John River.
Raymond’s books and edited collections helped shape how generations of readers understood New Brunswick history. His work is still of interest today for its strong regional focus and for the care he gave to documenting people, places, and traditions from the province’s early years.