A comprehensive list of surnames associated with the town of Bay de Verde. Please add profile links to the names below, as they are created; or earlier instances of these names in Bay de Verde, if they are added.
List of Surnames
Note: These surnames and their exposition come from the Town of Bay de Verde homepage, genealogy section[1]. This is intended as a research aide, and guide, and needs to be verified with sources.
Abbott
The Abbott surname is found quite extensively in the Bonavista area but no link has been made to those of the Bay de Verde area. James Abbott likely came from Waterford, Ireland to Bay de Verde as an indentured servant to one of the established planters sometime after 1812. The first record of this family name at Bay de Verde occurs in the Anglican Baptismal Records where James Abbott and Mary Blundon are recorded as having a child James baptised in the Anglican Church by Rev. Fredrick Carrington on April 23, 1814. The baptism of the next two children however, is found in the Catholic baptismal records at Harbour Grace which would indicate that James Abbott was a Catholic. Mary was a daughter of Thomas Blundon which could partly explain the baptism in the Anglican Church. Then again, people of the time were interested in having the child baptised by a clergyman and Carrington may have been the only one available at the time.
Adey
(Also Eady, Eddy.) This name has been traced to Cornwall and Devon in England. It is one of the older name at Bay de Verde, probably from the area of Bristol in England. Mary, a daughter of Stephen and Sarah Adey was baptised by Rev John Clinch on September 7, 1797 at Bay de Verde. She was six years old. The Plantation Book has Stephen Adey owning land at Bay de Verde in 1782, so we can assume that he must have come here at least by that year. The name has undergone several changes over the years. They were originally known as ADEY but in later years the name changed to Eady at Bay de Verde and Eddy at Sibley’s Cove. Descendants of Stephen were living at Bay de Verde until October 19, 2002 when his great great grandson Thomas Eddy died. Some of Stephen’s other descendants are still living close by at Sibley’s Cove. Another family of Adey’s were at Hant’s Harbour but it is not known if they are connected to those of Bay de Verde.
Bayley
The earliest Bailey at Bay de Verde was Richard Bayley who was here in 1675 with 32 men fishing with six boats. Only one family of Baileys has been found at Bay de Verde after that time, a John Bailey born in 1766 and married to Elizabeth. John Bailey is deeded land by his father-in-law in 1805 according to the Plantation Book Records. No surname has been found for Elizabeth. Eight children are born to John and Elizabeth between 1803 and 1824 but what is strange about this family is that not one of the children are found at any later time in the Anglican or any other records for Bay de Verde. Could it be that all of them died young? Mortality rates were very high at the time but this would be unlikely. In any case if they lived, none of them settled down at Bay de Verde but both John and Elizabeth lived out their days here, as both of them are shown in the Anglican Burial Records. It is not known if this John was connected to the Baileys of the Bonaventure area of Trinity Bay, although it is quite likely that he came from that area, as there were Baileys with similar naming patterns there much earlier.
Barter
The Barter name is found at Bay de Verde shortly after 1800 when Amos and Robert who appear to be brothers arrive here. Amos had only one daughter, Clara who was born in 1820 and died in 1852. William, however, was a bit more prolific. He married Suzanna Lockyer and they had two sons and two daughters. Suzanna was a daughter of William Lockyer who owned a prime piece of waterfront property. The property is shared with the Barters and continued to be owned by both families until it was abandoned with the close of the cod fishery in 1992. The Barter surname was also found at St. John’s but it is not known if the Barters of Bay de Verde were related.
Blundon
This is a surname of England and has sometimes been used interchangeably with Blundell, but in this area it has always been Blundon. It is a fairly old name at Bay de Verde dating from at least as early as about 1770. It is difficult to say whether or not the three Blundon families at Bay de Verde were related. Naming patterns would tend to suggest that they were, but there are some things to indicate that they were not. The Plantation Book has a Thomas Blundon owning land there in 1770. A John Blundon is listed as selling land at Bay de Verde in 1783. He later moved to Grates Cove and from there to Catalina and then back to Lower Island Cove. Stephen, one of his sons moved to Hickmans Harbour on the south shore of Random Island and set up a timber business and is acclaimed as the first settler of that community. Other descendants settled in many places in the Random Sound area as well as other parts of Trinity Bay. Some of the Bay de Verde Blundons are descended from James Blundon who married Mary Stevens, a daughter of an old established planter family and began a family in 1788. Other Blundons are descended from Thomas Blundon, a possible son of the first Thomas who also began a family in 1788. Their descendants still live at Bay de Verde today.
Brady
The name has been traced by MacLysaght in the Irish Counties of Cavan, Leitrim and Clare. It is one of the Irish family names that shows up at Bay de Verde shortly after 1800. There is a possibility that some of these men came as Irish servants to work for the established English Planters at Bay de Verde. They would be required to work for the planter for up to 5 years before they would be free to go on their own. In some cases these men married into these Protestant families. John Brady was one of them. He married Anne Blundon, a daughter of James Blundon, an established planter. Francis, the first son of John Brady moved to St. John’s when he was young and married Mary Walsh from Carrick on Sur in County Waterford, Ireland. He and his family went on to establish a grocery business on Duckworth Street. The other Brady’s established themselves at Bay de Verde and Red Head Cove. To the southwest of Red Head Cove along by the brook, Thomas Brady built a winter tilt and had a farm there for many years. The area is still referred to as Bradys today. At Bay de Verde, the Bradys were well known as master carpenters. John Brady, born in 1864 was one of the head carpenters who built the Roman Catholic Church at Bay de Verde. The name died out in this area in 1978 with the death of Michael Brady.
