Brig Bay

The name

The name Brig Bay derived from the name "Brig" for a sailing ship. In his ship's log, Captain James Cook referred to the area around today's Brig Bay and Plum Point, as "Old Ferrole" when he mapped the North West Coast of Newfoundland in 1764 and 1765. The island fronting the two communities, now known as Darby's Island, is still shown on some maps as "Old Ferrole Island". The name "Ferrole" was most likely adopted by early Basque fishermen who chose a name from their mother country for this pleasant little bay. 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.

Note: This Wiki Article is a work in progress. Interested and knowledgeable readers on this subject are welcome to contribute information and to edit as you deem necessary. WLH

History and Economy

Jacques Cartier 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). Today these hills are known as "Doctor's Hills" .

Brig Bay was first mapped by Captain James Cook in September 1764. You can find Cook's reference to Old Ferrole when describing the terrain around the geographical co-ordinates for modern day Brig Bay.

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 (factory) was still operating at Brig Bay in the latter part of the 19th century. In his book, "A History of Newfoundland", D.W. Prowse refers to the French owned lobster factory at Brig Bay operated by a Mr Belin in 1892. The cannery was last operated by Louis Gar(r)eau, a native of St. Malo, France. Brig Bay was shared by the French and English/Newfoundland fishermen after the Treaty of Paris and until the turn of the 20th century.

Though the mother countries were frequently warring, their subjects were sometimes living together peacefully in Newfoundland. For instance many of the present population of Brig Bay are the descendants of an English/Newfoundland lady, Judith House of Daniel's Harbour and Pierre (Peter) Samson of Dinan, France who met and married at Daniel's Harbour in 1886.

When Newfoundland fishermen arrived to displace the French in the late 1890s and early 20th century 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. Other families soon followed, including Cunard, and Payne, by 1945 the population had nearly doubled. Etheridge, Rogers and Brown came later.

The fishery 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. Another significant employer thru the 1950s/1960s-was a fishery co-operative, the Brig Bay CO-OP. The CO-OP acted as an agent for seal skins and salted dried cod and also operated a general store. A trucking firm (Coastal Trucking) also employed several people from the 1960s- 1990s. This later became Hoddinott's Sales and Service.

Geology

Brig Bay village is built on a very thin layer of soil that overlies deep-water gray limestones. The limestones formed from silt deposited nearly 500 million years ago at the coast of the Iapetus Ocean, the precursor of today's Atlantic Ocean. If one looks closely, Ordovician period gastropod fossils can be found in the limestones. Evidence of the last ice age that ended less than 10,000 years ago is abundant in the glacial striations found in the bedrock and the erratic granite boulders lying on the limestones. The raised beaches indicate that the land continues to rebound from the sea as a result of reducing pressure from the melted massive ice sheet that covered the land during the glacial period.

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 cod fishing industry in the early 90s. Some fishermen were able to continue by catching other species including lobster, shrimp and scallops. 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 W Hoddinott, a fine carpenter and one of Brig Bay's earliest permanent residents. 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. 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. 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.

Brig Bay natives (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.

HMS Avenger was sunk by a German submarine U-155 as she was heading back from Africa to her home port Clyde on 15 November 1942. The explosion that sank her left only 12 survivors out of a total crew of 550 men. The Avenger sank approximately 45 miles south of Faro, Portugal. She was one of three US-built Royal Navy escort carriers sunk in World War II. Able Seaman Samson's name can be found on the casualty list for the Avenger 15 Nov, 1942.

SAMSON, William - Served overseas during WW II - note: more info needed

HODDINOTT, Howard, Harvey, Flt Sgt, 1344173 - Served in WW II with the RCAF. His aircraft was shot down over the Netherlands May 5, 1943, when the Vickers Wellington bomber he crewed in was intercepted and hit by a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter aircraft. After the crash he was captured by German soldiers and survived two years as a POW. Freed at the end of the war he recovered in a hospital in Britain where he met a Scottish nurse (Jenny (Jan)) who became his wife. He then enjoyed a career as an educator in Edinburgh, Scotland.

POW list at this link: more info here http://www.rcl-europe.org/Wilnis_2002/Wilnis_2002.htm more info http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2003/03/three-canadian-airmen-laid-to-rest/

HODDINOTT, Gordon - Served in WWII with Royal Navy - [8] - need more info

HODDINOTT, Walter - Served in WW II with Royal Navy -[9] -Served on aircraft carrier HMS Tracker (D24) more info on HMS Tracker here : http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/TRACKER.htm. After WWII both Walter and Gordon lived in Cormack, Newfoundland and Labrador.

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

SHEPPARD, Carl 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.

Brig Bay natives ( Fishing Industry)

ALLINGHAM Ralph, and sons - More than 30 years of successful fishing operations from Brig Bay/ SAMSONS, Hiram, Donald and Maitland - Careers with Canada's Federal Fisheries Organization

Brig Bay natives ( 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/ HODDINOTT, David—Teacher, Eastern Newfoundland/ HODDINOTT, Merrill—Teacher, School Principal/ 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), FARRELL, Vivian—Career as teacher in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia/

Brig Bay natives (Medicine/Health)

WELLS, Sarah Jane —Mid-wife, delivered approx 180 babies in days before medical services available Sheppard, Katherine—Mid-wife, delivered many babies, took over from Sarah Wells (SAMSON), GENGE, Sheila—Career as nurse in Flower's Cove medical clinic/ HODDINOTT, Daisy—Career as nurse/ HODDINOTT, Shawnie—Career as nurse/

Brig Bay natives (Construction/Engineering)

SAMSON, Peter - Highway builder and Government Supervisor of Highways CUNARD, Rendell - Government Supervisor of Highways HODDINOTT, Gordon - Surveying Engineering Technician - Government Department of Transportation and Works, Maintenance and Engineering Project Supervisor

Brig Bay natives (Business)

SAMSON, William—One of the founders and longtime 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 A. —One of the first chainsaw and snowmobile dealers in Newfoundland and then a pastor. An excellent writer, you can find some of his short stories here at - rahoddinott.tripod.com.

CUNARD, Ann and Eric-Owners/Operators of Cut & Wrap Ltd.