The firm of William Waterman & Co. operated as general fish merchants in Fogo, Twillingate, Change Islands, and Nipper's Harbour in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland from the 1860s to the 1890s. It purchased fish, cod oil, and seal pelts, and provided supplies through its general stores. During the 1870s, Waterman paid more duties than any other merchant operating in the Fogo-Twillingate area, an indication of the extent of its operations. The company equipped 46 schooners for the Labrador fishery in 1880, and 41 in 1890.
William Waterman was an agent and partner in the Twillingate firm of William Cox & Co., which was a successor to the firm originally established by John Slade of Poole in the eighteenth century. In the 1860s, Waterman purchased the firm, which was renamed William Waterman & Co. by 1867. The headquarters of the firm appear to have been at Fogo in the 1870s, but may have been moved to Twillingate around 1887. During the 1870s, the firm was owned in partnership by Thomas Dorman Hodge, Richard Dorman Hodge, William Waterman, and William Edward Waterman.
The Waterman firm may not have survived the 1894 bank crash, for by 1900, much of its property at Fogo and Twillingate was in the hands of J. W. Hodge, who had previously been Waterman's agent at Tilting.
Percival Willoughby (fl.1606-1643), settlement promoter, council member of the Newfoundland Company, member of parliament, was born into the Kentish branch of the house of Willoughby d'Eresby in the latter sixteenth century. He married his kinswoman, Bridget (also spelled Bridgett) heiress of Francis Willoughby of Wollaton, Nottingham, and acquired substantial property in both Kent and Nottingham. They had at least three sons, one of whom, Thomas, was also involved in the Newfoundland ventures. Willoughby died in England in 1643.
The Nottingham estate was riddled with debt, and by 1606, Willoughby was threatened by the prospect of debtors' prison. Lured by the promise of iron, copper, and silver profits in North America, he became a subscriber and council member of the Newfoundland Company, probably influenced by a major creditor, John Slany, the company's treasurer. But like other members, he was also genuinely interested in establishing a self-sufficient colony on the island and developing its fishing, agricultural, potash, and mineral potential. Two years later, he also became subscriber to the Virginia Company, but the focus of his interest remained the Newfoundland venture.
Willoughby's anticipated allotment lay between Conception and Trinity Bays, north of a line drawn between Carbonear and Heart's Content. In 1612, he sent his wayward third son, Thomas, with his agent Henry Crout and six apprentices, to the company's colony at Cuper's Cove (Cupids). He also sent a surveyor named Oliney to survey his lot and Bartholomew Pearson from the Wollaton estate to assess its agricultural capacity. Few of the party were impressed. Only Crout expressed any hope of the land's potential in mineral wealth. Faced with disappointing prospects, the hostility of migratory fishermen, and the coastal raiding of pirate Peter Easton, Thomas returned home in 1613, only to incur his father's wrath for lack of commitment. Sir Percival relented in 1615, intending to transfer the title of his Newfoundland lot to Thomas and another son, Edward. In 1616, he sent Thomas back to Newfoundland. But Thomas' name was written out of the family pedigree by 1631, suggesting that his father finally disowned him.
Before this estrangement, Thomas advised his father: "If efver you looke for your monney agayne in this country you must send fisher men." (1616). Unfortunately, Sir Percival did not heed his son's counsel. Although his lot included the rich fishing grounds off Baccalieu Island, Willoughby continued to pursue his hopes of mineral wealth. He was not successful in persuading the company to grant him the rich iron ores of Bell Island. During 1616-17, Willoughby also purchased a half share in the company for his son Edward from John Browne, and then tried to inveigle the company into granting the valuable St. John's lot to Browne without mentioning that his son was Browne's partner. This effort was also unsuccessful. When Willoughby officially accepted his allotment in 1617, it was for the original, more northerly portion.
In 1618, Willoughby entered into a partnership with William Hannam and Thomas Rowley, transferring to them his share of land in Trinity Bay for a nominal rent and their commitment to explore the potential of farming, mineral deposits, and trade with the Aboriginals. Constant squabbling and Willoughby's distrustful nature drove the partners apart within a few years. By 1626, Willoughby was in danger of losing the Trinity Bay portion of his lot because he had not managed to find colonists, thus defaulting on one of the conditions set by the company. His creditor John Slany managed to maintain the company on Willoughby's behalf, but with very little thanks from Willoughby, who claimed that his investment, so far from turning a profit, had actually cost him about œ500.
