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Corporate body · 1851-

In 1851, the English Wesleyan Methodist Conference created a mission at Channel under the supervision of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. From 1816 to 1839, the area had been ministered from the Fortune Bay Mission, headquartered at Grand Bank. After 1839, it had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Western Shore Mission, headquartered at Hermitage, until becoming a mission in its own right.

At the time of the mission's formation, the Methodist congregation consisted of only five members. By 1858, however, 89 of Channel's population of 211 were Wesleyans.

The administration of the mission was organized into a structure commonly used by Methodists at the time. At a meeting of the Methodist Society in 1862, Edward George was appointed circuit steward; Brother Thomas Major replaced Brother John Evans as leader of the male class; and Sister Mary George was appointed leader of the female class. By 1871, Quarterly Board meetings were taking place.

The boundaries of missions in the general region changed frequently. For example, Channel was sometimes aligned with the St. George's area and other times with Petites and Grand Bruit. In 1857, Rev. Charles Comben was stationed on the Western Shore and spent one-third of his time at Channel. From 1866 to 1869, Channel was supplied from Petites; from 1870-1873 Petites was supplied from Channel.

Chapels, schools, and churches soon followed the formation of the mission. By 1851, Petites had a chapel and a congregation of 48. In 1862, a visiting minister at Petities reported "...a beautiful church capable of holding more than the population, a most substantial schoolhouse [with students] whom we examined and found them receiving an excellent education, a house erected for a teacher and another for a parsonage." In 1885, construction began on a new church in Channel, and it was dedicated in 1899. A Channel Circuit report in 1893 noted a church under construction at Codroy, a new school in planning at Isle aux Morts, and a school/church nearing completion at Fox Roost. In 1906, a new parsonage was built in Channel, and by 1921, a new school building was opened there.

In 1925, the mission became a pastoral charge in the United Church of Canada Newfoundland Conference. At the time of Union, the charge was called Channel-St. George's with congregations at Channel, St. George's, Boswarlos, Heatherton, and Port aux Basques. From the mid 1920s until the 1980s, Channel Pastoral Charge included the Channel congregation only. In the 1980s, Petites once again became part of the charge.

Corporate body · 1816-1996

In 1817 Burin became a Methodist mission in the Newfoundland District of the English Wesleyan Methodist Conference under the supervision of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. Rev. J. Lewis was appointed the first minister of the mission. Conference minutes reports that in 1830, Sound Island, Rock Harbour, Oderin, Burgeo (renamed Chambers Island), Haystack, Haddock’s Brook, North Harbour, “and several other places” were visited.

The first Chapel in Burin was built at Parsons Point (reports of having a chapel and dwelling house were made in 1830) and was used until 1841 when a new one was erected at Church Rock. In 1843 the “old mission house was sold and a new one purchased”, and in 1844 a Chapel was reported being built at Bull Cove. In 1865 a second chapel was constructed and remained in operation until 1904 when the cornerstone for the third church was laid. The Church was officially opened in 1906.

The original organizational structure of the Circuit is not known but after 1874 the Burin Circuit was administered under a Sessions/Steward/Official Board organizational model. This structure continues until the present day.

The boundaries of the circuit shrunk as new missions were formed on Sound Island in 1850, Flat Islands in 1873, and Epworth in 1894. Although these new missions were formed, Burin ministers still travelled the Bay as needed. At the turn of the century Burin congregations were being listed only in the immediate area. In 1930 congregations are listed as in Collins Cove, Great Burin, Footes Cove, Bull Cove. In 2001 the Pastoral Charge consisted of congregations in Burin Bay Arm (Bethany) and Burin-Collins Cove (Zion).

Corporate body · 1879-1990

Britannia pastoral charge includes communities of Aspen Brook, Snooks Harbour, Elliott's Cove and Weymouth. It was first mentioned in the writings of Rev. T.W. Atkinson in 1876 when he reported that he had preached at the new church at Britannia Cove. For a number of years Britannia land Foster's Point were combined to form the Britannia and Foster's Point pastoral charge.

In 1902, a new church was dedicated at Britannia Cove and in 1911 a new church was opened at Foster's Point. Boundary changes within the pastoral charges over the years had many small communities popping in and out of the Britannia pastoral charge . The Minutes of 1920 stated that Britannia was to include all placed on Random South that wasn't included in the Shoal Harbour Mission. These communities included Britannia, Foster's Point, Hickman's Harbour and Lady Cove.

At the time of the union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches to form the United Church of Canada in 1925, Britannia was still connected with Foster's Point and the charge had a membership of 184 families with seven preaching points. By 1935, Britannia was a entity onto itself and the minister was administering to six preaching places.

