Key Facts:

George Henry Adams was born in 1873.

He was a fisherman.

He can be found at Woodford’s Cove, Little Bay from 1893 to 1904.

He married Sarah Ann Chapman there in 1896.

They were Methodists.

Overview:

George Henry Adams was born in 1873. My records of him and his family are sparse.

The name is first found mentioned in Little Bay in July of 1884 when the schooner Annie B. made a significant arrival. It was carrying two men who had been found adrift at sea in a small dory. The men, John Adams and John Lyons, had been separated from a larger vessel while performing their duties in dense fog. Remarkably, they survived four days on the ocean without any supplies, subsisting only on a dead bird they discovered floating on the water with them. This harrowing tale of survival was reported in the Evening Telegram.

It’s not until 1893 that we find the name again associated with the town when George Adams shows up in records for Woodford’s Cove. Woodford’s Cove was listed as part of Little Bay on the voter’s list but it is a ways away so its inclusion within the town is a bit of a stretch. You’re welcome to disagree. Nevertheless, I’ve been working under that premise for the purpose of organizing my research’s location.

In 1893 Susan Adams appears there as well. She is listed as the widow of John Adams with her occupation given as fisherman. Widowed women usually have a relationship noted under occupation so I am taking it to mean she was working as a fisherman and not simply that her husband had been one. As I’ve found no previous mention of a John Adams there my best guess is that she moved closer to George upon John’s death and that they were related.

In 1896 George Adams was married to Sarah Ann Chapman by Rev. Pye. He was Little Bay’s Methodist clergyman. George and Sarah both list Woodford’s Cove for residence. Hers is the only reference to Chapman I’ve found so far.

In 1904 we find the final mention of George Adams there. He is once again the only Adams found. He was still working as a fisherman. Susan is no longer mentioned being there.

Afterward we find an Adams family living in Springdale operating a business which serviced Little Bay in the 1920s. I’ve been so far unable to connect this family back to our George.

Searches for John and Susan Adams turn up an 1859 wedding in Twillingate. John was from Indian Burial Place which lines up with other Adams’ I’ve checked. Susan Adams was a Budden from Little Bay Islands which also syncs up nicely due both to the proximity of her birthplace as well as Buddens found later on the 1921 census for Woodford’s Cove. However, if she was George’s mother she isn’t listed as such in the 1893 document but that may be because it would normally be recorded in the occupation slot and hers was used to record her work as a fisherman.

George Henry Adams (1873-1939) is found on an Ancestry page with the sources I’ve got included. However, the 1901 birth of a daughter in Fortune to a different wife doesn’t match well with his 1904 presence at Woodford’s Cove.

The family appears to have left the area by 1911 due to their absence from that census. The George Adams found on the Ancestry page died in Halifax. If that’s the same gentleman perhaps they left about the time of last recording with the migration following the loss of Little Bay Mine.

That’s all I’ve got for the Adams family so far. Help is always welcomed. If you’re working on a family I’ve covered adding information about them beyond the town is the easiest way to contribute. My focus is on Little Bay itself so I often only chase historical figures beyond that location when I’m looking to clarify something or provide some context.

Apologies for the lack of posting of late. Know that I’m working diligently behind the scenes. I’ve got a few new articles drafted and a massive timeline put together covering events in the town month to month. My offline database of family sources is back around the alphabet to A again so I’ve got at least something documented for each family name mentioned. I’ll next be moving the events concerning each family into the combined timeline. I’m not sure when you’ll see that but you should see me updating the posted families with new information and filling the others in as I go. Wish me luck. It’s a mindnumbingly huge process.

As always, thanks for following!

Sources:

• 1873 – Birth of George Henry Adams (NL marriages)
• 1884 – John Adams and John Lyons found adrift at sea (ET, July 27, 1884)
• 1889 – Adams family absent from local voter’s list
• 1893 – George Adams living at Woodford’s Cove, Little Bay (Voter’s list)
• 1896, Jan 9 – George Henry Adams married Sarah Ann Chapman. They are each listed as living at Woodford’s Cove. The wedding ceremony performed there by Rev. John Pye (ET, Feb 18, 1896). George was a bachelor working as a fisherman. His age was 23. Sarah Ann was a spinster. Her age was 31. Witnesses were Samuel and Susanna Amelia Osmond (NL Marriages)
• 1898 – George Adams and Susan Adams (widow of Jno) were listed as fishermen at Woodford’s Cove (McAlpine’s)
• 1904 – George Adams listed as a fisherman at Woodford’s Cove (McAlpine’s)
• 1920s – John Adams’ store in Springdale serviced Little Bay (Springdale Heritage Centre)