Little Bay historical figures

If you're following the Facebook fan page you've likely already seen this, I'm just putting the list here as well so that it's easier for people to find online. It's a list of 19th century Little Bay residents that I’d like to find photographs of or more information on. I’m just sharing some of what I've got and hoping that families with other sources will share too.

Baron Franz von Ellershausen - He was German and came to Newfoundland in 1878 from Nova Scotia where he had a whole town named after him. He died in Berlin in 1914.

Adolf Guzman - He was also German and worked with Ellershausen. They had a patten together. He also came to Newfoundland from Nova Scotia and he was eventually murdered in Arizona

E. Clement Wallace - He was the manager of the mining company from 1882 until 1885.

Andrew White - He may have been the same person as Alex Whyte. He was the manager of the mine until 1892 when his son-in-law George Thompson took over the position.

John Bennet Blandford (1813-1908) - He was the town’s magistrate from 1879 until 1906. His wife was Fanny Colbourne. One of their daughters married Dr. Stafford. He greeted many esteemed visitors to the town.

Edward R. Burgess - He arrived in Little Bay in 1882 and worked as a teacher. He became the president of the Little Bay Reading Room and was elected to represent the district in 1899. Afterward he lived in St. John’s and, I believe, was connected to “the crosby hotel” and spent time traveling Labrador with Dr. Grenfell.

Johnathan J. Benson - He was the merchant for the provisional store from 1878 until 1903. His wife’s name was Sarah Jane and his son Arthur Benson became a popular master mariner. The family lived on Otter Island.

John Lamb - He was in town from at least 1883 until 1888. He ran the “skittle-alley” and was responsible for introducing cricket to the community.

Daniel “Little Dan” Courtney - He was the proprietor of the distinguished Little Bay Hotel which saw many famous guests. He died in Little Bay in 1887 and is buried in the old RC cemetery.

Reverend Stephen O’Flynn - The first RC priest for Little Bay. He arrived in 1878 and oversaw Her Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on the hill above the Bight until his death in 1899.

Reverend Henry Abraham - He headed the Methodist church in town from 1886 until at least 1889. His wife was Julia Burpee Milligan. They hosted the Canadian politician John MacDonald during his stay in Little Bay.

Dr. Frederick Stafford - He was the town’s first surgeon as chosen by the Baron in 1878. He was born in Montreal in 1856. He married the magistrate’s daughter Eliza Blandford and they were the parents of Bennett Blandford Stafford - a popular figure in Newfoundland for running a chain of drug stores.

Dr. Louis E. Joseph - This one is a bit of a stretch as both him and his wife Alice Duder died young from TB and, I believe, without children. But the contents of their estate in Little Bay, called “Moi Mur” must have gone somewhere. He was born in Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) and died in Little Bay in 1893 and is buried in the UC cemetery in the Bight along with his young wife.

Michael and Mary McLean - The infamous town bootleggers. They were well documented for their booze-fuelled show-downs with Sergeant Wells and his constables. They were the parents of Ann McLean who, likely, married police Constable John Nowlan.

Ernest Frederick Berteau. His wife’s name was Minnie and she died in 1886. He worked as the collector of customs duties before becoming the cashier of the long-sought Little Bay’s Savings Bank. He made himself wealthy on import and was suspected of overcharging in a scam with Thomas Walsh. He played on the cricket team (The Little Bay Pioneers), was a member of the rifle club, and sang publicly at the Little Bay Public Hall. He led the Little Bay brass band which performed at the Little Bay Hotel for honoured guests such as foreign admirals and government officials. He was selected to read the welcome to Governor Blake during his visit to town.

Thomas Cain. The drunken proprietor of Cain’s Taylor Shop was rough with his wife. He had an assortment of guns. Arrested several times, he was overseen by the police in his home while taken with the delirium tremors and the police found a few surprises hidden around the home.

William Costigan. A merchant and possibly also a captain, he was a frequent visitor of the Knight’s Home hotel in St. John’s. A practicing Catholic he was selected as a representative by the parish priest for a mixed denomination committee involved in organizing celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee.

