Historic Wabana
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    • Mining History >
      • Time-line of Wabana Mines
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        • Housing Introduction & Contents
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        • Arthur House Article >
          • Part 1 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 1, 1939
          • Part 2 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 2, 1939
          • Part 3 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 3, 1939
          • Part 4 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 4, 1939
          • Part 5 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 6, 1939
          • Part 6 of "Early History of Bell Island Mines," March 7, 1939
        • F.F. Jardine Articles >
          • Fortieth Anniversary of Wabana Mines, Bell Island
          • Part 1 of "Forty-Fourth Anniversary of Wabana Mines"
          • Part 2 of "Forty-Fourth Anniversary of Wabana Mines"
          • Part 3 of "Forty-Fourth Anniversary of Wabana Mines"
          • Part 4 of "Forty-Fourth Anniversary of Wabana Mines"
      • Mining Terminology
      • No. 2 Mine
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      • Patrick Harrison Co.
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      • Bell Island Poultry Association
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    • Education >
      • Anglican Schools >
        • Academy - St. Augustine's
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      • Wabana Little Theatre
    • FIRES >
      • St. Augustine's School Fires
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        • Junior Red Cross
    • Lance Cove
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      • Insurance Plan of Wabana 1954
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      • Military Service Other Than WWI & WWII
      • World War I
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        • Caribou Sinking-Bell Island Connections
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      • The Murals Project History
      • Brian Burke Sculptures
      • Lance Cove Seaman's Memorial
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    • Sports - A Brief History >
      • Arena History
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    • Today in the History of Bell Island
    • Transportation >
      • Beach Tramway
      • Ferries & The Tickle >
        • Elmer W. Jones
        • Ice in The Tickle
        • Kipawo
        • MANECO
        • Timeline of Ferries & Freighters
        • Tragedy in The Tickle 1940
      • Transport & Shipping Companies
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    • The Women of Wabana, Part 1: Women's Work & Social Life
  • Publications
    • Arthur House Article
    • The Book of Newfoundland >
      • "Bell Island Was Exciting For a Growing Boy"
    • Books About Bell Island
    • Early History of Bell Island
    • F.F. Jardine Articles
    • "Where Canada's Iron Comes From"
    • "A Mine Dead - A Town Stricken"
    • Morris, I.C.
    • Newfoundland Quarterly >
      • "Bell Island," V. 1, No. 1, July 1901
      • "Belle Island Boyhood," Part 1, V. 85, No. 2, Fall 1989
      • "Belle Island Boyhood," Part 2, V. 85, No. 3, Winter 1990
    • Newspapers (Bell Island) >
      • Bell Island & Conc. Bay Reporter
      • Bell Island Examiner
      • Bell Island Miner (Newspaper)
      • Bell Island Miner 1965
      • Bell Island Reporter
      • Bell Island Times
      • Bell Islander
      • Wabana Star
      • Wabana Weekly
    • Notes on Belle Isle by Mrs. B.B.E.
    • Place Where the Sun Rises
    • Submarine Miner >
      • 1954 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 1, June 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 2, July 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 3, August 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 4, September 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 5, October 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 6, November 1954
        • Submarine Miner, V. 1 # 7, December 1954
      • 1955 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 1, January 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 2, February 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 3, March 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 4, April 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 5, May 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 6, June 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 7, July 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 8, August 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 9, September 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 #10, October 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 # 11, November 1955
        • Submarine Miner, V. 2 #12, December 1955
      • 1956 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 1, January 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 2, February 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 3, March 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 4, April 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 5, May 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 6, June 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 7, July 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 8, August 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 9, September 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 #10, October 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 # 11, November 1956
        • Submarine Miner, V. 3 #12, December 1956
      • 1957 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, # 1, January 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, # 2, February 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, # 3, March 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #4, April 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #5, May 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #6, June 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #7, July 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #8, August 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V. 4, #9, September 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V.4, #10, October 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V.4, #11, November 1957
        • Submarine Miner, V.4, #12, December 1957
      • 1958 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #1, January 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #2, February 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #3, March 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #4, April 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #5, May 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #6, June 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #7, July 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #8, August 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #9, September 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #10, October 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #11, November 1958
        • Submarine Miner, V.5, #12, December 1958
      • 1959 Issues >
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #1, January 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #2, February 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #3, March 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #4, April 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #5, May 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #6, June 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #7, July 1959
        • Submarine Miner, V.6, #8, August 1959
        • DOSCO World
    • Victor Southey Article
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​PEOPLE OF BELL ISLAND

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The People of Bell Island pages feature mini-biographies (in alphabetical order by last name) of some of the people who have lived and worked on Bell Island, or have had an impact on its history in some way. Much of the information comes from historical records and newspaper or magazine articles. Some will be from Census records and some from anecdotal accounts by people I have interviewed. It will always be a "work in progress," with information being added as it comes available. If you would like to add information for yourself or your family, or simply to have your parents or grandparents names added as a memorial to their life and work on Bell Island, get in touch by emailing:

                                                                               historic.wabana@gmail.com

To view the other biographies, hover your cursor over the People of Bell Island button in the menu at the top of this page, then choose from the drop-down menu of alphabetical listings. 

