A Saint John History Mystery – vol. 3, no. 1
History Mysteries explores the people, places, and events of Saint John and other places in the Maritimes’ past through newspapers, maps, photographs, city directories, and other historical records. While every effort is made to verify information through multiple sources, some historical details remain open to interpretation as new evidence comes to light.
Chapter One: The Snakes
Imagine walking into your local flower shop to buy a fresh bouquet and being greeted by a smile and a snake gliding along a young man’s arm. Customers may have been a bit perplexed and alarmed when entering Saint John’s Charlotte Street flower shop. Or perhaps the regulars were used to William, the owner’s son, having slender pets.
For locals in 1888, it was exciting enough to make the front page of the Saturday Progress Saint John newspaper. According to the article, this was just his latest pet snake. Three years earlier, in his late teens, this Saint John snake charmer had seven snakes bunking with him. 1
Source credit: Progress (Saint John, New Brunswick), September 8, 1888, p. 1. New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, UNB Archives & Special Collections.
Postcard source: Author’s collection.
Chance Encounter at Lily Lake
Out near Lily Lake, in what is now Rockwood Park, William found his newest coiled creature friend. I don’t know if the present-day trail that wraps around the lake existed at that time. However, I’d like to believe that his pet snake found in the park was near the same trail where I was fortunate enough to spot a group of snakes in spring 2026. Our family was exploring with some friends and their kids, heading towards one of our favourite side paths that turns up along a small bubbling stream through the woods and mossy rocks. As we got close enough to hear the water trickling through the stones, we stumbled upon a knot of them enjoying one of the first really warm Saturdays of the season. As we curiously watched them twist and turn about, our kiddo asked about having a new pet of his own. We explained that snakes are happiest in the woods, and keeping a comfortable distance helps them feel safe. Our chance encounter with nature reminded me of the September 1888 article I had read a while back. I thought it was neat that a century after it was printed, we were casually observing snakes living and thriving in the park.
A modern note: as per the New Brunswick Fish and Wildlife Act2, taking or keeping any wildlife requires a permit. If you’ve found injured wildlife, you can contact the Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI) at 1-506-364-1902 (visit their website to learn more atlanticwildlife.ca )
Who Was This Saint John Snake Charmer?
Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed reading old newspapers from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. It’s cool to peer into the past, discover a snippet about someone, then explore and follow their life through city directories, more articles, and other old records.
As a child, William moved with his family from Scotland across the Atlantic sometime between 1875 and 18803. Marsh Road (later known as Rothesay Ave) became home for the MacIntosh family in Saint John, New Brunswick.4 Donald MacIntosh, William’s dad, was a well-known florist who grew and sold flowers from their house. In 1888, when William made front-page news for carrying his pet snake around, Donald also had a shop on Charlotte Street.5 6
Source: McAlpine’s Saint John City Directory (1889-1890), Canadiana (CRKN).
It was interesting to find how the McIntosh family members kept popping up in the local newspapers. In 1906, William made the papers again for spotting and shooting a 1,500-pound moose near the family home as it trotted towards Rockwood Park10. The previous year, his brother, Andrew McIntosh, was in the local news for his aquarium with forty trout9.
Source: The St. John Star (Saint John, New Brunswick), August 8, 1905. New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, UNB Archives & Special Collections.
Donald’s successful florist career continued as he regularly won at the annual flower shows, including 1st place for his ferns and roses at the 1900 Exhibition8. The more I read about the McIntoshes, the more I wondered if a love of nature ran in the family.7
As we flip through the pages of time, where does William’s life lead as we peek into his future? Our first impression of Saint John’s “own snake charmer” comes from the 1888 article, which describes him as having “careful good sense”. In his teens, he met a professional snake charmer at the centennial exhibition’s circus-inspired sideshow and happily accepted a full-body hug from a six-foot-long snake1. Would William, with his tendency towards unusual pets, be destined to join a circus? Or would his curiosity lead him down a different path?
Check back soon to time-travel together into the next chapter of William’s life
Research Note: Historical records (Newspapers, directories, death certificates, headstones and other records) varied on the spelling of the surname MacIntosh and McIntosh. For example, many newspapers used McIntosh; Donald’s death certificate was listed as McIntosh while William’s was MacIntosh and the family headstone was MacIntosh.
Sources
1Progress (Saint John, New Brunswick: 1888) “OUR OWN SNAKE-CHARMER” 1, no. 19, September 08, 1888: [1]. New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, accessed July 02, 2026, https://newspapers.lib.unb.ca/serials/155/issues/22468/pages/162689.
2New Brunswick. Fish and Wildlife Act. Chapter F-14.1, s. 38(1). Consolidated June 3, 2013. Government of New Brunswick. Accessed July 3, 2026. https://laws.gnb.ca/en/document/cs/f-14.1/20130603
3William MacIntosh. Death Record. RS141C5-152536. Index to Death Certificates. Died April 20, 1950. Registration no. 2562. Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, accessed July 12, 2026. https://archives.gnb.ca/en-ca/vital-statistics/death/141c5/7a5d85b6-6d99-456c-8c69-a432f8dae925
4The St. John Standard (Saint John, New Brunswick: 1912) “To Change Name of Marsh Road.” October 22, 1912 page 5. Newspapers.com, accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-st-john-standard-marsh-road-changed/203302991/
5McAlpine’s Saint John City Directory. 1888. Pages 27 and 365. Canadiana, accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_00231_18/367
6McAlpine’s Saint John City Directory. 1889-1890. Pages 265 and 428. Canadiana, accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_00231_19/424
7SarahRose Werner. “Grave of Dr. William MacIntosh.” Photograph, June 13, 2024. Find a Grave, William MacIntosh Memorial ID 271238290, accessed July 14, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/271238290/william-macintosh#view-photo=297092221
8The St. John Semi-Weekly Sun (Saint John, New Brunswick: 1900) “THE EXHIBITION.” “Prize List.” September 15, 1900. Page 3. New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, accessed July 14, 2026. https://newspapers.lib.unb.ca/serials/99/issues/48690/pages/437326?highlight=%22mcIntosh%22%20AND%20tree
9The St. John Star (Saint John, New Brunswick: 1905) “Local News.” August 8, 1905. Page 8. New Brunswick Historical Newspapers Project, accessed July 14, 2026. https://newspapers.lib.unb.ca/serials/279/issues/51217/pages/453438?highlight=%22Mcintosh%22
10The Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, New Brunswick: 1906) “The Marsh Road Moose Is Shot.” September 26, 1906. Page 10. Newspapers.com, accessed July 14, 2026. https://www.newspapers.com/article/telegraph-journal-william-mcintosh-moose/203303659/
