Greenspond, Newfoundland and Labrador

Greenspond is one of the communities that comprise an area on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland, called Bonavista North. These communities have a shared history in that they were settled by people from England, predominantly from the West Country - Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Hampshire.

Greenspond Historical Society

Research on this page has been contributed by the Greenspond Historical Society

Greenspond Historical Society

The Greenspond Historical Society and Archives, in Greenspond, Newfoundland and Labrador, began in April 1994 with the publication of the first issue of The Greenspond Letter. The Greenspond Letter is a journal of the history of Greenspond through poetry, prose, photographs, essays, articles and...

.

Greenspond is one of the oldest continuously inhabited outports in Newfoundland, having been settled in the 1690s. In the first 100 years after settlement, the people of Greenspond lived from the bounty of the sea. The community thrived and became a major trading centre because of its proximity to and its position on the main sea lanes and was known as the "Capital of the North". Newfoundland

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...

Geography

The community of Greenspond comprises several islands: the largest is Greenspond Island, and the smaller ones include Batterton, Ship, Newell's, Wing's, Pig, Maiden, Groat's, and Puffin Island. There are several explanations of the origin of the name "Greenspond". The most popular is that it is based on the names of two of the early families, Green and Pond. Another states that the name reflected the green of the trees that covered the island and the harbour basin which resembled a pond. Records from the French Colonial

French Colonial

French Colonial a style of architecture used by the French during colonization. Many French colonies, especially those in South-East Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture as an asset for tourism, however in recent times, the new-generation of local authorities...

office referred to Greenspond as "Grin d'Espagne", which could have subsequently been pronounced Greenspond by the English

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...

settlers.

History

Greenspond is one of the oldest continuously inhabited outports in Newfoundland, having been settled in the 1690s. In the first 100 years after settlement, the people of Greenspond lived from the bounty of the sea. The community thrived and became a major trading centre because of its proximity to and its position on the main sea lanes and was known as the "Capital of the North".

The fabric of the church is deeply woven into Greenspond's history. The early settlers from the West Country of England brought their religious affiliations with them. The first visit by a clergy was Rev. Henry Jones of the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

, who under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel served in Bonavista Bay

Bonavista Bay

Bonavista Bay is a large bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It opens directly onto the Atlantic Ocean....

in the 1720s. His first trip to Greenspond was in 1728 but the first church came much later. St. Stephen's Church was opened in 1812 and owes its construction to the efforts of Governor Sir John Thomas Duckworth

John Thomas Duckworth

Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British naval officer, serving during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812, and a member of the British House of Commons during his...

who had allocated funds for the building of the church. In 1829 a resident clergyman, Rev. N.A. Coster, was appointed to Greenspond followed by Rev. Julian Moreton

Julian Moreton

The Reverend Julian Moreton was a Church of England clergyman and author who travelled from England to Newfoundland, Canada to be ordained as a missionary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts...

in 1849. Moreton wrote: "the mission of Greenspond ... is the largest ... in the diocese of Newfoundland, extending along the 70 miles of coast and requiring a journey of 200 miles to visit all its stations." The size of the mission facilitated the enlargement of the church in the 1850s.

Wesleyan Methodism

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

made its first appearance in 1796 when Rev. George Smith, a travelling missionary from Trinity

Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador

Trinity is a small town located on Trinity Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador.The harbour at Trinity was first used by fishing ships around the 16th century. The Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real is said to have named this place because he arrived here on Trinity Sunday in 1501. It was settled by...

, organized a small Methodist class in the community. Services were held in stores and private houses, and, with the assistance of laymen, Methodist membership gradually increased. In 1862 Rev. John Allen became Greenspond's first Methodist clergyman in a mission that extended from Flat Islands

Flat Islands, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

Flat Islands is a settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador....

to Musgrave Harbour

Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

Musgrave Harbour is a Canadian town in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.-Geography:Located on the Kittiwake coast of the island of Newfoundland, the closest major centre is the town of Gander.-History:...

