Arthur Gardner Sr. was born on September 9, 1854 in British Harbour, Trinity Bay. He was one of six children born to Edward and Grace (Abbott) Gardner. He married Mary Colbourne and together they had eleven children. From the 1870s to the time of his death, Mr. Gardner ran a comprehensive general business that encompassed a wide circle of both the buying and selling trade around his hometown. Mr. Gardner passed away in British Harbour on May 17, 1916.
Arthur Ernest White Maidment was born on September 8, 1896, the seventh of eight children born to Enoch Heber Maidment and Mary Margaret Symonds. He enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment in June 1916 where he joined many other young Newfoundland men to train in St. John’s before being sent overseas.
In September 1916 he was located in Ayr, Scotland for further training and awaiting orders to fight. By December he was in France and his last letter home to his brother is dated March 14, 1917. He was killed a month later at the age of 20.
Private Maidment was No. 2910 of the 1st Battalion, Newfoundland Regiment, he died in the Second Battle of the Scarpe, which was fought at Infantry Hill (East of Monchy) and Guemappe (due South of Monchy). This area was later captured by the British troops. He is buried in the Windmill British Cemetery, Monchy-Le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France.
Sources: Newfoundland Monchy Memorial,Veteran Affairs Canada and Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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.
Elizabeth (Blake) Goudie (April 20, 1902-June 10, 1982) was born and educated in Mud Lake, Labrador, the daughter of Sarah Michelin and Joseph Blake. She married Jim Goudie, a trapper, in 1920 and had eight children. Elizabeth Goudie is the author of "Woman of Labrador" which was published in 1973. This book was rated as one of the best sellers in Canada and has sold worldwide. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Memorial University and was re-known for her contribution to Labrador.
George Cartwright (1739-1819) was a trader and explorer born in Marnham, England, the second of ten children of William Cartwright and Anne Cartwright. He was one of Labrador's best-known early settlers. He voyaged to Newfoundland while a captain in the British army and explored its interior. He foresaw the extinction of the Beothuk people and the Great Auk due to the assault of Europeans. By 1770, Cartwright had quit his position in the army and joined a partnership with Lieutenant Lucas Perkins and Jeremiah Coglan to trap, hunt, fish, and trade with the Inuit of Labrador. Cartwright had friendly relations with the Inuit and when he returned to England in 1772, a party of seven Inuit went with him, six of whom died of smallpox. While residing in Labrador Cartwright wrote "A Journal of Transactions and Events during a Residence of Nearly Sixteen Years on the Coast of Labrador" which contains more information about the environment of Labrador and his daily hunts rather than his business transactions. In 1784, George Cartwright went bankrupt and returned to England and it is unknown if he ever returned to Labrador. He spent his latter years in Nottingham, employed as a barrack-master known as "Old Labrador". he died unmarried in 19 May 1819 in nearby Mansfield. For a more complete biography see Dictionary of Canadian Biography http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cartwright_george_5E.html
Levi John Snow was the only son of Samuel and Susie Snow of Clarke’s Beach. He had one sister Marcie and he was unmarried. He worked with the Reid Newfoundland Railway before he entered the military. He joined the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in St. John’s, July 1916. He corresponded with his mother and sister throughout the war. He died in the Battle of Moncy, France in April 1917.
Frank Saunders (1935-1987) was born in Davis Inlet, Labrador, to Gilbert and Eliza (Broomfield) Saunders. At the age of eight, Frank moved with his parents and siblings to what is now Happy Valley, Labrador. He was educated at public schools in Happy Valley and North West River, Labrador. Frank began his working career with the Hudson’s Bay Company and was later employed at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, as well as being self employed as owner/operator of Saunders’ Restaurant. Frank also later worked with the municipality of Happy Valley-Goose Bay for 24 years as a heavy equipment operator and superintendent of Municipal Works and Services until 1987. He resided in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with his wife, Doris (Martin), and raised 3 children. Frank Saunders received a commendation for community service from her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1977.
Thomas O'Brien was the first O'Brien to arrive at L'anse au L'oup, Labrador from Bonavista, Bonavista Bay in the late 1850's. He married Margaret Hogan from St. John's and had four children. Following Margaret's death, Thomas married Elizabeth Ann Barney of L'anse au L'oup and they had five children. The O'Brien family has since continued for many generations.
Clergyman. Born England. Educated Harrow; Royal Military College; Oxford University. In 1865 he graduated from military college with a commission in the Royal Engineers. In 1869 he went to Bermuda as the aide de camp to the Governor, Sir F. Chauman, and returned to England in the following year. Shortly afterwards he offered his yacht, the Skylark, later known as the Lavrock, to Bishop Edward Feild qv, whose Newfoundland church ship, the Star, had been lost. The Bishop accepted the gift and in 1872 Curling sailed it to Newfoundland and presented it to Feild in St. John's. Curling was deeply affected by the conditions in the Colony and when he returned to England, he retired from the Royal Engineers and left England again to become a missionary in Newfoundland. In 1873 he was ordained a deacon in St. John's, and in that year he was sent to the Mission in the Bay of Islands qv. In the following year, he was ordained a priest, and in 1880 he was appointed Rural Dean for the Strait of Belle Isle. He was very active during his time in Newfoundland and used his engineering background to design and build a number of churches and schools on the west coast. In 1886 he left the Mission to return to Oriel College, Oxford. He visited Newfoundland in 1887 and 1889, and at the end of the latter visit he sailed the Lapper, a ship he had designed and built in Newfoundland, back to England.
In 1891 he returned to Newfoundland to take up a one-year position as Principal of Queen's College qv in St. John's. He did not return to the Colony after he left in 1892.
In 1904 the community of Birchy Cove in the Bay of Islands changed its name to Curling qv in honour of him.