I just want to say thanks to the gentleman who sent me the cd's on Carpenter family
genealogy. I forget your first name, but thanks a million just the same! I have a copy
of a web page here from the town of Bonavista Newfoundland web site that contains some
family names and the year they came over and where from. You will notice
a John Carpenter that came over from Devon England in the late 1700's.
Bonavista is truly The Town that Made History.
This landmark community was the first point of contact between the New and Old World, and
a crucial landmark in the exploration of a new continent.
In a world of primitive navigation techniques, where even the experts sailed in a straight
line and prayed they would make it safely, seeing Cape Bonavista was the difference
between life and death. Bonavista is one of the earliest fishing stations and settlements
on Newfoundland island.
Its rich fishing grounds positioned us as a fishing nation.
The spirit and perseverance of those who settled here continues to make the community of
Bonavista a fiercely independent one.
Bruce Whiffen writes: "unlike many of the coves and harbours dotting the ragged
coastline of this island, Bonavista knows no shelter."
It makes us who we are, where we are, when we are.
It is the mystique of power and the power of discovery.
In this era of uncertainty about the future of the resource that fuelled Bonavista, the
town finds itself riding out yet another social and economic gale.
It is unlikely that Bonavista will sink or blow away. Its ancestors were men and women in
search of a New World. Survival was the word on everybody's lips. And it still is.
The flakes are quiet now, moved only by the wind.
The wind is still here, the water is still here. The history is still here.
The people are still here.
A Rich History
In 15th century Europe there was an increasing consciousness of the Atlantic as an ocean
containing valuable undiscovered islands. Giovanni Caboto, the freelance Venetian
explorer, was contracted by England's Henry VII to find new lands, and that
“inevitable” route to the Orient. Caboto set sail in his ship the Matthew. When Cabot
first saw land at Cape Bonavista, he’s reputed to have said (probably yelled... the
Atlantic Ocean was as wide, mysterious and frightening to the 15th century explorer as
deep outer space is to us today) “Oh, Happy Sight!” which in his native Italian would’ve
been “O Buono Vista!”
The harbour is anything but ideal, but even without an enviable anchorage, Bonavista
became one of the most important towns in Newfoundland. The primary reason: close access
to the rich fishing and sealing grounds to the north of the peninsula. The Spanish,
Portuguese, French and English fished off Cape Bonavista during the 1500s.
The cape was a most important navigational point on the island for early explorers and
fishermen.
The story of Bonavista can be a pivotal chapter in the story of settlement in
Newfoundland. By seeing Bonavista develop, we get a greater appreciation of the province.
Bonavista was home to powerful and influential merchants, skippers and clergy. They have
left a legacy, a legacy which is ours to visit, photograph and sometimes even touch.
We must remember it wasn’t in the best financial interest of any European power to settle
Newfoundland. The riches weren’t on land, they were in the water. Sparing the expense of
establishing communities on land allowed the governments of the day to benefit from the
exploitation of the plentiful codfish. The famous explorer/cartographer Capt. James Cook,
who made Bonavista his headquarters while mapping the coast in 1763, notes the area was
settled on or before 1660. In 1677, Bonavista was the second largest town on the island,
with 18 houses. St. John's had forty-five.
Through the 1700s and the 1800s, Bonavista continued to maintain a position of
significance. Portugal, France and Spain were leaders in the international fishery,
visiting Newfoundland on a regular basis. Bonavista was the centre of the northern fishery
and was even attacked several times by the French. For a century it was the most northern
community in Newfoundland.
The town grew, and it grew quickly.
Unlike many early settlements, Bonavista is built on an open plain, not in a steep cove.
Streets crss-cross and intersect, join and rejoin.
Light industry developed to support the community: coopers built and repaired barrels,
while cooblers built and repaired footwear. Tinsmiths and blacksmiths forged all manner of
items, including lamps, grapnels and horseshoes.
Bonavista’s rule was further entrenched by the development of the Fishermen’s Protective
Union in the early 1900s, and the creation of Port Union nearby. During the peak years of
1891-1901, the Bonavista Peninsula's population of about 20,000 was centred in
Bonavista. The Bonavista Cold Storage Co. fish plant, now a Fishery Products International
operation, became the center of fishery production after the decline of salt fish markets.
As you tour Bonavista, you’ll see some of the most important historic landmarks in
Newfoundland, meet some of the most fascinating characters in the island’s history, and
gain a true appreciation of who we are as a people, not only in Bonavista, but throughout
the eastern portion of Newfoundland.
Important Dates in History
June 24, 1497
John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) in the ship Matthew made land at Cape Bonavista, thus
discovering North America.
August 18, 1704
Captain Michael Gill, a New England trader, successfully defended Bonavista against an
attack of a superior, combined force of French and Indians.