. In 1873, the first Methodist church was opened with a seating capacity for 600. It served the congregation until 1965 when it was torn down to make way for a new building. In the late 19th century the Salvation Army

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

came to Greenspond and built a citadel

Citadel

A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....

up on the Island. Later, as membership grew another larger citadel was built down by the main road. There were never many Roman Catholics in Greenspond. In 1826 there were 500 Protestants and 100 Catholics but many of them were to move elsewhere. The 1874 census shows 945 Church of England adherents, 499 Methodists, and 79 Roman Catholics. In 1901 there were only 18 Roman Catholics listed. Nevertheless,they built a small Roman Catholic chapel in Pond Head.

Education

The history of education in Greenspond followed that of the churches. In 1815 the residents of Greenspond petitioned the government to appoint Thomas Walley as lay reader and teacher. Mr. Thomas Walley read in the church every Sunday and was capable of teaching the children to read and write. Therefore, residents John Edgar, Thomas Read, Nathanial Smith, and James Cram wrote to the S.P.C.K. asking them to pay a salary to Mr. Walley so he could be the school master. On October 25, 1815, The Newfoundland Governor at the time, wrote that Mr. Walley was being given 15 pounds per annum by the government to read prayers on Sunday in the absence of a missionary. He was also appointed school master and was given 30 pounds for two years. Thomas Walley continued to teach there until 1825 when he moved to Gooseberry Island

Gooseberry Island, Newfoundland and Labrador

Gooseberry Island was a settlement of about nine families in 1864 in the Bonavista area. The first Waymaster was Charles Harris but the Way Office closed in 1873. and reopened in 1882 at which time it became a Post Office and the first Postmaster was Ambrose Janes.-See also:*List of communities in...

to serve as schoolmaster there.

In a letter, written by Archdeacon George Coster on July 21, 1827, he said Greenspond had started building a house and schoolroom, and that the Newfoundland School Society

Newfoundland School Society

The Newfoundland School Society was established on June 30, 1823 by a merchant named Samuel Codner. Codner first came to Newfoundland in 1788 and periodically traveled back to England were he was influenced by the Evangelical Revival occurring there during this time. He was inspired to help...

promised to send a teacher. The first Newfoundland School Society

Newfoundland School Society

teacher in Greenspond was a Mr. and Mrs. William King who left England and came to Greenspond in 1828. They opened the day school with 34 children, and the Sunday School with 54 children. In a 1829-1830 school report, it said the school in Greenspond was nearly completed and that the attendance was 56 children attending day school and 26 adults attending the night school. By 1831 there were 111 children in day school, 142 children in Sunday School, and 49 adults in night school. These numbers were unprecedented for a small community in Newfoundland during this period.

Mr. Benjamin Fleet succeeded Mr. and Mrs. King when he arrived in August 1832 and began school.

In 1839, Mr. Robert Dyer

Robert Dyer

Robert Dyer left the village of Heytesbury, in the county of Wiltshire, England to voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to serve as a Newfoundland School Society teacher in the fishing community of Greenspond, Newfoundland...

arrived from England and stayed for 20 years as the teacher in Greenspond. The Newfoundland School Society maintained a very successful elementary school in Greenspond. In 1844, for example, there was an average attendance of 103 children and by May 1847, 119 girls and 110 boys were recorded on the attendance, a total of 229 students. In 1850 Robert Dyer recorded in his diary that a visiting judge, Judge Des Barres, had claimed that the school in Greenspond was the "largest in the island". In 1852 Dyer recorded an attendance of 283, shortly after, Dyer made a request for an infant school, and in 1854 the number on the books for the infant school was 300. The Rev Vicars inspected the school on August 28, 1856 and found 109 infants under the care of a school mistress, Miss Oakley.

The Methodists opened a school in 1880 and a Salvation Army

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

school opened in 1900.