In recent years some churches on Upper Random Island were beginning to need costly repairs, some congregations were growing smaller and it was becoming harder and harder to keep all churches open. Transportation was now no longer a problem so the idea of uniting congregations began.

In 1986 a survey was made among the congregations, and, after much consideration and soul searching, the communities of Aspen Brook, Snooks Harbour, Elliott's Cove and Weybridge decided to unite, to form one congregation, and build a new church, centrally located.

The closing of the four churches brought sadness to many people, but it was with joy and much pride they attended the official opening and dedication of Central United on June 25, 1989. With the new church have come many wonderful things: a growing Sunday School, an active U.C.W., a choir, and good attendance at every service. By the side of the Central is a platform where rests four bells, a testimony to the four small churches whose congregations have become one to worship God and grow in fellowship together.

Corporate body · 1889-1963

In the early days of Methodism in Botwood, (which was known as Ship Cove then), Botwood was a part of the Exploits Mission, with the minister or missionary stationed at Exploits. This mission had many subdivisions over the course of time.

In 1889 the Exploits Mission was divided, and the Exploits Bay Mission was formed, with preaching appointments at Burnt Bay (Lewisporte), Indian Arm, Loon Bay, Scissors Cove, Kite Cove (Laurenceton), and Ship Cove (Botwood). The first minister under the boundary set up in 1889 was Rev. James Nurse. Rev. Frank Hollett was the first ordained minister stationed at Botwood. In 1898, this mission appears in the Minutes as Botwoodville.

Rev. C.R. Durant was appointed to the charge in 1905. It was during his pastorate that the first Methodist church was built at Botwood. The foundation for the Methodist church was laid in September 1905 and it was opened for worship on April 2, 1906. During this time, Laurenceton was added to the circuit name and it was named Botwoodville and Laurenceton pastoral charge. Northern Arm was also an appointment of this circuit. Laurenceton appears as a separate mission in 1918; It was during the pastorate of the Rev. W. Edgar Mercer from 1924, that the Methodist Church of Botwood became a part of the United Church of Canada. Shortly after the union of churches, plans were laid at Botwood for a new church with twin towers. The new structure was dedicated in 1928 while Rev. Mercer was still pastor.

For about twenty-five years after The Methodist Church in Newfoundland became part of The United Church of Canada, many of the features of Methodism continued - the prayer meeting, in some places class meeting, the annual Missionary Meeting, and in most churches, the Order of Service of the 1914 Methodist Discipline was followed. The Women's Organizations and Circuit Boards were continued for thirty-five years inmost congregations. There was a strong emphasis on Christian Education, and new organizations - Explorers, Trail Rangers, Tuxis and Newfoundland Girls in Training were formed. The Methodist Organization, The Epworth League for young adults, continued for some years, but later the name was changed to The Young People's Society.

The old official boards of the Methodist Church weren't dissolved until 1934 and new ones were appointed according to the manual of the United Church of Canada.

Corporate body · 1873-

Bonne Bay first appeared on the Methodist station list in 1873. Until 1885, Bay of Islands was also associated with the mission, and the title of the mission at times incorporated the names of both areas.

In 1874, Rev. Jabez Hill was appointed pastor for the mission. By 1881, Rev. W. B. Secombe was pastor, and the mission included Curzon Village (Woody Point), Shoal Brook, Rocky Harbour, Trout River, and French Point. By 1887, Rev. T. B. Darby was pastor, and he was supplied with a lay agent, John Campbell, to help in ministering to the geographically extensive mission, which stretched one hundred and fifty miles between Bonne Bay and St. Anthony.

The first Methodist church was completed at Curzon Village in 1887. It was replaced in 1925 with a new structure, Woody Point United Church, the new name reflecting both the Church Union and the community name change. Today, the church is known as St. Andrew's United Church. A church at Shoal Brook was completed in 1887 during the pastorate of Rev. Darby. By Church Union in 1925, a new church had also been built in that community.

Corporate body · 1769-

Methodism was introduced to Blackhead during the ministry of Rev. Lawrence Coughlan. Coughlan served in Newfoundland from 1766 to 1773 as a missionary for the Society for the Preservation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Although he remained within the Church of England structure, he was a "Church Methodist," a follower of John Wesley. During his tenure, in 1769, the first Methodist Church in Newfoundland was built at Blackhead. Methodism made steady progress in the area, for when William Black, "the apostle of Methodism in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia," and John McGreary, a Methodist missionary, visited Blackhead in 1791, they found 40 persons enrolled in Methodist classes. By 1850, the circuit report for Blackhead disclosed three chapels, six other preaching places, one missionary, one local preacher, 310 church members, 109 Sunday school scholars, 150 day school scholars, and 1900 in attendance in public worship.