Captain John Delaney. A fisherman and member of the Little Bay road board, he had a reputation for his physical strength and sturdy demeanour. Seeing the wood he’d chopped was said to look like the work of a giant and he sang loudly while he worked. You could hear his boisterous song over quite a distance from the woods.

Jacob P. Diem. He was the mine cashier and a member of the Church of England, yet was appointed as a trustee of the Presbyterian church after they left town. His wife (possibly named Mary Ann) died in 1888 and her funeral was attended by a big crowd with the event covered in the newspaper.

William Foley. A member of the road board and a volunteer with events involving the Catholic church. His wife Mary Ann also volunteered with church bake sales. They had a son named William in 1888.

Captain Giles Charles Foote (1832-1915). He was the cashkeeper for the mining company shop, a member of the road board, and the rifle club. He, along with Captain Stewart discovered the Ming’s Bight deposit. Members of the Church of England, his wife Sophia was president of the Fancy Fair. Their children are Emily Mary (who marries a McKay), William, and Sophia (who died in 1888 at the age of 16).

Joseph Bigney Huestis. He was married to Katherine (Kate) McNutt and their children were named Ann Maud, Florence Alice, Borden McNeil, and John Lamb. Some of this family emigrated to Massachusetts. He worked as a labourer and lumberer and Huestis road which ran from Harry’s Harbour to Little Bay may have been named for him. He was involved in a legal dispute with E. R. Burgess and declared insolvency to avoid the debt. I believe this created a situation where he needed to save public face and motivated him to speak up at a Temperance movement meeting. He wasn’t used to public speaking but was well received when he said he’d stop selling beer despite still possessing a license to do so. This likely gave a lot of traction to the Total Abstinence shift in the local movement. It wasn’t his last time public speaking at Temperance events either.

Angus MacNeil. He was an active member of Little Bay’s Masonic Lodge and worked as an engineer. He was married to Asenath Hopkins and their children were Mary Francis (born 1885) and William (born 1887).

Phillip McVicar. A mine captain, he was sent to oversee 50 men at the silver cliff mine in Placentia but unliked by the Baron he ended up in a legal dispute with the mining company.

Joseph H. Taverner. Had a daughter named Elisie Lousia in 1886 with his wife Mary Elizabeth. He was a planter but failing to meet his debts was declared insolvent in 1885. His is a rags to riches tale though and in 1888 he noticed the increasing tourism to Little Bay and hatched a plan. He obtained a good English engine and fitted it up with great skill in order to start his own business doing boat tours around the bay. The venture was a hit and his pleasure cruises were sought after and much enjoyed.

George L. Thompson. Employed first as a shopman at the mining company store and later as a mineral analyst, he was known for his scientific mind. He could find problems in the mining machines and improved their efficiency. This led him to the position of superintendent of the smelting works and it was said he brought perfection to the job - people were not shy about pointing out his superiority over his predecessors either. He was side-by-side with Captain Whyte when they gave Governor Blake a tour of the town. George ended up marrying Captain Whyte’s daughter Amelia and their wedding was covered by the news, they were given a fancy clock as a gift. Amelia was a volunteer for Catholic church functions and stayed at the Knight’s Home Hotel in St. John’s when travelling with Mrs. Courtney. George was also publicly active as a member of the rifle club, brass band, and the Little Bay drama club with which he would act in plays at the Public Hall. They had a son named Joseph born in 1888.

Richard D. Walsh. He was the Little Bay postmaster and a bit of a mixed character. An undercover journalist in the town reported something of a suspected conspiracy involving Richard and the mining company in which the companies PR was protected by controlling how fast certain people’s letters got out. Richard wasn’t generally liked, he was said to be rude and short with people and was even charged with assault and battery against Jacob Diem while conducting business at the Post Office. However, he was also heavily involved in fire relief with Rev. Stephen O’Flynn multiple times - speaking at meetings, writing letters, and collecting donations for relief victims. He was also a member of the Little Bay rifle club.