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Butlers in Newfoundland

Harbor, St. John’s (birthplace of Gertrude Peet,mother of Margery Butler)

The Butler name is of Norman origin; it originally meant wine steward and comes fromthe same root as the modern French word for bottle, bouteille. The Butlers arrived withthe Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century and in 1177 Theobald FitzWalter wasmade the Chief Butler of Ireland by King Henry II. Unlike many of the other Anglo-Norman names, it did not become gaelicised.

First mention of Butler surname in Newfoundland is 1612 in Cupids in the Thomas R.Cole collection, St. Johns. Kilkenny Castle did belong to the Butler family; a relative inOntario confirmed this in a presentation to the Butler Society.

The most prominent Butler family in Ireland is descended from Theobald FitzWalter andKilkenny Castle is the most magnificent example still extant of a Butler residence. Fromthe 14th to the 20th centuries, the castle was the main seat of the Earls and Dukes ofOrmonde, who played a prominent part in Irish history. Other castles with strong Butlerlinks include Cahir Castle: the Butlers came into possession of this castle in 1375 and itwas taken from them in 1599. The Butlers also had connections with Knappogue Castle inCo Clare and with Ormonde Castle in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary. Charles Butler, the31st chief Butler and 7th Marquess and Earl of Ossory lives in Illinois.

A separate document of about 40 pages will be compiled for the Parker sisters; LindaWoodward acquired them in 1981 from cousin June Miller of NH; they include originalLease by Jabez of Belle Isle, her history, letters, death certificates, presentations to theButler society by an Ontario Butler, and several photographs. Photos will be included inSection 2 of this Memories Album as they reflect new photos of Marge Parker’s family.David Rose also completed a geneology which all should have. A few of these documents

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are included here, such as “The Loss of the Mary,” as written by Harry Butler from hisgrandfather’s story in 1881.

Topsail, Newfoundland, Harold Butler Birthplace

http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/ Ferry schedule Flagship: MV CaribouNestled into the northeast corner of North America, Newfoundland and Labrador offersa leisurely Old World pace, modern conveniences and a unique spirit. It is one of thebest-kept vacation secrets on the continent. The air is clean, the people are friendly andthe vistas -- well, you'll just have to see for yourself.

It is the cradle of civilization in North America. It is the region where Vikingadventurers landed in Anno Domini One Thousand and One and named the newlydiscovered country Markland, or Land of Forest. It is the New Founde Isle of JohnCabot who sailed westward from Bristol, England in 1497 and made his landfall atCape Bonavista. It has the proud honour of ranking as the first of Britian's overseascolonies, for John Cabot set up the flag of England here and took possession in thename of his sovereign, King Henry VII.

On the fifth of August, 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert reaffirmed this right of Britishownership when he claimed the island in the name of Queen Elizabeth I, and on theKing's Beach in the harbour of St. John's set up the first colonial government of Britianoverseas.

There are two distinct parts to Newfoundland and Labrador. The island of

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Newfoundland, located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, is about half waybetween the centre of North America and Western Europe. Its location has always beenkey to its history. The Vikings landed here 1,000 years ago and established the firstEuropean settlement in the New World. During the past two centuries the island hasbeen the landing site of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable, the jump-off for thefirst non-stop air crossing of that great ocean and the spot where Marconi received thefirst trans-Atlantic wireless message.

The Strait of Belle Isle separates the island from Labrador to the north. Bordering onthe Canadian province of Quebec, it remains a vast, pristine wilderness. The northernlights shine over the largest caribou herd in the world. It was here in the sixteenthcentury that a Basque whaling fleet established one of the earliest industrial complexesin the New World.

It's on Newfoundland's west coast that you will find our Gros Morne National Park,designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique geology. Here youwill find the Tablelands, flat butte-like structures that wouldn't be out of place in theAmerican badlands. This is the northern extension of the Appalachian Mountains andsome of the oldest rocks on the planet. Thrust high above sea level when hugegeological plates collided, the Tablelands are unique in a park where there's a newnatural wonder around every corner. And don't miss the opportunity to take a boat rideon Western Brook Pond, a fjord with 2,000-foot sides.

At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula is one of the most famous places in theworld and our second UNESCO World Heritage Site: L'Anse aux Meadows where theVikings lived 1,000 years ago. Their sod hut village has been reconstructed and aninterpretation centre helps visitors discover a long-lost world.

Not far away, on the Labrador side of the Strait of Belle Isle, you can visit Red Bay ,which was the world whaling capital in the late sixteenth century. Up to half a millionbarrels of whale oil were processed here every year in a complex where hundreds ofBasque mariners laboured to light the lamps of Europe at the end of the Middle Ages -and make fortunes for the ship owners.

In nearby L'Anse Amour you will find the 7,500-year-old burial site of a 12-year-oldboy, the oldest of its kind in North America. We know little of these people who livedhere then. They are called the Maritime Archaic Indians. Along with the DorsetEskimos , they lived here when the Pharaohs ruled Egypt.

