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 !l 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 OK 
 
 NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 r. V 
 
 THE VERY REVEREND M. F. HOWI.EY. D.D. 
 
 V, O S T O N 
 i>()MJ: AM) Wllliri.l.. l-nu.iSlll-RS /\ 
 
 I 8 S 8 
 
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C'dpyri^'Iit. i'nS7, 
 
 n\ i)<)vi,K A\i> w MirrLii 
 
 Press of 
 
 Rockwell and Cnurchill, 
 
 Boston. 
 
 m" 
 
DEDICATION 
 
 aHHp 
 
 S\MM() I'ASIOlil 
 ()MM\M l'",CCI.i;SIAl!\M I'li.Iil'OSITO I'dNTIl'ICl 
 
 LEONI XIII. 
 
 J,iri:i!Ai!\M ('\M\ s(\ N(jvi; oi-.nkims I'Avroiii Mvmiukxtissimo 
 
 ,I\itii..i:\M SAii.iiixnAi.i; oitiii; ri.A\ Di'.Nir. ('Arriioi.ico 
 
 II. .( Anno MDCCCLXXXVIl 
 
 A(ii;\ii 
 
 Inti'.u tot. DiscuM.iN.i:, S. iknti.i:, Kklkuoms 
 
 Sl'I.I'.NKIlHSSIMA ri(i\()l!A 
 All (>.MXI1»\S .M\NI>I ri.Aiiis OKI.AIA H.\ltJ\\M 11\ NC I.IIti;i.l.\M 
 
 Axcroit 
 
 A\s\'s r.si' ii\-\m.i.i.Mi". oiiTciiiii-; 
 
 Ori.iMs i)i;ii;cns 
 
 C^VOS I'I.AM; AliNOVI'.KAT. 
 
 CdUKis AiiKciN : A\nii(}\i: ()ltsI;<;^I(> 
 ()c(_vi!i!i:itK DisivriKNS. 
 
 1*^ 
 
•UPtmsfimmmm?^- 
 
 I N VOC AZI O N E. 
 
 — <K>J«iO 
 
 A LEONE XIII., P.M. 
 
 RISTORATORE IXDEFESSO DF.LLA FILOSOFIA K TEOLOIUA 
 
 CRIST I AS A. 
 
 oXXo 
 
 Tr I (III-, sii. riioNo Assiso si;i, in I'lcuo, 
 Noun,. ijAMi'oi.i.o Di'.i, DK'l'KCCI sir.MMA 
 l)i',(i\() d'ohnah \\. riiin.o diadkaia : — 
 
 Di (11 i,'a\ha sritAi.i; a liAdciio Amikuu 
 
 HlMI.I.A (XiXOI! NKI. SIO AZZri! SKMIKIM). — 
 ('ill': SCINlll.l.ANDK. (JIAI. l.lCl'.NTi: (ilCMMA 
 iNDOliA 'I. Cl.IIHO AliilSTO,' — Alio KM lil.KM A 
 
 1)1 Lii (111; Ai. ir.iiio KiMtoit sakX (ii r.ifiaKifoI 
 
 3:^> 
 
 ■ LrMK xrA'iKi,'," dai, Santo Iki.andf.sk' 
 
 Nk' TKMl'I OR lliASCOliSl, I'KOMNZIArc) 
 
 In si ha im'nna. i'ai.'si .s\ (iLA/ZAiii'- 
 I/ANiiin-ico DdiToi!. CON i."ai.k r.si'Ksi;. — 
 La \(t(i'. rAi!>i rnii! Di.i. AQlINA'l'O 
 
 1)1 Nl(>\() II- M(JM)0 INIIKliO CAl lI\"Al!i;I 
 
 M. F. II. 
 
 1.(1 Stcmiiui ili'l lVci:i. 
 
 ti. M:il;>chiii. 
 
I N VOCATI O N. 
 
 0»{O 
 
 TO LEO XIII., P.M. 
 
 IXDEFATIGAliLE RESTORER OF CURISTlAy PHILOSOPHY 
 
 AND TIIEOLOa y. 
 
 o>»;o 
 
 IIaII. Tliorl ON ri-.TKlt's ("IIAIll KXTIIIK)XKI) roi'K, 
 
 Tiioi Noiti.i; Scion ok tiik I'KCCI sir.jil 
 
 WolMIlY TO (iHAl'i; TIIK TitllM.K DiADK.M. — 
 TllOf Wllosr. AXCKSTIIAI, StaK, with KAY ok UOI'K. 
 (il.KAMS ItlMdllT WITHIN ITS AZKliK IIOltoSCOIM; : 
 
 Sl'AlilvI.INO Willi SIM.I.NDOI! OK I'l.M.rciD (iKM. 
 
 I'lNlS nil: lAI.I. (IDAI! Willi A (iOI.DKN IIKM,' 
 E.MHl.KM OK IIIM WlIU WITH 1>AI!K iSlN MLIST C < >1'K. 
 
 oj*:o 
 
 Tiior AIM iiiK \ i-.i;v ••Li(iiir kkom IIkavkn '" ok V(ti!K. 
 
 MV 1;I!1N's SaINII.D .MaI.ACIIV K(H!K.I't»I.I), 
 
 Kol! OKI! THY IIAI.OKI) l»l!OW WITH WINllS t NKIIM-KD 
 
 Till'. •■ ANiii'.i, OK Till'. Schools" is skk.n r<) soai; 
 
 TllMMNC IlIY IM.N Willi 1!AY OK MOI.IKX IIOI.I), — 
 
 OXCK MOKK AQl'INAS' \ OK K I N 1 II 1! AI.I.x TIIK WolJI.I) ! 
 
 M. F. II. 
 
 ' Tilt' AiiiiH cif Ihi' I'l'i'oi fill lilv. 
 
i 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ALTIIOUGir it is hut littlv ovcm- a yoiir sinco the first 
 " stroke of the ]K'n " wjis put to tiie composition of 
 this work, still I may say, with some truth, that it has been 
 in course of compilation for over a (|uartcr of a century. 
 Ever since the happy days of school-hoy life I have Ix^en 
 always on the alert to gather material. It may he called a 
 "hohhy"; it may ho called a "craze" or a "crank"; it 
 was certainly an ahsorhinj; jiassiou to gras|) with avidity 
 everything in any way hearing upon the past history 
 of our country ; every anecdote of the olden time ; every 
 scrap of manuscri})t ; every inscription or epitaph iiaving 
 the slightest pretension to anti(|uity ; evi^r}' vestige of 
 the former occupation of Newfoundland, whether civil, 
 military, or ecclesiastical, — in a word, everything 
 with the shadow of a claim to arclueological distinction 
 was immediately transferred to the note-hook or sketch- 
 hook, with a view to heing at some future day pre- 
 sented to the puhlic. Hence, it may he imagined that, 
 when at last the momentous step Avas actually resolved upon 
 to " make a l)c<>innini:"," I was confronted with that serious 
 dillicuUy so elegantly dclined hy our French writers as 
 "Am emharrassnient of wealth." Though knowing that I was 
 deficient in a great (h-al of documentary lore which I would 
 wish to ohtain, yet I was conscious ol" j)ossessing a con- 
 sidcral)le amount of information, hiuhlv intere 
 
 ■a' 
 
 heterogeneous a nature as to defy any effort at putting it 
 
 I 
 
>1 
 
 8 
 
 riJKFACE. 
 
 toijolhor ill :i conncctiHl fonii. I was thus bewildorcd as to 
 what I slioukl rcprochn'o, what ivjcct. 
 
 I at lirst attonii)ti'(l to \n'\n<x in a liTcat deal of tliis, what 
 ] may call extrinsic intbrinalioii, l)_v way of appendix or 
 notes: hut I soon found that the notes would exceed the 
 l)()dy of the work. Tiiis 1 knew would l)e a defiance of 
 all just rules of proportion, so I was oolii^-ed to invent soiiu' 
 means of incorporatinu" it into the hook. That I have not 
 always succeeded in makinii" smooth work I am fully con- 
 scious, and can only throw myscdf on the nu'rcy of the 
 indulgent reach'r. 
 
 Another very u'leat diHicully which confronted me was, 
 that my material naturally divided itsell' into two classes, of so 
 totally dill'ere >t a <liaracter that I at first llioii<rht it would 
 he hetter to make two distinct hooks. The lirst class of 
 items contained those concerniniz' the irencral (>arly history 
 of America, " qiionnu jiHir/na pars /hU" Xowfoundland, 
 and on which I felt sure 1 had sonu! facts, th(>ories, docu- 
 ments, maps, etc., never yet puhlished, wliicl-i would he 
 interestiiii:" to the ijjeneral reader, not only in Xewfound- 
 land, hilt in America and iMirope. 
 
 The second class consisted of pureh/ /oail, almost house- 
 hold, facts, anecdotes, inci<h'nts. (h'scriptions, etc., which 
 could he interesliiiii' only to Xew .oundlanders, and even to 
 only a section of them, vi/., the l^inian Catholics. 
 
 To separate the work into two hooks would, 1 saw, 
 mutilate each, and render them imperfei't ; to unite <heni I 
 feai'cd would render the hook tedious and uiiacc(^|)tahl(! to 
 many. In this dilemma I was advised by a valued and 
 experienced friend to |)ut them toii'i'ther, and let them sink 
 or swim on their merits. Thus, on this score, apiin I feel 
 it necessary to crave the reader's forhearance. 
 
 » 
 
rilEFACE. 
 
 9 
 
 When ahoutto coininence the work 1 fortmiiitely ciimo into 
 possession of an unfinished nianuseript Eeelesiastical History 
 of Newfoiuidland, by tiie Rt. Ilev. Dr. Mulh)e]<:. Tliis 
 liist('iy was never published, though tiie well-known "Lect- 
 ures (,n Xewfoundland," delivcn-ed in St. Bonaventure's 
 College, and published in pamphlet, were eoini)iled from it. 
 I at first intended to use this manuscript as a basis on which to 
 l)uild my sui)erstructure, takin<r it parajxrajjh by parauraph, 
 and introduciuii', Ji^ T went along, my own notes between 
 i»raekets. Hut so nnich historical information has come to 
 liiiht since Dr. Mullock wrote (now nearly thirty years ago, 
 18o()), that I found it (piite ini[)ractieablc, as it would })ro- 
 duce a disjointi'd and diseomiected narrative, and occasion 
 many useless repetitions. I, therefore, determined to draw 
 ui)ou the aI)ove manuscript whenever necessary, as a rule 
 makiuij: acknowledgment of it. 
 
 For the history of Ferryland I am greatly indebted to the 
 Avork of Henry Kirke, Es(|., High Shcritl" of Dcmerara, on 
 the "C'on(|uest of Canada." 1 regret, therefore, on some 
 occasions luung obliged to refute rather warndy some of that 
 irentlcman's assertions. Ilenrv Kirke is a desceiulant of Sir 
 David Kirke, who occupied Ferryland after Lord FjaUimore, 
 and dicil there. Also to Mr. Kichardson, of I'ortland, 
 Mc., U.S., for a most interesting article on Ferryland, in 
 the "Magazine of American History." 
 
 For the description of IMacentia, by Abbe Pjaudouin, I 
 owe my thanks to J. P. Howley, Es(|., ]'\(J.S., Superintend- 
 ent of th(^ Geological SurvcA' of Newfoundland, and to Mr. 
 Jack, of St. John, N.P., who coi)ied the original French 
 document from the archives of Ottawa. 
 
 1 nuist also express my gratitude to T. O'lieilly, Fs(|., J.P., 
 of Placentia, for many imi)ortant items coucerniug the 
 "Ancient Capital." 
 
10 
 
 I'UKFACE. 
 
 I ackiiowiodgo, with many thanks, the rocoption of an 
 Utitograph letter of our tirst liishop, Dr. O'Donel, as well as 
 interesting particulars of the last days and tinal reslinir-place 
 of that venerable Prelate, from his jrrand-nephew, the Kev. 
 Mr. O'Donnell, of IIarrow<;atc, Knj^iand. 
 
 To Mr. Justice Joseph I. Little my irralitude is due for a 
 large and most interesting i)ackage of letters of llie late 
 Rt. Kev. Dr. Fleming; also to the late Mrs. J. Delaney, 
 sister of Father Troy, for letters from Dr. Fleming to that 
 reverend gentleman. 
 
 From the Kevs. N. Roache and M. O. Driscoll, of AVhittles 
 Bay, I received an invaluable collection of notes from the 
 memori(>s of the late Dean Cleary. 
 
 It will be observed that the l)ook reaches down only to 
 the year 1850, and closes with the death of the Rt, Rev. 
 Dr. Fleming. My reasons for not including the episcopatt; 
 of Dr. Mullock are principally the following : — 
 
 F'irsf. I t"ear the book will l»e already ratiier too l)ulky 
 to be convenient. 
 
 Secondli/. IJeing anxious to bring out lh«' work by the 
 close of the j)resent year, so as to make it a jubilei* otl'ering 
 to our Holy Father, Leo XIII.. I could not possibly do so 
 were I to include these twenty years of our history. 
 
 T/iinU'/. I think it would bi> unworthy of the glorious 
 Fpiscopate of Dr. Mullock to tack it on, as it were, to the end 
 of a book already sutlicienlly lai'ge, even were I in a jxjsition 
 to do so, which I am not ; and this may be given as — 
 
 Foiifthh/. Tliough possessing a large numl)er of letters, 
 documents, pastorals, ])rinted addresses, and lectures of Dr. 
 Mullock, I still feel that I am very far from having sutlicient 
 material for a biography of that illustrious Pielate. If the 
 present work should prove acceptabU-, and if the necessary 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
; 
 
 PHEFACE. 
 
 11 
 
 dociunonts can l,e procuro.l, nolliing wct.l.l give. „„> .neater 
 pleasure tl.an to eompil. a "Lifo and Times of Dr. MuHock " 
 ^^ .tl. these rcMnarks, which n.ay be taken as an apolocry 
 from a neophyte in the art of hook-making,. I send forfh 
 this maiden etlbrt upon the ocvan of historical literature 
 
 I have nothino- to say of the workn.anship of Messrs. 
 Doyle and Whittl,. ; it is there to speak for itself. I , ^od 
 only say that in all business relations they have proved them- 
 se.ves most obliiri„g and satisfaetory. 
 
 M. F. iiov;ley. 
 
 Sandv Point, St. (Jkoik.k's I!av, 
 
 Wkst Nkwfoindi.an:), 
 The Fi-ast of St. Mirliad, Sept-mLor a.. 1SS7. 
 
 J 
 
*$> 
 
C O N T E N 1^ S . 
 
 II) 
 
 CIIAITKH 1. 
 
 INTRODUCTOKY. 
 
 I'AliE 
 
 Spirit of Gooirraiiliical Hcscarcli Aroused in tiic Fil'tcciitli reiitiiry — 
 TlieArt of I'l'iiitiiiii liixonlcd by a (icniian Calliullc — rnlair 
 Criticisins ol" I'rotcslaiil Wrilfis — 'riic rolviilni Print iiiii ( HIlci! 
 of I'l'opa.iianila — 'I'iir I'lipcs tlir Ijicnnraiicrs of Science anil Dis- 
 covery — 'I'lieir (ireal {'olilical I'ower — Character of Colnnibns 
 — His Desire for (iold I'",x|)lained — Missionary Si)ii'il of tiie 
 Karly .\a\ iirators — (iiain plain — His IJeli^rions Sentiment — I'ei'e 
 Le ('ler(|. O.S.K. — Capt-'i" I!i<'liard Wliithonrnt — His I^ntlui- 
 siasni for Newfoinidland — His Anxiety for the Conversion of 
 the Ivcd Indians — Tile Instltntion of the •■ Proparjainln Fide" — • 
 Contrast between the above-mentioned N'oyayers and Sir Hiiin- 
 plirey CJilbert 23 
 
 (ilAPTKR II. 
 
 rRE-Col.r.MlUAN \'()VA(ii:s.— [SOO- 111)7.] 
 
 Ti'Uditions of a Western Land — I'rophecy of Seneca — Senecii and 
 Colnuibns, a Coincidence — I'lato's •• .Mlantis " — X'oyaict' of St. 
 Urendan — St. .Malo — Catholic Missions in Iceland — 'I'he Flato 
 Sana. .V.l). SiK) — Discovery of (ireenland by (inniba'rn. ssi; — . 
 Uediscovery by l'",ric UiUid. '.iso — Discovery of .\merica by 
 l$jarni. lis.") — I.abi-ador, Newfoinidland, Nova Scotia, Discovered 
 l)y Lief. KiiMi— It Myla, or (Jreat Ireland — A'cstia-es of an Irish 
 Colony in .Vnierica — I'.piscopal Sees in (ireenland. loiM to 1 loi; — 
 Voyaice of /elio, l.'iso — Keliques of John (itiy's Colony at 
 
 Cliper's Ci^ve. or Ciipid': 
 
 ( ii.vri'Kii III. 
 
 COLU.MIiUS -VNK \\\> I'ol.l.l lUi:!!.-^. — [1 li)7 l.'i:!!.] 
 
 Discovery of Newfoundland by Cabot- (abot's Map Shown to be 
 Tampered with — The N;iiiie Ildcculno — lielic id' I'.arly .\nsslon- 
 ary — Corlereal — Map of N'arrese from the \'aticaii — St. .lohn's 
 
 IJeconies Important. 1." 
 
 Tile Aboiiu'ine- 
 
 Their Name. I>eo- 
 
 tlnicU- — Knthlessly Shot down — Their ( ha racier, lieliirion. etc. — 
 
14 
 
 roxTKN rs. 
 
 Kiuiv Maps of llif Cniiiitry — Map of JiTdinc N'ci'az/.aiio, !o2S — 
 or IJihtro, l.v.'ii — Ancit'iit Map in Moriiian Musciiiii. I'ropuiramla 
 — •• I)i\i(liiii; Line" (liawn l)\ rope Ali'xandiT \'l.. ir.t;5 . 47 
 
 CIIAI'IHW IV. 
 
 .i.\((jUKs CAiiTiKii.— []ri;!i-ir.ii.] 
 
 Ncfrli'i't ol (oloiiics \)\ Knjjlaiid — Henry lui'kc licriili'd — Catnolic 
 Countrii's ICiicoiiraKc Coloiii/.ation — .Iac(im's (.'artiur's N'oyajres, 
 l.");U-;i.">-- A.rivcs at Calaliiia — First Mass in NcwfomullaiHl — 
 Calliolic Missions in America — 'i'estiniony of Hancroft — ('artier 
 Enters tlie Straits of Helle Isle and Explores the St. Lawrence — 
 Old Fort — Anticosli, Hay Clialenr — Sajineiiay, (inel)t'c, etc. — 
 BettU'nu'nt l)y John (iny in Conceptiiin Hay .... (17 
 
 i 
 
 CIIAITKU V. 
 
 JOHN c;uY's skttlkmkxt.— [Kiio-uius.] 
 
 Failnro of .lolin (iny's ("olony — Intercomse with lied Indians — 
 Cruel Treatinent of them by F.niilisli Sailors — Dillicidties 
 lietwcen Planters and I^'ishenuen — Wliithonrne Arri\es as Com- 
 missioner, 1(!I"> — .lolni (iny Aliandons his Colony and Keturns 
 to Kniiiand — \\'irnl)onrne Sent out l)y Dr. X'autrhan to P'ouinl a 
 Colonv at F'errvland. lilj.s — Calvert's N'iews on Colonization 
 
 >ik 
 
 7X 
 
 CI I A IT KK VI. 
 
 FKUI!VI..\NI).^ [l(ilS-l(',i>L>.] 
 
 Sir Cteorite Calvert — Ills Karly Career — Bancroft's 15i;rotry — Cal- 
 vert's ('oiiversi(m — His I'.ntimsin'-ni — •• .V IJaltimore Penny" — 
 Colony of .Maryland — Lord Maltimore's Spirit of Toleration — 
 Pt'iseculion of Popery hy the Protest;uil Parliament. l(i,")4 
 
 ,s;{ 
 
 C'JlAl'l'KW \II. 
 
 ForxnATION OF Fi:i!l!VI..\M). - [l(l'_>2-ir)'J,S.] 
 
 Foundation ol' l^'erryland Colony — Lord lialtiniore's Patent — Its 
 KxlenI — Edward Wynne. I''irst (io\crnor — .Meaniniiof the Name 
 '• Fcri'yland " - - Description of Settlement from Captain Powell — 
 Sir .Vrihur .V'^iiton .\rri\cs. May. l(li.'7 — EoihI l>;dtimori' .Vrrives in 
 F'erryland. .luly L':'.. li;'_'7 — HriMjfs out .lesnil Priesl> — Catholic 
 Keliuiiin I'.-.lal)lislied — Mass Cctchrated Daily — Indiitnation of 
 the .Vnirliean Ministi'r. I{ev. Mr. Slourton — His Expulsion from 
 the Colony — Calxerl .\rrives. Second Time, with his Lady and 
 Familv. KI'.'s 
 
 ^3 
 
 !t4 
 
, 
 
 •CONTKNTS. 16 
 
 CIIAPTKH VIII. 
 
 FKHHYLANI), CuiitiiiKKl.— [I(t'>S-l(;(!0.] 
 
 PAIiR 
 
 Causes (»1" llic Failure of tlie Ferrv' ■ id Colony — Lady IJaltiuiore 
 Leaves for Maryland — Lord ISaltiniore Follows, lii'J'.i — Lady Malti- 
 uiore Lost at Sea — IJaltimore IJefuses to Take the Oatli of AUe- 
 giiiiice as Proposed ljy (io\<'riior I'ott of .laiuestowii — lie Ketiirns 
 to Knjjiaud and Dies, lii;{2 — Sir \\ . Alexander Founds N'ova 
 Scotia, Hl'i" — French Ilui^iienots — Claude iV- St. Ktiemie — Sir 
 David l\irk( — He Captures Hie French Fleet al (iaspe — (^iiehcc 
 Capitulates. KiL'li — Kirke is Hefused his I'ri/e-iiioney — Kirkeaiid 
 Haltiinore Contrasted — Kirke I{ecei\i's a<iraiit of I'erryland. and 
 .Vrrives in Newfoundland. Kills — L'econstrui'ts the Seltlcineiit 
 — Tlie Seven Years' War in Hn,i:;laiid — Kirke is Arrested, IC'il — 
 .Vnd Deprived of his Colony — Me Keinriis to Newfoundland, 
 l(ir>:! — And Dies at Fcrrylaiid, n;.')i;— His Ciiaraeter — Cecil, 
 .Second Lord Maitiniore. Keeovers Possession of l''errylaiid. liJtid — 
 I'olicv of liritain Detrimental to tlie .Vdvani'eineiit of llieCouiUrv. Hil> 
 
 ciiArri:i{ ix. 
 
 MISSIONAl IF..S 1\ CAN.VDA. 
 
 [i(;i()-i()7().. 
 
 I'lacciilia — Description of Seltleniciii l)y Di-. Mnilnck — Fonnded hy 
 the French loliii before KICO — Docniiient Siiiiied liy Louis XI \'. — 
 .Moiiscii::nciir de Laval. First Bishop of (Quebec — .Mi;r. ^U' .St. 
 X'allier. Second liisiiop — Defence of the .Icsnits — Sctlleiiieiit id' 
 I'ort lioyal. l(!ll-l."> — Arri\al of the I'ranciscjins at (iueliec, li;i.". 
 — -.Missionary Laliors of IVre le Caroii anionn' tlie Indians — 
 Henri. Due de Levis, hitroduces the Jesuits to (^ueliec. l(!2(i — 
 Jesuits conlially Ueeeived hy the Franciscans — Henry Kirke's 
 Stateiiient to the Contrary Kefuted — lieliirioiis Withdrawn on 
 Captuii' of (^ncl)ec by Sir David Kirke. 1(>21> — Jesuits K'eturn 
 jifter Trcatx of St. ( ierniaiii-cn-Lave. l(;;'>i' — l''ranciscaiis in IflTn. 
 
 12.S 
 
 ;ii.\!'ii:i{ \. 
 
 i'i.A( i:niia.- [iiifio-Kino.] 
 
 I'^xtent of the Dioceseof (Quebec - Mirr. de St. Vallicr A'isiis I'laceiitia, 
 Kis'.l. and l^'ouiuisa Franciscan Com cut tliere — rroiil)lcd Stale of 
 Newfoundland — Kncroaclinicnls of liie French — Olistruction 
 Policy of Fniiland — Placentia .Utacked iiiiMicce^sfully by Coni- 
 niodore Williams — St. John's .\ttaeked l)y the French, liliil 
 — 'riu; Whole Island, except ( 'arlionniere and IJonavista. Captured 
 by D'lber\ ille. KiDil — (irapliic .\ccount of this Ivxpedition by Sieiir 
 Uaudouin. Military Chaplain — Capture of Ferryhmd. Hay Hulls, 
 
16 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 ') 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Ti'lty IIar))()r, St. .lolm's, Torlmy, Kt'iivull, ''ortujtal Cove, 
 llarhor Men. Hrii;:!!!', CarlioiiniiTc. Ili'vrcdi' (iracc. IIa\ rt' ('onti-iit, 
 15ay ViT. Moil IV'iiican. t'Ic. — I'inal Di'cadciU'o of Fri'iicli Power 
 In the Wo.stL'ni World 141 
 
 '»,.! 
 
 CII.VPrKK XI. 
 
 CATHOLICITY AFTER TliH TIM'-AIY OF FTREC TIT.— [1090-1728.] 
 
 Treaty of rireeht. 171."> — Conditions, FrciM-li all(Mved to Dcjiart or 
 beeoiiie Hritisli Snl)je(Is — Catliolie [{eiiirion ])iil)licly Practised in 
 Newfoundland — The Fishini; Admirals — (.)p|)osition of the Mer- 
 ehants to tlic A|i|)i)iiinncnt of a (iovernor-- Appointment of the 
 First (Jovei'nor, Captain Henry Osborne, 17L*8 .... I(i3 
 
 CIIAPTKR XII. 
 
 ltKl>I(;i()US rERSKC'UTlON.— [17J.S-17('.l>.] 
 
 Governor ()sl)orne — Hostile .Vttitnde nf the Merchants towards tiie 
 Proi^ress of the Connlry — I'erseculini; Fnaetments of the (io\- 
 ernors — (;.>vein(;r Dorrii il7."i."i) Persecutes the Catiioiics — 
 Conllscations and Fines at Ilarlior Main — Caiitnre of the Island 
 hy tile Frenili. 17(;l' — Final l>ecai)tnre by tiie Fnt;lish . 
 
 •r* 
 
 CIIAP'IM-:!? XIII. 
 
 KFLl(;i()i:s PF1!SF.(T'TI()X, CoiifiiiiitiL— [I7(;:i-\7i^i.] 
 
 Treaty of Paris, 17ii:'. — Its Disastrous I",ll'cci on l''rance — Persecution 
 of tlie Catholic", inidcr (ioxernors Palliser, .Shnldliam. Dull', 
 and iMlwards — First Irish .Missionaries — Hev. I'atliers Cain. 
 LoiieriLan. Dalh. liourl'ic. Wliflan, Ili'ani. and .\. Ck'arv 
 
 (II.M'I'KIJ XIV. 
 
 III". IU:\. DK. 0T10XE1., I'liKIF.i T APOSTOLIC— [1784-1704.] 
 
 Appointment of I'atiu"- O'Donel. I'irsi Prefect Apostolic — State of 
 the Conntry — Uioaraph.\ of Fatlier O'Donel — Foundation of 
 "The Old Cha|)el " — Persecution not yet Ceased — Uiu'oted Con- 
 duct of Surroaate Captain I'ellu — I'.xtraoiMlinary letter of (iovern- 
 or .Millianlvc — Father O'DoncTs Letters to Dr. Troy, Arclil)ishop 
 of l)ul)lin — Friendly .Vction of <;o\ernor Waldeirrave and .Indue 
 Advocate Keeves — (ireal lulluence Aci|nired l)y the Hishop — He 
 tinells a -Mutiny anions: Hie Military — licastly Character of 
 I'riiice William. Duke of Cl.irenct — He .\ssaults the Bishop 
 
 IS.- 
 
 J- 
 
,! 
 
 r 
 
 « 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 (IIAITKH XV. 
 
 li'i. ifKV. i)i:. (fDoNi'i,, riHST msnoi'.— [1791-1801.] 
 
 I'A(iK 
 
 Mt'iiiorial t»f the CliT^v loliiivc Fatlicr ( ('Doiiel made IMsliop — lie i> 
 .\pp()lnt('(l X'icar Apostolic, and ( 'onsccrali'd IMsliop at liiu'lx'c — 
 1,1'ltcr III" Kallicr Yon- — Address of I lie Mcrclianis and Cilizciis of 
 SI. .luliii's to Dr. (I'Doiicl — 111' \'i>ils I'laccniia and Administers 
 Conllnimtion — Diocosau Statiiti's — Lovalty of tiu- Catliolies . I'.MI 
 
 cHArrKii XVI. 
 
 RT. HKV. 1)1!. O'DONEL, Con/hno,'.- [\m\-\H{)r,.] 
 
 Estal)lis]nui'nt of rarislics and Districts — State of tlie Coiniii'v — 
 ••The Old Cliapel"— ••Tlie Old Palace "— Ketiremenl of Dr. 
 O'Doiiel — Appointment of Dr. l.anibiTt — Testimony of ll"<pi'ct 
 to Df. o'Donel on leaving: tlie Country — Mairnaninions Conduct 
 of tile Mercliants and Inliabilants — CInii'lisli Conduct of (ioveiiior 
 (iowef — Dr. (>"Donei deceives a I'l'iision of C'lO pfr Aniiiim — 
 Ills l)ei)arture from tlie Isiaiid. Last Days, Death (l.sll), 
 E|iilapli — Heview of liis Episcopati — Personal Character . L'0(i 
 
 cii.vrrKii XVII. 
 
 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION'S. 
 
 The •• Henevolonf Irisli Society " — Tlie ■ Orplian .\sylum" — State 
 of Education in the Island — Its N'arious I'li.ases Traced — 
 The Ii'ish Society's Schools — FatluT IMeminir I'.ndeavofs to 
 j^et Couli'ol of tlieni. l.s^.'lt — Protestant I'^ducational Institu- 
 tions — I'irst Education .\ct. isi;! — iMumdalion of Pi-otestant 
 and Catliolic Colleues. isll — (ieiieral ,\cadeniy of St, .lolin'> 
 — Eoruiation of the l{oiuaii Calhi>lic, Chufeli of I'.nirland. and 
 (ieneral Pi'otestanl .Vcademies, ls,"iO — Openini,'' of St. IJoua- 
 veiitnre's Collciji'. l.s,'i,"> — Estalilishuienl of \\'e-.lryan Academy, 
 ls,"i,s — Dr. Miillocl<\ X'iew- oil Education — ■■The Monk"." — 
 The Christian Brothers . , . 
 
 (•ll.M'I'KH XVIII. 
 
 IJT. 1!KV. 1)1!. LAMUEUT, SECOND lUSlIOP. — [ISOG-ISIT.] 
 Dr. Lanil)ert — His Visitation of Conception Hay and Eerryland- 
 
 i 
 
 lie Eiilaryies the '• OUl Chapel " — Delicate State of Health — lie 
 Kesiiius ill Favor of Dr, Seailan 
 
 ■2:W 
 

 i« 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CilAI'THH XIX. 
 
 HT. UKV. [)R. SC.VLL.VN, TIIIIM) Itl.SI 101*.— [1817-18^0.] 
 
 Dr. riiuiiiiis Scnlliin — His ("onsocriUloii in VVi-xford — Arrives in 
 Ncwi'dundland, iHld — I'rirsts in tlic Island at tliat Tinio — 
 llis Hci)<>rt of tlic .Mission to I'ropaKuuda — Cliaractcr of Dr. 
 .Scaiian — Kxi'css of Liberality — Dr. Hourlve appointed First 
 IJisliop of Nova .Scotia — Deeiininii Heaitli of Dr. Scallan — 
 .Vccounts for liis \V'eal<ness of I'nrpose— .Seeivs a Coadjutor 
 — Fatlier 'Michael .Vntliony Fleinini; is .\pi)ointed and (Conse- 
 crated in tlie "Old Ciiaijei." ISL'ii — Deatli and Hurial of Dr. 
 Scaiian — llis .Monument in tiie Cathedral — Heview of his 
 Episcuputo 
 
 240 
 
 CIIAPTKK XX. 
 
 LAHR.VDOR. 
 
 Ori^iinof tlu^ Name — Population — .Moravian Missionaries — .Vntieosti 
 .\nnexe(l to tlie Diocese of St. .lohn's — Division of I'arislies — 
 Inci'ease of Catholieitv 24'.t 
 
 tilAlTKH XXI. 
 
 I!T. ItKV. DK. ll.KMIXC, I'OrHTll HLSIIOP.— [1820-1833.] 
 
 Connneneenienl of Dr. Fleminif's F.piscopate — State of tlie Colony 
 — Catholic F.i.iancipation — Its F.tlect on Irishmen .Vhroad — In- 
 loUranct' in St. .Jolm's — De;iradinu: Taxes — Fimeral and Mar- 
 riage Fees Imposed on Catliolics — Dr. Fieminif Kefiises to I'ay 
 tliem — Kedivision of Parishes — .Vrrival of Nine New Mission- 
 arii's, Fathers Troy. Nowlan, Bcrney. 1'. Cleary, etc. — Dr. Fleni- 
 inii Presents Memorial in Favor of I'jnaneipation — Forwards 
 Siil)scription to the O't'onnell l^'und — His Lil)(.'ralily towards 
 Dissenters — t)l)tains for them Keliiiions Libertv .... 
 
 ii,- 
 
 cn.vprKH XXII. 
 
 THE PHHSENT.VriOX Nl'N.S.— [1833.] 
 
 The Presentation Nuns — .Motlier Maiidalen's Narrative — Journey to 
 Diil)lin — Waterford — \'oyau;e to Newfoundland — Openin;; of 
 tlie Schools — Tlie Presentation Convent — "The Fire of '4(1" — 
 Convent Dt'stroyed — New Convent and Scliools Erected — First 
 Heliiiioiis Reception — Jubilee, 18;$3-i54 — Other Conventual Es- 
 tahlishnients in .\merica 
 
 A? 
 
(! 
 
 CONTKNTS. 
 
 19 
 
 w I 
 
 PAliK 
 
 ;!oi 
 
 (ilAlTKH XXIV. 
 
 Till-: (.VniKDUAI,.— [18;!fi-lSI!).] 
 
 CoiniiU'iiccinciit of llif Catlu'dral — Dilliciilty <>l' Ohliiiiiiny: (iroiind — 
 Hoceptidii (if Dr. KIciiiiiiir nii liis Wciiini Ifom Itoinc — I-'iirtlitT 
 Didlciiltics plai'cd in liis Way — lie iii'tiini^ to Kii;;lan(l in Winter. 
 ls;!s — ( '(tri'csiiondcncc rclalin^t to Catlicdral (iroinid — AnsIsI- 
 ftiu'i' UcndiTcd l)y tiic Irish raiiianicntary I'arly, OX'oiincll. 
 Lyiicii. Muorc o'Kcrrall — Katlicr 'I'roy .Vppoinlcd X'icar (icnci'al 
 — Letter from Dr. 1-Meniiny: to liini — Tlie (ironnd for Catiiedral 
 secured — KiiliiMsiasni of file I'eopii — Mnllins' (iliost — Miel\le\ 
 ••('ro<)l<ed l''urrony;li " — Keneinii in tlieCroiind — Preparation 
 of Materiais for llie Cathedral — Layiny t lie Koundatioii Stone. 
 l,s(l — Cnnipletion of tlie ( 'athedral ...... 
 
 ;i:.7 
 
 cn.vp'iKU XXV. 
 
 Till-: .Mi;i{( Y .NUN'S.— [18;i7-lS.-|().] 
 
 Tersecntion of Dr. Kleniin;:- — Tlie •• Secret Allidavits" — His \'isitto 
 Home — Honor Conferred on liini l)y tiic I'ope — .appointed 
 Domestic Trelate to His Holiness and .\ssislant at the rontilical 
 'rin'on( — lntroducti(Mi of tlie Sisters of .Mercy. 1842 — .Vrrival 
 of the Xuns — Knthnsiastie Ueception — Sister Francis Crecdon — 
 Sister .I<)si'i)li Xnjreiit — Mother Mary \'incent — 'I'lie " Faniinc 
 Fever." 1S48— The Cholera. IS.m;— 'I'lie Orplianaire — .Motller 
 Xavier — 'I'lie .New < trplianaire — St. Mride's .\cadeiiiy 
 
 ;?(l.-i 
 
 
 (ii.\rrKi{ XXVI. 
 
 roLITICS.— [18.3'2-KS;!8.] 
 
 fieneral Review — State of I'olitics — Petition for Home Rul(> — Local 
 Leirislature (Jranted, is;i2 — First Flections — ■Indfio Boulton — 
 Alliiir of Drs. Carson and Keilly — Patrick .Morris, Fs(|., Attacks 
 
20 
 
 CONTKNTS. 
 
 the .liidirr ill llic Assfiiililv — M»'«isrs, Nnirciii. Keiii. and Carson 
 .\|>|Miliii('(| It l)('li';;iiti<>ii to London on tlii' lionlloii Casi' — Dr. 
 Flcinliiy's \'it'\vs on llic Siilijcct — IlisCJi-fal liitliiciicc al lloiiii'. 
 and in l,ocal I'olltifs — .Iiidi;;c noidtoii ('ondfiiiiifd and lU'iiiovcd, Jl'H 
 
 (IIAPTKH XXVM. 
 
 AFTKii "Till; Fim;."-[isi7-i8r)0.] 
 
 SiitliTiiiUN of tlic Clti/.i'iis — •• Tlic Camps" — (ii'iicroslty of tlu- 
 IVopli' in Siiiiscriiiiiii,' to llic IJclifl' ol" tlic l''ainliu'-Stricl\i'n in 
 Iffland — Dr. Flciniiiir Applies for a Coaiijiiloi — Fatlur .1. 
 T. .Miillocix, O.S.F., .appointed — .Vri'ivcs in Ncwfoiindatui. .Mav, 
 isj.s — Newfoundland Fivcti'd into a Diocese, to lie .Vinicxcd 
 to the I'rovliice of Qnehec — Dr. Fleiiiinii olijccts to this .\r- 
 ran^fciiieiit. also Dr. .Mullock— .Vrraiifieiiuiit Wi'scimled l>y lioiiie 
 
 — I'roji'i'l "I '•'■ Colonial Kccleslastical Seniinar\ — It is ( ip- 
 poscd liy Dr. Flcinini; — lie (iivi's his Keiisoiis — His rrejudice 
 ajraliist a Cohtiiial I'riestliood — Nohle Views of Dr. .MiiUock on 
 this Siilijcct — I'",stal)lishincnt of St. lionaxt-ntiire's CoUc.mc— Dis- 
 tinjiuishcd N<'\vfoiiiidlaiid I'riests .Miroad — Kevs. '1". Hrown, S..I., 
 P. Ryan. S.,I.. L. Kavanaifh, S..I.. and .1. Meiiiiett. C.S.S.U.— Tlio 
 " First Native Priest "—Fatlur 1'. Mcairlifr. S.,1.— l{ev. .Messrs. 
 (Jreeiie, Miilloy, Il()y;aii — Sister M. Baptist, First •• Native Nun" 
 
 — Uev. .Jiiines Brown. First .Vctiial Missionary Born in the 
 Country — I,ast Days of Dr. Flcminir— lie Celel)rates the I''irst 
 Mass in tlie Cathedral — Ills Death and Funeral . . . . 
 
 '.SI 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 ;!:i7 
 
"ST 0¥ ILLUSTIUTIONS. 
 
 t! 
 
 Ut. Ki:v. I),;. F,.,:,,,^,, 
 
 Zi:.\(.'s Mu\ 1(00 . 
 •"^i:itA.sTn.s ('u,,,r . 
 
 «i:"AST..VN Cviinrs .Mu-, III,, 
 
 '*<'X (r<)\i.:i{;, 
 
 l!<'\ I IK H TOM) 
 
 \'ati( w M^,. 
 
 •"•n..x,.; Mu. ,.„• Vkkka.ax., 
 •'a<«^ii:s Cm:, 11:1; ; 
 
 ''<>I!I> I'>AI.TlM,)|;i; 
 
 n' 
 
 \m:i;\ii.i.i: \',.ssy 
 
 "ai!i:'.s Ku!s . 
 
 r'"" ''''''■'■■''"""■» ^■™— ...»«,-,„„■ ;: ^ 
 
 '''"W.N OK I'l.ullNTlA 
 
 
 '"I'm: oi.i. I'u.M,-/ 
 
 I'AdE 
 
 frontispiece. 
 
 I'^acituj 2;! 
 
 . 4-> 
 
 48 
 
 r.i 
 . r>.> 
 
 facing {■,{', 
 (lit 
 7!) 
 
 ,s.-, 
 
 sr 
 100 
 
 <J 110 
 
 IL'f 
 
 Facinij 1(2 
 Facing |.-,o 
 
 ^^'• KKV. n.. ,„u,...K '"^'l'^'— -B.VV racing ,,;.; 
 
 C'"v «>!■• St. .(..u.n-s ' ■ ■ ^""WiC 21(4 
 
 Cathi:i)I!a,, ,„.. Sr. j„„,, .,,,, ,. '''^""^ -'i-fO 
 
 21 ./ - 
 
\ J: 
 
 » •*- ' "'^. 
 
 
 K./' 
 
 
 .1 IVuaKuMt,' 
 
 
 Ji^ • 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 VI.'' -nx' 
 
 ,' f- •■■-,' I 
 
 
 
 .^ 
 
 
 I,. 
 
 . s 
 
 v; 
 
 i • 
 
 
 "^-■f^'I^'., 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 Bteaii^iMMBAM 
 
 ma 
 
'! Il 
 
 fir- 
 
 '-»»«<« -i^: 
 
 
 
 fi |tTlHv/'V 
 
 A 
 
 S'lTltH H yiKa ■»? 
 
 
f— J 
 
 Ju 
 
 — (J* 
 
 ft 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 or 
 
 NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 Spirit of Geographical Research Aroused in tlie Fifteenth Century — The Art of Print- 
 ing Invented by a (icrman Catholic — Unfair Criticisms of Protestant Writers — 
 The Polyglot Printing Office of Propaganda — Tiie Popes the Encouragers of 
 Science :iud Discovery — Their Gi'cat Political Power — Character of Columbus — 
 Il'a Desire for (Jold Explained — Missionary Spirit of the Early Navigators — Cham- 
 plain — His Religious Sentiment — Pcre Lo Clcrq, O.S.F. — Captain Richard 
 Whitbnuvno — His Enthusiasm for Newfoundland — Ilis Anxiety for the Con- 
 version of the Red Indians — The Institution of the " Propaganda Fide" — Contrast 
 between the above-mentioned Voyagers and Sir Humphrey Gilbert. 
 
 I 
 
 ■M 
 
 :t < 
 
 rt 
 
 I 
 
 IN reading the accounts of the voyages of those heroic 
 men who, towards the close of the fiftoenth century, 
 foUowing in the wake of the great Columbus, sallied forth 
 upon the unknown deej) in search of new worlds, we can- 
 not but be struck with the strong religious spirit, amounting 
 almost to enthusiasm, which animated them in all their 
 glorious enterprises. 
 
 This i)articular point of history marks the commencement 
 of what may be called " The Great Transformation Scene " 
 of the world's drama : the transition from the romantic 
 epoch which men are pleased to call " the dark ages," to the 
 utilitarian period, which seems to have reached its culmina- 
 tion in this our nineteenth century. 
 
 23 
 
I. / 
 
 24 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 It was the diiwn of a now era, when the liinco and the lute 
 of the knii^ht-troubjidour bof^an to <^ivo place* to the pen and 
 the lodjrcr of (he accountart. Men were heiiinninsr to seek 
 something besides honor a. d jJjlory as the reward of their 
 labors, and were no lon<;er satis'ied with the wave of a silken 
 kerehief from some " fayre hub e" innnured in castle-keep. 
 
 We behold the first erop[)ln^ up of the practical view of 
 matters which has become paramount in these modern times, 
 and which immediately considers things from a tinancial 
 stand-point, asking such pertinent (juestions as "Will the 
 venture ^;oy ? '" "Are there likely to be any dividends?" 
 "What are the risks and prol)abilities of success or failure?" 
 etc. 
 
 The great development of thought and the spirit of enter- 
 prise, which manifested themselves al.'out this time, have been 
 generally attributed to a sudden awakening from darkness to 
 light ; from the dim shadows of the sui)erstition and ignorance 
 of the middle ages to the full sunburst of modern enlighten- 
 ment. It is not our object to dwell diffusely on this subject 
 here. The theme is daily handled by our best Catholic 
 writers. It is enough to say that such is not a correct view 
 of the intellectual and scientitic awakening of the fifteenth 
 century. It was, in fact, but another step in the gradual and 
 regular onward march made by mankind through the course 
 of centuries. The human race was ever steadily advancing 
 in the path of progress. One century beheld a particidar 
 region of knowledge subdued and taken i)()ssessi()n of; the 
 next, another. That century is remarkable for con(|uests in 
 the domain of astronomy ; this, for its crcj'.f ions in the world 
 of art ; another, for the spread of colonization. 
 
 The period of which we are now writing was signalized by a 
 wondrous sjjirit of geographical research. Men were desirous 
 of finding out the extent of this, their earthly habitation, and 
 of exploring it to its utmost limits. 
 
 The magic art of printing, invented towards the middle of 
 the century, is considered by many as one of the great causes 
 of modern civilization and enlijrhtemncnt. No doubt this is 
 
 ; 
 
 1 I 
 
mmmsi 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 25 
 
 true ; hut it ought to ho looked upon rather as the eftbet of th(5 
 desire, so strongly existing in tlu^ world at the time, of eoni- 
 nuuiieating knowledge and bringing minds intoeonvcrso with 
 eaeh other. " This invention " (says Sir Walter Scott, h}' the 
 mouth of (Jaleoth, in "(.^uentin Durwiird") '' niay he likened 
 to a young tree, which in succeeding ages shall hea'" fruit as 
 fatal yet as ])recious as that of Eden, . . . changing the 
 whole form of social life, establishing aiul overthrowing 
 religions, erecting and destroying kingdoms ! " Flipi)ant 
 writers are accustomed to glor}' over this invention as " the 
 delivery from monkish superstition and ignoraiu-e." The 
 poor monks, who for centuries had sjuMit their lives in coi)y- 
 ing and presiu-ving aiul nudtiplying the nuuuiscripts of pre- 
 ceding ages, are scoffed and j(!er(!d at as heing now at last 
 dei)rived of the power of "concealing their knowledge from 
 the world." Even such a brilliant and generally fair-minded 
 writer as AVashington Irving cannot do Justice to this subject. 
 lie says (" Life of Columbus," Book I., Cha}). I.) : " During a 
 long night of moid<isli bigotry and false learning, geograi)hy, 
 with other sciences, had been lost to European nations. . . . 
 And" (Chap. VT.) "the recent invention of printing . 
 drew forth learning from libraries and convents. . . . Vol- 
 imies of information, . . . '•arefully treasured up and /I'ej)/ 
 out of reach of tlie iudigod sch )lar, . . . were now in every 
 hand." The taunt is most unjvist, besides being unintelligible. 
 If the nioidvs had not "treasured up " this learning, hy years 
 of lahor and study, it would not have been there "in libraries 
 and convents" for the art of printing to "draw forth.'' 
 Surely, then, we owe gratitude, not contemi)t, to the un- 
 wearying copyists ! 
 
 Such writers also forget that the very art itself of print- 
 ing we owe to a devout C\'ith<)lie man, Laurentius, cnstox, 
 or oedituus, of the Cathedi-al of Haarlem ; and instead of the 
 monks and priests endeavoring to retard science, or check 
 the spirit of enterprise and discovery, it was quite the 
 contrary. When Christopher Columbus had pleaded in vain 
 for eighteen years, at the courts of kings and the castles of 
 
26 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 N 
 
 
 \l\ 
 
 :i 
 
 the nobility, for assistiincc to ciirry out his greiit dosij^n of 
 the discovery of ii new world, he was treated with con- 
 temptuous disdain by those proud and wealthy men ; and it 
 was from a humble friar of the Order of f*'t. Francis, Fra 
 Juan Perez, and a Dominican monk, Doni Diego de Deza, 
 that he received encouragement to persevere. And the 
 Catholic Church, so far from fearing or seeking to suppress 
 the art of printing, seized with avidity upon it. Editions of 
 the Bible and other ivliijfious and scientitic books b(><;an at 
 once to pour forth from Catholic universities and i)rinting- 
 houses in Germany, England, France, and Italy. 
 
 In Rome the celebrated ])olyglot print ing-otlice of Propa- 
 ganda was established by the Pope, which has since become 
 the most wonderful institution of the kind in the Avorld. It 
 l)ul)lishes works in fifty-live difterent languages, not only 
 works of spiritual doctrines, scripture, and theology, but 
 grammars and dictionaries of the various languages. There 
 are tyjie fonts for twenty-seven European, twenty-two 
 Asiatic, three American, and three African languages. 
 There are two sets of Chinese characters, each of which con- 
 tains fen tJiousund letters or symbols. In the year 1870 the 
 "Our Father" was printed in an album in two hundred and 
 tifty different languages and dialects, and in one hundred 
 and eighty (lillcrent sets or fonts of characters. In 1860 to 
 1870 the celebrated Vatican I)ible, called the Codex Vali- 
 canus, Avas reproduced in fac-siniile in the beautiful sticho- 
 metrical ^y\^G of the tilth century. 
 
 Pope Imioc(>nt VIII., a man of enlightened views and a 
 fellow-citizen of Columbus, stood also his tirm friend, and 
 gave his pontifical blessing to his expedition. 
 
 The Popt^s were ahva^'s foren^ost in every undertaking 
 which tended to advance science* or enlarge the sphere of 
 man's knowledge. They Avere, in fact, bound to do so by a 
 double obligation : First, as the divinely appointed guar- 
 dians of men's souls. Secondly, as the most i)owerful and 
 influential sovereigns in the world. AVhenevcr a new 
 country was discovered, the right of the Pontiffs to the 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 27 
 
 i 
 
 spiriliiiil dominion thereof wms not for ii nionunit (lucstioiied, 
 even l)y the Stsite or Sovonngn to whoso kin<r<lom the new 
 liiiids were annexed und the new peoples sulxhiod. Nuy, 
 more, the superior rijjjiit or power wus aeknowledged in 
 the Pop(! to eompel civil prinees to do jiistic(^ to their suh- 
 jeets, and to fulfil their duties to (iod ; and to i)uiiish them 
 by interdict, and even dethronement, in case of defalcation 
 or contumacy. However much modern writers may fume 
 und chafe over this assumed power and arrogance of the 
 Popes, as they call it, it woidd he far more phil()so{)hical 
 to look the facts straight in the faces, and to admit that, 
 whether right or wrong, the deposing j)ower was freely con- 
 ceded to the J'opes by the soviu'eigns themselves; and they 
 were the first, in case of ditBculty, to appeal to the Pope for 
 redress. All were willing that the Poi)e should exercise his 
 supreme power ui)on their neighbors, but it was only when 
 they felt its pressure u})on themselves that they considered it 
 rather inconvenieiit. On the discovery of new eouniricss, 
 then, the Popes, mindful of the spiritual charge to teach all 
 nations, s(!nt forth at once their missionaries. Ilenco we 
 find the envoys of the Cross following hard upon the hoels 
 of the concpiering legions or in i\w Avake of the adventhrous 
 exi)lorer. Thus, no sooner had the illustrious, travller, 
 ]\Iarco Polo, returned from the distant lands of India ^A.D. 
 1247) than Po[)e Innocent IV. (Usspatched two friars, 
 Carpini and Ascelin, as apostolic ambassadors, to })roeure 
 the conversion of that great nation. 
 
 The discovery of foreign coimtries, and the extension of 
 commerce and diffusion of wealth aecruini; therefrom, mav 
 be looked upon as the remoti' cause of the spirit of infidelity 
 and indifferent ism so sadly ])revalent in those times. But 
 this great change did not take i)lace all of a sudden ; hence 
 we tind in the exi)lorers of the tifteenth and sixteenth centu- 
 ries what seems sometimes an incongruous mixtuns of worldly 
 and religious motives. 
 
 Colund)us himself, though he never ceased to speak of the 
 harvest of souls lo be gleaned, still does not neglect, in his 
 
28 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ploii(liii<r.s witli tlu' Court of Spain, to take full advantaj^jo 
 of the prosports of honor, glory, })o\ver, and, aljovc all, of 
 wt'allli, which his Now World will brinji^ to str"n<;th(Mi the ciu- 
 pirc. This was only to Ix^ oxpcctod, as he wished to us(> evory 
 availal)l( ar<rinn('nt to cnsunMisslslancc. Hut it would a|)p('ar 
 (hat ho had himself a stronj; desire for ohlainiuif wealth by 
 his enterprise. He sti|)ulated with tlu^ king that " onc-tiMith 
 of all pearls, preeious stones, gold, silvor, sjjieos, and all 
 other merchandise" should ho his. Again, when \w landed 
 on the shores of the Xew World, aftei- having first given 
 thaid<s to(iod,iiis lirst thought was (/old. He said h(> would 
 stop nowhere till he had discovered the region of gold; the 
 kingdom of the (Jrand Khan, the king of kings; of whoso 
 wealth Marco I'olo, in the preceding century, had told such 
 wondrous tales: Of the beautiful city of (^uisnai, with its 
 twelve thousand bridges, its gi'and market-places and canals, 
 its marble palaces and terraces, groves and gardens; of Cani- 
 l)alew, where the j)eoplo dressed in cloth of gold, and cam- 
 brics of the finest fabric, and furs of ermine and sable ; of 
 Cipango, where the palace of the (rrand Khan was roofed 
 with tiles of gold, and tloorod with plates of the same 
 precious metal. 
 
 Columbus sailed about among the Bahamas from island to 
 island, all the time seeking this gold-bearing country', l)ut in 
 vain. This trait in his character was altogether unintelligible 
 until light was thrown on it by documents afterwards discov- 
 ered. The avaricious and inordinate love of gold is univer- 
 sally acknowledged as an index of a low and sordid character, 
 a narrow mind, and ungenerous soul. Such a (lis()osition is 
 the very antithesis of the noble, generous, heroic discoverer. 
 IIow, then, account for it? The answer is given by Irving 
 (Hook II.. Chai). VII.): "Anticipating boundless wealth 
 from his discoveries, he suggested that the treasures thus 
 ac(iuired should be consecrated to the pious purpose of 
 rescuing the IIol}' Sepulchre of .Jerusalem from tlu^ power 
 of the intidels. In his will he imposes the oI)ligation on his 
 son Diego to expend in this holy object all the moneys col- 
 
 i 
 
 ( 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANI). 
 
 '29 
 
 I^i 
 
 n 
 
 Irctdd from his oxpcdition ; and to ^o liiiiisclf, it" ncccssury, 
 with th(^ kin<; to ii^ht for Iho liln^riilioii of the holy j)l:i<'<'s." 
 
 Here Wi' Imvo thc^ key to the lotfy and apparently am- 
 bitious d(Mnands of viw-rogal diiiiiity, and ii tenth part of 
 all the profits ; and of his eajrer search for <2:old. lie wanted 
 to tit out an expedition of tifty thousand men, on his own 
 aeeount, in ease tlie kin^f refused. Thus, the apparent 
 weakness or defe(^t of eliaraeter, whieii would he an ol)staele 
 to hemic virtue, and conse(iuenti3' to the pros|)eets of his 
 canoni/ation,' likt; all otiier ol)jeetions of the "Devil's advo- 
 cate," is not only dissipated, I)ut beconu^s a proof of greater 
 sanctity. 
 
