Robert Dyer
Encyclopedia
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
. The Newfoundland School Society
was established by the English merchant, Samuel Codner
, who realized the need for educating the poor population of Newfoundland, and other poor colonies in British North America
as well. Dyer arrived for his first time in Newfoundland, in 1839 and began his career as a teacher. Dyer stayed in Greenspond for twenty years, earning the respect and admiration of all the inhabitants and anyone who met or worked with him. Dyer was also ordained a Church of England
Deacon in 1849; therefore, his work in Greenspond consisted of both teaching and ministerial duties. Dyer and his family later moved to Alberton, Prince Edward Island
, where he was a minister in a Church of England Parish.
, England
. In 1837, records show that Dyer was listed as a shoemaker in the village of Heytesbury
, just a few miles from Chitterne
, also in the county of Wiltshire. Robert Dyer's great grandfather, Simon Dyer Senior, had also been a shoemaker in Heytesbury. On August 3, 1837, Dyer sent a letter of recommendation from the Vicarage in Chitterne, signed by a Reverend J. Leach Povey to the Newfoundland School Society
wishing to serve as a teacher in Newfoundland.
(N.S.S.) and he entered into Westminster Central School for training in 1838. The Westminster Central School was set up to train teachers for England and Wales, but eventually contributed greatly to the training of teachers for other countries and colonies of Britain. The school was created for the elementary education of the 'humble poor'. The training was for masters and mistresses who wished to teach in schools that were created for children of the 'labouring classes'. Dyer encountered some difficulties during his training to become a teacher for educating the poor; however, by March 1839, after about four months, he had successfully completed his training as a N.S.S. teacher.
in 1839 to begin his twenty year career as N.S.S. school master in Greenspond, Bonavista Bay
, which he recorded almost daily in his diary. Dyer taught in a Church of England school system at a time when the Church, and not the state, played a central role in the development and delivery of the curriculum. Dyer worked in a single-room school that frequently accommodated more than 100 pupils of all ages and grade levels. Education was not free, most people had to pay subscriptions to the teacher for his salary and maintenance of the school. However, many families in Newfoundland during this period were poor and often could not pay. In these cases, the teachers salary was supplemented by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and aid also came from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Education in Newfoundland faced many obstacles, such as irregular attendance. Dyer notes a number of reasons for absenteeism in his diary – some older children worked in the fishery during the spring and summer, others moved inland with their families each winter to take part in the logging industry, and bad weather frequently kept students at home. Poverty was another major problem for families that could not afford school fees or adequate clothing for their children. The Newfoundland School Society and Robert Dyer, along with his wife Mrs. Elizabeth Dyer maintained a very successful elementary school in Greenspond for all boys and girls ranging in age from about 3 to 16. The children at Greenspond were usually advanced in their lessons and the school always had a large attendance. 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.
, in London
. Robert and Elizabeth had five children: William Bartlett Dyer (July 22, 1846), Henry Thomas Dyer (October 31, 1847), Joseph Lake Dyer (May 23, 1849), Louise Sarah Dyer (April 20, 1851, Louise died and was buried on June 28, 1852, at the age of 1 year and 2 months), and Isabella Dyer (August 8, 1852). William Dyer became a teacher in Prince Edward Island
, and later became a pharmacist; he moved back to England in 1909. Henry Dyer was a telegraph operator, Isabella married a John Charles Travers, and Joseph Dyer was a merchant in Prince Edward Island
. Joseph's daughter, Alice Maude, was a nurse but later became the first registered woman pharmacist in Prince Edward Island when she received her diploma in this field, in 1928.
; therefore, "missions
" were established, so that the clergyman in a community visited surrounding settlements regularly to hold services, baptisms, funerals, etc. The Greenspond Mission, which underwent several changes, generally included such settlements as Swain's Island, Pinchard's Island
, Lumsden
, Flowers Island
, among others. Dyer would visit these communities and inspect their schools, visit the sick, and read scriptures. Reading was extremely important during this time, as most people could not read, and if they did not have a resident clergyman, they depended on others to read and teach them the Bible. Therefore, Dyer had much experience with ministrial duties before being ordained. Finally, in 1849, the Church of England Bishop of Newfoundland, Edward Feild
, agreed to ordain Dyer. Dyer went to St. John's
in May, he began studying for his deacon's examinations upon his arrival, and passed all of the tests. Robert Dyer was admitted to the diaconate on May 3, 1849; and was ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Edward Field
.
where he was to serve until 1884. Rev. Dyer was responsible for establishing the second Church of England parish west of St. Eleanors. For nearly 26 years he ministered to the communities of Cascumpec (later Alberton
), Tignish, Kildare Capes and the surrounding areas. In the beginning his ministry took place in the homes of communicants, school houses and temperance halls but eventually churches were built in these locations culminating in the consecration of the original St. Peter's in Cascumpec in September 1869. Rev. Dyer resigned in 1886 and died shortly after, on February 4, 1887.
Heytesbury
Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
, in the county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
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...
to voyage across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to serve as a 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...
teacher in the fishing community of Greenspond
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...
, 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...
. 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...
was established by the English merchant, Samuel Codner
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...
, who realized the need for educating the poor population of Newfoundland, and other poor colonies in British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
as well. Dyer arrived for his first time in Newfoundland, in 1839 and began his career as a teacher. Dyer stayed in Greenspond for twenty years, earning the respect and admiration of all the inhabitants and anyone who met or worked with him. Dyer was also ordained a 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...
Deacon in 1849; therefore, his work in Greenspond consisted of both teaching and ministerial duties. Dyer and his family later moved to Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton is a Canadian town located in the western part of Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is situated in the township of Lot 5....
, where he was a minister in a Church of England Parish.
Early life
Robert Dyer was born on March 6, 1808 to Thomas and Sarah (Smith) Dyer, who lived in the county of WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
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...
. In 1837, records show that Dyer was listed as a shoemaker in the village of Heytesbury
Heytesbury
Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England, in the Wylye Valley, about three miles south of Warminster.-History:...
, just a few miles from Chitterne
Chitterne
Chitterne is a village and parish in the County of Wiltshire, in the south west of England. The village lies in the middle of Salisbury Plain, to the south of the abandoned village of Imber...
, also in the county of Wiltshire. Robert Dyer's great grandfather, Simon Dyer Senior, had also been a shoemaker in Heytesbury. On August 3, 1837, Dyer sent a letter of recommendation from the Vicarage in Chitterne, signed by a Reverend J. Leach Povey to 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...
wishing to serve as a teacher in Newfoundland.
Training
Dyer's application was accepted by the Newfoundland School SocietyNewfoundland 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...
(N.S.S.) and he entered into Westminster Central School for training in 1838. The Westminster Central School was set up to train teachers for England and Wales, but eventually contributed greatly to the training of teachers for other countries and colonies of Britain. The school was created for the elementary education of the 'humble poor'. The training was for masters and mistresses who wished to teach in schools that were created for children of the 'labouring classes'. Dyer encountered some difficulties during his training to become a teacher for educating the poor; however, by March 1839, after about four months, he had successfully completed his training as a N.S.S. teacher.
Greenspond
Robert Dyer arrived in NewfoundlandNewfoundland 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...
in 1839 to begin his twenty year career as N.S.S. school master in Greenspond, 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....
, which he recorded almost daily in his diary. Dyer taught in a Church of England school system at a time when the Church, and not the state, played a central role in the development and delivery of the curriculum. Dyer worked in a single-room school that frequently accommodated more than 100 pupils of all ages and grade levels. Education was not free, most people had to pay subscriptions to the teacher for his salary and maintenance of the school. However, many families in Newfoundland during this period were poor and often could not pay. In these cases, the teachers salary was supplemented by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and aid also came from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Education in Newfoundland faced many obstacles, such as irregular attendance. Dyer notes a number of reasons for absenteeism in his diary – some older children worked in the fishery during the spring and summer, others moved inland with their families each winter to take part in the logging industry, and bad weather frequently kept students at home. Poverty was another major problem for families that could not afford school fees or adequate clothing for their children. The Newfoundland School Society and Robert Dyer, along with his wife Mrs. Elizabeth Dyer maintained a very successful elementary school in Greenspond for all boys and girls ranging in age from about 3 to 16. The children at Greenspond were usually advanced in their lessons and the school always had a large attendance. 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.
Family
Robert Dyer left Greenspond briefly in 1845 to be married in England. Dyer married Elizabeth Bartlett, daughter of Josiah and Sarah Ann (Hughes) Bartlett, on April 15, 1845, at St. Andrew-by-the-WardrobeSt. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is a Church of England church located on Queen Victoria Street, London in the City of London, near Blackfriars station.-History:...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Robert and Elizabeth had five children: William Bartlett Dyer (July 22, 1846), Henry Thomas Dyer (October 31, 1847), Joseph Lake Dyer (May 23, 1849), Louise Sarah Dyer (April 20, 1851, Louise died and was buried on June 28, 1852, at the age of 1 year and 2 months), and Isabella Dyer (August 8, 1852). William Dyer became a teacher in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, and later became a pharmacist; he moved back to England in 1909. Henry Dyer was a telegraph operator, Isabella married a John Charles Travers, and Joseph Dyer was a merchant in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Joseph's daughter, Alice Maude, was a nurse but later became the first registered woman pharmacist in Prince Edward Island when she received her diploma in this field, in 1928.
Ordination
Robert Dyer's duties extended far beyond the classroom in Greenspond. He often visited surrounding communities either alone, or with the resident clergyman, who, during Dyer's stay, was Rev. James Gilchrist and later, Rev. Julian Moreton. During this period, there was a severe shortage of clergymen in NewfoundlandNewfoundland 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...
; therefore, "missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
" were established, so that the clergyman in a community visited surrounding settlements regularly to hold services, baptisms, funerals, etc. The Greenspond Mission, which underwent several changes, generally included such settlements as Swain's Island, Pinchard's Island
Pinchard's Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Pinchard's Island 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...
, Lumsden
Lumsden, Newfoundland and Labrador
The community of Lumsden, formerly known as Cat Harbour, is located on the Straight Shore of Newfoundland and Labrador near communities such as Musgrave Harbour and Newtown. Lumsden was formerly made up of two settlements, Lumsden North on the tip of a sandy peninsula and Lumsden South on the main...
, Flowers Island
Flowers Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Flower’s Island 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...
, among others. Dyer would visit these communities and inspect their schools, visit the sick, and read scriptures. Reading was extremely important during this time, as most people could not read, and if they did not have a resident clergyman, they depended on others to read and teach them the Bible. Therefore, Dyer had much experience with ministrial duties before being ordained. Finally, in 1849, the Church of England Bishop of Newfoundland, Edward Feild
Edward Feild
Bishop Edward Feild was a university tutor, university examiner, Anglican clergyman, inspector of schools and second Bishop of Newfoundland, born Worcester, England...
, agreed to ordain Dyer. Dyer went 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...
in May, he began studying for his deacon's examinations upon his arrival, and passed all of the tests. Robert Dyer was admitted to the diaconate on May 3, 1849; and was ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Edward Field
Edward Field
-Biography:Field was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York, where he played cello in the Field Family Trio, which had a weekly radio program on WGBB Freeport...
.
Prince Edward Island
A letter from the Rev. R. W. Dyer, dated Greenspond, Newfoundland, 2 Nov. 1852, reported on the progress of his work at Greenspond but also expressed his desire to be removed to another colony in which the Bishop is friendly and where he may have more full exercise of his ministry. Therefore, in the spring of 1859 Robert Dyer and his family left Greenspond and on July 7, 1859, they sailed for Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
where he was to serve until 1884. Rev. Dyer was responsible for establishing the second Church of England parish west of St. Eleanors. For nearly 26 years he ministered to the communities of Cascumpec (later Alberton
Alberton, Prince Edward Island
Alberton is a Canadian town located in the western part of Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is situated in the township of Lot 5....
), Tignish, Kildare Capes and the surrounding areas. In the beginning his ministry took place in the homes of communicants, school houses and temperance halls but eventually churches were built in these locations culminating in the consecration of the original St. Peter's in Cascumpec in September 1869. Rev. Dyer resigned in 1886 and died shortly after, on February 4, 1887.
See also
- GreenspondGreenspond, Newfoundland and LabradorGreenspond 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...
- Naboth WinsorNaboth WinsorNaboth Winsor was born to Robert Stewart Winsor and Jane Winsor, on Winsor's Island, one of the islands comprising Swain's Island, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland. Winsor and his family moved to nearby Wesleyville when he was four years old. Winsor received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, the Degree of...
- Newfoundland School SocietyNewfoundland School SocietyThe 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...