Most people visit Newfoundland and Labrador during the summer, but it's fastbecoming known as a great place for winter sports. Marble Mountain near CornerBrook on Newfoundland's west coast has some of the best ski slopes in eastern Canada,

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and new ski facilities are now open in Clarenville on the east coas

http://www.nfld.com/nfld/tourism/lure.html Newfoundland Dept. of Tourism excerpt

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Biography Files in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies(Excerpt)Butler, Clint (Actor)Butler, Craig (Sports)Butler, DerekButler, Doug (MUN)Butler, E.A. (Rev.)Butler, FrankButler, Geoff (Musician)Butler, Gerald (Musician)Butler, Gillian (Lawyer)Butler, HaroldButler, Heather (Sports)Butler, Henry (Govt.)Butler, Joseph V.Butler, Joseph LaceyButler, Karyn, G. (MUN)Butler, Les (Sports)Butler, Michael A. (Writer)Butler, NeilButler, Philip GrouchyButler, Rich (Sports)Butler, Rob (Sports)Butler, Roland (Govt) http://www.library.mun.ca/qeii/cns/CNSbio.php

Winner of the Lillian Shepherd Award for excellence in illustration of a children’s book set in Atlantic Canada

Winner of the Lila Stirling Award by the Canadian Author’s Association, Nova Scotia.The Lila Stirling Award honors a great book by a Nova Scotia author for children underthe age of ten.Geoff Butler was born and grew up on Fogo Island, Newfoundland. He saw much ofhis native province while traveling with his minister father to different outports. Hemoved to Nova Scotia in 1976 to work in the local public school, and has been paintingfull time since 1980. Geoff Butler has won the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Awardand was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Illustration. He lives inGranville Ferry, Nova Scotia with his wife and children

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1921 Census of Newfoundland

Champney's East and Champney's Arm

The following information is a transcription of the 1921 census returns for thesettlements of Champney's East and Champney's Arm. This data was extractedfrom a microfilm copy of the 1921 Census of Newfoundland, held at the PublicArchives in Ottawa.

Champney's EastDwl Fam Name S Relat MS Born Age Place of Birth Imm. Nat. Natnlty Rel. M OccupationIndustry E'r E'd O.O. Other Work

Year Mth

5 5 Robert Butler M head m 1881 Nov 40 Champney's East English CofE fisherman shorefishery Y small farm

Sarah A. Butler F wife m 1884 Sep 37 Trinty East English CofEWhesfield Butler M son - 1908 Nov 13 Champney's East English CofE at schoolMary G. Butler F dtr - 1909 Nov 12 Champney's East English CofE at schoolFrederick Butler M son - 1912 Aug 9 Champney's East English CofE at schoolJohn Butler M son - 1913 Aug 8 Champney's East English CofE at schoolFlorence Butler F dtr - 1916 Feb 5 Champney's East English CofEHarold C. Butler M son - 1917 Mar 4 Champney's East English CofEJoanna Butler F mothr w 1858 Sep 63 Trinity East English CofERobert C. Butler M son - 1920 Jun 1 Champney's East English CofE

Butlers & Kilkenny CastleArklow -- Arklow, Co. Wicklow -- Butler, MacMurrough - 13th century?

Butler Castle -- Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny -- Butler -- 15th century tower-house andbawn

Cahir Castle -- Co. Tipperary -- O'Brien, de Braose, Butler -- 13th & 15th centuryClogrennan Castle -- Co. Carlow -- Butler (1649)

http://www.iol.ie/~carigeen/gran1.htmLea Castle -- E of Portarlington, Co. Laois -- Marshall (1203), de Vesey, Fitzgerald, Butler

Kilkenny Castle - Kilkenny is undoubtedly Ireland's loveliest inland city. It rose toprominence in the 13th century, when the Irish Parliament often met at KilkennyCastle. Built in the 1190s, Kilkenny Castle was occupied right up until 1935. Thepowerful Butler family lived in it from the late 14th century, but because of the

exorbitant upkeep, their descendants eventually donated Kilkenny Castle to the nation

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in 1967. With its drum towers and solid walls, the castle retains its medieval form, buthas undergone many alterations. The Victorian changes made in Gothic Revival style

have had the most enduring impact, and are even more impressive since recentrestoration work.

Cahir Castle - Built on a rocky island in the River Suit, Cahir is one of the mostformidable castles in Ireland and a popular film set. This well-preserved fortress dates

from the 13th century but is inextricably linked to its later owners, the Butlers. Apowerful family in Ireland since the Anglo-Norman invasion, they were consideredtrusty lieges of the English crown and were granted the Cahir barony in 1375. Undertheir command, the castle was renovated and extended throughout the 15th and 16th

centuries. It remained in the Butler family until 1964.

http://www.butler-soc.org/page2.html Butler Society with castle and history to 1300shttp://www.butler-soc.org/page15.html Butler family mottoeshttp://www.butler-soc.org/page16.html Butler family groupshttp://www.lookaroundireland.com/castlesinteractive/ipix/cahir.htm Butler castle near tipirrary

George M. Barr, photograph. Photographer, S.H.Parsons & Sons, St. John's. "A Slack day on the Premises of George M. Barr", PF-010 To

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the south of Duckworth Street, on the Water Front, the harbour is a forest of masts oftrading vessels and fishing schooners. "A Slack Day on the Premises of George M. Barr"provides a brilliant image of St. John's harbour in the early part of this century.

Ancestry Research Tools—A Snapshot

http://www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/panl/default.html Ancestry researchhttp://www.mun.ca/mha/ Maritime History Archive

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Surnames from the Births, Deaths and Marriages in Newfoundland Newspapers,1810-1890 CD (New)More than 5,300 surnames that appear in the Births, Deaths and Marriages CD, compiled from over 40,000 birth, death andmarriage records transcribed from 43 Newfoundland newspapers.

Maritime History Archive Crew Lists Index (1863 - 1938) Search (New)A search by official number only which returns the year(s) and type(s) of crew list documents that exist for that official number.

Resettlement: "No Great Future" (New)A virtual exhibit focussing on the various government sponsored resettlement programs between 1954 and 1975.

