Joseph Cunard

In the year of his birth, his father was named master carpenter of the Royal Engineers at the Halifax garrison.

Around 1820, with his brothers Henry and Samuel, he opened a branch of the family timber business in Chatham, New Brunswick.

In 1831 the company purchased stores, houses, and other buildings at Bathurst and the next year began shipping timber.

In the same town the firm also had a brickworks, several stores, a counting house employing 30 people, and at least two shipyards.

He competed with the firm Gilmour, Rankin, and Company for control of timber reserves along the Miramichi River.

In November 1847, after having overextended himself financially, Cunard was forced to declare bankruptcy which put many people in the region out of work.

By 1839 he had two shipyards of his own in Chatham, where he launched at least 43 vessels including the Velocity, which was in 1846 the first steamboat constructed on the Miramichi.