Broaders
(Also Broderick). Those of Bay de Verde likely came from Kilkenny, Cork or Waterford. The two names of this area are Broaders and Broderick. These two names have been used interchangeably in this area since they first appeared in the late 1700’s. Many records will say that they are the same name. However, they are two distinctly different families in this area. The Broaders family were at Bay de Verde prior to 1800. John Walsh and Thomas Broaders are listed in the Plantation Book as having a company here in 1804. This was likely a Cooperage as John Walsh is listed as a Cooper in another entry of the Plantation Book. John Broaders was born in 1799, a son of John Broaders who is listed as owning property at Bay de Verde in 1793. It does not appear that the Broaders owned any waterfront property at foreside, the prime fishing area. The Broaders family chose to live and fish at the backside area of Bay de Verde, with fishing premises there until the 1950’s. Thomas Brawders is listed in the 1800 census for Grates Cove. It is not known if he is the same Thomas Broaders who is listed at Bay de Verde earlier. It is at Grates Cove that the name changes to Broderick, but baptismal and marriage records still list them sometimes as Broaders. The Brodericks living at Bay de Verde today, have their roots at Lower Island Cove. William Broderick, a grandson of the first William Broderick who lived at Lower Island Cove, came to Bay de Verde in the late 1920’s and wouldn’t you know, married into the Broaders family. Sorting out the records has been quite a challenge, but family naming patterns has helped clarify the different lines. Today the distinctive names still hold. There are Brodericks and Broaders at Bay de Verde but only Brodericks at Grates Cove.
Coish
Family tradition is that the first Coish came from England and settled in Ochre Pit Cove and later some of his descendants moved to Indian Islands. A Thomas Coish is shown in the Plantation Book records for Ochre Pit Cove as owning land there in 1786. Two of his sons made their homes in Bay de Verde around 1830. Robert Coish born in 1807 came to Bay de Verde and operated a schooner for the Duffett family. His brother Richard born in 1804 married a girl from Ochre Pit Cove but also settled at Bay de Verde. The naming pattern for the Coishs of Bay de Verde are similar to those of the Ochre Pit Cove area. Names such as Thomas, Richard and Robert are found in both areas. Today this is one of the most common names at Bay de Verde.
Conway
The Conway’s of Bay de Verde are descended from John Conway from County Cork who settled at Turks Cove on the south side of Trinity Bay. His son Richard Conway had a son and two daughters who came to Bay de Verde around the turn of the century. Henry Conway married Josephine Cotter while his sister Frances married Michael Cotter. Another sister, Mary married Edward Walsh and many of their descendants are still living at Bay de Verde today.
Cotter
The Cotter name has been at Bay de Verde since as early as 1783. That is when James Cotter bought waterfront property from John Blundon for 15 pounds and another piece from John Janes in 1792 for 12 pounds. He along with Henry Ryan also acquired a rather large prime piece of property where the wharf is today. He seems to have been a rather enterprising fellow as a later Plantation Book record shows William Danson, a Bristol merchant buying the property from James Cotter and Henry Ryan for 240 pounds. Whether it was a good move or not is open to question, as his descendants were then forced to established fishing premises at the Backside of Bay de Verde, a much rougher area. The Cotters seem to have a knack for farming as they cleared and planted gardens in many places around Bay de Verde especially on the south side of the harbour where most of them lived. Although the descendants of James Cotter have lived at Bay de Verde since about 1800, most of them have moved to other parts of Canada and the United States. Only one family now makes Bay de Verde their home.
Critch
Critch, or Crutch, as it was often recorded is another name that has been at Bay de Verde since 1794. Nathanial Crutch received land by deed of gift from Roger Bryan in 1794. It may be that Natt married one of Bryan’s daughters or they were related in some way. Some of the Critchs moved to Lower Island Cove and later to Hant’s Harbour and from there to the north side of Trinity Bay, but some of them remained at Bay de Verde and intermarried. The name has not been at Bay de Verde for quite some time. The last directory with the name Critch was 1864. It did not occur in any later directories. In 1868, Thomas Keefe bought the Critch property located on the north of Backside from Sarah Critch (Emberley), wife of George Critch. This family had moved to St. John’s some years earlier. It appears that George died sometime after 1864 and his wife and son, John who was now working as a cooper in St. John’s decided to cut their ties to Bay de Verde and so they sold their property.
Dagwell
This somewhat unusual family name was at Bay de Verde at least as early as 1828 as there is a child born to William Garrett and Ann Dagwell in 1828. Ann is likely a sister of Thomas Dagwell who has a child baptized in 1843. The name is one of the few that is not found in Searys family names of Newfoundland. One of the daughters of Thomas married into the Blundon family and another married a Beckett from Old Perlican. Nothing is known of the other children.
