The Robert Keltie Jones residence, located on Mecklenburg Street in Saint John, was constructed in 1899. Robert Keltie Jones, a member of a prominent pioneer business family in Saint John, began renting the house in 1913 from Frances Cruikshank, along with his wife Edith (née Cushing) and their 15-year-old son, Robert Keltie Jr. George, Robert Keltie Sr.’s brother, also resided at this address. During their time at this residence, R. Keltie Jones Sr. entered retirement while his son embarked on his career, working in various roles within the insurance industry.

R. Keltie Jones Sr. was the eldest son of Simeon Jones, a former Mayor of Saint John who played a significant role in rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of 1877. Simeon Jones also succeeded Robert Keltie in business as a brewer and importer (established in 1833). R. Keltie Jones Sr. pursued medical training in Scotland in 1879, and in 1892, he and his brothers took over the family brewery, which was renamed after their father, Simeon Jones, following his retirement.

In 1918, the Jones brothers sold the brewery to G. W. C. Oland. R. Keltie Jones Sr. was a charter member of the Loyalist Society, formed in Saint John in 1889, and he had a Loyalist great-grandfather, Josiah Jones. Active in the city’s elite social circles, R. Keltie Jones Sr. passed on his legacy to his son, who later became a supporter of the New Brunswick Museum.

The R. Keltie Jones residence holds heritage value due to its connection to Caverhill Hall, a prominent example of residential architecture in Saint John built a generation earlier. Caverhill Hall, which served as R. Keltie’s childhood home, stands across the street from the Robert Keltie Jones residence at the intersection of Mecklenburg and Sydney Streets. This association, along with other distinguished homes on Mecklenburg Street, showcases the evolving styles and preferences of Saint John’s elite business class for their fashionable residences.

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