 I'lie missionary spirit, wliich was develop(H[ in a heroic 
 dej^ree in Ciuistopher ('oluml)us, who was himself a menil)er 
 of the Third ()rd(irof St. Francis, wv find also very ardently 
 burnin<r in tlu^ breasts of those brave voyaj^ers who followed 
 in his track in the Hueceedlnj^ centuries. 
 
 In his second voyaiLre, commenced on the 2')th of 
 September, 14!)."), he was accomi)anied by twelve priests, 
 under the chariie of tlu* Benedictine Father Jioil. After the 
 discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon, in 1512, numerous 
 exi)editions succeeded each otlu^r, all accom})anied by mis- 
 sionaries. The adventurer, the soldier, and the priest 
 always landed to<r(Uher on newly discovered sti'ands ; and 
 the cross always accompanied tiie standai'd of Catholic 
 nations. In l^.'U-") ,lac(jues C^artier brought out [)riests to 
 Newfoundland and Canada. In 1539 Friar Mark, of Nice, 
 penetrated totlu^ interior of Mexico, and brought the symbol 
 of faith to the savage tribes of the interior. In 1010-11 the 
 Jesuits, and in 1(>15 the Franciscans, were brought out to 
 Canada by the Sieurs de Poutrincourt and Champlain ; all 
 of wliich events will be more i)articularly described in the 
 course of this work. 
 
 Champlain, who possessed all the zeal and fervor of 
 
 ' A petition, sijrncd by a liirj,'e number of ibo fathers of tlio Vatieiin Council, wi's 
 presented to Pope Pins IX. in 1870, asking to have the " Cause " of the canoniiculion 
 of Columbus mooted or " promoted." 
 
80 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Coluiiilms, Im.s left iimi)l(^ mikI ;i;i'Ji|»liic iiccoimts of all his 
 voyages in llu> (|uaiiil Old French of the period, nliieii are 
 preserved in llu; archives of (^iicIk'o, and whieh siiow, in 
 every page, the sineero ndigions spirit whieh aniiualed him. 
 lie tells ns, with rare simplieity and vaiv^ti^ (Voyage of 
 KUf), p. D), how, while waiting at IIcMtllenr for ii fair 
 wind, he and all his crew ))repai'ed themselves, "so that each 
 one of ns (examined himself and cleansed himself of his sins 
 l)y a j)enance and confession of them, in order to say his 
 good-))y to (lod (or to make his salutation, yt«Ve non ban 
 Jour), and to put himself in n state of grace ; so as thus 
 l)eing more fice, each one in his conscience, to exposes him- 
 self to the Eyes of (iod.and to the Mere}' of the vast depths 
 of this great and mighty ocean." 
 
 His constMiit thought was the conversion of the jxjor 
 savages. Thus he concludes the aceoinit of the voyage of 
 1(51(5: . . . "AVe arrived in good health at Ilonlleur, 
 thaidxs to (Jod, on the lOth Seplemher, . . . where 
 liaving arrived, we ren<h'red jn'aise, and Acts of thanks to 
 God ; for the so nmch care He had of us, in the preservation 
 of our lives ; and for having, as it were, snatched us, and 
 drawn us from so many dangers to which we Avere exposed, 
 as also for having h'd us back in safety and health to our 
 own country ; and praying Ilim also to move the heart of 
 our king, and the Lords of liis Couui-il, to contribute the 
 necessary assistance to bring the poor savsige nations to the 
 knowledge of Ciod : of which the honor would revert to his 
 Majesty, to the Greatness and the advancement of his 
 Em})ire : to the utility of his subjects, and the (ilory of all 
 his designs ; and to God, only authoi- of all perfection, to 
 Avhom be honor and Glory. Amen."' 
 
 In the voyage of 1(518 he was accompanied by priests of 
 the Order of St. Francis. IV-rc Le Gleni, 6.S.F., has 
 given a description of their hardships and trials ("Premiere 
 Etablissement de la Foi," Tom. I., p. 104), so interesting that 
 I am tempted to transfer the following (juotation : "The 
 voyage was long and stormy. . . . Having arrived about 
 
 1^ 
 
 
? 
 
 OF NKWFOIJNDLANI). 
 
 ;n 
 
 \? 
 
 - 
 
 00 loiifruos tVoin the Grand Bunk, llii-y found tlionisolvos 
 burroundcd hy iinrncnso ico-liclds, whicli tlu! winds and cur- 
 rcnlH piislu'd violently a<;ainst the vessel. In tlu; <;eneral 
 consternation, Pere Joseph Lo Camn, seeing that no hiunan 
 succour could save them I't'oin shipwreck, very earnestly 
 besought Heaven hy vows and ])rayers, which ho puhlicdy 
 nmde on hoard tlui vess»d. He: confessed tluMu all, and 
 placed himself in a state to appear before (lod. It was a 
 sight to touch oni' with compassion, to si'e Madam Herbert 
 raise the smallest of her children to receive the blessing of 
 the Good Father. They escaped almost by a mlrucle after 
 13 weeks of voyage." 
 
 These (luotations, though rather lengthy, will not, it is 
 hoped, prove iminteresting. They give us a lively picture 
 of the dang(>rs accompanying the expeditions of the early 
 colonizers of our country some three hundred years ago. 
 They show also of what metal they Avei"e made. They teach 
 us that simplicity of faith, and the oi)en ))r!ictice tlu^reof, are 
 not inconi|)atible with the noblest deeds of courage and 
 scientific enterprise ; and as such are a stunning rebuke to 
 the braggait s[)irit of modern times, which would rtdegate all 
 cxjjression of religious sentimcMit to old women and children, 
 as a mark of weakness or superstition. 
 
 It is dithcult for us to realize tin; bravery of these men. 
 We can hardly believe what a during thing it was to face the 
 wide Atlantic in the then imperfect state of nautical knowl- 
 edffe, and in the frail and unsuitalde barks whicli then 
 existed. Tlie largest of Columbus' vessels, the "Santa 
 Maria," was only ten tons register, not much larger than a 
 modern tishing-sniack I It may then well i>e believed that 
 the voyages of these men surpassed in stupendous daring 
 and bravery any of our exploits of later times. 
 
 One other writer shall bo (pioted before entering more par- 
 ticularly on the historical part of this work, namely, that 
 line old English sailor, Captain Kichard Whit])ournc. 
 
 To no other of the early navigators do the sons of New- 
 foundland owe more gratitude than to this hardy old West 
 
32 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 countryman. Throughout all his " Narrative" ho breathes the 
 highest religious sentiments, blended with an ardent and 
 enthusiastic love for "The New-fbund-lande." This worthy- 
 old sea-captain, l)etween the years 1579 and 1(U8, made 
 many voyages to Newfoundland, and entered alniost every 
 cove and har])or on her shores. In the preface to his "Voy- 
 age," etc., he says, " And for the Newfound land',;, it is almost 
 so familiarlie known to me as my owne countvie." He was 
 present in St. John's harbor in 1583, when Sir Humphrey 
 Gilbert took possession of the Island, in the name of Queen 
 Elizabeth, of which event he tells us he Avas ";in eyewit- 
 nesse." In 1015 he came out with a commission from the 
 High Court of Admiralty, giving him full jurisdiction over 
 the whole island. 
 
 " And," says he, " I did then arrive at the coast of Newfound 
 lande, in the Bay of Trinitie, upon Trinit'.o Simday, l)eing 
 the 4 of Jun(> ; and there in the name of the Holy and 
 Indiuiduall Trinities, began the use of Your Most Sacred 
 Majestie's power, by vertue of that commission to send forth 
 a precept," etc. (p. 64). 
 
 He opened the tirst eour*^ ever held in Newfoundland, 
 and made many useful enactinents. He has written an 
 account of his voyages in a book, now very rare, addressed 
 to "The High and Mightie Prince James," etc., with a very 
 long title, conunencing "A Discourse and Discoverie," etc. 
 He urges strongly upon His Majesty the conversion of the 
 Indians, in many places, as page l(i3: . . . "Which 
 people, if they might be reduced to' the knowledge of the 
 True Trinitie indeed no doubt but it would be i iriost sweete, 
 and acceptable Sacririce to God ; an evevlastiML' lioaour to 
 your Majestic ; and the Ileaveidy Blessing t ) those poor 
 creatures, who are buried in their own superstitious ignorance. 
 The taske Avhereof Avould proove easy, and no doubt but God 
 Himself would set His hand to reare up and advance so 
 noble, so pious, and so Christian a building." Again, page 
 14: "It is most certain that by a plantation there, and by 
 that means only, the misbelieving inhal)itants of that country 
 
 lI-.J 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 33 
 
 may be reduced from Burharisine to the kno\vled<;c of God 
 and the light of His Truth, and to a ciuil and regular kind 
 of life and government. This is a thing so apparent that I 
 need not enforce it any further, or laI»our to stirro up the 
 charity of Christians therein, to gi> 3 their furtherance 
 towards a worke so pious, every man, knowing that even avo 
 ourselves were once as blinde as they in the knowledge and 
 w^orship of Our Creator, and as rude and savage in our lines 
 and manners. By means of these slender beginnings, which 
 may be made in Newfound lande, all other regions neere 
 adjoining thereunto may in time be fitly converted to the true 
 worship of God. . . . The tirst thing which is to be 
 hoped for and which hath beenc your Majestie's jorincipall 
 care is the propagation of the Christian Faith. 
 And so all the regions adjoining (which betweene this place 
 and the countries ac'nxlly possessed by King of Spain, and 
 to the North of Newfound Lande are so spacious as all 
 Europe) may be brought to the Kingdom of God.'' 
 
 These are noble sentiments, and worthy of a Columbus or 
 a Champlain, and contrast remarkably with those of that 
 doughty knight of Devon, Sir IIumi)hrey Gilbert, who, on 
 taking possession of Newfoundland (1583), brought no 
 missioners with him, but a royal proclamation, ordering the 
 Book of Conunon Prayer to ])e used for the future all over 
 the Island; and decreeing that "Whosoever should violate 
 this command should loose their ears ! " Fortunately for 
 Newfoundland, the author of this cruel edict perished at 
 sea on his homeward voyage, and thus it was not put into 
 practice. 
 
 Since those who have up to the present time written what 
 are called "Histories of Newfoundland " unite in one loud 
 piean in praise of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, as a sample of 
 which I quote the following from the latest work published, 
 the Rev. Moses Harvey's " History " : " Thus perished one of 
 the noblest and bravest of those who in that aire," etc. . . . 
 "The loss to Newfoundland of Sir Humphrey Gilbert was 
 great and irreparable," etc. (p. 17) ; and as the outcome of 
 
ri 
 
 34 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOilY 
 
 this sentiment a movement was set on foot in 1883, the third 
 centenary of his death, to have a monument erected to his 
 memory, — it may be well, once for all, to remove this false 
 estimate, and place this hero in his proper niche, as regards 
 what we Newfoundlanders owe to his memory. This 
 redoubtable character, then, was one of a band of "Aristo- 
 cratic freebooters," of English gentry, who received patents 
 from Queen Elizabeth for the colonization and civilization of 
 Ireland ! "Sir Thos. Smith, the secretary, suggested to the 
 queen a new method to colonize the forfeited districts with 
 English settlers, who, having an interest in the soil, would be 
 willing to oppose the rebeU! (Irish) Avithout expense to the 
 Crown ! . . . Grants of large territories were made to 
 them." (Lingard, Vol. VIII.) Among these filibustering 
 adventurers were Sir Humphrey Gilbert and his half-l)rother, 
 Sir Waller Raleigh. "The consequence was," continues Lin- 
 gard, quoting from Irish authorities, Leland, Camden, etc., 
 "the districts which they took possession of were reduced to 
 the state of a wilderness, by endless destructive wars." Some 
 small force was organized in Spain by Fitzniaurice, l)rother 
 of the Earl of Desmond, for the relief of Ireland. They 
 landed at Smerwick, in Kcu'ry, but were overwhelmed by 
 superior numl)ers. lieing attacked by land and sea, they sur- 
 rendered conditionally, nanu'ly, that they ..hould be allowed 
 to retire in order, lint Kalcigh, breaking his parole, " entered 
 the fort, received their arms, and then ordered them to be 
 massacred in cold blood." (Lingard.) Gilbert overran 
 (lalway and the neighboring counties, striking terror into all 
 hearts by liis indiscriminate slaughter of all wlio came in his 
 way, without regard to age or sex. For these services he 
 was rewarded, in l.')70, by knightiiood and the governorship 
 of Munster ! Barcia, a Spanish copyist, in his " Ensayo 
 Cronologico," speaking of his death, says : " He was jjunished 
 for his greed." 
 
 Bancroft (Vol. 1., Chap. IH.), though trying to speak in his 
 favor, yet admits he was "censured for his ignorance of the 
 principles of religious freedom." He took possession of St. 
 
 * 
 
J- 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 85 
 
 John's, and a territory extending two hundred Icajrues in 
 every direction, with " feudal rights." A turf and a rod were 
 presented to him. He framed three hiws : " Isl. Estah- 
 lishin<r the religion aceordini«; to the Liturav of tlie Book 
 of Connnon Prayer. 2d. Dechiring it liigh treason to 
 plot against Her Majesty's Government ; and, Sd. De- 
 creeing that whosoever siiould utter a word of dishonor 
 against Her Majesty should have his ears cut oJfV A pillar 
 of wood was erected on the shore, with the Arms of England, 
 engraved in lead, attached thereto, and the land by the 
 seaside parcelled out into separate lots, tli(> proi)rietors con- 
 senting to pay an annual tribute for the same. (Harris' 
 " Travels." Chapell, " Voyage of Kosanumd," etc. ) 
 
 Some tifty years previous, when Jac([ues ('artier took 
 possession of Bay Chaleur, we read tiiat he erected, not a 
 pillar, but a cross, with the Arms of France, thus taking 
 possession, first, in the name of the Christian faith, and, 
 secondly, of the eai'thly monarch of whom he was a subject. 
 
 This was the beginning and end of Humphrey Gilbert's 
 connection with Xewfoundlaiid. He was lost on his home- 
 ward voyage. Imi)artial readers can judge for themselves 
 how nuich gratitude we o\\i\ him.' 
 
 It was in the year KUi) that Whitboui'ue wrote his appeal 
 to Kin"' James, ur<>ino; the sendinir out of missioners to 
 convert the savages. He seems to have been (entirely 
 ignorant of the fact that, sonu' years previously (Kill and 
 101.')), both Jesuit and Franciscan fathers had bcu'ii brought 
 out from France to the neighboring colonies, as we shall see 
 farther on. 
 
 It was just about this lime, namely, in the year l(i22, 
 when the develoinnent of geographical research was daily 
 opening up new countries, that Pope Gregoi-y XV., true to 
 the traditions of the Catholic Church and her diviu(! mission 
 
 ' If the (|\icstioii of a inDiiuiiiuiit wore \n l)c iiiiscd (ami I loiij^toscc the vacant iiiclio 
 oil the I,()l)l)y of the Colonial lliiildin;^ at St. .loliu's fiUeil), oiir first itelit of gratitude 
 should douhtlcss be paid to the Cahots; but after these no man deserves better of the 
 country than f,'ood old Sir llichard Whitboiirne. 
 
30 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 1! 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 i 
 
 '. 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 to " go and tciich all nations," established the Congregation 
 of the Propaganda Fideni Rome. This institution consisted^ 
 at Hrst, of a Connnittee or Congregation of Cardinals, whose 
 express duty it was to take eharge of the workings of the 
 foreign missions. The business had beeomc so immense, 
 of the founding of new missions in the distant and uneivilized 
 countries brought to light by the great discoverers, that it 
 was found necessary to establish a particular bureau. A few 
 years afterwards (ir)27), under Pojje Frl)an VIII., the 
 Missionary College of Proi)agan(la wsis formed in connection 
 with the Congregation, in which a free education is given 
 to some two hundred and fifty students from all nations. 
 During the past two and a half centuries the work of this Con- 
 gregation has grown to such an extent that it has its missions 
 in every corner of the glol)e. It has at prc^sent four 
 hundred and tifty provinces in I)oth hemispheres, in wliich 
 are about fifty thousand churches, and about one hundred 
 thousand priests and Bishops. In America alone some thirty 
 thousand schools, with half a million of children, are conducted 
 by priests and nuns, under the supervision of Propaganda ; 
 in Canada four thousand schools, and in India and Chiim 
 two thousand, with nearly one hundred tli()usan<l children. 
 There are about Hfty-tive different languages and dialects 
 spoken by the students within its walls: Ixil, to prevent a 
 Bal)el, they are restricted during school and study houi's to 
 the Italian and Latin. 
 
 It is not necessary to remind our readers that the modern 
 Italian CJovcrnment, under the oft-prostituted name of Lih- 
 I'rttj and Proriret<x^ has plundered with saeiilegious hand the 
 funded property of this " World's Institution." 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 37 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 PRK-COLUMHrAN VOYAGES.— [A.D. 800-1497.] 
 
 ', 
 
 iP*'' 
 
 Tniditions of :i Wostcni Liintl — Propliury of Sciicca — Seneca ami ColuniliiH, u 
 Coiiiciclciice — I'lato's "^Vtlautis" — Voya;;o of .St. Brendan — St. Malo — C'alluilic 
 Missions in Iceland — The Flllto Safra, A.D. 800 — Discovery of Greenland by 
 Gnnbiivrn, 880 — Kedi? ivery l)y Eric IJand, 980 — Discovery of America l)y 
 Bjarni, 98.") — Labrador, Xcwroiuidland, Xova Scotia, Discovered by Lief, 1000 
 — It Myla, or (Jreal Ireland — Vestij.'-es of an Irish t^jlony in America — Kpiscopal 
 Sees in (jJrccnlaiid, 1()"21 to 140(1 — Voyage of Zeno, 1.'580 — llelies of .lolin Guy's 
 Colony a* Ciiper's Cove, or Cupid's. 
 
 rpiIE Catholic Cliiirch ha.- always displayed, in a niarkod 
 -■- manner, as already remarked, the active spirit of mis- 
 sionary enterprise, so that whenever a new land was discov- 
 ered we tind the missionary hearing the cross and preaching 
 the gospel among the aljorigines. 
 
 There are many vague traditions atloat concerning a pre- 
 Cohimhian discovery ot" the New A\'orid : hut it", as is now 
 almost certain, there were any tbiindalion of truth in these 
 recollections, it is no less certain that all authentic records 
 of them had been lost, so that they do not in any way detract 
 from the glory of Columbus' discovery. 
 
 The great navigator, however, had made some voyag(-s to 
 Iceland, where, no tloubt, he nuist have heard the tales of the 
 discovery of western lands, and been tired with the ambition 
 of rediscovering them. P)ut it is certain that Columbus 
 never knetc that he had discovered a new continent, but died 
 in the beliiif that he had come, by a short route, upon the 
 eastern shores of Asia. 
 
 It is only natural that people living upon the borders of 
 the great ocean, looking out daily across its boundless waste, 
 and seeing its huge billows roll in one after anotluir with 
 ceaseless nuirnmr, should beuin to wonder whence thev 
 come, and to picture to themselves some far-otf land })eoi)led 
 
!i 
 
 38 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ; t 
 
 by u strauf^o nice of hoinus, and that the Iioijg should sj)ring 
 up in tlieir nihids tliat the day would eonie when man, by the 
 tritnn})li of genius and tah'nt, should penetrate this vast, 
 unknown abyss, and brin<>: to lii>ht the New World ! 
 
 Such were the thouuhls which tilled the mind of the phil- 
 osophic Seneca, as he paced the statcdy 2)hiz((K of the noble 
 city of Cordova, or roamed pensive alonu' the sands of the 
 little village of Palos, at the moutii of the Guadalcjuivir, 
 looking out upon the wide Atlantic, and wliich li(> lianded 
 down to fame in the immortal i)rophecy of the Medica, 
 '' l^em'ent annia scecida .sfy/.s," etc. For, by a remarkable 
 coincidence, SencH-a, who foretold, so many centuries before, 
 the voyage of ('oiuml)us, uudi-r the symbolical name of 
 Typhis, was a native of Cordova, that royal city where 
 C'oluml)us tirst exposed his great design to the Court of 
 Ferdinand and Isabella : and it is not improl)able that these 
 memorable verses were composed ujjon the very spot wln-re 
 (some tifteen hundred years after) (-oluml)us walktid around, 
 with his faithfid and enthusiastic friend and sup])()rter. Friar 
 fluau ]*erez, making pre})arations for his great expedition, by 
 which he was to fultil the prophecy of Seneca 1)V "unloosing 
 the bonds of things, and giving to the world a JYrir Ovh,''' 
 and thus depi'iving "Far Thule " of the honor or fame of 
 being "the last among the Lands" I 
 
 Again, Seiu-ea was learned in all the wisdom of those days, 
 and Cordova was then a seat 'of education and civilization and 
 retinement. It possessed a library of great extent, contain- 
 ing volumes and manuscrijjts of the rarest value. Ili'rc he 
 may ha\e read the wondrous account of Phito's Atlantic 
 island, in which is distiiu'tly foresluulowed the Great AN'estern 
 Continent, "the o])posite Continent which surrounds the 
 Great Ocean." 'i'his account Plato wrote 400 15. C. lie 
 received it from his ancestor, Solon, wdio, 600 li.C'., had 
 learned it from the wise men of the city of Sais in Egypt. 
 (Plato's " Atlantis." Donnelley.) Thus we see how great is 
 the antiijuity of the tradition concerning the Western "*' /rid. 
 
 Ireland, being the most westerly laud of Kuroj)e, and- 
 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 39 
 
 , 
 
 1 
 
 placed, as she is, out upon tlio bosom of the Athmtie, has 
 naturally rotaiiu'd many of those traditions most vividly. 
 Amoniif them the most constant and wide-spread is that of 
 the voyage of Saint Brendan, in the beginning of the sixth 
 century. Divested of various romantic accessories the story 
 runs thus : Brendan, or Brandon, son of Findloga, was born 
 in 484 ; went to Wales ; lived under Saint Gildas at Shan- 
 Carvan ; afterwards founded the Monastery of Clonfert. 
 Beryne, or Barintluis, a holy abbot, and cousin of Brendan, 
 canu! to visit him, and told him a mouU of his monastery 
 "determined to sa^de into an ylonde farreinto the sea besides 
 the mountaynes of stones, and with Xll. monkcs, set sailo 
 in ii vessell vytalled for \'II. Yeares. But ere they entcued 
 the Sln'i»pe they fasted XL. days and lived devoutly, and 
 eehe of them reeeyvcd the Sacrament. He badde the 
 Shyi)i)e-men wynde uppe the sayle, and forth they sayled in 
 Croddes name. After XF^. days and XL. nights they saw^ 
 ylonde ferre fro them, but it proved to be only a great iisshe 
 named lasconye ; " i)ut after three days more they found land 
 in earnest. This tradition is sui)[)lemcnted by other nations 
 bordering on the xVtIantic, ^.f/., at St. ^lalo, in France, so 
 called from ]\Iacl()vius, or Alacluthus. a nephew of Brendan. 
 In the life of this saint by dolm liosco, in tiu' '' liibliotiieca 
 Floriacense," it is stated that lu; determined to go and visit 
 an island situated in the ocean, and named Iman. lie took 
 ninety-tive companions with him, and remained seven years 
 away, so that they c(debrated seven Easters at sea: " Sepfics 
 contlglt ei.s in viari celehvare Sctnctuin T*asf/ta." 
 
 It is related in the Acts of St. David of Wales, that, riding 
 one day upon a whale, he met St. Brendan sitting on a 
 sea-horse [inxidens equo mari). The BoUandists exj)lain 
 these leuends bv^ sayini>' that this may onlv be a romantic or 
 poetic way of describing their shii)s, which might have had 
 these names, or emblems, or signs, as marks of distinction. 
 Whatever may be thought of it, these stories seem to i)oint 
 to a ■wide-spread tradition of the existence of a western 
 continent. Add to this the constant b(>lief of the Norsemen 
 
i I 
 
 
 40 
 
 .ESIASTICAL IIISTOHV 
 
 t'roin locla. svho doclarod that, on the discovery of 
 America by tlioin in the ninth eentury, they found there a 
 colony of Irish I The historian Col<^an mentions, without 
 the expression of a doubt, the voyaiic of St. Brendan, A.I). 
 500. One of the first l)o<)ks printed by Caxton, in Enuland, 
 was this "Voyaue,'* siiowiui; how popular it was at that 
 tinu' ; that is, shortly bcfoi'e Columbus' discoveiy. The 
 Society of Northern Antiquaries at Copenha«>en also in- 
 serted it anioui!; their collection of pre-Columbian voyasjes, 
 in 1837. Professor Kafn also contirms tlie tradition, and 
 Dr. A'on T. Schudi, in his Avork on " Peruvian Antiquities," 
 says that it is " most probal)Ie " that the country which lay 
 alonsr the coast from Chesai)eake 15ay, down into the Caro- 
 linas and Florida, was peopled by Irishmen. And in a note 
 he says that '' a manuscript has l)een found since he com- 
 menced his work which converted the conjecture into a cer- 
 tainty." IIumI)<)]dt, in liis '' Kosmos," confirms the tradition. 
 In the twelfth century an Arabian gcoirrapher, Aboul Ab- 
 dullah jMohanuned Edrisi, nu'utions "Great Ireland." He 
 Avrote at Palermo in Sicily, a i)()rt frequented by the North- 
 men, from whom, doubtless, he obtained his information. 
 
 AVe have it oi» undouI)ted authority that Irish missions 
 were established in Iceland even in the time of St. Patrick 
 (fifth century), when St. Aiblcms, Bishop of Endy, sent 
 twenty-two of his disciples to evangelize that country. Eiiiht 
 Irish missionaries and martyrs were buried there, and a 
 church was erected, dedicated to St. ColumI)a. These facts, 
 now admitted by the best archivologists, were found related 
 in the Skalhort Scuja, now ])reservod in the Smithsonian 
 * Institute, AVashinnton. From the BtilJavium Po)i(iJicu)n, a 
 collection of the decrees of the Popes, we find that, in the 
 year 840, the Holy See delegated Ebbon, Archbishoj) of 
 Kheims, and St. Anscarius, apostle of Northern Europe, to 
 preach the faith in Iceland and JVorfh America. 
 
 The Icelandic Sagas, or Legends (f<a;/aii, to tell or say), 
 discovered in a nu)nastery at the Island of Fliito, in the 
 Brede Fiord, on the north-west coast of Iceland, in l(J50,give 
 
OK NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 41 
 
 . 
 
 US ill! that is known of th(^ history of those northern explora- 
 tions. The principal saiifi is \\\{.\ FUttni/ev Ainial , or Cochix 
 Fliitoyensis. It was purciiased from tlie ownei", Jonas 
 I'orfesen, for King Frederic III., hy Bishoj) Swench'son, of 
 Skalliolt. It is a large folio manuscript, l»eautifiilly written 
 on parchment, and contains a collection of sagas copied 
 from older writings. (KirUe, " ('onipiest of Cana(hi," p. 5)1).) 
 It was written hetwi mi 1387 and i;»i)"). It is now preserved 
 in the royal lil)rary at Copenhagen. It is divided into two 
 parts, or cantos — the Eric Hand and the Kdrlxfenc. From 
 it we learn that Iceland was discovered, about 8(50, by a 
 Danish navigator, named Naddod. He called it Snieland 
 or Snow land. In 8(j4, another X(/.senian, Crardar Svaf- 
 farson, was driven there by a storm. He called the eoui. "v 
 (Jardai'"s Iloim, or (iardar's Island. Finally Fliiko gave it 
 the name of Iceland, which it still retains. 
 
 Greenland was discovered, in 886, by Gunbiau'n, and was 
 called GunbjanrsKocks until about a century later (980). It 
 was rediscovered by Eric Kaud, who had tied there on 
 account of sonu' family dispute concerning the succession to 
 tlu! government of Iceland. He determined to found a col- 
 ony of his own, and, in order to induce settlers to come, he, 
 by a clever piece of diplomacy, gave the country the name of 
 Grten-land, "because," said he, " peo})le will be attracted 
 thither if it has a good name." 
 
 About tiiree or four years after the establishment of the 
 colony of (Jreenland (namely, i'S')), Bjarni, son of Ilerjulf, 
 .saw for the tirst time the main-laud of America. On a 
 voyage from Iceland to Greenland he was driven westwards 
 b}' a storm. He saw land three times on his return east- 
 wards, but he did not go ashore or name these lands. But, 
 about the year 1000, his brother Lief made the same 
 voyage and discovered the same lands. The tirst he called 
 Great Ilelluland, or Great Stone Land, supi)Osed to be 
 Labrador ; next. Little Ilelluland, which is supposed to be 
 Newfoundland, It is described as "A land without grass. 
 Snow and ice covered it, and from the shore to the mountains 
 
42 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAl. HISTOKV 
 
 it was a plain or Hat covered with stones, and he <;ave it tho 
 name of Ilelhi-iand," tVojn Ilelhi or Ilella, a stone. "Then 
 lie discovered Mark Lan<l, and called it so from its woods 
 (snpposed to he Nova Scotia). 
 
 "Aft(!r this he coasted south and west, and discovered 
 Vinlaiid (su|)poscd lo hv, Rhode Island, near Mount Hope 
 ]{ay, or Xarrairanselt), where Avild vines jrrow ahundantly. 
 In the tbllowinir years voyages were made by sev(U'al other 
 of these Norsemen along the shores of the .\merican conti- 
 nent, and various strangt; stories are told of their ex})eriences. 
 In 1004 Thorwald, son of Eric, was kidtul by the Indians 
 and buried ni'ar Massachusetts. A voyage was made by 
 Thorstein in 100'). In lOOl! the celebrated Karlsfene 
 founded a colony in ^farkland and II(dlu-land, liringing with 
 him one hundred and forty men and women ; but, owing to 
 the attacks of the Indians, they withdrew in 1010. The 
 Northmen called the land south of \'inland It ^lyla or Great 
 Ireland, or the White Man's Land. According to Professor 
 I\afn, a great Scandinavian authority, this country extended 
 from thci Chesaj)eake Bay to Kast Florida. It was said that 
 when first discovered by the Norsemen it was inhabited by a 
 tribe of white men ' who spoke Irish.' . . . And they 
 found on the shore crosses, bells, and sacred vessels of Irish 
 Avorkmanship." (./. Gthaarij SJiPiCs Lecture before (he 
 Catholic Imtitute, Xeir York, 18^)2.) 
 
 "It is very improbabh'," writes Dr. jMullock {Lectures on 
 JVeirfoKiidJand, p. G), "that so many accounts of voyages 
 would be i)reserved ; the names of the discoverers and navi- 
 gators ; the births of some of their children recorded; the 
 wreck of one of their shi[)s on Keeler Ness, Kell Capo or 
 Ship Cove, and the locality marked out now as Keels, in 
 Bonavista Bay, by tho certain but rud(! Avay of detiu'inining the 
 latitude : that is, the length of the longest day in the summer 
 solstice,' — if it were all a work of imagination. 1 have no 
 doubt that these sea-kings, after establishing colonies in 
 
 • Ou the shortest day in the Scandinavian Caleudiir the sun rose 7.30 A.M., and set 
 4.30 r.M. — ■Hist, America, William Ciilleii Bryant. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 43 
 
 (rrot'iiliind and Ireland, visited this countrv and made some 
 scUlcmciils luTc ; I)iit I hi'lic'vc the fc^v [jeople tlu'V brouifht 
 with them eithei" perished in tiieir wars witli the Skroe- 
 li<jrers, or the Es(|uiiiiatix, or that the r(!innaiit h't't the 
 countrv, whieh they eonhl not then hav(^ found wvy invitin«r. 
 In the year dXi). as mentioned, Erie diseovt^red Greenhind. 
 Christianity was introchiced soon after, and it heeaino the See 
 of ii Bisho[) in 1021. The historians of ancient ffreenland 
 give i". Hst of the liishops of tiiat country from 1021 to 
 140(5, when all connnunicalion helween it and th(^ mother- 
 country ceased, and the iniijcrfect civilization introduced was 
 finally lost. A few ruins of walls or stones fences now 
 mark the site of the Norwegian colony." (Dr. Mullock's MS. ) 
 Abbe fJarnier mentions a Bull of Pope Nicholas V., of date 
 about 1447, concerniniT this church of GrecMdand. But on 
 searching the /iulldrliim in the Propaganda Lil)rary, Home, 
 in 1885, I could not find it. "We are told that oiu) of the 
 Greenland Bishops, named Eric, visited Vinland in 1121, to 
 endeavor to bring back his countrymen from the barbarism 
 into which they had lapsed to a knowledge of Christianity. 
 The kings of Xorway wen^ the founders of the Greenland 
 bislu»i)ric, which extended its jurisdi<'tion ovc^r tlu^ regions of 
 the unknown North. If Newfoundland and \'inland l)e the 
 same, this is the first account we have of any missioner 
 putting his foot on tlu^ Island ; though, if a Bisho})di(l really 
 visit it, other priests nuist have j)receded him. We can, 
 however, tlirouiih the mist of aijes, onlv collect a few 
 scattered facts intermingled with much fable." (Dr. Mul- 
 lock.) These colonies on the west coast of Greenland 
 survived until 14()(!, Avhen the seventeenth and last Bishop 
 of Garda was sent from Norway. Those on the ea>t 
 flourished till I.tU), when they were destroyed by a physical 
 cataclasm, which accumulated the ice in that zone from tiu; 
 ()Oth degree of latitude. (DcCourcy, " History of the Church 
 in America,"' Cha}). I., p. 12.) 
 
 A few years ago some ruins were brought to light at 
 Clarke's Beach, near Brigus, in Concei)tion Bay, N.F., 
 
' 
 
 44 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 Miuoiiix which w(M'(' found soino oM Kuropoan irold coins 
 with (iciinim lotlcrs, some of copper wiliioiil inscription, aiitl 
 sonic mill-stones. 'I'hey wci'c^ lho(n::iil lo he tlie reniains of ii 
 Scandinavian .settlement, thou;i'h it now seems placed heyond 
 a doubt tlmt these relii-s must ho attrihuted to tho Enulisii 
 settlers wiio came out, in 1(510, with John Guy, from JJristol. 
 It had hitherto jiassed current in thi^ published histories of 
 Newfoundland that this plantation was settled at Mos(iuito ; 
 i)ut the idea has now been exploded by the researches of 
 fl. 1*. Ilowley, Ksip, F.G.iS., who has published the charted', 
 and some letters from John druy to .Mr. Slaney, dated from 
 Cuper's Cove, lOtli May, Kill: "The name, T'o most 
 others on our t-harts, became corrupted, or, rather, in this 
 instance, I should say iiiiprored, i\nd this nmst ha\e occurred 
 at an early date. ... A work puldished in 1 ().■)() l)y Sir 
 AVilliam Alexander . . . has as follows: The tirst 
 houses , . . were! built in CKpitVs Cove," etc. (J. P. 
 Ilowley.) It is most i)robal)le, then, that the establishment at 
 Clarke's IJeach may have been an olfshoot of this settlement. 
 Befon; coming to the luidoubted historical })eriod of the 
 Cabots I shall mention one more of thosi^ semimythicai 
 traditions, vi/., the voyaue of the brothers Zeno, A'enetians. 
 This expedition is said to have taken i)lace in the year l;580, 
 or more than a century i)revious to the disc very of America 
 by Columbus. But what throws sus))icioii upon its authen- 
 ticity is that the account was not published till I'slS, orsi.xt^ 
 years after Columbus' voyage. To account for this damag- 
 ing circumstance Zeno staled that the manuscript had come 
 to him as a family lu'irloom ; that when a child he had torn 
 it up, but afterwards, recognizing its value, he had collected 
 the fragments and gummed them together. The documents 
 relate, after many other voyages, that the Zenos made a voy- 
 age northward, and arrived at a land named Frisland, the king 
 of which was called Ziclunni. Thence they sailed to Kngro- 
 niland, where they discovered a monastery of Friar Prea(!hers 
 {i.e., monks of the Order of St. Dominie), and a church 
 dedicated to that saint. It is stated that the monks heated 
 
 '' 
 
OV NKWFOUNDLANP 
 
 45 
 
 their Mp.'irtnionls l>y wiilcr, fVoni !i hot spriiijr, which they 
 hroiiglit l»y pipes lo mII their i-ooins. They also niude uso 
 ot" it tor eookiiiu', heatiiiir tlieir aitilieial iranleiis, etc., so that 
 they liacl fpiite a trojjical and trnil-l)earin;L( coiiservalory. 
 Mention is made of a land farther west, called Kstotiland, and 
 supposinl to bo N(nvt'()undland ; and Drogeo, the niaiidand 
 of America; und, finally, an iniauiiiary land called Icaria. 
 A nia}) aecoin])anicH the doennicnt. 
 
 THE NJRTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. By Antonio ZerwMOO. 
 
 /.KNOS .MA1>, 
 
 The introduction of Gi'ecian inytholouy, as shown in the 
 name Icaria, from Icarus, son of Dsedalus, is very suspicious, 
 and throws an air of for<jfery over tiie whole narrative. The 
 above facts and traditions, uatiiered from various sources, con- 
 tain nearly all that is yet known of these [)re-("oluml)ian voy- 
 ages; 'AS yet the knowiedge is meairre and unsatistactory 
 enousxh, but, putting it altogether, it is almost im[)ossible to 
 doubt that the eastern world was at one time cognizant of the 
 
46 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 existence of ii western land, tlioujrli the tmdition hiid been all 
 hut lost. AVe now come into more certain waters, and shall 
 connnence the next cliai)ter with the second discovery of 
 Newfoundland, under the Cal)ots ; thouirh here, too, all is not 
 as clear as we should wish, especially reiTJU'ding the religious 
 comi)lexion of the times, which is the more immediate object 
 of these pages. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 47 
 
 CIIAITEK III, 
 
 COI.UMin S AXD HIS I'OLLOWKHS. -[H!)2-l.-)34.] 
 
 Discovury (if \o\vl'()mi(lluiiil by Cabot — Ciil»)t's .\rii]i Shown to 1)(; Tiiiiiiiered witb — 
 'i"ho Name Jkiccaliio — lMk: of Karly Missionary — C'ortoreul — Map of N'arrt'si' 
 from the Vatican — .St. .John's i)C(i)incs Important, 1527 — The Aboi'i;;incs — 
 Their Nunu' ncothucK — IJnlhlcssly Slinl down — Tlicir Cbaiiu'ti'r, 1'cdiyion, clc. — 
 ]Oarly Maps of tlip Connliy — Ma|i of .Icidnio A'era/zano, l."rJ,S — Of Kilicro, l.VJ!) — 
 Ancient Map in Horj;'ian Miisouni, I'ro|i;i^'aMila — • " Dividin;;' Line" (hawn by 
 Tope Ale\and<r VI., UiW. 
 
 ^piIE Italian iiaviirator Coliimlxis, sailiDir uiulor the Spaii- 
 A isli flag, discovered America in 141)2, and uave a new 
 world to Castile and Leon. Tiiis astomidinii" discovers, the 
 most important in its results to mankind of any that e\ er took 
 place, rai.sed not alone the curiosity and excited the adventur- 
 ous spirit of" Eur()p(\ hut also the ainl)ition of h(>r rulers. 
 England was then enjoying one of those intervals of internal 
 peace so rare in her history. The AVars of the Hoses were 
 at an end; the anci<Mit aristocracy had ahnost perished in 
 these destructive contests, which is the reason that, with few 
 exceptions, tlu; present aristocracy of England is the most 
 modern in Europe, most of the great houses only dating from 
 the so-called Reformation, and enriched, not like the hold 
 harons of old, by the strong hand, hut by the [jlunder of the 
 Church, and chicanery. The royal ])()wer, as invariably hap- 
 pens after revolutions, Mas strengthened : tlie peo[)le, weary 
 of bloodshed, only wanted repose, and. having lost their 
 liberty, were prepared to sul)mil to tiie despotism of the 
 Tudor Sultans. Two Venetian navigators, — though some say 
 they were the sons of a Venetian, but born in Bristol, — the 
 brothers Cabota, or, :ingiicized, Cabot, ollei'ed their services 
 to Henry VII. to seek for new lauds in the west, or a |)assage 
 by that course to India. The oiler was accepted, and in 
 1497 Sebastian Cabot left England, and on the 'JOth of June. 
 
i 
 
 48 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 the .saino year, discovered Newfoundland. He gave the 
 name of Bnona Vinfa, or Ilappi/ Siffht, to the cape which 
 first met his view, — a name whicli, togetiier with the great 
 bay of whicli it forms the southern headland, it retains to 
 the present day/' ( Dr. Mullock's ^IS. ) 
 
 i 
 
 'f 
 
 J J 
 
 There is an impenetrable mist and confusion (emblematic, 
 perhaps, of the f /g that hangs over our (Jreat Bank) envelop- 
 ing the history of the early voyages of the Cabots, — a mist 
 or uncertainty which the contradictory statenu'iits of con- 
 temporary documents render it useless to endeavor to dis- 
 sipate, even if such elfort were not outside the scope of the 
 
 9' 
 
 TPMSrsarfSBSS^ 
 
 mmmmmmmir"' 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 49 
 
 prcscjit work. Tlui principal points of controversy may l)c 
 reduced to tliese two : — 
 
 Firsf. To wliicli of the Cabots, John or his son Sebastian, 
 is to be given the honor of the voyage and discovery? 
 
 Second. \\\\tit hind did lie, or they, really discover? 
 
 It will soiuid strange to the ear of the ordinary reader that 
 there should be a doubt on either of these (piestions ; yet 
 such is really the case, and although, as already stat(Hl, it is 
 somewhat outside the sco])e of the i)resent work, 1 deem it 
 of sufficient relevance to give, at least, the substance of this 
 historical dis(juisition. 
 
 John ("abot had three sons, Lewis, Sel)astian, and Sanctius. 
 That the family was of Italian origin is beyond doul)!, but it 
 is not certain whether flohn was born in Italy or in liristol, 
 England ; if in Ilalv, whether in (leiioa or Venic(\ He 
 l)ccame a citizen of V( nice in 1 17(), and in his patent of 
 discover}', given by Henry YIL, he is called " of Venice,"' or, 
 rather, a citizen of Venice, ''c/r/ Venefiano." This would 
 not prove that he was a nafirr ot" Venice. A map of the 
 voyage w;is drawn by Sebastian Cabot, and cut by Clement 
 Adams, in l')44:, which, being in tlu^ l*i'ivy (iallcrv of White- 
 hall, bore the inscription, '' /:Jjfii/ies Sebastidtti (Jahotl Angli 
 Jilli Jfxnniis (Jahoti Veneiiani." This makes Sebastian an 
 Englishman, and his father, John, a Venetian. Peter Martyr, 
 a learned cli'rgyman, and a personal acquaintance, in the 
 ''Decades of the Ocean," calls Sebastian "a N'ene^' ' born," 
 who in his infancy was carried to England. Hiduu Edens, 
 also a j)articular friend of the Cabots, says Sebastian told him 
 his father died soon after the news of Columbus' discovi'ry. 
 Strype says Sel)astian was an Italian : (Jrafton, that his 
 father was a Genoese, but that Sel)astian was born in Kngland. 
 John Stowe also says John Cal)ot was ])orn in Genoa. 
 Campbell ("Lives of the ^Vdmirals,"' p. ',M',\) says Sebastian 
 was born in Bristol in 1477 : he would then be l)ut twenty 
 years of age at the time of the voyage. Was he old enough 
 to take charge of the expedition? So nuich for the tirst 
 (piestion. Then, — 
 
50 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Second!)/. "What land did tlicy discover? We must 
 rcmciultcr the ()l)joc't of Cabot in this voyage; : it was to Hilda 
 iiorth-wost passage ; henee he kept a course ahnost Avest from 
 Bristol, and Edens tells us "that he directed his course I)v 
 the tract of islande ui)|)on the ("ape of Labrador at Ti\'III. 
 (r)(SO) degrees." In another place (r(>))ort of conversation 
 with (ielatius, etc.) he says that he sailed /rest from r)ristol, 
 and thence (when he had struck land) stetM'ed north to 
 r)8°. In either case it would be most probable that he would 
 have first made either some i)art of the north of Xewfound- 
 laiid or Labrador. T\u\ tradition that IJonavista was the 
 tirst land sighted was in undisturbed possession until some 
 few years ago. 
 
 In the year lSi')C) a ma]), said to be ("aliot's, was discovered 
 in (Jermany. and is now ])rescrved in the Im})erial Library 
 of Paris. 
 
 It gives the ])oiiit tirst discovered as "Prima \'islM."" from 
 the descri[)ti()ii given by Campbell, in liis "I/incs of the 
 Admirals," who says John Cabot so called it. because it was 
 the "land tii'st seen." \ow, as will be observed, the point 
 on the map thus marked is not Ponavista Ca[)e, Newfound- 
 land, but what is now Cape North, in Cape Breton Island. 
 This destroys the beautiful tradition, held for nearly four 
 centuries, so graphically touched i)y Dr. Mullock. (Lec'tures, 
 J). 12.) "The Italian ))erhai)s. often deceived by fog-banks, 
 sees at length the vi\\n- well delined, the surges l)rcakiii<jf on 
 the 'Sj)ii'ers.' the dark green of the forest, gives expression 
 to his feelings in his own musical tongue, and cries out. Bona 
 Vista I — (), hajjpy sight I " This newly tbund ma[), if 
 authentic, would thus deprive Xewfoimdiand of her time- 
 honored boast of being Ibitains oldi-st colony. 1 am sorry 
 to see that the I\ev. M. Harvey, in his "History " {[). ."» ), gives 
 up the claim most serenely, and without a struggle. He calls 
 the map "most trustworthy." For my part I think it any- 
 thing but such, and that there is nothing in the niaj) to shake 
 our long-fomided faith in Bonavista, and deem the matter 
 of sutiicient interest to state, at some lenuth, mv reasons. 
 
^ 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 51 
 
 AVliatcver may be thou'fht of the iuithenticity of the 
 map, as a Avhole, there can he no doubt that the words 
 PJUMA VISTA are tlie work of a hiter liand. They are 
 printed in hir<re, s(]uare, and most conspicuous characters, 
 entirely diilerent from anything else on the map. But, not 
 
 ( I ornim liaiic, olim noliis chuiHiun ainM-iiit .loiimicn Calintim Vonotus noc non 
 ScliaHUaims Caliotiis, cjusliliurt iiiuio ah (irlif ii'di'iiiptd 14'.i4, diu vn'o ■i4 Juiiii 
 lima fi Huh (liiuculc) (|uaiu Ti'naiu |iiiiiium N'iHaiu upiJi'llaniiit, ct iiir<ulam (niain 
 dam I'i oppot^ilaiii liimilain J>ivi JoaiiiiiH Xciiniiiaruiit qviippc qu:v Solcniiii die 
 fcHtiidivi .loaiiiiin apiTta, I'liif, J)iviTsi« (iiMHTibiiH pisi'iuin abiiudat, liuniiii aiiti-iii 
 maxima uopia ost qiiuH vulgim BaucalioH (itonu') appollat.) 
 
 SF.UASriAN CAlSorS MAP, 
 
 content witli this, tlie author (or int(>ri)olator) rej)eats the 
 words in the foUowiny' manner : '' Prbiui Terra 17.s/(/,"' inark- 
 in*!: tlie same spot. Here, apiin, are si<>iis of tamperin<r, for 
 these words are in Itallau, while all the rest of the map 
 (with two remarkable excei)tions) is in Spanish. The map 
 bears the (hit (! of 1544. /\t that time Sel)astian Cabot was 
 "pilot major of his Sacrc! Imperial Majesty Don ("arlos the 
 V. of his name;" and, tio doul)t, if he had made this map. 
 
 II 
 
52 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 he would hiivc written the names in Spanish. Tiic inter- 
 polator, however, overlooking this fact, and counting on 
 ('al)ot'.s supi)oscd nationality, inserted tlio words in Italian. 
 ''Prima Vixta" is either Italian or Si)anish, but IWra is 
 distinctly Italian, the Spanish word being Tierra. But 
 tliis is not all. The tirst of the remarkable exceptions men- 
 tioned above is, that a third cflbrt is made to signalize that 
 spot on the map as the tirst land seen: and tliis tinn; it is 
 in English. Tliere is an anclior, with the word or Hgure 
 " 1st," thus, " rf^ 1st," meaning tirst anchorage. This seems 
 like overdoing the matter. The second exception mentioned 
 is the French word morue. Tliis word occurs in the 
 inscription attached to the laap. The inscription is in Latin, 
 and was evidently written by a Frenclnnan ; tor, after the 
 word BacaUos,\\(i exi)lains by tlie word morne \\\ parenthesis, 
 the French name for cod. Tliere can be no p()ssil)le reason 
 given why Cabot should have translated this word into 
 French, supposing he wrote the iiiscri[)tion, and supjiosing 
 he knew the French word, which is doubtful. AVe have 
 nothing to induce us to believe that Cabot knew French, 
 and he certainly had no connection with that country. It 
 would, therefore, be most al)surd to imagine his inserting 
 that French word into his Latin inscrii)tioii. It was evi- 
 dently written by a Frenchman, and we have here also, for 
 the tirst time, a corrupt form of spelling of the word 
 Baccalaos, namely, Bacalios, a form gradually approaching 
 the modern French JiacaJicii. Again, it would be impos- 
 sible for a voyager coming from liristol to sight Cape North 
 in Cape Breton without tirst passing for some dai/s in sight 
 of Xewfoundlantl. Finallv, it is stated that Cabot, havinij 
 made the land sailiiii:' west from Bristol, coasted north to the 
 fifty-eighth or sixtieth degree of latitude; he then returned 
 to his starting-jioint and coasted south and west as far as 
 Florida. All this is inconsistiiut with the idea of his having 
 made Cap'' JVorfh. He (.-ould not have gone north from that 
 without sailing through the Straits of Belle Isle, and seeing 
 Newfoundland on tlu; starboard. This we know he did 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 53 
 
 :* 
 
 not do. The Straits Averc only discovered by Curtior in 
 1534. Again, sailing west and south from Cape North 
 would have brought him into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, or 
 Bay Chaleur, instead of to Florida. Many other reasons 
 might b(; given. 
 
 One of the motives which has induced writers to ad()i)t 
 the "Cape-North Theory" is on account of the words in 
 Campl)eirs "Lives of the Admirals"; "On the 24th 
 of June !it 5 o'clock in the morning they discovered 
 the first land. . . . Another island less than the first 
 he styled St. John." In tiie inscri^jtion on Cabot's map 
 this island is thus spoken of: "That Island which lieth out 
 Ix'forc the land tirst seen he called St. John." But there is 
 no difficulty whatever in applying these words to the theory 
 of Cabot having first seen Cape Bonavista, then Baccalieu 
 Island ; and, crossing the mouth of Conception Bay, he made 
 Cajjc St. Francis. He thus thought that the peninsula of 
 Avalon was another and " lesser Island." And so it is 
 marked on tin; map, and so it was believed to be for many 
 years after. Having entered the harbor on the 24th 
 of June he gave it tiic name of "St. John's." AH this 
 applies better to this theory than to the other, for Prince 
 Edward Island, sui)})osed to be the St. John in question, 
 lies rather "behind" than "before"' Cape North. Again, 
 Cabot says this island was "barren in some places," which 
 applies unfortimately too well to Avalon, l)ut not at all to 
 Prince Edward Island. And, lastly, there is no tradition 
 whatever of Cabot having landed on Prince Edward Island 
 on St. John's day ; while '^tr city has an unbroken claim to 
 it right uj) to the tin., innnediately succeeding Cabot's 
 discovery. 
 
 I have dwe^ longer than I intended on this point, but 
 have onlv uiven u:* outline of the aruuments «ro and coh. 
 What more directly touches u[)on our object is the question, 
 Had Cabot any missionaries with him? It has already been 
 remarked thai the missionary went hand-in-hand with the 
 discoverer. And in those pre-Ileformation times England 
 
54 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ■\viis not backward in this respect. At (he time of Cabot's 
 lirst voyage (14!)7) ("ohunbus had already made; his second. 
 
 1 ' 
 
 liOX IN rosSI.SMON Ol' >AlM>i:i!S I'A.MII.Y. (cO V Kl!. ) 
 
 and was ])re[)aring- for his ihird, which took i)hice the fol- 
 lowing year (141)8). lie was accompanied by i)riests, and 
 established a regular mission ; and though we have no ae- 
 
OF NKWFOl'NDLAND. 
 
 55 
 
 c'oiiiil of ('al»()t htivniii' iiiissioniirics with him, yet *t is not 
 iiuprobahle that he had. Tho names which he gave to the 
 
 liox IN rossKssioN OK NArM>i;ii> i'a.mu.y. ^iioitom.) 
 
 tlrst hinds discovered are an indication that ho was actuated 
 by the sani(> religions s[)irit as Cohunbus. The nam^ of 
 Jinona Vista was rather an invohuitary expression of Joy 
 
 %- 
 
 ■ ■itliimWi 
 
I i 
 
 r)6 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAI, IIISTOIIV 
 
 than an actual nannnu: of tlu> place. I'mt all arc ap^rood that 
 he callc<l his first laiidinix-placc St. John's, in honor of Iho 
 Ba[)tist, on whoso festival day ho entered our liarhor. It is 
 l)rol)ablo, also, thiit to Cabot wo owe the beautiful names of 
 Conception Day and Capo St. Francis, he, like Columbus, 
 l)oinir a fond disciple of the lowly .ascetic of Assisi. 
 
 Peter Martyr, a deriryman, contemporary and intimate 
 friend of (^d)ot, writing from Spain to Pope Leo X. about 
 the yoiir 1')!.'), says that Cabot named the new land " iJacca- 
 laos, or Terra Jiacadearum, because he found in the seas 
 there a multitude of lar<>e fish like tunnies, which the inhal)- 
 itants called Baccalaos." The name Terra di JJaccalao ap- 
 pears in the mai)s of those times, and for many years after 
 for that ])()rtion of the land now called .Lahrddor; the 
 name of liaccala, now ixallici/.ed into Uacadieu, beinii" le- 
 stricted to a smidl island at the mouth of Conception Ba}'. 
 
 "We have, as already remarked, no account of the estab- 
 lishment of missions or the p(>rform;nice of religious services 
 at this period, but some relics have l)een found Avhich might 
 possil)ly indicate the presence of priests in those days; 
 among the nvst, a brass box, now in the jmssession of Mr. 
 Saunders, of (ireonspond, Bonavista Bay, of curious and 
 antique workmanship. 
 
 There ciin hardly be a doubt that it forms part of the 
 equiiJinent of some early niissionary. The figure of the Re- 
 monstrance shows at once that the 1)ox Wiis used as !i pyx, 
 or case, to hold the altar-breads for the Holy Sacrifice of the 
 Mass. The l)ox is about five inches ])y four, in form of an 
 ellii)sc. The fiii'ures are scratched in n not altou'cther in- 
 artistic, though not quite professional, st^do. It has been in 
 possession of the Saunders faniily from time innnomorial. 
 On the cover is engraved a ducal crown as crest, with an 
 escutcheon su|)))orted ])y two heraldic anin ds. On tlie field 
 of the shield are the following letters : jpi^^ D L C D L G, 
 which I interpret (imtil a better explanation bo forthcom- 
 ing), Pura Innnacculata VilvginE, "Pure and Immacidate 
 Virgin," for the monogram ; and for the smaller letters, " Deo 
 
 I I 
 
OF NEVVFOUNDLANl). 
 
 57 
 
 Liius Cui Dobotur Laus vA (lloria ;" that is, " Pralso to God, 
 to whom is due I'raiso and (iloiy." 
 
 On tim under part of the l)ox is a KenionstraiK'o, or 0.s- 
 
 Terra de Labrador 
 
 C delLaborado 
 
 \A1Ii:a\ mat.' 
 
 tcnsory, restinjj^ on a throne, attended by two angels with 
 trumpets, and a('eom])anie(l by stars and doves. 
 
 In tlie year 1500 tlie King of Portugal sent out Caspar de 
 
 ' Copieil tVnm tlic ori^riiiiil by tlio writer in IcSK."). 
 
