John O’Dell (1782 - 1842)

Born 4 Nov 1782 in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland

Descendants

Died 18 May 1842 at age 59 in Pinware, Labrador, Newfoundland

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Biography

About the Area

Prior to the 1763 Treaty of Paris southern Labrador was an extension of New France, under the ownership of the French King.

The King granted concessions to select members of society which gave them exclusive rights to fish and trade. In 1702, a vast concession, including all of southeastern Labrador, was granted to Augustin le Gardeur de Courtemanche for a period of ten years.

It was not until 1713, when a much smaller concession in southern Labrador was awarded to Pierre Constantin, that the first French post was built here. At Red Bay and Riviére des Francois (Pinware River) Constantin built establishments for a seal fishery. The post at Grand St. Modet (today's community of West St. Modeste) produced oil - rendered from the fat of seals - and salted seal pelts for shipment to Quebec City.

France's right to fish along the Labrador coast ended in 1763. The following decades saw the arrival of new mercantile interests in the Labrador Coast.

English and Jersey merchants established cod fishing stations all along the coast.

Unlike the Jersey merchants, who concentrated exclusively on the summer cod fishery, the English firms were interested also in other resources, including seals and salmon. The Devon-based firm of Noble and Pinson established a sealing post at West St. Modeste and a salmon post at Pinware as early as 1774. John Slade and company of Poole, England established at Battle Harbour in the early 1700s. In 1775 Captain George Cartwright established a fish and fur trading business at Cartwright.

Most of the men engaged by these merchant firms left Labrador at the end of the summer fishing season. A few remained behind to care for premises or to engage in the winter seal fishery. These "winter men" were the first year-round white residents of the Southern Labrador.

Pinware, Labrador

Pinware is an incorporated town between West St Modeste and Red Bay in Labrador, Canada. The community name is a corruption of Pied Noir (Black Foot), said to be from the shape of a rock found at the mouth of Black Rock Brook. The Pinware River has been formerly known as Riviere des Francois and Pirouette River.

Some of the best timber stands in the region are located along the Pinware River. The River is also renowned for some of the best salmon angling experiences. Artifacts discovered adjacent to the town indicate that Pinware Hill is one of the earliest Palaeo Indian archaeological sites in Labrador, dating back nearly 9000 years. Many different Aboriginal cultures have lived in the area of Pinware. The longest habitation was probably during the Maritime Archaic period. Later the Pre-Dorset Palaeo-Eskimos used the rich marine resources found at Pinware. They were followed by the Groswater Palaeo-Eskimo and then the Dorset Paleo-Eskimo cultures. Europeans were attracted to the area in the 16th century, also for the rich marine resources.

By the 1600's French fishermen lived in big summer houses in near the community and caught and dried their catch. They also barked their twine in a big iron pot that can still be seen at Ship Head. Pierre Constantin, a merchant, was given control of the area in 1715. A trading post was opened and the seal hunt and salmon fishery became integral to the operation. The English merchants of Noble and Pinson later established a post in the community.

It is understood that the first year-round settlers were an Irish family of John O'Dell, who made their way from Carbonear, NL in the late 1700's. By 1980 Pinware had a small salt fish plant, a community wharf and several supply businesses.^[1]

Birth

John O'Dell was born before 1782. He was baptized on 4 Nov 1782 in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland Colony along with his sisters Jane and Isabella. His parents were listed as William & Anne "Oddle".^[2]

Family

He married Jane Penney and together they had 9 children.

Death

The inscription on his grave indicated he passed away in 1812, however there is consensus among descendants that he passed away in 1842.^[3] It is believed that his family arrived from Ireland and were the first year-round family of settlers in Pinware, Labrador. The spring of 1732 brought 738 Irish workers to Newfoundland and Labrador. Many Irish came from Southwest Ireland (Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford, etc.). According to historian John Mannion (1973), approximately 90 per cent of all Irish immigrants came from within a 40-mile radius of Waterford city, a major port for vessels crossing the Atlantic.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ http://pinware-labrador.ca/pages/history.htm
2. ↑ Newfoundland's Grand Banks Genealogical & Historical Data. Pre 1891 Registration Records, Vital Statistics, Volume 110, Harbour Grace District, Church of England Births 1775-1784 Page 24, LDS Microfilm Reels. (http://ngb.chebucto.org/Vstats/pre-1891-hbr-grace-ce-1775-1784-p-1-36-hg.shtml)
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/162937442/john-o'dell : accessed 25 April 2021), memorial page for John O'Dell (unknown–18 May 1812), Find a Grave Memorial ID 162937442, citing Pinware Roman Catholic Cemetery, Pinware, Labrador Census Division, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ; Maintained by JA (contributor 47305739) .
4. ↑ https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/society/irish-migration.php

• http://www.interment.net/data/canada/nf/pinware/index.htm.