Before 1815, however, there was no Methodist circuit structure in Newfoundland and all missionaries were appointed by the Wesleyan Conference in England to the broader Newfoundland District. Rev. John Remington, appointed in 1804, chose Carbonear as his headquarters and appears to have taken the Blackhead-Western Bay area under his stewardship, for early Carbonear Methodist parish registers (1794-) contain entries from the region.

From 1815, preachers were appointed to specific circuits in Newfoundland. In 1816, Blackhead became a circuit in the Foreign Missionary Society of the Wesleyan Methodists and received two ministers, Rev. Thomas Hickson (the first minister to record in the circuit registers) and Rev. John Walsh. The circuit included communities Small Point, Broad Cove, Mulley's Cove, Blackhead, Adam's Cove, Western Bay, Bradley's Cove, Ochre Pit Cove, Northern Bay, and Long Beach. In 1817, Western Bay became a separate circuit, with Rev. John Pickavant the first to record in the circuit registers. The two circuits were reunited the following year, although temporary separations re-occurred over the next six decades. In 1835, Lower Island Cove was added to the station sheet with Blackhead and Western Bay.

In 1811, churches were built at Western Bay and Ochre Pit Cove. The first mission house was constructed at Blackhead during the period 1812-1815 and was opened in 1815. It was replaced in 1841 during the ministry of Rev. Ingham Sutcliffe. In 1863, construction of the third church at Blackhead began, and it opened in 1871. Known as the "old Blackhead Church," it was taken down in 1931, and the present church was constructed to serve congregations in Adam's Cove, Blackhead, and Broad Cove North. A new parsonage was built in Blackhead in 1918 during the ministry of Rev E. C. French, and the latest manse was constructed in 1962.

At Broad Cove, a church was constructed in 1910 to serve congregations in Small Point, Mulley's Cove and Broad Cove. It was destroyed by fire in 1937. In 1939, the basement of the new church was opened for worship by Rev. J. L. Reynolds. The new church was formally dedicated in 1941.

Early education at Blackhead had been conducted by the resident minister until the first school was built in 1821. By 1830, there were schools in Adam's Cove and Broad Cove as well. In 1910, new identical church/halls were built at Blackhead and Adam's Cove and consisted of two classrooms on the first floor and a hall for Sunday school on the second floor. A new school, Salem School, was built at Broad Cove in 1863, and was replaced by a two room school in 1944. In 1926, an elementary school was built at Small Point. In 1973, a new Central High and Elementary School was opened at Western Bay to service the whole area.

Western Bay, which had occasionally functioned as a separate circuit from Blackhead since 1817, was established as a separate circuit in 1877 under the charge of Rev. R. W. Freeman. The circuit consisted of congregations in Western Bay, Bradley's Cove, Ochre Pit Cove, and Long Beach. A parsonage was opened in Western Bay in 1878, and construction of a Church at Ochre Pit Cove was also begun during Freeman's tenure. Rev. W. H. Browning became minister of the circuit in 1906-1910, and a new church was completed in Western Bay during his ministry.

In 1925, the circuits of Blackhead and Western Bay, Carbonear District of the Newfoundland Conference, Methodist Church (Canada, Newfoundland, and Bermuda), became pastoral charges in the Carbonear Presbytery of the Newfoundland Conference of the United Church of Canada. The pastoral charges were re-united in 1967 to form the Blackhead-Western Bay Pastoral Charge.

Tudor, Hugh
Person · 1871-1965

Henry Hugh Tudor (1871-1965), soldier, was born in England in 1871, son of Rev. Harry Tudor, Sub-Dean of Exeter Cathedral. He died on 25 September 1965.

Hugh Tudor initially became involved in the military at a young age. He saw combat in the Boer War from 1899 to 1902, receiving two medals for his service. Following 1902, he accepted postings in the British colonies until the commencement of World War I in August 1914. Tudor was in command of a unit in Egypt but was on leave in England when war broke out. When his unit arrived from Egypt, he and his men were soon involved in the war effort. Tudor helped plan strategy for the Battle of Cambrai (November 1917), using smoke to hide troop movements. By the end of the war, Tudor had reached the rank of Brigadier General, commanding the 9th Scottish Division, which included the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR).

In May 1920, Tudor was named police advisor to the Viceroy and commanding officer to both the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police. He was one of the men most wanted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). After the assassination of his aide-de-camp, it was decided that it was too dangerous for him to continue living in the British Isles.

In 1925 Tudor relocated to Newfoundland, and became involved in the fishery, working with the firm of George M. Barr Ltd., in St. John's.