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Sparrow

The Sparrows were a Newfoundland-born Catholic family who arrived at Little Bay Mines for work.John Sparrow (1850–1920) first appears there in 1889. His wife, Mary Ellen, died there in 1895, and by 1901 the family had moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, to work another mine. By 1918, John had returned to Argentia, where the family had earlier ties.His son, John Gerard Sparrow (1891–1985), was working in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on a fishing visa. That year, as war intensified in Europe, he was ca ...

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Vey

Spelling variants - Vey and VoyJames Vey was living with his family in Little Bay by 1882. We can deduce he was a miner from context. After 1894 the family had moved to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia where his son Thomas worked as a miner. James had died from hemophilia before 1914 when Thomas enlisted. Thomas was an interesting character.Thomas James Vey was born March 10, 1886. As a child he survived both typhoid and measles but disease wasn’t done with him. As a young man he entered, first the mines, ...

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ER Burgess

The strange, ambitious life of E.R. BurgessIn the winter of 1888, a schoolteacher from Little Bay led an expedition into the frozen interior of Newfoundland to capture wild caribou.His plan was not to hunt them.He intended to train them to carry the island’s mail.It was an idea bold enough to sound ridiculous, practical enough to be taken seriously, and theatrical enough to make its creator famous, at least for a time. The man behind it, Edward Robert Burgess, was many things: teacher, politicia ...

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Mine Manager Rutter

I was quite confident that I knew Little Bay’s first three Mine Managers. I had written on the tenures of the German Adolph Guzman, the Australian E.C. Wallace, and the Scotsman Andrew Whyte. As far as I was concerned, the early leadership was settled.I was wrong.The trouble began with a small, bothersome reference: a “Manager Rapter” attending the Valentine’s Day concert of 1882. At first, I dismissed it as a curiosity. But the more I looked, the less sense it made. Neither Guzman’s departure n ...

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Hubley

Joel Alexander Hubley (1849-1925) was employed by Little Bay Mines and an active community member in town as found recorded from 1879 to 1898. I think 1878 to 1901 more likely to date his time in Little Bay. He and his parents were born in Nova Scotia but the family is identified as German indicating a move from Germany in a previous generation. This combination of Nova Scotia origin, German heritage, and work in mining supports a likely tie to the Baron and explains the move to Newfoundland. H ...

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Herbert

Horace Montagu Herbert (1849-1919) oversaw several large construction projects in Little Bay in the later half of the 1880s. He moved to the town from Nipper's Harbour in 1886 after obtaining a contract to build a road connecting the town to Hall's Bay. He was a popular choice as he was already well known and admired in Little Bay. Described as gentlemanly in this superintendent role. He went on to other community projects. The following summer he was chosen to help plan the Queen's Jubliee. Thi ...

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Hiscott

Spelling variants: Escott, Hiscock Richard Hiscott (1858-1930) was a miner who was living in Little Bay from at least 1882 until 1894. Sources: 1858 - Birth of Richard Hiscott (His birth in St. John's is dated 1848 on a MyHeritage page but without an original source I'm putting it in 1858 due to an age of 30 given at his wedding in 1888) 1882 - Richard Hiscock living in Little Bay (Voter's list) 1887, Feb - Birth of Dulcie Hiscott at Little Bay to Richard and his wife. Her name is not known ...

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Helms

I have only one reference to the last name Helms at Little Bay. 1881, July 14 - Birth of John Charles House Helms at Little Bay Mines. Parents names not given but they are listed under Methodists and the occupation given was fisherman (Vital Stats, 1753-1893) The name Helms is of German origin which may indicate that they came to Newfoundland from Nova Scotia with the rest of the Baron's Germans. However, if that's the case, it is odd that the father isn't a Presbyterian or a miner. Helms may ...

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The fire of 1881

Little Bay suffered four major fires. I've covered the fires of 1888, 1903, and 1904. What follows is what I've been able to discern about the blaze of '81.Press ReleaseThis is the story of how, in the summer of 1881, everyone thought Little Bay burned down.In cities across North America people opened their papers on the morning of June 17th to some pretty scary news from Newfoundland. A press release had gone out from the New York Herald that day with a story. The promising mining settlement i ...

Pay Day at the mine. Likely taken around 1886. My guess on the photographer is Otis Boyden. The house in the background was the home of the Lind family.

Little Bay’s Miners’ Union

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 uncovered evidence to make a stronger claim. The first union on the island was Little Bay’s Miners’ Union and it was officially established on May 4th 1883.Recently I came across a newspaper I wasn’t familiar with. At this point in the work it’s unusua ...