[3^ 
 
 58 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 (^orlereal, who nlsio camo Iho follow iiiii; yeiir with his brother 
 Michael. lie .sailed round the rslaiid, and named many 
 places; among the rest, Portniral Cove. In a map, painted 
 l»y \'arrese, upon the walls of the \'atican I'alace, Koine, in 
 the Loijijic dl lldfacUc, .about the year l;");')!!, the southern 
 part of Labrador is called " Trrva lU Oorfercdl." 
 
 No vesti<;c of tin; event now remains unless we luay con- 
 sider Cottrel's or Cottel's Island, a small jtlace in Tiinity 
 liay, as a corrupt form of this navigator's name. (.1. 1*. 
 Ilowley, Ks(|., F.ti.S.) 
 
 Although St. John's was not chosi-n ;is the Jlmf, nor even 
 the second, capital of the Island, yet it was very soon :i i)lace 
 of importance in the country. Owing to its splendid harbor 
 and naturally safe conformation, surrounded by lofty iiills, 
 and secured from the great swell of the Atlantic, while at 
 the same time it is riglit on the verge v{' the ocean, so as to 
 be easy of access at all times ; its important situation on the 
 most easterly point of the Island, the nearest to the Old 
 World, and in the immediate \)n\\i of ocean trallic; tiie 
 splendid adai)tability of its shores for the formation of a 
 great city, — from all these natural advantages it is no 
 wonder that, from the very earliest stages of our history, it 
 bi'gins to assume a i)rominent jilace as a great port of com- 
 nuTce and tishery o[)erations, and to give clear signs of that 
 future greatness which was to render it linaliy the cai)ital of 
 the Island. 
 
 As early, then, as ir)27 we find ( I'urcha.-s' "^'oyagcs," 
 Vol. III., p. SOO) a letter was written to King Itenry VIII. 
 Ity one John Kutt, master of a ship then lying in tlu^ haven 
 of St. John's, in which he states that in that port alone there 
 were, at the time, eleven ships from Normandy anil one from 
 l>rittany, engaged in the cod-tishery. 
 
 From this jieriod until the arrival of Sir Humphrey Gil- 
 bert, l.')(S;'), we do not read of any attem[)t being made to 
 establish religion in Newfoundland. In fact, while France, 
 Si)ain, and Portugal were vying with each other in their 
 etforts to explore and colonize ni'w countries, to civilize 
 
OF NKVVFOUNDLANI). 
 
 59 
 
 native trilx's and l)riii<r tlioin to a kii()\vl('(l;.'(' of Christ iaiiity, 
 MiiLrlaiid scciuod to take no intcicst in her tcii'itorv on tlio 
 western ocean. TIh* policy of Kiijiland, or at least of those 
 who lloated her Hair in the New >\'oi'ld, in reirard to the 
 savaiTC! triltes, jind es|)eciall_v in Newfoundland, is oiio of the 
 ,irreatest hlots upon her history's pa;;e. 
 
 "'i'h(^ natives" (Dr. Mullock writes iu his manuscript) 
 "were ii Hue race of men, called by themselves HkoTIIICS, 
 su])pose(l l>y some to have l)een partially descended from tlu; 
 XorthmcM, hid now unhappily exiiuct. Litth' moi'e than 
 twenty yeais ai:() (I^i-ll^) a renmant ot' tiie tiihe wandei-eil 
 anionj; the forests and aloni:' the shores of the ii'reat lakes 
 of the intei'ioi'; Itut the lire-Mrnis of tjie Kui^lish settlers and 
 of the Micniac Indians cut them oil" to the last man. Cold- 
 hlooded nnuderers li\ ini:' in our own day used to hoast of 
 the mimhcrs of Indians they killed, as if tiicy were so many 
 head of cU'cr. \\'lien too late the government was at leiiiith 
 aroused, and endeavored to put an end to such harharity. 
 An expedition was sent to try and save the renmant, but it 
 was unsuccessful. . . . The Newfoundland Indian 
 never knew the white man but as a nuu'dei'cr, and wlu'U he 
 coidd he retaliated. Now all are extei'ininated ; the ruins of 
 their huts and deer fences yet remain, but will soon decay. 
 A few barbarous names, im[)osed on ])hK'es where the whites 
 attacked them, as Exploits, liloody IJay, and a tradition of 
 rutliless murders j)erpetrate(l, are ail that remain to tell that 
 such a rac(^ cNcr existed under three centuries of Uritish 
 rule. J was most hai)|)V to tind that amonii' all the in<|uiries 
 I made I ne\('r could connect any of our Catholics with the 
 murder of this race, 'i'lu^ Micmac Indians, indeed, fouiiht 
 with them, and tiicir semi-civilization and kiiowledi^-e of the 
 use of tire-arms i>a\(' them the ad\anta<i(' over the i)()werfiil 
 Heothic, — for these weri' almost a iiiiiantic! race, — but 
 never could I learn that an Irish or a Newtoundland Catho- 
 lic raised a aim aizainst one of them to rob him of the furs 
 he wore, -which was often the only temi)tati()U to shoot 
 him." 
 
IN 
 
 60 
 
 ECCLKSIASriCAL IlISTOKV 
 
 TIio nuinc IV'othic, or l^'othuk, hy wiiicli llio Mhoriiiiinil 
 KimI Iiidiaiis c)t' Ncwfouiullniid hccaiiio known in history, 
 stHMUS not to li!iv(! lu'cn llu>ir oriii'iiiiil niinic in their own 
 laniiuiiiic, l)ut one uivcn them 1)V the Micniacs. In th(^ 
 jMii'niMc hinii'UMiiC it means "the lore-loot ot" a deer," and was 
 probably i>iven them in conscMjnonce of tluMr swiftness of 
 foot. This would account for the name of " l)iack foot," by 
 which lliey were also known ; and a harbor on Labrador still 
 bears the name of Pcnirarc, probably a corruption of Pied 
 JS^oir, c\idently liavinj:" some connection with the extinct 
 race. The name, howev«'r, of Ik'othuc has bee diHei'cntly 
 explained. Kobert (iordon Latham ("Comparative Phi- 
 lolojry") thinks it means "( Jood-niuiit Lidians," from tlu' 
 woi'd hidlliii, to j^o home, and thus its real nieaninu' is, "1 
 am lioing home." Mr. A. S. (Jatschet, who read a papi'r 
 on the sultji'ct before the American Piiilosoj)hical Society 
 in l(5^>^), says the name Ilvnlliiv is a ;i'eneric name for 
 Indian. He also says (p. ll;')) that lie made a research, 
 at the 'earnest solicitation of Mr. .'ames i'. llowley, sur- 
 N'cyor and assistant ir'colou'ist "•' Newfoundland, who, 
 throuii'h his muncrous ex^jcdilions, has bei-ome familiar with 
 all i)arts of the Island. With accuracy he (Mr. II.) com- 
 pared the faulty vocabulary of Loyd. and corrected about 
 twenty-liv(> misspelliniis. and aathered many words hitherto 
 unknown." The vocabulary spoken of was oiitained from 
 Mary Mtirch, or Demasduit, by IJev. ,L Leiuh, and there 
 was another obtained j'rom Shanandiliiit, by Cormack. 
 These two women were tlu' last of" the lied Indians. Demas- 
 duit, or \\'auiiathoakc, called Mary March from the month 
 in which she was captured, was taken in iNl!* by the late 
 John Peyton, who shot her husltand at Ked Indian I'ond, and 
 l>rouuht herself to St. John's. She i'«'mained dnrini:' the year, 
 and beini:' sent home in flanuai'y, 1S2(), died on the way, of 
 consumption. Shanandithit, or Shawnadithit , aflcrwai'ds 
 vuliiari/cd into ^Vf///cy, was, with two of her dauii'lders, 
 bronirht to St. John's by William Call, in lSi>;5. She 
 remained amonji" the whiti^s till she died (in a hospital in St. 
 
OF NKWFOrNDI.ANI). 
 
 61 
 
 Jolin's), in 1.S21I.' The vociihularics ohlniiKMl iVoin llioso 
 ju'i'soiis iiiul other sources iiinotml to altoul three Iiimdred 
 and lit'ty \V()r(l.s. The name uiveii for themselves (the Ked 
 Indians) is ShawaUiurott. The lanuuaii'e is said not to 
 resemhh' that of" any ot'the neiii'hhorin^ tril»es of Canada or 
 North America. Hence, thouu'ii nothiiii:' satisfactory has yet. 
 come to liiiht to (h'lermine their trni^ ethnological ])()sili()n, 
 ^Ir. llowiey is fidly convinced they are not Ali^oncinins, 
 thounh hitherto liiouiiiit to be a branch of that ureat trib(> 
 whicli inhabited all th<' north shore of the St. Lawrences, 
 from the Saii'uenay I'ivcr to the territory of the lOsijuimanx. 
 As to their character iVyton describ(>d them as ''lierceand 
 savau'c." Jint this is entirely contrary to the accounts of the 
 carl}' naviii'ators, and was probably only an excuse to coNcr 
 his own inhuman cruelty to them. He nas one of those who 
 boasted of th(> munbcr of "lieail" of them they had killed, 
 and scoi'cd it on their liimstocks. From the earliest times 
 we have the most favoi'able accoimts of these Indians. C'aI)oL 
 brought three of them to iMi^land with him, who became 
 civili/ed, and were schmi some years afterwards at Westmin- 
 ster Palace, by KerV: who "could not dislinuuish them from 
 Kuiilishmen." Frobisher ( l;")?!) says they were '' altoii■ether 
 harlnlesso."' AVhitbourne says (1 (!22) they were "an inu'c'iiious 
 and subtill I'acc," and "tractaide when kindly dealt withall." 
 "Much liood," he continues, "mii:ht be wrought upon them, 
 for I have appai'ent proofes ot' their inu'cuious and subtill dis- 
 positions: :ind that ihey are a ])eople full of (piicke and lively 
 apprehensions." lie does not, liowcx cr, seem to have dis- 
 covered any clue to their reliu'ious belief. JI(> s.-iys tlicy had 
 no knowledge of (iod, nor any civil ptN crmnent. The dis- 
 covery of bows and .arrows and drinkinu-cups, in the graves 
 of some of the tril»e, on thc^ l)anks of th(> Ked Indian Lak(\, 
 in 1<S2.S, would seem to indicate a kindred belief with tlu) 
 
 ' Tlu' iiKithcr and line (if Uic daM^hlci-i dii'il, Iml llic third, uIki^c mmimi' u:\> sIimii- 
 Jiiidilliil, siiivivfd i'lidiil twii viais, I'Ic. (Iiiv. M. lliirvcy, " lli>lcn\v iif Niwl'imiid- 
 hiiid ") ; hut ill liis arliclu " lU'toids (if nil Kxliiict Jiact: " lie ;;ivi's llic lads as in llio 
 toxt. 
 
02 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL IlISTOllY 
 
 'li 
 
 other tribes of Nortli America in the " liiii)i)y hunting- 
 irrouiuls of the future."'' 
 
 Peyton infornuHl Mr. Ilowley tliat lie thought that, if they 
 had any worshiji at all, it was that of the Sun. They had a 
 superstition eoneerniiii!; a devil, or evil spirit, Avliieh haunted 
 the (irand liakc, and which thev called Ashinodshini, or 
 AshuK \vini. 
 
 Dr. jNIuUoek (nianusei'ii)t) quotes from an edition of 
 Ptolemy's ji-eoifraphy, i)ul)lished in Venice in 1.">()1 l»y 
 (iirolamo Huse(dli, and now preserved in the library of St. 
 Isidore's Franciscan Convent, IJoine, a description of the 
 Island of Xewfoundland arid the aboriiiiiies. It contains, 
 also, a map of liie island as then known to the Italians, 
 both of which, he writes, "are so curious and so totally dif- 
 ferent from the reality that I thought it would be interesting' 
 to I'eproduci' ihem here.'" Fnfortuuatcdy I have not found 
 this copy of the map; if ever made it has Ix-cn lost. 
 Dr. Mullock then ^oes on to descriix' the maj). " It will 
 l)e ))erceivc(l that Xewfoundland was tlieii thouiilit to Ix > 
 collection of small islands, — the appearance it ])resen(- at 
 J. sent to those who sail at sonie distance aloiiij: its shores 
 and see only the lieadlands and the open sea between them, 
 on account ot' the width and de[)fh of the bays. It is 
 renuirk;d)le, also, that ihouu'h the map is an Italian one, and 
 |)ublished in Italy, all the names are Spanish: so that it 
 appears to be the co[)y of a ma)) jiublished by the Spanish 
 na\ ipitors."" (Probably of Cabot's of ir)44, mentioned 
 above.) 'i'he description acconi[)anyinu" the maj) is as fol- 
 lows : " Tierra Xueva de los l»acalaos. IJacalaos, or 
 liaccallaos, is a sort of lariic tish which the peo})le of Ireland, 
 and also the iMiiilish, tish for. It is this which gives the 
 name to the Province, which, however, is very small and 
 not well iuhal)iled, as it is a very cold country : hence both 
 men and women are clothed in bear-skins. They are of a 
 l)estial nature: eat e\i'i'ything raw and even human tlesh ; 
 they have neither religion nor law, and tl.ey adore, some one 
 thing, some anotiier ; as tlu; Sun, Moon, Stars, or anything 
 
 J 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 63 
 
 clso. The land of Lahnidor is said to bo the last of all those 
 newly discovered towards those nortliern ))ai'ts, and is ahont 
 fonrtoen leauiies distant, from tlie Island of Iceland, or 'The 
 Lost,' which the ancients called Tile (Thnle) ; and it is the 
 last i)art of the world towards that side. . . . AVc pass 
 over :i period of eiuhty-hix years, and iind another niaj), i)ul)- 
 lished in Florence, in 1(!47 ; we may perceive that a very 
 j)assal)le knowledii'e of the form and extent of the country 
 had l)e(ni ac(inii'ed." Thus fai- Dr. Mullock, hut we see iVom 
 tlu^ maps of Xewi'oundland, drawn by Chaniplain as early 
 as 1 1)1N-11>, that Newfoundland is represented f/.s r*;((W.'//vye 
 island, and bears a \cry fair resemblance to its present ')ut- 
 linc on our latest nia[)s. That it should have l)een ... lirst 
 supposed to consist of a nuinl)er of small islands is not 
 indeed to be wondered at, when we tind on Verrazano's map 
 (ir)2<S) that Eniilandaud Scotland an^ rei)resented as sei)arate 
 islands. Indeed, it would ajjpear that i)artieular attention 
 was [)aid to the exact delineation of our shores at a very early 
 date; and the correctness of the drawinu', and naminii' of 
 places, is truly astonishina'. consideriui:' the rudeness of the 
 instruments, the remoteness of the localities, etc. There is 
 nothing to contirm tln' statement made al)ove that the abo- 
 rigines were cannibals. Kerr, in his '■Trav(ds,"' speaking of 
 those Indians whom he saw at ^Westminster, says : '' They 
 did eat raw Hesh." Jkit, then, lirsily, he nuist have spoken 
 from hearsay ; secondly, he does not say lainian Jicxh, but 
 rail' llesh. In this gastrononiical f(>at they ai"e closely fol- 
 lowed by some civili/ed savages. Again, it is not certain 
 whethi'r these men biought home by (abot.on his second 
 vovaii'c, were Ueothics oi' not : for, on that occasion, he 
 coasted as far as Florida, and touched at many [)laces. 
 Finall}', savages in all climes are more faithful ol)servers of 
 nature's laws than civili/ed man ; and it is a well-known 
 ethnological fact that the consumption of human flesh in 
 nortlnn'n or cold tTuuates is fatal, natmv I'eijuiring a more 
 oleaginous substance; hence the seal, the bear, and the 
 walrus are bountifully supplied by an All-seeing Providence. 
 

 ■MH 
 
 (54 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 P 
 
 That the Bootliios hiul a knowlodac of the use of tire, and of 
 a rude culinary art, are facts ))(>yond (lis[)ut(!. For the j)r()- 
 (hiction of tlie former they i<iiuled the (h)\vn of the hhu^ jav 
 {Covi'iin Canadensis) l)y slrikin<>; to<iether two })ieces of iron 
 jnrites or niuiidic. (Ilowley.) As to (iieir knowk'dii'e of 
 cookinir, (\)rniaek deserihes havinjx found various culinary 
 utensils amoni:- their wiiiwanis at Ked Indian Lake. 
 
 The map of Wrrazano, hefori^ alluded to, is ])reserved in 
 the Propaganda, or lioruian Museum, at Rome, when; also 
 are seveial other ancient maps which havc^ been hrouiiht into 
 ureat prominence lately hy havinii" heen used by Pope Leo 
 XIII. in decidinix the dispute Ix'lwecn S})ain and Prussia 
 concerniui;' tlu^ dominion of the Caroline Islands. This fact 
 may be looked upon as o\w of the most extraordinary occur- 
 rences of the nineteenth ccMitury. The powerful Protestant 
 premier of Prussia, Prince P>ismarck, a man whose life was 
 s})ent in o})})()siti()n to the Papacy, and who made the vain 
 boast that lu' "would never li'o to Cancjssa,"' led by an in- 
 stinct of the i)rofoundest jjolicy, but in whicli the hand of 
 God is visibly seen, ai)])lies to the Po[)e, kneels before Leo 
 like another Henry I \'. before (Jreii'ory. Bismarck acknowl- 
 (idu'es Leo, in the midst of this materialistic nineteenth cen- 
 tury, as the Great Arbiter of nations! This is, indeed, jv 
 portentous event. And, as if it wt-re to accentuatiMts sioniti- 
 cance, Leo, in LSiS"), makes use of the ideiiiical map used 
 some four hundred years before (141);i) by Alexander \'I. for 
 the same pnr[)ose, nanudy, to settle the ditferences arisini; 
 between the kings of Spain and Portuizal concerninii' the 
 dominion of the new found lands of the westein world. 
 
 Beinir in Rome in LSS'), I was kindly permitted to examine 
 and v^)\^y some of these rare specinums of c()smoi>rai)hv, as 
 widl as a Latin document accompanyini:' and illustrating:" them. 
 I here aive a reduced sketch of \rdrt of Verrazano's map. 
 
 In L'")2.'), (riovanni Verra/ano, a Florentine, was sent out 
 by Francis I., King of France, and discovered the eastern 
 coast of America, which he claimed for France. It would 
 seem that Fngland had let her right go by default , as Cabot had 
 
 Is 
 
 > 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 65 
 
 discovered and claimed in her name all this coast some thirty 
 years lielbre. The Latin manuseiipt of the l>()rgian Museum, 
 explanatory of the ma|)s, says that Wu'razano found the coun- 
 try called lluaitenet, and <iave it the name of jSfova Gdllla, 
 or Now France. The ma}) of tin; lands discovered hy 
 Vcrrazano was not made till live years after, viz., l.')2(S. It 
 was drawn hy Jerome Verrazano, as the inscription states, 
 '' lUcvouipnKs Verra:^(i)}o fac.iehal ." It shows the line drawn 
 hy order of Al(^\ander \']. ; hut, of course, it is not the; ma[) 
 used actually hy that Pope, who died in 1503, twenty-tive 
 years hefore this map was made. .VU the maps of this period 
 copied the ahoNc di\idii,<>- line of Alexander \'I. It is to he 
 seen, also, on another mai) preserved in the nuiseum, namely, 
 that of Dieii'o Kihero, cosmou'raphist of Spain, whose map 
 was drawn in l.")2!t. The actual original ma}) used hy .Vlex- 
 Jinder A'l., and ])r()hal)ly drawn hy Paolo ToscancHi, is also 
 preserved in this jihrary, and is flic one lately used hy Po[)e 
 Leo XIII. On examininii' tliese majjs W(> tind two ditlerent 
 lines of demarcation hetweeu Spain and Portuaal. One is 
 drawn throuuh the Atlantic Ocean al)out 'i'^ west from the 
 Azores; the otlier is ahout 18^"^ fartiier west, or olP west 
 from Cajie W'rde, and runs throu,<.di part of the continent of 
 South America. The history of the discrepancy hetween 
 thes(! two lines is most interesting and instructive. Tlie hold 
 navigatoi's of Portuu'al had pushed their explorations south- 
 ward alonii' the coast of Africa many years hefore the discov- 
 ery of Amei'ica hy t'olumhus, till at leni>'tli, in the year 14i)7, 
 Vasco da (iania rounded the ('a})e of Ciood Hope, and dis- 
 covered IiKha and the land of the (Ireat Khan, and uave to 
 Portnual undisputed dominion over all the lands of tlu! East. 
 After ("olinnltus' discovery ihey I»eii'an to fear the iiU'ur>ions 
 of S[)ain ; and henci', as a matter of ordinaiy proceedinu', 
 I'ecurrenei! was had to the Pope to lay down a houndary line. 
 In those days the Pope was acknowledii-ed as tiie divinely 
 appointed iruardian of all i)t'oj)les, and the supreme jud^t' in 
 matters of international disagreement. His action was not, 
 therefore, an in/f'ij'rroire unwarranted, as assumed hy many 
 
(ii; 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 "' ' 'i 
 
 t 
 
 n 
 
 niodcni writers, Imt was nskcdfor mikI cxiu'cKmI l>y kinus and 
 priiK'i's. Ik'iK-e the Pope was apin-aled to, to prevent a col- 
 lision betweiMi Spain and Portnual. TIk; P()|)e ordered the 
 line of deinareation to he di-awn "One hundred leagues (or 
 about Ipj deirrces) west fVoni the A/.ores and Cape Verde 
 Islands, nieasured from a point midway hetwecm the two 
 liroups ; all islands, ete., on the wi'st of this line to belonu" to 
 Spain; those on the east to Lusitania or Portugal." This 
 decision was confirmed by a brii'f drawn u[) on the 4th of 
 May, 1403, solemnly signed, and the line; drawn on the map. 
 The King of Portugal was not satisfied with the decision, and 
 tried every possible means to n)akethe Pojjc reverse or revise 
 his sent(Mice : l)r.t he would not swerve an inch from his first 
 j)ro|)()sal. King John then brought about a meeting, at 
 Tordesillas, with the weak-mindcnl Ferdinand, and easily per- 
 suaded him to move the line farther westward, so as to give 
 his ships more sea-room : arguing that a few leagues, more or 
 less, on a boundless ocean was not of any consetjuence. The 
 line was therefore removcMl some three hundred and sevent}' 
 leagues, or IS.V"^, farther westward. This accounts for the 
 second line on the map (shown in our n'i)roduction as a 
 heavy black line, while th(> line of Alexander VI. is shown 
 by us in red as it is drawn on the original). This agree- 
 ment was made the 17th day of ,Iuiie, 141)4, as mentioned on 
 lJil)ero's nia|). P)\' this concession King Ferdinand ceded, 
 though unwittinu'lv, to Portui^al, the kinu'dom of Prazil. It 
 is a very extraordinary fact tha^ the line drawn by the Pope, 
 and adhei'cd to with such (Ictennination, is the only on(> that 
 can be drawn on the Atlantic which runs from i)ole to i)ole 
 without encountering any land. It is certain that the Popes 
 were fai' in advance of the rest of the world in knowledge of 
 geography and other branches of science, and that they had 
 gathered around them the most learned and skilled cosmog- 
 rajjliers of Miirope. Vet, even admitting this, it si^ems an as- 
 tounding thing that Pope Alexander should have been able, at 
 that early date, to fix with siu-li j)recision this dividing merid- 
 ian. (Fr. Knight, S.J., in the " Month," November, ISTli.) 
 
 !i: 
 
 t 
 
 L^<? 
 
T3LAf/PA 
 
 J'^IAJ) 
 
 
 0^5 
 
 
 ^A 
 
 I 
 
 Z7184L/ 
 / 2' RoV/ 
 
i 
 
 ^r 
 
 . 
 
 MAP OF VERAZZANO, 
 
 PRESEFiVED IN 
 
 PROPAGANDA LIBRARY, ROME. 
 
 j:rr/l(;A.¥ 
 
 
 <OlA%tKMVtA 
 
 
 iVmv«^i^^ £Waa-^>voUv 
 
 K:ekATASAl1 
 
 
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^'^^CALAO^ 
 
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 1 
 
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 •i > 
 
OF NEWFOrNDLANl). 
 
 67 
 
 CIIAITKK IV. 
 
 .IACQUI> fVRTIKU.— [IWI-Kai.] 
 
 Ncfflect of Colonies hy En^jliiiid — Henry Kirko IJefiileil — Catholic Countries En- 
 C()iinii;i: C'oloni/.iilidn — .Tiu'((iu's ('iirtii'i''s \'oyii;,'es, l.'i't I -•').') — Arrives iit (,'iitiilina 
 — I'irst Muss ill N'cwloiiiulliUKl — Calliolic Missions in Anieiicii ^ Testimony of 
 Bnncnift — Cai'tier Enters the Straits of lielle Isle and Explores the St. Eaw- 
 renee — Old Fort — Antieosti, Hay ("lialeur — Siiifui'naV, Quebec, etc. — Settle- 
 ment by John (Jny in Conception Haj'. 
 
 FOlv some (|iiitfl('r oi" m ('cnliiry iiftcr the discovery of 
 Ncwt'oiiiKlliiiKl l)V ('jil)ot, Kiighuid sccius to liiivo tiikcii 
 no iiilcrcst in licr Xcw loiindl.Mnd acquisition of tcrritoi-y, 
 hut to li.'ivc iihiindoncd it to the use of foreign tisliennen, 
 who fully iiviiiled themselves of her Vidiiid)lo tisheries. 
 Kirkc, in his "C'on<iii<'st of ('tmadti," p. 22, attribute's this 
 lethargy of England to the; old Ix'te nolf, " sticerdotalisni and 
 monkery." These lie tells us were not detul in England till 
 the reign of Elizid)clh, a(|ueen "thrifty and penurious." "With 
 her accession dawned ti new em, and " Engliiiid iiwidced to 
 new life." The dissolution of mon.'isteries conferred we.altli on 
 the iiristoeniey, so thtit '' all extimple and precept (.svV;,- (/ii, 
 pretext ) for idleness h;id disa])pe!ired."" So it was "only in the 
 latter half of the sixteenth century, seventy-two yetirs after 
 C:d)ot's discovery, that any attempt was made to utilize it by 
 England." Yet, strjuige to say, this s.amc writer, in the very 
 next page, tells us that Spain, where " monkery and sticerdo- 
 talisni " were in fidl vigor, — this benighted country (at the 
 very time that Eiighmd wtis so busy killing out nioid<ery), — 
 "wiis reaping a rich harvest from Americii"! "And yearly 
 vast treasure -ships sailed across the Atlantic to empty into 
 her bosom the spoils of a new continent." And, what is still 
 more stninge, it was those very "lazy monks '" who Avere the 
 life and soul of those enterprises I So do men, blinded by 
 early prejudice, ftul to read history correctly ! 
 
()« 
 
 ECCLESIASTK'AL IIISTOKY 
 
 France, too, iinolhcr country ovcrriddiMi liy " monkery 
 imd sacenlolalisni," wliilc lOnnland was revellinj^ at homo 
 in the supen-irul^'cnt lijilil of the new Ud'ormation, and con- 
 tenting; lierselt' willi llie treasures "wrenclied iVom the dis- 
 solved mona.sti'ries, was |)ushui<j; her exploralions onward 
 in the Avestcrn ocean, and winning' for lierself new glories 
 in iIk' shape of vast colonial possessions. 
 
 In the years ir)l54-8r) fTac(ines Cartier, a iyreat French 
 naviuator, exi)lored tlu! coast of Newfoundland, penetrated 
 the Straits of I'dle Isle and the j^reat (Jull'of St. Lawrence, 
 and giivo to France the boundless rejiioii of Canada. 
 
 Cartier, as stated, made two voyaixes, the tirst in loJU, on 
 which occasion he disco* cred Canada; the se(!ond in l^B"), 
 on which occasion three tine vessels Aven; fitted out l»y the 
 French kinji", Francis I. (the suuk; who twelve years Ix^fore 
 sent out Veri'azano, 1.")2.") ), for a voyati'e to Acadia. Ivu'h 
 ciinicd a complement of sixty men.' Cartier was a hold and 
 skiltul pilot of St. ]\Ialo, a seajjort in the north-west of 
 France, in the Province of Ih'ctaij^ue. This little town hud 
 heen, like Palos in Spain, intimately coimected with the 
 vairue i)rc-C()luml)iau traditions of the unknown comilrv of 
 the West, which, doubtless, inspired its children with the 
 spirit of advent lU'e. 
 
 Jac(|ues Cartier set out on his lirst voyage on the 2()th of 
 April, ir)3-l, and, Ibllowiuir the example of Cabot, held a duo 
 western course. On the lotii of May, at'ter a very (juick 
 passaire of twenty days, he sighted land, almost at the same 
 point which Cabot had m:id(^ thirty-seven years before, 
 namely, tlu^ ))eautiful headland of Uonavista. lie found this 
 cape so nuich beset with ice that he was constrained to steer 
 more to the south, and take refuge in a harl)or about live 
 leagues to the south-east. This harbor is called, in the nar- 
 ratives of the voyage, St. Cathei-iiKi's Haven. Dr. Midlock, 
 si)eaking of this name, attributes it to the Spanish voyagers. 
 "The soft Spanish word for Catherine, Caialhia, like Kath- 
 
 II a|i|it'ars tliiil liu niiidc iitliinl voyage, in 1541. 
 
OP NKWFOrNDLANI). 
 
 69 
 
 Icon in Tiifsh." Hut it is oxiircssly stilled 1>y Foiliind that it 
 was .so niiini'd liy ( 'artier, and on this very oeeasion of his 
 heinir oiiliifed to laiie vet'iiixe tiieiv from the i( e-iloe. It is 
 evident, from what we have just wad, tliat Carlier was a 
 man of a tliorouj^hly rc^liirioiisfui-n of mind, and, like Colnm- 
 hus and Cahot, fond of niimin;ij places after the saints. Now, 
 
 ^^■^ 
 
 M 
 
 1 
 
 
 ^ jggimmt^ 
 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^kh^KiSl 
 
 f 
 
 ^HHr -si!^ 
 
 
 
 
 -ii,-^"'T|fc(v^ 'JSk 
 
 % 
 
 
 '^ 
 
 
 
 ■ ^'^^jir 
 
 
 IA»'(Jli;s CM! III'.I! 
 
 lie left St. Malo on tlie 2()tii of April, and weald have 1)oen 
 just ten days at sea, and ahout half-way on his voyage, when 
 the feast of the grejit Saint Catherine, of Siona (2()th 
 Ajn'il), oeeurred. It is (juitc possible that, in performing 
 liis devotions and meditation on that day (ii practice never 
 neglected by these early navigators), he made a vow or reso- 
 lution to name in her honcu" the tirst port he should enter. 
 Again, he may have attributed to her intercession his safety 
 from a storm ; for, although the voyage was a rather (juiek one, 
 
(0 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Vet it was rougli. Do l^oiirhourij says it was '' Jonr/nc p( peni- 
 hie" — loiiii' :ui(l (lilliciilt ; and Fiu'laiul uivcs soiiu; i)artic'uiar.s 
 (p. 22) ; "TluTc \v(M(^ tlir('(> ships, — the 'Graiur and 'Petit 
 Ilenninc." and liu' ' Knuillon.' Carl ier, with several young 
 gentlemen \()hinteers, was aboard the tirst. Tiie shii)s were 
 separated by a suecession of violent tempests, and did not 
 reach their rendezvous, Hlane Sablon, on the coast of Labra- 
 dor, till the 2(;th of July." 
 
 He remained ten days in Catalina, and started northward 
 on the 21st of Afay. He arrived at an island callecl tlu; Fuidv 
 Island, where he filled his boats with l)irds, which were most 
 nunuMous there. He came to the Straits of lielle Isle, which 
 ho called (iolfe des Chateaux. This name, still retained by 
 a cape and harltoi' on the Labrador coast, was given by 
 Cart'"r on account of the [x'culiar and t'antaslic t'ormation of 
 the elid's. They are thus de^^cribed 'l)y Chapel, in tiu; ''Cruise 
 of the liosamond," LSL"), p. l(il : This l>ay '"is so called from 
 the remarkable restMublance which it bears to an ancient 
 castle; its turrets, arches, looijholi^s, and keeps are beauti- 
 fully represented by a series of basaltic coUunns. Tlie 
 author could only regret his inability to delineate this singu- 
 lar headland, for it certainly [)resented as tine a hul)ject for 
 the pencil of the artist as the celebrated Cave of Fingal, or 
 the no less iiote(l (lianl's Causeway."' He thought then that 
 this was the only entrance to the Grand Gulf. A littU; later 
 he tbund the southern and wider entrani-e, between Newfound- 
 land and Cape IJreton. He entered Les Isletles, to-day called 
 the Port of liras d'Or, — :i port afterwards called Port of 
 Phely[)eau.\, — visite*! the P>a y of I'rest on the feast of St. 
 Barnabas, Apostle (June 11), where he had Mass celebrated 
 for the first lime. He revisited the coast of Newfoundland, 
 and on the 'M\ of July entered 15ay Chaleur ; an'-hored at 
 Ls'e Bonaventure, Cajje Perce, which he called Ca[) de 1 do 
 (Ferland) ; entered Gasix' Kith July and planted the Cross, 
 an<l finally, on the feast of St. Ami (July 2(1), lu; arrived at 
 the rendezvous Blanc Sablon. On tin L'th August he ar- 
 rived at St. Malo on his return. 
 
 fc 
 
 > i 
 
OV NEVVFOUNDL..Nn. 
 
 71 
 
 ^ 
 
 111 tlio followini; year (ir)35) prcpanitions on a lar2:or scale 
 wen^ made. The departure of the brave mariners on their 
 perilous voyage was made the oceasion of a scene of the 
 greatest reliuious enthusiasm on the part of tluiir fellow- 
 citizens. The Ahhe Brasseur du Bourbourg (\). 7) thus 
 describes it: " Keliirion this time miiiiiled the pomp of its 
 solemnities witn the dei)arture of tlie tleet. All the crews, 
 with thi'iroilicers at their heads, after having confi'ssed, went 
 to the Cathedral of St. Malo, and received Coinmunion from 
 the hand of the liishop. After that tlie ]*relato gave them 
 his solcnm blessing, and it is to be believed that, according 
 to tiic pious custom of the times, many chai)lains departed 
 with them." Ferland (p. 21) (lescrii)es it as follows: "On 
 Sunday, tlie Feast of Pentecost, the l<!th of May of tin; year 
 loo"), by command of tlu; captain, and of the free-will {fjoii 
 vouhnr) of all, each one made his confession, and avo received 
 all togx'ther Our Creator (A^o//'e Crea'eur) in the Catliedral 
 Church of St. Malo, after which we went to present ourselves 
 in the sanctuary (au cJin'itr) l)efore our reverend father in 
 God. ^Fonsieur of St. Malo, wiio, in his episcoj)al dignity 
 {('kit ej)/s(:o2)(d), gave us tlu^ liencdiction." 
 
 Twopriests, or chapl.'iins {atandniers), accompanied them, 
 namely, Dom (iiiillMumci le IJreton juid Doin Antoine. From 
 that time till the estal)lishment of the bishopric of (Quebec 
 (lC)r)8) the Bishojjs of St. Maio had entire Jurisdiction in 
 New France. 
 
 Cartier set sail on his second voyage on Wednesday, the U»tli 
 May, 1 ;").■).■>. His tleet consisted of three vessels : the ''Grand 
 Ilermine," one hundred and twenty tons, the '' Petit Ilermine," 
 sixty tons, and the " Krmillon," forty tons. lie steered di- 
 rect for tlie Straits of Belle Isl(>. He tirst made Cape Tiennot, 
 and then entered the harbor of St. Nicholas, on the Labrador 
 coast ; thence he was blcwii by a gale to a harlior on the New- 
 foundland coast, on the lOtli of August, the Feast of St. Law- 
 rence, and he named it in honor of the saint. This place is 
 described as ji "very beautiful harbor, full of islands and with 
 many entrances, and good anchor.'igc in all weathers . . . there 
 
72 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 is ail island like a head of land {vaj) tie terre), which stands 
 out i)c>yond the others."" Charlevoix remarks how the name of 
 St. Lawrence, ijiveii to this harbor, afterwards extended to the 
 whole <rulf, ealli'd before "the River of Canada." Comparing 
 Cartier"s description with that of Caiitain Baytield (Sailing 
 DiiHH'tions, Gulf of St. Lawrence), we tiiid it to be the harltor 
 now called St. Genevieve. "The islands of St. Lawrence 
 are nine leagues from Port aux Esijuimaux," says Rev. AL 
 Planmiodon, missionary priest. " I was struck by the re- 
 semblance of the Bay of St. Genevieve with St. Lawrence, 
 described liy Cartier ; you cannot be mistaken. T recognized 
 the inountain formed like an ear of corn {tan de bU) ; to-day 
 it is called Partridge Head. 1 saw the great isle, like a cap 
 de terre, which .'ulvances beyond the others," etc. Another 
 account, however, states that he landed on the Island of Cape 
 Breton, and built a fort near Cape North. He named the 
 island " St. Lawrence,'" thou<rh it had been called by the 
 English before that time Capi^ Biitton, as apjiears in the ac- 
 count of the voyage of the "Dominus Wibiscum"' in 1527. In 
 Ilore's Voyages, lf)o(), it is called Cape Breton, and in the 
 time of Chaniplain, ]()()8, this name began to prevail. There 
 is still a cai)e near Cape North called Cape St. Lawrence, 
 which a})pears on Varrese's map, ir)5(). "It is (Nstablished 
 beyond doul)t" {constate), says Cheauveau ("Instruction Pub- 
 licpie en Canada"), "that in those tirst two voyages elac(iues 
 Cartier had jjriests with him ; that Mass was said for the tirst 
 time in New France, at tiie harbor of Brest, now Old Fort, 
 on the coast of Labrador, on the 11th of Jime" (the Feast of 
 St. Barnabas, Apostle, 1.53-1) ; "but it does not afjpear that 
 these priests were able to instruct or t!vangeli/(^ the Indians." 
 Since, then, we know that then' were priests with Cartier, and 
 again that he remained ten days at Catalina before visiting 
 Labrador, it is more than probabl'; that ]Mass was celebrj'.ted 
 there, and, if so, it would be the first time and i)lace in which 
 the Holy Sacrifice was oll'ered in Newfoundland, or in all 
 North America, as far as we have any authentic record. 
 It has already been remarked that we have no record of 
 
:..^-..:,.tuitMMaauitaMibs3mtt>m 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 73 
 
 \ 
 
 any minister of the Knirlisli Church accompanying the expe- 
 dition of Sir IIuniphr(\v (Jiibert. l?iit, since lie came witli 
 the o.\j)ress intention of establishing the Protestant form of 
 worshij), it is more than likely that he 1)rouuht some minis- 
 ter with him and established him in the country. If so, the 
 mission nuist have failed, for ^ve hear nothing of it. In the 
 year Ki.'iS an enactment was passed by the Star Chamber, to 
 the eHect that in Newfoundland " Divine service should be 
 performed, according to the ceremonial of the; Clnu'cii of 
 Kngland, on Sundays." AVhether this necessarily imi)lies 
 the presence in the country of a minister or clergyman of 
 that church, or not, I iim not sutficiently initiated to pro- 
 nounce. 
 
 We know, from the colonial papei's preserved in the Kecord 
 Office in lioudon, tiiat there was a minister of the Protes- 
 tant Churi'h in Xewfoundlaud at the time of Lord Balti- 
 more's settlement (1()22), whose name was Stourton. It is 
 j)robable that he cami' out with the colony of John Guy, some 
 few years befon^ (KilO). lie came to trouble with Lord 
 P»altimore, as shall be seen farther on. 
 
 This was probal)ly the first attemjjt at the performance of 
 missionary work by the ministers of the Iveformed Ciuirch 
 in the New World. The Plymouth P^ilhers did not come out 
 to New England till tlie year 1(J2(). "The Protestant citi- 
 zens of the United States," says De Courcy ("History of 
 Church in America," Cliap. I.), "boast of the Puritan settle- 
 ment in New Lngland as the cradle of their race; but long 
 before tin; Sei)aralists lauded at Plymouth in 1(520, and while 
 the English settlers hugged the Atlantic shore, too inditferent 
 to instruct in Christian'* v the Indians whose hunting- 
 grounds they hjid usurped, other jiortions of the continent 
 were evangeli/ed from north to south, and t'rom east to 
 west." 
 
 Even Baiicrott, a Protestant writer, l>ears testimony to the 
 fecundity of the Catholic missions. After drawing a magniti- 
 cent picture of the .Jesuit missionaries, whose early ex|)lo- 
 rationsofthe wilderness, evi'U from a scientilic and cominer- 
 
74 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ciiil ))oin< of view, must win the iidmivation of all, ho adds, 
 "Thus did the religious zeal of the French hear the Cross 
 to the l)anks of the St. Mary and the eontines of fjake Supe- 
 rior, and look wistfully towards the homes of the Sioux in 
 the valley of the Mississijjpi, tivc years before the New 
 Kniiland Kliot had addressed the tribe of Indians that dwelt 
 within six miles of lioston Harbor." 
 
 For several years innnediatelv suoeeedinii' the unsuoeess- 
 ful altemi^t at colonization by Sir IIum|)hrey (iilbert we 
 read of isolated voyages made to Newfoundland, l)ut no 
 organized etl'ort at forming a settlement. In 1;")9.') Kieh- 
 ard Strange, of Apham, made a voyage with the intention of 
 prosecuting the seal-tishery. He made his head-(juarters at 
 Kamea. on the southern coast. In the following year, 15il4, 
 we read of a voyage of Cajjtain Kicliard .b)nes. From this 
 time forward numerous ships came out annually, and the 
 eoast was harassed by pirates. In 1. ")!>(! the French jjirate 
 Michel de Sanci cai)tured the Fngiish lishing-captain 
 Kichard Clarke, These pirates infested our coasts for man}' 
 years. AN'hitbourne, writing in lOlS, s[)eaks of the arch- 
 pirate I'eter Fast on, who kept him a })i."soner for eleven 
 days. Thei'c was also a celebrated French j)irate of 
 Kochelle, one Daniel Tibolo, and he (Whitl)ounie) tells us 
 that then; were even pirates from Darbaiy cruising on our 
 coasts, so valual)le were the prizes of tish and " trayne oil." 
 This ani\oyance from the pirates was also one of the causes 
 of the failure of Lo.a! IJaltimore's colony, as we shall see. 
 
 In 1")!>7 Charles Leigh and Al»raham \'an Ilerwick, two 
 London merchants, came out to Newfoundland. About the 
 beginning of the seventeenth century tlu' tisheries began for 
 the lirst time to enlist considei'able attention in Fngland. 
 French lishermen had already })rosecuted the industry to 
 such an extent that, in the year I.'jT.S, there were no less than 
 one hundred and tifty vessels on the coast, smd before the 
 year KiO!) one French tisluu'man had made more than forty 
 voyages to America. 
 
 About this time Newfoundland narrowlv escaped beinir 
 
 «. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 75 
 
 taken possession of 1)y the French. The attemi)te(l colony 
 of (Quebec by Kobervillc and De la Kocjue havinir disas- 
 trously failed, Le Manjuis de la IJoche, a Breton iicntlenian, 
 in ir)ll8 was jriven a patent, with anipU^ rights to found a 
 colony ill Xewlbiindlaiid ; but havin<2^ imprudently chosen 
 for the site of his settlement the miserable^ sand-bank known 
 as Sable Island, ail his followers, after unspeakal)le liard- 
 shi])s, ])erished. Thus NewfouiuUaiid still remained a British 
 colony. 
 
 In 1000 the Sieurs de Ch:iuviii and Pontii'rave, merchants 
 of St. Malo, received from the French kiiiir, I)y royal patent, 
 the mono})oly of the fur trade. They estal)lished themselves 
 at Tadousac, at (he mouth of the Sauuenay. A previous 
 unsuccessful attempt to colonize Sable Island had been made 
 by the Baron de Lcry and St. Just in l.")liS, and auain by the 
 Portuiiiiesc ill l,"),")o. (Fcn'land, "Hist, du Canada."') 
 
 In 1(!0*J .lolin Guy, a merchant and alderman of Bristol, 
 foruuMl the " Xewfoundlaud Company, " and prepared to 
 enter on colonization on a lariiH'r scale and in a more oriiaii- 
 izcd manner. The Conii)aiiy, consistinii' of Bristol and Lon- 
 don merchants, was duly authorized, and, as usual, received 
 a most generous patent from His Majesty King James I. 
 The i)atent covered all Newfoundland "from the 4(P to the 
 i)'!"^ of north latitude, together with the seas and islands 
 lying within tcMi leagues of the coast." Among the members 
 of this comiiany were the Farl of Xorthami)t()n, Keeper of 
 the Privy Seal, and Sir Francis Bacon. It is a mistake to 
 speak of this n()l)lem!m as " Lord liacon," as is gcMierally 
 done by writ(>rs of histories of Xewfoundlaud. (See 
 Harvey and Hatton. J). 2\.) There was no such title. At 
 this time he was siin|)ly Sir Francis Bacon. He was after- 
 wards raised to the titles of Lord \'erulain in KIIS, when he 
 was made Lord Chancellor of England, and \'iseount St. 
 Albans in 1(121. He was a member of the Pri\y Council of 
 James I., and Keeper of the Great Seal. He was a man of 
 considerabh^ h>ariiiiig and great literary taste. After the 
 fashion of the public men of the day he gave a good deal of 
 
76 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUV 
 
 jittcntioii 1o coloniziitioii. He lent his name to tho Bristol 
 Conipjuiy, but beyond that he does not seem to have talvon 
 nuu'h interest in the enterprise. In his " Ilistoria Naturalis 
 Kxperinientalis '" he spealcs of the rigor of tlie elimale of 
 Newfoundhmd, and expUiins it by the Aretie enrrenl and 
 fogs. 
 
 Mr. John (iuy was apjiointed first governor of th(> new 
 settlement, and John Slaney, merchant of Ijondon, tirst 
 treasurer. Jolui (uiy came out with his family and a 
 company of about forty persons, in three sjn'])s, in IGIO. 
 It lias been stated by all writers on the early history of 
 Newfoundland that Guy cstablish(>d his colony at i\Iost|uito 
 [see Not(> 1], a sniidl covt' between Harbor Grace and Car- 
 l)onear. Researches, however, lately inad(^ by .fames 1*. 
 Ilowley, F.G.S., as already remarked, have brought to light 
 the original letters written from Newfoundland l)y ,Tohn 
 Guy to John Slaney, which letters are dated from Cnpers 
 Cove. yiv. Ilowley has no doubt whatever that the site was 
 not ]\Ios(iuito, but the settlement some miles tarther south, in 
 Conception liay, now called Cupid's. In fact, the name had, 
 as he shows, taken this corrupted, or rather imj)roved, form 
 at a very early date, for Sir William Aleximder, the colo- 
 nizer of Nova Scotia (1().'5()). says, "The first houses for 
 inhabitants were built at Cupidii Cove, Hay of Conce})tion." 
 Mr. Ilowh^y thussi)eaks of Mos(piito : " Tlu^ nidikcdihood of 
 s(decting so bleak and (exposed a situation as Mosipiito does 
 not appear to have occurred to any person. With nothing 
 to recommend it either as a hari)<)r for shipping or in th<; 
 fertility of its soil ; . . . neither do(>s it appear that 
 any relics, remains of buildings, etc.. were ever discovered 
 there." With regard to Cupid's he says : " Nowhere else 
 was there to be met with a more choice locality. It is 
 prol)al)le that it included the entire Bay <le (irave. The 
 long line of shinufle beach, with the l.'iii'oon in the real', now 
 so well known as Clark's licach, together with the two 
 beautiful estuaries of Northern and Soutlu'rn rivers, would 
 offer just such attractions in their then jjrimeval beauty." 
 
 J 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 77 
 
 ^ 
 
 Guy imiiiodiiitcly set aliout huildiiiu' u fort iiiid erect iiig 
 houses, and inadc iui cuelosure oue hundred and twenty feet 
 by ninety feet, on wliich he mounted cannon. II(! remained 
 two years in the country, and in his letters, lately published 
 by Mr. Ilowley, speaks hiijhly of the climate and natural 
 resources. By his prudences and kintlness he conciliated the 
 Red Indians, and oi)en<!d up a trade with them. His princi- 
 pal object was, no doubt, commercial enterpris(> ; but thouuh 
 we lia\e no account of his briniiini; any mii\isters of reliiiion 
 with him, still he seems to have had in vi(>w, at least as a 
 secondai'y oliject, the conversion of the savages. A special 
 mention of this purpose is made in the i)atent of James 1. to 
 the Bristol Comi)any. "ThinUinu' it a matter and action 
 well beseemini!: a Christian Kinu' to make tru(! use of that 
 which God from the bei>innin<i' created for maid<ind, and 
 therefore intendiui:" not oidv to worker and i)rocure tlu' uood 
 and beni'tit of many of our sul)Jects, but principally to in- 
 crease the knowledge of the ()nmi[)ol(!nt God, and the 
 Proi)agati()n of our Christian Faith." 
 
 Guy .sent on Cai)tain W'hittington " into the bottom of Trin- 
 ity l»ay, a })lace always fre(|uented by the natives." (Kirke.) 
 He had some interviews with the Indians, but we find no 
 account at this time of any attempt to evang(dize them. 
 Trade and Iratlic were the paramount idea. Kirke, in the 
 letter ((uoted from above, says, " Akhn'nian CJiiy continued 
 with his family in Xewfoimdland two yeares and amongst 
 other designs es[)ecially aymed at a trade with the Indians." 
 In describing a meeting between ^^'h!ttington and the Indians 
 he says, "And they dideate and tlrinke together for tlu; s[)ace 
 of three or four hours and exchanged furs and deere skins for 
 hatchetts and kniues." H(^ says that for years many French 
 and liiscayans have traded with tlie natives of the country. 
 He bears the following testimony to their shrewdness: 
 " We can assure you . . . that if you had been amongst 
 thcni you had beene confuted to the puri)ose with the hardest 
 bargaine that ever you concluded since you were men of 
 
 business. 
 
78 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 ("IIAl'TEW V 
 
 I 
 
 JOHN (irVS (SETTLEMENT.— [IfilO-lGlS.] 
 
 I'iiiliiii" of .lolin (iiiy's Cdldiiy — InlcicniirM! willi Kcil Iiuliaiis — Cruel Treatment 
 111' lliciii by Eiii;li«li Sailor-* — DiU'icullics helwcfii I'laiitcr-i and Eislicnui;ii — 
 WliilliDunii' Arrivi-i a-^ ( 'oiiiMiissidiicr, 1(11") — .lolm (iiiy .Vbaiidoii'* his Colony 
 ami Itcturn-; to Kn;;lan(l — Wliitlionrnc Si>nt ont liy l)r. Van^'hau to Foiuul 
 a Colony at Ferryianil, 1018 — Calvert'^ View-i on Colonization. 
 
 VT tlu' liiiic of the inception ol" the colony in Concep- 
 tion l)!iy nndcr -lohn (iuy ;iii(l his l>iistoI jind Lon- 
 don coinp.'iny, a youni:' man canic^ to the front in Knulisli 
 diplomatic circles who was soon to tal<e a leading phice in 
 the colonization nioveinent, and who was to hrini:' forward 
 into a more ])rominenl jxtsition the relijiious element in the 
 British Plantation si-hemes. 
 
 This was (ieorii-e Calvert, afterwards Lord P>altimorc. 
 Althouuh it does not apjjcar thtit Calvert took any active or 
 actual })art in the formation of (Juy's colony, yet it is c(!rtain 
 that even l)efore that time he; had turned his mind to the 
 sul>ject of Plantiition, and had formed distinctly pronounced 
 views on themattei'. — \ iews which he afterwards endeavored 
 to put ill practice in his colony of Ferryland, and which he 
 so successt'ully cairied out in his colony of Maryland as to 
 cause it to he held up as a model to :ill future colonic.'s. 
 
 In a passage in the " Hililiographia Jiritannica" a contrast 
 is made hetweeu the views of Chief Justice JV)pham and those 
 of Calvert on the sul)jc(t of colonization. " Judge Pophaiu 
 and he agreed in the public design of foreign plantations, 
 hut diil'ered in the manner of managing them. The tirst was 
 for extirpating the original inlial)ilants, the second for con- 
 verting them. 'IMie former sent the lewdest people to those 
 places; the latter the soberest. The one was for making 
 present profit, the other for a reasonahle exi)ectation." 
 
I 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 11 
 
 OF NKWFOrNDLAND. 
 
 79 
 
 fTu(l<ro roplumi (lied in 1()()7. Calvert was then Jihoiit 
 tw('iity-ci_nlit years ot'niics and was a clerk in the service ol' 
 Sir Ivohert Cecil, in flie Treasury Departtiiciil, so that it 
 may possibly '-eCer to Calvert's views at a later period as at 
 
 
 i,()i;n liAi.iiMoiii:. 
 
 that time. As far as \\v know he had not taken any pnl)Iic 
 part in colonial matters, and was not in a position of snth- 
 eient importance; to have Ix'cn ({noted in 0[)i)()sition to Jndue 
 Popham. At the lime of (Jny's colony, 1610, he had l)een 
 promoted ^o the position of clerk of the Privy Conncil. 
 There can bo no donI)t, then, that ho took a most lively 
 interest in the new colony, as we find him soon after (1()20) 
 
«0 
 
 KCCLKSIASTK^VL IlISTOItY 
 
 ont(M"inir (loc))ly into the project himself iil Forryliiiid. Miiiiy 
 causes coinhincd lo cuiisc llic failure! of (luy's colony, anionj; 
 which luusl tii'st l>c mentioned the incursions of the Indians, 
 as iit the case of Lord Baltimore, sul)se(iuently, at Ferryhind ; 
 hut iVom the account <ii\cn I)y Kirkc. from which we have 
 ([uoted, it would appear that the Euroj)eans were irenerally 
 the tirst aiT^rcssors in those skirmishes with the Indians. 
 On the occasion (dsowhere s[)oken of, the interview between 
 Captain ^^'hittini;•ton and the Indians in Trinity I>ay. it was 
 aureed that a meetinu- should !»> held the next year '' by a 
 sii^ne (as is their manner in other parts of America), wIhmi 
 the irrass siiould be ol' such a heiiihl, to brinii" down all their 
 furs and skins for tralli(|ne with th(! Knu'lish. ... It 
 soe fell out that the next yeare, at llu' time ajipointed for 
 their meetiiiii'c . . . instead of ('aj)tain ^^'hittin^•ton 
 there came a iisherman . . . and seeinij^ a 
 com])anie of Indians . . . let lly his shott from aboard 
 amonii'st them . . . and they . . . retyred innnediately 
 into the woode and from that day to this have soujihl all 
 occasion e\ cry lishiniic season to do all tin; mischief they can 
 amouii'st the tishermen.*' A^'hitl)ourne also describes an act 
 of robbery committed upon a party of Indiiins at the harbor 
 of Heart's Ease, at the north side of 'Pi-inity Hay. The mari- 
 ners of the ship " Tapson," of Devon, " beinj:; I'obbcd in the 
 niii'ht of their apparell did the next <lay seeke after them, 
 and hapi)ened to come suddeidy where they had set up three 
 tents and were feast inii'. They had three; canoes, oreat store 
 of fowle's egues, skins of Deere, lieavers, IJeares, Scahvs, 
 Otters, and divers other tine skins, which were excellent 
 well dressed : as also ii'reat store of seuerall sorts of Jl(>.sh 
 dryiMl : and by shootinu' otf a nmsquet towards them, they 
 all ran away naked . . . all their threi- canowcs, their llesh- 
 skins, yolkes of egi^'es, tarirets, liowes and Arrowes and much 
 tine Okar, and divers other thiniis they tookc; and broniiht 
 away, and shared amonu' those that took it."' Thus we see 
 the oriuin of that feud between whiti; man and Indian which 
 terminated in the extinction of the savages. We need not 
 
 / 
 
 I 
 
 '>i 
 
i)V NKWFOUNDLANl). 
 