Economy

Greenspond's chief asset was its proximity to the inshore cod

Cod

Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...

fishing grounds. During the 19th century, fishermen not only exploited the local fishing grounds but also went further afield to find codfish, some as far as the coast of Labrador

Labrador

Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...

. By mid-century it had become a prominent supply centre and clearing for the Labrador fishery which led to the appointment of a collector of customs

Customs

Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...

by the colonial government in 1838.

The annual seal hunt

Seal hunting

Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...

was another asset in the Greenspond economy. The community's advantageous location, in the path of the northern ice floe, enabled land-based hunters using guns and nets to capture seals. By the early 19th century the seal hunt had become an important part of life at Greenspond. Historian Judge D.W. Prowse reported that in 1807 "from Bonavista

Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador

Bonavista is a town on the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Unlike many Newfoundland coastal settlements, Bonavista was built on an open plain, not in a steep cove, and thus had room to expand to its current area of 31.5 square...

and Greenspond 6 ships went to the ice with 64 men." He also reported that in the town of Greenspond itself 80 men took 17,000 seals in nets. In 1860, 18 vessels, each with a crew of about 20 men, prosecuting the seal hunt out of Greenspond. Because most of the crews and sealing captains were drawn from Greenspond and neighbouring communities, sealing ships would leave St. John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...

and Conception Bay

Conception Bay

Conception Bay is a Canadian bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland. The bay indents the Avalon Peninsula with the opening of the bay to the Atlantic Ocean at the northeast. It is bounded by Cape St. Francis in the south and Split Point near Bay de Verde in the north...

in the fall of the year and anchor in Greenspond Tickle until spring when the hunt would begin. There was great pride in the accomplishment of local sealing captains, such as Darius Blandford

Darius Blandford

Darius Blandford was a blacksmith, sealing captain and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Bonavista Bay in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1893 to 1904 as a Conservative....

who made the "quickest trip ever recorded" and Peter Carter who secured the heaviest load of seals in the history of the industry.

Its importance as a major trading and supply centre meant that Greenspond enjoyed a steady population growth

Population growth

Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....

of prosperous tradesmen and artisans: tinsmith

Tinsmith

A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...

s, blacksmith

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

s, cooper

Cooper (profession)

Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...

s, cobbler

Shoemaking

Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...

s, carpenter

Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

s and others. Merchant firms included Slade, Fryer, Brooking and Co., William Cox & Co., Ridley & Sons, E. Duder, W. Waterman, Philip Hutchins, Harvey & Co, James Ryan, and J&W Stewart. These companies were primarily engaged in the buying and selling of fish but also in supplying and outfitting for these fisheries. The fish-trading business houses were also general stores. Early in the 20th century, the Fisherman's Protective Union, which had a large branch in Greenspond, opened a Union Trading Store in the community and in 1910 Greenspond had the honour of hosting the Union's annual Convention.

Culture

**Demographics**
Population in 2001	383
Population change from 1996	-9.9%
Median age	39.7
Number of families	115
Number of married couples	100
Total number of dwellings	135
Protestant	100%
Land Area (km².)	2.85

Statistics Canada detail demographics follow link here

The early inhabitants of Greenspond hailed from the West of England

England

, mainly Dorset

Dorset

Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...

but also Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, Hampshire

Hampshire

Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

, and Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

. The names of these early settlers can still be found there today: Bishop, Blandford, Bragg, Burry, Burton, Butler, Carter, Chaytor, Crocker, Dominey, Dyke, Easton, Feltham, Granter, Green, Harding, Hawkins, Hoddinott, Hoskins, Hunt, Hutchins, Kean, Lovelace, Lush, Meadus, Mullett, Mullins, Oakley, Oldford, Osmond, Parsons, Pond, Rogers, Samson, Saunders, Smith, Stratton, Way, Wheeler, White, Wicks, Woodland, Wornell, Wright, and Young.

