The Future of Our Past Council of Nova Scotia Archives

  DesBrisay Museum

The DesBrisay Museum owes not only its name, but much of its collection to the dedication and hard work of Judge Mather Byles DesBrisay. He was born in Chester in 1828, the son of Thomas Belcher and great grandson of St. John's (Prince Edward) Island's first Lieutenant Governor, Thomas de la Cour. Mather was schooled in Halifax and Dartmouth, and was called to the bar in 1851. He later relocated his law practise to Chester, and in 1865 to Bridgewater. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1867 and named Speaker of the Assebly in 1875. He returned the following year and served as a County Court judge until 1897. He married Ada Harley in 1876.

DesBrisay's collecting is believed to have begun soon after he published the essay "History of the County of Lunenburg" in 1870, two years after it was awarded second prize by the Thomas Beamish Aikins Historical essay contest, Kings College. His second edition, 1895, refers to many of the documents he had collected during his research throughout the County, and in public repositories. His collection was visited by hundreds annually, and was displayed in the DesBrisay home, "Ivy Banks", on Pleasant Street, Bridgewater. The private museum presented nineteen display cases full of "curiosities, including one featuring photographs, and dozens of additional articles, mostly natural history specimens from around the world. DesBrisay died in 1900. His funeral was joined by a procession of children, a testament to the Judge's belief in public education. Soon after her husband's death Ada arranged with the Mayor to have the collection transferred to the Town. Presently Judge DesBrisay's collection, one of the oldest in Canada, resides in a purpose-built museum established by the Town, as part of the Town's Canadian Centennial celebrations.

Below are examples of the types of records found at the DesBrisay Museum. For a larger view and item details, click on desired image.

Museum Visitor Book, 1894-1898

Judge DesBrisay Museum's Catalogue

"The Famous Glass Dress"