 81 
 
 m 
 
 wonder, tlioii, t!i \wiiv of sncli sjjocdy ami t(MTil)Ii> voprisals as 
 those (l('scril)c(l hy Sir David KirUo. 
 
 "In llic- Harbor of Lc's ()ua,i:('s." lie says, "about ciiilily 
 Indians assaulted a company of Frenchnieu wliile tlicy were 
 pleyinii'e u))]) tlieir fisliini!(\ and sicnve si'vcn of tiieui ; pro- 
 coedinge a little further, killed nine more in tlie same man- 
 ner, and clotliiiiue sixteen of their (.'omi)any in tlu^ apparel! 
 of the slayne I'^reneh, they went on th(^ next day to the 
 llaihor of Petty-Masters, and not heiniz' suspeelisd. by reason 
 of tlieir hal)it, they snri)rise(l (hem at their works and killed 
 twenty one more. Soc; in two days havinu' barbarously 
 niaymed thirty se\('n, they returned home, as is their Man- 
 ner in li'reat triumph, with the heads of the Slayne I'^rench- 
 meu." 
 
 Add to these eanses the troubles which (ioveruor (luy had 
 to contend with aniouiithe lisherinen. The charter or patent 
 of colonization reserved the rii:hts of lishini:' on the coasts to 
 all comers, Kuiilish or others; but many al)uses and bad 
 customs crept in. tiud the li'overnor issuc(l a |)roclamation in 
 onU'r to repress them, lie also la d a tax u|)ou their car- 
 goes, and levied some uthci" exactions. This excited com- 
 plaints amonii' the tishermen. They iirnored and rcpudiatetl 
 the j)roclamatiou. and sent in a petition and divers complaints 
 to the I'rivy Council. They complaiuc(l. J'\'r.s/, that the 
 "planters" had ex|)elle(l them from some of the best iishinir 
 harbors. tSecomlli/, That their provisions had bi'cn seized ])y 
 the "planters." Tlnrdh/, That they had been prevented from 
 takin«^ birds for bait for tishinu' : and that i)irates were \w\-- 
 iiiitted to harbor on the coast to their lireat amioyance. 
 (Kirke, "CoiKjuest of Canada," ]>. KlS.) These complaints 
 were forwarded ])y the Kai'l of Hath, October, 1()1<S. They 
 "Were all and siniily I'cbutted and denied l»y the })lanters. 
 They conii)lained of tlu^ disortlers of the tishermen and of 
 pirates, and petitioned for naval jiroteetion. To remedy this 
 state of confusion Sir liichard Whitbourne was sent out 
 with a commission from the Admiralty to empanel juries 
 and try disorderly tisliermen. AVe have already •xivei , in 
 
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^2 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HLSTOHY 
 
 Whitl)()unu''s own langiiago, an account of his arrival on 
 Trinity Sunday, June 4, 1(51'), at Trinity Harbor, and of his 
 holding the first court of justice in the i.shuid. He drew ui) 
 several statutes to remedy prevalent abuses, such as "Work- 
 ing on Sal)I)ath, stealing salt, boats, hooks, lines, nets, 
 idling about during working tinu\" 
 
 All these increasing difficnlt'es caused Governor Guy to 
 lose heart in the settlement, s( that, as before stated, he re-, 
 tired with his family after two years' sojourn in the Island, 
 and llie settlement grjidually sank into insigniticance l)efore 
 the newly rising settlenuMit in the South, though, for some 
 years after, a governor was left in charge of the settlenuMit. 
 In the year 1021, .John Mason being governor, all the rights 
 of the company were bought out by Sir George Calvert. 
 
 We have seen that, in the year KUo, Kichard Whitbourne 
 came out couuuissioner to exercise judicial authority in Xew- 
 fouudlaud. It would appear that this conunission expired 
 soon after, as we lind from his own narratives that he wa>* 
 again in Newfoundland on his own account, the following 
 year, KiKi, " with a ship of 100 ton," and that on her retuiu 
 voyage she was rilled by "a French Pyrate of Kochell one 
 Daniel Tibolo." 
 
 About the following 3'ear, 1(517, T^r. Vaughan ]nirchased 
 from the })atentees of the Newfoundland C"omi)any a trai-t 
 of land in the southern part of the country, of which he ap- 
 pointed Whitbourne governor. This plantation was mtended 
 to be set up at Ferryiaiul. Whether any actual settlement 
 was made on the sjjot is not quite certain. Whitbourne 
 states that he came out in the year 1(518 to found this plan- 
 tation, and that one of his ships was " intercei)ted by an 
 Knglish erring Captaine who went forth with Sir Walter 
 Kawleigh. He took the master, boatswain and two of the 
 l)est men, and all the victuals," and thus hindered the 
 plantation. 
 
 / 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND, 
 
 83 
 
 ■ 
 
 / 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FERUYLAN'I). — [IGlS-lG'i'i.] 
 
 Sir (Jcorpc Ciilvovt — Ilis Early Ciirocr — ISaiicrol't's IJij^otrv — Calvert's Convci'sion 
 — His Knlliiisia<m — " A liallimorc IViiiiy " — Colony of Maiylaiul — • Lord IJiil- 
 tiriioro's Spirit of Toleration — ^ I'erseciilion of I'opery by the Protestant Parlia- 
 ment, l()."il. 
 
 SUCri \v:is till) state of iiU'airs in tlic colony when Sir 
 Goori;o CalvtM't hcuiin to tnrn his mind nion^ earnestly 
 towards the Avork of colonization. At the time of the foun- 
 dation of the Newfoundland Company (1(!U'J) Calvert was, as 
 we staled, ahout twenty-nine years of a_i»e. lie was horn 
 ahout the year I'jTS, of a respe('tMl)le family of Iii[)lin<i-, in 
 tho cliapelry of Bolton, Yorkshire, and was at that time em- 
 ployed as secretary to Sir Itoltert Cecil, who tin; year pre- 
 vious (1()(>(S) had been a[)p()inted Lord 1 1 ijih Treasurer, so 
 that ho was in a position to be well iidbrmed ui)on all mat- 
 ters concerninu' the new |)lantati()iis. 
 
 In tho year 1(!17 he was kniuhted. He had been educated 
 at Oxford, and hud pass(>d with hiuh honors, havinji' pub- 
 lished a Latin ode while an uiidcriiiaduate which ilisnlaved 
 jrreat scholarly taste. ( KMehardson. ) In Kils, the same 
 year in which Dr. \'aii_t:hMn made his attempt to coloni/e 
 Ferryland, Sir (Jeorj^-e was made Secretary of State to the 
 King, who settliMl I'l, ()()() per annum upon him. (Kirk(>. ) He 
 had married in IdOl, and his eldest son, Cecil (named after 
 hi> (|UOM(lam patron, and al'terwards founder of Maryland), 
 was then (KUS) jnst fourteen years old. S' • (Jeoriio was 
 chosen by an immense' n'MJority to re[)re>ent m Parliament 
 his native county of Yorkshire. His capacity for business, 
 his industry, and his lidelity an; acknowiedged by all his- 
 torians. (Bancroft.) 
 
 l)r. Mullock, in his lectiu-e, si)eaks of Cahert as a"/('alous 
 
 iS 
 
 »J 
 
 "^•^•■IPWPIW 
 
84 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Catholif and most onliglitcnod pliilantliropist." lie was, 
 lu)'.V('V(>r, a convert iVoin Protestantism. Bancroft i^ivcs the 
 lollowinj'' iioncrous account of his rcliuious convii-tions : " In 
 an ai>e when religious controversy still continued to he 
 active, and when the increasin<r divisions amoui; Protes- 
 tants were spreadinir a genend alarm, his mind sought 
 relief from controversy in the bosom of the lionian Catholic 
 Clmrch; and, i)referring the avowal of his opinions to the 
 emoluments of ollice, he resigned Ids j)laco and opcMdy pro- 
 fessed his conversion." (Vol. I., Chap. A'll.) It is to he 
 regretted that Bancroft, in the last revised and centenary 
 editions of his work (187.") and 188.')), should have been 
 so inlluenced by a wave of bigotry that passed om'v the 
 American continent as to change, or entirely omit, all the 
 several })!iss;iges in which, in tifleen former editions, he had 
 done honor to the nol)le lilx'iality of Calvert and to his true 
 catholic spirit. In the last edition he states, on the mere ipse 
 (//.r/7of one Kev. .Mr. Neil, a Presbyterian miidstt'r, that most 
 of the men brought over by Calvert Mere Protestants; that 
 the colony was, in elfect, a Protestant colony; and that 
 Lord P>altimore was inlluenced, not l»y ndigious motives, 
 or the desire of t'ounding a colony where religious })ersecu- 
 tion should not !)e tolerated, but solely by ji desire to 
 aggrandize his family. For a full and triumphant refuta- 
 tion of these unfair and ungen(>rous stMlements see a 
 series of articles in the "Catholic World,'' October and 
 Xovember. 188;'), and April and May, l-SSl, by Rev. II. 
 Clarke, LL.D. Mearly all the authors whom I have read 
 stale that Calvert was a convert. Kichardson, howevei-, in 
 the articl(» "A Baltimore Pemiy "' ("Magazine of Ami'iicMu 
 History"), IVom which I have becMi drawing largcdy, snys 
 it is not certain that he was not a Catholic all his litelinie, 
 and that tlu^ fact was only made pul)licly known on his 
 refusing to tak(^ the oa'th of idlegiance. It is well known 
 that the taking of the oath was frecjuently evaded, :in<l that 
 many Avho were privately known to be Catholics, or at least 
 suspected of Popish leanings, were allowed to go umuo- 
 
OF NKWFOUNDI.AXl). 
 
 85 
 
 li'stod. Tho iniincdiato occasion of Calvorl'.s i)ul»Iic dcda- 
 ralioM of his faith arose out of Ihe foMowiiiif circiunstancos : 
 A treaty of inari'iaiic had been entered into between the 
 kini»s of Spain and Knuland on bc^half of tht; Prince ChaHes 
 and the Infanta. Tho prince, with the Dnke of liucking- 
 
 h:ini, went to tiie court of Spain to uri:'e his own snit ; but 
 the result was that the niatcii was Ijroken off. Tiiis was 
 received wilii joy by tlie people, who did not wish a C'atiiolic 
 alliance: but it was a source of deep reuret to Calvert, for 
 ho knew that it meant the continuance of the penal laws 
 auainst tho (.\itholics. whit-h. in tiie e\ ent of the marriage, 
 King dames had promised to ndax. liuckinghain resented 
 
86 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HIS TORY 
 
 Calvert's (lisiii)pr()V!il, and a coolness arose between them. 
 Calvert resii^ned liis ofKce of secretary, but was retained in 
 tiie Privv Council. "After the coronation of Kiiiii' Ciiarles 
 (1()25) the oath of aUei;iance was tendered to the Privy 
 CounciUors, l)ut Lord I»altiniore declined to re[)eat the tbr- 
 nnda. . . . The o;ith then in use was devised after the 
 discovery of the Gunpowder IMot in KiO."), and contained the 
 followinii' passMiiC : 'I do further swear, that I do from 
 my lu'arl abhor, detest and abjure as inij)i()us and heretical, 
 this (hnnnable doctrine and position, that princes which b(^ 
 excoinnnniicate(l or dejjrived by the Vo[h' may be dci)osed 
 or mui'thered by their subjects or any other whatsoever.' 
 Thesi' words implied, and were meant to imply, that a 
 susi)ici()n of di.sloyalty and treason miiilit justly rest u[)()n 
 every Catholic subject. Lord lialtimorc refused to coun- 
 tenance this suspicion, ])ut he ret:iined the kinix's esteem 
 and friendship unabated. "It was not by Catholics that Kini; 
 Charles was afterwards dejjoscd and nun-dcred, but by a 
 Puritan Parliament. On th(> contrary, when Charles raised 
 the Koyal Standard, in 1()H, apiinst the relx'ls, and in- 
 vited all his faithful subjects tt) conn^ forward in defence of 
 the Crown, the Roman Catholics, ihouiih fettered with pt-nal 
 laws, and branded with the repute of disalfection towards 
 a Protestant soverciuii, hastened amonn' tlu; foremost to 
 testifv their lovaltv. Tliev levied troops at their own ex- 
 ])ense; they marche(l apiinst tlui relicls : they sacrilicecl 
 their property, their ease, their health and lives, for tlu^ 
 Uini:' and constitution; and this at a time when many of 
 their clergy were ii!i(iuitou>ly dragiicd like malefactors to 
 prison, and from [)risou to the gallows." (Keeves, "History 
 of the Church," \). '>!).").) It is generally thought that tlu; re- 
 fusal to take the oath by Lord IJaltimore in<licated a change 
 of religion : but it is (juite possible that he had never befoi'e 
 l)een confronted with the oath, and thus his Catholicity 
 was not publicl}' known. This does not show any weak- 
 ness of faith on his j)art, for, whenever seriously called upon, 
 he was always ready to profess it at any cost. Thus, when 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 87 
 
 u f(Mv yojirs hitor (1029), on loiiviii<^ his colony of Ferry- 
 land iind arrivini^ in Viriiinia for tlu^ first tinio, the Pnritan 
 (lovcrnor Pott tendered him tiie oath of allcijianco and 
 snpreniaey whieli jiad heen administered to all the colonists, 
 he airain refused to take it. (Richardson, j). 20!).) 
 
 Kirko, who was by no means favorahly disposed towards 
 Calvert, attributes his desire of settlement in the New World 
 to tlu^ necessity in which he found himself, on account of 
 ''his chanued reliiiious views, of escaping from unpleasant- 
 ness in England," after his conversion. 
 
 This is, however, doing but scanty justice to the noble 
 
 I UK WATF.UVn.I.K PF.NXY. 
 
 I 
 
 sentiments mImcIi really actuated Calvert in the ostaI)lish- 
 ment of his new colony. That his religious convictions 
 were strong cannot be doubted, from the fact of his resign- 
 ing, on account of them, his position of honor and emolument 
 at court. But the al'ter-evcMils of hi.-- career show that they 
 must have reached tlu' entliusiastic, if they did not actually 
 verge upon the heioic His calling his new colony by 
 the name of Avalon shows a mind of ji high relii ' is and 
 romantic turn. Even Kirke, in a note (i)age 144^, says; 
 "It was so calUnl by Lord Baltimore with the idea that this 
 province was the place in America where Christianity was 
 iirst introduced ; Avalon being the name of an ancient place 
 in Somersetshire, on which Glastonbury now stands, and 
 which is said to be the place where Christianity was first 
 
88 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 piViU'licd ill l>iitiiiii.'" He seems to liavc been so thor- 
 oiijlilily iiiil)iie(l with this idc;;! of estal)lisliiii«; ("iiristijiiiity in 
 tlie New World, thai it lends ji liiii>e to each iiieideiit of his 
 enterprise. Thus we liiid that he <j:ave the name of " Tiie Ark 
 of Avalon " to his principal ship, and that of " The Dove " to 
 her pinnae(!. " And on a coin Avliieh he had stamped is 
 >een a thorn with the motto ' /Spiiid ,S(iiirfu.'<' (sanetilled by 
 the thorn), in allusion to the original Avalon, where there is 
 a miraculous thorn which blossoms at Cluistmas-tide, and 
 is believed to l)e the veritable stall" of St. Joseph of Ari- 
 mathea, . • . thus pieturinjj himself at one time as a 
 new .Iosei)li of Arimsithea, inspired to })laiil the Christian 
 reliuion in a heathen land ; and auaiii, as a modern Xoah, 
 sailinii,' in the arU over the waste seas to found a better 
 community than that which for liim was doomed and lost 
 beyond the watery horizon." 
 
 The coin above mentioned is minutely described ))y Rich- 
 ardson in his very learned article alrea<ly (pioted from. 
 'I'lie subject is so interest in<>' that, at the risk of beinii' 
 tedious, I here uivc an outline of this curious relic. It was 
 discovered while niakinii' some excavations in th«' village of 
 Watervillc, M(;., in ffunc, 1(S^^(). It bears no dat(? ; it is 
 copper, and of exci-Ilent workmanship. It shows on obverse 
 side a liar|) ov lyre, surrounded by a wreath of bay-leaves, 
 and bearinii' the inscriptions, beneath the; lyre, " Or/)/t('ns" ; 
 above, the Greek le.irend, l/'/l'TflX .I///.V .////' (Ariston 
 Men Aer), " T/k; idr is (lie hesi" On the reverse is a shield 
 with a cross in tield, surmounted by a mitre with crosier and 
 j)roeessional cross ; beneath tli(^ shield, a, thorn and an oak 
 branch. The Iciieiids an;, Itelow, " Spiud Sanctufi"' : al>ove, 
 "Pro patfia et A''(tlo)ii(i.'' ("alvert had undoulitedly the 
 riu'ht to coin money. He was Lord J'alatiue of Avalon, 
 and h(^ was also invested with al)solute e<'clesiastical as well 
 as civil authority; hence the mitre and crosier. The cross 
 and the lyre or harj) wen; ad<)|)ted from the money struck 
 about this time by Iviiijj^ James, and later (1649) by Crom- 
 well. T\h) cross was the Cross of St. George. The liar]) is 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAM). 
 
 81) 
 
 suppojscd to liiivo first nppciin'd on copper coins, " with llu^ 
 purpose, it is belicjved, of sendinj; them to Irelniid if the Kiig- 
 iish peopU^ refused them." Tiie word Ovplicitx indicates tlie 
 introduction of civilization and \\w line arts. Spliin Saiir- 
 tiis has Iteen already explained. Pro pafvia vl ^[ralouid, 
 "For fatherland and Avalon," explains itself. The leji'end 
 aI)ont the j^ood (juality of the air seemed to puzzle Mr. 
 liichardson, "Conjecture," he says, "fails to detine tiio 
 siiriiilicancc of the j)hrase"; hut I Ihiidv I have found the 
 solution, for the first irovernor ot the new coIoiin of Fer- 
 ry land, Edward ^^'ynne, writiuii' to Lord Baltimore, in 
 1(')22, speaks in jjlowiiii; tei'uis of the climate, and uses tho 
 identical words, " 'V\\(\ i\\\\\ is very healthful." Mr. Kich- 
 ardson, however, has since informed me that he is stroiiirly 
 iiicline(l to believe that the coin helonus to the JJritish 
 Avalon : hut it seems not at all likc^ly that such a coin 
 would lie made for Kniiland, or, if so, that it could tind its 
 way to lh(! villaj:c of A\'aterville. 
 
 "The strong religious si)irit which actuated Lord Baltimore 
 is aijain apparent in the foundation (a few years later) of 
 the colony of Maryland : for, no way daunted l>v the t"aihu'(> 
 and disappointments and heavy financial los>es met with in 
 >tewfoundland, he enteied with the same enthusiastic spirit 
 upon his secon<l venture. \o sooner had he ohtained his 
 charti'r for the Province of Maryland than he innnediately 
 Mi)plie(l to Father Blount, the first [)roviiicial of the nc^wly- 
 ereated Kniilish province of tlu^ Jesuits, and also to Father 
 Mutius A'itelleschi, the sixth <reneral of tlu; Society, for 
 some of the Enirli>h suhjects to ac Mupauy tlu> expedition, 
 and to attend to the Catholic plautei.^, and instruct and con- 
 vert tho na'iive Lidians. IMie desiiiu was apjjroved of, and 
 Father Andrew ^^'hite was selected and ordered to jjrepare 
 for that mission." ' The apostolic lal>ors of Father White 
 are matters of history. He is said to have taken a leadinir, 
 though unobtrusive, part in framing the constitution of the 
 
 Uro. Foley, S.J., Ileuords of the Euf^lisli JcsiiiU. Vol. V'll., j). 33,'). 
 
 k 
 
90 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL lllSTOUV 
 
 now colonv ; and the l)ill by whii-li i'oli<ri<>us tVoodo.n is 
 <;rimt('(l to iill persons in the Stato is said to liavt! been drawn 
 np, or at least inspired, hy him. This is slated on tlui niisns- 
 pecled authority of Mr. Kenedy, a Presl>yterian nienibor of 
 the AsscMnhly ol" Maryland. Father White was assisted hy 
 Fathers Althani. Knowles, and Copley. " They were sum- 
 moned to sit in tiu! tirst Assembly of 'frcenu'n' in the P-os- 
 inee ; but, earnestly desirinj; to bo oxensod from taking 
 pari in tho seeular coneerns of the eolony, Iheii* request 
 was granted."' On the tirst occasion on whicii Ihcy w-re 
 sunnnoned (January 2.'). \iu]7) Ihey arc excused on ihe 
 ground of sickness. The entry in the "Archives of Maiy- 
 land" is as follows: "W. Thomas Copley Es.p of 8'. 
 ^Maries hundred (Jenl. M'. Andrew AVhile, M'. John A\- 
 tham of the same hundred. Robert C!lorke gent appeared 
 for them, and excused their AI>sence by reason of sickness." 
 And on tiie second occasion (January 2(!) Kobcrt (,'U'rk) 
 "made answere for them that they dcsji-cd to i)C excused 
 from giving voices in this Assembly, and was admitled." 
 
 It may not l)e without intorc^st to (|U()te here some |)ortion 
 of the "Act concerning Kcligion," passed in tho "(JenYd 
 Session held at S'. Maries on the Oiw and Twentieth day 
 of .Vprill Anno Ofii. lGI!l,"an(l supposed to have been in- 
 spired, if not composed, by Father Andrew White, 8. J. : — 
 
 L. 
 
 " Fft)rasnuich as in a well governed Xpian CoiTion Wealth 
 ^Matters Concerning Keligion and tlu? honor of God ought 
 in the tirst place to be taken into serious consideracion 
 Whatsoever })"son o j)'sons shall . . . blas- 
 pheme God . . . that is curse Him or Deny Our Sav- 
 iour Jesus Christ to bee the Sonne of (Jod . . . or shall 
 deny the Holy Trinity . . . or shall utter any reproach- 
 full Speeches concerning . . . Said Trinity 
 shall be i)unished Avith death . . . or shall utter any 
 reproachfidl words Concerning the Blessed Virgin ]\Iary 
 
 IJio. l"i)loy, !>. 337. 
 
 4 
 
 I 
 
OF NKVVFOIJNDLANI). 
 
 91 
 
 iho. 
 
 the Holy Apostles or Kvaiiirclisls . 
 suiTk^ ()(' J/ire pounds." 
 
 " Wliiitsocvci' p'soii . . . sliall . . . call or dc- 
 noiiiiiialc any i)"son . . . an licrclick, SciiisniaticU. 
 Jdolator, Puritan, Independent, Calvinist, Anabaptist, Brow n- 
 ist, Antinoniian, liarrowist, Konndhead, Sej)"atist, or any 
 other name or terine in a reproaelilnll manner shall foi'leit 
 ten shillin<2:s sterlinu.'' 
 
 "lie it theret'oiv enacted . . . that no person . 
 prot'essinu' to l)elieve in Jesus Christ siiall . . . hee any 
 Avaies troubled molested, or discountenanced tor or in respect 
 ot" his or her Keliijion, nor in the tree exercise thercot" 
 nor any way compcllcMl to the heliet'e oi- exercise 
 of Any other K(di«^i()n against his or her Consisnt." 
 
 How very dillertMit tVom this liberal and enliiihtened ])iece 
 of Iciiislation is that of the acts passed a few years latci" 
 (l()r)4) l)y the same Assembly, undi'r the liiiidance of its 
 Puritan masters, who, owiiiii' 1<> Ihe clianue of affairs in Knu- 
 land, had become lords of the new colony ! Knuland had 
 jione thi'oiiii'h the throes of a civil war (Kill) ; had arrested 
 and executed u kinu' (1 ()!!)) ; the monarchy had ijivcn place 
 to a rc})ul)lic. " Kuiilishmen were no lonii'cr lieucs of a 
 Sovereiiiii, but nuMubers of a Connnonwealth." Mui-murs 
 bciraii to arise among the colonists against the (piasi mo- 
 narchical power of Baltimore. Visions of libci'ty arose. 
 "The overthrow of the monarchy in England" (says Uiin 
 croft) "seemed about to confer unrnnited jjower upon the 
 embittered enemies of the Hoinish C'hurch." ''The dissolu- 
 tion of the Long I'arliament threatened a change in the po- 
 litical condition of Maryland" (p. 1!I7). vVn ordinance 
 was issued l)y the Commonwealth for the rediu-tion of the 
 rebellious colonies, i.e., the colonies that had remained 
 faithful to the dethroiu'd monarch, Charh's II. ^Veting on 
 this ordinance, Clayborne, governor of the neighboring 
 colony of Virginia, who had always been the jealous enemy 
 of the colony of Maryland, took possession of the settle- 
 
92 
 
 KCCMCoIASTICAL IIISTOUV 
 
 nuMit, (loprlvcd Stone, Lord liMlliiiiorc's (Icjjiity, of Iiis coin- 
 niishion, and linnicdintcly proceeded ti) the ciinetineiil of ii 
 Ijiw jiroseriliiiiu' the Catholic reiiiiion (Oct. 20, KI.Vl), of 
 which the followiiiir i"^ sin extract; — 
 
 Skction 4. " It is enacted . . . that none who pro- 
 fess and exercise the Popish Ucliiiion, Connnonly known by 
 the Name of the Roman faliiolick Ueliirion, can \n' pi'otected 
 in this Province, . . i)ut ariMo luM'estraincd from ll.o 
 
 exeri'isi- thereof. . . . Snch as profess faith in (tod 
 shall lie protected ... in tiie profession of 
 the faith. Provided this liberty /le not cftended to Vopcnj of 
 pvelacij" 
 
 So ureat was the zeal of the Jesuit fathers, and (he lunn- 
 bor of their conversions so lariie, that after a few years the 
 an;ii»'r of the I'nritans, who had taken possession of the 
 nciiiliborinu" colony of Yiruinia. Wiis aronsed, and several com- 
 plaints were made to Lord llaltimore against them by his 
 secretary, Mr. Sewoar, in whoso charuc he had left (ho 
 infant colon_\ . This gavo occasion to Father Ilemy ]Moore, 
 then (UIIO) \'ice-I*rovincial of the Jesuits in Eni,d;nu!, to 
 write a Icnuthy ajipeal to the Cai'dinai Pi'cfect of l*ro[)a- 
 uanda, from which we obtain another testimony to the re- 
 liiiious motives of Loril P)altimor(\ "The said liaron (Lord 
 IJaltimore) innnediately (on obtaininir his jiatent) treated 
 with Father Pichard Ulount, at that time provincial, at the 
 same time writinij to the Father (ieneral, earnestly beiriiinir 
 that he would elect certain fathers, as well tor contirmini:: 
 the Catholics in the faith, and converting; the heretics who 
 were destined to colonizi' that country, as also for prop- 
 a_ira(inii' (he fai(h aniouirst the intidels and savajres."' liut 
 the reliirious zeal of Lord Paltimore was not of the tiory, 
 porsecntiniT eharactor ; it was, on the contrary, of tho mildest 
 and i^cntlest tone, so that the; constitution of his new colonv 
 
 Ok 
 
 Hid. Foley, loc. cif., \). HM-'k 
 
OK NKWFOUXDLAM). 
 
 98 
 
 . 
 
 had for its fundaiiioiitiil ijriiiciplc tVccdoiii of rclifrioiis holicf, 
 roiiiiniiiidinir only as u ulttc t/nd noii (he Ix'lit'f in tho (Jodlicad, 
 of the Trinity, and tlio divinity of .Icsns Christ. So hri<;ht 
 an example, and so exceptional was this new colony, of 
 moderation and lil)erly, that it has called forth unl)onnded 
 encomiums, especially fi-om Prolestanl wiiters, Uaiu-roft 
 (Vol. I., p. 1M7) says, " Ht-liitions liberty ol>taine(| ;i home, 
 its only home, in th(> 'lU'. world, at the huml>le viliane 
 Avhich hore the name of St. Mary's. . . . Kvei-y other 
 eonntry in the world had porseentiiii:" laws. . . . TIk^ 
 Koman Catholics, who wei-e oi)pressed l»y the laws of Knu- 
 land, were snre to tind a ])eaceful asylum in thi' (juiet harhors 
 of the Chesai)eake, and there, too, Proteslants were sheltered 
 against Protestant intoleranec. . . . Kver intent on ad- 
 vanciniT tlu^ interests of his colony Lord lialtiniore inviti'<l 
 the Puritans of Alassaelmsetts to (Muiirrate to Maryland, 
 otlerinji" them lands and privileges and free Hhcrti/ of rc- 
 ]i(/i<)ti"' (p. liM). . . . "The dislVanchised friends of 
 Prelacy from Mas.siclnisctts, and the Puritans from Viriiinia, 
 were welcomed to eiiual liliei'ly of conseienct' and political 
 rights in the Poman Catliolie province of ^laryland " (p. 11)1 ). 
 
 This kM\irthy diuression concernin<*' the tbnndation of the 
 colony of Maryland will he pard<)ne<l, first, as, thonirh not 
 innnediately eonnecle(| with the history of Newfoundland, 
 it throws great light on the character and designs of the man 
 who inad(^ so strenuous and exj)ensive an elfort to colonize 
 Newfoundland, and whose name, notwithstanding the failure 
 of his attempt, <h'ser\es undying gratitude IVom every son 
 of our Island home. Second, Itecause the documents con- 
 cerniuii" the foimdation in Newfoundland are hut meaare and 
 scarce, and the more ample archives of Maryland help to 
 fill up the blanks, and to show us what Lord Baltimore 
 would have done for Newfoundland had his first settlement 
 been a success. 
 
I 
 
 94 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 TTI AFTER VII. 
 
 FOUXDATIOX OF FERUYLAXI).— [lf.22-l()28.] 
 
 Foundation of Ferry laiiil Colony — I^onl Baltimore's ruteut — Its Extent — IvUvarJ 
 Wynne, First (iovcrnor — Meaninv'' ol" the Xainc Fcrrylanil — Deseriptiou of 
 Scllleinenl I'luni (iiplain I'DWell — Sir Arthur Asliton Arrives, May, MVJtl — Lord 
 r.iiltiniore Arrives in Ferrylaml, July '2'1, 1(127 — liriu^^s out Jesuit Priests — 
 t'alholie Keli^'ion lNlalili>heil — Ma^s Celelirated Daily — Imlitrnalion of the 
 AniJrliean Minister, I'ev. Mi'. Slourton — His lApulsion from the Colony — Calvert 
 Arrives, [second Tinn', with his li-M\y and Family, 1()2S. 
 
 
 I\ tlu' inaimsi'iipl liistoiy of Dr. Mullock ■ spirited out- 
 line is (Iniwu ol' the foundiitiou of liord r>altiiuore"s 
 colony; hut since that was written (1S(U)) more than a 
 quarter of a century has passed, and intiu}' documents iiavo 
 l»een brouiiflit to lii>h1, not oidy tuiioni^ the colonial archives, 
 )»iil also ainonu' family papers and domestic clii'oniclcs, which 
 enaltle us to till in the accessories of the i)icture in all its 
 detiiils. 
 
 AVhitbourne's " Discourse and Discovery," etc., in which 
 he wrote so liiowingly of the soil, climate, and ])roducts of 
 the Island; of the i^cntleness of the ntitives ; even of the 
 meeUness of the wolves : of the irretd advantau'es of a settle- 
 ment, etc.. was printed by order of King rJames, and dis- 
 tril)Utc(l laru'cly throughout the kinixdom, and awakened a 
 \cry lively interest in the Island. On the title-page of tlu; 
 hook we read, " Jmi)rinle(l l»y Authority at London by F lix 
 Kingston, 1(!22. A Discourse and Discovery of \(\\ found- 
 land with many reasons to prove how worthy and I)eneticiidl 
 a JManttilion may there be made after a tar better maimer 
 than now is."' 
 
 After the dedicjition comes an achlress, — "To His Maj- 
 esties good subjects." He contimies : "The island of New- 
 found Land is Ijirge, tempertite and fruitful. . . . The 
 Niitives are ingenious and apt by discreet and moderate 
 
 * 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 95 
 
 Sfovcnitnonts to bo brouglit to obodicnt'o." IIo points out 
 the "Ovorpopiiloiisiicssc^ of Eiigliuur' ; tho advaiu'c of the 
 "Lowe Countries" by their colonies; the <j:lory of eularg- 
 inir (loniinion ; " and that whieii will ciowiu^ tli<^ \vorUe will 
 be the advaneenient of the Honour of God in briniiin<; i)oor 
 Infidels to His worship and their own salvation." After 
 seventy-two pauivs full of inforniation and eneouragenient 
 follows '.; ' Seeond motive and Inducement, as a louing inui- 
 tation . . . showing the i)articular charge for Victualling 
 forth a .Ship of 100 tons l)urthen with 40 men. for the 
 advancing of His ^rajeslie's ^lost hopcfuU JMantation in 
 Xewfoimd Land." Then follows " A conclusion," showing 
 forth some things omitted. It may Ix; imagined that such 
 an enthusiastic and glowing account excited gi'eat interest 
 among all classes in England, and Sir ( ieorge Calvert, who 
 had already cout-eived the idea of founding a colony, was 
 induced by it to choose Xcwfoundland as the site of his 
 settlement. Accordingly he a[)plied to tlic king for a 
 })ateMt, wliich he obtaineil ou tlH> last day of the year 
 1(>22, the very same on which \\'iiitbourne"s "Discourse" 
 was published. In March, llJ^."), (he grant was conlirmed 
 under the king's sign-mamial, with additional privileges. 
 
 It is generally stated by historians that the |)ateut of 
 Lord lialtimore included only that portion of Xcwfoundland 
 known as the Eastern Peninsula, or the Peninsula of Avalon, 
 and not merely, as Dr. Mullock states, "all that portion of 
 th(^ coast extending from Way IJulls to Cape St. Mary's." 
 IJancroft {Vn\. I., \). 1<S1) s[)(>aks of it erroneously as " the 
 southern jjromontoiT of Xewfoundland." Kirke ("Con- 
 (pu'st of Canada," p. Itt). says, "He obtained a grant of 
 Newfoundland, or rather of the south or small(>r part ol' the 
 Island"; and in a net, he says, '' Lord Ilaltimore's province, 
 which forms the south-east \):\vi of Xewfoundland, is a [)en- 
 insula of twenty-six marine leagues in length, and from 'ive 
 to twenty in breadth. It is separated from the main island 
 by two extensive bays, the heads of which are divided by a 
 narrow Isthnnis or beach not exceeding" four miles in width.'' 
 
i -1 
 
 90 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 i ' 
 
 h 
 
 This applies to the whole pcninsulii of *Av!iloii, aiid is 
 tlie coiiuuon opinion of nearly all historians, liiehardson, 
 however, eonteiuls stroni:!}' that (Jalvcnl obtained the whole 
 island, havinj; l)on,i>;ht the riiiiits of tiie former irrantees, 
 that is, the Newfoundland Company, founded hy John (Jny, 
 and f/i(\>/ undoubtedly possessed all the island, as we have 
 already seen. In sni)port of this view, lliehardson ((uotes si 
 ])ortion of the words of the patent, as follows: "All that en- 
 tire })orti()n of land situate within our country of Newfound- 
 land, and all the islands within ten leagues of the eastern 
 shore thereof.*' l>ut these words do not s(!em eonelusive on 
 tlu' point. They are evidently iueomplete. and may Ix; in- 
 terpreted as i\ part of the Island, if they do :;(;1 aetually imply 
 sueh a nieaninij. The words (|iu)ted are taken from ( Jains- 
 bury "s "Calendar of State Papers, Colonial '•series," p. 42. 
 In the same document we tind : " 1(522 Dec' 31 (Jrant to Sir 
 (ieoriie Calvert and his heirs of the whole country of New- 
 found Land," Ajzain, when, some years after, Sir David 
 KirUe received a i)ateiit for the colony al)audoned by Cal- 
 vert, it is distinctly declared to cover "all that whole Ishiiid, 
 C!ontinent or Iveiiion know nc l)v the Name of Ncwtbund 
 Land." 
 
 ^^'hatever may have been the extent of the territory eon- 
 ceded to Calvert, — and it nuist bi^ confessed the s()vercii::ns 
 of those days wen^ extremely (icitcvoits, and ratiu'i' va:ij;'ue in 
 their notions of New-A\'orld iicoiiraphy, — it is certain that 
 jurisdiction of the hiufhest form was conferrccl on (Calvert. 
 His patent was couched in tli(> same terms as those granted 
 to Sir William AI(>xan(ler in Nova Scotia, to Sir Ferdiuando 
 (Jorji'es in New I'Jiiiland, and his son, Cecil, afterwards for 
 Maryland, lie was niad(' Lord r.ilatiiie, with power to coin 
 money, to lii'ant titles, to appoint clcri>ymen, as widl as civil 
 and military ollicers. In fact, he was invested wilii ai>^olute 
 civil and ecclesiastical authority. The scheme of coloniza- 
 tion was modelle(l on that of the mediu'val palatinate, ot" 
 which, at that time, the only one reir.:'<niiiu- iu Kni>land was 
 th(! county of Durham. The liisliop was Lord Palatine, and 
 
 
OK NKWFOUNDLANl). 
 
 1>7 
 
 T 
 
 conihiiu'd civil :iii(l rcliiiious jurisdiction. IIcmico, on the 
 coin of Lord IJiiltiniorc, as before inoiilioncd, is socni llic 
 niitrc and ci-osicr, in token of spiritual (Ujininion. (Uich- 
 ardson, loc. cif. ) 
 
 Sir (leorjijfe Calvert sent out, as lii'st uovernor and uoneral 
 atrcnt of his new colony, one Capt. Kdward Wyinie, with a 
 small l)()(ly of men. There is a discrepancy he! ween the 
 dates liiven I)V historians and the letters of Governor \\'ynnc 
 pul)lished at the end of \\'hitl)ourne's " Discoui'se." Kirke 
 states that Calvert obtained his patent "on the ;> 1st day of 
 December, 1(!22/" l{i(har(iS(;n (quotini;- from the Colonial 
 Papers, pp. li"), 2(1) uives the followinir account : " In 
 March, ICii'l, his (Calvert's) attt'iition had l)een otiicially 
 called to the })lantation in Xewfoundiand by a petition from 
 the Company of Adventurers"' (namely. .lohn (iny's Com- 
 l)any in Cupids). W'v ha\(' ali'cady setMi the <:i ievances 
 com])laine(l of by the settlers at various times between the 
 years KJIO and 1()2(), the colonists askiuiz' for naval [)ro- 
 tection ai:ainsl the encroachments ,)f the lishei'nu-n, the 
 attacks of the Indians by land and the pirates by sea. They 
 re(|Uested that dohn Mason, li'overnor of the colony, should 
 be appointed kinu''^ lieutenant with two ships to correct 
 these irregularities. The petition was referred to Set-retary 
 Calvert. ' 
 
 It w:is not until the last day ol" the year 1(>22 that Calvert 
 ac(|uired possession of his territory, ;ind his pntcnt is dated 
 March, 1()2.") (.\pril 7, accord inii' to (Jainsbury's " Calend;ir of 
 State Papers.") Calvert, however, must ha\-e sent over tiie 
 iii'sl instalment of colonists previous to this time; for the 
 iirst letter to l^ord Uallimore iVom (JoNci'uot \\'ynne is 
 dated " Ferryliuid, July, l(i22,"" and is entitled "A letter 
 from (Japtaine Kdward ^^'vnne (Joxcruor of the Colony at 
 Ferryland within the ])rouince ol' Aualon in Newfound Land 
 unto the Iviuht IIon()ral)l(> Sir (leoriit^ ('alv(>rt Kniiiht, His 
 ]\Iaji'stic"s Trincipall Secretary: duly 1(!22." A\'iih rei>ard 
 to the oriuin of the name of the colony so beaut I :.dy con- 
 ceived by Dr. Mullock, the above-quoted letter forces us 
 
 If 
 
08 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IHSTOHY 
 
 iH'liu'tantly to reject his opinion tluit the iiMiiie is u cor- 
 ni[)tioii of Verul.'ini. Dr. ^Iiilloek writes as foHows in his 
 nianuseript history : " A zealous Catholic and enliirhtcnod 
 [)hiIanthropist lie ((Calvert) detennined that his territory 
 should l»e blessed with the faith of Christ, and the names ho 
 in»i)()sed on the Province he a -(luired and the t()\vn which he 
 founded, are a |)roof of his Catholic feelinus, Ai (Jlaston- 
 bnry, in Somersetshire, was an ancient and veneral)le ahhey 
 dedicati'd to St. Joseph of Arimathea, who looic down from 
 the Cross and interred in his owri tomh tiie l)ody of Our 
 Saviour. Tiie ancient n:ime of this al)l)ey was Avalon. It 
 was a tradition ecjually clierished l)y IJritons, Saxons, and 
 Xormans tiial St. fIose))h was banished from Judea, after 
 the death of Christ ; that he went to Uritain, and tinally 
 set (1 in Avalon ; introduced tlie liospel, and then' founded 
 the tirst Clirislian estalilishment in the Island. TliouLili this 
 pious tra<lition rests on no historical foundation, still tlus 
 abbey, which t-overed sixty acres of land, and whose mairnifi- 
 cent ruins still I'cmain . . . tlourished amidst the vener- 
 ation of the i)eople till suppressed by Henry \'III., who jnit 
 the last al)bot to deatli for refusiii"- to surrender his sacred 
 trust to the hatijful tyrant. Cahcrt then wished to revive 
 tlu^ nauK' of Avalon, the cradle of Christianity in IJritain, 
 on this side of the Atlantic. And now' the whole Eastei'u 
 Peninsula of Xewfoundlaiid l»c:irs the sacred name, and is 
 called Mie Province of Avalon. On a l)eautiful i)romontory 
 on the Southern Shore he erected his own resi<lenci', and 
 with true Catholic and IW'i'i.-h feelinu'he called the settlement 
 Vkki'I.am, the Koman name of the present town of St. 
 Alban's. This saint was the prolomartyr of liritain. When 
 tlio land became Christian, a maiziiilicent abbey was erected 
 there, one of whose abbots, l)rea[<s|)ear, became Pope, under 
 tlu! title of Adrian I\'., and the town itself lost its Ivoman 
 app(dlation, and was called after its patron. Calvert, there- 
 foi'e, called his province Avalon, in honor of St. Josej))! of 
 Arimathea, and his town \'i:itiir-AM, in honor of St. All)an. 
 'IMie name was at first corrupted into FcndiDit, and tinally 
 
 1 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 99 
 
 seltleil down into llic vulpir !ii.<l trivial iianie of FeiTyliiiKl." 
 Thus Doctor Mullock ; hut wo cannot acccj)! tlio very boaiiti- 
 t'lil theory, at least so far as the name of Fi-rryland is con- 
 cerned : for, in all the letters written l)y llu> iiovcrnor of the 
 place at the tirst founding of the colony, those of Captain 
 Powell, of a ,ir(Mitlenian siiininir himself " \. II.," and also of 
 Lord Haltimoic himself, addressed from the colony to Kini; 
 Charles, of date Auii'. !!», l(!2i), the name is distinctly 
 spelt Fi:i!i!VLAM), and there is no vestige of a corruption 
 from Vcnihon. No doui)t this idea was sni:i;ested to Dr. 
 Mullock from the fact that Sii' Francis IJacon, J^ord \vv- 
 ulain, was a meml)er of the tirst Newfoundland Company 
 estahlished at Cupids: ]»ut he had no conneciion with Lord 
 lialtimore's colony. Moreover, the ancient name of Verulam 
 was not known in Kni^land in the lime of Calvert, it havin*; 
 been superseded In' that of St. Alhan's, which would more 
 prolial)ly ha\e1)een the \\\m\v chosen by Calvert t"or his new 
 town had he thouiiht of it. 
 
 The ])lace was called Fcrryland lielbre Calvert settled 
 there. C'aptain Jiichard "\^'hitl>ourne, writin;^^ in l<)li>, i)re- 
 vious to Calvert's establishment, calls it Fovilatid. On a 
 ma}) published in Tavei'uer's " liriti.>-h Pilot." 1747, it is spelt 
 Forilaud and Foreland, 'i'his writer j)robably thought it 
 might have been named after the points so well known in the 
 Ih'itisli Channel as (he NOrth and South Forelands. WwX it is 
 (•f^;'/(^f ////// a cori'upl ion of the French word .Fon'lloii. This 
 old French word signifies NijHO'alcd or sftnidiiif/ otif J'rom, 
 as it wei'c a ])iece of rock bored or dug out tVoni the rest of 
 the land by the action of the waves ; tVom the Latin /o/v/rr, to 
 dig or bore ; French, /orr/-. In a note in Chami)laiirs " \o\- 
 ages," l()0;i, p. 4, we read : "Gasjx' on Gac//pr siu'raiif J/. 
 Ij'Ahlx'' J. A. jMoiinndf cc iioia senn'f loic roitfravtion dn 
 mot Aboiof/ut's Kalcspi f/iii est ' K^eparrmcnr f/iti est sepurt- 
 de Vautre tcvrc on sait en efj'et que le FoviUon aujonr((hui 
 tnlne 2)ar la violenv.e des vai/ue.s ('/ait nne rocher remarf/indjle 
 separr da cup de Gn.yx','" (taspe or Gachpi, according to 
 Father J. A. Mourault, is a contraction of the Abenaijuis 
 
 ! 
 
100 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOIJY 
 
 It I 
 
 (Iiuliiin tril)e) word KaieHpi, wliic-h means separately/, 
 or tliiit wliic'li is scparatod i'roin the mainlaiul ; and, in 
 (act, it is well known that the ForiUon, to-day dug out by 
 the violent'o of the waves, is a reniarkahhi roek separated 
 from llie Cape of Gaspc'. This roek, which was known as 
 "The OKI Man antl Woman,"' has been so undermined by the 
 action of the water that it crumbh'd away and disappeared 
 some few years ago. Now, liiere can be no (h)ubt tliat 
 Ferryhuul is an Eiiglisli corrui)tion of this French word 
 
 Till', HAZrijKs. oi! ii.vhk's i;ai!s, at i'i:i!I!Yi.a\I). rAi.i.Ki) itv tiik 
 
 I'I!I'.NC11 "I'Olin.I.ON." 
 
 ForiUon. The well-known rock at Ferryland head, called 
 ihe Ha zi ires (itself a corruption ol" hare's ears), corresponds 
 exactly with the d(>scription givi'ii above of CJas[)c. This 
 name Avas of geneial use by the French to designate such 
 rocks. There is one of the same sort near St. Lawrence, 
 Piacentia Hay, called l)y tlu; same name, and by the 
 tishermen of Newfoundland i( is corrupted to Fevri/land. 
 The settlement continued (o be called ForiUon hy the 
 French up to the date of 1 (!!!(!, when it was cai)tured by the 
 Sieur D'Iberville. An account of the capture (IVom which 
 we shall afterwards (|uote) was written by th(> cha|)laiii of 
 
iss. 
 
 ■jm^^^SSSSBLW-S 
 
 OF NE\VFOUNM)LA\D. 
 
 101 
 
 flic army, M. rAldx' Haudouiii, in wliicli 'ic sjK'iiks of it 
 all tIirou<j:h as ForiUon. 
 
 Ill the li'tl(n' al)()ve alliuli'd to as written from Forryland 
 by (lovenioi' ^^yllm^ in .luiy, 1022, h(> speaks of a former 
 letter written l)y him tlie previous year, "the last letter of 
 the previous yeai' dated Septeml>er o, 1()21,'' which 
 imi)lies that he must have writt(;u other letters duriiii;" that 
 year ofl()21. It is, therefore, certain that the colony was 
 founded ahout that time. It was cei'tainly then in Its infancy. 
 He acknowlediies the receipt, on the 17th of May, 1022, of 
 a letter wiitten l)V Calvert on the lIHh of iMjhruary, hrouirht 
 by one Kol)ert Stoning. There were (udy twelve men all 
 that winter in the colony, until tlu" spring. On May 2(1, 
 1<)22, Captain Daniel Powell arriv(Ml with an additional 
 rei'iiforccmeiit of twenty men, milking in all thirty-two. 
 Powell brought letters from Calvert, dated March 14. 
 I'owell, however, did not take shijjping from Plymouth till 
 iJ^th of Aprill," making a voyage of less than tive 
 
 the 
 Avee 
 
 which was very fair tor th" season of tli 
 
 yeai 
 
 Governor Wvnnc uives a minute description of the buddinirs 
 erectt'd and in course of construction. The first rangi' of 
 buildings erected about AU-hallowtide was " forty-four foot 
 of leniith andtifteen foot of breadth,"' containing a hall, entry, 
 
 cellar, four chamlu-rs, kitch 
 
 en, staircase, passages, etc 
 
 lb 
 
 " raised uj) a face of defence to the wafer side-ward, ' sowed 
 some wheat for a triad ' and many other businesses besides." 
 After Christmas he built " a jjarlour fourtenc foote and 
 twelve foote broad, and a lodging chamber, a forge, salt 
 works, a well sixteene foote deep, a brew house, a wharfe, 
 and a rfifn-ation so that tlu^ whole may l»e made a prettie 
 street. He speaks in most fMV(M'abU> terms of the soil and 
 
 limate 
 
 second 
 
 left 
 
 CI' from ( Jovernor \\'\'mie to Lord 
 
 Baltimore is dated the 17tli of Auijfust 1(122. llcne a«rain 
 he speaks enthusiastically of the climate and i)roducts of the 
 soil, " wheat, barley, oates, beanes, i)eas(!, radishes, eale 
 cabbidge, lettice, turneps, carrets, ' and all tlu; rest of like 
 
 rood 
 
 nesse 
 
 He sends home "a barrell of the best salt that 
 
102 
 
 KCCLKSIASTirAL IIISTOKY 
 
 ever my eyes behold."' Also a list of nrtiolos riviiiired, and, 
 at the end, jjivcs tlic iiann\s of the tliirty-two men and boys 
 stayinj; Avilli him. 
 
 There is a letter from Captain Powell to "Master Seerotary 
 Calvert,'" dated .^uly L^S. 1()22. He doserihes the voy.'.ire 
 from Plymouth, with several ineidents, such as the death of 
 " hree ewe goals, by reason of their extreme leannesse." 
 Thev have now " but onlv one ewe uoat and a buck i^oat 
 left ; '" on th(! IGth of May the " fiirnaee took fire." They 
 arrived in Capeliiiii' Vy.iy on the 2()th of May. They found 
 the <;overnor and all his eompany in uood health, " iis \\{\ all 
 continue in the same, j)ruised be (Jod for it.'" He then 
 describes the situation of the colony, which was on the 
 mariiin of what is known as "The Pool." "The house is 
 strong and well contrived, standeth very warme at the foot 
 of an easie asc(<ndini: Hill on the South East and defended 
 Avith a Hill standinii- on the further side of the Hauen on the 
 north west. The beach on the North and South side of tlu; 
 land locke it and the seas on I)oth ^ides are so neare and 
 indillerent to it that one may shoote a IJird Ix e into either 
 sea. . . . The land behind it l)einii- •it'iU' onc^ thousand 
 acres of good ground for hay, ieiMling ol" calteil, and plenty 
 of wood almost an island, safe to keepe anything from laven- 
 ous beasts." He then describes Atpiafort , about six miles to 
 the soutlnviU'd, and asks leave to take thii'teen men there to 
 form a settlement. Calvert sent £2..")()0 sterling with 
 "Wynne, as an earn(>st of what he intended to do for the 
 colony. xVccording to a niemorial afterward presented to 
 Charles H., in 1().')7, l)y the youngi-r Lord Haltimore, touch- 
 ing his father's claim on Xcwfonndland, Ijord Cecil says 
 that his father spent £20,000 on the fort, mansion, and pub- 
 lic works. In a petition to Charles H., innnediately after 
 the Restoration, KitiO, he states the exi)onditure to have 
 been £oO,000. The accounts furnished by Governor 
 AVynne and Captain Powell were no doubt highly colored 
 and exaggerated, so that Lord lialtimore was induced, after 
 a few years, to come out liimself to see his new colony. 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 103 
 
 I II 
 
 lie Ii:i(l spent vciT Iaru<^ stuns of money on l"'s onter|)rise ; 
 and, tlioiiii'li lie constantly I'ecencd the most i:lo\vinii; accoimts 
 iVom Ills airent, yet it appears that he liei;an to oiUertain 
 (louhtstliatall was not iroinjr as well as was repiHvsented. And 
 he feared that, unless he should go in person to visit this 
 colony, it miiiht Ix-come a total failure. Thus Ik^ wi'iles from 
 liOiidon, on the 21sl May, 1()27, to Sir 'i'homas ^^'ent worth, 
 afterwards Kju'l of Strafford: "I am heartily sorry that T 
 am further from my hopes of seein;; you hefore leavinir this 
 town . . . for a lon*,^ journey. ... It is Newfoundland 1 
 mean, which it impoits me more than curi()>ity only to see. 
 For I nmst either tio and settle it in better order or else i>iv(> 
 it over and lose all the eharu'c's f have been at hitherto for 
 other men to build their fortunes upon." Ilowt-ver. that was 
 not the only reason, for he speaks of Newfoundland as '' a 
 l)lace which I have lonn' had a desire to visit Mud have now 
 the opportunity .and leave to do it." It will thus be f^wu, 
 then, that it was not, as befon; observed, on account of his 
 conversion that he turne(l his thoiiiihts to colonization, yet it 
 nmst be admitted that his reliiiious comiclions, coupled with 
 the peculiar t inn of Imperial politics at the time, if they were 
 not thci cause, uuve him at least the opj)ortunity of ^zivinu: 
 his n.iind more entirely to the jjroject. lie had, as before 
 stat(Hl, s.roni::ly urued the marriai^c of I'rince Charles with 
 the Infanta of S|)ain, hopiiii^ tlu'relu' to oI)tain a si;spension 
 of the penal laws auainst the ('atholics. The failure of that 
 pi'ojeet Wiis as <ireat a disap})ointment to him as it was a 
 triumph to the Hukc of BucUinii'ham. his opponent. The 
 latter, suspecting' or knowinu: Calvert's Catholicity, uiti'c'd 
 stronjily the enforcement of the i)enal laws with the utmost 
 viiror, as also the tenderini:' of the oath of alleiiiance to all 
 suspected [)ersons, particularly the memlters of the I'rivy 
 Council, of whom Calvert was one. Calvert resiiiined his 
 otRce, but h(^ did not lose llu' king's favor, and a few days 
 bcfon^ the death of the latter he was appointed I>aron of 
 Baltimore, in the Irish i)eerage, in 1(525. From that time he 
 seems to have laid aside all connection with the alfairs of 
 
; 
 
 i ii I 
 
 ! 'I 
 I 
 
 : ; 
 
 I h\ 
 
 I ' 
 
 ,| : , ,, 
 
 I'" .1 ■ : 
 
 I '1' 
 
 104 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 stalo. and ^^ivcii himself u|) more exclusively lo the siihject 
 ot" reliirioii and ol" his new colony. In this sanu' year, 
 \Cr2'>, he made a journey lo the north of Knuland with tho 
 l{ev. Sir Tobias Mattliew, S.J. Sir Tol)y Matthew was a 
 noted convert, who died Octolter 1."), lli,'*'), at (Jhent, in the 
 Kn_u!i.>h House of Tertians of tho Jesuit Order. Ho was son 
 of Dr. Tohy Matthews, l*r()tostant Bishop of Durham. He 
 was a friend of Calvert, and it is prohahle that at tliat time 
 arrangements wore made for the sendinu' out of Jesuit mis- 
 sionaries to Xewfoundland. Sir Tol»y took a ureat interest 
 in the ])roject, and it was proliahly he wh()s(deele(l the Fathers 
 Smitli, LonuN iile, and Haeket, whom Lord llaltimoi'!- hi'ouuht 
 out with liim a couple of years suhsociuontly. It "would 
 ai)i)ear that aftt'r this date haul lialtimore retired to his Irish 
 estate in the county of Loniiiord, where, remote from th(! 
 cares of state, he seriously set about makinii- jjreparations 
 for his louii-wished-t'or visit to his risinu' colonv of Avalon. 
 