By 1631, Willoughby was negotiating with Nicholas Guy to settle on his land. Guy had been on the island since 1612 and had already moved from Cuper's Cove to Carbonear, where he was fishing and farming profitably in 1631. No further evidence of Willoughby's involvement in Newfoundland exists beyond Guy's letter to him of 1 September 1631. Despite various setbacks, Willoughby's interest in Newfoundland had lasted for at least twenty-one years, making him one of the island's most tenacious, if not most successful, promoters of settlement.
Harry Winsor (1917- ), fisheries manager, international development officer and consultant, was born in Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland, the son of Elizabeth (Hollett) and the Rev. John W. Winsor.
Winsor was educated at Memorial University College and Boston University. Winsor began work with Newfoundland Fisheries Board (NFB) in 1939 and was subsequently appointed to the Newfoundland Department of Supply (1942). In 1944, he was appointed secretary, Fishery Products Committee, Combined Food Board, an agency established by the Allied powers to allocate food supplies during World War II. After the war, he worked in Washington for the International Emergency Food Council and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Fisheries Division. He moved to Rome when the permanent FAO headquarters was established there in 1951.
In 1953, Winsor returned to Newfoundland as a member of the newly-established crown corporation, Newfoundland Fisheries Development Authority (NFDA), which experimented with centralized curing stations at Seldom-come-by (Fogo Island) and Quirpon (Great Northern Peninsula). He also served as a member of the South Coast Commission, chaired by John R. Cheeseman.
In 1964, Winsor rejoined FAO to organize and manage a regional fisheries development project in the Caribbean. He returned to Rome in 1968 as FAO Director of Fisheries Operations. In 1974, Winsor became senior director of FAO's inter-regional Indian Ocean Fishery Survey and Development Program. He retired from FAO in 1979, but continued to work in international fisheries management and development as a consultant.
Wm Dawe & Sons (William Dawe & Sons, William Daws & Sons) Limited was a woodworking and general building firm located in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador. In the 1900s they were the best-known coopers in Bay Roberts and also had a thriving operation in Hampden, White Bay. As well as general barrels, they also made casks and veneers.
The firm was established in 1892 by William Dawe (1845-1928) of Bay Roberts. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Dawe, he initially worked along side his father in the fishery before opening a woodworking, lumbering and sawmill on his land at Station Road. He married (Mary) Eliza Russell (1865-1932), daughter of Charles and Mary A. Russell, in 1884 and had nine children: Lewis (1890-1949), Wilfred (1892-1963), Augustus (1894-1972), Edward (1897-1972), Frederick (1898-19-?), Myrtis (1902-1984) and Christine (1909-2001)and Chester (1904-2002) and Maxwell (1899-1970), who worked at the St. John’s offices.
Dawe later sold the company to Saunders & Howell of Carbonear. Out of William Dawe and Sons came the firm of Avalon Coal Company Limited in 1919. They started out as wholesale and retail coal merchants but later changed to Avalon Coal and Salt Company. In 1933, a new veneer butter pail, protected by patent right in Canada, was invented by this firm and was used by the Newfoundland Butter Company located in St. John’s. In 1949, the Bay Roberts plant was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt.By 1948, oil was added to the company stock and the named changed again to Avalon Coal Salt and Oil Company. The firm operated the ship M. V. Dawe. It was managed by son Lewis Dawe.
In 1919, Dawe’s sons became partners and a new firm was established, officially becoming incorporated as Wm Dawe & Sons Limited in 1920. Son Wilfred was made managing director and established a veneer and lumber division of the company.
The success of the company lead to a new branch being established at Mudge’s old premises, South Side of St. John’s in 1927. In 1929, son Chester was named manager of this newly opened branch. Having worked mainly in the White Bay operation, he brought his expertise to this extension of the company. Rapid growth forced it to expand and the company purchased the Veil Building on the corner of Water Street and Springdale Street in January 1936. Included in its inventory were “Builders Hardwares” to include paint, varnish, stains, glass, nails, putty, and other building related materials. They also manufactured office furniture, including desks and cabinets, and doors, window-boxes, mouldings and so forth. Their St. John’s offices and showroom was also located here.
By the early 1940s, Chester had separated from the family business and opened his own hardware store in St. John’s in 1945 called Chester Dawe Limited. This firm was acquired by Rona in 2006.
William Dawe died February 16, 1928 and was buried at the Anglican Church Cemetery at Coley’s Point. At that time, his sons took over the various branches of the business. Wilfred was elected president of the firm and Chester and Maxwell headed the St. John’s offices. It went into liquidation in 1964 and was purchased by Malcolm, Edward and Augustus Dawe. It was managed by Augustus until he died in 1972 and Eric N. Dawe became managing director.