HISTORY
SETTLEMENT of BELL ISLAND:
FACTS & FOLKLORE
FACTS & FOLKLORE
The difference between "facts" and "folklore":
"Facts," in the sense that the word is used here, refers to information that was documented on paper on or not long after some event in history. For example, a marriage certificate is a document containing the facts of a wedding. It is usually filled out at the time of the event by an official and witnessed by others. It does not mean that all the information in the document is correct, however. For example, in the marriage certificate of my maternal grandparents, John Dawe and Emeline Luffman, who were married in Portugal Cove on April 24, 1919, their names, the names of the clergy and the witnesses, and the date are all correct, but both their ages were incorrectly recorded. Whether this was intentional or not will never be known, but his age was recorded as 26 and hers as 32. In actual fact, he was 10 years her junior and was 24 at the time, while she was 34. Perhaps they thought it would not look so bad if they shortened the difference in their ages.
Government and church documents, census records, telephone and city directories are all considered reliable sources of facts and, to a lesser degree, so are news items in newspapers and even family and local information in personal journals and correspondence. What these things all have in common is that there is usually a paper document that can be examined to confirm the facts of an event. As with my grandparents' marriage certificate, not all information in these documents is absolutely correct, but it is often as close as we can get to the true facts.
"Folklore" on the other hand, is information that is passed down by word of mouth. This does not mean that the information is not true. It simply means that it was not recorded, or that the recorded information was lost. Before written records were made or kept, all information was passed along orally. In being passed along this way, some details may become embellished, and some may be lost. Family histories and even community histories may be passed down orally for generations before someone takes the time to record them on paper for posterity.
Below, I present first some documented information about the early settlement of Bell Island, followed by the stories of some early settlers that would be considered folklore, simply because we have no documentary proof of the information in the stories other than the shared knowledge that these people did exist in time and place. We just don't know for certain when they actually arrived at Bell Island.
"Facts," in the sense that the word is used here, refers to information that was documented on paper on or not long after some event in history. For example, a marriage certificate is a document containing the facts of a wedding. It is usually filled out at the time of the event by an official and witnessed by others. It does not mean that all the information in the document is correct, however. For example, in the marriage certificate of my maternal grandparents, John Dawe and Emeline Luffman, who were married in Portugal Cove on April 24, 1919, their names, the names of the clergy and the witnesses, and the date are all correct, but both their ages were incorrectly recorded. Whether this was intentional or not will never be known, but his age was recorded as 26 and hers as 32. In actual fact, he was 10 years her junior and was 24 at the time, while she was 34. Perhaps they thought it would not look so bad if they shortened the difference in their ages.
Government and church documents, census records, telephone and city directories are all considered reliable sources of facts and, to a lesser degree, so are news items in newspapers and even family and local information in personal journals and correspondence. What these things all have in common is that there is usually a paper document that can be examined to confirm the facts of an event. As with my grandparents' marriage certificate, not all information in these documents is absolutely correct, but it is often as close as we can get to the true facts.
"Folklore" on the other hand, is information that is passed down by word of mouth. This does not mean that the information is not true. It simply means that it was not recorded, or that the recorded information was lost. Before written records were made or kept, all information was passed along orally. In being passed along this way, some details may become embellished, and some may be lost. Family histories and even community histories may be passed down orally for generations before someone takes the time to record them on paper for posterity.
Below, I present first some documented information about the early settlement of Bell Island, followed by the stories of some early settlers that would be considered folklore, simply because we have no documentary proof of the information in the stories other than the shared knowledge that these people did exist in time and place. We just don't know for certain when they actually arrived at Bell Island.
The Facts
Note: For much of the factual part of this document, I have to acknowledge the work of the late Rev. John W. Hammond (1938-2010) who, in the early 1970s, spent considerable time at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland researching documents that recorded the early history of Bell Island. He subsequently published his findings in his 1978 book, The Beautiful Isles, which was printed by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland.
Also Note: Bell Island was first known as "Great Bell Isle," sometimes spelled as "Great Belle Isle." It was later referred to as "Belle Isle," sometimes spelled as "Bell Isle," and finally became known as "Bell Island" after mining started in 1895. (Although I was still hearing it referred to by former miners as "Bell Isle" in the 1990s.)
Also Note: Bell Island was first known as "Great Bell Isle," sometimes spelled as "Great Belle Isle." It was later referred to as "Belle Isle," sometimes spelled as "Bell Isle," and finally became known as "Bell Island" after mining started in 1895. (Although I was still hearing it referred to by former miners as "Bell Isle" in the 1990s.)
In 1706, the population of what was then called Great Bell Isle was 85. Of these, 8 were masters, 5 were wives, 13 were children, and 59 were servants. One of the masters was John Fancy, perhaps the man after whom Fancy Hill was named.
