William Richard Mulharen Burtis (1818–12 Dec. 1882) was a lawyer, author, journalist, and strong advocate of temperance, born in Saint John.
Burtis received his early education at the Saint John Grammar School and, in 1832, began studying law under William Boyd Kinnear. He was admitted to the bar as an attorney in 1839 and as a barrister in 1841, establishing a successful legal practice in Saint John. In 1855, he was appointed common clerk of the city, a position he held until 1863 when poor health forced his resignation. Later, he worked as a valuator of land damages for the Intercolonial Railway until his retirement in 1878. Yet, his most lasting influence came not from law but from his literary, journalistic, and social reform efforts.
Burtis was deeply engaged in intellectual life. In 1837 he co-founded the Young Men’s Debating Society of Saint John, winning its gold medal for an essay on “The rise and progress of New Brunswick.” This work, later published in the Literary and Historical Journal, celebrated the struggles and achievements of New Brunswick’s Loyalist founders and reflected Burtis’ passion for history. Between 1841 and 1843, he contributed folklore and historical fiction to “Amaranth”, the province’s first significant literary magazine.
At the same time, Burtis became a prominent figure in the temperance movement. In 1843 he helped organize the Saint John Young Men’s Total Abstinence Society and spoke widely against the dangers of alcohol. When the Sons of Temperance expanded into New Brunswick in 1847, Burtis quickly became a leader, serving as patriarch of the Gurney Division. His greatest impact came through journalism: he first assisted and later edited the Temperance Telegraph of Saint John, a widely influential weekly. Under his leadership, the paper became the official voice of the Sons of Temperance in New Brunswick, and even received a special grant from the provincial legislature in 1849.
In the 1860s Burtis returned to literary pursuits. His patriotic and anti-American essay “New Brunswick, as a home for emigrants” was published in 1860 and distributed in both the province and the United Kingdom. That same year, he contributed to the Saint John Guardian, including the serialized tale Grace Thornton, a tale of Acadia. In 1867, he marked Confederation with his poem The New Dominion, a sweeping vision of Canada’s future prosperity under British constitutional government. Later, Burtis helped found the New Brunswick Historical Society in 1874, serving as its first secretary-treasurer.
After retiring from law in 1878, Burtis settled at his country home on the north branch of the Oromocto River, where he lived until his death in 1882.
William R. M. Burtis’ life reflects the intellectual and social energies of 19th-century New Brunswick. Through his law practice, writings, historical contributions, and tireless temperance advocacy, he left a mark on the province’s cultural and civic life.
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