Recently I received a request to put together what I’ve got on the Power family in Little Bay. Well, I’ve come to suspect more than one Power family were present. All appeared to be Catholic but little else connected them. I had a lot of pieces that didn’t fit together very well.

I checked the genealogical sites but it didn’t turn up much. I suspected this Power family tree hasn’t been tackled yet, not online at least. So I couldn’t piggyback off of existing work. I decided I’d try to help by piecing together a what few biographical details I could dig up or deduce and plug them into the broader context of what I know about the town. 

I’ll start by placing the Power family’s arrival in Little Bay. My first reference is from 1883 but I’ll suggest it’s slightly earlier. Probably about 1881 based on birth dates given for Edward’s son John and what was happening on the ground during this time. They would likely have arrived as part of an influx of Newfoundland-born Catholics seeking work in the mine following an exodus of the German Presbyterians who’d started the operation back in 1878.

Local Powers today likely trace back to a man named Edward Power as I’ll explore. Edward’s birth is given as 1851, 1856, and 1861. An age of 33 is found on the 1889 voter’s list so I’m inclined toward the ’56 option. I found Edward Power recorded in Little Bay first in 1883. He is with his wife Mary and their children. Two of their sons are named John Power and Edward Power. They were living at Little Bay Bight before moving to St. Patrick’s between 1894 and 1898. They would have changed locations as the Catholic population grew and St. Patrick’s, the predominantly Catholic district, expanded.

There are some possible relatives of Edward Power to note. Michael Power was recorded on the 1889 voter’s list and could be another son but that’s a guess based only on their proximity to each other in town. Michael would be living in Tilt Cove by 1895. Mrs. Andrew Power attended a Brien family wedding with Edward in 1893 and thereby suggests family membership. Perhaps the widow of a brother. Mrs. Power later brings John Mansfield up on bastardy charges. I wonder if she’s the same woman.

Another John Power makes a first appearance in 1883. I suspect a different family this time due firstly to differing living locations. This John is found residing  at Loading Wharf along with a man named Lawrence Power. By 1889 Lawrence would relocate to Stafford’s Cove (likely Stafford’s Town). John Power’s middle initial  as recorded at a wedding there in 1893 was L. There’s a good chance that stood for Lawrence if they’re indeed related.

A man named Pierce Power makes his first recorded Little Bay appearance in 1889. He signed the petition for a public wharf the following year. As would one of the John Powers. This is likely the John from Loading Wharf as oppose to Edward’s son. There are a couple of reasons to so conclude. Edward didn’t sign it at all and families tended to follow their patriarchs politically. Further, the signatures collected for it were from people living near location for the proposed wharf. They had a vested interest in it. Edward’s clan were located back at St. Patrick’s and would barely benefit from a new wharf in The Bight.

I think there’s a chance that Pierce Power, Lawrence Power, and the second John Power are related. The first clue is once again just living proximity but there’s also the fact that John and his wife Elizabeth would name a son Pierce Power in 1892. L. Power is among those listed with the parishioners of Little Bay’s Catholic parish. Taken together I’m inclined to lean toward there being two Catholic Power families present, each with one named John.

There are still a few named Powers I can’t place with either facts or context based guess work. A man named Robert Power his wife Jane have a daughter named Mary Joseph Power in 1892. I have only one reference to them and nothing to suggest how they fit into all this but they are Catholic. There’s also a labourer named Simon Power who has a few run-ins with the law over the course of 1886. He is said to be from St. John’s. I wonder if he got there from Brigus. Further,  I wonder if this could be Mrs. Andrew Power’s son but that’s not based on anything. They both appear in the police journals around the same time. They’re the only Powers there with legal troubles and it got me curious. I’d need more to go on.

Many of these Powers would vanish from the local scene along with the town’s population at the turn of the century with the mine gone and some major fires. Some of Edward’s family moved along as well with at least one ending up in Vermont – his daughter Nellie. The Powers that remained after mining operations ceased switched to fishing work and stuck it out with a Little Bay in steady decline. As recorded in censuses from 1911, 1921, and 1945 the Powers that remained descended from Edward by way of his son John.

Edward was born in Brigus but his son John was born on the northern peninsula at either St. Julien’s or St Barbe. It’s notable that his mother’s hometown was also St. Barbe. Edward’s journey took him all over the island. I think this suggests a family schooner which could explain the easy transition back into fishing. Perhaps they didn’t leave with the other miners because they didn’t have to.

