John Henry Barnstead

[1] The son of prominent Halifax merchant Charles G. Barnstead and Agnes Meek, he was married to Harriet Tupper Creelman (1847–1941) in 1872.

Arthur was Deputy Provincial Secretary and Clerk of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia, and used his father's method in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion.

[3][4] Despite popular culture references after his death, there is little evidence that Barnstead obtained an advanced degree, particularly none in medicine, or ever had the title coroner.

[6] The tannery occupied much of what is now bordered by Spring Garden Road, Cathedral Lane, and College Street in Halifax.

John Henry Barnstead first appears in Halifax City Directories in 1866, at age 19, listed as a "bookkeeper" at his father's address on Spring Garden Road.

[8] The "s" in sons did not last, and in McAlpine's Halifax City Directory, 1874, Barnstead was listed separately from his father and older brother Charles.

Despite his noted meticulousness, he wrote "accidental drowning, RMS Titanic" on all certificates,[citation needed] although many deaths were as a result of exposure on the open ocean.

When a body was unable to be immediately identified though personal effects, Barnstead arranged photos showing their face to aid future identification.

[citation needed] On December 7, 1917, in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion the day before, Barnstead's son, Arthur, was appointed Chief Mortuary Officer by Deputy Mayor Henry Stubbs Colwell and District 2 Alderman Robert B.

[19] Barnstead retired from office on January 30, 1932, at age 87, celebrating 42 years as registrar during an event held by the Minister of Health.