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Helping with the preparation of the "Waddell Book" over the past two years has been not only a great challenge, but a fascinating and rewarding experience. Forty-two years ago, I had the good fortune to marry a woman whose maiden name was Geraldine Vivien Waddell. Gerri's mother, Ethel Viola Waddell, was born at Reeds Point. My wife, our children and their children are now able to trace their ancestry back to James Alexander Waddell, who came from Scotland to Reeds Point in southern New Brunswick, Canada in the year 1819.

From these two people - James Waddell and his wife, Margaret Brodie, the North American Waddell clan has grown well into the thousands. They can be found from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and from the northernmost cities in Canada to Florida and California. Still, the largest single group can probably be found close to where the roots were first established - Reeds Point on the Kingston Peninsula between the Saint John and Kennebecasis Rivers.

Extensive research and assistance-from relations near and far have allowed us to record over 2,500 of these descendants. Even though I have no direct connection to the Waddell line other than through my wife, I feel very close to this clan. One reason could be that I spent 18 memorable summers at Long Reach on the Kingston Peninsula and grew up knowing many of these Waddell descendants — a fact learned only after working on this project many years later. One really strange coincidence is the recollection of going to a mill at Reeds Point with my father when I was a boy to buy our first rowboat
    - a boat that had been built there at the mill, probably by one of the Waddells.

A few years ago, I met Ann Waddell on the Internet. She was reaching out, looking for the descendants of James & Margaret Waddell. It was Ann's enthusiasm that drew me into her search and she soon introduced me to another descendant, Glenna Jack, who lives in the St. George area. Glenna's father, Julia (Waddell) Cathline's son, was born at Centreton and her mother at Moss Glen. For almost two years, I have worked closely with these two ladies in helping to prepare this work. Then, in June of 1998, my wife and I decided it was time for us to return "home" to Saint John and meet these distant relatives we had come to know so well via correspondence. We stayed with my wife's favourite aunt, Muriel (Waddell) Chittick. Muriel not only was married to Percy Waddell, but had spent considerable time visiting the Waddells at Reeds Point during the early years of her marriage and was able to provide many first hand accounts of these people we had come to know through research.

Undoubtedly, there will be errors in some of our data and we ask only your understanding. We often
had to rely on memories rather than written documents when quoting names, dates and places.

Let me conclude by saying this has indeed been a labour of love. We have met so many wonderful
people who have helped so much in preparing this work. It is not now and never will be "complete",
but should prove an invaluable tool for anyone wanting to continue where we left off.

Jim Archibald

Edmonton, AB, Canada