North End Pharmacist and 5 Alexandra Street Owner: Frederick William Munro and wives Florence Elkin Munro and Maud Gaskin Munro

Frederick William Munro, born 1877, was the son of Ship Captain James Munro and his German wife Katherine Fredericka [aka Catherine and Frederica] born to Catherine Baach and Fritz Wanzer [also spelled Watson in records]. 

Fred, as he was known as, lost his father in 1881, according to the Saint John Globe. “A telegram to Charles McLaughlan from W.D. Lovett Wednesday announced the death of Capt. James Munro of Yarmouth barque “Lennie”, which occurred 10th March. The “Lennie” sailed from Rio Janeiro March 6 for Cardiff and it is presumed she has arrived at her destination. Capt. Munro belonged to Portland. He leaves a wife and family who reside on Douglas Ave., St. John. At one time Capt. Munro was a Past Worthy Patriarch of Portland Division, S. of T.” [could S of T be Sons of Temperance?]

Fun fact – the barque Lennie was involved in a mutiny years previous to Munro being Captain.

Fred lived at 223 Douglas which still stands – see

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Directory records indicate Fred worked as a traveler for TB Barker and Sons starting around 1902 until 1906 when he began working as a traveler for the Canadian Drug Company in 1906 (merger was mentioned in the directory) which merged with the National Drug and Chemical Company. Fred remained in this role until 1911 when he opened his pharmacy at 357 Main St. looking down Douglas Ave where he had a short walk or tram ride to work. 

I found a newspaper article from Sep 1910 indicating “The Retail drug business of the late George W. Hoben, Mainstreet, has been purchased by Fred W Munro, for many years a salesman for the National Drug Co. Mr. Munro has resigned his position with the drug company and will give his personal attention to the newly acquired business.”  I cannot describe the joy I experienced discovering this gem and will provide more details in the article on George W. Hoben. 

The first photograph on this blog shows his pharmacy in the Union Hall.  The bottles we kindly found at the fabulous Loyalist City Books, Coins, and Collectibles confirm the locale.

Sadly the beautiful building where he worked no longer stands – see 2021 image

The New Brunswick Museum’s archives contain a receipt from his store at 357 Main St. The archives also houses 1915 affidavits wherein Fred W. Munro reported Brunswick A. Olive, Giles T. Allan, J. Harry Driscoll, and J. Everett Watters to the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society for dispensing drugs and medicines he believed they were not supposed to sell.

Age 39, bachelor Frederick married spinster Florence E. M. Elkin, age 33, on 6 Sep 1917.   A local newspaper article described the quiet wedding.

Fred and Florence lived at 276 Douglas Ave, which still stands (see a pic further in this blog) just down the road from his mother and her parents. Florence’s parents had a very large mansion at 141 Douglas. This fabulous home still stands – see

Florence’s father Ship Captain Robert Caldwell Elkin (with an office at 108 Water St.) married Frances Joanne Purdy in 1876.  Florence’s father Robert Caldwell Elkin, who died in 1926 in Montreal but was buried in Saint John, was the son of Robert Elkin and Sarah Caldwell.  Florence’s mother Frances, who died at 141 Douglas in 1933, was the daughter of Jesse Purdy [profession noted as “gentleman” in death registration] and Joanna [name spelled Johana, Joanne, etc.] Fowler Purdy who married in 1851 and were noted as losing their home in the 1864 Indiantown fire [I apologize for the phrase – it was the former name of this area of Saint John, the name is offensive and now we say the old north end].  I found it interesting that the funeral home records note after Joanna Fowler Purdy (Florence’s maternal grandmother) died in 1908 at 141 Douglas her body was taken to Carters Point on Mr. Elkin’s steam yacht.

Florence was born a triplet in 1883. Her wombmate Walter died a few days later and sister Kate in 1884.   Going through the newspaper clippings of this time in the incredible Daniel F Johnson’s New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics I was surprised at how many triplets were born in 1883.  Not quite as unusual as I expected.  The newspaper notice indicates “The wife of R.C. ELKIN of Portland (St. John) gave birth to triplets on Friday. The children, two daughters and a son, and the mother are doing well.” Saint John Daily Telegraph 29 Oct 1883.

The 28 Jun 1918 edition of The Evening Times Star, Fred and Florence are noted going on a fishing trip to PEI with friends. I like this glimpse in to their life.