Dineen
Timothy Dineen was born in Lismore, Ireland in 1772 and came to Bay de Verde in 1792 as a young man. Sometime after 1805, he acquired the Bay de Verde Plantation of Dr. John Clinch of Trinity. This was quite a large plantation located adjacent to where the launchway is today and extending north to the first cliff and eastward for more than 600 feet. Timothy went on to develop quite a large mercantile fishing enterprise consisting of a Coopers Shop and a cookhouse where his hired men stayed. He married Johanna Hyde, a sister of Thomas Hyde of Bay de Verde and had one son Thomas. When Timothy died in 1832, he left half his estate to his son Thomas and the other half to his brother-in-law Thomas Hyde. He bequeathed his house to Bishop Fleming of St. John’s but allowed Thomas Hyde to live in it until Bishop Fleming chose to dispossess him of it. Timothy Dineen’s headstone is still standing in the Chapel Rock Cemetery at Bay de Verde.
Dinn
(Sometimes Denn.) The first occurrence of the name at Bay de Verde is a Thomas Dinn who married Bridget Looney and had a son John baptized on June 12, 1840 as per the Northern Bay Baptismal Records. John is still listed as a fisherman at Bay de Verde in 1904, however no descendants of the family remain today.
Doyle
Research has indicated that the four Doyles who came and settled on the North Shore of Conception Bay at about the same time may have been brothers or at least closely related. James Doyle settled at Carbonear, Michael and John settled at Gull Island while Morgan settled at Grates Cove. Although Morgan Doyle settled at Grates Cove in the first decade of the 1800s, he is included with the Bay de Verde families as the majority of his descendants lived there. Two of Morgan Doyles children married children of Thomas Noonan of Bay de Verde. Morgans only son Moses married Anne Noonan while his youngest daughter, Eleanor married Dennis Noonan. In 1856, Moses died leaving Anne with a young family of two daughters and four sons. As Morgan was deceased by this time, Anne had no family support at Grates Cove, so she moved back to Bay de Verde to raise her family. She later married Patrick Whalan from Broom Cove near Bay de Verde. Two of her sons, Michael and Moses married Mackey sisters from Bay de Verde and later moved back to take over the plantation at Grates Cove and raise their families. Her son Thomas married Mary Riggs while the youngest son John married Mary Flynn. Her daughter Catherine married James Broaders while Theresa married Lawrence Keyes. All four raised large families at Bay de Verde.
Duffett
The Duffetts are one of the earliest recorded planters at Bay de Verde. Although property is not listed for the Duffetts until after 1800, baptismal records indicate they were here much earlier. According to the Bay de Verde Anglican baptismal records, a child named Thomas is baptized for Thomas Duffett and Anne Stevens in 1786. The Duffetts had large families who also intermarried with the some of the Catholic families such as the Moore, Broaders and Woodrow families. Some of the Duffetts moved across Trinity Bay to Random Island and began lines of Duffetts there. Descendants of the Duffetts can today be found in many areas of Newfoundland, Canada and the United States. The Duffett name has disappeared from Bay de Verde for more than fifty years. The Duffetts are of two lines, that of Thomas and George who are likely to be brothers or at least closely related.
Emberly
This is one of the few families known to have been at Bay de Verde continually since at least 1781. According to a notice of probate Stephen Emberly came from Christchurch, County of Hants, England. Joseph Emberley, a Newfoundland trader who retired to Ringwood in Hants may have been related to the first Stephen Emberley. The name Joseph is one that occurs right down through the family. The first Stephen of Bay de Verde was in possession of land given to him by Sarah Banks in 1781. Stephen no doubt received the property when he married Catherine, a daughter of Sarah Banks. The Banks had been at Bay de Verde since at least 1716. Sarah is the wife of an Unknown Banks who likely came after the French raids of 1705 or may have been one who endured the raids. The Banks property was located on the south side of the harbour in the most sheltered area adjacent and south of the Taverner Plantation, which indicates that the Banks may have been connected to that early family. The Emberleys lived and fished in the same area since that time, and their descendants still live at Bay de Verde today. The Emberley fishing premises were sold to Quinlan Brothers around 1980 when they needed it for an extension to their sea-food processing facilities.
Fitzgibbons
The first Fitzgibbons to Conception Bay appear to be brothers Cornelius and Jeremiah who were living in the Harbour Grace area in 1832. Three grandsons of Cornelius later moved to Redlands, near Job’s Cove. They are relative late-comers to Bay de Verde, the first arriving here after the 1850’s. The first to arrive was Stephen Fitzgibbons who first married Mary Quinlan and later Julia Whalen, a daughter of Thomas Whalen from Broom Cove near Bay de Verde. Stephen lived at Broom Cove and later moved to Bay de Verde where some of his descendants live today. Jeremiah Fitzgibbons is listed in the early Otterbury census. In 1831 he married Mary Jacobs, a daughter of Henry Jacobs of Bay de Verde and moved here. Their children were Henry, Mary and William, none of whom married. This family seem to have become Anglicans, as Henry and Mary are listed in the Anglican records at Bay de Verde.
Fleming
Michael Fleming is another of the young Irish men who married into a Protestant planter family. It is quite possible that he was one of the ten Irish youngsters brought over by the established English Planters of Bay de Verde. He married Letitia Blundon, a daughter of James Blundon an established planter. Together they raised a large family of five girls and four boys. Today there is only one Fleming household in Bay de Verde.
