Joseph Cunard was a merchant, shipbuilder and political figure in New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

. He represented Northumberland County

Northumberland County, New Brunswick

Northumberland County , having the largest area of any county in the province, is located in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada.-Geography:Northumberland County is covered by thick forests, whose products stimulate the economy...

 in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...

 from 1828 to 1833.

He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

, the son of Abraham Cunard

Abraham Cunard

Abraham Cunard was a United Empire Loyalist carpenter, timber merchant, and ship owner from Halifax, Nova Scotia, best known as the father of shipping magnate Samuel Cunard....

 and Margaret Murphy. In 1833, he married Mary Peters. Cunard was educated in Halifax and entered his father's firm. Around 1820, with his brothers Henry and Samuel

Samuel Cunard

Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was a British shipping magnate, born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line...

, he opened a branch of the family timber business in Chatham, New Brunswick

Chatham, New Brunswick

Chatham is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, Chatham was an incorporated town in Northumberland County along the south bank of the Miramichi River opposite Douglastown...

. The firm operated mills, wharves, a store and shipyards there. The business expanded to include operations at Shippegan, Kouchibouguac

Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick

Kouchibouguac is a community in the Canadian province of New Brunswick....

, Richibucto

Richibucto, New Brunswick

Richibucto is a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick.The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait. The town takes its name from a Mi'kmaq term meaning "river of fire"....

 and Bathurst

Bathurst, New Brunswick

Bathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay....

. Cunard was also a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 and served on the board of health for the region. In 1833, he was named to the province's Legislative Council

Legislative Council of New Brunswick

The Legislative Council of New Brunswick was the upper house of the government of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, between 1785 and 1891. Members were appointed by the New Brunswick lieutenant governor.-External links:*...

. Cunard also served on the province's Executive Council from 1838 to 1843. He competed with the firm Gilmour, Rankin, and Company for control of timber reserves along the Miramichi River

Miramichi River

The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence...

. In 1847, after having overextended himself financially, Cunard was forced to declare bankruptcy which put many people in the region out of work. In 1850, he left the area and settled at Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

where he again entered business selling ships, lumber and goods on a commission basis for merchants in the colonies. He died there in 1865.