Brig Bay

Brig Bay

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Location of Brig Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador

Brig Bay is a village in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Name

The name Brig Bay is very likely derived from the name "brig" [1]for a sailing ship. In his ship's log, Captain James Cook [2] referred to the small bay known today as Brig Bay as "Old Ferrole" when he mapped the North West Coast of Newfoundland in 1764 and 1765. The name "Ferrole" was most likely adopted by early Basque fishermen who chose a name from their mother country for this pleasant little bay. [3] The name "Brig" was adopted by the French who occupied the bay after Basque occupation and prior to English occupation. The bay provided a safe and well sheltered harbour for 2-3 ships the size of Brigs.

History and Economy

Jacques Cartier http://www.nndb.com/people/639/000094357/ mentions the hills behind Brig Bay in his log of 1534. He referred to the two dominant hills lying to the south west of the bay as the granges (barns in English). http://www.amazon.com/European-Discovery-America-Northern-D/dp/0195013778 Today these hills are known as "Doctor's Hills" .

Brig Bay was first mapped by Captain James Cook in September of 1764. You can find Cook's reference Old Ferrole when describing the terrain around the geographical co-ordinates for modern day Brig Bay. http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/jcr/newf1764sep

Cook's log indicates European fishermen were using the small bay at the time of his mapping. In his log he mentions "fishing stages" along the shoreline but does not specify whether they were owned and occupied by French or Basque fishermen. The fishermen were likely French though as a French owned lobster cannery was still operating at Brig Bay in the latter part of the 19th century. The cannery was last operated by Louis Gar(r)eau, a native of St. Malo, France. http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/NFLDHistory/FrenchOccupationandFrenchShoreofNewfoundland.htm Brig Bay was shared by the French and English/Newfoundland fishermen after the Treaty of Paris and until the turn of the 20th century.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783) Though the mother countries were frequently warring, their subjects were living together peacefully in Newfoundland. For instance many of the present population of Brig Bay are the progeny of an English/Newfoundland lady, Judith House of Daniel's Harbour and Pierre Samson of Dinan, France who met and married circa the 1880s. When Newfoundland fishermen arrived to displace the French they originated from the East coast of Newfoundland, some via the Bay of Islands (Wells) on the West coast. Surnames of some of the earlier settlers were Jackman, Wells, Sheppard, Allingham, Hoddinott, Spingle, Lawless, and Samson. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cannf/npstbn_1921cens_brigbay.htm Other families soon followed, including Cunard, and Payne, by 1945 the population had nearly doubled. http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1945/45-brig-bay-stb.shtml Etheridge, Rogers and Brown came later.

The fishery http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/19th_cod.html was the mainstay industry of Brig Bay until the logging industry ramped up in the late 1920s and both logging and fishing were the major sources of employment until the 1970s. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/loggers.html Another significant employer thru the 1950s/1960s-was a fishery co-operative, the Brig Bay CO-OP. The CO-OP acted an agent for seal skins and salted dried cod and also operated a general store. http://www.aminainc.org/fishery.html A trucking firm (Coastal Trucking) also employed several people from the 1960s- 1990s. This later became Hoddinott's Sales and Service.

Population

In the early part of the 20th century the population of Brig Bay averaged fewer than 50. Peak population occurred in the 1970s when the population reached nearly 250. The logging industry slowly died out and the Canadian Cod Moratorium put an end to the fishing industry in the early 90s. The European ban on seal skins put an end to that industry. Since the 1970s the population has slowly out- migrated to other destinations in Newfoundland and the mainland of Canada. Today the population is not much more than it was in the early 20th century.

Religion

The primary religion in Brig Bay is Anglican. There are a few people of Pentecostal and Catholic faith. The Anglican church, The Church of the Advent, in Plum Point is shared by the Anglican population in the vicinity.

Education

Brig Bay's first school was a one room schoolhouse, St. Matthews, built by Frederick Hoddinott, a fine carpenter and one of Brig Bay's earliest permanent residents. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rossbus&id=I16529 After the town outgrew the schoolhouse it was acquired by Frederick's grandson and moved to the south east side of the bay for use as a small movie theatre and replaced by a larger school that now serves as a community center. Fred was brother-in-law to Kenneth Sheppard, another early resident of Brig Bay. http://www.tidespoint.com/books/sheppards.shtml Teachers for St. Matthews were normally recruited from eastern Newfoundland and often married within the community and remained there. Some early teachers were Hatcher and Hounsell and later Warren, Rogers, Ludlow and Green.

