Brigus South, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Brigus South is a small fishing community on the Avalon Peninsula
in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
, Canada
.
word brega of South west France because both Brigus
and Brigus South are located in areas of French interest which contain other French names.
In the 1960s the name was changed to Hillsdale to distinguish it from Brigus, Conception Bay
. Locals refused to acknowledge the new name and it was officially changed back 6 or 7 years later.
As the names and dates of various early maps suggest, Brigus South was known by French and Portuguese
mariners in the 16th and 17th centuries. The first census of Brigus, then called Bercekus was taken in 1677, listing Richard Koane, John Kent and Nicholas Koane as residents. These families lodged in 3 separate dwellings, had 6 servants lodging with them as well as 43 fishing servants who were employed in the settlement. Bercekus had five stages, seven boats, 4 store houses and the largest number of horses (4) of any settlement from Renooze (Renews) to St. John’s
and constituted fully one third of all the horses in Newfoundland at the time.
It has been conjectured that the earliest settlers of the Community came to Brigus via the earlier settlements of Ferryland
and Cape Broyle (1628–1630) and that there was a permanent settlement in 1700. In 1697 the Abbe Baudior listed 15 soldiers and 3 inhabitants (Richard Coome, John Kent and Nicholas Coome) and in 1705 the Community had 6 families. A cemetery was established and the first person buried there is a child of Jacob Doyle in 1798.
A ship called the Hammer
went ashore in Timber Cove (date unknown) with the loss of 18 men. All are buried in Brigus Cemetery. The Population reached an all time high in 1894 with 140 residents.
A prominent man from Brigus, Thomas Battcock sat in the Newfoundland House of Assembly, from 1870 to 1873 having been elected as part of Charles Fox Bennett's anti-confederation government.
The first School was established in Brigus in 1848 but closed in 1884 due to the state of the building. The salary for the teacher was used to improve the quality of the lodgings. In 1885, the school reopened in a house rented by the School Board, it was purchased in 1859. A Miss Doyle was the teacher at that time. In 1870, a Miss Grace, tutor for the Cashin family of Cape Broyle taught school there. She was retired in 1904 due to her advancing years and given a pension. Mary Battcock taught from 1911 -1916 when Margaret Gregory took over to teach the sixteen students of all grades. The last teacher was Mrs. Annie Hayes 1937 -1967 when the school closed and the children were bussed to school in Cape Broyle.
A Chapel was erected in the Community under the direction of Father Michael Kennedy (date unknown).
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
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...
.
History
An ancient fishing settlement situated between Witless Bay and Cape Broyle in a small cove. The earliest record (1636) on a map naming it Abra de Brigas , which translates as the harbour or harbour of turmoil and tides. The name stems from the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word brega of South west France because both Brigus
Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
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....
and Brigus South are located in areas of French interest which contain other French names.
In the 1960s the name was changed to Hillsdale to distinguish it from Brigus, 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...
. Locals refused to acknowledge the new name and it was officially changed back 6 or 7 years later.
As the names and dates of various early maps suggest, Brigus South was known by French and Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
mariners in the 16th and 17th centuries. The first census of Brigus, then called Bercekus was taken in 1677, listing Richard Koane, John Kent and Nicholas Koane as residents. These families lodged in 3 separate dwellings, had 6 servants lodging with them as well as 43 fishing servants who were employed in the settlement. Bercekus had five stages, seven boats, 4 store houses and the largest number of horses (4) of any settlement from Renooze (Renews) to 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 constituted fully one third of all the horses in Newfoundland at the time.
It has been conjectured that the earliest settlers of the Community came to Brigus via the earlier settlements of Ferryland
Ferryland
Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Avalon Peninsula. According to the 2006 Statistics Canada census, its population is 529. Addresses in Ferryland use the alphanumerically lowest postal codes in Canada, starting with A0A....
and Cape Broyle (1628–1630) and that there was a permanent settlement in 1700. In 1697 the Abbe Baudior listed 15 soldiers and 3 inhabitants (Richard Coome, John Kent and Nicholas Coome) and in 1705 the Community had 6 families. A cemetery was established and the first person buried there is a child of Jacob Doyle in 1798.
A ship called the Hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
went ashore in Timber Cove (date unknown) with the loss of 18 men. All are buried in Brigus Cemetery. The Population reached an all time high in 1894 with 140 residents.
A prominent man from Brigus, Thomas Battcock sat in the Newfoundland House of Assembly, from 1870 to 1873 having been elected as part of Charles Fox Bennett's anti-confederation government.
The first School was established in Brigus in 1848 but closed in 1884 due to the state of the building. The salary for the teacher was used to improve the quality of the lodgings. In 1885, the school reopened in a house rented by the School Board, it was purchased in 1859. A Miss Doyle was the teacher at that time. In 1870, a Miss Grace, tutor for the Cashin family of Cape Broyle taught school there. She was retired in 1904 due to her advancing years and given a pension. Mary Battcock taught from 1911 -1916 when Margaret Gregory took over to teach the sixteen students of all grades. The last teacher was Mrs. Annie Hayes 1937 -1967 when the school closed and the children were bussed to school in Cape Broyle.
A Chapel was erected in the Community under the direction of Father Michael Kennedy (date unknown).