Catherine Susan Ann McNab

The ‘Little Editor’ behind The Novascotian

Catherine Susan Ann McNab (1808 – 1890) may not have sought public recognition, but her quiet influence was deeply felt – both at home and in the editorial offices of The Novascotian, one of the most important newspapers in early Nova Scotia. As the wife of journalist, politician, and premier Joseph Howe, she carried a heavy domestic and social burden. But Susan Ann was also a trusted collaborator – so much so that her husband called her ‘the Little Editor’, a term of affection for the woman who helped shape the public voice of Nova Scotia.

Catherine Susan Ann McNab (1808 – 1890) or Susan Ann as she was generally called, was a member of the McNab family of McNab Island fame. She was born in St. John’s Newfoundland on May 12, 1807 where her father, Captain John McNab, was in the Nova Scotia Regiment of Fencible Infantry. Around 1817, when she was about 11 years old, the family moved to McNab’s Island, the largest island in Halifax Harbour.

Like many girls of her time and class, she was trained in music, needlework, and the social graces. Susan Ann stood out for her talent in singing and needlepoint. By the age of 20, she had caught the eye of a young Joseph Howe, who was already making his name in Halifax’s print world. He was known to row across the harbour in the evenings just to visit her – a determined suitor with ambition and charm.

Joseph was the son of John Howe, one of Nova Scotia’s finest printers, so it was natural that Joseph would enter the business which he did with the purchase of the newspaper The Novascotian. After Joseph purchased the newspaper, he would now be able to support a wife and family, so Susan’s father agreed they could marry. On February 2, 1828, they were married in St. Paul’s Church in Halifax. 

Over a period of 10 years she had 10 children, only 5 survived past the age of 21. Just as it is today, being married to a politician and at one point, the premier of Nova Scotia, brought many societal obligations from openings, official dinners and invitations to a vast number of events.

As Joseph’s political career advanced, Susan had to run not only the home but also had to take an active role in running The Novascotian. She worked, as editor, alongside her father-in-law, John Howe. Joseph Howe himself would often defer to Susan’s editorial decisions and often referred to her as the ‘LIttle Editor’. A nickname that by today’s standards, may seem a bit patronizing but was very common and accepted in the 1800s.

After Joseph’s death in 1873, Susan Ann was left with little financial support. It was not until 1885 – over a decade later – that the government awarded her a modest pension. She lived her final years in Dartmouth with her daughter and died there on July 5, 1890, at the age of 83.

Susan Ann Howe may never have signed a byline, but her legacy lives in the influence she wielded quietly and effectively from behind the scenes – as editor, mother, and trusted partner in one of the most formative political and journalistic households in Atlantic Canada.