The first union in Newfoundland is thought to have formed on Bell Island in 1900 after the first strike there in 1896. In 'Once Upon a Mine' Wendy Martin referred to Little Bay’s miners as “forming a union of sorts” during the strike in 1883. I’ve un ...
Duncan Parsons (1856-1914)Duncan Parsons was Little Bay’s blacksmith from 1879 until around 1896.Duncan was born at South Side, Harbour Grace on January 27th 1856 to Frederick and Patience Parsons. The family were Methodists and young Duncan was chri ...
The town of Little Bay is planning a memorial plaque to honour those who lost their lives working Little Bay Mines. I’ve been asked to find the men killed there in the 19th century. I have two deaths that are proving difficult to name. I’m missing th ...
A little steam tug called the Hiram Perry Junior played a significant role in the history of Newfoundland mining. It was certainly the most significant ship in the history of Little Bay. I’ll attempt to tell you its story here. I’ve yet to find a pic ...
Spelling variants found: Loader, Loder, Lowder, Loather, Loathers, Louther, LouthersMy first reference to the Loader family in Little Bay appears on the 1882 electoral list for the region. It has recently been suggested that voters had to have lived ...
I’ve been exploring the possibility that Little Bay has a missing lighthouse. It’s a dubious proposition but not without some circumstantial evidence. It concerns a man named Edward John Paddock.Edward was born at Ward’s Harbour on August 12th 1854 t ...
The Eagen family was in Little Bay by 1882 and remained in town until at least 1904. John and Patrick Eagen worked as miners. John has a series of run-ins with the law due to public drinking. His wife was Ann. However, it is Patrick’s wife Catherine ...
Fair warning; this is a macabre and melancholy story.John Cantwell (1804-1889) was from Ballyhesan, County Waterford in Ireland. He moved to Newfoundland in 1824 when he was 20 years old. He settled and raised a family in Tizzard’s Harbour. There he ...
Walter Spinney ran Little Bay mine’s dressing floor along with his right-hand-man: a witty Irishman named Richard Gray. Mr. Spinney was from Cape Breton; he worked under another Nova Scotian: Mine Manager Whyte. Walter Spinney was a member of Little ...
Spelling variants: Rollings, Rollins, Rollin, and RollmsWalter M. Rollings (1853-1926) was Little Bay’s driver and tireman. He was an Englishman, a Methodist, and the child of Henry Rollingsway and Sarah Hodder. Walter Rollings could read and write h ...