Bios below as of March 2022:

Joseph Ellis (1870-1955)
Edward (c.1731 - ????) and Jane English
​Roy B. Eveleigh (1912-1961)


Joseph Ellis (1870-1955): Dry Goods Merchant. It was reported in the St. John's Daily News that a fire on The Green on March 10, 1938 destroyed four buildings, one of which had been previously owned by Simon Tuma and then sold to Joseph Ellis, who had dry goods stock there. The impression is given that Joseph Ellis was using the building as storage. It is unclear if he was doing business on Bell Island at the time, but his residence in the 1921, 1935 and 1945 Census was St. John's. Nor is he listed in the 1936 Directory for Bell Island. 

When he died in January 1955, the Daily News reported that "Mr. Ellis was a familiar figure on the Iron Isle some years ago, where he conducted a very successful business."

Edward (c.1731 - ????) and Jane English: Believed by their descendants to have been the first to settle Bell Island. The following story was told to Joseph R. Smallwood in 1939 by one of their descendants, Leo F. English, an Educator and Historian, who later became Curator of the Newfoundland Museum. Smallwood broadcast the story on his radio show, "The Barrelman," on April 24, 1939.

Edward English was born in Piltown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, about 1731 and was the first of his family to come to Newfoundland. He came as a “youngster” (another name for an apprentice) with an English planter named William Porter, who had an establishment at Port de Grave. Young Edward English worked at the fishery in Port de Grave for William Porter until he fell in love with Porter’s daughter and she with him. There were obstacles in their way [perhaps his low status, or religious affiliation, or a combination of both?] so they made up their minds to elope. Stealing one of Porter’s bait skiffs, they rowed up the bay to Harbour Main, where they were married by an Irish Priest.

Now in those days, the Church of England was the “Established Church,” meaning it was the only one permitted to have priests in the country, and very harsh laws existed against the presence of Roman Catholic priests. Whenever they were detected, Catholic priests were arrested and deported, and the fish storehouses or dwellings in which they celebrated Mass were torn down to the ground, or sometimes pulled out into the sea. The result of the enforcement of these laws was that priests dressed in civilian garb, often disguised as fishermen, and it was such a priest who married the young couple at Harbour Main around the middle of the eighteenth century, [so c.1750].

Once they were married, the young couple’s troubles were far from over. There was the wrath of the bride’s father to consider, so they went to Bell Island and settled down at Lance Cove. In fact, there was a tradition within the English family that they were the first ever to settle on Bell Island. No indication is given as to exactly how long they remained at Lance Cove, but the story goes that during the Seven Years’ War, 1756-1763, when Newfoundland was greatly harassed by the French, and raids were very common, Edward English and his wife were victimized severely. During two years in succession, their homestead, fish store and stage were completely destroyed by the French. At length, growing fed up with these difficulties, Edward English took his family [which seems to indicated that some of their children were born on Bell Island] to Northern Bay, on the north shore of Conception Bay, and resettled there.

In the year 1775, Newfoundland was visited by the most terrible storm in all her history, when many hundreds of vessels were destroyed and hundreds of lives lost. [The 1775 Newfoundland Hurricane is said to have struck on September 9th destroying "a considerable number of boats with their crews." Wikipedia] English's story has it that just prior to the hurricane, a large number of fishing vessels had put in to Northern Bay to take bait and had become becalmed for 3 weeks, will all hands praying for wind. Their prayers were answered with wind so strong that almost all the boats were smashed on shore and most of the fishermen perished. 300 in Northern Bay and more than 1,500 in Nfld. altogether. People of Northern Bay dreamt of the dead men and believed they saw their ghosts and heard their dying shrieks all hours of the night. This became unbearable for Edward’s wife, Jane, and she persuaded him to move to a small place a little further north, known as Devil’s Cove. “Here they lived and died, and Jane Porter English lived to the remarkable age of 110 years." The third son of Edward English, Richard, was responsible for getting the name of Devil’s Cove changed to Job’s Cove. He was a pious man, hence the cove was named for Job of the Bible.

Roy B. Eveleigh (1912-1961): Miner. He was born in October 1912 in Tilt Cove, Notre Dame Bay, NL, to Selina (nee Squires, 1884-1965) and Frederick Eveleigh (1877-1954), a miner. About 1919, when the Tilt Cove mine was closing, the family moved to Bell Island, where Frederick worked for DOSCO.

​On leaving school in 1927, Roy began working for DOSCO as an underground miner. He married Minnie Badcock (c.1915-2006) about 1936.

His obituary in the Wabana Star of Nov. 22, 1961, written by his friend, Max Stares, said of him:

"During his long sojourn with the Company, he was engaged at many phases of mining, and served his employers well and faithfully, until ill health obliged him to relinquish his duties. He was a very capable miner, well-liked and held in the highest esteem by his co-workers.

Roy Eveleigh was a staunch member of the Loyal Orange Association and of the Royal Black Preceptory and was highly regarded by his fraternity. He was a devout member of the United Church and every good cause in the community had his support. A kindly amiable man, he was beloved by all who knew him. Widespread sympathy was evidenced by the steady stream of visitors to the saddened home during the "Wake" period, the profusion of wreaths, cards and telegrams that came in, and the large concourse of mourners attending the funeral. The funeral took place by motor hearse to the United Church Tuesday afternoon. A delegation from the L.O.L. were in attendance, and Mr. Bert Rideout was the undertaker. Services at his home, the Church and graveside were conducted by the Minister, Rev. B. Hicks, B.A.
"

Roy Eveleigh died November 11, 1961. Minnie Eveleigh died May 17, 2006 in St. John's. They are buried in the United Church Cemetery, Bell Island.



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