Gradually Greenspond acquired the services and facilities needed by a bustling commercial town. In 1848 there was a regular mail and passenger service, a fortnightly steamer

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

, and a weekly overland route between Greenspond and St. John's. To insure the safety of the steamer into Greenspond after nightfall, the government erected a lighthouse in 1873 on Puffin Island at the approach to Greenspond harbour. In winter when the steamers did not run, the trains transported the mails to Gambo and from there couriers - often Micmac - carried it overland to Greenspond. John Joe, perhaps the most notable Micmac courier travelled for many years with his dogs from Gambo to Greenspond. The laying of a submarine cable

Submarine communications cable

A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....

between Greenspond and the Newfoundland mainland in 1885 and the subsequent provision of a telegraph service greatly enhanced Greenspond's communication with the rest of Newfoundland and the outside world. The turn of the 20th century marked Greenspond's zenith with a population of almost 2000, a resident doctor, magistrate, policeman, customs officer, clergy, postmaster, teachers, and numerous business enterprises. It can be said that Greenspond's export of human resources equals or exceeds its export in cod, seals, salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

and the like.

Throughout the 20th century the fishery remained the major economic enterprise of the people of Greenspond: a bait depot was established in 1946, a fresh-fish processing plant was built in 1957 and a smokehouse

Smokehouse

A smokehouse is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.-History:...

was opened in the 1970s. In 1951 the town was incorporated, and with municipal government came water and sewer

Sanitary sewer

A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...

facilities, improved light and power services, improvements in local roads and, perhaps, the most important of all, the construction of a causeway connecting Greenspond Island with the Newfoundland mainland. In the 1990s Greenspond continues to thrive, a superb example of a Newfoundland coastal community which has survived and prospered for three hundred years despite the inherent fluctuations in a fishing economy.

The Orange Order

The Orange Order was formed in 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...

in 1795 to honour the defeat of James II of England

James II of England

James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...

by William of Orange

William III of England

William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

at the Battle of Boyne on July 12, 1690. The Orders origin spawned from distrust and conflict between Protestant and Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

groups in the province of Ulster in Northern Ireland during severe economic problems in the 18th century.

By the 20th century the Orange Order had become a worldwide movement, with over 5000 lodges worldwide, 1700 of them in Canada

Canada

alone.

The first members of the Orange Order in Greenspond joined in St. John's around 1870. Some of these men were, Charles Whitemarsh, Thomas Wornell, Edward Meadus, Sylvester Green, Job Granter, Ethelred Carter, William White, and Sr. James Burry. Around 1875 the Burnette Lodge number 28 was formed in Greenspond and had its first meetings in Fred White’s store.

The first Orange Hall in Greenspond was built in 1880, which was shared by Greenspond’s two lodges, Burnett and Glover. Glover Lodge number 33, named after the Newfoundland Governor of the time, Sir John Glover, was formed from a split among the Anglican and Methodist Burnett members.

Unfortunately the Hall was destroyed by fire in 1898, causing the two lodges to hold meetings elsewhere. The Burnett Lodge held meetings at the St. James Society of United Fishermen Hall and the Glover Lodge met at the Blandford Society of United Fishermen Hall. In 1900 the Glover Lodge bought John Oakley’s shop and made it into their Orange Hall, while the Burnett Lodge bought the old Court House.

The hall that burned down was eventually restored by the Orange Young Britons (LOYBA), who were very active in the 1880s. They named their lodge “No Surrender, number 29”, and their first master was George Burry of Greenspond. The LOYBA went dormant in the early 1920s until it reorganized in 1929. Another group, the Royal Black Preceptory, number 647, was formed in 1904 named “William Johnson RBP 647” and used the Glover Orange Hall. The first worshipful preceptor was a Mr. Edward Carter of Greenspond. This lodge went dormant in 1986.

A Greenspond resident, Kenneth Oakley began correspondence with Newfoundland’s

Newfoundland and Labrador

Prime Minister and Grand Master of the Loyal Orange Association, Sir Richard Squires, in 1914 to inquire about uniting the Burnett and Glover lodges in Greenspond. Oakley was the Worshipful Master of the Glover Lodge, and with over 150 members by 1914, the hall was no longer big enough to accommodate them.

