W. O. (William Odber) Raymond

Born in Lower Woodstock, New Brunswick, in 1853, William Odber Raymond became both an Anglican clergyman and a respected historian. He studied at the University of New Brunswick, later entered the ministry, and served in parish work before becoming rector of St. James Church in Saint John.

Alongside his church career, he devoted years to researching the history of New Brunswick. He wrote and edited works on Loyalist settlement and the Saint John River valley, and he was closely involved with the New Brunswick Historical Society, including serving as its president. His best-known writing includes Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, a book valued for its close attention to local people, places, and traditions.

Raymond died in 1923, but his books and edited collections remain useful to readers interested in the early history of New Brunswick. What makes his work especially appealing is the way it combines solid historical digging with a clear affection for the region he knew so well.