Flynn
(Sometimes Fling). The earliest Flynn at Bay de Verde was a man by the name of Dominick Flynn. He appears to have been a merchant or at least to have had the backing of a merchant. In 1797, he purchased the Taverner Plantation from Trinity merchant Samuel White for the sum of 300 pounds, quite a large amount at the time. For the next two decades Dominick Flynn built up a thriving mercantile fishing business. He was still living at Bay de Verde according to the 1839 voter’s list, however, his property is by this time in the possession of Thomas O’Neill who came to Bay de Verde in 1824. There is some indication that Flynn experiences some financial difficulties which enabled O’Neill to obtain the property. The other Flynns at Bay de Verde do not seem to be connected in any way to Dominick Flynn. The naming pattern for these Flynns do not have a single Dominick. The other Flynns at Bay de Verde are descended from James Flynn and Mary Walsh. These Flynns were often referred to as Fling in many of the baptismal and marriage records and even the last ones living at Bay de Verde were often called Fling. The Flynn family name became extinct at Bay de Verde in 2002 with the death of John Flynn.
Foley
(Or Fowlow.) According to Searys Family Names of Newfoundland, this is a variant of the surnames of Ireland, Fowloo and Foley a surname of England from the English name Foolow (Derbyshire). A William Fowlow owned property at Bay de Verde before 1800 as per the Plantation Book Records. The name has usually been Foley at Bay de Verde while it has been Fowlow at Trinity. The name has long been extinct here.
Frost
A surname of England and Ireland with a variety of implications associated with frost, such as white-haired or cold in demeanour. The earliest instance of the name at Bay de Verde is James in 1802. He later married at Grates Cove and his descendants began their nomadic lives around Conception and Trinity Bays. Some of James Frosts descendants became schooner owners and traders which accounts for their movements around the bays.
Froud
The Froud name has been at Bay de Verde since at least just after the 1760’s. The Anglican baptismal records list two children of William Froud and Suzanna baptised August 15, 1766. This family is listed in the 1913 voter’s list at Bay de Verde, but their descendants seem to have moved away by 1935.
Garrett
The name has been traced in Devon which is where the Bay de Verde Garretts likely originated. The earliest Garrett at Bay de Verde according to Seary book of family names was a Thomas Garrett in 1781 but the earliest to be found in any records here is a baptism of Jonas to William Garrett and Ann Dagwell in 1828. It is quite possible that William was a son of the early Thomas as a son born to Jonas and Catherine Emberley in 1869 was named William Thomas Garrett.
Green
The name Walter Green appears in the 1832 Census for Bay de Verde. It is not known where he came from but he married Bridget, a daughter of Thomas North. Although Walter and Bridget had five children, non are found in any later marriage or baptismal records, so it is apparent that they moved away from this area.
Hurley
The name Hurley probably came from Cork, Ireland. The Hurleys were at Bay de Verde from early 1800. Michael Hurley probably came as an indentured servant to one of the Duffett planters. Michael married into the Duffett family and other Hurleys married into the Cotters and Noonans. The family name was at Bay de Verde until shortly after 1900. It is possible that these Hurleys were related to those of the North Shore of Conception Bay.
Hyde
The Hydes show up at Bay de Verde in the early 1800’s. Thomas Hyde was recorded in the 1839 Voter’s List for Bay de Verde. A reference in the Thomas Cole Collection refers to a Thomas Hyde who was a Newfoundland trader and oil dealer who had properties in Poole, England, and who went bankrupt. Thomas Street bought High Street and five Hill Street tenement properties in Poole from Thomas Hyde. This may be the Thomas Hyde who later is established at Bay de Verde and who is referred to in the journal of Oliver Rouse in 1847-48. Thomas does not appear to be an ordinary individual but rather a man of influence. Ten days after Rouses arrival at Bay de Verde, Mrs. Hyde takes tea with them. Later Mrs. Rouse rides to Lower Island Cove in Mr. Hyde’s cab. Many references are made to him in the journal as helping to oversee distribution of relief to the poor and overseeing road work, which was the means by which the poor received their allowance. No reference is made to him attending the Anglican Church, so one can assume that he was Roman Catholic. Michael and Thomas, who are likely sons of Thomas Hyde married and raised families in this area. Michael and his descendants lived at Bay de Verde while Thomas first married Catherine Colbert and later Mary Rice, a daughter of Patrick Rice of Red Head Cove. Thomas and Mary then moved to Red Head Cove where his descendants still live today. When Timothy Dineen who was married to Johanna, a sister of Thomas Hyde died in 1832, he left half of his plantation to Hyde as well as all of his other property in the harbour. This is the waterfront property on the north side of Bay de Verde next to the slipway that was bought from Thomas Street by John Clinch of Trinity and was later obtained by Timothy Dineen. The Hydes of Red Head Cove owned this property right up until the 1970’s. Today a new wharf is built there. They also claimed a small part of the property at Canaille, a plantation owned prior to 1750 by Henry Barnes of County Dorset in England and later by Thomas Stone, an agent for the Lesters at Trinity. It seems that Thomas Hyde obtained the property from Stone before he moved back to England early in the 1800’s.