1705
Bonavista residents, learning of an impending attack of French forces, fortified
themselves at Green Island near Cape Bonavista under the leadership of George Skiffington,
a Quaker. Rather than face the prospect of an armed confrontation, Skiffington negotiated
with the attackers, arranged a ransom payment, and the French withdrew, never to return.
1720
First Church of England built during the incumbency of Rev. Henry Jones.
1722
First school in Newfoundland built by Rev. Henry Jones.
1812
First Methodist Chapel built.
1842
Roman Catholic Chapel built.
1843
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse first lit.
1875
Fishermen's Hall (S.U.F.) built.
1907
Second Orange Hall (L.O.A.) erected. (1st structure later became Thornlea Hotel)
1911
First train arrived.
1928
Bonavista war memorial unveiled, July 1st.
1940
Bonavista cottage hospital officially opened, July 1st.
1942
First codfish filleted at the Bonavista Cold Storage Co.
1952
First Town Council elected. (This council was abolished the following year, fulfilling a
promise made by then Premier Joseph R. Smallwood during the 1953 Federal Election, to look
into alleged ‘irregularities' surrounding its formation)
1964
Town of Bonavista reincorporated, November 24.
1965
First council following reincorporation elected, March 20.
1966
- Cabot Stadium opened in January
- Fire Brigade organized, first fire apparatus, a 625 G.P.M. triple combination pumper,
placed in service.
1978
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, after undergoing extensive renovations and restoration,
officially opened as a Provincial Historic Site by the Honourable James Morgan, Minister
of Tourism, August 9.
June 24, 1997
- Bonavista and the rest of the world celebrate John Cabot's 500th anniversary.
- Parks Canada officially opened the Ryan Premises, comemmorating the fishery of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
June 24, 1998
Bonavista launches its own Matthew ship replica.
Family Names and Their Area of Origin:
ABBOTT: England, Ireland (Devon, Dorset); Richard, 1765
ALEXANDER: Scotland; William (a merchant) 1817; the owner of Alexander House
AYLES: England (Hampshire, Dorset), James, 1804
BAILEY: England (Hampshire); Richard, planter of Bonavista, 1821
BAKER: England (Devon); William, 1789
BRADLEY: England; Richard, 1787
BROWN: England; J.P. of Bonavista, 1791
BRUSHETT: England; George, 1792
BUTLER: England; (Devon), John, 1805
CARPENTER: England; (Devon); John, 1797
CHAULK: England; (Devon); John, 1797
CREWE: England; Thomas, 1675
DURDLE: England; (Devon); Thomas, 1796
DYKE: England; Richard, 1791
ETSELL: Scotland; William, 1792
FIFIELD: England; James, 1800
FISHER: England; John, 1792
FITZGERALD: Ireland; Elizabeth, 1803
FLEMING: Ireland; Patrick, 1815
FORD: England; Gerald, 1790
GOSLING: England; Edward, 1792
GROVES: England; Henry, 1793
HAYLEY: England; John, 1792
HAYWARD: England; William, 1792
HICKS: England; William, 1786
HOBBS: England; Robert, 1792
KEATS: England; Robert, 1794
KEEL: England; Moses, 1787
LANDER: England; John, Planter of Bonavista, 1790
LINTHORNE: England; Thomas, 1720
LITTLE: England; Giles, 1791
MIFFLIN: England; Samson (merchant), 1791
O'CONNELL: Ireland; Jeremiah, 1815
PARDY: England; William, 1786
PAUL: Scotland; William, 1786
PHILLIPS: England; Tim, 1791
POWELL: England; Richard, 1787
POWER: England; Nickles, 1790
ROLLS: England; John, 1784
RUSSELL: England; Thomas, 1799
RYAN: Ireland; Margaret, 1774
RYDER: England; Richard, 1787
SAINT: England; Charles, 1794; James (merchant); Jabez (merchant)
SHIRRAN: England; Samuel, Richard and Stephen in 1792
SHORT: England; Isaac, 1790
SKIFFINGTON:England; George, a Quaker in 1705
SQUIRES: England; Simon, 1798
STAGG: England; Edward, 1792
STRATHIE: Scotland; Alexander, (he is supposed to have built the Bridge House), 1821
TAYLOR: England; William, 1786
TEMPLEMAN: England; James, 1803
TILLEY: England; William, 1675
TREMBLETT: England; Joshua, 1819
WAY: England; Philip and William, 1792
WHITE: England; Edward and George, 1792
Research from:
Prime Berth, Bruce Whiffen, Harry Cuff Publications 1993
Bonavista Museum Archives
History of Newfoundland and Labrador, F. Rowe
Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
Bonavista Memorial Library Archives
Ten Historic Towns: Heritage Architecture in Newfoundland, Newfoundland Historic Trust
The Town That Made History, Historic Map, Natural Media 1996
© 1998-2002 Town of Bonavista, Newfoundland
Designed & Maintained by Geoff J. Taylor
Last Updated: 06/25/2003 21:27:33
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