 In tho montii of April, Kii^T, h(> sent out two ships, vi/., 
 the "Ark of Avalon," of 1(10 tons, and the "(Joori>(>,'" of Plym- 
 outh, 110 tons. 'I'iiese .ships were sent out under cliar<>'e of 
 Sir Arthur Ashton, who afterwsu'ds was governor of Avalon. 
 "Early in the sununer Lord Baltimore himself followed, and 
 arrivecl at Ferryland about the i.'Jd July, 1()27. He brouiiht 
 with him two seniinary priests, Fathei's Anthony Smith and 
 liongvdle." (Richardson, from the "Colonial Papers," pj). 
 8 (5-1) 2.1) 
 
 Although the colony established by John Guy, of Cupor's. 
 liad been abandoned some ten or twelve years i)rcvious 
 
 ' ^fr. Riclianlsoii I'liiiii-^lu"; iiic with llii' followiiii,' ilciiis us licinj; nil tliiit In; coiilil 
 {lleim coiiccniin^' these pi-iests. That tliev were pvolnihly selecleil lor the missidn " \\\; 
 Sii' 'J'ohiiis ^hilthew, S.J. ; that Smith feliiriieil to lOnnlaiiil with Lonl J'.altiiiiore in the 
 fall of l(i-7, and that Haeket appears to have ecmie out the next year to take' Siiiilli's 
 plaec." lu Brother l'(jle_v's (S..I.) exhaustive work] tiiiil no luentioii of these fathers; 
 mil), having; written to him on the siihjeet, he rc])lies (.'30th Oct., 18S4), " I ean traec no 
 Eii;:lish Jesuits of tho names of A. .Smith, Haekett, and l^oiifiville." Coiisiderin^r the 
 immense extent and deplli of IJrother Foley's researches, it seems tinae<'()iintalile that 
 he did not <'nnu' 0)1011 these fathers. At the same time it must he reniemhered that, 
 owin^' to the ))er.seeiitinjr sjiirit of the times, the .lesiiits were ohlii^ed to adopt various 
 disjruises, aiul l'rc(piently to ehan^o their names. Hence it is (piite possihle that the 
 ahove names mav have heen merclv aliases. 
 
 • 
 
 I' . ■ 'l| 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 105 
 
 to Lord Haltimoro's sottlomciit at Ft'iTvlnnd, still tlicn^ is no 
 doubt thiit soiuo settlements yt>t rcMuained in tliat bay. 
 ( lovernor Wymic, at tlie close of his letter to Lord IJaltinion', 
 ot" duly 28, 1(122, after i^iviiiii' the names and oei'Uj)ati()Us 
 of th(* thii1y-t\vo inhal)it!ints of his settlement, says: "1 
 look for a mason and one more out of the Hay of Concep- 
 tion." Thus we are not surprised to tiiid tiiat there was 
 also a minister of the Church -of Knuland, namecl Krasmus 
 Stourton, already eslal)lished in the <'ountry. The religious 
 animosity which rajicd so sti'onuly against the Jesuits in 
 Kngland was in no wise cooled by its conta<t with thc^ ice- 
 bergs on the coast of Newt'oundland ; heni-e we tind tlu^ 
 Kev. Mr, Stoui'ton waxed cNceedingly wrathy when he 
 heard of the arrival of the priests. Hut his indignation 
 .seems to have passed ail bounds when he heard that a third 
 })riest and foi'ty more papists had come out, and that Mass 
 was celelirated daily in the big house at Feiryland. (lov- 
 ernor ^\'ynne, in his letters to Lord Haltimore, though ho 
 di'scribes most minutely .all tlie buildings erected, and in 
 cours(! of construction, ni.Mkes no mention of a chapel. So 
 that it is probabh? the Mass was celebrated in the i)arlor 
 of the gr«'at house, :i room described by AN'ynni' as of" tbur- 
 teeno foote besides the chinnu'V and twelve foote broad, of 
 convenient height"; or in the h;dl, Mhieh is di'scribed .as 
 " 18 feet long, the whole building lu'ing 44 foot of liMigth 
 and 15 fool of breadth." This was the tinst building ci'octed, 
 and no doubt there was sutlicienl room for the sm.all congre- 
 gation at that tinu' existing in the settleujcnt. AN'hat par- 
 ticular act of ()})positioii tlie Kev. Mr. Stourton was guilty 
 of does not appeal', but it must have been of a very grave 
 and .aggressive character to hiivc forced a man of such tol- 
 erant disiiosition as we know Lord lialtimore was to ex- 
 ercise his supreme power by banishing from the colony 
 " tlu^ audacious man," as he calls him, " foi liis misdeeds," 
 Our readers may judge, from what we lia\e already shown 
 coneerninjr Lord Haltiiiion'"s li'cnerosilv and toleration of 
 religious dillbrences in Maryland, that the conduct of this 
 
loi; 
 
 KC'CI.KSlASriCAl, IIISTOUV 
 
 iiiMii iiiiist have lu'cn alto^^ftlicr imlx'siraMc, and most likoly 
 scdiiioiis. 
 
 His coiKliict, after his return to Kiiirlaiid, will licl[) iis to 
 '" III an opinion upon tlis inaltcr. Kicliardson says; "He 
 Imsic'd liiinscll' in iiit ilVclnal ciroi'ls to stir np the I'livv 
 Conncil airainst the Popisii Colony." Dr. Clarke ("Catholics 
 World," ()etol»«M', ISS,'.) says: '"riie ]\v\ . l^rasniiis Stonrton, 
 resident Protestant minister at Ferryland, inaile lonnal com- 
 plaint ajrainst liis hu'dsliip to tlie aiillioi'itie> in Knuland, 
 tliat. in violation of tiie law, .Mass was pnltlicly ccleltrated 
 in \ev,l(. Midland."' "lie had no soonei' landed in IMym- 
 onth," says Kii-ke, (|iiotinir iVom th(> "Colonial Papei-s," \'()1. 
 IV., \o. .")!•. "than he ha>tene(| to pre--eiit liiiiisclt' hel'ore 
 Nirholas Shei'uill. .NFayor, and 'I'lioinas Sherwill, Mcn-ehant, 
 Itoth dnsiiccs of the Peace, and into their hori'ilied ears he 
 poured his aslonndini:' tale of Lord Ualliniore's misdeeds. 
 How the s;ud lord arrived in Xewl'onndland the 2.")d of .Inly, 
 l()"i7, and hroiiiiht with him two seminary prit'>ts, one of 
 them called lionirville, and the other .Vnthony Smith; hiit 
 Lonii'ville returned to Knii'hind with the said Lord llaltiinore, 
 who hroiiii'ht out . the same year, anothei' pi'iest namecl Hacket, 
 and with him about 40 papists: and how the said Hacket 
 and Smith said ^^ass every Sunday and used all ollu'r 
 eeremonics of the ( 'liurcli of IJonie in the ample manner, as 
 'tis used in Spain : and how the child of one ^Villiam 
 J*oole, a Protestani, was hapti/ed into the Romish Church 
 hy order of Lord Baltimore and cont'.'uiy to the wish of iii.s 
 father I The brothers Sherwill. amazed at these enormities, 
 [■ent Kev. Mr. Stonrton i)ost-haste to the Privy Council 
 with a copy of his deposition in his pocket." This extract 
 from a certainly unsuspected soiu'ce shows us how Lord 
 Baltimore had fully est!d)lislied the C^itholic reliizion in his 
 colony, thus verifyinii' tlm suj)positi()n of Dr. Mullock, 
 Avho, not beinjx aware of the existence of the above records, 
 wrote as follows in his "History,"' p. 11: "We jiavo no 
 records of the state of Catholicity durinjj; Lord P)altim()re's 
 residence in Newfoundland; but it is to bo supposed that 
 
 I 
 
 [ 
 
 i il 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANl). 
 
 107 
 
 I 
 
 such iiti Mnlciit (^itliolic, who sfnmpod forovor Iho mark of 
 ("atliolirity on tlic very soil l»y the iiuiiifs of ' Avaloii' and 
 * NCnilMiii,' (lid not Icavo those who followed hitn to tho 
 wildeni' ss without in;ikiiiii' suHici«'iit provision for their 
 spiritual wants." Allhouuh Lord naltiinore no douht heard 
 the I'll*" eMiuinnies of Kev. Mr. Slourton, it does not 
 app( .. ii . :,y fornial notice was taken of his complaints. 
 Certaii ii i that Lord l»aItiniore did not lose the King's 
 favor, for, on August !!•, l(L".i, he writes the King, thanking 
 His Majest"'for the loan of a ship sent out. It is in this 
 letter that he ;dludes t(» Stoiirton as '' ;in audacious niai. 
 l)anishe(l from the colony for his misdeeds." Tlie King re- 
 plied in Xoxcmlter; told him he was not lit for such rugu-ed 
 work as fomiding a new colony: advised him to return, 
 where he might he assured of such respect as his former 
 services and late (Mideavors Justly deserved. 
 
 Dr. Clarke, it will lie seen, alludes to Mr. Stourtoii as the 
 resident minister at Fei'ryland. It is, however, almost cer- 
 tain that there was no resident minister tiiere at tliat time. 
 As we hav, seen, a settlement was atti'mptcd at Ferryland 
 by Dr. Vaughan in 1(517, hut it did not come to anything. 
 Anspach, in his '' History of N'ewfoundland" (p. 8('>), states, 
 I know not on what authority, that "a considerable colony, 
 com])ose(l chietly of Puritans, accompanied to Xewfoundland 
 Captain Kdward Wymie, whom Sir (leorgc Calvert had sent 
 with th(^ conunission »)f drovernor." That Lord r>altimorc 
 did not cxclxde Puritans and other Protestants we may 
 readily believe, as was tiie case also in the Maryland plan- 
 tation; but it is (evident that, while tohu-ating other forms 
 of religion, he establisiied the Catholic worship in his colony, 
 and we may thank Mr. Stourton foi' being tiie means of 
 l)lacing on record such a full account of the religious state of 
 the colony. 
 
 In Ai)ril, 1()2<S, Lord Baltimore came out a second time to 
 Xewfoundland, bringing with him his lady and children. 
 Thi.s was his second wife ; his eldest son, Cecil, aftiu'wards 
 found(!r of Maryland, was tlu'u twenty-three years of age ; 
 
BB£a3t!!'"jJi"i. Wi..JB!IW!l«<>|iai 
 
 i 
 
 1 . 
 
 108 
 
 p:cclesiastical history 
 
 and the sccoiul, Li'onni'd, avIio aftoiwards, as lieutenant, con- 
 ducted the colony to :Maryland, in the same old ship, "Tlio 
 Ark," was then twenty-two years old. Ilis dauijhter, and 
 Mr. AVilliain Peasley, afterwards liis son-in-law, and Kev. 
 Father Ilacket, S.J., accompanied him. 
 
 ♦ 
 
* ':; 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 lOi) 
 
 i 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 FKUIIYLAXI), ron/hiueJ.— [\G2S-\Gr,0.] 
 
 Caiisi'> (if tin' Fiiiliiro of llu' Fori'vliiml Colony — Liuly IJallimiiro Leaves for Miirv- 
 laiid — Lord ]?:illiiiuii'e Follows, 1()"29 — Lady 15:iltiiiiorc Lost at f^ea — Haltiiiioro 
 Refuses to take tin; Oalli of AUe^^iaiiee as I'roiioseil by Governor I'otl of .lanies- 
 towii — He lietiiriis to Eiiji'laiid, anil Dies, 1032 — Sir W. Alexander Founds Nova 
 iSeotia, 1(1'J7 — French Ilnirnenots — t'landc dc St. Ktieiuie— Sii' David KirUe — • 
 lie Captures the French Fleet at (ia>])r — Qnehcc Capitidates, KJ'i!) — Kirke is 
 I{ef;ised his Trize-nioney — Kirke and Kalliniore Contrasted — Kirke Iteeeives a 
 Grant of I'erryland, and Arrivi's in Ncwioundland, Kl.'JS — Itecoiistrncls the 
 Setllenienl — The Ten Years' War in Fnjiland — Kirke is Arrested, l(wl, and 
 Deprived of his Colony — He lletnrns to Newfonndland, lO")!!, and Dies at 
 Ferryland, IGSfi — His Character —Cecil, Second Ivord Baltimore, Recovers I'os- 
 ses-iion of Feri'yland, KifiO — • Policy of Hrilain Detrinu'ntal to the Advancement 
 of the Coiintrv. 
 
 rpiIK tivi'ival of Lord I'liltiniorc und his colonists on tho 
 -» slioivs of N('\vf<)iin<ll:iii(l sccincl to prcsiiiro Uw dinvn 
 ol":i Itriiilit iiiul uloi'ioiis era in the liisiory dt" niu' Island home. 
 If (hat noltlc clfort had siu'cimmUmI, who can pictinv what 
 woidd to-day have boon tlic rc^sult? Forryiand, iiistivid of 
 vcniaininiT as it is, a h)n(' and stvaii'iilinii: Hshinii-vilhiirc, 
 Avoidd lu" tiic modern I>aUimore. — the lii'eat mart of i-om- 
 nierce, mainifactiu'e, and science I l>ut, ahis I it was not 
 dcslincMJ to l)e so. 
 
 .Mtmy were tiie canses which coml)ined to hrini;' aI»oiit the 
 faihiro of the new coh)ny : but liiey wei'c all accidental or 
 extrinsic. There wtis no inherent obstacle, either in the 
 country or climate, as some authors say, and many be ieve; 
 even Lord Baltimore himself thou<:hl so. If r>altiinore had 
 had tlu' ii'ood fortune to setth; in St. flohn's, 'i'repassey , or 
 some of the fertile regions of St. Mary's Bay, and had sptMit 
 there the twenty or thirty thousand [)oimds so fruitlessly 
 siiuandered on the siorile rocks of Ferryland, or more })r()i>- 
 ably misappropriated by tlishonest agents, what a wonderful 
 
 ii 
 
w pHjWWt l W I" 
 
 I' -5 
 
 110 
 
 ECCJ.ESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 (liU'cronco would it liavo caused in llio future j)rospcrity of 
 Newfoundland ! 
 
 Anions the causes of failure of llie colony of Ferryland 
 may ho stated as the jjriniary oni^ the fact already alluded 
 to, vi/., the slorih; nature of Iho land. The harhor is hy 
 no means iilted for a ])()rt of tradi^ to any "reat extent, hein<; 
 greatly expose i on the iiorthein side to the fury of the 
 Atlantic wavt's, which are hut very imperfectly kept out l»y 
 a low-lying' reef. There is no level site for a town, the .s|)()t 
 upon which the settlement stood, now called "the Downs," 
 not being" at all well ada})tcd for an extensive city ; and, al)ov(; 
 all, there is no belt of fertile country in the rear capable of 
 cidtivation to make a feeding-ground, so uecessiuy an adjunct 
 to a large <'onuneivial centre of pojjulation. Among the 
 other causes of failure, Dr. Mullock, in his " Lectures," men- 
 tions "the incursions of the Indians and the attacks of the 
 French." Lord Baltimore, in his letters from Newfound- 
 land, iMnkes no mention of the; inciu'sions of the Indians; 
 and wit' gard to the attacks of the French, neither does 
 he attril; te his failure to that soiu'ce. It is true tliMt no 
 sooner was he well settlcMl down in his new colony than a 
 hostile Fi'cnch tleet ai)peared in the watei's of Ferryland ; 
 but Lord Ijaltimore, l»y his skill and courage, soon drove 
 tliem away. The following letters, re[)roduced by KirUe 
 from the " Colonial I'apers," give, in his own words, a graphic 
 account of these atlvcnturcs. Uoth letters are dated Ferry- 
 land, August '2'}, 1()2.S. One is addressed to the King, the 
 other to the Duke of riuckiiigham : — 
 
 "Most GiiAciois and Dkkad Sovkukigx : — 
 
 "In this remote wilde pai't of the Avorlde, where I iiave 
 planted myseife, and shall endeavor l)y (iod's Assistance to 
 eidarge your ]Majesty's Dominions, and in whatsoever else to 
 serve your Majesty loyallie and faitlifuUie with all the 
 l)owers ])()th of my mynde and bodye, i meet(! with great 
 difliculties and intaunbrances at the beginninge (as enter- 
 prises of this nature! commonly have) and cannot bee easilie 
 
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' 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 Ill 
 
 
 i>a 
 
 ovorcomc hy sucli wcakc l)!in(ls as inyiui without your IVIaj- 
 csties s})t'ciiil i)rot('('tion, for wliich cause I nuist still rcMiow 
 my addresses to your ]\IaJestie, as your most luuuble subject 
 and va.ssall for the continuance' of your Princely favor toinoe 
 and this work which I have taken in hand. Your Majestio's 
 Su]))ects tishinu" this year in the harlK)urs of this land have 
 been nmch dis(|uie(ed hy a Frencinnan of Warre, onc^ Mou- 
 sieiu" d(i la Kade of l)ee])e, who with three hips and 400 
 men well armed and apixjinled came lirst into a harbor 
 beloniiinu" to me called Capebroile, where he surprised divers 
 of the lishermen, look Iwo of iheir shipps in the harltor and 
 ke|)t the possession of tin'm lill I sent two shii)s of mine 
 with some hundred men beinsz" all the force we could make 
 upon the suddayne in this places where I am jjlanted : uppon 
 the api)r()ach of which shi})i)s near to the Harbor's mouth of 
 Capebroile one of them b(>inii' •J'H) tons witii '2-i pieces of 
 ordnance, the Ffrench let slip their cables, and mad(^ to sea 
 as fast as they could, leaving behind them lioth the English 
 shipps, whereof they had formerly ])ossessi()n. 07 of their 
 own countrymen on shore, whom I have had since here with 
 me prisoners. We followed the chas(! so long as wo saw any 
 jiossibilily of coming u[t[) with them, l)ut they were uuich 
 better of saile and we were forced to give it over. The 
 said de la Kade hath since domie more spoils upjjon other 
 of your ]\Ia'n'stie's subjects in the X. parts ot" this land, as 1 
 ■was given to muh'rstand which caused me to jjursue them a 
 second tvnie, but lliev were driven out of the countrv hv a 
 shijjp of London before mine coidd get thilher. Ilereupjion 
 being still ve.xed with these men, and iioth myselfe and my 
 poor tisherie heorc, and many other of your Majestie's 
 subjects nmch injured this year by them I directed my ,shi[) 
 in consort with Captain Fe!U'ue"s ]\Ian-ot-A\'arre then in this 
 Country to seek out some of that .Nation at Tre[)asse, a 
 harbor to the south of where they used to tish. There they 
 found () shipps f) of liayonne and one of St . -lean de Lu/, whom 
 they took with their lading, being Fish and Irayne, and have 
 sent them to England. I do hinublic beseech your Majestie's 
 
 t 
 
 I. 
 
 I 
 
 1 -« 
 
n 
 
 112 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 service, and to iiive me leiivc^ upon this occasioti to 1)C an 
 liiiiiil)le suitor unto your Majestic both for inyiio owiio 
 sat'etic, ami tor many lliousands of your sul)jccts that use this 
 laud and couie hither every ycare, for tiie most ])arte 
 wcakely })rovi(h'd of defences, that by your Majestie's 
 sujjreanu^ Autliority for the preservation of your people, 
 bciuijij ISeanicn and Mariners and tiieir shipps, from the si)oile 
 of the enemye (the loss wlu-reof much imports your Maj- 
 cstie's service) two men-of-warre, at leaste may bo a[)i)oiuted 
 to ji'uard this coast, and to be hero betymes in the yeare : the 
 Hshermen to contribute to the defrayini>; of the charge which 
 amoiiii'st so many will bo but a small matter, and easily 
 borne. J have humbly entreated My Lord Duke to recom- 
 mend and mediate it unto your Pi'inccly wisdomc, beseaching 
 your Majestic to partlon this unmannerlv lcn<>th wherewith 
 I have presumed to troulde your patience. 
 
 " Ciod Almightie pri'scrvc your Majestic with a long 
 Kaygne and nuich lia[)piness. 
 
 "Your Majestie's most loyal subject and 
 " IIuml)le servant, 
 
 "(JI-:0. r.ALTIMOKE. 
 
 •• Ki:iii!Vi,AM>, L'."> Aii^iisi, l(;2s." 
 
 ' 
 
 i. 'I 
 
 Itl.j 
 
 To the Duke of Buckingham, on the same date, he writes : — 
 
 "1 I'emcmber that his Majestic once told me that 1 writer a 
 fairer hand to look upon a farre as any man in England, but 
 that mIicu any man came neare it they were not able to read 
 a word! A\'hercui)on I got a disi)ensation I>()th from His 
 Majestic and your (jrace to use another man's pen when 1 
 write to either of you, and I humi>ly thank you for it, tor 
 writing is a great pain to nice nowe. 
 
 "I owe your (irace an account of my actions and proceed- 
 ings in this i)lantati()n, since under your i)atronagc, and by 
 your honorable mediation to his Majesty, I have transi)lanted 
 myself hither. I came to build, to sett, to sowe, but I am 
 fain to tiirhtiuir with Frenchmen, , . . I have desired this 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 113 
 
 bearer M''. Peasley some time a servant of our late Sov- 
 ereigne, who for company, I have had liecre this sunnner to 
 attend your Graee on my 1)ehalf, and I huml)ly i)eseeche you 
 to vouchsafe mo aeeesse to your person, as there siiall ho 
 occasion, with favour, and T shall always rest the same, now 
 and forever, 
 
 "Your (irace's most faithfidl and 
 "Humble servant, 
 
 " GEO. BALTIMORE. 
 
 '• FKituvi.ANn. Anii. 2."), l('.2s." 
 
 William Peasley, afterwards Lord l>altimore"s son-in-law, 
 was the bearer of thesi; des[);itches. 
 
 His request was gi-anted, and two of the ships which ho 
 had taken as priztis in Trepassey, the " Esperance " and the 
 "S. Claude,'" were sent out to Xewfoundland under com- 
 mand of Leonard Calvert, his lordshi|)"s second son, a youth 
 of twenty-two years of age. From this it would apjiear tiiat 
 it was not fear of the French which drove Lord Ijallimore 
 from Ferryland. Ih' had proved himself well al)le to defend 
 himself against them • and the remains of munerous pieces of 
 heavy ordnance still to be seen, half buried in the sand, upon 
 the Downs and the oi)[)osite island, called "Isle o' Uoys" (Me 
 aux jDoi's), show that he had made am})le preparations to 
 repel their attacks. Tlu^ fact is that a scries of un[)roi)itiou.s 
 circumstances culminated in causing the failure of the 
 colony. That winter ]iai)pened to be a most unusually 
 severe one. Sickness broke out among the colonists, and 
 Lady P)altimoro soon found that the trials and privations of 
 colonial life were more tlian she I'oidd bear. She remained 
 but one winter in Newfoundland, and left some time in the 
 spring of l()2i), conducted by her son, Cecil, for \irgii:ia. 
 No doubt the dei)arture of this lady tended much to render 
 Lord IJaltimore discontent with his new colony ; so, wearied 
 out at length by so many trials, he wrote to the King on the 
 19th August, 1()21>, asking for a grant of land in Virginia. 
 In this letter he explains some of his motives for leaving 
 
114 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHV 
 
 il 
 
 ; i 
 
 Forryliiiul. "I Imvc," he writes, ''met with <;i'avo (lifficultioE 
 and cnc'uinhraiK'os hei"o, wiiicii in this plnco are no h)ngor to l)e 
 resisted, hut enfoire inc to presently quit my residence, and 
 to shift to some other warmer climate of this New World, 
 where the winters be shorter and less rijiorous. 
 
 " For here your ^Majesty may please to understand that I 
 have found hy too dear bouu'ht experience, which other men 
 for their private interests always concealed from me : that 
 from the middlest of Octolu'r to the niiddlest of May there 
 is a sad far<' of winter upon all this land both sea and land 
 so frozen, for the <;reater part of th(^ time, as they are not 
 l)enetral)le, no i)lant or ve<;etal)le thinu' ajjpearinijf out of the 
 earth until about the l)ei>innin<jf of May, nor lish in the sea, 
 besides the air is so intolemble cold as it is hardly to bo 
 endured, by means whereof, {vnd of nmch salt meet my house 
 hath l)een an hosi)ital all this winter ; of one hundred j)ersons 
 fifty sick, myself beinj^ one, and nine or ten of them died. 
 
 "Hereu])on I had stroiiu" temptations to leave all i)roceed- 
 ings in plantations, and beiiii:' nuich decayed in my strength 
 to retire myself to my former (juiet, but my inclination 
 carr3'in<i me naturally to these kind of works ; and not know- 
 ing how blotter to employ the ])()or remainder of my days, 
 than Avitli other good subjects to further, the best I may, the 
 enlarging of Your Majesty's domain, N'irginia Mhere, if Your 
 Majesty \\,ll jilease to grant me a })recinct of land, Avitli 
 such pi'ivileges as tlie King your father was j)leased to grant 
 me here J shall endeavor to tlu; utmost to deserve it." 
 (Richardson, from Neil's "Founders of ^laryland."') 
 
 The King, though urging him to return to England, yet 
 granted his request. He left Newfoundland for good 
 about the month of September, 102!), a little over two years 
 from the date of his tirst arrival, in July, 1(527. "Thus," 
 says Dr. Mullock (p. 1;")), "Newfoundland sustained an 
 irreparable loss, which retarded her progress for two cen- 
 turies." It w'ould, i)erhaps, have fared better for him, and 
 for Lady Baltimore, too, had they remained on the shores 
 of Newfoundland, which, if bleak, were at least free from 
 
 ¥ 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 llf) 
 
 persecution. No sooiu^r did lie arrive at Virfrini.'i than Gov- 
 ernor Pott, of »Ianiesto\vn, tendered liini llie Oalli of Ali(v 
 gianee, or rather Supreniaev, an oath whieli, we have already 
 seen, he refused in conscienee to take previously in Kni^hmd. 
 This deviee Avas resorted to desiiriiedly l)y liis euenii(>s in 
 order to exclude him from tiiat country, and to alford 
 the pretext of aecusinix him of dish)yalty. II(^ of course 
 refused to lake the oatli in the form in whicli it nas pre- 
 sented, and was compelled to return to England, lea\ in^ liis 
 wife and family and valuable i)late and })roi)erly behind him. 
 In the followiuL!: year, KJ.'JO, he sent out a vessel to brini"; 
 them home, but the unfortunate lady was lost at sea. In the 
 year K!;)! Lord Baltimore renewed his api)licati()n for a 
 patent in A'irginia : and, notwithstanding the strong oi)posi- 
 lion and misrepresentations of his enemies, the grant was 
 made to him by the King, whose favor he retained all 
 through. The charter was drawn up by Lord IJaltimoro 
 himself, and was mainly mod(dled on the Avaloii patent. 
 JJeforc it had i)asse<l the seals he died, April !>, l()o2, in the 
 tiftv-third year of his affo, and the charter was issued in 
 Juno to his son. AVe have already seen how Lord Balti- 
 more, on receiving his patent, immediately api)lied to Father 
 Blount, })rovincial of the Jesuits, for some of the fathers of 
 the Society to accompany his colony. At that time Father 
 More, who afterwards became i)rovincial (in 1(140), and 
 defended Lord lialtimoi ; m a letter to the Cardinal Prefect 
 of Propaganda, was in high authority and esteem in the 
 Society. He was great-grandson of the blessed Sir Thomas 
 More, the celel)rated chancellor, who sudered death for his 
 faith under Henry Wll. Now, it is most pr()l)able that this 
 Father ^Nlore assisted Lord P>altimore in the drawing up of 
 the niagniticent and noble constitution of the new^ colony 
 of Maryland, and that they modelled it as near as i)ossiblo 
 upon that most perfect of commonwealths imagiue(L or per- 
 haps foreseen, by Sir Tho'i.is iMo.'e, and described by him 
 under the name of Utopuv. Major-General Johnston, a 
 Protestant writer, in his "Foundation of Maryland" says: 
 
 
116 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 f ;; 
 
 "Tlio rcliirioiis inslitiilions of tlio ideal state, Eiilopia, Avcrc 
 exactly siicli MS Baltimore founded in Alary land." And a 
 t'oniparison of tiie two docunients sliows a most stiiisinir and 
 instriielive resemhlanee. 
 
 To return to Ferrylaud. In order to account for the 
 appearance of tiu^ French tieet in a hostile' attitude; in the 
 waters of Newfoundland, as well as for the sul)se(pient his- 
 tory of this ill-tated colony, it will ho lu^cessary to take; a 
 ji'ctrospcH'tiv e <xlanc(^ at the conteiiipoi'ary history of the 
 iiciiihliorini:" colonies. It is dilllcult, indeed, to uinvivcd the 
 contused weh of contradictory events and conllictiuLT accounts 
 ■which present themselves to the student of this portion of 
 colonial history. The cool and niai^naniinous nonchalance 
 with which the povcreigns of Europe f>avo out va>t and un- 
 limited ii'i'anls of unknown territories in the New World could 
 not but 1)1' i)roductive of strife and contention, a relic of which 
 prevail-^ even to the present day on what is cidled tin; " French 
 Shore" of Xcwfoundland. Iviu'hts mutually incomi)atiI)lo 
 Averc serenely conceded by their majesties, 15ritaimic and 
 Alost Christian, at the Treaty of Utrecht, which have been an 
 endless source of bickerinir' .'nid discontent between tlu; tish- 
 ennen of Fiance and the inhabitants of the Island of New- 
 foundland, and a heavy clog u\H)n the i)ro<rress of the colony. 
 
 Since the foundation of (^lu-'bec, by Champlain, in 1(!()<S, 
 France had retained possession of all Canada and Acadia, 
 luulerthc title of " Xouvelle France"; but, in KLM, Sir W'ill- 
 iam Alexander obtained a uraiit of a portion of Acadia, which 
 he called '' Nova Scotia." Nothing was dom; in the way 
 of colonization at the time, as the French were in I'ull pos- 
 session, and a ])arty of.eniigrants sent out returned again to 
 P>ngland. King .lames I. died in 1(!2'), and Sir W . Alex- 
 ander had the gi'ant conHnued by Charles I., -July 12, 1()27. 
 At that time France presented a pitiful asjjcct. Intestine 
 war between \\w. Catholics and Huguenots ])revailed ; and 
 the Duke of lUickingham (^'illiers) unwai'rantal)]y drew Eng- 
 land into the contest by ollering himself, with an English 
 fleet, for the relief of the Protestant stronghold of La Kochellc. 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 117 
 
 V' 
 
 
 This ill-iii!inii<r('(l !illcmi»l was an iLTiuniiiiiioiis failinv. From 
 this time we hchoid (ho coiitciiiplililc spcclaclc^ of incii who, 
 haviiijjc (irst rcnomiccd their national I'ailh, coinplctcd their 
 (h';j:ra(l!ilion by renoiincinii^ their national aIl(\u:ianeo and 
 llirhtint' under a loreiiin banner airainst their own country- 
 men. Such were Claude de la Tour, ulhix ("laude <lo St. 
 Ktiemie. David Kii»ke, and ('a[)tain Mitelud. Speakiiii^ of 
 the i'oriner, de la Tour, Henry Kirke, M.A., eti\, in \\\a 
 work on tlie "(\>n(iuest of Canada," says (pairo i")!!) h(> was 
 "a French adventurer, (Mpially devoid of reliuion and honesty ; 
 a lluiruenol and a Protestant under the British monarch; a 
 Catholic under liOUis XI\'. At all times an active, enter- 
 prising', treacherous, and unscrupulous man, who made 
 reli<iion a stalkinjx-liorse to "ain the oldect of his ambition." 
 "This(>nter])risin<,^ man" (says (Jarneau, ''History of Canada,"' 
 Chap. HI.,]), lot)), "a French Protestant, who had lately 
 taken service in tlu^ Kniilish navy, had been taken jjrisoncr 
 and cai'ricd to Ijoiidou, where he was well received 
 at court. . . . He married one of the maids of honor, 
 and was created a Ijaronet of Nova Scotia. . . . Tho 
 unirrateful duty devohcd upon him of attcmptiuLi: to bring 
 his own son under submission; the latter, true to his coun- 
 try's cause, being in eonunaud of a French fort at Ca[)e 
 Sable." Now, it may not Ix^ very pleasant for Mr. II(Muy 
 Kirke to hear his ancestor. Sir David, in whom he takes such 
 a pride, spoken of in imfavorable terms ; yet h(>, is treated by 
 French historians pi'ctty nmcli in the same tri'uehant styh^ 
 as Mr. Kii'ke himself deals with the i^enepuU; de la Tour. 
 David (afterwards Sir David) Kirk(^ was "a mastei- mariner 
 of Die[)i)e," that is to say, a Frciuhman i»y l)irth. His father, 
 indeed, was an Knglishman, (icu'vase Kirke, a Ivondou mer- 
 chant, who, in order to increase the wealth and mercantile 
 inlliu'ucc of his family, married Flizabeth, daughter of M. 
 (ioudon, of l)iei)i)e. David, the eldest son, Avas born in 
 1,")1I7. In 1()27, David being then about thirty years of 
 age, a company was formed in London by Sir AVilliam 
 Alexander, on the renewal of his grant by King Charles. 
 
118 
 
 ECCLi:SIASTICAL IlISTOUY 
 
 • 1 
 
 Cipvvnso Kirko was ji nuMuhcr of lliis roinpjiiiy. A sniiill 
 lU'i't of llirco ships was llUcd out and placi'd uiid'-r tlio 
 comtnaiid of David Kirkc. " Tlicy had obtained hitters of 
 inar<ini' iVoni tlic Kiiii; under tlu* hroad seal, jiiving Ihcni 
 authority to capture and (U'stroy any French ships they niiiiht 
 encounter'' (Kirke, p. (il). TIk^ loMowini^ is tlio man- 
 ner in uhicli French authors speak of t.liis e.\i)edilion : L. 
 Ahi)e IJrasscur iW. liourhourij: ("Ilistoin; du CaiKida," C'liap. 
 II., ]). 3.")) says: "Sjp David Kirck, a Frenclunan, native 
 ()t' Dieppe, but a llujxuonot, wiio iiad passed over to the 
 Fnu'lish, whose treason was rewarded by tith's and honors, 
 received a special connnission for Canada." M. FiM'land 
 ("Corns d'llistoire du (\'inada," Chap. VII.) says: "Some 
 Frenchmen, Iluiiucnots, undertook to destroy tiie French 
 establishments in Canada. Da\ id Kerik, born at Dieppe, 
 had passed over, with his ])rothers Louis and Thomas, into 
 the Enirlish service, as did in those days many other Cal- 
 vinists who preferred Enirland to their own country. The 
 three brothers had contract (mI a taste for danirerous enter- 
 prises, and were reputed as very good navigators l)y the 
 Dieppians, at that time tlie most skilful and hardy sailors 
 of France. Thanks to their talents and energy the Kertks 
 advanced rapidly in England. The head of the family. Sir 
 David Kertk, with the assistance of his brothers and some 
 wealthy relations in England, fitted out, at great expense, 
 several shi[)s. Having received a connnission from the King 
 of England he sent . . . three ships ... to drive 
 the French out of Quebec." 
 
 Kirkc exercised his privileges to the fullest extent. He 
 captured and plundered French vessels wherever he met 
 them. He waylaid a convoy of twenty ships at Gaspe laden 
 with provisions and general supplies for Quebec, under Rocpie- 
 mont, and returned to England with the prizes. Tlic cajjt- 
 ure of this fleet reduced Champlain and his people in Que])ec 
 to the verge of starvation, so that they were obliged to sub- 
 sist on roots and herbs. The Kirkes were declared in France 
 traitors and public enemies, and burnt in efligy in Paris. 
 
 II' 
 
 m 
 
 ■ i" 
 
OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 119 
 
 (Henry Kirkc, )). <»<•.) In tlio H[)rin<; of l(i21) a more 
 powt'i'l'iil iuiiiaiiu'iit of five Klilps niul lliivo j)iiinnc'cs, well 
 armed iind iiiamied, wa.s tilted out hy tlie London Coinpimy 
 and placed in eliarue of tlu; Kirkes, David, Louis, and 'i'lioini»><. 
 They ean led all before tlieni. (^nehi'e, n'dueed to tln^ utmost 
 extremity hy the want of every article of food, elothinij, im- 
 plements, and ammunition, fell an easy victim, and capitulated 
 on the IMh of August, l(i29. Kirke returned homo flushed 
 \vith tiiumj)!!, and laden with booty, peltry, etc. lint what 
 was his consternation to find that peace had bei^n proclaimed 
 between France; and ICnixland on the 24th of April pi'evious, 
 just one month alti-r he had sailed from Gravt'send (2oth 
 March), and that the Lnjilish king had pledged his word 
 that all forts captured by tho English after that dato should 
 be restored, as w(dl as all furs and other merchandise brought 
 by the Kirkes from Canada. In vain Kirke pi^titioncd, 
 showed how \u' had su|)plied ])rovisions, etc., to tho French 
 at Quebec. He was summoni-d before tho Mayor, ordered 
 to deliver up the ki-y of the warehouse where the goods were 
 kept ; and all their j)roperty was taken. However, a com- 
 mission was formed to estimate the losses of tho Company, 
 and an award adjudged, to be paid by the French govc^rn- 
 menl, of £2(),i)()(). Finally, the French govermnent reinidi- 
 ated th(! claim, and the money was never paid. (Henry 
 Kirke, p. «!>. ) 
 
 I have gone into this digression in order that my readers 
 may have a complete ac(iuaintance with the character and 
 antecedents of the man into whose hands the abandoned col- 
 ony of Lord Baltimore afterwards fell. That ho was a skil- 
 ful mariner and a bold and brave coimnander cannot be 
 demied ; but, looked upon from a higher stand-point, it is evi- 
 dent that, for l)readlh of view, for nobleness of concej)lion, 
 for statesman-like al)ilily, for philanthi'()i)ic sentiments, and 
 all that goes to make up the character of a "great" man, Sir 
 David Kirke cannot at all compare with Lord Baltimore. At 
 the same tinu; it nuist be admitted that his rough, seaman-likc} 
 training, his indomitable courage and practical turn of mind, 
 
120 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOKV 
 
 n t 
 
 !i: 
 
 J' '! 
 
 II ^ 
 
 niadc liiiu a lillcr inaii for the foiindiiiir of a colony in a '.viltl, 
 uvAY count rv, — a work for which Lord JJahiniorc's court train- 
 ing and rather Utopian ideas loagroat extent untitled him. 
 
 Henry Kirke, so often quoted, and from whom I shall l)e 
 oldiged, maip.ly, to draw for the remaining portion of the his- 
 tory of Feiryland, and whose work, "The ('oii(|uest of Can- 
 ada," may he considered as a panegyric of his illustrious 
 ancetor, says, at page 1(!"), "Sir David had an ecpial dis- 
 like to hoth Catholics and Puritans." \o\v, from what we 
 have seen of Baltimore's character, it is plain tiiat he rose 
 ahove such feelings altogether. 
 
 Sir David Kirke, liaving found all etlorts iinavailal)le to 
 ohtain the money stipulad'd for him, and which no douht was 
 his due, asked })ermission of the King to take u\) the colony 
 deserted by Lord lialtimore in 1(]29, nearly eight years pre- 
 viously. 
 
 On the loth of November, 1()37, Kirke receiv«'d a jiatent 
 of "all that whole Continent Island or n^gion, commoidy 
 calliMl or known 1)V the nam(^ of New found Lande bordering 
 upon the Conlinente of America." Kirke came oui ' ■< 
 Ferryland with one hundred uhmi in the s|)ring of 1(!.")<S. lie 
 foruji'd a company to carry on \hc trade, giving a new im- 
 petus to the colony. " Ib^ was accompanied by a faithtid 
 and devoted wife. Children had been born to him, and his 
 house at Ferryland was tilled with stalwart sons and fair 
 (laughters." (Kirke, p. IS,").) lie was not dismayed by 
 the ditlit'ulties which had driven away Lord IJallimore. lie 
 wrote a highly intere>tmg account of the country. He pro- 
 nounces the c'limate healthy, though rather severe. " lie 
 was," says Henry Kirke, "a good Churchncni and an ad- 
 mirer of .\.rchI)ishop Laud, with whom he kept up a regular 
 correspondent-e.*' He acknowledged tlu^ great source of 
 wealth in Newfoundland to consist m her tisheries, iuid stroxe 
 to develop them, lie eiu'ouraged all lishermen iVeiiuenling 
 the coast, erecting sheds, etc., f)r them. This ai'oused the 
 jealousy of the I'ritish lishernr'n, whose policy from the be- 
 o'iimino' was {o prevent all i)ermanent settlement in the conn- 
 
 1 
 
 
OF NKWFOUXDLANI). 
 
 121 
 
 1 
 
 try. A jiotition was sent to tlio Privy Council auaiust liiin iti 
 1(540. IIo \v:is ju'cuscd of seizing their i)roi)erty and .scllini;- 
 or disposing of it to aliens ; setting up taverns " wlierehy the 
 lisherinen waste their estates and grow disorderly." lie writes 
 iVoni "Flerelaiid l:.Mh of Septenilx'r I'llO" to the l*rivy Conn- 
 ed })r()testing before (rod "that all that they have alledged 
 ag' me is most false."' "Many of tlu^ Fislicrnien them- 
 selves," he says, "n[)on what grounds I know not, have this 
 3'eare drivine tiieir stages and Cooke-roonies in, so mut-li 
 that y'' most sevill and widest humi amongst them did tiiem- 
 selves coniijlaine to me of these outrages. ... 1 con- 
 fesse he tliat would interrupt tin; ilishmge of Newfoundland 
 whieh is (Uie ol the most eonsiderahh^ business llortlie King- 
 doms of Ills Ma'" and Ix-nelit of his siiljjeets and navigation, 
 is worthy the niune of traitour. the least thought and imagi- 
 nation wher(>of J do ahhorre." 
 
 A\'e now enter upon the memorahle piM'iod of the ten years' 
 eivil war in England, l)i'tw(>en the King and the Covenantcu's, 
 the loyalists and IJonndheads, wiiieh cuhninaled in the cap- 
 ture and execution of liie niiforlunate monarch, Charles I., 
 on the iSOlh of January, IdlH. l)iniiig tliese inlerneeino 
 strugu'les the hrothcrs Kirke remained loyal to the King, 
 and Louis distinguished himself al the siege of (ilouceste- 
 and the battle of Xewl)ury, and was knighted by the King 
 at Oxford, Kil^. 
 
 ''Sir David r<'mained in undisturbed ])ossessioii of X(>w- 
 foundlaiid, and kept the Royal Stan. lard contimially hoisted 
 in front of his house and fort at Eeiryland '" (p. 171 ). lie 
 even oU'ered the King an asylum there when fjigland became 
 unsafe for His Majesty, lie proeured. by oifeis ot' high pay, 
 I'onr hundred seamen to man his >hips. which he armed with 
 heavy gims. to maintain his position. On the death of the 
 King and the triumph of the ( 'romwellians he still deter- 
 mined to hold out, and wrote to I'rince Kiqiert. who was 
 cruising in the Knglish channel with u licet, to make sail for 
 Xewl'oundland ; but , die rumor of his intention having been 
 brought to London, a lleet, under iSir George Aysoue, was 
 
II ( 
 
 r > 
 
 If 
 
 122 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 sent iiiiiiiiist him, ami he clmniicd his courses for narhadoos. 
 After the coiKjucst by the insurgents, the victors, as is to he 
 supposed, set to work to divide the spoils. All who had 
 es').;used the cau^e of the Kinir Avere (h-ehired rel)els to the 
 C/Onnnon\veaUh, and delincpienls, and their property seques- 
 trated. The Kirkes, Avho were known to 1)0 zealous loyal- 
 ists, did not, of eoiu'se, escape- ; yet th<! i)osition of Sir David 
 was soniething exce})ti()nal, and not an ordinai'y one. lie had 
 not actually l)t)rno anus in the Koyal cause. l>y his grant 
 he exercisinl palatinate jurisdiction in Newfoundland of the 
 liighest sort. The Government, tlietefore, fell hack on the 
 charges which had been made against him before the Avar 
 broke out; and, conse(|uently, on tin; <Sth of April, K!")!, a 
 Avarrant was issued agiiinst him, and Thomas Thoroughgood 
 Avas ordered to sail in the ''Crescent" to Newfoundland and 
 bring Kirke to England to answer tlu; charges. An oi'der 
 Avas issued at the same time to fb)hn Trcworgie and ^\'idter 
 Sykes to proceed in the "Crescent"' and se'jucstrate all ord- 
 nance, houses, boats, etc., belonging to Kirke ; and to collect 
 taxes from the fishermen. 
 
 They arrived in England in Septcnil»ci', If!.")! ; but the 
 cause was delayed from time >o time, and was not heard 
 till the 11th of flune, 1(')")2, when the connuiUee decided 
 that "Sir David Kirke had no authority in Newfoundland un- 
 der the grant of Charles Stuai't ; that all forts, houses, stages, 
 and otlu'r appurtenances relating to the lidiing trade; and 
 established on tlu; I>land . . . should l»e forfeited to 
 the (ioveriMuent ; . . . tliat he is at liberty to send 
 over his wife and servants to take care of his estate ; '" at the 
 same time instructions were given to AValter S\kes and 
 otliers "to repair thiliur innne(liately and take possession of 
 ordnance, etc.. to collect imi)ositions, until Parliament declare 
 their further pleasure." Permission was granted to Kirke to 
 go out to Newfoundland provided he would i>ive security to 
 return when re(|uire(l, and to pay such sums as should a|)pear 
 dnt' from him to the Connnonweailh. He eamo out to New- 
 foundland in 1(!.")2, and returned to Kniiland in ll!,").'?. IIi- 
 
 i 
 
 t 
 
 III 
 
I 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 123 
 
 was ordcrod to ai)p(':u' before tlic Council (»ii the 1st of 
 Ai)ril of that year. There is no douht but he was harassed 
 in a very unuenerous manner durin«^ this time. He made Ji 
 friend of Col. Clayi)ole, CromweH's son-in-law, and the 
 matter was finally settled by his ()btainin«r the removal of the 
 senteiu'(! of se(]ue^tration of all the j)roj)crty with the excep- 
 tion of the ordnance and forts ; and he was allowed to re- 
 turn to Xewfoundland upon entering into a bond of double 
 the value of his estate to answer anv chariics which mi<jht he 
 brought against him. lie arrived in the autuum of 1(;,')3. 
 "And," writes his descendant, Henry KirUe, in the book from 
 whii'h we have condensed all the foregoing partii'ulars, "at 
 this time his troubles seemed to be over, and he might with 
 reason look forward to a life of ha[)piness and usefidness iu 
 the wild but interesting country in which he had estal)lished 
 himself. . . . l)Ut all these hopes and expectations were 
 blighted by his <lcatli, which took plac(! in the winter of 
 1 (!,")'>-(!. in the lifty-sixth year of his age." In his death the 
 pi'ospects of Newfoundland received another irreparable 
 blow ; lor, though he appears to havi; been not so lenient in 
 religious matters as Lord IJaltimore, and to have completely 
 (^radicate<l tiic foundations of Catholicism planted by Calvert, 
 yet it cannot be denied that he was a man of great energy 
 and perseverance, and one who would have done nmcli for 
 the material advancement of the country had I'nn ideui-e so 
 willed it. We have no reluctance in indorsing every word 
 of tlic encomium i)Mssed on him by Heury Kirke (pp. 
 LSI-.")) : — 
 
 "III' was of a robust constitution; liul tronlile and anxiety 
 and the exp(»sure for many years to tlu' rigor of an exli'emcly 
 cold climate must lia\e made him prematiu-ely old, and laid 
 the seetU of the disease which e\cnlually carried liimoirat 
 a comparatively early age. . . . If we may judge by his 
 actions, he was cci'lainly an extraoi'dinary i)erson. He was 
 essentially a piactical man. 1 1 is theories were nevei'slultilied 
 by his actions. His success in most cases, c(!rtainly in those 
 
Wi 
 
 124 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOUY 
 
 which depended on his own oxerlions, far exceeded liis ex- 
 pectations. But throuuhout his life he was most unfortunate 
 in all his undertakinus. Never were the achieven)ents of an 
 Euiilish officer more unretpiited. Tin; capture of Canada and 
 Nova Scotia, the destruction of a French licet of ciiihteen 
 sail, and the expenditure of £10, 000, was ill-rewarded l»y an 
 honorary addition to his arms. But, instead of heiuir dis- 
 couraged by his ill-success, he was only spurred on to new 
 exertions. He was the oidy man of his time Avho fully 
 appreciated the value of the Newfoundland tisheries : and, 
 undeterred by the failure which attend(Ml Lord r>altiiu()re. 
 Lord V'auiihan, and others, who had attempted to coloni/e 
 Xewfoundland, he determined to risk his life and estate in 
 a similar attempt." 
 
 sii.vi'it sNTi r -si'ocvx rNKAiMiii'.n \t ii'.I!i:vi.ani). 
 
 :.. 1 
 
 His threes sons, Gec"u-e, David, and Philip were with him 
 in Newfoundland at the time of his death. 'I'licy proI)al)ly 
 remained there until tl;e time of the liestoration (HillO). 
 He was buried at Ferryhuid, but no vestige of his resl- 
 ing-l)lace can now be found. The oldest tombstones in 
 the <>ravevards do not reach bevond 1770. Jt is most 
 likely that he was buried on the peninsula, and that the 
 gnive has since disappeared. riifortunately, the nature ot' 
 the ground is a loose gravel, and it is constantly falling away 
 year after year, so that very little now reniiiins of the orig- 
 inal establishment. The foundations of Lord IJaltiinorc's 
 house are, however, still (luite recognizable. In the yt'ar 
 1880 some excavations were made and a few relics unearthed ; 
 among the rest a silver snuH'-spoon. It beai's the letters 
 (i. K. pricked upon it, — evidently the initials of (ieorge 
 Kirke. It is now in possesslor. of Mr. Carter, revenue 
 officer atFerrvland. I havc^ been permitted to copy it, and 
 give here an engravimr, full si/e. 
 
i 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 125 
 
 These smin'-sj^yins, now out of fasliion, excoj)! in some p.'irts 
 of the Ilii;hl:iii(ld of ScoUiuicl, were imicli in voifue after the 
 introduction of sniiif iiiid tobacco from \'iri>inia. Tliey were 
 used in connection with tlie lar<>e pouch, or smiir-liorn, called 
 in Scotland '^ llie i^plenchdii." Sir Walter Scott alludes to 
 it in "(iuy ]\raiiiu'rinii" (Chap. L.), where Dundy Dinmont 
 oH'crs the "siller in tlu; splcuchan."' 
 
 Kirke's family remained, as stated, in Newfoundland until 
 the ]{estoration (KlliO). Upon the Kcstorution jieir uncio 
 Louis put in a petition in their favor to Charles IT. ; hut 
 Cecil, Lord Baltimore, then governor of the ]Marvland 
 colony, also laid claim to Xewlbundland under the i>rant 
 U'iven to his father hy .lames L Henry Kirke st ronuly main- 
 tains that the lialtimores had totally ahandoncnl tliii colony 
 of XewfoiuxUand, ''having' left the plantation in no sort 
 provided for."' The urant was liiven to Sir David Kirko in 
 l()iJ7, and no complaint or remonstrance was made at the 
 time hy the JJaltimores. In the urant to Sir David it is 
 especially stated : — 
 
 " liut the sayd Lord lialtimore desiM'tinii" the say»l Plan- 
 tation in his life tynie. and h-avin^c the same in noe sorte 
 provided for, accordinu'c to the sayd undertakinu'e, and yet 
 leavinu.\' divers of our [)oore suhji'cts in the sayde ])rovince 
 iivin^ic without ( iovernnu'Ut, the sayd Lord lialtimore shortly 
 aftei' dyed, and Cecile his somie and heire apparent hath 
 alsoe deserted the >ay(l pr(>vinc(> and plantation : and also 
 Sir Francis Uacon Kniiihie deceased, afterwards Lord 
 Alhans, and laic Loi<l Chaunccllor of Enuland our citye of 
 London, and divi'rs othci's to whom sexcrall liraunts of 
 divers ])arcells of Newfoundlande aforesayd wei'e alsoe hy 
 severall letters ])atent formerly uraunted ha\(' alsoe deserted 
 the jjrovince and i)lautation." 
 
 It must, howevei-, l)e remcMuhered that the Baltimonvs left 
 a ii'ovcrnor in l-'crrvland, and that, after Lord (ieorji'c's death, 
 Cecil appointed ^^'illiam Hill iroNcrnor. " liut, "says Ivichard- 
 
126 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 son, "in l(i37, while FiM_i>:Ian(l was on the brink of a civil 
 Avar, Sir David Kirl<e surreptitiously obtained a pattMit, and 
 the next yoar went over and took possession of the Island. 
 Lord ]}aUiniore waited patiently until after the restoration of 
 the Stuarts, in l(!<i(), and then reeovered from Sir David's 
 heirs tlu^ houses and lands w hieh had helonired to his father."' 
 Whatever may h;^ the ri,i;hts of this eontroversy, eertain it is 
 that King Charles II. issued a warrant to Sir Louis Kirke, 
 Elizabeth, widow of Sir David, and his sons, Philip, Georij:e, 
 
 proi)erty 
 
 d David, to deli 
 
 )f all th 
 
 up i)ossessi() 
 
 in Newfoundland, as it helonii'ed to Lord Baltimore by 
 tlie grant of James L to his father (Henry Kirke, p. 
 18!)). 
 
 From this period till about thirty-six years subsequently 
 (ItJ'JC)), when Ferryland was taken by the Freneh (which 
 shall be deserilted by and by), we have but veiy meagre 
 accounts of the history of Newfoundland. There is an 
 account of Lord Falkland, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, hav- 
 in<j: at this tinu; si-nt out a colony of Irish emiu'vants : but 
 the polii'y t)f non-coloni/ation on the part of the Uritish mer- 
 chants was all-powerful, and bore down all before it. To this 
 fatal cause, |)rimarily, we owe the backward stat(> of New- 
 foundland, and the failure of so many attem[)ts to colonize 
 her shores. This policy of repression and discouragement 
 began in 1()S;», its source i)eing the notorious Star Chamber 
 (Harvey, p. 30). The English lishermen believed that it 
 "would be ruinous to their business if the Ishmd became settled 
 Avith a tixed and re^ident i)o[)uIati()n ; hence s(>vere and slrin- 
 irent laws were enacted to prevent sui-h a catastrophe. Ship- 
 pers were bound under hea\y [x-nallies to bring back in the 
 fall all the hands whom they employed during the snnuner. 
 "No master or owni'r of any shii) slioidd transport any per- 
 sons to Newfoundland who were not of the slii[)"s com[)any, 
 or such as were to plant or settle there " (Knactment of 
 IC' ). A little later (KllKi), at the instanciM)f most urgent 
 petitions, " some settlers were allowed to remain during wintcir 
 for the preservation of boats, . . . and the preparation 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 12; 
 
 of stages for the fishery; but lliey should not exceed one 
 f//ouscni(V' (ILirvov, p. ;>1). 
 