Jacobs
The first record of this surname at Bay de Verde is Ruth Jacobs, born August 29, 1784 to Henry Jacobs and Martha. The Plantation Book lists Henry Jacobs as owning property deeded to him as a gift from William Sheppard in 1788. This gift of property known as the Sheppards Room may have been given to Henry when he married Martha, who is likely a daughter of Sheppard. The Jacobs used this property until the 1950’s. The Jacobs name was quite numerous at Bay de Verde all during the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Some of them moved to other areas of the island especially the Random Sound area. It is not known if the Jacobs of Bay de Verde were related to the Jacobs of the Northern Bay area. Very few Jacobs are left in the area today.
Keats
The earliest Keats were located in the Bonavista area and it is believed that Robert came to settle at Bay de Verde around 1850. We know that the Keats were relative latecomers to Bay de Verde, as witnessed by their settling location on the outskirts of Bay de Verde at a place called Ladder Point. There they built their stage at the bottom of an almost vertical 250 foot cliff and carried their fish on hand barrows to the flakes at the top by means of a narrow bridge of 365 steps built zig-zag up the steep cliff. Several families of Keats still remain at Bay de Verde.
Keefe
(Or O'Keefe.) The first family of Keefes at Bay de Verde was Michael who married Elizabeth King about 1805. Michael Keefe bought property from Hurley Paul in 1801 for 1 pound according to the Plantation Book Records of 1804-05. There were several families of Keefes at Bay de Verde and it is not certain how they are connected if at all. There appears to be a connection to the Keefes of Tilting on Fogo Island as well as to those of Harbor Grace. Thomas Keefe of 1814 who married Mary Woodrow was a son of Michael Keefe of Harbour Grace. The name Keefe has been extinct from Bay de Verde since the last decade of the 1900’s.
Keyes
Several Keyes appear in the Conception Bay North area in the early 1800’s. Lawrence Keyes seems to have come to Bay de Verde prior to 1820. He may have been a servant to an English planter, possibly the Adeys. He married Suzanna, daughter of Stephen Adey and raised a large family whose descendants still live here today. Patrick Keyes who is likely a brother of Lawrence married Margaret Roach. The Roach name appears in the Plantation Book in 1800 at Bay de Verde. It appears that Patrick Keyes moved to Carbonear as he appears there in the 1832 census. Michael Keyes who married Mary Murray in 1824 at Harbour Grace may also be related. It is not known with certainty that Lawrence, Patrick and Michael were related, but when one examines the naming pattern there are some obvious similarities.
King
The King surname is widespread on the North Shore of Conception Bay as well as on both sides of Trinity Bay and other areas of Newfoundland. The first time the name occurs at Bay de Verde is an Abraham King in 1708-09. From apprenticeship records, which can be found online, we know that Abraham was originally from the Bristol area. There are records online on the Dorset Archives that record the purchase of the Bay de Verde property by John King of East Howe, Dorset from Elias Spencer, Jr of Poole on 24 August 1752. The bill of sale states that a House, barn , stables, orchard, and gardens with parcel of 20 Acres are included. We know from the plantation Book that a Henry King owned property at Bay de Verde as early as 1766. The records state that Henry received his property from his father likely the John King who purchased the property in 1752. The Henry named here who married Tamsey Blundon and later Julia Cotter is likely to be the one who owns property to the south of Dominick Flynn as stated in the Plantation Book for 1797 and is likely a descendant of the first King. Not much is known about this family, but his children were all baptized in the Roman Catholic Church as per the Harbor Grace records. It is also interesting to note that Henry names one of his children Samuel possibly after a brother Samuel who also has property at Bay de Verde in 1792. Henry’s last child was born in 1845 but it is apparent that they moved away from Bay de Verde as there is no trace of them in the 1864 directory.
Kinsella
This family originated with Timothy Kinsella who came to Job’s Cove from Tintern, County Waterford, Ireland in 1830. The Kinsella family formed close relations with Bay de Verde quite early on when two of Timothy’s sons married North women from Bay de Verde. Patrick Kinsella married Bridget North while Michael married Anne North. Some years later two of Timothy’s grandchildren married two Walshs from Bay de Verde and came to live here. The name has since died out with the passing of Leo Kinsella who died in 1998.
Lockyer
There were Lockyers in the Trinity area at the same time as at Bay de Verde but it is not known if they were related. William Lockyer bought land at Bay de Verde in 1774 from Johanna Vincent for 2 pounds. One of his daughters married a Barter and the property was shared with them. This property was in continuous use by their descendants right up to the Cod Moratorium in 1992. It was one of the longest continually used family fishing properties in Bay de Verde.
Looney
This is one of the very few names that has not been traced as a family name in Newfoundland by E. R. Seary. Maurice Looney purchased property from Edward McDonald in 1792 at Bay de Verde according to the Plantation Book Records. He likely came from the area of Waterford or Wexford in Ireland. In 1806 Timothy Looney, who was likely a son of Maurice, married Ruth Jacobs, a daughter of Henry Jacobs an established planter at Bay de Verde. I am making the assumption that all the Looneys of Bay de Verde are descended from Maurice simply because he is the first one recorded, however it may be that Timothy was a brother of Maurice and that all the Looneys are descended from Timothy. Again it may also be possible that Timothy was not related to Maurice at all which is borne out by the fact that the name Maurice does not appear anywhere in the Looney line. Whatever may be the answer to this dilemma, it is not likely that one will be found, as the Looney name disappeared from Bay de Verde early in the 1900’s and as far as I can tell, it seems the name has also disappeared from Newfoundland as well.
