Wilson Vardy (1858-1921), harbour master and light keeper, was born in Channel, Newfoundland, the eighth of ten children of Lucy and John Vardy (from Christchurch, England). Wilson's father, John, died on 28 December 1861 of suspected foul play. Wilson Vardy married Jane Meade on 11 February 1881 and the couple had eight children. Wilson was buried 21 December 1921 at the old Anglican cemetery at Graveyard Point, Port aux Basques.
Vardy worked as harbour master and light keeper on Vardy's Island at Channel and Port aux Basques from 1899 until his death in 1921. He was in charge of the leading lights and buoys, which had been established in 1898/9. These consisted of a front light, a rear light, and a series of buoys which were removed during winter to avoid drift ice.
Clergyman. Born Gibraltar, son of the Rev. W.H. Rule. Educated London; Queen's College. Rule was the first Church of England missionary to work in the Bay of Islands and Bonne Bay.
The son of a Wesleyan minister posted in Malta, the West Indies and Gibraltar, Rule's later childhood was spent in England. In London he began attending services at the Church of England, eventually deciding to seek holy orders there. The Rev. William Grey qv, commissary to Newfoundland Bishop Edward Feild, persuaded him to come to Newfoundland. He arrived on Easter Sunday 1863 and enrolled in the Church of England Theological College (later Queen's College). Noting that he was already well educated, Feild stationed him with the Rev. George Hutchinson qv in the Labrador mission, at Battle Harbour. After a winter of hardship (lightened only by the sight of an iceberg in the likeness of Christ walking on the water) Rule was glad when Feild appointed him to Bay of Islands after his ordination in December 1864. He settled in Birchy Cove (Curling) in 1865, living in a series of makeshift parsonages while a church and dwelling were erected with help from local builders and English benefactors. The church at Birchy Cove was consecrated by Bishop Kelly in 1871. The next year Rule returned to England. In 1927 Dicks and Co. published his small book, Reminiscences of My Life, in which he recounted his experiences.
The United States consuls and vice-consuls were mandated to provide assistance to American citizens in foreign countries. They assisted individual Americans with various issues, including visas, passports, and legal entanglements. They provided advice to American companies on investment opportunities. Consuls aided American sailors and fishermen, who were injured, ill-treated or separated from vessels, return to their home ports.
The United Nail and Foundry Company Limited, a metalworks firm based in St. John's, Newfoundland, was established after a resolution of amalgamation was approved by the the shareholders of the Newfoundland Consolidated Foundry Company Limited and the St. John's Nail Manufacturing Company Limited. On 6 May 1930 the provisional directors, Marmaduke G. Winter, Charles P. Ayre, Tasker Cook, Daniel A. Ryan, Charles A. C. Bruce, Albert O'Reilly and Samuel J. Foote met for their first meeting, with Frederick W. Angel as chair.
After the amalgamation large investments were made to set up an up-to-date industrial plant, new machinery and new equipment was purchased to expand into electro-plating, non-ferrous casting, galvanizing, semi-steel casting and later steel and alloy casting. 1931 saw the opening of the plating and oxidizing plant, brass and aluminum plant and soil pipe fitting plant. The galvanizing and holloware plants had begun construction and were opened in 1934 and the steel plant in 1937.
The company survived the 1950's and 1960's but they were not profitable as it expanded to cope with work from the opening of the Wabush mines. The foundry had the contract to do the castings but found it harder and harder to get the business as the foundry was using outdated equipment and could not keep up with the orders. The demand for cast metal stoves and ranges had also declined as electric ranges and alternative modes of heating came on stream. The nail factory was also using the old process of nail manufacturing, so they became less competitive with outside manufacturers who shipped their products into the province. Finally a major fire in 1972 destroyed the office, shipping warehouse, pattern shop, plating and fitting shops. The business did not rebuild and in 1979 it ceased operations and went into receivership in 1982.
From 1816 to 1839, the Methodist congregation in the Burgeo area was ministered by the Fortune Bay mission, headquartered at Grand Bank. In 1839, Burgeo came under the jurisdiction of the Western Shore mission, which consisted of 52 harbours and coves with headquarters at Hermitage. Rev. William Marshall was appointed visiting missionary to the area and, in 1841, reportedly "preached in open air to a congregation too large to meet in any one house." Burgeo was described as the largest Protestant settlement on the shore at that time. From 1843 to1880, Burgeo came under the jurisdiction of the Grand Bank mission.
In 1880, Burgeo became a separate mission in the Burin District of the Methodist Church of Canada, Newfoundland Conference. Charles Myers served as the first pastor, and his charge consisted of congregations in East and West Burgeo, Ramea, and nearby communities and coves. The first Methodist church was built in Burgeo in 1882 during the pastorate of Henry Abraham. A new church was dedicated in 1924 during the pastorate of Rev. H. R. Bursey.
In 1925, the mission became part of the United Church of Canada. Rev. W. A. March served as first pastor following Church Union, with congregations in Burgeo, Ramea, and Otters Point. In 1961, the pastoral charges of Burgeo and Petites-Grand Bruit united to form the Burgeo- Petites Pastoral Charge under the ministry of Rev. Joseph Burke. The boundaries of the charge were expanded to include congregations in Burgeo, Grand Bruit, La Poile, Ramea, and West Point. In 1967, the charge was subdivided into two ministries: Burgeo Pastoral Charge, which included Ramea and Grand Bruit; and Channel Pastoral Charge, which included Petites. Currently, the Burgeo Pastoral Charge is made up of congregations in Burgeo and Grand Bruit.