 A certain governor ofliie TsImiuI, Lieuteuiint Klf'ord, some 
 years later, endeavoi'cd to earry out the i)rinei|)les of St. 
 Senanus l)y ])revenling (ni>/ iromen. front heliKj landed on, the 
 Island. His motives, however, were not exactly tiie same 
 as those which actuated the saintly ascetic of Scattery 
 Island. ICvery means svrs adopted to prevent the coloniza- 
 tion of the count rv, and to preserve the monoi)oly of these 
 AVest-country lishing-masters. They represented the country 
 as a barren, uninhal)itahle rock ; the climate, as an alternation 
 of fogs, storms, and intense, unbearable frosts. Th(* country 
 was declared to be only useful as a mirsery for sailors for 
 the British navy, and to be, as it were, a gigantic training- 
 shi[). It is easy to imagine that this baneful inlluence clung 
 like a leaden clou' around the neck of the vounu: colonv, 
 stranglingall its rising asi)irations, and giving it a downward 
 tendency which it has scarcely been al)l(^ to shake olf up to 
 this day, after nearly two centuries and a half. Nevertheless, 
 ill si)ite of all this opposition, the colony made certain ste|)s 
 in advancement. In the year lO/iO there were mor(> than 
 three hundred and lifty families permanently settled on the 
 coast in dillerent places. About this time the French began 
 to settle on the shores of the irreat southei'u bay of the 
 Island, to which, from the name of their capital, they gave 
 the name of " Bale de Plaisanee," hispaniolized afterwards 
 into "Plaeentia," the history of which we shall truce in the 
 following chapter. 
 
128 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 CIIAPTEU IX. 
 
 AITSSrOXARIES IN (VNADA. - [1G10-1G70.] 
 
 
 Plarrritiii — Drsc'i'iption of ."^oUhMiU'iit liy Dr. Mullock — FouiuUmI liy tlio Froiicli loii^' 
 Ix'l'oro l()(iO — Doi'iiineiil fSijiiii'd liy Luiiis \1\', — .Moiis('i;;iK'iii' do I^iiviil, First 
 I{i>*Iiop oC (Quebec — Mm', lie .St. N'alicr, Sccoinl Hisliop — Uclciicu of the Jt'siiits — 
 Sellloiui'iit of Poll, Royal, 1G11-1."» — Ai'fivalof the Fiaiicispans at Qiichec, 1015 — 
 Missionary I^ahois of I'ri'c Ic Caion amoiij; the Iiulians — Iloiiii, Due de Levis, 
 liilrodiices the .lesiiits to Qiiehee, l(')2(i — .lesuits eeidially Received hy the I'laiieis- 
 Ciiiis — Ileiify Kirlvc's Staleiiiciil to the ( 'oiilrary Refuted — licli^jioiis Wilhdiawii 
 oil ('iiptiir. (if (^)iiehee hy Sir David Kiike, Ki'JD — lesuits Return after Treaty of 
 .St. (ieriuaiiie en I. aye, l().'i2 — Franciscans in l(i70. 
 
 A UOUT Ihc stiinc time lluit the Kiiiilisli sctllcniuMit on tli(^ 
 -^»- e:isl(«rn sIku-c oI' I lie JsImikI \v:is undci'tifoiii.U' tlic vicis- 
 .sitiulcs niciilioiu'd ill the lust chapter, and was hciii"^- claiiiicd 
 .'ind rcclaiiiUMl liy diHiTcnt masters, ;i larii'e and inipoi'ttuit set- 
 tleniont was heinu" founded hy the Fi'ciieh on the more west- 
 ern jiortion of Ili(> southern eoast. 
 
 It is impossihh^ to stiy extictly when the P^-eneh lirst orpiii- 
 ized this settlement, hut it was jirior to 1(1(10, ;is stated l)y 
 JMonseii,rneur Tiirireon. Arehhishop of (^iielxH'. in a letter to 
 Dr. Mullock, iN.'iS. ''Previous to ICiCO," writ(>s Dr. Mu\- 
 loi'k (MS., \):\<j[i' 1(>), ''th(! French tishermen who freijiiented 
 Xewfoundhuid hei^an to est.ahlish the town of PhiciMitia. 
 kSitUiited on a ma;j:iiilicent hay. IK) miles deep tind (!() wide ;it 
 tho mouth; studded with hundreds of islands tuid t(>einin<i- 
 with fish: eniovinix th(> adv:inlai;(> of a tine iiort etisilv forti- 
 tied, and ti lieach capable of dryinn' the li.>h of a thou.sand 
 ships : a climate excmiit from fog, while the rest of the bay 
 and the southern shore are i'retpiently enveloped in it ; beau- 
 tiful scenery, ami two arms of the seti which remind the 
 traveller of the sirrowv Phone, — it united in itself (^ver\thin<>: 
 ni'cessary for the cai)ital of !i tishing Island, and its natural 
 beauties, fine cliniiite, and picturestjue scenery justly entitled 
 

 OK NKWrOUNDLAXD. 
 
 129 
 
 i( to (lie iiiiiiic ^ivcii it hy the I-'rciicli, — I'l.-iisniu'c, or IMmccii- 
 tiii. The trrciit ruins ot" torts iiiicl ciistlcs, which still survive 
 tht! v/i('(k of time und the luon^ destruclive I'lipiicity of tlio 
 luodeni iuiiiihitaiits, who use the reniains of lh(^ buildings as 
 a (lUMiiy, prove how well the French, in tlu; palmy days of 
 the m()uar<hy, before the whoh^ nation was corrupted by tlio 
 example of the; IJep'nt of I^ouis XV., and by thi^ writi* 'iS of 
 the! InrKlels N'oltaire, liousseau, I'C- Co., appreciated this beau- 
 tiful possession. It is reinarUabl(! that many of tli(! old farms 
 and lishinu'-sites in the neiiihborhood are still ludd mider tho 
 old French titles, tlu! parchments bearinir the I)old siiinatiu'o 
 of Louis le (irand, and countersigned l)y his minister, Fhely- 
 peaux.^ 
 
 When the I'^rench lii'st took possession of ( 'anada, or Xew 
 France, as all thc^ northern j)ortion of the eontinenf and 
 islands was then called, tlu' liecnll <'(.•<, or Franciscans of tho 
 strict ()I)scr\ ance, accompanied them as chaplains and mis- 
 sioners to the abori<>-ines. Established since ir)()2 in tlu; 
 Spanish possessions, they commenced their labors in (anada 
 in 1(11'). On the 2.')lh .June of that year the tlrst ^Tass was 
 celebrated in (Quebec, and the same year a Franciscan convent 
 was estal)lislicd there, which llourished till the siu'rendi'r of 
 the city to the English (l(L'!t). 
 
 It nas not till thirteen years after tho foundation of this 
 convent — the mother of all the religious establishnumts in 
 North America — that any attcnnit at civilization was made 
 by the French in Canada, the riches of the forest ai)pearing to 
 them then the only valuable pi-oductions of the country ; l)ut 
 by degrees the country was ex[)l<)r(Ml, and its resoiu'ces were 
 better ai)])reciated. Among the tirst apostles of the land, 
 I'ere ("aron, in (Quebec, and Pere iruet. at Tadousac (Stig- 
 
 ' Til tlic Appondiv wc ^ivc a rerfxi/im it liti rutiin copy of oiiu of these ciirioiH and 
 iiitei'cstiiiy (lociiiiiiMit:?. It is ciifirossotl on parcliiiicnt, in a poniliar Iiaml, and aliounds 
 inditHcnll si^^rns and aliln'cviritions. It is in tlio possession of a family named (ireon, and 
 was in a very soiled and damaged state when I rescued it and hail it framed l)etwuen 
 two sheets of k1''^*> '» 1S78. I know not its fate since, but would I'eeommend that, if 
 existinj:, ami iiureha^alile, it should be secured liy our Ciovornnient or Historical 
 {society, for the Mtisenin. 
 
 I 
 
i 
 
 |l ' 
 
 130 
 
 KCCLESTASTICAI, IHSTOKV 
 
 iiciiMv), wluM'c he ct'lchrnlcd \\\e Hrst Mass, in 1 (!!'), dosorvo 
 pMrticiilMr mention. Tlu; Clmivh of (^inndM, or NCw France, 
 soon became (oo extensive, and it was too remote from the 
 mother-country to lie left witliout direct ej)isco[)al superin- 
 tendence. Up io this period the territory known as }\v\y 
 France was under the spirituid Jurisdiction of tlie Uishoj) of 
 Kouen, in Normandy, thounh the Jiishop of St. ^Nlalo also 
 claimed jurisdiction over it. 
 
 Qucibec, though founded in 1008, was stiM little more than 
 a fort, surrounded hy a few cabins and about twenty acres 
 of cidlivated land, when it was taken by the Fniilish in 1()20, 
 :ind the Franciscans wi>re s(>nt home to France. It wasnottill 
 1(>.'>2, on its rt'storation to the French crown, that its p()|)u- 
 lation bciiau to increase, and the spiritual jurisdiction was 
 separated from that of the motluM'-country. It was tirst con- 
 stituted into a \"icariato A|)o>tolie by Alexander VII., by a 
 brit'f e\})(Mlited the .5th July, 1(5.")7, and it was erected into a 
 dioccs(! in KIT! by Clement X. The tirst IVishop appointed to 
 govern these nortlu'rn regions was Francis de Laval de Mont- 
 morency. IIo was one of the high nobility of France, and at 
 the time of his apiiointment he was Archdeacon of Kvrcux 
 and chaplain to the King. He was consecrated Uishop of 
 Petrea in, jxiy/ifjiis on the 8th December, the feast of the 
 Innnaculaie Conception of the Blessed A'irgin, 1(!.')S, by the 
 Pope's nuncio, in the Church of St. (Jermain des ]*res, Paris, 
 and landed inCanada on the IGth of Miiy, 1(5')!), — the first 
 liishop of whom we have any authentic account who visited 
 these northern provinces. In 1()74 he was a[)pointed Titular 
 Bishop of the newly erected Se(> of (^uobec ; and lui conferrcMl 
 many and most important benetits on his See. He spent 
 ,")0,()00 of his own private fortune — an enormous sum in 
 those days — in the foimdation of the Grand Seminary of 
 Quebec, now the University Laval Montmorency. 
 
 Newfoundland was included in the lu^w diocese, wdiich 
 comprised all the French i)ossessions in Xortli America ; 
 indeed, the whole continent and islands to the north of the 
 Spanish possessions. This island, the remotest eastern por- 
 
 1 
 
 TS" 
 
OF XKWFOl'N'DLAN'l). 
 
 ir,i 
 
 «# 
 
 tion of llic <li()('oso, tlioMLrli Iho nearest to France, xm-y early 
 altraeted the attention of tlie liisliopand missionaries. In the 
 areliieijiscopal areliives of (^iiel)ec we have sonic i-nrions 
 (loenments reialivo to the early stat(^ of religion in New- 
 foundland, the visit of Monseiirneur de St. Vailier, and the 
 estal»li>lnneiit of Franciscan niissioiiiu'ics in the Inland. 
 
 The venerahh? liisiiop Laval, after an ei)iseoi)aey of 
 twenty-six years of tiie most n()I)Ie and apostolic labors, 
 amon<if which may ho counted tlu^ e\ an<r(di/.ation of the 
 Iro(|uois and several other Indian tril)cs; travc^llini; tlu'onijjh 
 forests on snow-slioes, earryinj; on his bade his ])ortal)lo 
 altar; the estabiislmuMit of an episcopal seminary (Idih)); 
 the consecration of the cathedral (!(!()()); the aI)olition of 
 the liipior trade ainon^" th(> Indians: the recall of the Fran- 
 ciscans, or Recollcts ( KJli'.t) after an altsence of n(>arly forty 
 years; llu^ establishment of the same in the missions of 
 'i'hrce Ikivcrs. Isle Perec, Kiver St.flolm, and Fronlenac; 
 the encouraii'cment of 11h> missions of the Jesuits, particu- 
 larly of the Avondrous voyai^c of Father iNIaninette down 
 the whole leniith of the Mississippi (IIho), which pave to 
 France the ])ossession of all wesfciai and interior America, 
 and Louisiana ; tli(> canonical erection of the dioeeso and 
 chai)ter of (^ucl)cc (1(!7()) ; the reconstruction of th(> ancient 
 eha})(d of J^a lionne Sfe. Anne dc licau I'rc, and the au- 
 thentic collection of the miracles of tiiat world-renowned 
 shrine, — after all these, and many otlu>r noI)l(! works, the 
 venerable IJishop, then past his si.\li(>th year, beiian to feel 
 his strenii'th failintr, and set out for I'^rance in It!''^!: for the 
 ])urpose of proeurinir a coadjutor and snccessoi'. His choice 
 fell upon th(\ .\bbi' Jean Uaplistc^ St. \'allier, a noble of 
 Dauphinc, cha[)lain to the Kinii', Louis XIV., u man of irreat 
 piety and rare u'ood example, and distin<>-uislied at court lor 
 lii.s modesty and reirularity of life. St. \'allier was sent out 
 at tirst to (Quebec as their Vicar-CTcneral in KiS"), Monseig- 
 neur de Laval remaining in Fi-ance, He (St. Vallier) 
 stayed two years in Can.ida, rc'gulating the affairs of the 
 diocese, und returned to France in 1GS7, where he wasiconse- 
 
132 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 1^ 
 
 Mil 
 
 ! 1 
 
 oriit<>(I ill llio Cluirch ;)f' St. Sulplco, P.-iris, on tlu> 2")lli of 
 .Tfimuiry, 1(>>»8. Ihi cami^ \n\vk to (\iu;i(1ji tin; .sinic year, 
 Moiisc'iiriH'ur (1(! Laval liavin<r <rono soino inoiillis licloro, 
 not witlislandiiiLr tlu; earnest and nrircnt jmrsuasions of his 
 Cricnds and relatives to remain at lionie. Liivt^ ap)od sliep- 
 lierd, \n\ ^\■islled to s})end his last tlays nnionsj his laithful 
 ilock, and lay down his life in the midst of them. lie died, 
 fidl of years and nuMils, and in the odor of sanctity, at tlio 
 seminary of the J(\suits, at (^uelu'c, in the year 1708.^ 
 
 Allnsion has heen made more than oiu'(> to the dismissid 
 of the Franeisean friars from (^iiehec on tlie eaptnre of llie 
 place I)}' the Knii'lish, and tlieir recall auain on its restoration 
 to the French crown. Althou^di these events caimot he said 
 to have actnidly a place in the iiislory of the Catholic iv\\<f- 
 ion of Newfonndland, yet I tliink it will not he considered 
 too <j:i'eat a diuression to liivc; here a brief acconnt of these 
 early missionaiy ell'orts. It will help the reader to form a 
 correct estimate of c()ntem|)()rary history, and to compi'e- 
 hend more clearly our own early ecclesiastical state. The 
 first French mission in Newfonndland, as already mentioned, 
 was founded by these Canatlian Franciscans, and there has 
 always existiMl a cordial feelinii' and a kind of spiritual allinity 
 between the Church of St. John's and {^uel)ec. From the 
 time of the discovery of the St. Lawrenci^ by Cartier ( 1 ');]")) 
 France claimed full dominion over Canada and all countries 
 north of 40^ of latitude. Several companies Avere formed, 
 and fortilied with am|)le i)atents from the Kinuf, irivinsjj 
 them the viuht of the fur trade with the Indians. In 
 1578 the Marqius de la Koclie received his patent ; in 
 ir)S8 two ne[)hew,s of Cartii'r. In 1(!()0 Le Sieur de Pont- 
 grave, a great navigator ami merchant of St. Malo, .villi 
 Captain- Chauvin, formed a company, and recei\-ed rights 
 and i)rivileges. After the death of Chauvin, Champlain 
 became captain of the Company. He made his first voyage 
 to Canada in 1(!0;}. After this the Company fell to the 
 
 ' The " iu'dccss" for the ciiiioiiization of tliis friv;it ami holy liishop hiis bucn 
 coiumciicL'il at Itoiuc, aiul id now nudcr iiivcstig;itioii by the S. Cony:i'cy:itiou. 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANIJ. 
 
 133 
 
 {^ 
 
 ('lmr«ro of ]a' Sicuf dc Mollis, ii Ciilvinlst, mikI a man of 
 •rrcat aliilily. In KiDCi Jaiiics I., of Kn;L''laii<l, lia<l liraiilcd to 
 IIk; \'ir<:iiiia ( "onipaiiv (lio coiinlry as far norlli as 4.')'^, thus 
 (Microacliinu' <>ii llu' Fi'ciicli claim, a soiirci^ of fiitiiiH! dilli- 
 cultit's and warfare; hctwccn the two nations. In 1()01: tin.' 
 colony of Port, Royal, now Annapolis, on tlu! Iiai(; Francai.so, 
 now J»ay of Fundy, was founded liy Dc; Monts, Cliamplain, 
 licscarhot, I'outrinconrt, and other distin;ij;uished French- 
 men, Catholics and Iluiruenots ; and we are also inforniccl that 
 they wero accomi)anie(l liy "cleriry of the lust character,'' 
 sent; l»y order of the Kiiiij:. (( Jarneaii, p. 74.) The Uaron 
 do Poutrincourt was i^overnor. The colony, harassed by 
 Dutch marauders and opposed ])y a cli(|no of merchants 
 of St. Malo, was abandoned after thrive years (1(107). Pou- 
 trincourt, however, had not triven u|) all hope of maintaininij 
 the colony. IIo determined to return, after securini; sub- 
 stantial aid and assistance!, and, in reality, succeeded in his 
 ellbrts after two years' ench'avors. Ilavinj^ concluded an 
 arrangement with some nu'rihants of l)iej)[)e, In; came out 
 au'ain to Port Royal in 1(110, briiiui'ini:' with him a body of 
 colonists, with skilled artisans. He l)roniiht also a secular 
 [)riest of tlu'- diocese of Lanj^fcs, Le Sieiu" Jessr Fh'clu', a 
 learned and virtuous man, who was sent out by order of 
 Robert Ubaldini, Papal Nuncio. 4'his was the first evan<»e- 
 list of New France, for we have no record of any woi-k done 
 by the fathers who came out with De ]\Ionts in l(i04. Pcre 
 Fleche was nnich lu'lovcd by the ^licmacs, a:.d Avas called 
 by the French Le I\i(n'(irc/te, — a word which the Indians 
 softened into Padliax, and by which name they designate 
 a priest at the i)resent day. 
 
 On the f(>ast of St. .lohn (June 24), KUO, Pero Fleche 
 had tl.e happiness of liaptizing tlie sagamo, or Chief of the 
 Indians, Mamliertou, with some twenty-three or twenty-four 
 of his triiie. Poutrinconit had refused to take out with him 
 to Port Royal the .Jesuit, fathers, oll'ered to him at the desir'^ 
 of the King. On this point Kirke (p. 4.')) sa3's : "Poutrin- 
 court, though a Roman Catholic, had a great aversion to the 
 
 1; 
 
 
 il 
 
I 
 
 134 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 Jesuits, . . . Mild Itciii;:- .'It It'iinlli forced to tiikc tliciii, 
 j)l;iiiily (old tliciu llicy must not iiicddli^ with tlic iiHiiirs of 
 the cohuiy."" Tlie fiict is, however, thus stilled hy (i;inie;iu 
 (|). 7S), !i very iuii)!irti:il wrilcu-: "His jiarluers wert! either 
 IIiil!-ueuots or men who h:id i)rejudiees iiiiMiiist the .Tesuits, 
 wlioiii lliey reii;ir(h'd as tiie nuthors of th(> League and the 
 inunK'r of Ili'iiry I\'.,nnd jn-eferred to retire from the Cana- 
 dian Association rather than to a(huit them into the cohuiy." 
 'J'hey (h'chired that they wouhl achiiit (he ( 'apiicins, ("orihdiers 
 (I'ord-liearers, a. reformed l»raiu'h of the ('apueins), the Kec- 
 oUets, or Franeiseans, hut not the Jesuits (l'\>rlan(l. p. SO). 
 "Iiiit," says Ii'Al)l)(' r»rasseur i\v I'oiirhonri;' (p. 2.')), "tiu? 
 fart is that th(^ Iluiiuenots, who had ohtained for ihemsehcs 
 lilierty of conseienee in tlie countries of New I-'rance, (houuht 
 to monopolize that lilierty for (heinselves, and (o exclude 
 C'atlioiicisiM ahoirether from a comUry where (lii-y were 
 admitted (o th(> profcs-ion of their reliLiion l»y urace or favor 
 of that liiierty which they attempted to dc|irive others of. 
 Sw(uu enemies of the desuits, (iiey took eviu'v means to 
 exidude them."' 
 
 Charlevoix, himself a Jesuit, seems to think, Iiow(>ver, that 
 l'ou(riiicour( was, (houuh "a very liones( man, and tronuly 
 attached to the Catholic ndiLrion, impressed liy the calum- 
 nies of the pretendcnl reformers airniiist (he ,lesiii(s, and lu': 
 was tlrinly resolved not to admit them (o Port K'oyal."' 
 " Champlaiii also." says ( i a mean, " distrusttMl the ,Iesuits, and 
 prclerred (he l-'ranciscans, as haviuu" less political amliition ;" 
 yet he adurts tlia*: to the flesnits. afterwards, he owed chietly 
 Ills success ill the colony of (^ueltec, "for more than onc«> (ht^ 
 French kiiiL's w(>r( til)out to renounce (he colony, and each time 
 they alistaiiied thc'clVom chielly (hroiiMli relii^ious motives. 
 Ill (hese crises tin- ,lesiii(s diriM'tly in(ereste(l iu Canada 
 powerfully seconded the founder of it." And Champlaiii, in 
 ackiiowh^dLTmeiit of the>e services i'eceive<| from the Jesuit 
 fathers, Icfl in his will a porlioii of his (>state to (hem. 
 l^aiieroft, a Froti^stant writer, says (\'ol. III.) : ' Fv(>ry (ra- 
 ditiou hears testimony to their (the riesuits') worth. If they 
 
OK NKWFOrNDI-AM). 
 
 135 
 
 had the fault of a supcrslitious ascolicisin, ihoy kiunv how to 
 resist with an tiiicoii(|iu':al)K' conslaiicv and a deep cidnuuvss 
 of soul thi' horrors of a lil'i- i)assi'd cnlircly in the wildcrnt'ss 
 of Canada. Far from all (hat lends :i charui to life, far from 
 every oeeasion ol' vainu'lory, lliey were totally dea<l to the 
 \vor!(l, ami found in I heir inmost I'onsc-ienee a jx'at'e that 
 uolhinii" eould disturl)." 
 
 In the " Relations (U*s Jesniles " t'or the year Kill, writleii 
 by I'ere Uaiard, it is stated that I'outrineourt had no oI)jeetiou 
 on his own part to hrinjr out the flesuils. On the eontrary, 
 M. lu)l)in. nierehant of DieiJjx', and uianau'c'r dl" the (\)nii)any, 
 said, " (^>ll'l'/ sanidi/ a.^sc;: (jitc Iv /Siciir dc I'n/i-/iicniirt iSe 
 scutirolt fort hoiiori dc Irs mtoir <ni/)r(S dc so// "' (that hc^ knew 
 Avell that Monsieni' Poutrineourt would fetd hiinselt" highly 
 honoi'i-d l)y havinii' thiMU (the desuiis) with him). All 
 the delay and ohslruetion is attrilmlt'd to the merehants of 
 Dieppe, who swore llieir liiiiiiest oath {Iciir j)l((s //(tiif j'nroii) 
 that if the Jesuits entered the shi}»s they would put uothiuir 
 into them. 
 
 ?..adanu' the .Marehioiu'ss (h> ( Juereheville, a lady ol' ir'-eat 
 wi'alth, hiuh in the favor of (^uiu-n Mary de Medieis, and 
 zealous for the spread of the i:'os|)el in savaii'e eoimtries, heeame 
 iiidiiiuant at these delays, and dcelared herscdl'the i)r()teet ress 
 of the Jesuits. She hoULlhl oiit the claims of the llm:uenot 
 nu'rchants, and raised amonu' the noliles at court the sum of 
 t weiity thousand I'rancs, besides >aeriliciuij: a tarii'e portion 
 of her own fortune. 
 
 She e(|uipped the expedition, and sent cnit Pomrincourl, 
 having' on hoard the I'^athers I'iiU'ri' r)aiard and I'aimond 
 Masse, 'i'hey left Dieppe llu^ :.'i>th of rlanuary, 1(111, and 
 after a loui;' voyaiie arrived at Port Koyal on Peut(>eost Sun- 
 day, 2"_M of ,)une. ( )tl their voyau'e out they encountered 
 vast lii'lds of iiH' and eoimtless ieelteriis. " These ice lields 
 were monstrous, for in souu^ places tlu^ sea was all eonvered 
 with them as far as tlu> eyt^ eould reach ; and in order to 
 pass throuii'h them it was necessar\ to hreak them with bars 
 and prizes (ducc Inirrcs cf k'li/crs) placed Jlil;aint^t the beak or 
 
IBWWWW 
 
 i-i;i 
 
 I 
 
 1.3G 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 stcMii (aux escobiUes) of the ship. Jii soiiio phiccs high aiul 
 prodigious mountiiiiis of ice appofired 30 to 40 fathoms wide 
 and l)ig as if yoii wore to join nuiny castles together (c/iafeiix), 
 and as you woidd say if tlie Chureli of Notre Dame of Paris 
 with a part of its Ish' and houses and Pahiees wt'nt floating 
 on the water. "' — IMafions des Jesuiles. 
 
 For nearly throe years the new colony thrived wonderfully. 
 Numerous conversions were made among the Algon(|uins 
 and the Ahenaquis. But in l()i;> it was attacked and t M[)t- 
 ured 1>y Argall, an Knglish captain from Virginia. .V Jesuit 
 lay brother (DuThet) was shot; Father Uaiard was taken 
 prisoner and sent home to France, Avhere he; died in 1))22. 
 This was the end of the iirst Jesuit mission in Actidia. 
 
 In 1(11.") C'liami)lain found himself in a position to i)ut into 
 execution his long-cherished desire of bringing out tiie 
 Framiscans. He ai)plied to Le Sieur Ilouel, secretary of 
 the King, a man of great piety, who inuncdiatcly inti-rcsted 
 himself in the project, and communicated with l'cr(> (iarnii>r, 
 the I'rovincial of iSt. Hcnis' convent of Kecollets — for so the 
 Franciscans an^ called in France. On hearing of the request 
 all the fathers consented to go on the mission. The following 
 were chosen: Frs. Denis Jamay, John D'{)ll)eaul, Josei)h 
 le C'aron, and Brother Pacili(|Ut' de Plessis. They left 
 Ilonlleur on the 2 tth April, Id if), at ;"> P. INT., in tin; good 
 ship "Ktienne,*' .").')() tons, ('ai)tai'i Pontgrave, and arrix'cd at 
 Tadoussac, mouth of the Saguenay, on the 2r)th of May. 
 There they remained two days, re paired shij), took :;i water, 
 and started for (^iiel)ec, where tlu-y arrived on the 2d of 
 June. The first Mass was celel)rated on fin; 2tth of ,)une, 
 in the presence of all the Indians. In the year KU-'^ their 
 ranks were ivcruited by the arrival of Pere Paul iluet. 
 
 The mission was now well established, and made great 
 progress, until unfortunately it was again broken ixyt by the 
 capture of (^lujbee by Sir David Kirke iu li!21l. During 
 these fourteen years great work was done by the Fi'anciscans. 
 They founded a cha[)el on the spot now occupied by the 
 Cathedral of (Quebec. Father le Caron i)enetrated the lands 
 
 t 
 
 4, 
 
I, 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 137 
 
 of llie Moliiinks iiiul the "Wyaiulot.s. lie made inunensc 
 journevs in canoes and on foot, and finally reaehed as far as 
 T^aki' Huron and Xiaiiara. In the year 1(124, Henri do Levis, 
 Due de \'enlador, became Viceroy of Canada. He was an 
 ardent protector of the fFesuits, and took Holy Orders him- 
 self, and introduced the fathers in the 3'ear 1(!2(). 
 
 The introduction of tlu> Jesuits into Canada was, as miirht 
 be expectecl, the siuinal for a new onslauiiht on that mueh- 
 abused Society, :ind another series of false statements. Tlu'se 
 may bi' summed up in the foUowinif extract from Kirki^ (j). 
 4!t); "He" (Due de A'enlador) "sent Jesuits to Canada. 
 This was a i^reat mortification to the IJecollets, so that in- 
 cessant bickerinirs and (juarrcls arose bctwt'cn them and the 
 Roman Catholics." This statement is contrary to tact , as testi- 
 lied to I)y all historians of Canada. Dr. ^lullock (p. l.S)says: 
 "The Jesuits came under the protection of tlu; Didie of Levi, 
 and were hospitably received by the lit'coUets, in their 
 ni'U ly-established convent of 8t. Mary of the Auii'els, at 
 (Quebec. The lield was vast enough for all, and laborers ot 
 every Institute were welcome." 
 
 Abbr lirasseur de Hourbourg (page 32) says: — 
 
 " AVith that sure penetration which has more than once 
 enabled the sons of Ignatius to see into tli(> future, they 
 understood at a glance the importance which Canada was 
 destined to \h\ for France. . . . The Hecollets of the 
 little monastery of Notre Dame des Anges olfered to tlu'ui 
 on their arrival the most cordial welcome, and continued, as 
 long as (he Jesuits re(iuired it, to give them a hosi)itality 
 the most generous and fraternal." 
 
 Not only were (he Jesuits welcomecl by (he Franciscans, 
 but we learn from Al»bc Ferland (p. 21 1), who (juotes 
 from ollicial documents, that (he Franciscans actually asked 
 foi' (he as-;istance of tlu; fle-<uits in their \astly growing 
 missions. "In the meantime the Kecollets saw that it would 
 bo necessary for (hem (o secure new laborers. . . . TlH>y 
 concluded to apply (o some religious connnuni(y which 
 possessed more means than tlu'y {f/ni Joui.'^miciU de necoiirs 
 
 ?! 
 
 ft''- 
 
 
 ^1 
 11 
 
 ill 
 
■^^ 
 
 i;)8 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIIY 
 
 ¥ 
 
 pins ahoudanlx). They llierei'oro (lulcnniiiod to soiul to 
 Franco to make the proposal to the Jesuits,"' whom they 
 thought the l)est suited {Jcs pJns proj)!^^) for tiie rude 
 missions of Canada. They sent one ol' tluir fathers (Pero 
 Piat) to Franco on this mission. "'V\w Uecollets and the 
 Jesuits worked touether in many missions in tiie most perfect 
 liarmony (arec unc cnfenfc fotife cord/dlc)." 
 
 The l)ickerin;j; and (juarrels referred to by Kirki' were not 
 between the Jesuits and Franciscans, but bcitween th(> mer- 
 cliaiits and the latter; and are thus explained by (Jarneau 
 ([1. It")): "Father IreiKvus le Piat, O.S F., pivc! an in\ i- 
 tation thither to a few ,Iesuits. The 'associated merchants' 
 at iirst would not sanction the proceedinn". They set out 
 for Canada notwithstandini:' ; but when they reached (^uebi'c 
 they "Were not i)ermitted to land till the IJecollets should 
 find Iheni a i)erinaneiit asyliuu in the infant city." "The 
 ii'reater part of these; nuM'chants," ^^ays Ferland, "were 
 Ilnii'ueiiots, and they had no a'reat love i'or reliiiious Orders. 
 They tolerated, indeed, the poor K'ecollets, but they looked 
 with a sinister eye (^iii'iiirdis ciiuU) on the cominii' of the 
 Jesuits, who had i)owerful friends at court." 
 
 For two years they lived under one roof with the I"'ran- 
 ciscans inoi)erfect accord {(Inns la //ici/fenre iii/c/l/'i/c/icc) , till 
 in ]March, llli'O, they reci'ived a plot of ground near the 
 river St. Charles. They innne(liately connnenced their 
 missionary work, and also to teach the Indians to cultivate 
 the land. Their apostolic labors amonu' the Indian trilies of 
 Upi)er Canada for three years form a beautiful and touching 
 chai)ter in the hi>t()ry of that country, but are outside of our 
 present scope. We have seen that in 1(!2I> (Quebec was 
 capfureil by Sir David Kirki', the religious all .>ent lionu', 
 and Canada poss(>ssed by the Fnglish till the treaty of St. 
 Gerniain-cMi-Laye in ]i')'.)-2. On the return of the French to 
 Canada it was decided by the minister. Cardinal Kichelieu, 
 with the consent of the (ienei'al of the; Capucins, that the 
 Jesuits only should return to (Quebec, as tin; country was 
 not yet abhi to suj)i)ort a mendicant Order. The KecoUets, 
 
 ' I 
 
 L 
 
 s 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 139 
 
 11 
 
 L 
 
 however, were piu'iiiitlctl to roliini to tlicir mission of Holy 
 Cross, ill At'!i(liii. The (":ii)uciiis estjihlislied tlieiiiselvcs on 
 the hunks of the Kennclx'c and the T;nil!iu'onet or IVnohscot 
 river, ilu'y had expcH'ted to he al>le to tak(( [xjssession of 
 their mission in (^ueljec, and, intU-ed, had o!)tained {)ermis- 
 sion of C'ardinal Kiehelieu to return, hut ohjcctions were 
 made hy the ''C'oni})any of tiie Ihnuh'ed Assoeiates,'' on the 
 j^rounds that tlie inlrochu'tion of two Orders in :i eountry 
 where tliere was as yet no IVishop niiuiit eausc; some jealousies 
 ()!• diliieuhies. The eeeh'siastieal authorities therefore with- 
 drew tile |)ernnssion from tlu^ Ivccoliets. 'I'hey were greatly 
 arieved not t<» he allowed to continue their apostolic lahor.s, 
 and to leav(r tlieir Jiones in the country where they had first 
 })lanted the C'ro^s, and which they had moistened with their 
 sweat. Such chaj^riu was felt hy the n()I)le Father le Caron, 
 the first apostle of the Ilurons, that he fell sick, and died 
 March :.".), H\:\-2. 
 
 The desire to return to their mis>ion was always cherished 
 hy these li'ood fathei's ; I)ut it was lutt until after a patient 
 exi)ectati()ii of nearly foi'ty years that their wishes wei'e 
 realized. In the year 1()70 ^l. Talon, IntcMidaiit of (^uehee, 
 hy his inlhience ohlained tin order from the Kiiii:", Louis XIV., 
 for their restoration. lie hrouiiht out with him I'ere Allard 
 and three others, and they were rei'stahlished in all their 
 former rights and jiossessions, their houses and lands, on tlu^ 
 hanks of the ri\er St. Charles. They were received with 
 the most cordial welcoiue l»y the desuits. Pere le Mercier, 
 iS.fl., thus speaks of their arri\al [" Jichi/to)is lies Jesni/cs,'^ 
 All. UhO) : — 
 
 " lii's IJevereiid Peres Recollets tpiM (Talon) a anienc/ di; 
 France, c(^miue un nouveau secours de ^Nlissiomiaircs pour 
 eultiver celle I^nTise nous out domic mi surcroy dv. joye et 
 de ( "onsolalion ; nous les axons receus conmie les j)remiers 
 A[)ostres de ce ])ais, et tons les hahitans di' (Juehec; ])onr 
 reeomioistre roliliijation (|ue leur a la coloni(! Francoise (pie 
 ils out aeeompagiiee dans son premier etablissemeiit ; out 
 
140 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOllY 
 
 oste ravis do rcvoir ccs bons roliii'ioux cstahlis au mosmc lieu 
 ou ils (loinouraicMit il y a ])liis do ([iiaranto Ans." 
 
 "The R(!ver(MKl I'raiK'i.scaii Fathers wlioiii lie (Taloii) has 
 brouu'lit out from Franco, as a new help to the missionaries 
 to eultivatc this church, have given to us an ineroaso of joy 
 and consolation. We have received them as the first ai)os- 
 tles of this country, and all the inhal)itants of (Quebec, in 
 order to acknowlediie the obligation which the French col- 
 ony owes to them, whom they accompanied on their tirst 
 establishment, have? been rejoiced to see again those good 
 religious settled down in the same place where they had 
 dwelt some forty years before." 
 
 After this ingeimous and cordial welcome it can scarcely 
 1)0 maintained by Protestant writers that any jealousies inter- 
 vened between these two reliuious orders. 
 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 141 
 
 m 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PLACEN iTA.— [lfiG0-lG96.] 
 
 Exti-nt of the Diocese of Qiicl)ce — M<rr. do St. Viilli.n- Visits riiicentiii, IflSO, and 
 roiiiuls a Friincisciiu Convent tlioro — Troubled Slate of Ncwlbimdland — En- 
 croai'liincnts of the French — Ohstrnetion Policy of Kn^hiiid — I'lacentia Attacked 
 nn-iiicccssfidly liy ('oiuMiodoin Williams — St. .fohn's Attacked by the I'reiich, 
 ICiOl — Tlie Whole Inland, evccpt Carliineers" and lionavi^la, (iipliircd liy I)'!ber- 
 villc, 109G — •(iraphie AiM'oiint of this K\)ie(lition by Sicur liaudouin, Military 
 Chaplain — Capture of Fcriyland, Hay Ihills, Petty Harbor, SI. .Folin's, 'J'orl ay, 
 Kcnvidi [Qiiidividi], Portujral C<>' c, Harbor Men [Maine], ]}ri;:uc [I?ri;i;ns] , Car- 
 boiuiii re, Havre de (iraec, Havre Content, Hay Vcr, Xicii Perlican, etc. — Final 
 Decadence of French I'ower in the Western World. 
 
 ,4 T the time that the niaiiiiironHMit of ccclesiastictil atTairs 
 -^*- ill Canada was assiiiuod hy the energetic and ze.alous 
 Monseigneurde St. N allier, Fr.anee was the gretitest European 
 power in tlie New AVorld. Her dominion extended in the 
 north and east over till Aetiditi, Newfoiindhmd (except ji 
 sm.'dl portion ot" tlie eastern sealioard), liiibrador, as I'ar iis 
 Hudson's Bay. Towtirds the south-east Iter hanner waved 
 over h:df of the States of Maine, Vermont, :ind New York, 
 iind in tlie AVcst over till the vast valley of the Mississippi, 
 Texas, :ind Ivio (iiande. In the north-west she had pushed 
 her seltleiiients as far sis Niiiiitira :ind the shores of the i:reat 
 lakes; from Port Xelsoii, in Hudson's Day, to the (Julf of 
 jNIexieo. Such wtis tin; vtist territory then claimed 1)y the 
 French kinii", !iiid such .also the extent of the diocese ove; 
 M Inch Monscio'iieur de St. \'allier exercised his spiritiuil juris- 
 diction. AVheii he l)elield the vast field of his fuiure hihors 
 he Avjis anxious to seek out c()r)periitors, tind accordlr'uiy the 
 ^ear after his .'irrivtil in his diocese he determined to visii 
 Newfoundland and esttililisli a Friincisctui convent at Phicenlia, 
 the then ctipittil of the Ishmd. Aecordinuly he published a 
 ritaii(h/)ti(!ii(, directed to the unarditin of the Er:uicisc:ins in 
 Quebec, calling on the brethren of that convent to tissist hiiu 
 
 I 
 
r-'MBriMM 
 
 I 1 
 i 
 
 142 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ! 1 
 
 ( 
 
 ill Ills apostolic l:ii)ors. It appears hy tliis (lociiiucnt that a 
 Catholic chiircii was ah'cady hiiilt in IdHD in IMaccntia, and 
 that a priest, tlioiiuli iie\ cr reiriihirly liuUieti'd as cure, olli- 
 ciated th(;rc. Tlie mandemeiil is as follows : — 
 
 i 
 
 t'\'m' 
 
 fi 
 
 John, etc. 
 
 "To Our helovi'd l)rethfen Seraphin (leoruien, guardian of 
 tlu^ Convent of Kecollets, of Our Lady of the Angels at 
 (Quebec and to tile Ih'etheren of tlie Coininniiily destined us 
 jNIissionaries to tlie Island of Xewfound Land Health and 
 Beiiedii'tion in the F^orcL 
 
 " ^Vhereas heiiiii" ahoiit in a W'W days to visit in p(>rson, as 
 l)elits oui" jiastoial solicitude the most remote jiortion of Our 
 L)io '"se, os[)ecially tlu^ Island called Newfound Land con- 
 sultin^' for 'he sal\atioii and spiritual ])rotit as well of the 
 inhahitants there of. as of those who come there every }'ear. 
 "\Vc have proposed to take you also with us as the com- 
 panions of our travels and our labors -with tlu^ Intention that 
 in the town commonly called Placentia you may have a hos- 
 pice or even a convent the better to facilitate your laltors for 
 the salvation of the iiihaliitants of that place, and wiuu-eas for 
 the cstaltlishiueiit of a hospice or convent the license of the 
 Bishop and the Kiiii^ are re(|uired and you have humlily ])()s- 
 tulated for both, we therefore wisliiiii>' to favor your prayers 
 and desires, as far as tlu' Kpisco|)al license is re(|uire(l, most 
 fully and as far as in I's lies, irrevocalily <irant tlu; same to 
 vou willinulv bv tlies(> present letters : so that on receipt of 
 them U'(! allow you to erect in the said town a hospice or 
 even a Convent with whatever means an; furnished by pious 
 jiersons : there to exerci>e the usual diiti(vs of your Order. 
 The Cha))el also which has been consin-rated to (Jod in the 
 said town : the sacred v(^ss(ds destineil for Divine ^Vorship, 
 and the Ecclesiastical Vestments which shall !>(> in the said 
 Chapel at the tinu; of our ^'isitation shall beloni;' to you 
 there biiiiu;- and re>idin,ii', as far as the statutes of your Order 
 allow and Wv can (Iraiit Ihem. It is Our Will also that you 
 dischar<ie the duties of the ^lission to the faithtui and towards 
 
1 ! 
 
I. 
 
 I 
 
X 
 
 OF NHWKOrNDLAM). 
 
 I4;i 
 
 lli(i uiibolicvors ill the s.-iid lowii, iiiid olhor placos iuljarcnt, 
 hnvin<j^ first however rccicivcMl, as is iiroprr. the Approhalioii 
 of Us, or of our Vicar (icMicial. I( is Our desire! likewise 
 dial liiis Our license should l)e availal)le to you in OnUu' to 
 Olilaiii the Koyal License which we hope will 1)e easily oh- 
 laiiied from His .Most Christian Majestv. W\i jiraut tiio 
 aforesaid license to you with tiie nirnu'inent and condilion, 
 that you will he always residy lo dischar<^e llie duties ot' the 
 Mission in the aforesaid jilaces, either hy your selves or I>y 
 other Reliiiious of vour Order, to he deputed hvtho liuardian 
 or other superior of tho (\)nvent of Our Lady of vVnii'cls at 
 (^uel)ec, who shall lirstofall 1)e ol)li;i'ed to ohtainOui A[)pro- 
 Itation or that of Our \'icar (Jeneral. licsides, since it is 
 Our intention to assist you in the ^^'o^k so (\)iiduci\e to liic 
 Salvation of Souls, ^^^• \v.\\i'. doired That tho Parish either 
 already erected in the said town, or to bo erected by Fs, 
 sinco iho Care of it has hitherto been entrusted to some 
 pastor not tlxed, as not Itciiin' installed by L^s, or by Our 
 Illustrious I'r(>decessor, lie united and attrilmtt'd to Your 
 Order as far as in Is lies, and by these i)resent letters A\'e 
 unite it in fact and foi" ever decree it to be united, on con- 
 dition that tlu! Supreme Pontilf Authorise it, and on con- 
 dition also that the Care of it lie depiite(l to one individual 
 sidccted from aniouiz' the Keiiiiious who dwell in said Hospice 
 or Convent, apitroxcd of by I's or by Our \'icar General 
 presented or reconinieiidcd by the I-'allier (luardian, or other 
 Superior of the CoiiNcnt of ( )ur Lady ot" Anu'cls of (Quebec 
 without h'sion however to the Authority of tlu! said Guai'dian 
 over his subjects. Dcsiriiij;" also that the Koyal Bounties, and 
 other Charital)lo donations be conferi'cd on you, and ji'i'antini;' 
 to you also all dues tithes, and ofleriniis. In I'aith whereof 
 these present L(>tters, siizned l»y Oui' hand, sealed with Our 
 Seal and Countersigned by Our Secretary W'v have given to 
 you. 
 
 "JOHX, IJis/foji of Quebec. 
 
 " QrEDKC one tlioiisiiiul kIx luiiulrL'd and 
 elghty-nlno the 'JU duy of the Muuth 
 of April," 
 
 'l>j 
 
:■"':"■ ■■,'-Tr?P"^"r 
 
 i,M 
 
 
 I 
 
 144 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTUUY 
 
 TIk^ royal license alluded lo in Die forejioiiiij document 
 was not obtained until some three years al'h-r ( Ki'.':^), owiiiii' 
 ])rolial»ly to dillieulty of eonnnunicalion, lliouLdi it is most 
 |)rolial)le lliat the mission was eslahlislied at once on j)re- 
 suniption of llie Kinii's ae(iniescence. From this document 
 y\o also tlnd thai a clun-cli or a chapel already existed in IMa- 
 et'ntia ])revi()us to JdiSD, and was fiunishcd with re<|in"sites 
 for diviui! worship, though lher(^ was not a fixed ))astor; 
 but })robably one of the naval or Military chaplMiiis oili- 
 ciated there. Dr. Mullock (Ijcetures, p. ],'>) says "the con- 
 vent and church of tin; Franciscans wer(> established on the 
 site now occupied by the Protestant church and burial- 
 ground. . . . Most of the French tombstones were taken 
 by the English .settlers after tin; surrender of tlic^ place by 
 Franc(Mii 1713 and applied to the ii:iiomiiiious jjiirpose of 
 liearlhstones and door-ste})s."' Two or tln'ce of these, old 
 nioniinieiits have escai)ed the ruthless hands of the destroyer, 
 and have been lat(dv earefiilly i)Iaced in the church. The 
 oldest dates we tind are l(!i)4aud 1(!7(). They are very much 
 nmtilated, and can with ditliculty bo decipIuM'cd. The lan- 
 guage is distinctly Latin and French, though one or two 
 words on oiu^ stoiui are uiiiiitelligil)le. 'i'licy have lately 
 been pronounced by an ex[)crt of the liritish Museum lo be 
 in the l)as(|ue language. It may be so, or it may be that 
 they form but broken parts of Latin words. I give fac- 
 similes of soiiic of the most ancient stones, taken from the 
 originals with great care. 
 
 \n a letter of Monsoigneur Turgcon, Archbishop of Quebec, 
 written to Dr. ?dullock in l.sr)S, his (irace says: "Thesis 
 fathers (the Franciscans) will probably have been the tirst 
 resident missionaries, although the French establishments 
 were much more ancient, andextemlfar Ix'yond KJliO ; but at 
 the time of the siege (K^iMi) Charlevoix confesses that the 
 French were not less deprived of spiritual than of temporal 
 succor (Vol. IL, p. 18()), which leads us to believe with rea- 
 son that the foundation of the mission was not much anterior 
 to that epoch. However, we cannot find anything in our rec- 
 
\ 
 
 OF Xi:\VFOUNDLANI). 
 
 145 
 
 
 mi' Ail A 
 
 vs Ami© 
 
 jJHONN'EVK<G' MofJ 
 .4VIV/1 IMT« iA « C7I (v K \tRE\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 EMI.T 
 
 AiN"£<'3)X'r/^r(;iA'ri:'' 
 DV'RoV I 
 
 /6 * <?'^^ 
 
 I'AC-SLMILKS OK OI.U TOMBSTOXKS AT I'LACEXTU. 
 
 
146 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL lIISTOliY 
 
 ords more nncirnl tlum llu-sc IcUcm's ; " i.e., t!i;it ot" liislioj) de 
 St. ^'!llli(M•, previously oivcii, mikI tli:it of" ihc Kiiiu', JiOiiis 
 Xn'., iiiviiiii' the roviil sauction mikI ncciisc lor the Ibiindalioii, 
 whieli is (lalcd l(j'.t2, iuul is as follows: — 
 
 li 
 
 "l()!^2. Louis, 1)3' the u'racc^ of God, KiuLi' of l-'ranco and 
 Navai'iv, to all pvi-sout and to ('oui(\ Health : 
 
 '■ Our i)('lov(Ml and faithful Couuscllor the Loi'd Ilishoj) of 
 (^ut'lxH' has uiadc know n to us that a Conxcnt of lu'iiviious 
 KtH'oUots of the Order of Francis l)cini:' in existence at 
 (Jue])ec. he would dispose a uund)er of said licliu'ious in 
 Aarious localities of New l''i'ance, \\w Island of Newfound- 
 land and other parts of North America. And particulaily 
 
 \\\ 
 
 Mont 
 
 real 
 
 acentia an( 
 
 1 the Island of St. I'et 
 
 er, an( 
 
 the inhal)itants of those places iniiiht ha\(> iVoni the said 
 KeliLl-ious, all the spiritual siiccoui's which niiaiit he expected 
 from their zeal and piety, ami he is desirous of liivinu' a fix- 
 ity to their estahlisliments in the said ])lac"s that they may 
 he more and more attached to the Missions, and other func- 
 tions to which they appl^ liomselves. For this reason wo 
 ha\(' perinitteil and pei'niit the said IJecollets to continue 
 their l^>tal»li>hments. as well in the said ( 'ily of (^uehee as in 
 ^'ille Marie, Montreal, the Island of Placentia, St. IVlers and 
 all other places where they shall he judii-ed ui'cessary, on con- 
 dition nevertheless, that tins he done with eousc-nt of the 
 Governor (ir Lieutenant (ioNcrnor of the said counti'ies and 
 of the inhahilants ot" the places where they wish to estahlish 
 themselves; and in the said places they shall discluu'ii'o the 
 functions of chaplains to our troojjs, .and shall (wcrcise also 
 the ])aroi'hial functions wherever the r)islio[) shall Juduc; nec- 
 essary, and shall (Mnj)ower them to do so. And for which 
 they shall i'ee»'ive as alms the allowances appointed hy Our 
 Estates to he furnisluMl to the Chaplains of our said troops. 
 AikI we have also (MifeoH'cd, And l>y these letters signed l)y 
 Our hand wc do give in fee their (,'lmrehes lodgings and Clois- 
 ters of the Convents estahlished or to he est!d)lished, without 
 their heinir ohliir*'*! to iiav to us, or to the Kinu'sour Succes- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 147 
 
 sors on this account any lines or indcnnntics of all wiiicli by 
 those presents A\'o make thcni a grant and rcniiltance. We 
 conunand our taithfnl and well hcloved ('onns(dlors of the 
 Council of (^uehee and dei'lare to all others whose <lnty it is 
 to cause them to be ri'iiister(>d and to tiive tlu; enjoyment of 
 the riiihls contained in them to the said lv(diiiious fully and 
 peaceably and in iH'rpetuity ceasing and causiiii!^ to cease, any 
 trouble or hindrance, for such is Our pleasure. And that 
 this may be a matter for ever lixed and stable, A\'e have 
 caused our seal to be aflixed to these i)resents. 
 
 " (liven at A'ersailles in tlu^ Month of March the year of 
 Grace One thousand six hundred and ninety-two, and of Our 
 reign the iiftv-ninth. 
 
 '(Signed) LOnS. 
 
 l)y the King, Piir.r.vi'KArx. 
 
 ( )n ihe outside the document is lidx'Ued as follows; — 
 "Letters for tlie Kstal>lishment of the IJecollet Fathers in 
 
 la, Isliuid of St. Pit'rri', and Newfound liMiid 
 
 Canada, Jshmd ot M. I'u'rri', ana Aewtound liMiid, sijned 
 Phelypeaux, and with the (Jreat Seal of (Jreen A\'ax peuflaut 
 by a silk string, green and red, compared wilh thi^ original 
 extant on Parchment, by Louis (liiillon de Fouleny, Our 
 (larde de Notes of the Iving at St. Ciermain-en-Laye, under- 
 signed 17th Ai)ril 1(U)2." 
 
 From this document it appears that the I'ranciscans Avcro 
 established also this sanu' year in St. Pierre and Mi(|ueIon. 
 
 AVe have s(M'n that though tht^ Fngli>h claimed doniimon 
 o\er Xewfouu<lland, yet the jjossession was not considered of 
 nuich account, and a policy of repression pre\ ailcil all through 
 the sevenleenlh centiu'y. Kveiy eilbrt was ntade to prevent 
 the i)ermanent settlement of the cotnilry. Ijonnycastle (Vol. 
 L, p. 8;')), writing of this period of Xewfoumlland history, 
 says : '*\\'e have a long, uninteresting s[)ace tilled wilh (piarrel 
 and conipiaint irom . . . 1 (Id.") down to li!!*:^. 
 The Island underwent many convulsions ; . . . for ni'arly 
 
 i 
 
"asimm^samm^m^mmilf. 
 
 148 
 
 KrCLKSIASTir.VL TIISTOUY 
 
 I 
 
 ninety years niisnilo rc-irod ils lu'jul, and society was in a 
 wretched condition, owinir to tlie constant ain'mosity between 
 the incrcliant ad\'en(ni'ers and the si'llhu's. . . . Tlic 
 istni<riilo was not so mucli of a political as of a personal 
 natnre, and it arose from the nnliniited discretionarv license 
 of the il!itera((! masters of vessels . . and the; ahsiird 
 
 policy of the paren.t state in discountenancinii; settlement hv 
 every meinis in its power." In 1070, owini; to a pamphlet of 
 Sir Josiah Child, tlu^ I^ords of Trade and Plantation obtained 
 an order that the whole colony shonld b(> rooted out, and tlie 
 land rednced to a desert. Sir John IJerry, a hnman(^ naval 
 otlicer, was depnted to bnrn the houses and drive out the 
 settlers. He remonstrated aii'ainst the crnelt y, and in 11)7(5 
 Mv. John Downing', a resident, j)rocnr<'d an oi'der fnnn tlu^ 
 Kiiii^ to annnl it. Still it A\as expressly <leclare(l that no 
 fishinii"-vessid was to be peiniittt'd to take out eniiui'ants, 
 and all jjcrsons were forl>i(lden to settle. In spite of thoe 
 obstacles a resident population sprain;' np, and it became 
 necessary at last to rei'()i;ni/e the fact. A reiz'ulation was 
 then passed by the Uoard of Ti'a'' in 1(!;)7 in which it was 
 declared that "the roident population should not \h\ .allowed 
 to increase beyond one tlntusdiid." The policy of the French, 
 however, was (putc! the reverse. Appreciatinii' llm value 
 and imi)ortance of Newfoundland, they endeavored, . lej) l)y 
 stci), to ad\ar.ce to the |)ossi>ssi()n of the whole island. In 
 tiio year Kil).") the French obtained pernussion to dry li>ii on 
 the shores of the Island. This was the lir^t sle|) towards 
 fornnn^' a permanent settlement. Inseiisilily they encroached 
 until, as we ha\(; seen, by the year IdliO they wei'e well set- 
 tled and strengthened in position at. I'lacentia. and probaldy 
 in other places. \\\ 1(!75 the Knuli>h kiui; (('harles II.) 
 remitted the tax hitherto i)aid on imports by the French as 
 a token of sovereiii'nty. A\'ithin a few yeai-s they had (>stal)- 
 lished their do, inion ()\cr a territory of two lumdred miles 
 in extent. On the accession of AVilliam. 1 1 1, to the thione 
 of EuL^land, 1(!SS, owiny to European combinations, war was 
 declared against Franct', and, as usual, s[)read to tin; colonies. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 1 I!) 
 
 1 8i-;i 
 
 
 Tt was just about this tiuic that the French wore pstahlish- 
 iii<^ themselves in all security in JMuceiitia, aiul preparing 
 to found !i reuular ecclesiastical mission there. The eyes of 
 (ho Eniilish l)ei!:an to he at last opened to these rapid and tirm 
 eneroaehmenls ; init it was almost too late. In the year 1092 
 an Enu'lish S(|uadr()n, under Connnodore Williams, a})[)oare(l 
 before Placentia; hut the French fortifications wen^ impre<;- 
 nahle, and tlu^ attach was unsuccessful. The ruins of the 
 forts still exist iuij iiive us some idea of the strenn'tli of the 
 fortress. " The environing hill," says Dr. Mullock (Lecture 
 I., p. 1.')), "(he two arms of tlu^ sea with a rapid tidal cur- 
 rent reminding tlu; French of tlu; arrowy Khoiie in their 
 own land, and lh(^ almost total exemption from fog in ;i hay 
 remarkalile for it, induced them to call it IMaisance, — a 
 pleasant jjlaee, — now Placentia. Tliey early saw the im- 
 portance of tlie ac(|uisiti()n, and pr()\ ided for its security 
 hy strong fortifications. Thcsi! are now in ruins, — they 
 ' ve ser\('d as a (juarry for tiie few buildings re(iuiring stone 
 or lirick. I'he great demilune which guarded tlu^ entrance 
 of the port (and was called Fort Ijouis) is now a slia[)eless 
 heap of rul)bi^h, its vaulted brick casements have; been all 
 desti'oyed, and th(> remains of a castle on C'reveceur Hill 
 ai'(^ slowly ])erishing." 
 