The Captain Harry Stone Collection, donated to the MHA from 1994 onwards, is the largestphotograph collection in the archive. It consists of over 4,500 identified images of ships and shipping inand around the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador throughout the 20th century. Captain Stone wasappointed Harbour Master at St. John's, in the early 1960s, since which time he has kept aphotographic record of all the vessels entering St. John's, a project which he continues to the presentday. His collection also includes copies of historic photographs of aspects of the fishing industry,shipwrecks, sealing vessels, lighthouses, wharfs and stages, seafarers, fishermen and women and othertopics relating to the maritime culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Maritime History Archive holds significant sources which can be used forresearching shipwrecks and disasters at sea.

Northern Shipwrecks DatabaseThis database was developed and compiled by Northern Maritime Research. It featuresmore than 50,000 records of North American marine casualties over the last fourcenturies. The system was designed as a reference for resources for the study ofshipwrecks concentrating on the area of North America between the 40th degree ofNorth Latitude and the North Pole as well as Canadian vessels lost world wide.Newfoundland Newspapers, 1810 - 1890 is a fully searchable

Births, Deaths & Marriages in Newfoundland Newspapers, 1810 - 1890 is afully searchable CD containing more than 40,000 entries for births, deaths and marriagestranscribed from 43 Newfoundland newspapers, 1810-1890.

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Ships and Seafarers of Atlantic Canada is a fullysearchable CD containing data on the vessels, captains and crewsof Great Britain and Atlantic Canada, 1787-1936. It containsinformation on the shipping industry of Atlantic Canada, derivedfrom two British record series, structured as three interactivedatabases that allow the user to search, sort and query the data.

Ode To Newfoundland

The words for this "official National Anthem'' of Newfoundland were written by SirCavendish Boyle, while serving as its Governor from 1901 to 1904.

When sun-rays crown thy pine-clad hills,And summer spreads her hand,When silvern voices tune thy rills,We love thee, smiling land,

We love thee, we love thee,We love thee, smiling land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,At winter's stern command,Thro' shortened day and star-lit night,We love thee, frozen land,We love thee, we love thee,We love thee, frozen land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,

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And wild waves lash thy strand,

Thro' sprindrift swirl and tempest roar,We love thee, wind-swept land,We love thee, we love theeWe love thee, wind-swept land.

As loved our fathers, so we love,Where once they stood we stand,Their prayer we raise to heaven above,God guard thee, Newfoundland,God guard thee, God guard thee,God guard thee, Newfoundland

Earliest Inhabitants of Newfoundland—3000 BCThe earliest inhabitants of the island of Newfoundland were the Maritime ArchaicIndians who crossed the Strait of Belle Isle from Labrador to the island ofNewfoundland around 3000 BC (roughly 5000 years ago). There is little evidence thatthey remained in Newfoundland after about 1000 BC.

Between roughly 850 BC and 950 AD two populations of Palaeo-Eskimos moved toNewfoundland. And around 50 BC a new population of Indians also crossed the Straitof Belle Isle to Newfoundland. When the written history of Newfoundland began (withthe arrival of Europeans in the 1500s) the descendants of this new Indian populationbecame known as the Beothuk (sometimes Beothuck or Beothic).

The Beothuk were the aboriginal inhabitants of Newfoundland when European settlersfirst arrived. The total Beothuk population at any one time is thought by present dayarchaeologists to have numbered between 500 and 1000 individuals. Following contactwith the Europeans, disease, malnutrition, conflict with settlers and other nativegroups, and disruption of traditional Beothuk fishing sites by settlers resulted in theextinction of the Beothuk people in 1829.

“It is His Majesty's (King George III) royal will and pleasure, that ... I do strictly enjoinand require all His Majesty's subjects to live in amity and brotherly kindness with thenative savages (Beothuk) of the said island of Newfoundland ....”

From the Proclamation issued by His Excellency Captain the Honourable John Byron in

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1769. http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ae050/beothuk.htmlLet Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary's (One of Many Newfoundland Fishing Songs0Take me back to my Western boat,Let me fish off Cape St. Mary'sWhere the hagdowns sail and the foghorns wailWith my friends the Browns and the Clearys.Let me fish off Cape St. Mary's.

Let me feel my dory liftTo the broad Atlantic combersWhere the tide rips swirl and the wild ducks whirlWhere Old Neptune calls the number'Neath the broad Atlantic combers . . .

Let me sail up Golden BayWith my oilskins all a streamin' . . .From the thunder squall when I hauled me trawlAnd my old Cape Ann a gleamin'With my oil skins all a streamin' . . .

Let me view that rugged shore,Where the beach is all a-glistenWith the Caplin spawn where from dusk to dawnYou bait your trawl and listenTo the undertow a-hissin'.

When I reach that last big shoalWhere the ground swells break asunder,Where the wild sands roll to the surges toll.Let me be a man and take itWhen my dory fails to make it.

Take me back to that snug green coveWhere the seas roll up their thunder.There let me rest in the earth's cool BreastWhere the stars shine out their wonder - www.explorenewfoundlandandlabrador.com.

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Newfoundland Sayings!

Eyes like a caplin goin' offshore - (His eyes were bloodshot!)

I'll be dere da rackley - (I'll be there in a few minutes.)

'ere - (Here...note that some Newfies drop their h's and pick them up in front ofvowels!)

Owshegettinonb'ys - (How is she getting on...or how is she doing?)

Turn round, she's bind ya - (Turn around, she's behind you.)

Idn't dat fulish bye - (Isn't that foolish...and of course we Newfies say bye at the end ofmany phrases, instead of the eh associated with Canadians!)

Shockin' that is, shockin - (This should not need too much explaining...it's shocking!)

Ya gat da face only a mutter could luv - (You got the face only a mother could love, inother words, ugly!)

Giv us a bitta dat luh - (Give us some of that.)

Beatin the pat - (Walking the roads or just hanging around.)

Where you 'longs to? - (Where are you from?)

Arse foremost - (Backwards.)

