Catherine Susan Ann Howe (nee McNab)

The ‘Little Editor’ behind The Novascotian

Catherine Susan Ann McNab (1807 – 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 the demands of a growing family while also helping manage one of Nova Scotia’s most influential newspapers. But Susan Ann was also a trusted collaborator – so much so that her husband called her ‘the Little Editor’, a nickname that reflected the confidence he placed in her judgment while he was away from Halifax.

Catherine Susan Ann McNab 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 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, the son of printer John Howe, had apprenticed in his father’s shop before purchasing The Novascotian in 1828. Owning a successful newspaper gave him the financial security to marry, and with Susan Ann’s father’s approval, the couple were married in St. Paul’s Church in Halifax on February 2, 1828. 

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 demanded more of his time, Susan Ann assumed increasing responsibility for the day-to-day operation of The Novascotian. Working alongside her father-in-law, John Howe, she relayed instructions to the compositors, supervised editorial work, ordered supplies and managed other aspects of the newspaper while Joseph travelled. His surviving letters reveal the confidence he placed in her judgment, affectionately referring to her as ‘the Little Editor’.

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.

Although her name rarely appeared in print, Susan Ann Howe played an essential role in the success of The Novascotian. Her legacy survives not only as Joseph Howe’s partner in life, but also as a capable manager, editor and trusted collaborator in one Atlantic Canada’s most influential newspaper offices.