Medical Services

Brig Bay has never had a hospital or a medical clinic. Medical services were provided by the Grenfell Mission headquartered in St. Anthony. http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/grenfellmission.html Before the 1970s, Grenfell nurses would routinely visit the community once or twice a year to provide a rudimentary medical service to the inhabitants. Well known nurses were Miss Ross and Miss Foukes, both British. They were highly trained and skilled and were greatly appreciated. Today medical services are available at clinics in Port Saunders or at Flowers Cove.

How To Get There

By Air: Fly to the airport at Deer Lake then take the Viking Trail (Hwy 430) North to Brig Bay. The route will take you through the beautiful Gros Morne National Park. Distance from Deer Lake is 282 km or 3 hours drive. Link to Deer Lake airport > [4]

Brig Bay natives who made a difference ( Military Service)

SAMSON, Thomas G, Able Seaman, C/JX 181421, MPK - Served in WW II with the Royal Navy. Died in action on the aircraft carrier "Avenger" on 15 Nov 1942. [5] His name can be found on the casualty list for the Avenger 15 Nov, 1942. [6]

HODDINOTT, Howard, Harvey, Flt Sgt, 1344173 - Served in WW II with the RCAF. Was shot down over Holland and survived two years as a POW. [7] POW list at this link: [8]

HODDINOTT, Gordon - Served in WWII with Royal Navy - [9] - need more info

HODDINOTT, Walter - Served in WW II with Royal Navy -[10] - need more info

SHEPPARD, Heber - Service number 181423 - Served in WW II with Royal Navy ( Newfoundland Navy) . [11]

SHEPPARD, Karl Oscar - Service #2971- He was a WWI I Veteran who served his country in the Forestry Division in Scotland. He enlisted on July 26, 1940 and was discharged December 18, 1945. [12]

Brig Bay natives who made a difference ( Education)

HODDINOTT, Howard,Harvey --After service in World War II became a teacher/educator in Edinburgh, Scotland/ HODDINOTT, Harvey --Career as teacher in Northern and Western Newfoundland/ HODDINOTT, Susan, (PhD) --Teacher/Educator, College of the North Atlantic, St. John's, NL/ SAMSON, Conrad --Spent career teaching High School in Brig Bay and area/ SAMSON, Ward --Career as teacher in Northern Newfoundland SAMSON,Kevin --Career as teacher in Northern Newfoundland CUNARD, Gervase --Career teaching in Northern Newfoundland/ CUNARD, Vivian -- Career as teacher in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia/

Brig Bay natives who made a difference (Medicine/Health)

SAMSON, Sheila -- Career as nurse in Flower's Cove medical clinic/ HODDINOTT, Daisy -- Career as nurse/ HODDINOTT, Shawnie(SP?) -- Careeer as nurse/

Brig Bay natives who made a difference (Business)

SAMSON, William -- One of the founders and long time manager of Brig Bay CO-OP/ HODDINOTT, Clyde & Amy -- Founders and owners of Sea Breeze, Coastal Trucking and Hoddinott's Sales and Service/ HODDINOTT, Clyde Jr. --Owner/Operator of Hoddinott's Sales and Service and NAPA Auto/ HODDINOTT, Ralph --One of the first chainsaw and snowmobile dealer's in Newfoundland

References

This is a work in progress. Necessary references will be added later. Much of the info included is primary source. Where references are required links have been made to external documents and will have to suffice for now. Knowledgeable and interested readers are welcome to make changes, improvements or references as you see fit. This is just the beginning. We need some nice pictures also. Thanks. WLH.

External Links

Jacques Cartier bio > http://www.nndb.com/people/639/000094357/ Reference book >http://www.amazon.com/European-Discovery-America-Northern-D/dp/0195013778 Electronic version of Log of Captain James Cook >http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/jcr/newf1764sep History French Shore of Newfoundland > http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/NFLDHistory/FrenchOccupationandFrenchShoreofNewfoundland.htm Brig Bay Ancestry > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cannf/npstbn_1921cens_brigbay.htm Brig Bay Ancestry > http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1945/45-brig-bay-stb.shtml NL Heritage Fishery > http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/19th_cod.html NL Heritage Logging > http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/loggers.html Ancestry Frederick Hoddinott fm Guppy family history > http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rossbus&id=I16529 Book The Sheppards are Coming > http://www.tidespoint.com/books/sheppards.shtml Newfoundland Heritage Grenfell Mission > http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/grenfellmission.html Deer Lake Airport > http://www.deerlakeairport.com/ History Royal Navy > http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-05CVE-Avenger.htm History Royal Navy > http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1942-11NOV2.htm Veterans Affairs Canada > http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=department/press/viewrelease&id=194 RAF POWs > http://www.rafcommands.com/Air%20Force%20PoWs/RAF%20POWs%20Query%20H_1.html Newfoundland/Royal Navy > http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/royal_navy.html Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Services WW II > http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/forestry_unit.html