According to the 1986 interview with Arthur Boyde embedded above the Boyde family came from England when his great grandfather landed at Twillingate. The family spread out from there. His grandfather, Thomas Boyde, moved to Little Bay following the closure of the mine at Tilt Cove but appears to have originally come from Tizzard’s Harbour. My first references to the family in Little Bay are from 1881 but I believe they were there earlier. They were Methodists. Thomas operated a fishing schooner called Charlotte and worked as a Trader. The family had a store in Little Bay which did business with the greater district requiring travel. This is confirmed by references in the Supreme Court documents and the police diaries. In fact, there is an article in the Twillingate Sun which suggests that one of his daughters, likely Adelaide, was involved in the business’s operations in Twillingate when she saved her father from drowning after he fell off the wharf there.

Thomas Boyde can be found on the far right of the picture displayed at the bottom of this article (Photo submitted by Stan Boyde)

1881 – John and William Boyd vs Matthew Dunn master mariner – dept 38.50 (SC docs)

1881 – Thomas Boyde and daughter – near drowning (TS Nov 25)

1883 –  Birth of Annie Eliza Stewart to John Robert Stewart and Adelaide Delphena Boyde (Vital Stats, 1753-1893)

1884 – Thomas Boyde trader vs William Carry labourer – summons (SC docs)

1884 – Thomas Boyde trader v John Keough labourer – debt 31.20 goods sold (SC docs)

1884 – Benjamin Boyde trader v Henry Luffman labourer – debt (SC docs)

1884 – Thomas Boyde, trader vs Henry Rideout, labourer – debt $65.14 (SC docs)

1885 – Mr. Boyde had a new fishing schooner named Charlotte (TS Aug 13)

1885 – Benjamin Boyde dealer vs Joseph Goudie general dealer – summons (SC docs)

1885 – Thomas Boyde, trader vs James Stoyles, fisherman – debt (SC docs)

1886 – Boyde vs Styles (TS Sept 25)

1886 – Thomas Boyde – owner L.P. (Bromley)

1886 – Francis Walsh, John Stewart, Louis Joseph v Thomas Boyde dissolution of partnership. and another one concerning the division of insurance money on a vessel (SC docs)

1886 – Thomas Boyde & Sons Little Bay vs John Thomas Penny & Sons debt 46.95 goods sold (SC docs)

1887 – Mr. Boyd travelled to Twillingate from Little Bay on the S.S. Kite (TS June 18)

1889 – Cost of 1 lb of gun powder bought by Constable Sutton at B.T. Boyde’s store, $0.30 (Wells)

1889 – Death of Willie Thomas Boyde (Headstone)

1890 – Constable Fitzgerald on duty to Shoal Arm served a civil summons in the case of R. White vs. Jas. Boyde (Wells)

1891 – E. Boyde travelled from Little Bay to Twillingate (TS Aug 15)

1891 – Ayre & Sons vs Peter J Boyde – debt of 295.02 for goods (SC docs)

1891 – B. Boyde on board of health (Bromley)

1892 – B.J. Boyde (Bromley)

1893 – Thomas A. Boyde witnessed the marriage of Archibald Hynes and Lucy Strong (Civ marriages)

1893 – Birth of Minnie Louisa Boyde to James Walter (merchant) and Cecilia (Civ births)

1894 – Jas. Boyde (general dealer) and Henry Boyde (labourer) are present at Shoal Arm (McAlpine’s Directory)

1894 – Birth of Ernest Boyde to James (Military records)

1895 – Thomas Boyde (Requisition to Robert Bond)

1904 – Death of Christina Flossie daughter of Cecilia and James Boyde (Headstone)

1905 – Birth of Arthur Boyde (Interview)

1914 – Death of Thomas Boyde (Headstone)

1918 – Ernest Boyde, fisherman, enlisted for WWI (Military records)

1919 – Ernest Boyde discharged due to demobilization (Military records)

Arthur Boyde worked as a dogsled mail carrier from Little Bay to Little Bay Islands for 15 years before taking on the dogsledding duties for the area’s doctor. As Arthur was born in 1905 I’d place this work around the 1930s (Interview)

Thomas (1837-1914) – pictured far right with his sons Arthur (left) and Thomas. Thomas’ wife Elizabeth holds their newly adopted son, Jim.