Lynch
Thomas Lynch likely came to Bay de Verde as a servant to the Stevens, an established English planter family. He married Sera Stevens, a daughter of Charles Stevens. He is also given land by Sera’s brother Henry and is in possession of such in 1794. It appears that Thomas moved to Tickle Harbour, now Bellevue sometime before 1839. One of his sons, John, stays at Bay de Verde. The Lynch name disappears from Bay de Verde with the death of Daniel in 1972. Some of the descendants of the first Lynch still live at Bellevue.
Mackey
It is not known if this William who appears at Bay de Verde before mid-1850 is a Mackey from Carbonear area where the name was prevalent. Two of William’s daughters married Doyle brothers who then moved to Grates Cove. Nothing is known of John, the only male child of this family.
Maidment
This is a recent surname at Bay de Verde. The name appeared here in the early 1950’s when Max Maidment from Hant’s Harbour married Jessie Mae Emberley. Max had been a sailor in the Royal Navy during World War I and settled at Bay de Verde after the war.
Mangan
(Also Manning.) The name was Mangan in the early part of the 1800’s but was later changed to Manning. The earliest instance of the name at Bay de Verde was Joseph Mangan from Catalina who was in possession of property here in 1793. Two of his daughters married local men from Bay de Verde. The Mangans had a close association with the Noonans of Bay de Verde, in fact when Thomas Noonan died around 1827 his wife Eleanor married Joseph Mangan, a son of the earlier Joseph of Catalina. The headstone of Eleanor Mangan is one of the few that remains standing in the old Chapel Rock Cemetery. The name died out in Bay de Verde with the death of the only male in the line, that of young James on December 9, 1855 at the age of 25 years. He is buried just inside the fence of the Chapel Rock cemetery on the front road at Bay de Verde.
McCarthy
This was a very common name in the Conception Bay area, especially in the Carbonear and Harbor Grace area as well as in Western Bay and Gull Island, and at Bay de Verde and Red Head Cove. The earliest at Bay de Verde is Daniel McCarthy who owns property there in 1801. It appears that he moved to Tickle Harbor in Trinity Bay which was later renamed Bellevue. Richard McCarthy of Western Bay may have been related to the Daniel McCarthy of Bay de Verde but no one has shown this conclusively. The John McCarthy who is listed in the 1836 Voter’s List for Bay de Verde is quite possibly a son of Daniel McCarthy if naming patterns is any indication. The Thomas McCarthy of about 1820 who is at Red Head Cove in 1871 is likely to be related to the early Daniel as well, however, family folklore says that Thomas deserted from the British Navy and later settled at Red Head Cove. He married Mary Hatch but no birth record has been found either for her or for Thomas in any of the baptismal records for the area. The names they gave their children are the same as the other McCarthys in the area. If the folklore about deserting the navy is correct this naming pattern could be a clever way to avoid detection.
Moore
Edmund Moore came to Bay de Verde as a young man from Kilmaganny, Ireland. He may have been one of the ten Irish youngsters brought over by the established English Planters likely the Duffetts. If so, he proved to be quite an enterprising young man. He married Nancy, a daughter of Thomas Duffett in 1820 and raised a family of seven children. In 1831 William Danson, a merchant of Bristol, England with extensive waterfront property in many parts of Conception Bay, went into bankruptcy and the property was put up for auction. Edmund Moore obtained the property at Bay de Verde. The Danson property in foreside was the area where the government wharf is today and extended eastward through the harbour to include the Tippett Plantation at the backside of Bay de Verde. Edmund Moore went on to build up a thriving mercantile business that lasted for several generations at Bay de Verde. The bank crash of 1895 caused the decline of many mercantile businesses in Newfoundland as it did the Moore business at Bay de Verde. Many of their descendants eventually left here to move to St. John’s, Canada and the United States. The Moore name died out at Bay de Verde with the death of Thomas in 1974, however some of the Moore descendants still live in the area.
Murphy
The earliest Murphy at Bay de Verde was Patrick who was at Bay de Verde at least as early as 1783. According to the Plantation Book he owned various pieces of waterfront property, one purchased from John Blundon for 15 pounds. In 1786 he claimed another property that was lying vacant and in 1804 he laid claim to a large piece of property at the backside of Bay de Verde. Because there were so many Murphys in the area of the North Shore as well as at Grates Cove and Bay de Verde, it is difficult to trace them precisely. The Murphys at Bay de Verde seem to be descended from John Murphy. Although no birth record has been him, the name does occur in the 1832 Census for Bay de Verde and it is assumed that he is a son of the earliest Patrick. It is also possible that these Murphys may be related to those of Job’s Cove and area, but no connection has as of yet been found.
Noonan
This surname is found at Bay de Verde and also at Carbonear in the early part of the 1800’s. If one were to look at the naming patterns, it is quite possible that they may be related. The Noonans of this area have been traced to a Din Noonan who was listed in the 1800-01 Census for Old Perlican. He was renting property from John Woodlands and is married with one male child. This child is no doubt his son Thomas who married Eleanor Doody about 1814. The Plantation Book for Bay de Verde shows Dennis Noonan as owning property near the Hauling Place in 1802. Thomas had three sons who married and began the lines of Noonans whose descendants still live at Bay de Verde today. One of his daughters, Eleanor married Thomas O’Neill of the O’Neill mercantile fishing firm, while the youngest daughter Anne married Moses Doyle of Grates Cove.