Frederick and Florence had daughter Catherine Louise Munro who lived 5-10 Feb 1920 according to her tombstone – her death registration spells her last name as Munroe and indicates she lived Feb 7-10 (three days not the 5 as listed on her tombstone) at 276 Douglas Ave and did of a neonatal hemorrhage. See the birth and death notices for Catherine, spelled Katherine, in Feb 1920.

Florence died 3 Apr 1921 from extreme anemia which was caused by separation of placenta presumably during another pregnancy.  She was noted as living on Douglas Ave for three years and Fred gave his address, as informant, as 276 Douglas – see pic below following Florence’s obituary.  

After Florence’s death, Fred was recorded as living with her parents at 141 Douglas in the 1922 directory. As noted in a previous blog, in the 1921 census, Fred was recorded as a widowed son-in-law living with his in-laws [R.C. and Francis Elkin] at 141 Douglas.

Florence, her child, her siblings and parents are all buried in Fernhill Cemetery

UPDATE: I discovered in land title records that Florence Elizabeth Maude Munro bought the property from Rev McCaskill in Dec 1919. I wondered why she did not move in and then AHH! Of course! The lawsuit over the home started in 1920 and the appeal ended in 1922. Of course the home would likely be vacant at this time while its ownership was in legal dispute. What I do not understand is why Florence Munro bought the house in her own name, especially a woman of the time, and not with her husband.

I did discover Florence had some assets.  For instance, this 1904 newspaper article notes Florence receiving shares from her father.

I recently discovered the local newspapers reported on real estate transfers and I found this 20 Dec 1919 newspaper confirmation of Florence buying 5 Alexandra from McCaskill.

See the excerpt from Maud’s will below that discusses the purchase of 5 Alexandra by Florence. 

Below an except from Florence’s 9 Nov 1920 that details the 5 Alexandra St. property she left her husband.

9 and 10 Nov 1922 newspapers indicate items for sale from 5 Alexandra (sofa, chair, barrel, sifter, skates, and shoes).

The 1923 directory lists Frederick living at 5 Alexandra St. 

Fred married Maud Pearl Gaskin, born in 1885 to Robert Gaskin, millman, and Mary Quigley (daughter of John Quigley and Leah Walker) on 4 Apr 1923 – two years and one day after his first wife died.  Prior to her marriage Maud lived with her family at 40 Adelaide Street.  Maud was a nurse who served in WWI along with her sister Bessie [Elizabeth] Eunice Gaskin.   Another blog focuses on Maud (spelled interchangeably with Maude) and her family. 

Frederick and Maud had daughter Mary Frederica on 9 Feb 1924.  I noticed that Fred’s first two daughters bear his mother’s names Catherine and Frederica (anglicized versions of her German name).  Mary Frederica’s birth was followed by sister Nancy Elizabeth on 8 Apr 1927.  I have a few photographs of the young girls [kindly thanks to the fabulous former owners of 5 Alexandra] but I am not sure which daughter is Mary and which one is Nancy.  I really adore the photo of Fred holding his two daughters. I feel that Fred was a kind soul – totally conjecture on my part. 

In Oct 1924, Fred and Maud had a party with 175 guests inside this modest home and Fred’s former mother-in-law was there presiding over the tea table which warms my heart that the new couple maintained ties with Fred’s first wife’s family.

The photograph below of one of the Munro daughters sitting out front 5 Alexandra is the most important photograph for managing restoration of our home’s exterior. We learn what the porch pillars looked like, railing height, confirm tonal painting schemes, note landscaping, and other details.

Frederick’s mother Catherine Fredericka died 11 Sep 1926 and was still residing at 223 Douglas at the time of her death. The funeral home records contain quite a bit of family history.

Frederick W. Munro died of peritonitis with a secondary cause of abscess on appendix following surgery for appendicitis on 4 May 1928.  He had been living at 5 Alexandra [called 5 Alexander Street in the funeral records which was common – Alexandra was often called Alexander and Alexandria].  After his death, Fred’s wife and daughters remained in 5 Alexandra.

In May 1928 there is a notice to sell the business.

Below are excerpts from Fred’s will and probate documents describing the property he owned including 5 Alexandra and 357 Main (where he had a leasehold).

Fred’s will had to be probated with Maude given guardianship of the daughters and a life insurance policy with his former deceased wife as beneficiary were adjudicated. See some excerpts below.

Fred planted, according to his daughters who shared this information with neighbours, four trees in the common lane behind 5 Alexandra.  I look at them and think of Fred and his second chance at happiness with his wife Maud and two daughters making a home on Alexandra St.