Garnteed, bye - (Guaranteed - I agree.)

I'll be over now, d'once - (I will be there soon.)

You're as slow as cold molasses - (That's pretty slow!)

Goin'? She wudden't goin' now I know - (Moving at great speed.)

Shut up your prate - (Be quiet!)

Stay where your at and I'll come where your to - (Stay put until I get there!)

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Nar-fish - (I have no fish or I didn't catch anyhttp://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/1city-hist-idx.shtml Newfoundland historical info,photos

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A version of the coat of arms was embroidered by my grandmother, Gwen Butler (1911-2001), andis reproduced above (on left). The original currently resides with Marilyn and Bruce Butler, SouthNatick, Massachusetts. I believe she modeled it on a design she found in The Butler FamilyRecords (on right; Seaver; see note on authenticity and Seaver). Click an image for an enlargedview.

This coat of arms is comprised of several components. The central and most important element isthe shield (see enlarged detail above, center). Above it is a coronet and beside it are the"supporters": "Out of a golden ducal coronet a plume of five silver ostrich feathers from which risesa silver falcon. Left, a silver falcon with golden beak and claws; right, a silver griffin, with beak,rays, collar and chain of gold" (Seaver). The specific heraldic language for this is:

Out of a ducal coronet or, a plume of.five ostrich feathers, there from issuant a falcon, rising allargent. Dexter, a falcon, wings expanded argent, beaked and membered or; sinister, a male griffinargent, beaked, rayed, collared and chained gold or.

Of all the shield and supporters, the element which characterizes specifically the Butler family isthe shield; the rest are (symbolic) adornment.

Butler-a-boo!The phrase "Butler-a-boo!" has long been associated with the Butler coat of arms--according toWilliam Newton's A Display of Heraldry (pub. 1846). As Newton explains, the motto of theFitzgerald family is "'Crom-a-boo!'--the ancient Irish war cry of the clan Fitzgerald;--Crom beingthe name of their castle, the cry may be translated 'Crom for ever!'" And thus perhaps "Butler-a-boo" is "Butler for ever!"

A more authoritative translation is offered by Doug McKercher, who teaches Gaelic at the

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University of Ottawa:

The simple explanation of the phrase "Butler a boo!" is that it is the Irish (Gaelic) term a buadh,meaning "to victory!" Buadh, pronounced 'boo-a', is the Irish word for victory (it was a warcry, nota toast to the health of the clan).

'Butler' is a Norman French word meaning 'bottler', the butler being the member of the royalhousehold responsible for the bottles in the wine cellar. Like the Stewarts in Scotland and theShMgun in Japan, they rose to a position of great power in the court.

Mex Butler (from Australia), however, suggests an alternate translation:

'Butler a bu' I translate as 'Butler has drunk'. I believe that the Duke of Ormond was first butler tothe King in Ireland, or something of this sort. Perhaps in a ceremonial way, he would taste theking's wine first, to ascertain its quality and that it wasn't poisoned. If this is so, then 'the butler hasdrunk!' would be a sign that all is clear and everyone can relax. Assuming that he didn't fall downdead of course. I can also imagine that there might have been a few jokes about it all, then as now -'Butler is drunk' being not so far different.

Comme je trouve."Comme je trouve," a second phrase associated with the Butler coat of arms, translates from theFrench as "As I find." Perhaps the ancient Butlers were seekers (of truth?).

The Irish Family Mottos Web page suggests that this may be understood as "I take things as I findthem." Mex Butler comments:

'Comme je trouve' I think means 'I take things as I find them'. I love this idea - that somehow weaspire to being realists, that we don't have to make things different to enjoy ourselves and find lifegood.

Kilkenny College, which was founded by the Butler family in 1538, uses "Comme je trouve" as itsmotto. They interpret it to mean "I take and make life as I find it" (Kilkenny).

The Coat of ArmsEmblazoning the Coat of Arms"Emblazoning is the technical term for translating the heraldic description, or 'blazon,' into graphicterms and depicting the coat of arms in some way," explains Pete Barrett (in Blazon, anemblazoning computer program). A blazon is described in very precise terms--using the syntax andvocabulary peculiar to heraldry (which is the practice of creating insignia and tracing genealogies).The Butler blazon is:

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Quarterly

1st Or, a Chief Indented Azure

2nd Gules, three Cups Covered Or

3rd Vert, on a Chief Gules, two Annulets Vert, a Swan Vert, a Lion Rampant Gules, Langued Azure

4th Ermine, a Saltire Gules

Each line describes one of the four quarters of the shield--beginning on the upper left side andmoving right, then jumping to the bottom left and moving right again. One of the most confusingthings about the blazon is that the colors ("tinctures") come after the objects ("charges") theydescribe and they all have their own heraldic names. In our blazon you'll find: Or (gold, usuallyrepresented by yellow), Gules (red), Azure (blue), Vert (green), and Ermine (stylized black erminetails on white fur).