Normore
(Also Norman.) The earliest Normore in this area was Charles who owned land at Lower Island Cove in 1757 as per the Plantation Book. The land was sold by Henry Normore in 1800 to James Simmonds. There was a Henry Normore owning property at Grates Cove as per the 1800-01 Census. He may be the same Henry from Lower Island Cove. In 1850 Henry Normore of Grates Cove married Sarah Duffett of Bay de Verde and they moved to Bay de Verde and had three children between 1851 and 1855. Nothing further is recorded for them. In 1871, Charles Norman who is later referred to as Normore married Caroline Emberley and they raise a family at Bay de Verde. As far as can be gathered only two of their children survived. One of them, Henry Walter was listed at Bay de Verde in 1904 as per the Anglican Confirmation records. Charles Normore was listed in the 1904 McAlpines Directory for Bay de Verde. No birth records have been found for either Henry or Charles but they are likely to be descended from the first Charles of Lower Island Cove.
Norris
The surname Norris has been found in this area prior to 1800. John of Old Perlican and Thomas of Grates Cove who are likely brothers are shown in the 1800-01 census. John Norris seems to have moved to Grates Cove in 1816 when he married Mary Geary of that place and began the Norris family there. It is not known if the Norris familiy of Bay de Verde are related to John and Thomas. Family naming patterns and religious affiliation seem to suggest that they are not related. The Norris family at Bay de Verde are descended from James Norris and Mary who are living at Red Head Cove and who had several children prior to 1831. The James Norris who married Ann Jackson in the Anglican Church in 1842 is believed to be a son of James and Mary. In the 1850’s this James is listed as a teacher according to Oliver Rouse’s Journal.
North
The first record of the surname North in this area was Thomas North. In the Trinity Anglican Baptismal records, he is listed as the father of Elinor Moors, a child born May 5, 1810 (baptised May 12, 1810 by Rev John Clinch) to Thomas North and Sarah Moors, daughter of the late James and Francis Moors of Trinity. The record also states that Thomas is from Ireland and a servant with Denis Noonan of Bay de Verde in the District of Conception Bay. Thomas came back to Bay de Verde and married Sara Mangan, daughter of Joseph Mangan of Catalina. They had a family of five daughters and one son. Their only son, William married Mary Riggs of Bay de Verde. William cleared land at Red Head Cove in the 1840’s and for many years lived there and operated a farm.
O'Neill
Thomas O’Neill was born 1799 in Monagurra, Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. He came to this area as an agent to a Carbonear merchantile firm. In 1828, he purchased a plantation at Bonney Brooks near Bay de Verde from Thomas Whalen and a few years later obtained the large financially troubled plantation of Dominick Flynn at Bay de Verde. In 1832, Thomas married Eleanor Noonan, daughter of Thomas Noonan and they went on to raise a large family. Thomas O’Neill and his descendants were quite successful in establishing and operating a very prosperous mercantile fishing business over the next one hundred years. The various businesses were sold in the early to mid 1900’s and the remaining O’Neills moved away from Bay de Verde.
Pryor
The first place this name occurs in the area is at Old Perlican. Peter Pryor was born in 1794 and died in 1864 at Old Perlican. It is not known if Peter was born there but a David Pryor who was born in 1807 established the family name at Bay de Verde. There seems to be some family connection with these two men as the name Peter comes down through the Bay de Verde family. It is quite likely that they were brothers.
Quinlan
Jeremiah Quinlan apparently came to Holyrood from Tipperary, Ireland. Family tradition says that two of his sons came to Bay de Verde to fish with the Woodrows in the mid 1830’s. Peter Quinlan married Ellen North, a daughter of Thomas North and made his home in Bay de Verde. Jeremiah married Anne Hatch, a daughter of Richard Hatch and made his home in Red Head Cove. One of his daughters, Catherine Quinlan married Richard Woodrow of Bay de Verde. Patrick and Maurice, descendants of Jeremiah purchased the O’Neill business in the 1950’s and went on to build up one of the largest seafood operations in Newfoundland.
Riggs
The Riggs of this area seem to be descended from John Riggs. Reverend James Balfour baptized four children for John and Elizabeth Riggs on July 20, 1788 at Bay de Verde. They were Stephen, Andrew, William and John. No birth record has been found for two other children, Thomas and James, although it is believed that they are also children of John and Elizabeth. William and Thomas are listed in the Plantation Book records as owning waterfront property to the south and adjacent to where the government wharf is today. William married Betsy Paul and Thomas married Mary Blundon. James is not mentioned until 1804 when he married Rachel Foley as per the Roman Catholic marriage records at Harbour Grace. Because some of John’s sons seem to have disappeared from this area, it is believed by some that one or more of them went to the Burin Peninsula and began another line of that family name there. When one looks at the naming pattern for the Burin Peninsula Riggs it does indeed seem to indicate that they are somehow related to the Riggs of Bay de Verde. No records to prove this have as yet been found.
Rouse
Oliver Rouse came to Bay de Verde from England in 1847 to minister to the Anglican people of the parish. A strong disciplinarian, he was successful in firmly re-establishing the roots of Anglicanism in the area at a time when Methodism was rapidly gaining followers. His was also a strong voice to government officials for all the people of the area in difficult times. He ministered to the people of this area for 22 years until he died of Typhus on September 5, 1869. He was buried in the Old Anglican Cemetery on the south side of the harbour.