If you do end up starting a Power family tree the key facts found here are that Edward Power (1851, 56, 61 – 1927) was born in Brigus and moved to Little Bay around 1881 from his wife Mary’s (1861-1920) hometown of St. Barbe. Their son John (1877, 80 – 1925) and his wife Harriet Youngs (1883, 87 – 1921+) stayed and raised their children in St. Patrick’s resulting in a Power family presence there into the 20th century.

I hope you found a few helpful biographical tidbits here to start your tree with. Please let me know when you find things I missed. And let me know what I got wrong. I’m curious how my guess-work here holds up. Any and all help is appreciated. There’s lots to cover so let me know if you’d like a particular family next.

To support this project you can make a donation to the Patreon page which occasionally helps cover some subscription costs. There’s also a Facebook page where you can follow along with the stuff I uncover. I appreciate the engagement. Likes and comments let me know if I’ve got your attention.

Thanks for reading along!

Sources:

• 1883 – Edward Power at Little Bay Bight, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1883 – Lawrence and John Power at Loading Wharf, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1885, Dec – John Mansfield arrested for deserting his female bastard child under complaint of Mrs. Power (Wells)
• 1886, April – John Mansfield summoned to court by Mrs. Power for 5/12 months of child care (Wells)
• 1886, Oct – A labourer named Simon Power of St. John’s was arrested for stealing a baking pot from Mr. Hynes’ house (Wells)
• 1886, Dec – Simon Power was suspected of stealing from the Company Store by Mr. Foote. Constable Meaney arrested him after a child named Atkins told where he’d hid it (Wells)
• 1887, Jan – Mrs. Power was among those found at the McLean house during a police raid (Wells)
• 1889 – Pierce Power at Little Bay Bight, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1889 – Lawrence Power at Stafford’s Cove, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1889 – Edward (age 33), Michael, and John Power at Little Bay, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1889, Oct – Edward Power donated to the Harbour Grace Cathedral Fund (SJC)
• 1890 – Pierce and John Power sign the petition for a Public wharf
• 1891 – L. Power was a parishioner of Her Lady of Carmel Parish
• 1892, March – Stephen Patrick Lee born to Thomas Lee and Mary Ann Power (Vit stats)
• 1892, July – Mary Joseph Power born to Robert and Jane (Vit stats)
• 1892, Sept – Pierce Power born to John (miner) and Elizabeth (Vit stats)
• 1892, Nov – John Power witness at Catholic wedding (Vit stats)
• 1893 – John, Edward, and Edward, sr at Little Bay Harbour (Voter’s list)
• 1893, June – John L. Power witness at RC wedding (Vit stats)
• 1893, Aug – Edward Power and Mrs. Andrew Power witness Brien wedding (Vit stats)
• 1894 – John, Edward, and Edward, sr Power fishermen at Little Bay Harbour (McAlpine’s)
• 1895 – Michael Power of Tilt Cove owed money to John Lamb for goods (Lind ledger)
• 1898 – Edward Power fisherman at St. Patrick’s (McAlpine’s)
• 1904 – Edward and Jno, of Edward Power fishermen at St. Patrick’s (McAlpine’s)
• 1911 – Edward Power (1861) and his wife Mary (1861) living at St. Patrick’s. He is from Brigus and she is from St. Barbe (Census)
• 1911 – John Power (1880) and his wife Harriet (1887), their children Joseph (1908) and Edward (1910), as well as John’s unmarried sister Nellie (1894). John was born at St. Barbe. Harriet was born in Little Bay. The others were born in St. Patrick’s (Census)
• 1915 – Nellie Power immigrated to the United States (US Border Crossings Vermont)
  1920 – Death of Mary Power (Knights of Columbus plaque)
• 1921 – John Power (1877) and his wife Harriet (1883) were living in St. Patrick’s with their children Patrick J. (1908), Edward (1909), Fred (1912), John (1914), Mary (1917) along with John’s father Edward age 70 who was now widowed. John’s place of birth is given as St. Juliens. Harriet’s as Little Bay. And all other’s, including Edward are given as St. Patrick’s. They were recorded as Catholic (Census)
• 1925 – Death of John Power at Little Bay age 46 (NL Deaths)
  1927 – Death of Edward Power (Knights of Columbus plaque)
• 1945 – Blanche Power age 24 and husband Edward age 35 are living in St. Patrick’s with their children Marie R. age 2 and Francis J. age 1. All born in Green Bay (Census)
  1945 – Frederick Power age 34 and wife Mildred age 23 are living in St. Patrick’s with their children Edward R. J. age 5, Marian K. age 3, and Howard J. age 7 months. All born in Green Bay (Census)
• 1945 – Patrick Power age 36 and his wife Rita J. age 28 are living in St. Patrick’s with their son Will age 3. Father and son born in Green Bay. Rita was from White Bay (Census)