The Notre Dame Masonic Lodge was once located in Little Bay. In 1950 the last meeting was held there before it was relocated to Springdale. The Lodge in Little Bay held balls and banquets. Its membership travelled to nearby towns for concerts and hosted in return. Its silver working tools came from Swansea in Wales and were acquired by the mining company. The original building was lost in the fire of 1903 but replaced in 1917. Historical details about the Notre Dame Lodge are spotty before 1903 due to the lack of surviving records. Nevertheless, a 1981 text titled “The Centenary of Notre Dame Lodge No. 1907” attempts to recover that history. The text offers much to the missing record but nonetheless contains inaccuracies. This is not to fault the authors as their conclusions would have presented as obvious given their sources. I’ll attempt to further flush out the timeline for the history of the Notre Dame Lodge by critiquing and building upon the author’s work.

The book recognizes gaps present in the timeline. Those gaps are due to the loss of official Masonic records to two great fires; the first in St. John’s in 1892, the second in Little Bay in 1903. The authors attempt to fill in the historical gaps. Their findings, however, encounter contradiction. It was formed in 1881, constituted in 1879 or 1880, and had its warrant issued in 1881. The official record they give places Notre Dame Lodge’s formation in Little Bay on April 22, 1881 while the oral history reported places it in Betts Cove that year. Further complicating this, the Warrant of Confirmation states that authorization to open and hold a Lodge at the Masonic Hall in Betts Cove was registered on the books as meeting at Little Bay.

I believe I can untangle this somewhat. There are a couple of interrelated issues. The first is the interchangeable use of the word Lodge itself with it referring to both the Masonic building and its membership. The second is the difficulty of giving an exact location for the Notre Dame Lodge while it composed membership from different locations within the mining district.

They know the Lodge was meeting before 1881 as a member died before that. Certainty is difficult here but 1879 is the date they believe the dispensation was granted to hold a Lodge in Little Bay. I was tempted to take the September 1880 date given on the Masonic symbol depicted above as the start date of the Lodge instead but as that was published with an article from September 1890 it’s difficult to rule out a simple typo. The date they conclude for the start may be correct but the location is not.

My main issue is with the author’s claim that the Lodge was founded at Little Bay. The founding members are listed as Payn, Pratt, McCurdy, Liebman, Kidston, and Hewitt. I can place none of these men in Little Bay in 1879. The first Master, Mr. Payne, was at Betts Cove. He remained there until leaving the mining region in 1879. I have to conclude, therefore, that the Notre Dame Lodge began at Betts Cove not Little Bay. It’s not difficult to understand how they got this wrong.

The Notre Dame Lodge’s start corresponds with a shift of the Northern mining district’s centre. The unofficial capitol of the mining region was moving from Betts Cove to Little Bay. This was unlikely apparent to those experiencing it and the importance of the two locations overlaps. Little Bay’s quick start in 1878 was aided by the floating of buildings from Betts Cove to the new site. A new mining boom was replacing the other. The two towns can almost be understood as one town in two locations. By December of 1883 Little Bay’s Masons were hosted by Betts Cove’s Masons with promises of the favour returned the following year. This confirms that the Notre Dame Lodge was simultaneously active at both locations.

The history given in the book has the Lodge moving from Little Bay to Betts Cove before moving back to Little Bay. I do not believe this is accurate. As I’ve explained, it doesn’t look like the Lodge started at Little Bay at all. Further, according to the Twillingate Sun the Lodge was moved from Betts Cove to Nipper’s Harbour to Little Bay. The Nipper’s Harbour stay is missing completely from the given record. My guess is that the oral histories the authors accessed recounted the second move of the Lodge but not the details. Once those accounts were held up against what remained of the records Little Bay appeared to be reaffirmed as the starting location.

The Lodge was certainly moved but it wasn’t a return trip. Thomas Wells reported that he helped move the Lodge to Little Bay. The book places the move in 1883. Wells arrived that summer. This strongly indicates that year or later for the move to Little Bay. It’s unlikely the event was earlier in any case. However, the 1883 move date may be inaccurate as well. The book says that the first meetings were held in a school or home before work began on a Temple in Little Bay. I can tell you that in January of 1888 they were meeting in a room located above the new surgery. Further, an article published September that year, while not explicitly stating a recent move, nevertheless addresses the move’s details. This is where I found reference to the Lodge at Nipper’s Harbour. The article goes on to celebrate the Lodge’s furnishings. This sudden attention suggests that a change had recently occurred. I’m inclined to suspect the summer of 1888 as the actual date for the Lodge’s move to Little Bay.