Therefore, in 1920 the Glover Lodge completely renovated and enlarged their hall. Four years later, the two lodges, Burnett and Glover, amalgamated and under the new charter the united lodges became Greenspond Loyal Orange Lodge, number 205. In the 1970s the hall was renovated once more by free labour which included a new roof, windows, siding and interior work.

In Greenspond, Orangemen paraded around the New Year but the fishermen always paraded on Candlemas Day (February 2). The parades were attended by Anglicans and Methodists, and eventually by the Salvation Army

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

as well. They were usually large celebrations with a band and banners. The height of Orange activity in Greenspond occurred around the war years (1939–1945). Even when Orangeism was declining across the country Greenspond continued to thrive. In 1981, for example, Greenspond received a plaque for the most initiations in Newfoundland, presented to them by the Grand Master R.W. Bro. Renea Locke. Just three years later in 1984, however, the Lodge in Greenspond was inactive.

Puffin Island

PUFFIN ISLAND WIND TURBINE INSTALLATION
Geographical Location - Puffin Island
Generic term Tickle
Latitude 490342
Longitude 533306
Ecozone Boreal Shield
Drainage Region Newfoundland - Labrador

http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/LocationInfo_e.cfm?GeoID=2850&CEAR_ID=4314

Directories

Hutchinson's Directory

Allen, George - Planter

Barnes, John – Planter

Barnes, William - Planter

Batterton, Nicholas - cooper

Bemister, William – ship carpenter

Blandford, Darius – blacksmith

Brooking & Co. – Merchants

Caines, Joseph - Planter

Carter, William - Planter

Connolly, George – publican

Collins, Samuel, Sr. - Planter

Cox, William & Co. - merchants

Crocker, Aubrey G.S. - salesman

Curran, Michael - shipowner

Dyke, Richard - Planter

Evans, Samuel - merchant

Goulding, Jacob - Planter

Green, Edward - Planter

Harper, Charles - accountant

House, George - Planter

Howell, Richard – Planter (Cobler’s Island)

Humphries, Robert - cooper

Keane, Joseph – planter and shipowner (Flower’s Island)

Kelly, Thomas – Planter (Burnt Island Tickle)

Lockyer, John S. - accountant

Mackey, Thomas – Planter (shoal’s cove)

Mellindy, Thomas – Planter (Cape Island)

Milner, Rev William, J

Neville, John - storekeeper

Noonan, James, L. J.P - Merchant

Oakley, John T, J.P. – commissioner of wrecked property

Osmond, Joseph – shipwright (Indian Bay)

Parsons, Phillip – ship carpenter (Indian Bay)

Pickett, William, Sr. – Planter (Fair Island)

Pike, James – Planter (Flat Island)

Pitt, James - Storekeeper

Pond, George - Planter

Pritchett, John – Planter (freshwater bay)

Ralph, Stephen – Planter (Flat Island)

Samson, William – Planter (Flat Island)

Saunders, James - Planter

Saunders, Samuel - Planter

Skelton, George – physician

Sparks, James - carpenter

Stone, Benjamin - Planter

Stroud, Richard – Planter (Bloody Bay)

Sturge, John – Planter (Flower’s Island)

Tite, John – Planter (Deer Island)

Turner, Patrick – Planter (Hayward’s Cove)

Vater, Edmond – Planter (Shoal’s Cove)

Vincent, William – Planter (Cobbler’s Island)

Wheeler, Richard - sailmaker

White, Frederick - accountant

White, John - Planter

Whitmarsh, Ambrose - carpenter

Young, John - Planter

Young, William - Planter

Lovell's Directory describes Greenspond as an island on the north of Bonavista Bay with very barren land, soil for house gardens had to be brought from the mainland. A good fishing station and a large business is done there, the harbour is safe but small. During time of seal fishery great numbers of seals often wash up on shore. It is a post town and a port of entry; the population is 1073.

