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Selby Dow

Selby Allan Dow (1844-1893) Selby Dow (sometimes recorded as Dawe) was born in 1844 at Harbour Grace. He was the son of a doctor and likely educated as he was working as a bookkeeper between 1864 and 1871. He was first employed by the Mining Company ...

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The rum-runners McLean: a Christmas story

“Oh Wells, you are a hard man! The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have their nests, but you hath not a friend anywhere. Wells, your name is a terror to me.” - Mary McLeanIn tonight’s tale I will tell you about the exploits of Michael and ...

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Sutton

Michael J. Sutton (1861-1918)Constable Michael Sutton was 25 years old when he arrived in Little Bay. The Irish born policeman had been ordered to the unofficial capitol of the northern mining region by Inspector Fawcett on December 1st 1886. He trav ...

Taverner

Captain Joseph Henry Taverner (1845-1920) arrived in Little Bay in 1883 with his new wife Mary Elizabeth. They’d travelled by steamer from Twillingate where they had been married the pervious year. J.H. Taverner was originally from Trinity Bay wher ...

Diem

I was contacted recently by David Bergeron, curator for the National Currency Collection. He is working on the Betts Cove Mining Company’s currency for an upcoming publication and was curious about my findings on the Little Bay scrip ...

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Foote

Giles Foote worked as Shopman and Cashkeeper for the Mining Company Store location in The Bight. I believe he arrived in Little Bay from Tilt Cove in 1880 as the family name was present in town that year. He was voted MHA for the Twillingate district ...

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Betts Cove

Betts Cove was Little Bay's sister town as they were both founded by the same German Baron. They, along with Ellershouse in Nova Scotia, are the only communities I know to have been created by Baron Franz von Ellershausen. What follows is a timeline ...

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The Company Store

The Mining Company owned and operated stores in Little Bay. The stores were present immediately in 1878. There were two Company store locations. One at each of the main districts, namely the Bight and Loading Wharf. Miners were paid in a Company scri ...

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Cleary

Thomas and Josephine Cleary came to Newfoundland in 1820 from Ireland. Thomas worked as the keeper for the Amateur Theatre in St. John’s. This may explain his grandchildren’s later interest in performance. Our tale follows their second child, a boy n ...

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Hearn

The Hearn family came to Little Bay from St. John’s. They make their first appearance in my records in 1882 with Patrick Hearn. Thomas Hearn, the man who first opened Hearn’s store, was likely Patrick’s son. He was 15 years old in 1882. According to ...