I hope this helped to fill in the timeline for Notre Dame’s Masonic Lodge. I don’t have any pictures of the first Lodge building in Little Bay but I’ve included those I’ve found of the one constructed in 1917. I’ve also included a picture of what looks to be a Masonic lock that dad dug up in the garden at the cabin. The location for the find is odd as the land was owned by the Catholic Delaney family. I’d welcome any more pictures or information you might have on this Lodge in Little Bay and you can support this research project by following the Facebook page – here or donating to my Patreon – here. Below you’ll find my sources for this article in a timeline with members listed as referenced therein.

I have more sources on the activities of this Lodge, such as the concerts which I have in detail. I may eventually write these up to give some life to the events referenced in this piece so let me know if such an article would interest you. I write these with the hopes that they’re enjoyed and appreciate the feedback. As always, thanks for reading!

Sources:

• 1883 – Little Bay masons hosted in Betts Cove (ET, Dec 26)
• 1884 – Mr. Spriggs’ body was taken to Little Bay and interred with Masonic honours (TS, Sept 20)
• 1888 – New surgery being built in Little Bay. Large upper room devoted to Masonic Society (TS, Jan 1)
• 1888 – Letter to departing Rev. Turner. Masons: (ET, June 1 / TS, June 23)
• Joseph B. Housen, W.M.
• Louis Joseph, S.W.
• John R. Stewart, J.W.
• Walter Rollings, Sec’y
• George Millert, Tyler
• Joel A. Hubley
• William Cunningham, P.M.
• W.J. Eaton, P.M.
• J. Blackler
• E.R. Burgess
• John Lamb
• 1888 – “The lodge was formerly located at Bett’s Cove, but after the place became depopulated, it removed to Nipper’s Harbor and subsequently to Little Bay [. . .] The lodge room is nicely fitted up, and furnished in real Masonic style, and great credit is due to the few members of the craft who have taken such an active interest in working the lodge up to its present promising condition [. . .] Bro. J. B. Howson, P.M., an old and worthy member of the fraternity installed the worshipful master elect to office, who took his post and then proceeded to install his officers” (TS, Sept 15)
• Louis Joseph, M.B.C.M. W.M.
• John R. Stewart, S.W.
• John C. Thompson, J.W.
• Water Rollings, Secretary
• George Miller, Treasurer
• Agnus McNeil, S.D.
• Joel Hubley, J.D.
• E. Duder, Tyler
• W. James, I.G.
• 1889 – The new Public Hall hosted a Masonic Ball. “The Lodge gave many invitations, and a good number of guests were present. A sumptuous supper was provided late in the evening. Many excellent speeches were made and the dancing was well sustained till late in the morning” (TS, March 16)
• 1889 – “the following were elected Office Bearers for the ensuing year” (TS, Sept 28)
• J.R. Stewart, W.M.
• J.C. Thompson, S.W.
• W. Rollings, J.W.
• J. Mutley, S.D.
• W. James, J.D.
• E. Duder, J.G.
• W. Lind, Tyler
• G. Miller, Treasurer re-elected
• R.S.J. McKay, Secretary
• 1890 – “the following Officers were elected for the ensuing year” (TS, Sept 27)
• J.C. Thompson, W.M.
• W. Rollings, S.W.
• J.A. Hubley, J.W.
• J.R. Stewart, Treas.
• William H. Lind, Secy.
• William James, S.D.
• Edward Duder, J.D.
• B.T. Boyles, J.G.
• George Langmead, Tyler
• 1891 – “Little Bay Masonic Excursion Party will arrive here Wednesday evening next and on the following day the programme anticipated, will be carried out and will embrace a reception at the Coastal Wharf and procession to the Court House, of the Lodges, a dinner to the Brethren, and concert in the evening in which some of the best Twillingate and Little Bay talent will be employed and for which (concert) a limited number of Tickets will be sold to the public” (TS, Aug 15) / This is also covered in ET, Aug 21, TS, Aug 22, TS, Aug 28, and the concert is covered extensively in TS, Aug 29
• 1891 – Temple dedicated. Only 16 to 20 members
• 1892 – Records destroyed with St. John’s Masonic Temple in fire
• 1894 – Mine closing reduces lodge membership
• 1903 – Little Bay’s Masonic Lodge and documents destroyed by fire. Only members Thomas E. Wells and Benjamin Boyles stayed in Little Bay.
• 1903-1905 – Meetings help in mine building
• 1905 – Meeting members: B.T. Boyles, Willis Duder, Howson
• 1912-1916 – Lodge moved into a house in Little Bay
• 1917 – New lodge constructed in Little Bay
• 1931 – Dedication of Little Bay’s Freemason’s Hall recognizes commitment of members
• 1950 – Last meeting held at Little Bay’s Masonic Hall before it moved to Springdale