Decoding the four quarters, then, we find:

1st A gold background with blue on top, separated by a serrated ("indented") line

2nd A red background with three gold cups

3rd A green background with red above; on the top are two green rings ("annulets") and agreen swan; on the bottom is a red lion, rising up ("rampant"), with a blue ("langued")tongue

4th An ermine background, with a red cross--more accurately, a "saltire" ("an instrumentused as a scaling ladder to assist soldiers in mounting the dwarf walls")

The Semiotics of Emblazoning

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All of the tinctures and charges have special meanings, many of which are lost in antiquity. Some ofthe interpretations that I have been able to track down are:

The 3 Gold Cups: "The device of this coat armour of official origin has descended to variousbranches of the family of Butler, spread over England, Scotland, and Ireland, but somewhat variedas to the colours and the position of the cups.... Theobald, a descendent of this family, attendedKing Henry II. in Ireland, and having performed good services there, received large possessions,with the honour of being hereditary chief butler to the king and his successors, and to present thefirst cup of wine at their coronations, from which circumstance the device, three covered cups, wasassumed." (Newton, p. 247)

The Indented Blue on Gold: "Or [gold], a chief dancette asure [blue], appertains to the ancientand noble family of Butler, formerly dukes and earls of Ormond.... [It] implies, that the bearer hassuffered in his religious conflicts with such exemplary patience and pious resignation, as may beassimilated to the silent earth, which permits its bosom to be torn by the pointed plough-share."(Newton, pp. 46-47)

The Lion Rampant: "The lion must be ranked first among beasts, as the most noble and heroic; anemblem of strength, courage, and generosity; and of all positions, Rampant, that is, standing erectupon his hind feet, ready for combat, is admitted to be the most estimable." Moreover, the directionin which the lion faces is quite important: "An animal, in armory, should never appear turnedtoward the sinister [right], for such a position would imply cowardice, as representing the bearerrunning away from his [or her] opponent." (Newton, pp. 80-81)

Ermine: "...a white fur with black spots; it is the skin of a small animal, less than a squirrel, foundin the woods of Armenia, from whence the name is derived. The animal is entirely white, exceptingits tail, which, being dark, is represented in heraldry by black spots, under the presumption of manyskins being attached together, and covering the face of a shield. The Egyptians considered this littlebeast as an emblem of chastity." (Newton, 25)

For more on heraldory, see "Classical Heraldry."

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A Note on Authenticity and J. MontgomerySeaverSeaver wrote numerous family histories, but there are doubts as to their authenticity. In fact,sometime in the 1930s, Horace J. Donnelly, solicitor of the Post Office Department at Washington,charged Seaver with plotting "a scheme for obtaining money through the mails by means of falseand fraudulent promises."

According to the Chase family Website,

The method of obtaining subscribers for the genealogical books was to obtain through telephonedirectories or other means, a list of persons having ordinary names and to write these personsurging them to buy a book for $10 showing their descent from royalty or nobility.

Exploits of bearers of the name were described in the letter, Mr. Donnelly said, and there was asimilarity in the achievements of the ancestors, no matter what name was given them. The solicitordeclared that a "Battle Hymn of the ______ Family" was included with each book, the name of theindividual solicited being printed in the blank space.

References:

1. "Classical Heraldry," Baronage Press and Pegasus Associates, 1999.www.baronage.co.uk/1999/herart01.html .

2. "Genealogy Tracer Accused of Fraud," Chase Family Website,webnests.com/Chase/chronicles/genealogyfraud.htm .

3. Irish Family Mottos, www.winshop.com.au/merv/mottos.htm.4. Kilkenny College Prospectus, www.kilkennycollege.ie/prospectus/prospectusloc.htm.5. William Newton, A Display of Heraldry (London: William Pickering, 1846).6. J. Montgomery Seaver, Butler Family Records (American Historial-Genealogical Society,

2000 North Broad Street, Philadelphia). Reproduced on the Freer Genealogy ResearchWebsite.

Last modified: October 23, 2002 5:19 PMComments: jbutler@ua.edu http://www.tcf.ua.edu/Jeremy/ButlerCr.htm

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WELCOMETO THE

NEWFOUNDLAND'S GRAND BANKSGENEALOGY SITE

Topsail http://ngb.chebucto.org/index.html

http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/treasury.shtml A Treasury of 56 Newfoundland Storieshttp://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/bbh-002.shtml First Mentioned Surnames of Inhabitants Prior to1675—BUTLER includedhttp://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/belle-regata-1912.shtml The Bell Island Regatta of 1912http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/isle-iron-hm.shtml Newfoundland’s Island of Iron (Belle Island)

NEWFOUNDLAND'S ISLAND OF IRONThe Story of Bell Island

That Picturesque "Rock" in Conception BayBy Joseph R. Smallwood

The Evening Telegram, April 24, 1920

"A little world by itself" was what I mentally characterized Bell Island, when, last week, I landed on it forthe first time and spent half a week there for the purpose of gathering material for this article. The very firstimpression received was the undreamed of extent of what the people living thereon seem to love to call"The Rock." Having often viewed it from the bottom of Conception Bay, which was some distance away, theIsland appeared to be no more than a mere rock in the water. Yet it is six miles long, by an average width oftwo miles, giving a total superficial area of twelve square miles. The shores of the Island are for the mostpart very abrupt, presenting mural cliffs all round, except at two points on the Southern Side of the Island,the Beach and Lance Cove. These cliffs range from a hundred to three hundred feet in height, and thehighest elevation of the Island, inland, is 495 feet. The contour of the surface is comparatively level, orrolling. On the front, or that side facing the shore of the Bay, is found the agragrian - like portion, while theBanks, or that portion facing roughly out the Bay, is the industrial or mining section. Intervening are

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marshes and growths of young fir.

There is a small landing wharf on the Beach, facing Portugal Cove, and, back a little, a "slip." The Islandrises at a grade somewhat approaching that of Springdale Street, and two sets of rails, side by side, havebeen placed thereon. The passengers from the ferry-boat just step in from the wharf to the bottom of thesteep grade and enter the car. This resembles an enclosed railway freight or boxcar, with a narrowcompartment at either end for the ladies. On the ceiling there is a rail running along for the passengers tohold onto while the car is mounting the slip. As it goes up the second car comes down, both meeting abouthalfway. The fares on the slip are five and ten cents and the novelty of the thing makes it worth the fare. Atthe top of the grade, back a little, there is a "station," where everybody disembarks, the line extending nofurther inland. However, you are spared the walk across the Island by the presence of a number ofcarriages, which have been waiting there since the ferry put out from Portugal Cove. The drive from theFront to the Back of the Island will prove interesting. The road is covered with cinders, on account of thesoft nature of the soil. The cinders, becoming crushed, make good roading. Practically every road on BellIsland is treated in this way.

