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Sinnott, James
Person · 1785-1869

James Sinnott (1785-1869) was born in Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland. He came to Newfoundland with Bishop Patrick Lambert in 1806 and completed his studies in theology at Quebec where he was ordained on 29 June 1810.

Rev. Sinnott spent seventeen years as a priest a various locations in Newfoundland. He then returned to Ireland and became parish priest of the parishes of Littler and Kilmuckridge, County Wexford. He died in Ireland in 1869 and was buried in the Friary Church of Wexford.

Sir Percival Willoughby
Sir Percival Willoughby fonds · Person · fl.1606-1643

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 oe500.
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.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell
Person

Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940) was born in Parkgate, England was the fourth son of a Church of England minister. Grenfell was educated at the University of London and Oxford University. In 1883 he joined the London Hospital to begin medical studies. Inspired by the American evangelist D.L. Moody, whose basic ideology was that religion was expressed through services rendered to mankind, Grenfell began his personal mission. After completing his medical training, Grenfell joined the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. In 1892, Grenfell volunteered to go to Newfoundland and Labrador to determine the need for mission services there. While there he was astounded by the poverty and disease he saw and treated 900 people with whom he gained a good reputation. A local committee in St. John's was put in place to raise money for Grenfell's return, as well, Grenfell toured Europe to accumulate financial aid for medical facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Upon his return in 1893 a hospital was established in Battle Harbour and a second at Indian Harbour. Grenfell spent the next few years travelling the coast of Labrador aiding the residents, and touring Canada, the United States and England. He returned to the North Sea in 1896 at the request of the Mission and returned again to Labrador in 1899. Grenfell's work began to extend beyond medical services and he oversaw the construction of many hospitals, orphanages, nursing stations, and co-operative societies. As well, he recruited medical personnel and volunteer workers to come to Labrador. In 1909 Wilfred Grenfell married Anne McClanahan. In 1912 The International Grenfell Association was formed for better regulation of the Mission, Grenfell was made superintendent of this association. Following this appointment, Grenfell spent most of his time raising funds for Labrador in other countries. Grenfell's health began to fail in the 1920's and he retired to Vermont in 1935. He made his last trip to Labrador in 1939, following his wife's death to spread her ashes on Fox Farm Hill overlooking St. Anthony. Grenfell died two years later, in 1941. His ashes were brought to Labrador and spread next to his wife's, a boulder nearby bears their names with the inscription "Life is a field of honor".

S.K. Hutton
Person

Hutton, Samuel King (1877-1961) was born in Kilkeel, Ireland, a son of Rev. Robert Hutton. He was educated at Fulneck, Manchester and Victoria University, Manchester. Hutton was a doctor with the Moravian Missions and was sent to Okak among the Inuit of Labrador in eastern Canada from England following the completed construction of a hospital there by the Moravian Mission in 1903. He lived and practised medicine in Okak from 1903-1908 and again from 1911-1914. Hutton later returned to England and practised in Poole and Orpington before retiring in 1951. He wrote several books and pamphlets based on his experiences in Labrador. His memoirs of this time period were published in England in his books "Among the Labrador Eskimos" and "By Eskimo Dog-sled and Kayak".

Slade, Gordon C.
Person · 1940-

Gordon C. Slade (1940- ), civil servant and heritage advocate, was born at North Harbour, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, son of Elsie (Burton) and Donald Slade. He married Agnes Parsons and they have two children, Paula and Janet.

Slade was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Alberta. He commenced his career as a school teacher, and, in 1961, began work as a civil servant with the Government of Canada. In 1975, he left the federal civil service and was appointed Newfoundland Deputy Minister of Fisheries. He returned to the federal civil service in 1982 and worked as the Federal-Provincial Economic Development Co-ordinator with the Ministry of State for Economic and Regional Development; later he became vice-president of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). In 1995 Slade retired from his position with ACOA and became executive director of the International Center at Memorial University. In 2002 he was appointed executive director of One Ocean, an agency responsible for facilitating co-operative relationships between the province's fisheries and petroleum industries.

In 1988 Slade established a trust foundation, The Battle Harbour Historic Trust, whose mandate was to promote the restoration of historic buildings in Battle Harbour, a former mercantile and fishery station in southern Labrador. Battle Harbour was subsequently declared a National Historic District by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In 2002 Slade was awarded a Royal Canadian Geographical Society gold medal for his leadership role in the restoration of Battle Harbour.

Slade is a member of the Sir William Coaker Heritage Foundation, chair of the advisory committee on the Ryan Premises National Historical Site (Bonavista) and the advisory committee at the Red Bay National Historic Site, Labrador. He is a governor of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council.

Smallwood, Reginald
Corporate body · 1916-

Reginald (Reg) Smallwood (1916-), farmer and consumers cooperative manager, was born in St. John's, Newfoundland on 4 February 1916, son of Charles Smallwood and Mary Ellen Devanna. He was the fourth youngest of the Smallwood's thirteen children, and younger brother of Joseph R. Smallwood, Premier of Newfoundland (1949-72). By the late 1930s, he married and had two children. Smallwood retired to South River, Newfoundland [ca. 1960].

At age ten, Reg accompanied his brother Joseph to Grand Falls, Newfoundland, where they spent a month in the only available hotel, Cabot House. Reg also worked as a cook on Smallwood's schooner, the Margaret P., recruiting members for Smallwood's Fishermen's Co-operative Union. In 1939 Reg and brother Joseph established and co-managed a small farm in St. John's. The brothers relocated their farming operations to Gander in 1943. They established a piggery, providing pork to nearby RCAF military base.

When World War II ended and the RCAF military base began to cease its operations and activities, the Smallwoods also decided to shut down their farm operations. Joseph entered politics and Reg became assistant manager of the newly-established Gander Consumers' Cooperative, a position he held for seven years before leaving to manage Joseph's Russwood Ranch farm on Roaches Line. Reg Smallwood retained that postion for six years until he retired to the nearby community of South River.

Smith, Lawrence R.
Person · [19-]-

Lawrence R. Smith (Larry Smith) was a professor in the Department of Linguistics at Memorial for sixteen years. He was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics on 1 Sept. 1968, promoted to Assistant Professor 1 Sept. 1972, promoted to Associate Professor 1 Sept. 1977 and resigned on 30 Apr. 1984. During his tenure, he conducted various linguistic research projects around the island of Newfoundland and in Labrador.

Snelgrove, George
Person · 1921-

George Snelgrove (1921-), accountant, civil servant, genealogist, was born in St. John's, Newfoundland on 1 September 1921, son of Mary (Bussey) and Arthur Snelgrove.

Snelgrove received his early education at Holloway School and Prince of Wales Collegiate, St. John's. He attended Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), where he earned a BA degree with Honours in History. He worked in accounting and administration for the company, A.H. Murray. He later joined the federal civil service, where he was employed until his retirement in 1981. After his retirement, he began graduate studies in Maritime History at MUN.

Snelgrove is past president of the Newfoundland Genealogical Society, a member of the Wessex Society, the Newfoundland Historical Society, and the Western Front Society.