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 script. In looking over the notes I noticed a signature on one of them for a name which I recognized but had not yet worked on. It was signed by J.P. Diem, Little Bay mine’s cashier. I decided to compile my references for Mr. Diem to narrow in on his time ...
When I was a child I thought my Uncle Paul served in the Little Bay army. It was a belief that got a few chuckles from the adults around me. Since I’ve started uncovering Little Bay’s history I’ve found the concept of the Little Bay army to feel a little closer to truth. Little Bay can claim a proud military history with recognized veterans of both world wars. A more recent conflict claimed my cousin and dear friend Stephen Bouzane. We lost him in Afghanistan in 2006. My research on Little Bay f ...
I’ve been working on family names associated with the mine’s management but I’ve been having trouble tracking down any photographs. I’m hoping you can help. Below you’ll find links for four names. On those pages I’ve written brief summaries and listed the sources I’ve got for them. I hope it helps a fellow researcher. If you’re working on any of these genealogies and have more you might help me back. I’d like to find images for these men but such things are hit and miss. It usually comes down to ...
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 in 1894 and died at Bell Island where he worked as Sub-collector for Customs in 1914. 1879 - Giles Foote is operating a shop at Tilt Cove (Supreme Court docs) 1880 - At Little Bay Mines on January 24 Rev. A. Gunn married James F. Kentie to Mary J. ...
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 of the Betts Cove mine which was discovered in 1865 and ran from 1875 until 1886. This list is drawn near entirely from my existing sources on Little Bay as I just wanted to get my references to Betts Cove into chronological order.1865Robert Knight o ...
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 script which could be used to purchase provisions from the stores.I believe I’ve flushed out how the Company stores operated with references to the employees and their job titles for the mid to late 1880s. George Quimby held the position of Head Shopman. ...
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 named Philip, born in 1825. He took a job as cabin boy aboard the Royal William at the age of 11 and sailed all the way to Brazil. His work impressed Captain Brooking who offered him a position as seaman. Philip Cleary became first mate in 1848 at the ...
The Stuckless family came to Little Bay from Twillingate in 1883 or ‘84. They were members of the Church of England. Brothers Albert and William arrived with family including two possibly single mothers; Susanna and Emma Stuckless who I suspect were widows of other brothers.The Stuckless migration was due to the booming copper mine. Little Bay mines offered a substantially higher income than fishing and the brothers would have sought for those wages alongside Newfoundland’s other would-be miners ...
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 ...
The Delaney family came to Little Bay from Bay Roberts. My first reference to them in the area is from 1883. They are absent from the Voter’s list for 1882 further suggesting 83 for their arrival. Captain John Delaney was then 38. His son Edward was 20. Other sons were present. It’s likely the James and Patrick Delaney Sr. there were his sons. There are also at least two daughters - Nora and Bridget. Some of these Delaneys lived at Loading Wharf and some in the Bight but Captain John lived in St ...