Almost across the Island is the thriving township of Wabana, where are situated the mines and companies'headquarters. Shops, stores, businesses, etc., and a moving picture house, public buildings, etc., are to befound in proximity. The name "Wabana" an Indian word meaning "The place where the daylight firstappears," was given the location in 1895 by Thomas Cantley, whose name is closely identified with the ironmines of Bell Island.

One of the first things to perplex the visitor is the way; apparently, the two companies are mixed andoverlap each other. There are the Dominion Iron and Steel Co., and the Nova Scotia Iron and Steel Co. It isdays before you can succeed in knowing the different claims. When you think that you are on theDominion claim, you may really be on the "Scotia." This difficulty does not present itself to the residents ofthe Island, and gradually becomes less and less difficult even to the casual visitor.

Of the geological nature of Bell Island, and the section of Conception Bay in which it is found, I will saybut little, - first because the reader would not be interested in reading it, and second because I know littleabout it. Bell Island, with Little Bell Island and Kelly's Island, are the remaining portions above water of agreat trough of Cambrian rocks, which extended from shore to shore, filling the area now occupied by thewaters of the Bay. Although the mines which are today being worked existed there for thousands of years,their presence - or perhaps I should say that their extent - was not popularly know, though Anspach, in hishistory, published away back in 1819, mentions the fact of "an iron mine occurring at Back Cove, BellIsland." It was known around the Bay, however, that the rocks lying about the surface of Bell Island wereextraordinarily heavy, and schooners used to come to it for ballast. Anchors were frequently made byenclosing the heavy "red rock" in frames of young fir trees, such as are often found in various places over thecountry to this day. It is said that the discovery of the real extent of the mines is due to the custom of takingrock from there for ballast. A schooner lying at a premises in this port, so the story runs, was having herballast thrown upon the wharf. An English geologist, who happened to be standing nearby, saw in theballast and iron ore of excellent quality. Taking some samples with him, he had them assayed in England,when their excellence was ascertained beyond doubt. The Scotia Company was the first to begin work - in1895. To the original owners of the property the Company paid $120,000. Four years later the ScotiaCompany sold out part of their claim to a (then) recently - formed company, the Dominion for $1,000,000.Since then both companies have been vigorously prosecuting the work of mining, and in twenty years,between them, they have exported about 18, 000,000 tons - of which 12,000,000 or an average of sixhundred thousand tons a year, - came from the Dominion, and about six million from the Scotia. For the firstfive years all mining was surface work, and seven slopes have been opened. Although such an enormous

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quantity of ore has been already exported from the Island, the vast deposits there have been barelytouched, for, as Professor Howley said, the ore bands, both on Bell Island and under water, contain thestupendous total of 3,635,543,360 tons. There is ore enough there to supply mining for generation aftergeneration, "now and forevermore." The iron is red hematite, is of a very excellent quality, almost free fromrock and very easily mined. It is claimed to be the best iron ore bed in North America. The ore is all in onegreat, wide bed, about ten to twelve feet in thickness, and beginning at about the centre of the Island andrunning out under the water, roughly toward Hr. Grace and Carbonear. The mines, of which the Dominionhas six and the Scotia one - one that runs out under the water for three miles - are all on that one wide bed,and lie parallel to each other, running out under the sea. The Dominion mines range from East to West, andthe Scotia is situated between them.

As one mine is identical to another, and the system of mining is the same in all of them, I will tell aboutSlope No. 2, D. I. S. Co., down into which I went Monday morning, of this week. Mr. J. MacNeil, the AssistantManager, accompanied me and was kind enough to stay below with me for the whole morning, explainingeverything in detail. To him I am indebted for this article, as without his ready information, it could nothave been attempted.

It would be the height of foolishness to go down the mines without first donning suitable clothes, so I riggedmyself out in overalls, overall coat, long gumboots and the regular miners' carbide lamp. Below everythingis red, and when you touch against anything that portion of you is certain to be coloured by the dust of thehematite. A fact which will illustrate this is that the long rubbers, which I wore, a perfectly new pair, werequite red when I came up out of the mine, and although I was out several times while it was raining heavily,the colour did not wash off, becoming rather, even redder and more brilliant. Everything in connectionwith the mines is red. The miners' clothing, boots, face and hands, everything are red and practicallyeverything on the Back of the Island is also red. It is the prevailing colour.

So, our clothes on, and our carbide lamps lighted, we set out down the mine. Slope No. 2, which we entered,is the property of the D. I. S. Co. It is 5,200 feet long - nearly one mile. That would be as long as about fromthe Telegram Office up past the Station. A slope, I should explain, is simply a tunnel. It is square, or almostso, being ten feet high - the thickness of the ore bed - and eighteen feet wide. The slope, opening into theground for about four thousand feet back from the water, on the Back, runs out toward Hr. Grace, goingunder water, at a grade of 15 degrees or a drop of fifteen feet in every hundred feet, or a total drop, in thefifty-two hundred feet, of about 350 feet. You do not notice that grade much going down - but coming up -well, it reminded me of walking up Blackhead Road. This slope is perfectly straight. Two sets of rails arelaid on the floor of it, and the ore is hauled up to the surface in a train on one track, while the other track isused by empty trains returning for more ore.