 The history of Xewfoundland from this time, 1(»()0, until 
 the Treaty of l'(rech(, 17 1;!, at which time the Fren«'h 
 abandoned it for good, is but a con(inuan<'e of skii'mishes, 
 attacks, and reprisals on the part of the two rival nations. 
 "AVe see,"' says Dr. Mullock (Lectures, p. lO), "twogivat 
 and powerful nations (>stablished on (he shores of Xewfound- 
 land, oi)posed in ])oli(ics, in inter("^t,in religion, and i( is 
 easy to imagine that the |)rogress of the country nmst have 
 been not (udy retarde<l, but absolutely impossible." 
 
 In the year KiOl a French (leet of ten sail, undei- ('he\a- 
 lier Xesmond, was ordered to join tiie IJocheford s(|iiadron 
 and proceed to Xew toundlaud and drive out the Fnglish. 
 They attacked St. John's, but were repulsed. 
 
 In the year KlIK!-? a more t'ormidable attack was mjulo 
 
 i 
 
150 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIJV 
 
 ovorliiixl (Voiu IMiuontia, uiuler the coniniMnd of Pici'i'c h? 
 jMoiiie D'lhcrvillc, on wliicli occuKion tlic wliolo Island, with 
 tli(> cx('ci)ti()ii of CiirhinoiM's' Harbor and IJonavisia, was cai)- 
 tmvd by tlic Fr(Mi('h, and remained in tliciv possession for 
 several years, till the Treaty of Utreelit, 17 i;?. 
 
 All interestinii' aeconnt of tliis ex[)edi(i()n, written by M. 
 Baudouin, cliaplain to the I'^reneh army, lias lately been dis- 
 covered in the Ottawa Library. It was kindly copied in the 
 <)ri<rinal French by 'Sir. ,Iacl<, of New Bninswick, for J. V. 
 llowley, Es(|., F.di.S., to whom I am indeltted for permis- 
 sion to irive some extracts from it. It has ni'ver yet been, 
 as far as I am aware, ])nl)lished or translated into l-ini^Iish. 
 It is the intention of Mr. llowley to do so soon, 'rhonuh 
 not immediately coimected with the ec-elesiastical history of 
 Ncwfonndl.md, yet it may be deemed sufliciently relevant as 
 showinu' in a graphic maimer the state of the country at the 
 period of which we are writinii". It is addressed to some 
 iiish(ii), as a[)i)ears from the titl(> vi' J\f(niseif/)tein', 'VUc uood 
 abbe, thou<:h full of zeal for his spiritual mission and for tlu^ 
 conversion of savai>'('s, yet seems to be of a thoroughly mar- 
 tial spirit, and describes with evident (/o/'/f and vivacity liie 
 sev(M'al na\ al and military cnpiii'cments which he witnessi'd 
 at I'aye des Fspai>nols (Sydney), where they arii\('d on the 
 2(!tli June, and he l)apti'/ed and married several Indians. 
 Thence they i)roceed'';i to St. John, N.B., where they en- 
 ii"ae-ed two Fnu'lish ships and cai)tured them. He then de- 
 scribes the taking of Pemkuit and several other ex[)loits. 
 
 i 
 
 AC'ADIK. — 1(;!h;-i(;})7. 
 
 JOURXAL OF SIEI'R nAU'DOVIX, M ISS lOXI'Jt. 
 
 ".TOrUNAL OI' THE VOVAOK WlllCir I IIAVK MADK WITH M. 
 d'iBEKVILLK, CAI'TAIX of A I'liKiATE OK FItANCK, IN ACADIK, 
 AM) FKOM ACAUIE TO TIIK ISLAM) OF NEWFOUNDLAND.' 
 
 On the .")d of September they set sail foi- Placeiitia, and 
 arrived there on the 12th in the morninu'. A l)oat canu^ 
 
c 
 
 "n 
 :o 
 m 
 
 z 
 n 
 
 I 
 
 o 
 
 H 
 
 
 
 
 mil 
 1 
 
Hi ! 
 
(»F NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 }')l 
 
 fVoni the slioro and l)r()uu!if a Icllor from llic Tiicutonant of 
 tlu' Kiiiir 1<> S!iy tliat M. dc liroiiilloii, the uovciiior, had left 
 witii tlic Maloviaiis (iiuMi of St. Maio). Alc.s.siciirs D'HxtvUIo 
 and Uonavoiilnvo (his lieutenant), castinj^ anelior, wcMit to a.sk 
 for jiroxisions of the licutenMnl-ii'ovcrnor. 'Iho EdvIcux, 
 M. I)"ll)ervillt>'s vessel, had been obliged, for sonio time past, 
 to sui»[)ly with ))rovision8 the Prq/hiid, ]\I. de lionaveni lire's 
 ves.sel. The lieiitenant-ii'overnor informed them that there 
 was nothing to s[)ar(^ in the se(tlemen(. They then entered 
 the j)orl (that is, inside the uiil ) and awaited the arrival of 
 the PiistHhm or tlu^ Wasjt, with provisions. These wer(\ 
 doubtless, prizes tak(Mi from the Knii'lish, They did not ar- 
 rive, however (itroliabiy from Franee), until the lOth of Oeto- 
 l)er, AI. de Uroiiillon, th(» (iovernor of IMacentia, arrived 
 on the 17th. lie had been on an exjxulition with som(> Ma- 
 lovian soldiers or sailors, to attaek St. John's, but failed, 
 (iiiyon arrixcd from Uoston with his men, and M. I)"Iber- 
 A ille ])repared to no in a bark canoe to take ( 'arl)()iniiere aiul 
 St. .John's, — a feat which, as the se(|uence will sliow, was not 
 so eas\-, at least as rciiards the former place. II(> jiroposed 
 to releii'ate to the s})rinu-time the capture of r>onavista. and 
 the i>-uttinir of the merchant ships there. In this little pime 
 \w also reckoned without his host. On the l<Sth .some 
 prisonci's arrived iVom St. John's, and informed them that 
 there were; oi<>-ht ships at Carboimiere, laden with iish. A 
 dispute then aros(> bi-lween Srs. do Hroniilon and I)'Il)erville. 
 Tlu^ fonu(>r wished to march at once upon St. John's, h'a\in<r 
 Carbonniere for after-work. I)'Ibervilhi refused, and said he 
 would return to France. Th(> eoldiers, Canadians, j)i'ol)alily 
 
 Mi 
 
 icmaes or lialf-l)reeds, refused ioao with De Ih'ouilion, and 
 
 would return to Canada, uidess D'Iberville should I'onunand 
 in person. After some time they came to an undiM'statuliui:. 
 De lirouillon lel't in the Pvofhnd for Ivoii-nouze, and D"Il)cr- 
 ville, witli 120 men, started for Forillon (Fcrryland), on All 
 Saints Day ( November 1st). 
 
 Next day (All Souls) they took the land, havini;: walked 
 on the ice uj) the S.E. Arm, for al)out a league and a half from 
 
l;-i: 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 (lie scttlomoiit. The travelling was very lnul, tlio men sink- 
 iniion (lie wet moss to the knees {juxqn'a ml-jamhc), and in 
 passin*,^ the lakes and vivei's, up to tlie waist in water. After 
 tendiiys' I'onte lliey arrived at Fcriilon (on tiie lOtli). 'I'liey 
 were eoniini; sliort of provisions for the last two days, and 
 foniid alidut a do/en hors(>s at this pl;ice, wliich eanie in 
 veiT (i/irii/xis. It seems they took Forillon without any 
 didicuhy. 
 
 Oil liu' lltli Sr. de ]\ane(\uiie arrived from St. John's with 
 three men, who were almost famislied. Tht; people of 
 Forillon, to the numher of one hundred and ten, had tied to 
 Hay IJoulle. which they were fortifying'. Another disajjfi'ec- 
 inent arose between Messieurs 1 )'ll)('r\ille and !)(> Urouillon 
 eoiieeruini:" the booty. 
 
 On the 21st tlu'V set out for r»ay Uoulle in boats, where 
 they captured a merchant slii]) of 100 tons, the crew of which, 
 as well as the inhabitants of the plac(>, lied into the woods. 
 
 On the 2(!tli 1 )"Ibci\ ille, with seven men, started in ad- 
 vance of the main I)ody. and took Petty llai'bor, which made 
 a pretty stron<i; resistance ; thirty-six of the Fnu'lish w(!ro 
 killed. There were sixty men in I'l'tty Harbor, — all viM-y 
 conit()rtaI)lc. They marched thence on to St. ffolnfs. At 
 about seven and a half miles from Petty lIarI)or, on the 28th, 
 they encountered a body of Fnii'lish, numlji-riiiii" eiiihty-eiu'ht, 
 who were posted in a liurnt wood, full of rocks, behind 
 which they lay in anil)usli. Alter about half an hour's ti_i>ht- 
 inu' they dislodiicd them, and drove them back on St. John's. 
 M. D'Iberville sei/.e<l tlu; liist two forts of St. .lolm's, which 
 the enemy had abandoned, and made thirty-three prisoners. 
 'J'lu^ rest of the inhabitants took refiiu-e in the araiid fort, and 
 in a ketch {(juaisclK') in the harbor. "J'here were about two 
 Inindred men in St. John's. Tli(> fort, as described, was 
 probably on the site of Fort AVilliam. 
 
 It was besieired. On the ;>Oth a man came out from the 
 fort with a white lla<>-, to treat of a eai)itulati()n. Tin; fort 
 was given u[) the same day, and the Freneh took possession. 
 The governor of the place was only a simple citizen, elected 
 
 ..I, 
 
 < 
 
4 
 
 J|! 
 
 OF NEWFOrNDLANI). 
 
 i:>3 
 
 by tlio caplaiiis of llid vessels ior tlir yciir. On the 2d of 
 Dcccinltci' llic French took l*orliii:;iI ( 'ove, which conlMiiied 
 thi'ce faiiiilies; also Toihay, which had likewise tiire(! 
 families, and Kerividi ((^nidi Vidi), which had nine families. 
 They hnrnt every house in St. .John's, and llu' hoats in llni 
 harhor. Oulhe 1 Uh .lanuaiT, HIHT, they started for I'or- 
 tuLial ( 'ove, and arrived tliere on thi^ 1 !Mh. Thenc" they trav- 
 elled alonu' th(^ shore of Conception liay to the bottom, where 
 they found some men sawinii' wood, who had come from Car- 
 bonniere. ( )n tin- iMlth they took Harbor Men (.>hiine), wIkmh; 
 there was one house. On tin; 'J.'mI they left in thr(!e boats 
 for Carbonniere. They passed by liriuiie, where tiiert; were, 
 about sixty men, and arrived at Port (}rav(>. which they 
 took, 'inhere were; our him(b'e(l and ten men and seventeen 
 houses there, well armed. On the 'ilth th(>y .set out for Car- 
 bonniere; L(> Sr. (le Montiuny was sent with a di'tach- 
 ment to take Musipiito. In passing' from IIarl)()r (Jrace 
 to Carbonniere in boats they discovered that the inhabi- 
 tants of this latter place had entrenche(l themselv(>s on the 
 Island, and they tired some cannon shots at the French. 
 There were al)out two hundred on the Island, ha\in^' lied 
 there from Harbor (li'ace, Mus{|uito, and even St. John's. 
 Tiiey had erected barracks and stroni;' forts. Ilaviui;' arrived 
 at Carboimiere, the I'^'ench sent to sunuuon the people on 
 the Island, but wei'(> met with detiance. They found it 
 impossible to attack it, as it was stee]) on all sides, -with the 
 exception of two places of landing;', which were well guarded. 
 On the 21hh thev received prisoners from IJriii'ue, amon<>: 
 whom were eiulit Irishmen, "whom," say.s M. IJaudouin, 
 ''the Kn,Li'li>h treat as slaves." 
 
 Several attempts were made by M. D'llxM-vilh^ to land on 
 the Island, but in vain. On the night of the 1st they went 
 all round the Island in boats. 
 
 On the ',>({ they took Uay V(>r, where there were sonic 
 fourteen houses and a))()ut ninety men. From there they 
 went to Old I'erlican ; there were there nineteen houses, 
 several stores, more than thirty head of horned cattle, and 
 
l: i: 
 
 . I ) 
 
 IM 
 
 ECCLKSIASTirAL IIISTOIiY 
 
 11 nninbcr of sliO('i) iiiul ]»i,u:s. On (ho 7lli llicy went lo Aiu'i> 
 Iluvro (Hants Ilarltoi). Tlioro worn I'oiir liousos, hut Iho 
 pooplo had all Ih'd. On tlio niorniiiir of tho -Slh Ihoy started 
 l"(tr Colioovo (Silly C()V(>), wlioro tiicro woro lour houses and a 
 jjfreat quantity of llsh and cattle, 'riioncc thoy came to Now 
 I'erlican ; there \ver(^ thoi'o nine houses and .stores. J'liey left 
 innnediatc'ly for Harbor Content (Havre Content), where 
 there was a sort ci' fort or barricade, niad(! of boards, with 
 portholes al)o\(' and below. This 1ein[)orary i'ortress was 
 connnanded by an Irishman. They surrendere(| on beini^ 
 sunnnoned. 'i'here were thirty men, beside-; women and 
 chddren. Having' left the place in charnt; of M. Deschau- 
 fours with ten men, they slaried the followinii" day for Car- 
 bonniere. When arrived there Ihey found that the J']n;f'.ish 
 had taken i)risoners oik; Frenchmen and three Irishmen, who 
 had taken part with the I-'rcndi. A detalchmcnl under Iiois- 
 briand was sent to burn Uriuue, Port (irave, etc. HarI»or 
 (Jrace had fourteen houses, ( 'arbonniere, twcnty-t wo, — Uu\ 
 besV built in all Newfoundland, Some of the mei'chants were 
 men t)f 1' 100, ()()() worth of i)ro[)erty. On the 1 7th they entered 
 into neii'oliations with tin; peoph* on the Island ior an ex- 
 ehanii'e of prisoners. 'I'lie Knii'lish demanded one I"Jii;iish- 
 maii ill lic'U of their French prisoner, and three for each 
 Irishman. 'I'he place of exchange was aureetl upon, namcdy, 
 out of gunshot of the Island, about half-way between it and 
 the shore. 'J'he Fnulish cami^ without their prisoiuM's, and 
 some words ensued. The Fi'ench accused them ot' breakiuii; 
 their word, and casliiii^- ridicule upon the orders of the Kinir. 
 The French seized the Knu'lish ollieers, and took tlicm |)ris- 
 oners. On the 2Sth they burned ( "arltonniere, and left ai^ain 
 for Havre Coiitenl. On tlH> 1st of March .M. l)"li)crvill(; 
 sent .MM. de Montiii'ny aii<l do la Peii'iere to i:o with all 
 the prisoners (al)out L>0<)) to \V.\y JJoulle (I5:iy Hulls Arm, 
 in the bottom of Trinity Uay). He left M. de Uoisbriand 
 with a detachment at Havre Content, with orders to keep a 
 .strict watch on Carbonniere, and he himself, with nine men, 
 set out across (he woods for IMaisanco. "The road,"' says 
 
 V. 
 
OF NKW FOUND r-AM). 
 
 If)-) 
 
 %> 
 
 M. r>:ui(loiiiii, ili'yly, "i^ not as irood as from Paris to 
 Versailles." 
 
 On the I'.ltli of Maicii M. D'li.erville jefl IMaeeiitia in a 
 \HV,d Tor the Hay of" Croiiiwell (Oliver's Cove), llei'e tl'^'y 
 met willi M. IN'iriei'e, who came iVoiii Uay TmiIIs Aim to tiieet 
 them. He had come iVom Havre ( 'oiitent witli nine hoats, 
 and sixtv men i)ri oners. ( )n tiie 2(>lh Sr. de Montiunv 
 arrived witli twenty Irishmen, who had taken pai'l with tlu^ 
 French. On the 2Mh they went to the I'ay of tln^ Sonnd 
 (Uandom), and to Trinity, where they l>nrne(l two honses. 
 jNI. D'lherviile went 1o IMaeentla to uather ail tln^ forces 
 possible lor the attack on IJonaxisIa," whieli.">ays liaudonin, 
 " is the last wiiieh remains entire in the hands of the Urilish." 
 It contains thi'ee hnndred men, and ahont I'oi't y houses. M. 
 I)'II)erville awaite(l at IMacenlia the arrival IV(»ni l'" ranee of the 
 lleet, under tlu! Sr. d(> Seriiiin', Avhich event did not occm- 
 until the isth of May. Jn the meantime M. de Montiu'iiy and 
 de la I'eiriere went to New Peiiican ami captured a vessel ; 
 thence to I»ay \'er and to Hiivre Content, wlu're they found 
 M. d(^ lioi.shriand. An Irishman, who had escapecl from iIk; 
 Island by swinnninu' ashore at niirht-time, found his way iicross 
 thi^ country from Carhonniere to Ha\re Content. He had 
 l)een three days in the woods without food or iirinn", and 
 Avas very nuich IVost-I)itten. He told them there were .'SOO 
 men on the Inland, and others arri\ inu" daily from all parts, 
 even from IMaeentia. M, r»aud()uin says nothinii' more about 
 lionavista, exee[)t simply that M. I )"Il)erville did not iro 
 there. He then g'ives an at-eount of the English and the 
 coimtry ixenerally, which, tlionuh no douitt very nuich exaif- 
 a'crated, yet is so uraphic, and contains so nuich evident 
 truth, that I fain to (piote more tully from it : "The French, 
 and I say it with shame for our nation, deem tin; country 
 impassable. . . . Not so the Enjilish, they know it 
 perfectly, even that |)art which Ixdongs to France, for they 
 uuided us everywhere, through the woods and ulon^c the 
 coasts, where, for more than one hundred and ninety leaj^ues, 
 they have roads beaten, tit to ride upon horseback. More 
 
ir)fl 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOltV 
 
 than (wo IiuikIihmI of llicin spend (lie winlcr liiiiitii)ir in llio 
 depths of the forest, whei'e thi'V kill l»e;ncis, otters, deer, 
 Iteiirs," c*Ce. 
 
 lie says lhes(> Kntvlish liinit<'rs :ire uood sjiols, l)ut ixi'eat 
 cowards, so (hat one hundred of iheni woidd lly Itefoi-e one 
 Fr(MK'hinan. lie then describes, in most deplorMhle terms, 
 llu' ahominahle lives |(>d hy these men. "They hasn not," ho 
 says, ''a single minister of reliction in tliese eslahlishments, 
 thonirli more than twenty of them are lai'ii'cr settlements than 
 IMacentia. Tht-y do not know wh.it reliiiion they Iteloni; to. 
 The Lireater part of them, horn in tiiis country, ha\e never 
 leceivcd any instrnction, and never make any act of relii;ion, 
 no more than mei'e savau:es. l)rnnkenn(^ss and impurity am 
 conunon and public amonu' them, even anioiiij: the women." 
 In lin(!, he '^hos a tai»ular stiiteiuent of the places taken l)y 
 the French (3(1), the number of houses (II!*), number of 
 men ( 1 ,7.');')). 
 
 The Hon. Judire Prowso, in his lecture on " I'piso(h^s in 
 our Karly History," says: "The French and I'jiu'lish ac- 
 counts of (his attack an; very contradii'tory : " and so (hey 
 indeed are, if fludiio Prowso is to bo ndied on for (he sum- 
 maiy uiven l)y him from the English point of view. For in- 
 stance, the learned Judii<! writes : "The French accoinit says 
 (hat (hey ((he French) entered llie fort with the Fni>Iish." 
 This is n;"t (juit(^ correct, as will be seen from M. I'audouin's 
 diary. Th(> skirmish on tlu^ old Petty Harbor road took place 
 on November 2.Sth. On that day \\w French captured two 
 smaller forts in St.dohn's; but not the "irraud fort " (Fort 
 William), into which the Fnu'lish had retired. '\Seeinij they 
 wore about to defiMid themselves," says M. r>audouin, "wo 
 sent to Bay Ijoulle for the mortars and bunibs and )>owder. 
 On (he niiiht of the 21tth and .'lOth MM. de Mins and do 
 Montigny went with sixty Canadians to burn the houses 
 near the fort;" and, aceordin_<r to him, the fort did not yield 
 till "the 30th, day of St. Andrew." So, on this point, it will 
 bo seen that the French nave credit to the Fnirlish for three 
 
 H 
 
OV NFAVFOl NDLAM). 
 
 i:>7 
 
 i 
 
 (lays' rosislancc. .Iii(li.n' Prowso (•(»i)liiiii("< io dcscrllx! llio 
 most nnoltinj: l>Mrl)!irisiii pi'MdiscMl hy (lid Frcncli. "'llw 
 I'^rcncli took one \\'illiaiii Drew, an iiilialiitaiit, a prisoiici', 
 cut all ai'otiiid liis sciilp, llicii l>y slrcnutli of hand sliippcil 
 ]m skill IVoiu liis forehead lo his crown, and then sent liini 
 Itacis into llie fori, assurinii' tlie iniiahitants Ihey would lie all 
 served Ihe same way if they did not surrender." 'I'liis slale- 
 ment Is alloucther loo hori'ihle fo he helieved, and tin; Al)he 
 IJandonin says not a word ahoiit i(, hnl descrihes the sur- 
 render in (juile a dilleicnt inannei'. "The .'V)lh," he says, 
 "the day of St. Andrew, a man c.anie from the fort with a 
 while Ihiii', lo spe.-dv of surrender. . . . The ( io\ ei-nor 
 with fom- of the priiuipal cili/.ens cMme for ;m interview. 
 Thev Avoidd not allow us to enter the fori, lest we should 
 see the miserahle |)lii!ht to which they were reduced. It 
 was aii'reed they should surrender on condition of heinu^ 
 al]ow(>d to depai't for i^nuland. The capitulation was hrouiiht 
 in writini>' to the fort, and appi'o\('d of liy the principal 
 citizens (Ixmriit'ois) iuid sii^ned hy the ( Jo\ei'nor and M. d(^ 
 r>rouillon." 
 
 All this certainly looks like the most approv(>d style of 
 civili/ed and orthodox warfare. And, aiiain, M, r>audouin tells 
 ns that a thoroui^hly rclii^ious spirit pervaded the French 
 forces, llet'orc u'oinLf into iiulil they all rect'lvcd ahsohilion, 
 .and durinii' the cam[)aiirn they frc(|iiently approached the 
 ISacraments, and that the _i«reater part of them had tlu; fear 
 of (Jod, to which he attributes their wonderful success. "I 
 have never before," he says, "seen so cle.arly accom|)li>hed 
 that which (lod says rei:ardini:' those who serve him." On 
 {\\v. other hand, he draws a most lamentable iiictiuc of the 
 stat(M)f the Enu'lish inhabitants. " It is impossible," he says, 
 " to imaijine auythinu" more abominab|(> than the life led by 
 the Knijlish of these coasts." They are left altou't^thcr 
 without the succor of religion, and are d(>nenera.ted into 
 a race almost worse than savages. ("linu; of the most 
 loathsome nature is tjuite })ul)lic amonu' them ; not only that, 
 but, as the Abbe Baudouin states, "they endeavored even 
 
i:)8 
 
 E( "CLKSI ASTICA L II ISTOIJ V 
 
 to cnlico our iiicii to I'vil." Now, oven iu;ikii\n' full iillowaiico 
 for the patriotism aii'l j)i'('jiuru'(' of this /.(viloiis chaplain, \vc 
 can scarcely douht t!iat tlu^ state ol'tliese jioor peoples at that 
 time imi>t have heeii wry low in llie moral scale. As to tiie 
 French, it is aiuazinu' to think that they could hyvo hrouuht 
 an army through those trackless woods, — a thinui; which now, 
 after the improN cments and chanii'es of over \\\o hundred 
 and seventy years, cv uld scarcely lu' altempted. That they 
 were couraireous, enthusiiistii', ])erhaps severe even to ihe 
 verge of cruelty, we can easily Ixlieve. A\'arfar(i at l»est 
 is not a mollilier of human passions ; but I think we must 
 decline to u'ive credence to the l)arl)arous story of tlu> scalp- 
 ini:'. It is true that there was a contin'""nt of Canadian Indians 
 and half-l)i'eeds with tht> l"'rench trooi)s who mii:ht ])ossihIy 
 have been 'guilty of such an outrai:'e ; but instead of lieing 
 acknowledged or countenanced by the Fi'cnch ollicers, it is 
 most probable that if discovered it woidd. l)e puiii>he;! with 
 the utmost severity. 
 
 S[ieakini;' of this period of our history, Uonnycastle (\'oI. 
 I., [)p. i>'2 iv:'[ .sd ) says: " For nearly ninety years misrule 
 reared its head, and society was in a wretched condition. 
 'I"her(> was no Fnuli^h cK'ruyman in the country until alioul 
 nine years after the e\ents recorded by Altlie IJaudouin. 
 This year (IT'i")) was rcMuarkable lor that in which the 
 first resident cleriiyman or missionary of the Church of 
 Enirland arrived in .\i'\» ibundland. . . . His name was 
 rFat'kson." 
 
 ll was not till about sixty years afterwards (17(!.")) that 
 the fn-.-t >b'thodist minister arrived in New tbundland. This 
 was the IJev. Mr. Couj^hlan. lie was estalilished in Har- 
 bor (ira<'e; lait, according to lu'V. Mv. Uond, in the St. 
 ,Iohn"> "Daily lOveniiig Tcdegram," Christmas, ISS,'), (juot- 
 ing iVom N\'ils(*n's " Wesleyanism in Xewfoundland," he 
 was not a recogni/.ed Methodist minister, having been 
 "ordained by the IVishop of I^ondou " as an Anglican 
 (deruyinan, and sent out at the expense of the; ";>ociety 
 for the Propagation of the (losiu-l."' Nc\ ertlndcss, he 
 
 1^ 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 159 
 
 sccins to have roconcilcd it to his conscience to act in a 
 (hial capacity. "Thouiili a clcriiynuin," says Mr. Bond, 
 "he was still a Methodist preacher.*' "Whether this is 
 compatihlo with tiie principles of ^^'eslevanisnl or not I 
 am not sutD(;iently initiated to ))ass an o[)ini m ; hut, cer- 
 'i.iinl}', viewed JVom the stand-point of honesty, it has, to 
 say the least, a (h)ul)trnl appearance. 
 
 For the next tltteen or sixteen years the history of Xew- 
 fonndland consists of a series of alternating' coniiuests and 
 deteats hetween the French and English. " 'J'lie island was 
 torn and harassed by lielty Avarfare and de|)redalion, heinu' 
 sometimes in possession of one power, sometimes of the other" 
 (Honycastle, p. 87. ) In lli'.l.S iVdmiral Neville and Sir John 
 (lihson appeared oil" the coast. In 1703 .Vdmiral (iray(h)n 
 came ; hut the French still held possession, thouiiii it seems 
 ihey were ousted from some places for, in 1704 we find 
 some of the Altenacpiis Indians had estalilished themselves in 
 Newfoundland, and wcmc attacked l)y the Knulish. They 
 applied to the Ciovtrnor of Placentia, ^^. Vaudrenil, for 
 assistance. M. Montiuny was sent to their aiil with al)out 
 iifty Canadians. In 170") INI. Suljcrcase, having succeeded 
 ]M. de Ih'ouillon in the government of I'lacentia, endeavored to 
 make thorough work with the English. The French were 
 this time assisted hy the Ahenaciuis, under lluMr cclel)iated 
 leader, Nescand)ouit. They set out from I'lacentia with an 
 army of some fonror live hundred, and Iravelledon snow-sh()es. 
 as did l)"Il)t'rville*s men a few y(>ars before. riiey started 
 al)out the l,')th of January, and did not meet u[) with tlu^ 
 English till the 2(itli, having suH'ered nuich from th(> cold. 
 The ])lace of encounter is called in Ans|)ach (j). 'i'-V,)) Jirhnu, 
 which may be a corruption of IJcnouse, or more likely a 
 typographical mistake for Jiihon. which would be a FrcMich 
 way of writing JJaz/hn/ls. They next took Petty Ilarhor. 
 Tli(>v then pursued in the track of D'lbervilh^ towards 
 St. flolm's, which w again in possession of the English. 
 Afti'r some time, they were oliliged to raise the sieg(> on 
 account of want of })owder. They retraced their steps to 
 
 i 
 
"^7^^ 
 
 KK) 
 
 ECCLESIASTK A I, IIIST( )ItY 
 
 i 
 
 Forilldii, Avhic'h they t'lipturcd iuid hiinit on the ')lh of AFari'li ; 
 "after wliii'li," say.s Clinrlevoix ("Xoiivcllc France," Vol. II., 
 J). .")()()), " Moiitiu'iiy, with his faithful Xescamhouil , went 'x\\i\ 
 do!?troye(l all the coast, iiicliiiliuii" ( "arhoiiiere an<l Hooiicvlslc."' 
 In 17(1(1 the liritish apiin expelled them. In 1 70(S St. Ovide, 
 French admiral, took St. John's and all the Island, e.\ee[)tinii' 
 ('arl)oiiear, which, as usual, was gallantly deiended hy the 
 lishernien. The French then held it initil the Treaty of 
 I'lrcchi, 171.'). \\\ this treaty, as is well known, the sov- 
 ereignty of the \vliole I>land was ceded to (Jreat lii'ilain ; l)ut 
 unfordniately for the future prosperity of llie Island, ihe 
 French were alloAved ciM'taiu lishinu' rin'hts, which have l)een 
 the soui'ce of all our troubles. The Island was then placed 
 unck'r the nominal administration ot' the (lovernor of Xova 
 Scolia. In I72',l the tir>t izovernor of Xewfoundland was 
 iij)pointi'd in the [)erson of Sir Henry Osborne. AlthouiL'h 
 the ii'o\-ernor was nominale(l as connnandei-in-chief. still 
 the (i>liinLf admirals, who had l)e(M\ eslahlislied since 17()().' 
 wcie retained. 'I'he conunis.-ion also imduded IMacentia. 
 which, since the Treaty of 171."). had l)een a separate com- 
 mand, as a dcj)uty governorshi[) under the (io\'ernor of 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 The siuninLr ot" the Treaty of Ftrecht pive the death-blow 
 to French j)owcr and prcsti^i'c in the New World. ''Had 
 her ministers,"' wiilcs 1 )r. Mullock (MS., p. -l-l), "either 
 ordinary foroii^'ht or patriotism, and had a lew millions of 
 the wealth sipiandered at \'ersailles, or woi'se, in vice and 
 infamy, durini;' the reii'cncy ami the I'ciu'u of TjOuIs X\'., 
 Iieen expended on the French selllemcnls in America, not 
 alone ('anada, lail the whole of the western portion of the 
 contiiKiit, the Southern States horderini:' on Mexico, th(^ 
 lower provinces of New I>runswick, Xova Scotia, Newfound- 
 land, and I'rince Fdward Ishuul, woidd now lie French in 
 Mood, lanii'uaue, and ndigion. AVhat rcdii^'ion did for Spain, 
 in the days ot' her lilory, when her '(Joldcn lianner,' sur- 
 inoimfed l»y the (Voss, waved over half the world; when 
 (he Spanish soldier and the Spanish fri.ar pcnet': !ed ton'cther 
 
OF NHWFOUNDI.AXn. 
 
 Ifil 
 
 ■ si , 5 I 
 
 Cl- 
 
 io the, I'ciuotost v\nU of the ciirtli ; wlicii the fortress and the 
 convent rose side l)y si(h', — slie 'would h;iv(! done as clfeet- 
 iKilly for France; hut inlidehtv was then eating' into the 
 vitals of the nation. . . . The o[)[)()siti()ii of Louis XI\'. 
 to the I'ope ; tiu; so-called ' liberties ' of the (Jallican Churcii, 
 uhich favored and luirtured Jansenism, and, sulise(|uently, 
 develo[)ed dininu' the ren'ciicv and tlu^ reiitii of liouis X\'. ; 
 the IViiiiitfid inlidelity of Voltaire and his associates, — lost 
 to P"' ranee the New World. In her madness she rose; against 
 God and apninst I lis Clmi'ch. and her liloiy depai'tod forever. 
 It is only once in the cycle of aLi'es that a nation has the 
 power of estalilishinii' her reliiiion, jier lan:na<:'e, her laws, 
 and her character oxer a laru'e section of the human race; 
 and no nation cNcr threw away siu-h a s[)Iendid <)i)[)ortunity 
 of doin^" this as France. IIci' forts, heii-inning at New 
 Orleans, imk irclcd tlu^ contracted territory of thc^ thirteen 
 original States, and lo the north, to the shores of l>aliin's 
 I'ay, tlu! land was all her own. Her log forts are now great 
 cities, — the Sees of ]>i>ho|)s and the marts of eonunerce ; 
 the deserts and forests where her (lag then waved are now tlie 
 homes of great nations; I)ut her sun is set foi'cver ; her 
 language is there no longer sjioken. A few sugar islands,' 
 and tlii^ islets of St. Pierre and Miiiuelon, now {-omprise her 
 whole transatlantic territory. Aliont a niillion of ( anadians, 
 among thirty-six millions of Xorth Americans, s[)eak her 
 language, and these w ill, in tlu^ course of time, he ahsorhed 
 in the Anglo-Celtic race. . . . Such is the state in whii'h 
 her parliaments, her kings, and her encyclopiedi.-ts hnw, left 
 her. Her glorv in the Weslcrn Ilemi>phere is departed. 
 Forty millious may hereafter u^i> her language as their vei 
 nacular throughout the world, while lOugiish will he the 
 mother-tongue of at least two hundred millions of tlu; human 
 race. N'oltaire and his satellites sat islied the la>t generation, 
 and mad(^ them believe that inlideliiy was the panacea .ov 
 the social evils for their count I'v. \ow no Frenchman can 
 
 Ciiv t'linc. 
 
ill:: 
 
 ]('.2 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAI, HISTORY 
 
 troad (lie soilof Amtn-ica, where Iiis lanirtiageaiul nalioDality, 
 excoj)! in a small ])ait of Canada, liavo iicrishod, williout, 
 i'celing the l)ln.s]i of slianio mantling his t'licisk. 
 AVithont (h)nl)t tho great Kevohition was sent l)y (Jod to 
 chasten and reinvii^orate th(^ nioekinn- and frivolous ucnera- 
 tion which then encninbered the s;)il of France." 
 
 
 'i? 
 
 a 
 
 il 
 
 111 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 1G3 
 
 CHAPTER xr. 
 
 CATHOLICITY AFTEIJ TlIK TIJKATY OF I^TRECIIT. — [1090-1728.] 
 
 TrcMly dl' I'lri'c'lit, 1713 — ( 'ondiiioiw, Fi-riii'li iillowiMl Id Dopiirt or Ixm'ouk! r.rifish 
 f?uliji'('l-i — ('iillidlir l>i'li;;i(iii |iuljlii'ly l'r;ii-tisi'il in \i>svloiiiiilliiii(I — TIk" l"i>liiiiyf 
 Ailiiiiriils — 0|i|Hisilinii dl' ilio Mcrcliiiiits to tlic A)ipdiiitnicii( of a (jovcniur — 
 A|ipdiiiIiiicMt dl'llic I'iisl (idvoriior, Ciiplaiii IK'iiry <)~l)i)iiu', 17-.S. 
 
 V. 
 
 L 
 
 ^pill^ politic-Ill liistoi'V of Xe\vfouii(ll:iii(l (liu'iiii!: 11)0 l;ittcr 
 -i [i.'irt of the scnciih'ciitli cciitiirv is hut ii record of 
 obscure skinuishcs hctwccu sniiill (Ichicluncnls of Kiiu'lish 
 uiid French : the only reiuark:il)le traiisuctiou was the takini;; 
 of St. flohn's, in 17i)S, I)y the French. Tli(>y retained pos- 
 session of the town till 17 1.'), the dale of the Treaty of Utnviit. 
 Durinii' that occnjialion the CathoFu; reliuiou Avas pulilicly 
 professed and ])ractised, l>y the ahovi'-inentioned Irciaty 
 France abamloned all claim to the Island of Xewfoundland, 
 retaininu' only the small islands of St. Pierre, Lanulade, and 
 ]Mi(lu<'li)n. and the riulit of lishini;' on the shores iVoiii Capo 
 l)ona\i>ta to Point Riche. 'Ihe dominion of the soil was 
 nominally seciii'cd to Fn;.',iand, hut the French secured such 
 riu'hts as ha\'e ever since clashed with the luaintenanct! of 
 Pji'itisli rule on that c(>as(. 'l"he Fi'cnch were tiMiarantcHid the 
 riiiiit to li>h while tor r)i'iti>h suhjects it was only l)y the 
 toleration ol'the l''r<'nch that they could exercise such a riuht. 
 The l-'rench were allowed to dry and cure their lish on shore, 
 ;ii)il to cut such wood or houuhs as niiulit he necessaiy for 
 their flakes and staii'o. It is easy to see how such rights, 
 conllictiiiL;' with thox- of I>riti>h .qilijcct^ settlinu' on I lie shore, 
 wer(^ soon the source of insurinountahlc and ever-ini'i'casing 
 difliculties and contests. 
 
 According' to the treatv, Franc(\ though ohtaininu' full 
 dominion of St.' Peter's, was prohihiied from fortifyinii' it, or 
 keepinu' a liarrison of more tium one lumdrod men 111)011 it. 
 
^'% 
 
 164 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 Olio of the Mvticlcs of the treaty Avas that tlu^ Catholic rcliirion 
 Avas allowed (l)iiL with the sinister jiroviso, "as far as tlu^ 
 laws of (Ireat Urilaiii will allow"!) in all plaei's ceded hy tlu^ 
 French, — to French snhjects who might wish to remain and 
 bcconu^ IJritish suhjects. 
 
 In Ilannay's "History of Nova Scotia," \). oOS, we read 
 as follows: "On the 2,')d .hme, 171."), nearly three months 
 after the Treaty of I'trecht was siirned, (^ueen Anne wrote to 
 Nicholson, (Jovernorof Nova Scotia, as follows: ' W'hei'cas 
 our (lood Urotlur, the most Christian Kinii', hath at our 
 desire released from imi)ris()inMcnt on l»o;ird his irallcys such 
 of his sul)jects as were detained there on at-count of their pro- 
 fessiiii; the Pi'otestant reliaion, AVe beinu" williiiii' to show I)v 
 some mark of our favor towards his suhjects how Uind wo 
 take his compliance therein, have therefore thought lit hereby 
 to signify Our will and ])lcasure to you; that you permit 
 such of them as have any hinds or teiieinents, in [)laces under 
 your (iovernnienl in Acadia and Newfound Laud, that have 
 been or an; to ln' yielded to I's by A'irtue of the late Treaty 
 of I'eace ; and are willing to continue our subjects ; to retain 
 and enjoy their said lands and tenements, without moles- 
 tation as fully and freely as other of our subjects do : or may 
 possess their lands or estates or to s(dl the same, if they 
 shall rather choose to remove elsewhere. And for so doing 
 this shall be your warrant.'" 
 
 Anspach says ("History of Newfoundland"), speaking 
 of this period: "The i>riests piiblii'kly practisi'd their sacer- 
 dotal functions as if jjojx'ry were <he estai)rislicd religion of 
 the country. Richards, the Kiiglish ('ommandcr-in-Chief, 
 judiciously endeaxoiircd to aliridge their impolitick indul- 
 gences, . . . but was not siip})()rted in those measures. 
 The iniluence thus oiKained by the Church of IJome was the 
 more pernicious as it was in the hands of the rFesuits, who, 
 ecpiaily regardless of the laws and interests of their govern- 
 ment considered their Mission in these ))arts of the world 
 as intended merely to jiropagate their tenets and extend the 
 power and wealth of their order." 
 
 I J 
 
 lit. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 in') 
 
 iiiL 
 
 "Tliis io-norant [jicc'c of TrotcslMiit (Iccliinuilion," writes 
 Dr. Mullock, "is Viilii!il)l(^ as :i liistorical record of the puMic 
 exercise of the Catholic reliirion in Xewfoundlaiul ; and 
 the biirotecl attempt of the iz-overnor to \iolate the ti'ealy 
 l)y which he ir'ot the ])o\ver to lidveni the Catholics of the 
 Island. . . . Tlu' attsick on the Jesuits is only another 
 })r()of of the lamentable iu'norance of such writers when 
 treating of Catholic allairs. Even the iri'ave debates of I'ar- 
 liament display such iu'norance of Catholic matters (as, for 
 instance, the linlhi Cd'iiic, in a lireat measure identical with 
 the connuon law of Kniilaiid) that they provoke the contem[)t 
 and diso-ust of foreiii'uers. We have no records of any Jesuits 
 beini:: settled in Xewfoundland, and if any came to the coun- 
 try, they preached no peculiar tenets ; nothing- but the doc- 
 trines of the Catholic Apostolic Church." 
 
 Fn)ni what has already been written concerninir Forryland, 
 it appears that documents and records I'ccently l)roui:ht to 
 liii'ht show us that Jesuit^ had actualh' l)eeu in Ne\»foundland 
 in the time of Lord IJaltimore (U')-2-]); but it is not likely 
 that there were any here at the time of the Treaty of Utrecht, 
 nearly a century later (171;')). 
 
 Protestant writers fre(|uently confound ;dl missioners of 
 the Catholic Church with the -lesuits, whereas tlu; illustrious 
 Order of St. Iii-natius forms but a small, thouiih active, part 
 of tlu' Church's army. Xewfoundland was not a lik(>ly place 
 for them to ])retend to s])read their power and inlluence, 
 especially after its surrender to the Hnirlish. 
 
 In all probability the i)riests who gave such umbrage to 
 (lovernor Richards by legally i)erforming their religious 
 function^ were the vnvvs of St. John's and Placentia and 
 other settlements; in all ]>i'obability "king's priests," as the 
 KecoUets (P^-anci scans) were called, because they sei'ved as 
 chaplains in all the forts, shii)s, and galleys of the French 
 monarch. By a royal ordinance the Franciscans were obliged 
 to furnish and provide one of their own Order as chaplain for 
 •everv fort containing a garrison of forty men, and for every 
 ship of war of his Most Christian Majesty. The friar, while 
 
 i*t 
 
ir.G 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOHV 
 
 .'H'liiiii- ns naviil or luilitaiy cliapliiin, received the iip})()iiitinont 
 and rank of a captain of the line and (wo hundred livres pei- 
 annum, one-half ol" ^\hich went to his convcMit. As (luMr 
 occupation interfered with llie strict observance of the rnh; 
 of St. Francis, Innocent XL, in the year KJS"), i;ranted them 
 the necessary <lisp(Misat ions. ( )n account of llu; sc;ircit\' of 
 doriiy in the vast diocese of (Quebec, Ihey wvw, also ()l)lii;(><l 
 to send a priest from one of their couNcnts to take chai'i;c of 
 an_\ convent becoininu' vacant till a cure was a[)poiute(l. 
 
 The French popidation had no u'l'cat inducement to I'eniain 
 in iS'ewfoinidland. — looked ni)on with an evil eye by the 
 Fnii'lish (ioNcrnment ; and ha\inu' no iireat faith in the treaty 
 l»v which their rcdiiiion v^as liuaranteed, they in most cases 
 disposed of their jjrojx'rties in St. JoinTs, Placentia, and 
 Trc[)assey, then tlu ir i)riiu'i})al settlements, and left llu^ 
 country. Thus the Ishmd was once auain delivere(l to l*rot- 
 estantism, and Catholicity, aft(>r tiie final de})arture of tlu; 
 Frinich, seemed fori'ver extinguished. l>ut tlu^ ways of God 
 arc inscrutai)le. It was once more established on a more 
 firm l)asis by Ii'ish innuiirration. 
 
 The FniiTish laws and Kiii:Tish sentiment oi)posed ull at- 
 temi)ts at colonization. The I -land was reuarded as a great 
 shii) moored in mid-ocean, to I)e yejirly manned and put in 
 conunission by the fishermen of l^ngland and fhe Channel 
 Islands, Acts were j)assed by the Uritish Parliament (10 
 and 11 ^^ ill. III., Pii'S) to discouraire settlement and cul- 
 tivation. This act was the most extraordinary law ever passcul 
 for tlie ruin and confusion of a country. I>y it the masters 
 oi' {\n\/ir.sf (/(ire rrsscJ.^ ai-riving in thi^ Island to i)rosecute 
 the fishery wei'c investe(l with the titles of admiral, vice and 
 re.ir admiral for the year. Thus men without education, 
 legal knowledg(^ or any otlier (lualillcation, inunedialely Ixv 
 came possessed of magisterial powers of a high order, ha\ing 
 \mcontrolled right to (lecide all matters regarding the lishery, 
 as well as all public rights of a civil naturi'. We may easily 
 imagine how these men, bigotecl, unt'ducalod, and cruel, usedr 
 the uncontrolled power — a barljarous enactment — put into 
 
OK NKWFOrNDLAXl). 
 
 167 
 
 their hands in a most (yranniciil iiiMiuicr. Floiriiinuf an Trisiinian 
 (wiiich uuuh' was a synonynic for a Catholic) was a conunon 
 occurrence. Hut this brutality did not ceases with the lishin>^ 
 admirals. As lat(^ as 1.S21 lw() men were iloiiired in Con- 
 ception P)ay hy ()r(h'r of a siirroiiatc who was at the same 
 time a Church of Knuland j)ars()n. 'J'heir crime was that they 
 fell into (lci)t to a mercantile house. This was, however, the 
 last time such barbarity was practisi'd in the Island. A del- 
 eijation was sent to London. 'I'he allair was brou<:lit before 
 tlu^ colonial authorities, and tlu; suri'oii'ate jurisdiction was 
 abolislu'd forever. 
 
 The state of religion and morality in the Island under the 
 Kniilish rule durinii' the remainder of tlu; eiuhteenth century 
 nuist have been at a very low ebb, even judii'ini;' from tlu' 
 statements of Protestant authors tliemselves. Reeves (p. i'tfi 
 and srr/.) (|U()tes the report sent home from time to time liy 
 the conunodores t(» the Uoard of 'I'l'ade, from which I cli[) 
 tlu^ follow in_i>' (A.I). 172.S): "Another of them says the 
 admirals jjI'ovi' j;'cnerally the tijrealest knaves. ... It 
 would b(? re(|uisite to have a civil g'overnnienf to administer 
 justice, that they may be iioverned like liritons, and not like 
 banditti, . . . without laws or ( ios[)el, havinii' no means 
 of ndiiiion, there beinii' but one cleri^yman in all tlu; country." 
 A<>'ain, the Hoard of 'I'l'ade I'cpresented to Jlis Ahijesty that 
 the Hisliop ol" L()n(U)n, as ()rdinarv of the Plantations, should 
 send a cleriryman, whose salary miiziit be pu( on the estab- 
 lishment of the garrison of Placentia. In Hill'.t a j)eliliou 
 was made for a liovernor. The mattiM' was refei'red to the 
 Lords of Trade and Plantations. Their Lordships did not 
 think tit to reconmuMid the petition: but tor keepinii' the 
 pco[)le liviuii' there in Christianity they proposed that His 
 jNIajesty should send a chaplain in the convoy ships. ]Mean- 
 time, while thes(> ellbrts wer(> beiiiL;' made to establish and 
 sui)port tlu' Prote.-tant I'clinion in the Island, a i:ratlual 
 influx of Irish Homaii Catholic jjopulation was impercei)t ibiy 
 j)0uring' into the country and takinif deep I'oot in the various 
 bays and harbors. It would be an interesting study to 
 
mmmummmmm 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 1G8 
 
 KCPLKSIASTICAL IIIST( »UV 
 
 trace (lie oriii'iii and proiii'css »»Flliis silciil l)iit (ncr oiillowiiii; 
 siti'Oiini of iiniiiiuTalioii : l»ut as yet no records have Ix'cn louiid 
 to throw lii!lil upon it. W'e have already K'anie<l t'roiu th(; 
 diai'V ol" Pcre riaudouin that as lar hack as llilMl there was 
 a considerahh' cohtiiy of Irish estahlislied in the country, 
 csp(Hiaily in ( onceplion Uay. 
 
 In lliTOwe lind the Lol'ds of the Conunittee lor Trade and 
 IMantations conii)hiinin^' that many ownei's of sliips carri(>(l 
 out ])assenu"ers cotih-dri/ to the hi'i's diid roiisft'/iif/ous of t!ie 
 iishery to tlie ureat detriment of tlie lishini:' trade. Tiiat 
 many owners also victuaUed their ships from Irchiiid instead 
 of Knii'iand. Hero we liave a faint iiiimpse of tiie oriiiin 
 of Irish inuniji'i'ation, whicli was to take such (h'e[) root and 
 to play so promiu(Mit a part in the futui'c history of Xew- 
 foundhind. 
 
 \\ 
 
 Th<> pasi'e we are now openinir in the annals of our country 
 is OIK' wliicli we would fain see l)lotted out hy the tears of 
 the genius of Terra Nova, for it is hlotted with 
 
 •■ Wlioli' |i;iuc-> of sori'DNv iiinl sliiiinc." 
 
 For nearly a hundred years we see nothinii' hut the meanest 
 and most cruel ell'orts on the part of the tish lords to cru>h 
 out the risinji' life of the hardy little colony, alternated hy 
 weak and despotic acts on the part of the liritish ( Jovern- 
 rnent to I'arry into execution those narrow-minded and sellish 
 views, 
 
 AVc have already alluded to the arltitrar}' power plac((d in 
 the hands of the fishinii' admirals. The most strinii'ent 
 enactments were passed to prevent hy all possible means the 
 colonization of the Island. On the 4th Decomher, Itit!.'}, the 
 Lords of the Privy Council wrote a letter enforcinir the law 
 "that no master or owner of any ship should transport any 
 persons to Xewfound Liind who were not of the ship's com- 
 pany, or such as were to plant and settle there.'" 
 
 In 16(57 the people made an aiiitation for the i)urpos(> of 
 obtaining a governor. The merchants of Totnoss, Plymouth, 
 
\^ 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 16!> 
 
 D.'irlinoiitli, etc., stfciiuoiisly opposed llic inovciiKMit. Tlicy 
 wrote 1(^ (lie Lords ofllu' Privy Coimcil to siiy lliat "several 
 ])eivsoiis upon >pccioiis piir|)oses, iiiid foi" siii/'sfcr ciii/s, wen; 
 eiideaNomiiiL;' to estnhlisli a govcnioi', \vliicli liad c/irai/s been 
 j)cni/(/i)Ns /(I the JisJici'i/." 
 
 In 1(!71 tli(! (|iie>lion of appoint inn' a irovenior was iipiin 
 
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 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIiY 
 
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 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION. — [1728-1762.] 
 
 Governor Osl)ornn — Ilostilo Attitiulo of the Merchants towards flie Projrrcss of the 
 C'diiutry — Perseciitin;? Enactments of the (ioveriiors — (Jovcnior Dorril (1755) 
 Persecutes the Catholics ^('onliscations and Fines at Ilarhor Maine — Capture of 
 the Islaml by the French, 17G2 — Final Reeapture by the Enylish, 
 
 IT was natural to suppose thiit, under such a system as that 
 of the lishiug admirals, tyrannizing' over a tloating popu- 
 lation, crime and disorders of every sort Avould })revail, and 
 that without ii permanent government society could not exist 
 nor soeial order he estahlished in tlie country. In 1728 
 Lord Vere IJeauelerk, the commodore on the station, nnule 
 a report to the homo Government showing the necessity for 
 the appointnuMit of a governor for the security of life and 
 proi)erty ; and, after cousider!d)lc delay and investigation, at 
 length the tirst governor was appointed in the person of 
 Captain Henry Osborne, of II.]\I. ship " 8<iiiirrel," 
 
 "The merchants, however," writes Dr. Mullock, "coalesced 
 with the lishinii: admirals to render nuiifatory the reiiiilations 
 niiide by the esttiblished authority. It is renuirkable that 
 in every movement for the amelioration of the country we 
 inv!irial)ly liud the merchants obstructing and ojjposing the 
 improvement. In 172!) they upheld the rule of llie lishing 
 admirals, and opjwsed the establishment of a Crown gov- 
 ernor ; when it wtis necesstiry to establish law courts, and 
 appoint a Chief Justice and assistant jiulges, again they are 
 in ojiposition. TIk; establishment of a colonial Legislature 
 found the majority of them opponents, and, latterly, the prin- 
 cipal o[)position to liesponsible Government and Free Tnide 
 came from the mercantile body. Their interests and those 
 of the peoi)le v,'er(^ never identical. They were but trtmsitory 
 residents, adventurers strugitling to make fortunes, and then 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 171 
 
 leave the country ; and among the hundreds who left the 
 Island witli millions of money, not even one was found to 
 leave any permanent mark of his residence in endowed schools, 
 hosi)itals, or other l)enevolent institutions." These words 
 were written by the enlightened pen of Dr. ^lullock some 
 thirty-one^ years ago (1)S5()). They contain a terribly severe 
 indictment, but not too much so. They arc the deductions 
 of a clear historical mind from the study of our past history. 
 The pages of Chief Justice Reeves, an imi)artial authority, 
 tell the tale in terms not less terrible from being couched in 
 the authentic records of the period ; and at the present day, 
 after a lapse of over thirty years of modern development and 
 enlightenment, have we anything to mollify and erase in 
 the strictures of Dr. Mullock? Alas, no ! On the contrary, 
 many other counts must be added to the indictment. The 
 merchants were ()[)|)osed to the construction of our dry dock, 
 to the undertaking of railway work, to the opening up of 
 mines, topographical and geological surveys, and such public 
 enterprises; in fact, to all that could raise Newfoundland 
 from tlu! condition of a fishing-station. On the great ([ues- 
 tion of Confederation, it may be said that the mind of the 
 coimtry is not fully formed, and it is believed that we may 
 at any moment be brought again face to face with this mo- 
 mentous (piestion. It is not my intention, nor does it come 
 within my scope, to express an opinion on th(; subject in these 
 pages. It is sullicient t(. remark that the merchants, as a 
 body, are streiiuon>ly ()p[)()sed to this movement. This fact 
 should I>e of great weight, in connection with the study of 
 the attitude of the merchants to our country's progress, in 
 helping our people to form their opinions on the vital subject 
 of Confederation. 
 
 "Tlu^ mcrtliants, then, of that day'" (1 728), continu(>s Dr. 
 jNIullock, " banded themselves together in opposition to the 
 appointment of an Imperial governor as an inlVingcment on 
 their rights."' Oiu^ point alone of union existedamong all 
 parties, — a hatred of Catholicity and of permanent settlement 
 in the country. We hear but little of Catholics in those days ; 
 
n, I. 
 
 '.I • 
 
 1 
 
 172 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 in fact, thoir oxistonco is only nianifostcd by the continuous 
 series of persecutina- cnuctnuMits and jjroclaniatioiis levelled 
 ajrainst them. When there was such tenacity in persecuting 
 them they must have been numerous, for the <>ro\vin<ir p()\v(>r 
 of Catholicity can always be ascertained by the virulence of 
 the persecution. Each govei'uor in succession considered it 
 his duty to signalize his tenure of otlice by a bigoted proc- 
 lamation against Catholics, and the memory of the many acts 
 of tyranny thus perj)et rated has not as yet faded from the 
 minds of the old inhabitants. 
 