F=Fisherman, P=Planter

- Allen, George , sen – F

- Arnold, John – F

- Barrow, Benjamin – F

- Barrow, Edward – F

- Barrow, John – P

- Bishop, Richard - F

- Blackmore, Ebenezer - F

- Blandford, Darius - F

- Bridle, George - F

- Brockwey Eners - F

- Burgess, Thomas - F

- Burrage, Thomas - F

- Burrey, Benjamin - F

- Burrey, David - F

- Burrey, Giles - F

- Burrey, John - F

- Burrey, Joseph - P

- Burrey, Thomas - P

- Butler, George Jr - F

- Butler, George sen - F

- Carnes, Joseph - F

- Carroll, Patrick - F

- Cheatin, Mrs. Elizabeth , widow

- Coose, William - F

- Crocker, Aubrey G - Clerk

- Crocker, Joseph - F

- Crocker, Mrs. Mary, widow

- Curran, Michael

- Davidson, Robert - F

- Daw, Mrs. Margaret - widow

- Deney, James - F

- Deney, Joseph - F

- Deney, Thomas - F

- Dick, Richard - F

- Dowden, Alfred - F

- Dowden, George - F

- Easing, Abraham - F

- Easing, Richard - F

- Edgar, Benjamin - F

- Evans, Samuel - F

- Feltham, Benjamin - F

- Feltham, John - F

- Gange, George - F

- Gower, John - F

- Green, Mrs. Sarah - widow

- Gunter, Jacob - F

- Gunter, Nathaniel - F

- Gunter, Philip - F

- Gunter, Robert - F

- Gunter, Thomas - F

- Gunter, Thomas - P

- Harding, Benjamin -F

- Harding, Edward - F

- Harding, Joseph - F

- Harding, Joseph - F

- Harding, Samuel - F

- Harding, Susan

- Hawkins, William - F

- Hiscock, John - F

- Hoddinott, George - F

- Hookins, John - F

- Humphrey, George - Trader

- Humphrey, Robert - F

- Humphrey, Robert, jun - F

- Hunt, John - F

- Hunt, Thomas - F

- Hutchings, Samuel - F

- King, Nathaniel - F

- Lind, Henry - School Teacher

- Lockyer, John. S - Trader

- Loveless, William - F

- Lush, Henry - F

- Lush, Mrs. Mard - wid

- Lush, Thomas - F

- Lush, William

- Meadows, Edmond - F

- Meadows, Malachie - F

- Noonan, James L - MP

- Norman, Joseph - F

- Mullins, Mrs. Susan - wid

- Mullins, Thomas - F

- Oakley, J.T, sen - F

- Oakley, Robert, sen - F

- Oldford, James - F

- Osmond, Alfred - F

- Osmond, George - F

- Osmond, John - F

- Osmond, Joseph - F

- Osmond, Richard - F

- Osmond, Richard - F

- Parsons, Edward - F

- Parsons, George - F

- Parsons, George - F

- Parsons, James - F

- Parsons, Thomas - F

- Peckford, Thomas - F

- Pitt, James

- Pittman, James - F

- Pond, Jacob - F

- Pond, Mrs Elizabeth - wid

- Pond, William - F

- Rogers, Charles - F

- Samsbury, Silas - P

- Sargeant, Dennis

- Saunders, George - F

- Saunders, James, jun - F

- Saunders, James, sen - P

- Saunders, John - F

- Senett, Francis - F

- Skelton, George - F

- Sparks, William - F

- Squires, Thomas - F

- Stockley, William - F

- Stratton, George - F

- Stratton, James - F

- Stratton, Susan

- Stratton, William - F

- Walsh, Maurice - F

- Way, Nathaniel - F

- Whealon, George - F

- Whealon, Richard - F

- Whellon, John - F

- Whellon, Richard - F

- White, Edward - F

- White, Frederick - Trader

- White, George - F

- White, John, Jun - F

- White, John, sen - P

- White, Samuel - F

- White, Samuel - F

- White, Stephen - F

