Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage
.
Incorporated in November 1964, Brigus' first Mayor was Fred Bartlett. The present Mayor is David G. Hiscock. Rev. R. Wells was the first Clergy Mayor elected in the Province.
) an English settlement established in 1610 by John Guy on behalf of Bristol
's Society of Merchant Venturers
.
Brigus is located approximately 80 km west of St. John's, and is accessible via Route 70-A just 18 km from the Trans Canada Highway (TCH).
. Brigus' history dates back to around 1612, when John Guy sold half of the Harbour to the Spracklin family. At this time Brigus was mostly settled by people from England
, Ireland
, and Wales
. During King William's War
, this village was raided in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign
.
Brigus is famous for its sea Captains, it was in 1819 when Captain William Munden built the schooner Four Brothers, the first one hundred ton schooner
in Newfoundland (built 1819).
There were many "Arctic Heroes" that came from this historic town:
, now a national historic site; "The Tunnel" bored through solid rock on the waterfront in 1860 to provide access to a deep water berth for the Bartlett sailing ships; the Stone Barn Museum; Jubilee Club, the meeting place of the "Merchant Princes of Brigus" from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century; St. George' s Anglican Church, consecrated in 1845; Brigus United Church, dedicated in 1875 on the site of an earlier church; and the Roman Catholic Church, built in 1832.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage
Hawthorne Cottage
Hawthorne Cottage is a national historic site located in Brigus, Newfoundland, Canada. It was the residence of Captain Bob Bartlett, a famed Arctic explorer...
.
Incorporated in November 1964, Brigus' first Mayor was Fred Bartlett. The present Mayor is David G. Hiscock. Rev. R. Wells was the first Clergy Mayor elected in the Province.
Geography
Located in a sheltered bay it has been home to many fishermen and a strategic location in early times. Brigus is located adjacent to Cuper's Cove (modern day CupidsCupids, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cupids is a town of 790 on Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It has also been known as Coopers, Copers Cove, Cupers Cove, and Cuperts. It is the oldest continuously settled official British colony in Canada and possibly the oldest in North America...
) an English settlement established in 1610 by John Guy on behalf of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
's Society of Merchant Venturers
Society of Merchant Venturers
The Society of Merchant Venturers is a private entrepreneurial and charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol, which dates back to the 13th century...
.
Brigus is located approximately 80 km west of St. John's, and is accessible via Route 70-A just 18 km from the Trans Canada Highway (TCH).
Demography
| Population in 2001 | 784 |
| Population change from 1996 | -13.1% |
| Median age | 41.9 |
| Number of families | 255 |
| Number of married couples | 195 |
| Total number of dwellings | 300 |
| Catholic | 36.1% |
| Protestant | 63.9% |
| Land Area (km².) | 11.57 |
History
The name Brigus comes from the Brickhouse which was the name of an old town in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Brigus' history dates back to around 1612, when John Guy sold half of the Harbour to the Spracklin family. At this time Brigus was mostly settled by people from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. During King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...
, this village was raided in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign
Avalon Peninsula Campaign
The Avalon Peninsula Campaign occurred during King Williams War when forces of New France, led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, destroyed 23 English settlements along the coast of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland in the span of three months...
.
Brigus is famous for its sea Captains, it was in 1819 when Captain William Munden built the schooner Four Brothers, the first one hundred ton schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
in Newfoundland (built 1819).
There were many "Arctic Heroes" that came from this historic town:
- Captain John BartlettJohn Bartlett (Newfoundland politician)John Bartlett was a mariner and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Port de Grave in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1873 to 1874 and from 1882 to 1886....
sailed with the American explorer Isaac Israel HayesIsaac Israel HayesIsaac Israel Hayes was an Arctic explorer and physician.Hayes was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. After completing his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Hayes signed on as ship's surgeon for an 1853-5 expedition led by Elisha Kent Kane to search for John Franklin...
and also with Admiral Robert PearyRobert PearyRobert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole... - Captain Sam Bartlett who sailed with Peary
- Captain Robert Bartlett who was in charge of the S.S. Roosevelt when Peary reached the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, who later survived the wreck of the KarlukKarluk (ship)The last voyage of HMCS Karluk, flagship of the Canadian Arctic Expedition,ended with the loss of the ship and the subsequent deaths of nearly half her complement. On her outward voyage in August 1913 Karluk, a brigantine formerly used as a whaler, became trapped in the Arctic ice while sailing to...
, and who later helmed the schooner Effie M. MorrisseyEffie M. MorrisseyThe Effie M. Morrissey was a schooner skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society. It also helped survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II... - Captain Arthur Bartlett
- Captain William Norman who rescued Admiral Adolphus GreelyAdolphus GreelyAdolphus Washington Greely , was an American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Early military career:...
- Captain Isaac Bartlett who rescued Captain Tyson and crew after drifting on an iceberg for 1500 miles
- Captain William Bartlett, known as "the Commodore of the sealing fleet in Newfoundland".
Attractions
Brigus is a popular tourist stop, renowned for its scenic qualities and places of interest. Among these are the site of The Vindicator, where the Brigus newspaper was printed at the turn of the 20th century; the Convent of Mercy, built in 1860 for the Mercy Sisters who came from Ireland in 1861; the local Orange Lodge; Hawthorne CottageHawthorne Cottage
Hawthorne Cottage is a national historic site located in Brigus, Newfoundland, Canada. It was the residence of Captain Bob Bartlett, a famed Arctic explorer...
, now a national historic site; "The Tunnel" bored through solid rock on the waterfront in 1860 to provide access to a deep water berth for the Bartlett sailing ships; the Stone Barn Museum; Jubilee Club, the meeting place of the "Merchant Princes of Brigus" from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century; St. George' s Anglican Church, consecrated in 1845; Brigus United Church, dedicated in 1875 on the site of an earlier church; and the Roman Catholic Church, built in 1832.
Further reading
- John Northway Leamon, 1998, Brigus: Past Glory, Present Splendour, St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications.