- Wadham Islands
The Wadham Islands are a group of islands at the eastern opening to Hamilton Sound, southeast of Fogo Island off Newfoundland in the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador . The islands are: Offer Wadham Islands (the most northernly and easternly), Copper Island, Duck Island, White Island, Peckford Island (the largest), Coleman Island, Small Island. [ Roland Abbott, "A Brief History of the Offer Wadham Island: the Million Dollar Rock", 1994]History
The Wadham Islands were extremely popular fishing grounds since the early 1800s and were first used by crews out of Bonavista. Mostly the Offer Wadhams and Peckford islands were used, as they had ideal drying conditions and some of the best salt cod in the country. Many families who fished off these islands decided to settle in nearby Doting Cove and fish off the Wadham Islands in the summer. Such families were the Cuffs, Hickses, and Moulands in the 1850s. For more than 100 years Doting Cove men moved to the Wadham Islands in the summer to fish. In 1858 a lighthouse was erected on the Offer Wadham islands, the first lighthouse on the northern part of Bonavista Bay. After the lighthouse was constructed on the island there was a small year-round population of lightkeepers and their families. In 1899 there were post offices established at Peckford's Island and Offer Wadhams. They also had schools, a Methodist church, and mercantile premises."
Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador "]Church History
A
Methodist church was erected on the Wadham Islands in the late 1800s. The residents had to collect money in order to buy a Bible for the church. An inscription on the Bible reads: "Wadham Island Methodist Church July 1899. Bought by subscription collected by Mrs. Charles H. Prowse."Church services were held nearly every Sunday in the summer and were conducted by residents on the island. A list of layreaders and appointed readers are:
* Mr. and Mrs. Prowse (lightkeepers)
* Joseph Dyke, Doting Cove - appointed
* Charles Abbott, Bonavista, appointed
* Lewis Wellon, Ladle Cove, Lay Reader
* Thomas West, Ladle Cove, Lay Reader
* Samuel Wellon, Ladle Cove, Lay Reader
* Israel Hicks, Carmanville, Lay Reader
* Archibald Way, Newtown, appointed
* Rev. Beaton Hicks, Doting Cove, he preached his first sermon on the Wadham Islands. [ Roland Abbott, "A Brief History of the Offer Wadham Island: the Million Dollar Rock", 1994]Offer Wadham Island Lighthouse
The Offer Wadham lighthouse was lit for the first time on October 4, 1858. It was built after many petitions were sent to the government arguing a light to be put on the island to help guide mariners. This arose especially after the "Spring of the Wadhams" in 1852 when more than 40 sealing vessels were crushed and abandoned in the ice near Offer Wadham Island and several crew members escaped by climbing over cliffs to find shelter."
Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador "]The first lighthouse keeper was Mr. Thomas Hennessey and his assistant was Edward Reddy. Charles Prowse was appointed keeper in November 1862 until 1901 and his assistants were William Hennessey, William Murphy, Peter Woods, and Robert Wellon. Other lighthouse keepers on the island were:. [ Roland Abbott, "A Brief History of the Offer Wadham Island: the Million Dollar Rock", 1994]
* Elias Abbott, 1901-1908
* Stephen Abbott, 1908-1910
* William Pomeroy, 1910-1916
* James Ford Mouland, 1916-1936The lighthouse is described in the "Newfoundland Almanac" as a steady, fixed, white 4th order dioptric burning on a circular brick tower at an arc of 360 degrees with a 2 wick concentric lamp. It was convert|100|ft|m|-1 above sea level and could be seen at about convert|15|nmi|km|0. [" The Newfoundland Almanac", 1860, 1865, and 1887]
References
ee also
*
List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador External links
* [http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/nfld.htm Lighthouses in Newfoundland]
* [http://www.canadiana.org Look at early Journal of the House of Assembly Records on the Wadham Island]
* [http://www.ngb.chebucto.org Search directories, census, births, marriages, government records, and much more]
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