In the 1794-95 Census, the population of Bell Isle was 87. Of these, 11 were masters, 11 were their wives, 49 were children, and 16 were servants. One of the men was a carpenter, one was a planter, two were butchers, and the remainder were engaged in the fishery. There were 57 Protestants and 33 Roman Catholics.
In September 1814, a "Report of the State and Condition of Belle Isle in Conception Bay" named 43 men and 2 women who had "acres of land enclosed/cultivated." For each of the people named, the number of acres they had cultivated and enclosed was listed. Remarks next to their names included such information as whether or not they were native to Newfoundland (ie. born here), their involvement in the fishery, if they had family (although numbers of children were not given), and if they rented their land, or lived or worked elsewhere, or were old and infirm. The two women were widows. As such, they were the heads of their households and, thus, listed in this report.
In 1836, the population of Bell Isle was 359 with 56 dwellings. There were 148 acres under cultivation, 28 horses, 120 meat cattle, 1 school with 10 male and 10 female students, 102 Protestant Episcopalians and 257 Roman Catholics.
In 1857, the population of Bell Isle was 428.
In 1869, the population of Bell Isle was 504, with 84 houses, 21 fishing rooms, 473 acres of cultivated land, 2,293 barrels of potatoes grown, 3,850 pounds of butter produced, and 59 oxen.
n 1874, the population of Bell Isle was 576, 139 were engaged in the fishery and 80 children were attending school.
In 1884, the population of Bell Isle was 651, 182 were engaged in the fishery. There were 134 milch cows, 68 horses, 431 sheep, 169 swine and 4 goats. There were 633 acres of cultivated land, and more butter produced than anywhere else in Newfoundland. There was now a second Anglican church, Little St. Mary's, on land donated by the Searle family on Beach Hill; it was used during the week as a school.
In 1891, the population of Bell Isle was 709, all but 5 of whom were born in Newfoundland. 118 men were engaged in catching and curing fish, and 46 women were engaged in curing fish. There were 135 houses, 22 of which were under construction.
On July 20, 1895, actual mining was begun on Bell Island. 160 miners were employed by August 5. Most of these miners were either native Bell Islanders or from Portugal Cove. The mine managers were Nova Scotians. From this time onward, as long as the mining continued into the early 1960s, people came from all over Newfoundland and even other parts of the world for work.
In the 1794-95 Census, the population of Bell Isle was 87. Of these, 11 were masters, 11 were their wives, 49 were children, and 16 were servants. One of the men was a carpenter, one was a planter, two were butchers, and the remainder were engaged in the fishery. There were 57 Protestants and 33 Roman Catholics.
In September 1814, a "Report of the State and Condition of Belle Isle in Conception Bay" named 43 men and 2 women who had "acres of land enclosed/cultivated." For each of the people named, the number of acres they had cultivated and enclosed was listed. Remarks next to their names included such information as whether or not they were native to Newfoundland (ie. born here), their involvement in the fishery, if they had family (although numbers of children were not given), and if they rented their land, or lived or worked elsewhere, or were old and infirm. The two women were widows. As such, they were the heads of their households and, thus, listed in this report.
In 1836, the population of Bell Isle was 359 with 56 dwellings. There were 148 acres under cultivation, 28 horses, 120 meat cattle, 1 school with 10 male and 10 female students, 102 Protestant Episcopalians and 257 Roman Catholics.
In 1857, the population of Bell Isle was 428.
In 1869, the population of Bell Isle was 504, with 84 houses, 21 fishing rooms, 473 acres of cultivated land, 2,293 barrels of potatoes grown, 3,850 pounds of butter produced, and 59 oxen.
n 1874, the population of Bell Isle was 576, 139 were engaged in the fishery and 80 children were attending school.
In 1884, the population of Bell Isle was 651, 182 were engaged in the fishery. There were 134 milch cows, 68 horses, 431 sheep, 169 swine and 4 goats. There were 633 acres of cultivated land, and more butter produced than anywhere else in Newfoundland. There was now a second Anglican church, Little St. Mary's, on land donated by the Searle family on Beach Hill; it was used during the week as a school.
In 1891, the population of Bell Isle was 709, all but 5 of whom were born in Newfoundland. 118 men were engaged in catching and curing fish, and 46 women were engaged in curing fish. There were 135 houses, 22 of which were under construction.
On July 20, 1895, actual mining was begun on Bell Island. 160 miners were employed by August 5. Most of these miners were either native Bell Islanders or from Portugal Cove. The mine managers were Nova Scotians. From this time onward, as long as the mining continued into the early 1960s, people came from all over Newfoundland and even other parts of the world for work.
Hammond notes that "A man by the name of English settled at Lance Cove around the year 1750. He remained until 1762 and, apparently, left due to the invasion of Bell Island by the French and settled at Bay de Verde," but he does not state where he obtained this information.
More to come...