- White, William - F

- Whitemarsh, Charles -F

- Wicks, William - F

- Wicks, John - F

- Woodlace, Mrs. Isbelle - wid

- Wornall, Charles - F

- Wright, George - F

- Young, George - F

- Young, James - F

- Young, John - F

- Young, William - F

Census Information

1857 Census divided Greenspond into 3 sections, Greenspond Tickle, Ship Island, and Greenspond Harbour Main Island. In this chart, only the statistics for Greenspond Main Island is used.

1869 Census combined Greenspond and Pond Head.

	1836	1845	1857	1869	1874
population	751	1076	643	1073	1268
inhabited houses	126	135	92	158	190
families	-	-	112	181	220
Church of England	704	987	621	870	733
Roman Catholics	45	89	22	63	75
Wesleyan/Methodists	-	-	-	140	458
Congregationalists	-	-	-	-	2
attending school	50	-	291	60	48
can read/write	-	-	-	489	512
clergy	-	-	2	1	2
Doctor/Lawyer	-	-	1	1	1
Mechanics	-	-	14	-	-
merchants/traders	-	-	5	3	3
value of imports (pounds)	-	-	8,639	-	-
exports	-	-	23,996	-	-
people catching/curing fish	-	-	340	316	427
seamen/fishermen	-	-	96	3	142
total boats	60	70	39	52	46
boats built	-	-	4	-	-
sealing vessels	-	12	9	7	19
men on board	-	-	209	68	138
tonnage	-	846	580	269	719
nets/seines	-	36	80	112	197
sealing nets	-	430	150	87	131
cod fish cured (qtls)	-	-	3990	-	11218
salmon caught/cured (tres)	-	-	5	-	11 3/4
seals	-	-	8112	-	-
fishing rooms in use	-	-	22	25	32
stores/barns/outhouses	-	-	60	45	85
barrels of potatoes produced	1365 (busl)	398	257	1188	896
barrels of turnip	-	-	25	91	15
tons of hay	2.5	2	4	-	18 1/4
bushels of wheat/barley	-	-	1	-	-
cattle/cows	3	-	7	6	13
hogs	24	-	-	-	-
sheep	4	-	15	12	56
swine/goats	-	-	198	102	289

Census Information for Ship Island, an island just off of "main" Greenspond Island.

	1857	1869	1874
population	161	142	165
inhabited houses	16	20
families	25	22	24
can read/write	-	61	62
attending school	-	16	-
Church of England	154	125	145
Catholic	1	63	4
Wesleyan	-	10	9
Free Kirk	6	7	7
mechanics	1	-	-
merchants/traders	2	1	-
people catching/curing fish	120	37	69
seamen/fishermen	43	3	23
total boats	19	2	4
boats built	2	-	-
nets/seines	53	32	35
seal nets	68	49	28
vessels is seal fishery	3	7	4
men on board	102	52	33
tonnage	274	170	142
cod fish cured (qtls)	1940	-	2020
salmon caught (tres)	5	-	6
herring cured (bls)	40	-	-
seals caught	7075	-	-
fishing rooms in use	12	5	7
stores/barns/outhouses	14	14	16
barrels of potatoes produced	126	162	82
barrels of turnip produced	19	24	-
sheep	1	6	6
swine/goats	19	33	27

Attractions

Harding House Bed and Breakfast
Greenspond Trail
Harding House Heritage Newfoundland

External links

Greenspond Historical Society and Archives
Tourism Guide
Heritage Foundation, Greenspond Court House
The Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Harding House Bed and Breakfast
The Greenspond Courthouse
Sealing Captains in Greenspond
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cannf/bbnor.htm
http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/LocationInfo_e.cfm?GeoID=2850&CEAR_ID=4314

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.