Ryan
The Ryans of this area can be traced to a James Ryan who came from Ireland and was working as a harbour pilot at St. John’s when he obtained the job as Light-keeper at the newly constructed lighthouse at Baccalieu Island in 1858. The Ryan family were keepers of the light for several generations with the job being passed down to each succeeding generation. The Ryans had a close association with the residents of both Bay de Verde and Red Head Cove. Frank Ryan who lived his whole life on Baccalieu married Charlotte Moore of Bay de Verde. Some of their children are still living today. His brother Joseph Ryan married Agnes Rice who was also born on Baccalieu.
Stevens
The Stevens came from Winbourne in the County of Dorset in England and were undoubtedly one of the earliest families to arrive at Bay de Verde after the early settlers such as the Taverners left just after 1700. They owned a large area of land on the north side of the harbour which extended from foreside to backside. This land was later obtained by men who married into the family. As well the Stevens owned the prime waterfront fishing premises in the center of the harbour.
Sullivan
John and Maurice Sullivan came to Bay de Verde sometime prior to 1859 from Riverhead, Harbour Grace. There were other Sullivans on the North Shore in the Western Bay area, but no definite connection has been made to them. The only link seems to be that names from both of the Bay de Verde Sullivan families occur in the Western Bay family. John Sullivan married Catherine Fleming of Bay de Verde and had five children. He was drowned in Conception Bay in 1871 on the schooner ‘Dove’ owned by the March family of Old Perlican. One of his daughters married Thomas Leonard from British Harbour in 1890 and some of their descendants still live at Corner Brook today. Another daughter married Patrick Walsh of Bay de Verde. Their son Philip fought in World War I. Maurice Sullivan married Bridget Quinlan, a daughter of Peter Quinlan of Bay de Verde. Their grandson, Peter was a decorated veteran of World War I. The Sullivan surname is still at Bay de Verde at the time of this writing.
Sutton
John Sutton from Warslow, England married Dorothy Sellers from Ashbourne, England in 1794 and came to Bay de Verde shortly afterwards. Their first daughter Elizabeth was baptized in England in 1795 and in 1803 they had three children baptized at Bay de Verde as per the Anglican Baptismal Records. They ranged in age from one to five years which could possibly indicate that he had recently arrived. No property is recorded for him in the Plantation Book Records of 1805. They went on to have a large family most of whom lived at Bay de Verde while some others moved to various areas of Trinity Bay.
Taverner
This is perhaps the earliest recorded family who lived at Bay de Verde and were well established in 1675 when Captain John Berry first took a Census of Newfoundland. They lived here for several generations and survived the devastation of the French raids in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. The Taverners moved away from Bay de Verde likely in the first decade of the 1700’s to other more secure areas of Newfoundland especially to Trinity where some of their family was also established.
Walsh
John and Edward Walsh were living at Bay de Verde at least as early as 1785. In the Plantation Book Records, John Walsh is listed as a Cooper and owns property. In 1804, he was listed as part owner of what was likely a cooperage company with Thomas Broaders. In 1797, Edward Walsh was listed as having property to the south of Dominick Flynn. This property was located on the south side of the harbour in the area where this family of Walsh’s still live today. In 1786, Richard Walsh was also listed as owning property in the general area east of where the government wharf is today. No record of him is found at any later date at Bay de Verde, however the 1835 Voter’s list has a Richard Walsh at Lower Island Cove. It is not known if he is the same one. No records are available to prove whether or not these families are related, but it is quite likely that they are, as early families such as these often tended to travel as family units. I tend to believe that the John Walsh and Edward Walsh families are indeed related due mostly to similarities in the naming patterns as well as the fact that no record has been found of any intermarriage between these two families. The Walsh’s of Low Point and Red Head Cove were also related to those of Bay de Verde. John the Cooper’s sons, Thomas and Edward moved to Low Point before 1832. One of Edward’s sons, Patrick moved back to Bay de Verde when he married Catherine Keyes while another son John moved to Red Head Cove when he married Sarah Hatch. Another Walsh family at Bay de Verde was not related to either of the others. These Walsh’s came here from Western Bay just after the mid 1850’s.
Whales
The Thomas Whalen family settled at Bonney Brooks which is located about one mile to the north east of Low Point. No connection has been made to the Whalens of Bradley’s Cove near Western Bay. When Thomas O’Neill came to this area from Ireland he bought land from a Thomas Phelan in Bonney. This is likely the same Thomas Whalen who later occupied land at Broom Cove near Bay de Verde in 1828. It appears that the Whalens later acquired the land at Bonney again as Thomas Whalen is later listed as living there.
Woodrow
The first Woodrow at Bay de Verde was John who is said to have come from Devon. He is also likely to have been brought over as a servant by one of the established planter families, possibly the Duffetts. John married Johanna, a daughter of Thomas Duffett and began the Woodrow line at Bay de Verde. James, one of the grandsons of the first John, married a Mullaly from Northern Bay and moved there and established the family name. The name still survives in this area as well as in other areas of Newfoundland and many parts of Canada.
Resources
Sources
- ↑ Town of Bay de Verde, Geneology. Profiles of Family Names of Bay de Verde. Accessed 2020.