A train consists of seven open steel cars, each containing 1.7 tons - or altogether a load of roughly twelvetons. The seven cars are coupled together, and a heavy cable is attached to the nearest to the entrance. Theother end of this cable, which is more than a mile long, is coiled around the drum of a great winch on thesurface. When the seven cars are to be pulled up the men below signal to the winch - man by means of anelectric bell. The winch started and the seven cars, loaded with ore, are hauled rapidly up the slope. In thiswas an average of eleven hundred cars a day are brought to the surface. The number varies with the forceof men working below, of course. However, 1,100 cars a day is a good average. There is a safety device toprovide against accidents. If, by any chance, the cable should break or something else happen while theseven carfuls of ore are going up the slope, the cars would not dash down the track, in spite of the 15 degreepitch. On the last car there is a heavy bar of iron always dangling behind. The bottom end of it is pointed,and the instant the cars would start backward the bar would stick into the ground (because it reaches

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down to it) and overturn the cars.

Beside the main slope, or tunnel, there are cross tunnels, or "levels", as they are called, which branch out atright angles from the main slope on both sides. The levels each extends two thousand feet, so that from theend of a level, right across to the other end, is four thousand feet, plus the width of the main slope, whichruns down the centre of the levels. These levels branch off from the main slope every twenty-five feet,leaving a solid block of ore separating them, - a block twenty feet wide and two thousand feet long. Butthis block is not left thus. Intercross cuts or tunnels are made at right angles to the levels and runningparallel to the main slope. These intercross sections are cut every twenty-five feet, so that the resultingblocks, or pillars, are twenty-five feet square. Thus, it will be clearly seen, the whole underground ishoneycombed, and sixty-five per cent of the ore, in the land area, may be taken. Of course pillars must beleft for safety. In the water area, or under the sea, the pillars are extra thick, being thirty -five feet thick, sothat but fifty per cent of the ore may be recovered. This percentage, for water area, is a good one.

The spaces left in the levels and cross sections are called "rooms." This is called "room mining." This means,simply, that an extra slice of the pillar is taken. This is done by explosion. A Sullivan Compressed Air Drillis applied to one side of the pillar, about twelve feet from a corner, and three holes are drilled in straight,each being about two feet apart, and up and down in a straight line. These holes penetrate twelve feet.Then the drill is taken around to the other side, exactly corresponding, and three other holes, also twelvefeet deep, are bored. Then the six holes are charged with dynamite. Eight plugs of the latter are used ineach hole, making roughly fifty altogether. The dynamite is then exploded by a blasting wire, whichextends two hundred feet away. All blasting is done at night and none but those connected with such workare allowed in the mines after tea. This method of mining is called "Slicing Pillars." As the result of oneexplosion, 100 carloads, or 160 tons of ore, are opened up, ready to be placed in the cars. The ore breaks upinto small sized, oblong cubes of easily handled size. The loose ore is then loaded into the cars by the hand-shovellers. There are two men to each car, and they are supposed to load 20 cars a day, between them, or 10cars each. That works out at 16 tons each per day. For each additional car full they are paid a bonus, anopportunity of which many men avail, thereby making considerable extra money. However, shovelling oreis hard work, and has been described as the hardest work there is, at least connected with mining. By thetime a man has shovelled sixteen tons of ore he is not feeling any too fresh. The cars, when filled, are sent outto the main slope, running by gravitation, as the levels are cut on a grade. Ponies, driven by boys, then haulthe empty cars back from the slope to be reloaded. The other method of mining is called "room mining," towhich I have already referred. The method of doing this varies from pillar mining. It is impossible to borethree holes on one side and then go to the other side and bore three more, as there is no other side to whichyou may go. The six holes have therefore to be drilled on the one side, or in the "face" of the ore. But they arenot drilled straight in. They are drilled at an angle, so they meet twelve feet inside, forming a big V. It issomething like cutting a slice of cake, - it is wedge shaped. The holes are then charged and exploded andthe big wedge of ore is blown out. The drills have 80 pounds of pressure, and may be heard when working -a kind of muffled sound - for some distance away. As you near a drill the sound grows louder and louder,until you come right up to it, where you cannot hear another sound, not even the sound of your own voice.Conversation is impossible while the drill is going. Two men run each drill. A sign from the manager, madewith his carbide lamp, causes the drill men to shut off the drill, and the silence, by contrast, is very intensive.You look at operations for a minute or two and retrace your steps. When you have gone a few feet the drillstarts again and once more the roar fills the "room," getting fainter and fainter as you go away, and the faintsound of the drill in the room lower down reaches your ears. You pass down one of the sections, and out intoanother room, where exactly the same process is being gone through. When this big wedge of ore is blownout of the face of the room, there is what is called "slicing." This consists of slicing off the sides of the V-shaped space that has been left by the explosion, until the face of the room is flat again. Then anotherwedge is blown out and the slicing repeated. There is very little rock to be found in the ore, being lighter in

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colour. The ore is a dull red, while the rock has its natural colour. Strange to say, drilling through rock ismuch harder than through iron ore. By doing pillar mining from 16 to 17 per cent of ore is taken, whichaverage compares very favourably with any mine anywhere in the world.

In No. 2 Slope, which is the Dominion Company's biggest of seven, there are about 350 men working. Thoseconsist of Drillers, Hand-shovellers, Trackmen, Face-cleaners, Trammers, Engine drivers, and Rock-sorters.Trackmen are for laying track on new rooms and sections. The work of face cleaning is to break off pieces ofore, which may be loose on the ceiling of a newly mined room. So that the loose pieces will not fall down,and perhaps kill somebody, they are taken down by the face-cleaners using sledges and hand drills.Trammers are boys who push cars. Rock-sorters pick out rocks from the ore and pile them by themselves, sothat as little rock as possible will reach the surface. Afterwards the ore is gone through again, by boys.

