DCHP-1 Online

parish † 

• 1 n. in Quebec, a subdivision of a county which functions both as an ecclesiastical and political unit.

  • 1775  The Rebels have sent circular Letters to some of the Parishes above, upon the South Shore, threatening them with execution.
  • 1844  All these clearings were made by squatters, who emigrated from the Parishes of Malbaie and St. Paul's Bay.
  • 1963  In the rural parish of St. Leon, 554 persons cast votes in the federal election June 18.

• 2a n. Hist. in New Brunswick, in colonial times, the jurisdiction of a town designated as the municipal seat.

  • 1811  The bridges, from the lower part of the parish up to St. Joseph [N.B.] . . . were most of them carried away.
  • 1832  These are also to be found principally in the parishes fronting the River St John. . . .
  • 1886  Town and parish appear to have been always synonymous terms in this province [New Brunswick].

• 2b n. in New Brunswick, one of the subdivisions of a county, the unit of representation in the county councils.

  • 1907  The elections were over--the report from the farthest parish had come in.
  • 1954  Collection of current and back taxes from parishes and towns for the first eleven months of this year amounted to 87.6 per cent of the 1954 Charlotte County warrant.
  • 1958  Each of the 15 counties is organized as a municipality; the unit of representation in the county councils is the parish.

• 3 n. Hist. in Prince Edward Island, one of the subdivisions into which the counties of the Island were originally divided.

  • 1904  The parish lines are but little recognized, the more general sub-division being by lots or townships of which there are 67 running numerically from west to east.
  • 1907  Prince Edward island was divided into "Counties," "Parishes," "Lots," and three towns with royalties and commons attached.

• 4 n. Hist. the smallest of the municipal districts proposed in the plan for subdividing New Scotland in the early 17th century.

  See also: hundred  

  • 1922  The country was divided into two provinces, each province into several dioceses, each dioceses into ten baronies, and each barony into six parishes.