Adam Allan
1756-1823
Adam Allan (1756-1823) was a Loyalist soldier, surveyor, and poet. He is among the first New Brunswick-based authors. His best-known work is the poem “A Description of the Great Falls of the River St. John" (1798). London created a new army corp., the King’s New Brunswick Regiment, which existed from 1793-1802, in which Allan was enrolled with the rank of lieutenant, and in 1797 was placed in command of the garrison stationed near the Grand Falls where he wrote the poem notable for being among the first literary works to reference New Brunswick. He also translated (from the Scotch dialect into modern English) the play The Gentle Shepherd (1725), a popular pastoral comedy by the older Scottish writer Allan Ramsay (1686-1758). It may be that Allan added a scene of his own composition to the play’s fourth act, and a few songs as well. In 1845, his son Jacob had his collected poetry published in England, although no copies are known to be extant.
Bent, David L. "Adam Allan." New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia, Spring 2021. Accessed 6 April 2023.
Predominant New Brunswick Residences:
Fredericton, Grand Falls
Archival Material
There are several documents related to Adam Allan and some letters from Adam Allan which can be found in the Winslow papers at UNB Archives & Special Collections, and in collections of the NB Museum archives.
New Brunswick Provincials 1793 escutcheon
Hale, Wallace. Fort Havoc "The King's New Brunswick Regiment", Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, 1998. Accessed 6 April 2023.
See the New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia entry.