In the main slope progress is being continually made, and the slope advances, roughly towards Hr. Grace,at the rate of four feet a day. The Company's claim extends out under the sea another four thousand feet.However, that limit will not be reached for many a day yet, and there is lots of ore beyond it.

Page contributed by: Barbara McGrath

The first excursion on theNewfoundland Railway, St. John's to Topsail, June 29, 1882.

Newfoundland Bird List

Common LoonAmerican BitternCanada Goose

Black DuckGreen-Winged Teal

Bald EagleOspreyMerlin

Great Horned OwlRuffed Grouse

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Willow PtarmiganCommon Snipe

Spotted SandpiperHerring Gull

Belted KingfisherCommon Flicker

Hairy Woodpecker/Downey WoodpeckerHorned LarkWater Pipit

Yellow-Bellied FlycatcherTree Swallow

Golden-Crowned KingletRuby-Crowned Kinglet

Common RavenCommon Crow

Gray JayBlack-Capped Chicadee/Boreal Chickadee

Red-Breasted NuthatchAmerican Robin

ThrushesStarling

Rusty BlackbirdAmerican Redstart

Black-and-White WarblerBlackpoll Warbler

Yellow WarblerWilson's Warbler

Black-Throated Green WarblerYellowthroat

Yellow-Rumped WarblerNorthern Waterthrush

House SparrowEvening Grosbeak

Pine GrosbeakPurple Finch

Common RedpollPine Siskin

White-Winged CrossbillSavanah Sparrow

White-Throated SparrowFox Sparrow

Swamp SparrowDark-Eyed Junco

Snow BuntingHistory Of St. John'sThe following is a very general overview of the history of St. John's. If you are looking fo r something morespecific please contact using the email link below.

St. John's, now the capital of the Province of Newfoundland has experienced a long and colourful history.Europeans commenced frequenting this harbour during the latter part of the Italian renaissance periodaround the beginning of the sixteenth century. St. John's because of its harbour and proximity to the fishinggrounds, gained prominence as a commercial trading outpost for the Basques, French, Spanish, Portuguese,and English engaged in the fishery along the western side of the North Atlantic.

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The late sixteenth century saw the rise of Britain as a significant world naval power and with it, theirdominant presence in the Newfoundland fishery, particularly in the area ranging from Cape Bonavista in thenorth to Cape Race in the south. St. John's recorded the first permanent settlers in this period with a familynamed Oxford establishing a plantation probably in the area west of Beck's Cove in the early 1600's.

Old St. John's

View looking into theharbourThe year of this photo isunknown

The north side of the harbour saw wharves, fish stores, and warehouses constructed to accommodate the tradewhich grew as a result of the fishery. A path which crossed the various streams and brooks running down theside of the hill connected these premises. This path later became known as the lower path and later still asWater Street - the oldest commercial street in North America. It was along this path that fishers, fisheryservants, traders, and their families along with fishing captains, pirates, traders, and naval officers all traversedfrom storehouse, to warehouse to alehouse to purchase or barter for the supplies necessary to secure asuccessful voyage at the Newfoundland fishery.

St. John's performed this role throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as the major commercialand service centre for the Newfoundland fishery. However since Newfoundland functioned primarily as afishery as opposed to a place of residence the population of St. John's increased slowly over most of this period.

The port's importance as a major cog in this fishery made it a prime military target for any nation wishing togain control over this important food supply. The earliest record of these battles dates back to 1555 when theBasques travelled overland to capture St. John's from the French. Over one hundred years later, in June 1665,the great Dutch naval strategist Admiral De Ruyter captured St. John's from the English. Commencing in thelate seventeenth century and running throughout most of the eighteenth century, the English and Frenchengaged in a series of wars which saw St. John's used frequently as a battle ground. The last of these battlesoccurred in 1762 when the British recaptured St. John's from the French after a brief fight.

St. John's After the Great Fireof 1892.The picture shows the ruinsafter theGreat Fire of 1892.

By the latter part of the eighteenth century, the population of St. John's stood at a few thousand based on itstrade in the fishery. The outbreak of the of the Napoleonic Wars in 1791-2 in Europe saw a growth in thedemand for salt fish. As prices for this commodity increased it attracted a large influx of people mainly Irishimmigrants who came to take advantage of the high fish prices and good wages. This resulted in a substa ntialincrease in the population of St. John's which stood at approximately ten thousand by the end of these wars in

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1815. The economic boom in the Newfoundland fishery ended with the conclusion of the war. Fish prices felland generally remained depressed until the outbreak of WW I in 1914.

St. John's, now the commercial and political capital of Newfoundland grew slowly throughout the nineteenthcentury. ravaged by three fires in 1816, 1846 and 1892, the town recovered and rebuilt after each fire.

Although originally proposed in 1832, the town of St. John's did not enjoy municipal government status until1888 until it elected its first council consisting of five councillors and two government appointees. Thepopulation of the town at the time was approximately thirty thousand. The residents enjoyed electric streetlights on the main roads and a public water supply although many registered complaints about inadequatesewage disposal facilities. Most of the city's downtown as bounded by Cookstown Road, Carters Hill, andBeck's Cove in the West and Harvey Road and Military Road in the North burned in the 1892 fire. By theturn of the century, public transit, in the form of electric street cars, picked up and dropped off passengersalong Water Street, Adelaide Street, Queens Road, Rawlins Cross, and Military Road. These remained untilreplaced by buses in 1948.

In 1921 St. John's became incorporated as a city with the passage of the City of St. John's Act by theNewfoundland government. Throughout the first half of the twentieth century it remained the centre ofcommercial trade in the Newfoundland fishery.

Today it remains the main financial and commercial centre for Newfoundland and the capital of the province.