From the obituary of Hugh Love, born 24 January 1859 and died 25 June 1936 in St. Stephen, Charlotte County, New Brunswick:
St. Stephen lost one of its best known residents Thursday night of last week with the passing of Hugh Love, for many years prominently identified with horse-racing and lumbering in Charlotte County, in his 77th year. He had been confined to the house for seven months and his death was not unexpected.
He was born on the Valley Road, one of a family of twelve children of William Love, and as a young man conducted a general store in Calais, although residing in St. Stephen where he lived practically his whole life. Later he entered the lumbering business with his father-in-law under the name of Love and Tracey. Always a lover of good horses, he acquired a large stable of racers including a number of the best performers ever owned in New Brunswick, and his love for this sport was the means of his becoming one of the promoters of the St. Stephen Exhibition…
Mr. Love was twice married. His first wife, formerly Rose Tracey, died in 1906 and by her he is survived by five sons, Verne, Foster, Harley of St. Stephen, Percy of Philadelphia and Ralph of the R.C.M.P., now stationed at Minto; and four daughters, Mrs. W.A. Speedy [Vera] of New York, Mrs William Middlemiss [Winnifred Alice] of St. Stephen, Mrs. William Spires of Calais. One son, Galen, was killed in a railway accident and a daughter also predeceased him. He later married Miss Jennie Woods who survives him with one son, Hugh. He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. John Maxwell [Nancy Gilman Love] of Old Ridge and Miss Laura of Moore’s Mills.
St. Stephen lost one of its best known residents Thursday night of last week with the passing of Hugh Love, for many years prominently identified with horse-racing and lumbering in Charlotte County, in his 77th year. He had been confined to the house for seven months and his death was not unexpected.
Lymburner cousins
Hugh Love is my 3rd cousin 3 times removed. His mother was Electra Clendinin, daughter of William Clendinin and Nancy Agnes Gilman. Nancy Agnes was the daughter of Nehemiah Gilman and Margaret Lymburner. Margaret was born in 1766 in Kilmarnock, Scotland. She was the second child of Matthew Lymburner UEL and Margaret Cairns or Kaims.
Margaret’s younger brother Alexander was the great-grandfather of Matthias Lymburner, my great-grandfather. Alexander was born in 1771 in Penobscot, Maine and died 1812 in Ontario.
Matthew and Margaret, both born in Scotland, came to British North America about 1766 with two small children. They lived in Maine and had more children. After the American Revolution, in which they had remained loyal to Britain, they settled in Charlotte County on the still-British side of the new border.
Matthew died in St. Andrews, Charlotte County in 1788. His widow and most of their children moved to southwestern Ontario. A few stayed in New Brunswick, including Margaret. She and her New Hampshire-born husband Nehemiah Gilman raised 12 children in Charlotte County. One was Nancy Agnes, mother of Electra Gilman. Electra was Hugh Love’s mother.
Hugh Love’s Stable
Google as I might, I’ve not been able to find out much about Hugh Love’s stable or the St. Stephen Exhibition race track. I found a couple of references to a mare Rosa or Rose L, bred and raced by him. Foaled in 1888, she was sired by Olympus. I wonder if she was named after Hugh’s wife Rose Ella Tracey.
My Lymburner Family Tree has more details and, for family connections to the sport, Harness Racing Mabees. An interesting history of NB and Maine harness racing is Rounding the Turn for Home by Leah Grandy (2010 PhD diss. UNB – pdf, so takes time to load). Jacques Poitras’ 2011 book Imaginary Line: Life on an unfinished border gives a good description of the interconnectedness of New Brunswick and Maine all along the Saint John River.