 In 175'), Hugh Dorril being governor, we find among the 
 records of his rule that an order was forwarded to Mr. (ieorgo 
 Garland, of Harbor (J race, to apprehend a priest said to have 
 been in that town, and to send him to St. John's. It does 
 not appcMir, however, that the priest was captured ; |)r()bal)ly 
 he got notice, and concealed hiujself. About this time, also, 
 a house was burned in Harbor Grace i)ecause Mass was said 
 in it. A proclamation was also published l)y Dorril against 
 bringing lloman Catholic servants into the country, and a 
 strict order is given that those brought in during the sununer 
 shall be sent home again before the winter. About the same 
 time a person of the name of George Tobin, in Harbor Grace, 
 was lined " £10 for inllaming (\itholics against Pi'otestants ; "' 
 and a ship's captain, of the same i)ort, was lined IiUewis(! " £10 
 for hoisting the Irish colours"! Still the faithful clergy, 
 Avhose names, we hope, are written in the Book of Life, 
 though we have no record of them, did not desei't the ))e()i)le. 
 At the head of Conception liay lies the town of Harbor Maine, 
 now totally Catholic. It possesses a eonunodious church, 
 dedicated to 8ts. l*(>ter and Paul ; a convent of nuns of the 
 I'resentation Order, j)resbylei'v and schools; in a word, 
 everything retpiisite for a Catholic town. In tliose dai'k 
 days it was otherwise. A priest was known to have oll'ered 
 up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the fishing-room of a man 
 named Keating. The surrogate, or fioatiiig judge, heard of 
 it, and Keating was condemned to i)ay a lin(> of fifty pounds. 
 15ut even this enormous penalty was not enough to satisfy the 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 173 
 
 ^ 
 
 ))ifrotry of tho colonial iiuthoritios. A ship of war lay in 
 Ilolyrood. She was ordered round to Harbor Maine, and 
 on her arrival there fastened her hawsers to Keating's tishing- 
 staiie, hauled it into the middle of the stream, and set it on 
 tire. Xay, more, Keatinif was ordered to leave the country 
 in the fall, and several other Catholics convicted of being 
 l)resent at tho worship of their fathers. The tirst discoverers 
 and colonizers of Newfoundland were banished from tho 
 country likewise. Wo tind subsequently that a number of 
 Catholics were lined, to make compent^ation to Keating for 
 the burning of his stage, by which it Avould api)ear, either 
 that Keating l)ecame reconciled to the (iovernment, or, per- 
 haps, the local authorities saw that this Turkish system of 
 arson could not be justitied at home. The punishment, how- 
 ever, in all cases fell on CathoHcs, who wore obliged, lirst, 
 to sutler the most grievous insult and persecution, and then 
 iined to make compensation for the villany of their per- 
 secutors. The Harbor Maine Catholics had not, however, as 
 yet expiated their oll'ence. All the Catludic servants in this 
 harbor were tined, and the amount levied on them, after 
 deducting charges, fees, etc., produced £100 l-S.s,, with which 
 a jail was built. Now the jail exists no longer ; a church, con- 
 vent, and schools sui)])ly its place, and the people are, without 
 a single ext-eplion, Catholics. Such are the fruits of perse- 
 cution. The a>hes of the burnt tishing-stagc a})i)eare(l to 
 have jjreparcd the ground for Catholicity. Another registry, 
 about th(! same date, informs us that one Kennedy and his 
 wife, having cont"essed that they were married by a priest, 
 a iHMialty of ten pounds was imposiMl on the husband, his 
 house was burned, and he himself ordered to quit the 
 country. 
 
 Carbineers' also witnessed the persecuting si)irit of Dorril. 
 Two Catholic tenants occui)ied the house of a man named 
 Pike ; it was proved that Mass had been said tiiere, and so 
 ral)id was Dorril's bigotry, that, not satistied with lining 
 the occupiers £40, and banishing them from the country, he 
 ordered the house itself to be burned, tlunigh belonging to a 
 
174 
 
 ECCIESIASTICAL IIISTOIIY 
 
 Protestant, and £30 out of the fiiio to ho paid to him for 
 coinpoiKsatioii ; the roinainiiig £10 was ahsorhcd in court 
 chartr<'.s. 
 
 Again, Daniel (.^rowley's house, at ^[()S(|uito, is ordered to 
 be burned l)ei'ause Mass was said in it. Dy this retinement 
 of jierseeution it was thouglit to sui)press all private as well 
 as public worship among Catholics. Little, however, did 
 they know either the priests or the people they had to deal 
 with, 
 
 (Jovornor Dorril next directs an order to ]\richael Gill, 
 J. P., not to sull'er any Catholic, nor any person emi)l()ying 
 Catholic servants, to sell strong licjuors ; also to cause all 
 houses built by Catholics to be demolished, their land to be 
 taken from them, as many as possible to bo sent out of the 
 country, and those who were permitted to remain to be 
 deprived of the use of lire-arms. Obnoxious oaths were also 
 introduced, debarring Catholics from all the oflices of distinc- 
 tion. The following is the form of an oath which shotdd 
 necessarilv be taken bv all who wished to obtain an\' ijosition 
 "whatsoever in the colony : "We, . . . , do declare that 
 we do believe that there is not any T)'nnnul»tlant!alinn in the 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Su[)per, at or after the consecration 
 thereof bv anv person whatever." 
 
 These extracts from the public records show us the lament- 
 able state of the country at this time. It is not to l)e wondered 
 Jit, then, that on the breaking out of war between England 
 and Fi'ance the whole Island should have fallen an easy j)rey 
 to tlu^ French. The peojjle took but a very slight interest 
 in making a defence, and the Irish Catholics, as might have 
 been expected, either remained neutral or sided with the 
 French, — naturally preferring the dominion of the latter to 
 the brutal sway of an authority wielded by such a petty 
 tyrant as Dorril. 
 
 In IT.'jd a war broke out, as mentioned above, between the 
 two nations, which, from its duration, is known to history as 
 the Seven Years' War. As was usual at this period, tlu^ war 
 soon spread to the colonial possessions of these two kingdoms 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 175 
 
 «.» 
 
 in America. In fnct, the disturbed relations of these colonies 
 conduced in no small measure to the actual breaUlMj^ out of 
 the war. The boundaries of the French and JJritish posses- 
 sions in Xorth America, though formini; special subjects of 
 stipulation, both in the Trealy of Utrecht (1718) and again 
 in that of Aix-la-(^hapellc (174<S), had not been yet settled 
 with sutlicient detiuiteness, so that very soon there arose 
 complaints of mutual encroachments. 
 
 On the 2tth June, 17()2 (a memorable date in Xewfound- 
 land history), four French men-of-war captured l>ay I'ldls, 
 and landing some troops, they marched on St. John's, which 
 again, for the last time, became a French possession. From 
 the detailed statement of the arms and munitions of war 
 captured by the Fri'iich, it would appear that the fort ilicat ion 
 of St. John's at this period was upon .a scale very much 
 larger than when some forty years previously it had been 
 taken by D'Ibcrville. Among the rest we find six pieces of 
 iron camion, four cast mortars, twenty-live sea carriages 
 or guns mounted, two licld pieces mounted, lit2 barrels 
 powder, 1,(504 caimon balls, 1,530 grape-shot, JM^l ll)s. 
 musket-shot, ()(50 grcMiades, etc. In the city of St. John's 
 there were 802 persons and 220 houses. 
 
 On Sei)tember 12 the Fnglish fleet, under Lieut. -Colonel 
 Amherst, arrived at Torl)ay, "whence a i)ath leads to St. 
 John's. A party of the enemy fired some shots at tlu; boats 
 us they rowed in. The tire was returueil, and the enemy 
 retreated. The i)atli for t\)ur miles was narrow and rough, 
 and through a thick wood. . . . "The country oi)ened 
 afterwards, and we marched to the left of Kitty A'itty." 
 This extract is from a letter of Colonel ' mlierst to the Earl 
 of Egremont. Fronj the description it >*"i]l be seen that the 
 army kept to the east over the White Hills. 'J'he French 
 were lying in waiting on the rising ground to tlu; south of 
 Kitty Vitty, and here the first skirmish toolc place. The 
 French retreated to St. John's arid the English ascended 
 towards Signal Ilill, wh(>re they encamped for the night. 
 Next morning the English cleared the Kitty Vitty gut, which 
 
** 
 
 176 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 111 
 
 Imd boon cntiivly stopjjcd by the Frciu-h siiikin;^ sliiillop.s in 
 the |):issii<j:o. " The cnoniy IkkI possession of two very hijili 
 and steep lulls, whieli coninunuUHl the whole ground from 
 Kilty Vitty to St. John's — one in front of our advanced 
 posts and the oth(U' near to St. John's — namely, Signal Hill 
 and (laljows Hill." On the ir)th, Captain MeDcmell, Avith a 
 corps of light infantry, dislodged the French from Signal 
 Hiil. On the Kith the French abandoned (Jallows Hill, and 
 the French licet quitted the harl)or durinur the niuht in a foix. 
 On the 17th the English erected a battery about live hundred 
 yards from the fort (Fort William), which completely com- 
 manded the latter. On the ISth a letter from the French 
 commander (the Count D'llaussonville) was received by 
 Colonel Amherst, oU'ering terms of capitidation, which were 
 acccfited. About eight hundred prisoners were taken, among 
 whom we llnd the name of Michel Chaplain, thus showing that 
 the French never lost sight of the religious clement amid 
 all their warlike undertakings. This was, as we have said, 
 the last capture of Newfoundland. Since that time it has 
 remained a liritish colonv, thouirh the French still retain the 
 rights conferred on them by the Treaty of Utrecht, and con- 
 firmed by the Treaty of Paris, which shall l)e alluded to in the 
 next chapter. 
 
 •f 
 
 
f> 
 
 OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 177 
 
 •» 
 
 CHAPTER XITI. 
 
 RELIGIOUS PKUSECrTION, ro/i/hmed.- [\7C,3-m\:] 
 
 Treaty of'l'aris, 17()3 — Its Disastrous HllVct on rninco — Persecution ol'tlie Catholics 
 under (iovernors I'Hllisrr, Shuldliain, Dull', ami Eihvnnls — First Irish Missiona- 
 ries — lU'v. Falliers Cain, Lonergan, Daily, Itourk' , \\ helan, lleani, and A. 
 Cleary. 
 
 IX the year 170;} tho Seven Yearri' "War was hrouuht to a 
 close, and a treaty most disastrous to France wtis signed 
 at Paris. Tiie strnufi.de between the two nations for Western 
 dominion was finally disposed of. The infamons French 
 Govcnnnent of the day, dehanching the jjcople at homo 
 and disgracing them abroad, yielded forever the territories 
 ac(|nired by Cartier, Chann)lain, and the other gretit men 
 who iilanted the lilies of France from Xewfoundland to 
 the borders of Mexico. Bv this treat v France utive np 
 Canada, Actidia (or Nova Scotia), New Brnnswick, Prince 
 Edward Island, and all other dependencies in the St. 
 Lawrence, and resigned all her title to the territorial pos- 
 session of Xewfoundland ; retaining only the islets of St. 
 Pierre and Miquelon, and the rights of lishing within the 
 limits prescribed bv the Treatv of Utrecht. These risrhts 
 were subsequently (17JS3) continued by the Treaty of Ver- 
 sailles, with the excei)tit)n of the following changes : '' The 
 King of France renounces the right of tishing between Cape 
 lionavista and Ctipc St. John, on the north-east, in lieu of 
 which concession his rights are extended on the south-west 
 from Point Iliche to Cape Kay.'' 
 
 The free exercise of the Catholic religion was guaran- 
 teed for Canada, and though persecution of a pett}' sort was 
 often resorted to, still the Canadians were always able to 
 maintain their rights, their {)roxiaiity to the United States giv- 
 ing them a great moral strength ; but it was not so in Xew- 
 
178 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 foundlniid. GoviMiior (Jravo.s rulod tlio coiinti-v diiriiii; llio 
 French war, and ho appears to have liad his hands too I'nll 
 to oi'cupy himself in any very violent measures against the 
 Catholies. Wo only tind an ordinance of his calling for the 
 lax imposed by Governor "\Vol)l» on Catholic and Irish trad- 
 ers, which appears not to have hoen regularly collected 
 during the troubles. 
 
 \\\ 17(12 Hugh Palliser was appointed governor, and, difli- 
 cult as it may seem, surpassed all his })redecessors in bigotry. 
 He issued proclamations to the following eflect : — 
 
 1. Popish servants are not to bo permitted to remain in 
 any place bnt where they served the previous sununer, 
 
 2. No more than fifo Pa])ists are allowed to live in one 
 house, unless in the house of u Protestant. 
 
 J}. No Papist to bo allowed to keep a public house, or 
 sell licpiors by retail. 
 
 
 V < 
 
 Finally, as these laws seem not to have been suiricionlly 
 stringent to ivi)ress Popery, an order is given ''to yixiW down 
 all hut?» inhabited by Catholics who induced j)eoi)le to stay 
 in the Island, when the intention is that they shall go homo 
 in the fall." A permission is granted some time after to 
 license from eight to fifteen houses in St. -lolm's for the sale 
 of spirituous rKpiors, but with the jjroviso that no Catholic 
 be allowed to sell any. 
 
 Again, another order, even more stringent, is pul)lislicd, 
 "that neither man nor woman, being Pa[)ist, wiio did not 
 
 tl 
 
 U( 
 
 d t( 
 
 serve in St. John's m lUo sununer he allowed lo remam in 
 the winter; nor more than two Roman Catholics be allowed 
 in the same house, unless the master be a Protestant. 
 
 Tl 
 
 IIS 
 
 we should sup])ose to be sulliciently tyi*iuinical ; but it was 
 reserved for Palliser to go beyond oven the [)enal laws of 
 England, and to improve on Turkish barbarity. We find 
 an order published proclaiming that "all children born 
 in the country be l»;ipti/.ed according to law." The Turks 
 re(juired a tithe of the children born of Christian parents as 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 179 
 
 rooruits for (lin Janissaries, it was rcsorvctl for a I^ritisli 
 roloiiial i^ovc'riior to surpass that I)arl)arit y, by ()!)li;:;ii\i2; tlio 
 parents, not eoiKpiered slaves, l)ut frec-hovH Hritons, as they 
 were ahsurdly ealied, to jrive up all their children to tho 
 ministers of tlu; Anglican sect. 
 
 Diiiini; the years 1772-4 Governor Slnddhani ruled tho 
 Island. AVe iind (hirinii his time that ii Mr. Keen, of liona- 
 vista, compliiined that an I.ish Papist was huildini; Ji li^h- 
 in<r-room in that place. This audacious attempt of Popish 
 cnterpris(« arouses the frovernor's ire. Keen is innnediately 
 orderccl to prevent him or any other I'api^t IVom huildinj; 
 tishiuLi- rooms, such proceediiii; being' contrary to tho Acts 
 10 and 11 of AVilliam III. 
 
 (loviM'uor I)uir was ai^pointed in 177.'). The only record 
 we have of him is that "ho renewed all tho regulatiousi 
 against the Pa|)ists."' 
 
 In 177!) Kdwards was appointed governor. Tiic persecu- 
 tion against Catholics appears now to have slackened. Wo 
 no longer see tho jjuhlic records stained with orders for tho 
 iMirninij: of houses where Mass was said, and the l)anishing 
 of tho faithful for assisting at tin; worship of tluMr fathers. 
 Among tlie old peoi)lo, however, till lately, traditionary tales 
 of j)ersecution lingered, of Hoggings and iiouse-hurnings hy 
 tho petty local tyrants ; for in those dark days Catholics 
 were almost outlaws, and every jjetty magistrate, when not 
 restrained hy terror, considered them lit suhjects for [)orso- 
 cution. 
 
 It is a notable fact of past as well as recent history that 
 cvcrv relaxation of the lu'iial laws of Enijfland followed hard 
 upon some military reverses. The American war was tlicMi 
 raging, and the victories of the Continentals loosened the 
 grasp \\\)o\\ the sword of persecution in the hands of colonial 
 tyrants. It was dangerous to exasperate nu'U who could not 
 be expected to retain their allegiance to tho British Crown, 
 and who, incited by tho oxami)le of their American neigh- 
 bors, might bo driven into roboUion. Accordingly ojjon and 
 legal persecution was abolished, and gave way to a kind of 
 
180 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 m 
 
 i ^ i 
 
 nifr^nnlly (olerution, nct'onipani(ul hy a coiit(»mptiioiis social 
 exclusivcMcss. 
 
 On the 2 nil of October, 17S4, jmrsiiaiit to the instruc- 
 tions of His ^Majesty (icoriro III , directed to the <rovernor, 
 justices of tlie jx'acc, and niairistratos of the several districts 
 of the Isliind, " Mherty of conscienct^ " was allowed to all 
 persons in Xewfonndlaiid. and the "free exerci>e of all 
 modes of reliirioiis worship as are not 2»'f>/iih/f('<l by law, 
 provided people l)o content with a quiet and peac(>al)lo 
 onjoyinent of tho same without giving scandal or od'enco to 
 the Government." 
 
 This toleration, so tardily granted, was forced from tlie 
 British (Jovernment by circumstances as we have seen, 
 and shows a marked contrast to the method of procedure 
 adopted a few years later (1SI,'») by the Crown authorities 
 in relation to the despatch of the first Catholic missionary 
 to Australia, the Rev. Father Flinn. So tar from being 
 allowed to atl'ord the consolations of religion to the poor 
 Catholics in that distant land, ho was arrested, sent to 
 England a prisoner, and not discharged till he arrived in 
 London. l>ut, of course, Australia had not such a ilangerous 
 and audacious neighbor close at hand as the young republic 
 of Anjcrica. 
 
 Si)eakinir of the period immediatcdy preceding the arrival 
 of Dr. (Vlhmel (1784), Dr. Mullock writes: " I cannot Hud 
 the names of priests in Newfoundland at this time (though 
 we know that several resided here for a short period), except 
 Father Cain, of the County of AVexford, wlio came to Pla- 
 contia in 1770, and remained there six years, I supi)Ose a 
 l)riest nmst have resided at St. John's at the same time ; but 
 no registr^'^ has been preserved. An Augustinian friar from 
 New Koss, Father Kean, or Cain, spent some time in St. 
 John's before the arrival of Dr. 0"Donel, and it is most 
 probable that he was the same person Avho ))reviously lived 
 at Placentia. The Eev. Father Londrcgan, who subse- 
 quently died at Togo, was also ofHcially in the Island at this 
 time, for a. complaint was lodged against him to Governor 
 
OF NKWFOUXDLAXD. 
 
 181 
 
 Edwards tor innrryin_<r ii coiiplo who were nmrricd hcfoiv, — 
 ill iill j)r()I)al>ility two Catholics who wvvo married by a par- 
 son. Tiio <;(n'ernor thcMi piihlisluMl an order that no person 
 shouhl })(i married unh'ss by his i)ermission, and after the 
 [)til)lica(ion of banns, whieli was tantamount to an obliL'a- 
 (ion on Catholics to be mariied only in the Protestant Church, 
 for it was thL»,, ah)ne the banns eoukl be published in those 
 days." 
 
 It is im[)ossible to believe that the Catholics could have 
 had any sort of a place of worshij) in those days, seein<r that 
 they were scarcelv allowed the privileirc of piivate dwelliiiir- 
 houses : yet it is stranue that a foundation-stone discovered 
 on the demolition of the "Old Chapel" in Si. John's, and 
 which will be ajjain alluded to, bears the date of 1754. 
 
 The records or traditions of th(> lives ami hardships of these 
 early priests are but mcairre ; indeed, of some we know only 
 the dates of their arrival in, and dei)arture from, the Island; 
 sometimes only tlu^ mere fact that they were here; of others, 
 wo learn just enouirh to let us conjecture how they strove to 
 keep alight the flickerinir lamp of faith amidst the most over- 
 AvhelmiuiT ditHculties. They came and went joeriodically. 
 We hear of their being aboard the fishing craft in the 
 disguise of fishermen, and thus escaping the fury of their 
 persecutors. In AV it less Bay a priest made his escape in 
 this way, though the boat on which he was sitting was act- 
 ually boarded and searched by the authorities. In Todd's 
 Cove a i)riest had to fly and take refuge in a cellar, and even 
 there the poor owner was afraid to harbor him. As we have 
 seen, there was no mercy for those who protected a ])riest, or 
 connived at the celebration of Mass in their houses. Hence 
 the priests were obliged to omit the celebration of the Most 
 Holy Sacritice, and be content to recite for the people the 
 rosary amid the rocks and w'oods, as was the case with their 
 forefatiiers in Ireland. ^ 
 
 'A larp-c rock is still shown in Renews, culled the "Midnight Rock," beneath 
 which tradition tells us Fathci' Fitzsimmon used to assemble the people to rosaiy and 
 piayer. 
 
182 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 I ^ 
 
 I I 
 
 It is (loublful whothor those priests had received any 
 jurisdiction, and from whom. It is not likely they would 
 come without havinir been in some maimer sent ; and the 
 fact of th' beinir obliufed to omit the celebration of Mass 
 may easily account for the tradition handed ('rwn as to their 
 beinii" " silenced." 
 
 Of the priests who came to the Island before Dr. O'Donel's 
 arrivid the names of but live survive, namely, — 
 
 Father Cain, or Kean, already alluded to. He was a native 
 of New Ross, (^ounty of Wexford, Ireland. He came to New- 
 foundland in 1770; was at Placentia for six years; after- 
 wards, pr()l)ably at St. John's. lie went home to Ireland, 
 and died in AVe.xford. lie was , friar of the Auiiustinian 
 Order. 
 
 Father Londre<jan, also an Auirustinian. He otiiciated in 
 St. John's for some tinu'. He also was at Flacentia, where 
 ho remained three years. He then wont to the north of the 
 Island ; and died at Fogo, in a cook-room, in a state of groat 
 misery. 
 
 Father Daily, a native of Cork, also came out with Father 
 liondreiian. I liiul among the names given by the late 
 De.'ui Cleary those of Fathers Power and ^Nlahony, Augus- 
 tinians, who returned to Ireland, and died there; but I have 
 no I'ortainty as to the date of their arrival in Xewfou dland, 
 110/ the scenes of their missions. 
 
 There may have been many other such migratory mission- 
 aries, wlio took their parts in this prehistoric period of our 
 Island Chuirh ; but thouirh their names are lot written in the 
 pages of this world's hisloiy, let us hope that tiieir good 
 deeds have been all well recorded by the Angcd who guards 
 the (Jreat liook, and that their faults, if any, may be blotted 
 out by their tears and sull'erings, aided by our sullVages, 
 which never cease to be i)oured forth amnially for thciu at 
 our altars. 
 
 We have a more extensive sketch of the lives and work of 
 •several priests who arrived at the same time as Dr. O'Donol, 
 or very soon after; and this may be judged a tilting place to 
 
^ 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 183 
 
 record wliatovor is known of thorn, as received from the most 
 trustworthy traditions. 
 
 Father K(huuiid liourko, a native of Tipperary, came in 
 178('), two years after the arrival of Dr. O'Donel. lie built 
 the old presbytery and chapel at IMaeentia. He was the tirst 
 reifidarly authorized missionary. 11'^ left for Halifax in 1798, 
 tlie year of the Irish rebellion, through fear of Enulish ven- 
 geance, as he was in some way implicated in that historical 
 event. lie was a nephew of Father Sheehan, who was be- 
 headed in Clonmel for cr()}ipyism. He was one of the three 
 priests who, in 1794, siuned the petition to have Dr. O'Donel 
 (who was then only Prefect Aijostolic) elevated to the ejns- 
 cojjal diiiiiity. He was a Dominican friar. It is thought 
 that he was l)r()ther to Dr. liourke, the first Bishop of 
 Halifax. lb; remained twelve years on the mission, and 
 worked hard. His district included all Placentia Bay, as 
 far westward as Burin. 
 
 The next jiriest whose name I tind mention of is tiio Rev. 
 Patrick Whelan. The exact vear of his arrival is not known, 
 but he was here in 1794, as he signed the al)ove-mentioned 
 petition, from which also Ave gather that he was a Franciscan 
 or Friar Minor, and was stationed in the Mission of Harbor 
 (inice. He was (b'owned in 17i)9, and I am indel)led to the 
 Hon. J. 1j. Prendergast, of llarljor (Jrace, for the following 
 graphic and interesting account of that melancholy event : — 
 
 I 
 
 "Father Whelan was a most exeinplarv and zeahius jn'iest, 
 whose name is eml»almcd in the memory of llic i)coj)lc. Twice 
 every year, spring and I'ail, he made a visitaiion of his 
 parish. It was wheii returning, in September, 1799, that he 
 lost his life during a storm. His boat rc-iched Grates Cove, 
 and in attempting to land, the l)oat was swani[)ed, and all on 
 board perisluHl. The Ixnly of Father \\'helaii was the only 
 one recovei'cd from the waves. lb; was foiuid erect in the 
 water, his Breviary under his arm, a cane in one hand, and u 
 small bag containing his vestments (prol)al)ly the pyx) in 
 the other. The l)ody was taken to Harbor Grace, and his 
 
184 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 sorrowiuir people laid hi.n to rest in the old Ciitholie grave- 
 yard. A luomunent is erected over his remains, on Avliieh is 
 engraved a long and panegyrical epitai)h of some twenty-five 
 lines, extolling his many virtues and noble deeds, and tes- 
 tifying the atlection and esteem of the tlock for the memory 
 of their faithful pastor." 
 
 Tliere was another Father Whelan, also a Franciscan, who 
 came out in 1808. He was stationed on the mission in Fhi- 
 centia. He went home to Ireland in 1810, and reentered his 
 monastery. 
 
 In 1810 arrived the Kev. Andrew V. Cleary. He was on the 
 mission in Placentia, where he died, and was buried in 1829. 
 He was uncle of the late venerable Dean Cleary. He had as 
 curate the Kev. Father Devereux, who was the first i)riest 
 stationed in liurin. He built the house and old cha[)el there, 
 and is buried in the graveyard of that place. 
 
 The Kev. A. Ilearu was also a curate of his, and succeeded 
 him (Kev. A. V. Cleary) in the mission of Placentia. The 
 Kev. Michael O'Donel, nephew of the Bishop, came out with 
 him in 1784, and remained in the country till 18UG, when he 
 left for Ireland. 
 
 It api)cars that there was also a i)riest on the southern 
 shore at this time, whose name was Fitzpalrick. The life 
 and labors of other early missioncrs -hall l)e briefly outlined 
 in a future chapter. We now ai)pr(>ach what may I)e con- 
 sidered the birth of the Ciiurch in Mi wfoiuidland ; its final 
 establishment by the arrival of the first authorized Prelate, 
 Dr. OT)onel, with full power and jurisdiction from Komc to 
 j)lace her upon a sure foundation, and set her forth upon that 
 career, advancement, and ))rogress which has developed into 
 the glorious jjlenitude of hierarchical life which we enjoy at 
 the present day. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 4- 
 
 RT. REV. DR. O'DOXEL, I'REFECT APOSTOLIC— [1703-1784.] 
 
 Appoiiitiiieiit (if Fiillicr O'Doiiol, Fiist Prcfof.-t Apostolic — Stale of tlio Country — 
 Hio^iiiipliv of Fiillu'f O'Uoiifl— Fouiuliilioii of "The Old C'liiipul " ^ I'crst'culioii 
 not yet t'oascil — lli^jfotoil Coiuluct of SiirrojratL' (.'aplaiii I'l'llu — Extraoriliiiaiy 
 CoiuliK't of (i<ivcnior Milliaiike — Fatlicr O'Dond's Letters to Dr. Troy, Arch- 
 bishop of Dublin — l"rieni"y Action of Ciovernor Walde^jrave and Jnd^a'-Advocate 
 Reives- (iriiit liilhienee Ai(|uired hy the lii>liop — IlcC^iirlisa Mutiny anionj^ 
 tlie Military — Iieastly Charaelcr of Prince William, Dnku of C'laionce — lie 
 Assaults the Hisliop. 
 
 WK luivo now iirrlvcd at. what may l)e callod tho modern 
 Ijci'iod oftlio Efi'le^iiiislical History of ^owtbuiulland. 
 We have seen, to all appearanee, Catholieity tlnuly estab- 
 lislu'd ill the Lsland by the Freneh, proteeted l)y the gnvit 
 monareh, Louis XIV. I>ut all the.sc bright prosjieels failed ; 
 vet the ways of (Jod are inseriital)le. The perseeution of 
 tho faithfid in Irehuid, bringinjr, as usual, ])oveity in its train, 
 forces every year numbers of the hardy ehiidreii of that 
 Catholic land to seek abrottd thiit reward for their labor 
 denied to them at home. Tlu? rude and dtmu'erous oceupation 
 of the Newfoundland ti>heries tem[)ted them, by the prospect 
 of ji'ood wa«>es, to brave the diinuers of tin; ocean .nnd the 
 tyranny of the i)etty colonitd ollicials tmd tishiui; tuhnirals. 
 Reliirious persecution was for ai»es their portion at home, 
 and iaitlil'id priests were found from time to time lo cross the 
 Athmtic, and by stetilth atl'ord the consolations of reliiiion to 
 their expatriated c(>untrymcn. Obliiicd at honu; to oiler up 
 the Adoral)le ISacrilice in the lonely mountain glen, or in tho 
 obscure cellar or ijarret of liie town, they were i)repared in 
 Xewfoundhind lo say Mass under ii lltdvc or in :i cook-room. 
 Miiny tales are still current nmonjj; the i)eoi)lo of the escape 
 of the priest, when some cruiser was on the cotist, and the cap- 
 tain was desirous of showinjx his zeal for tlie House of Uruns- 
 wick by the daring exi)loit of jturing a i)rie,st ; and it is 
 
180 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOllY 
 
 gratifyini; to lisivo to remark that in vorv many instances the 
 old Kniflisli Protestant settlers were the first to "ivc notice of 
 the danger, and assist in jiroviding a place of conec^alment for 
 the persecnted priest. Catholicity was now tolerated; open 
 persecution had ceased, and was followed by a system of 
 exclusive. less from all public situations of honor or profit. 
 
 The ])opulati(in of the Island ai this tlnu', in spito of 
 opposing laws, had increased to somewhere al)()ut 2;"), ()()(), of 
 whom about three-fourths were Ivoman Catholics. Amonir 
 the enactments passed with the intention of preventing tho 
 Island being ])eople(l Avas the celebrated Palliser Act of 1775, 
 by which it Mas decreed, in order to insure the return of tho 
 fishermen each winter, that masters should be authorized 
 to detain forty shillings out of the ukmi's wag(>s, for jyaying 
 their })assages home. Another most eilective clause was 
 the prohibition to take females to the Island, so that at this 
 time there was only about one-seventh of the [)()pulation 
 female, or about 3,500 ; and aI)out one-fifth of the population 
 (from four to five thousand) migrated annually. The men 
 who remained were emi)loyed only for the half-year, at a 
 rate of about £."50. 
 
 The attention of the Holy Father was now called to the 
 spiritual interests of the Island. Cp to this ix'riod it was, 
 properly s[)eaking, a i)()rtion of the vast diocese of (Quebec ; 
 but being so remote, and the connnuuication so rar(\ the 
 priests who, from time to time, visited the colony acted like 
 naval cha[)lains, considering the people here as if having their 
 domiciles in the dioceses of Waterford, Ferns, or Cork, and 
 affording them in Newfoundland aid on the strength of tho 
 facidtics they exercised in the dioceses they had left in 
 Ireland; and the transitory state of the poi)ulation, and the 
 necessities of the case, would appear in some mcasiu'c to 
 iustifv the irreuiilaritv. Thus it continued till the vear 
 17<Sf, Avhen Dr. O'Douel, the first Prefect \'icar Apostolic 
 and liishop, arrived in the country ; and from that time the 
 Newfoundland Chmrh was organized, and took its place 
 among the provinces of Christianity. 
 
N 
 
 \ 
 
 ..( 
 
 OF NKWFOUNDT.AND. 
 
 187 
 
 Ji 
 
 This fri'oat and jrood man, Janios Lonis O'Doncl, was born 
 in 1737, at Kpocklofty, on tho bunks of the Suir, about four 
 miles west from Clonmel, in the county of Tipperaiy, in 
 Irchmd. His father, a most respectable farmer, was a very 
 ))ious man. and liavinu' iriven him the l»est elementary educa- 
 tion to l»e obtained in the neighborhood, under a domestic 
 tuitor, sent him to Limerick to l»e instructed in the classics, 
 toiretlier with a voiniijer brother, ^Michael. Both havinu' soon 
 displiiyed ii vocation for the ])riestho()(l, and also for the 
 religious Order of St. Francis, they were accordingly received 
 into a convent of the Order in that city, and in due time 
 ordained [jriests. This Father Michael O'Donel never came 
 to Xewfoundiand, but died in Ireland, on tlu^ 2(!th of »Tune, 
 17!)(). just four years before Dr. James 0"l)on(d's ai)i)oint- 
 ment to tlie I)ishopric. The Father Michael O'Donel already 
 mentioned, who accompanied Dr. James to Xewfoundiand, 
 was his nephew. He lel't the Island with his uncle, in 180G. 
 
 The Irish Franciscans at that time jjossessed four National 
 establishments on the continent of Euro})e : Louvain, in 
 Belgium ; IJonlay, in France ; Prague, in liohemia ; and 
 Rome. Dr. O'Donel was ai)pointed by the Irisli Provincial ji 
 member of the Prague Connnunity. and accordingly received 
 the habit of 8t. Francis in the College of tlu; Itmnaculate 
 Conception in that city. He ix'rformed his novitiate, and made 
 his religious pi'ofcssion ; went through his studies with honor, 
 and was ordained j)riest. He lived as cha|)lain for the next 
 few years, with several distinguished families, on the Con- 
 tinent, and did not return to Ireland till 1775. For the next 
 eight 3'ears he apjilied himself Avith zeal to the dischai'ge of 
 the missiouMry duties of an Irish friar, and as a proof of 
 the esleeni in which he was held by his brethren, we tind 
 that at a Provincial Chapter, held on the IDth of Jidy, 179S), 
 he was elected Provincial, or Su[)erior of tlu; whole body of 
 Franciscans in Ireland; having been i)reviously Prior at 
 AVaterf)rd. He held the important olHce of Pnnincial till 
 the next ChM[)ter, hi'ld on the 22d July, 1781. Three years 
 jiflerwards he was elected bv the Holy Sec to organize the 
 
188 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Church in NcwfoimdhiiKl, and was appointed Pror<'ft Apos- 
 tolic, witli power to administer the Sacrament of Contirma- 
 tion.^ 
 
 In 17S4 lie landed in St. John's, and immediately com- 
 menced liis labors in the districts of St. John's, Ferryland, 
 and IMaccntia. The people were then almost destitute of 
 all i)ractical religion. Tiie absence of all fixed si)iritual guid- 
 ance, thoutrh occasionidly tlu^y had a priest among them ; 
 the i)revalenee of drunkemiess ; the lawless charact(u-of many 
 who came to the country, and^ the abundance of money in 
 the hands of persons who knew not how to use it, unh^ss as 
 a means of low, sensual gratitication, — induced a de})loraI)le 
 laxity of morals, and even weakened the faith of many. 
 French intidcHty, then so fashionable, was the boast of those 
 who i)retended to enlightLMuneut, and inditlerence toall relig- 
 ious ()l)S(!rvanees was connnon to all classes. Such was the 
 howling moral wilderness in which Dr. O'Donel conunenced 
 his labors. The English (iovernment, always wisely availing 
 themselves of every available means to i)n'serve and con- 
 solidate their jjower, not only sanctioned the residence of 
 Dr. O'Donel in the country, but, subscMjuently, gave him an 
 allowance of £75 a year. Yet never were services so cheaply 
 purchased ; but his loyalty rested on more solid motives than 
 mere temporal reward. French intidelity and revolutionary 
 doctrines, as remarked above, were making rapid advances 
 among the i)eople, and England, though not bearing any 
 warm love for l'oi)cry, felt that it was safer to jiri'serve 
 the people in Catholicity, as a safeguard against anarchical 
 atluMsm. It was better to have t\\v, Newfoundlanders loyal 
 Catholics than (Jallican rebcds ; and Dr. O'Doiu'l's intluence 
 was cheai)e)' and more serviceable than an armed force. 
 
 In those days no house, nor even a chinuiey, could l)c 
 erected without permission of the (Jovernor ; nor could 
 
 ' Tlic lalo VoiH'raiilo Di'iiii CliMi y stalfil tliiit Dr. O'Doiu'l first (miiio out to Xew- 
 fouiullaiul as asiiiiplL' priest, anil was souu al'tci' cluvatod id tiio (iiy:iiity ofl'i'd'cct. Dr. 
 Mullock, liowcvcr, is more lilicly to be correct, as lie hail access to the Frauciscaa 
 annuls. 
 
 i- 
 
'p 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 Ud 
 
 I 
 
 ziu 
 
 Vr'^f 
 
 lojiscs 1)0 granted, unless under the same authority. Dr. 
 O'Donel, tli( ret'oro, sought perndssion to tuke out a lease 
 of the ground where tiie " Old Chapel " afterwards stood. 
 A lease of a house and ganhni was accordingly taken for 
 ninety-nine years, at a rent of £2S per aiuuun, and the tirst 
 Catholic ehajjcl was erected in the Island since its cession by 
 the French, one hundred and seventy years previously. 
 
 Three years after his arrival in St. John's, Dr. O'Donel 
 writes to Dr. Troy, recently promoted lo the archie})isc<)i)al 
 See of Dublin, a letter, fnMu which the following extract is 
 taken, and which thn)ws a light u[)on the state of the Church 
 iu Xewfoundland at that period ' : — 
 
 " I want two clergyman more, one to the southward and 
 one to the northward of this })lace. ... I send for 
 Father John Phelan, of AVaterford, and a Father McCorniack, 
 of St. Isidore's, who, I am informed, is a man of Uiorals and 
 powerful abilities. lie wrote to me, and oH'cred himself for 
 this Mission. He has made three P//('y//'^Jr7.s' in the tSapi- 
 enlia Ilnmaua. In default of him a Father Yore, who like- 
 wise otfered himself, of your (Jrace's diocese, if a man who 
 can be rcconnnended for irreproachable conduct and ability, 
 will be to me very acc(>ptable. 
 
 "BKOTIIEU JAMES O'DONEL." 
 
 This letter shows us the anxiety of the good Prefect for 
 the sanctity and intelligence of his priesthood. It does not 
 appear that the leather McCormack nuMitioued above ever 
 came to the Islund, and as to Father Yore, his long and 
 glorious career fully veriticd tiie jjossession of the (pialities 
 desired bv Dr. O'Donel. 
 
 In 17(S8 a letter of accusation against Dr. O'Donel was 
 presented to the surrogate-uiagistrale. 
 
 ' Tlie late Most Rev. Dr. Conroy, Bishop of Ariliifrh, ami Dolcifiitc Apostolic to 
 Ciiiiiiilii, wliile occupying; tlic posiiioii of Socvcliirv lo His Kmiiii'iici' Ciinliiiiil ('iillcii, 
 compiled tVoiii the iiichives of the iirchiiioce-ii' the hitors of Dr. O'Donel, wliich 
 Were piihn>he(l in tiie " Iiisli Keelesiastioiil Heconl " of August, 186G, to whicli 1 am 
 iuilehteil for the extraets ahove cited. 
 
i 
 
 11)0 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 "This lot tor," writos Dr. O'DonoI, Xov. lOth, "was not 
 only ro:ul in 1i»o court -hoiiso, wlioro llu' .surrotriito publicly 
 (lonoiMiccd l*o|)o iind l?()i)cry, pr'.-sts and pri(>stcvaft, and, in 
 an (^'stasy, blessed this iiapi»y Constitution that it was 
 cleanly puri^od from such knavery ; but also carried about 
 this town by him and his otlicers, to the great satisfaction of 
 those who envied our lar^re coui^roLration, stated v chafed, and 
 the osloem I have been heretofon! held in by the (Jovernor. 
 This surroirate, by nauK; IVIIu, of French extraction, closed 
 hJH surroiration to the admiral with the "lodest requt^st that 
 the priests should bo turned out of the country ; that circu- 
 lar letters should be sent to the magistrates, that if anv more 
 priests arrived to ship them olf inunediatoly ; and that no 
 priests should be loft but where there was a garrison to keej) 
 them in awe. ^^'hon 1 heard this, I waited on the secretary, 
 Avho told me that tlu; admiral had made np his mind and 
 adopted the measures of his favorite, Cai)tain Pollu. 
 I drew up my defence ii\ writing, waited on the Governor, 
 who most politcdy received mo, entirely changed his opinion, 
 and assured mo that he came to tliis country Avith a great 
 esteem and regard for mo, as his fiiond. Admiral Campbell, 
 often spoke resj)ectfully of me to him, and that, from what 
 ho could personally observe in my conduct, ho quittiid the 
 Island with tlu! same good oi)inion of mo. I am truly a son 
 of p'jrsecution, and a child of porsocntion, since I came to 
 this country. However, T could not sutler in a better cause. 
 
 "lUiOTIIEli JAS. ODONEL." 
 
 Although the Catholic religion was supposed to be t(de- 
 ratod, iind liberty of worship had been granted some eight 
 years l)eforo (1782) by (fovernor Cam))bell, and although, 
 to some extent, the policy of the English (Jovermnent towards 
 the l\oman Catholics of Nowfoiuidland was chani>od, and a 
 sort of i)rotection was accoi'dod to thorn, we are not to sup- 
 pose that persecution and iiisidt had totally ceased. The 
 following extraordinary letter will prove that the old spirit 
 still in a great measure prevailed. 
 
 .^ 
 
 «;•- 
 
01' iSKVVFOUNDLAXI). 
 
 1!)1 
 
 ».il 
 
 i'*..' 
 
 
 Father O'Donol applied for perniissioii to erect a few 
 (•liai)els for the <^ro\viii<^ po|)iila(i()n, At without tliis lieenso 
 not a slick couhl he laid ; and so deterniiiied was Enjj^land to 
 l)reveiit the iiuproveinenl and colonization t)f the country, 
 that every merchant was einpowcnMl ])y law to sl()[) forty 
 shillings out of every servant's wap's to pay his passage 
 jionio in the fall ; the money was retained, hut many of the 
 servants forfeited their right of passage, and remained in tho 
 country. Hence, in s})ite of all opposition, the resident 
 pojjtdation increased, and Dr. O'Donel mad(! to Governoi 
 Milhankc the ai)plicati()n al)ove mentioned, and tin; following 
 is the characteristic reply : — 
 
 "The Governor acquaints Mr. O'Donel that, so far from 
 being disposed to allow of an increase of })Iac('s of religious 
 worship for the Ivoniiin Catliolics of this Island, Ik; very 
 seriously intends next year to lay those estahlislied already 
 under particular restrictions. ]Mr. O'Donel must he aware 
 that it is not the interest of Great Britain to encourage peoido 
 to winter in Newfoundland, and he cannot he ignorant that 
 many of the lower order who now stay would, if it Avere not 
 for the convenience with which they ohkihi ahsolu/t'on here, 
 go home for it at least once in two or three years ( ! ) ; and 
 the Governor has heen misinformed if Mr. O'Donel, instead 
 of advising their rectum to Ireland, does not rather encourage 
 them to winter in this colony." — "On hoard the 'Salisbury,' 
 St. John's, 2d November, 1700." 
 
 In a letter to Dr. Troy, dated December Gtli, 1790, Dr. 
 O'Donel alludes to the above event: — 
 
 "My Loim), — OiH' very numerous and increasing congre- 
 gations have brought the eye of \\u\ en(>mies of our faith 
 upon us, as you will iind by the enclosed answer to a 
 memoriid drawn up by the peoi)le of Ferryland for leave to 
 build a cha|)el in that district. ... I wrote to Father 
 Callenan, of Cork, rccpiesting him to use his intluence on 
 Mr. O'Lcary to apply to some member of the Privy Council 
 
1!)2 
 
 Krf:u:siASTicAL histohv 
 
 to provont thoso prejudicial restrictions. . . . (MmiiiMls 
 of all kinds are allowed lli(> unreserved privilc'To of ii chM'irv- 
 man, and why not an industrious set of men, who ni'i' inured 
 to the hardships of the sea, and r(>ady ui)on any cmerj^eney 
 to serve His Majesty? 'I'lu^ tolei'alion hitherto irranted is 
 rather an encouraii:(Mnent to them to eniiirrate than a dis- 
 courairement, as the jrenerous monitor supposes; for many 
 of those hardy fellows would never obtain their |)arents' 
 consent to cross the seas if they had not the consoliui,' j)ros- 
 pect of the presence of a cl(M<ryman in ease of sickness or 
 di-ath. ^loreover, tlu^ iniri'edienls wliich make up the Sacra- 
 ment of Penance, and the })rerequisites o^ ^[hsolnfioti^ are not 
 of such easy di<xesti(»n to a set of fishermen as to inducer th(*m 
 to (JO home for it at least once in tiro or tJnre i/ears! 1 really 
 look ni)on these intended restrictions as a hreacli of public 
 faith. . . . Admiral Camplxdl sent ji circidar letter to all 
 the justices of peace in this Island in those very terms : 'You 
 are to allow all people inhaltiting this Island a free exercise 
 of all such modes of reli<;ious worshi[) as are not prohibited 
 by law ; pursuant to the King's instructions to me." 
 
 In the same letter Dr. O'Donel alludes to some person as 
 C. V. — doubtless Captain Pellu, above mentioned : — 
 
 "Tis true," he says, "that he esm act as he pleases in this 
 place, as he is king, ))riest, and j)roi)het in the Island. The 
 reason of this prerogative is that the country is not supjiosed 
 by law to be inhabited, except in sunnner. In case of war 
 I believe none of us can subsist, as the servants upon whom 
 alone we depend will be all pressed, and obliged to become 
 either sailors or soldiers. This is a far more miserable year 
 with the wretched inhabitants than last." 
 
 On the 8th December, 1791, he writes : — 
 
 " The Governor most faithfully adhered' to his promise of 
 representing the Catholic clergy of this Island as encouragcrs 
 
<' 
 
 OF NKWFOUNnLAM). 
 
 193 
 
 t 
 
 of (he ]HH)\)\o nMniiiniiif^ (luring tlio winter in this country, 
 contriiry to tlit^ intonvst and iulcntion of the (lovcrnincMJt ; hut 
 in this even he has not suct'ccch'd acconlinir to liii^ niistiikcn 
 zcjil, as Providence ;jfui<h'd th(^ steps of a Mr. Reeves to this 
 country, who has heen appointed .Iudge-Advocat(^ This 
 trulv irood and henevolent man wouhl not sutler me even to 
 exi)ostulale with the Governor on his foul misre})resentation, 
 ns he assured me the state of the Catholic Church should 
 remain unmolested here; and it so hap])ened." 
 
 The clouds of pc'sccution seemed now l)ein<^ dispelled and 
 the sun of jx'ace hurstinir forth. For three successivi; years 
 the admirals had not interfered, and Dr. (VDonel has ;:frear 
 hopes for the future. lie asks for another missioner of the 
 Franciscan Order for tluMlistrict of St. Mary's and Trepassey. 
 "It is al)s()hitelv necessar\ that he should speak Irish." He 
 writes aiiiiiu on Decemher 8, 171I2. After speakin<>' of the 
 horrors of the French Revolution and the l)arl)arities of the 
 Jacohin Club, then at their height, all of which ho learns 
 from papeis received from Europe of date as late as the 
 2()th Septemher, he says : — 
 
 "Our present Governor (W. Waldegrave, Esq.) and 
 Judge-Advocate made very solemn professions of friend- 
 shii) to me. The former returned me j)uhlic thaidss at his 
 own tahle for the uiu-emitting pains I have taken those 
 eight years in keeping the peoi)le amenahle to law ; and 
 on being told he overstated my slender endeavours, he said 
 he was too well informed to think so. . . . We are 
 now at perfect ease, and restored to the same degree of 
 respect that we enjoyed for the tirst three years of our 
 residence here. 
 
 "BRO. JAS. O'DOXEL." 
 
 On December 27, 1703, ht again writes to Dr. Troy, con- 
 gratulating him on his pastoral letter, just received through a 
 Mr. Bolan. He says : — 
 
 .• *-r-' 
 
 I J" 
 
104 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 ' ! 
 
 ! i- 
 
 "Our nflairs ill lliis Mission wear ii most i)l('!isiii<; aspect. 
 The (lovcnior contimu's lii.s tVicndsiiip to mo with <;rcat 
 wanntli. I was tiio only iaii<Isiiiaii who diiKul with him, 
 oil \\\v cvo of his (h'parliirc, al)oai(l liis eh'Lrant ship, where 
 I had the j leasiire to hear him derlare, in tht; i)resenee of 
 Jive captains of tViirates, that thi^ Catliolics W(n'(; th(^ best 
 sul>jt'cts His Majesty had. I am sorry \\v June no h)n,irer 
 h'ase tiian one year mori' of liiin. . . • We had ">()() 
 French |)risoners liere (hirin^j^ the snnimer. Tiicir olficer.s 
 were at lilterty, and I must own I did not like to sec llieni 
 eomintr every Snnday to my chapel witli larire eml)U'ms of 
 intidelity and rebellion plastered on their hats. It was much 
 more pleasinir t<> «»'•' three c()m[)anies (»f our xolnntecrs, 
 headed l»y their Protestant ollicers, with lifes and drums, 
 comiiiir to the chapel to be instructed in the duties of religion 
 and loyally."' 
 
 After ten y^^ars of missionary life, workinij and oriranizinij 
 ecclesiasti'id matters, we lind Dr. O'Doncl also iiiiiratialinii 
 himself into the favor of the civil authorities, and jiiadually 
 ac(juirin^" that inlluence and weight, e-vcn in secular affairs of 
 tho colony, which has ever since been exercised by his suc- 
 cessors, the Ivoinan Catholic Iiishops, placinir them in a 
 recouni/.ed position of the hii>host importance, second only 
 to the representative of majesty himself, and indeed on many 
 occasions causing; the latter to look to them as the only power 
 in the country capable of saviuir it from ruin in <:rave and 
 serious crises. As an instance of this we may hen; mention 
 an event which occurred just a few years after Dr. O'Donel's 
 consecration. 
 
 In 17!)',* a mutiny of the military stationed in St. John's 
 occurred which threatened the most serious conse(|uences. 
 If the soldiers had been joined by the excited people, the 
 whole Island mijiht liave1)een lost to Britain ; but Dr. O'Donel 
 threw all his intluence on the side of authority, and by pri- 
 vate and public admonitions cahned down tho exasperated 
 feelings of the populace, and peace was restored. He re- 
 

 OF m;wk()i:ni)lani). 
 
 13-) 
 
 (H'ivi'd a reward for those services, which shall I)o noticed hy 
 and \ty. 
 
 Another eirciitiistanee worthy of note occurred also ahout 
 this time; it was near heinj; the cause of a change; in the 
 (succession to the; r»rili>h Crown. 
 
 Prince ^^'illianl Henry, Duke of (1arenc(\ afterwards Will- 
 1 '" '.\'., w.'is at tliMt linu' a midshipman in the lirilish navy, 
 ,1^ . was attached to the Newt'oundland station. lie was re- 
 iiiarkiiMe only for heaslly sensuality and cowardly tyi'anny. 
 IJo caused a caipenter at Ferryland to he; dismissed from 
 OoveiinuenI employmeni for no other reason than that ho 
 was a l':ipi>(. And he was known to spit in the face of Irish 
 Catholics, an<l use even more; beastly conduct towards them 
 (he spat down a man's throat in IMacentia), when he could do 
 so with imi)unity. 
 
 This j)i'oniisin<>' scion of royalty was one day in a hilliard- 
 room in St. .John's when he saw tla; Ijisjioi) passing along 
 the street. A\'itlioiit any regard to tlu; venerahh; Prelate's 
 ago or character, he threw a weapon at him, which fortu- 
 jiatel^y only inllicted n slight wound, but which if better di- 
 rected ■would have ended the Iiisho|)'s days. AVhen this 
 outnigc; becinne known, the wholci Catholic pojiulation was 
 aroused, and it was for awhile doubtful whether a fourth 
 ^Villiam would ever occupy the Pritish throne. The Pishop 
 used every exertion to calm the excited people's feedings. 
 Meantime a guard of marines was landed, and th(; Prince ar- 
 rested and conveve(l on board, and his commander n'lost i)ru- 
 denlly at once sailed out of the harbor. 
 
 Many other stories of (piite a discreditable character are 
 still told of tlu; disorderly conduet of this young j)rin(H', some 
 of which also nearly cost him his life. On one occasion, be- 
 ing out upon some midnight raid with sonio companions, 
 either removing gates, robbing gardens, or making some at- 
 temi)t to enter a private dwelling through a window, he was 
 tired upon by the indignant master of the house, but escaped 
 unhurt. 
 
1 
 
 lOG 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IITSTOKY 
 
 CIIAPTKU XV. 
 
 RT. KEV. nPv. O'DONKL, FHtST BISHOP. — [1791-lSni.] 
 
 Momovinl (if the Clci'Lry In liavc I'atlui- O'Dniicl iiiiulc l>i>liop — • He is Apimiiilod Vipiiv 
 Aliosldlic, and ( '•.iiiNi'cralcil l!i-liop iit (^iii'l)cc — Lcltcr of I'.itluT Vuri; - Aililress iit' 
 the ^Icrchiiiits iiml ('ili/<'iH nf St. .Idliii's to Dr. O'Doiifl — llo Vigils I'liicciitiii 
 and Aihiiiiii^tcrs C'oiiliriiiatiiiii — Diofo^aii Siatiiti's — Lovaltv of thi' Catliolios. 
 
 rpiIK ('iitlu)lic's were now suHiciciillv iminorous nud llio 
 
 1 
 
 1 I 
 ■ I 
 
 l)()l)ul;iti()ii so ix'rni.'UKMilIy ostjiI)lislu'(l that the Holy 
 Sec c'onsidt'i'i'd the time had arrived when e[)isc()])al suixm'- 
 vision was needed. 
 
 'J'he j)riests oi' the ^lission also, tliouiili lew in mnnltcr, fcdt 
 that they were; on the eve of a new and [)ro<>'i'essivo era, and 
 that the (dexation oF their noi)le and saintly Prelect to the 
 episeopal diifnity would ijroatly enhanee his ])ower of ad- 
 vaneinjz' the interests of the Church in the Island. Aecord- 
 inufly they sent .' urirent a]>[)eal to tlu^ Holy Father, the 
 <:reat I'ontill', Pius VI., Confessor and Doctor of the Faith, 
 who then tilled the throne of Peter. The document was 
 couched in Latin of some (deixaneo of style. I considci' i( 
 ofsuflicient iuiportanee to he reproduced here in th(> oriiiiual. 
 with a translation : — 
 
 " IIk.vtissiafk Pateii : — 
 
 "Cmn inter nudta, ea(|iu^ prcelara faeinora. (juie felieissi- 
 nium Sanetitatis \'estiie Pontilicium illustrant i\U\iw exornanf , 
 hand niininmm sit tjuod tideles Orthodoxos America' Septen- 
 trionalis incolas, panels al) hinc annis, niiruin in modum con- 
 solatus sit; lidem(|Ui> simul Calholicam amplius dilataverit, 
 valdetjue consolidaverit per j)rovidam institutionem primi iilius 
 re^ionis I^pT, Rmi, nimiriun Hili Joannis Carroll I'^pi Palti- 
 morensis ; — nos infrascri[)ti, tali exeniplo tanta(|Ue heniirui- 
 tatc animati, nomine; nostro, omniunnjuo Catholici nominis 
 incolaruni Insuhe Terne Novie nuncujjativ, provohiti ad pedes 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 197 
 
 Siinc'titatis Vostrfr lumiilimc dopivcaimir, quiitenus Clcmen- 
 ter digiietur in Epuiu in.stitucre cum titiilo in partihus, ot in 
 Vii-ariiiin Apostolicuin pra'cianiin et (liijni.ssinuun Pi-et'cctiun 
 Missioiiis Xo.stni' \l. 1*. Jjicohiiin liudovicuin O'Doiiol, Or- 
 dinis Fi-a(niiii Miiioruin de Oh.servaiilia. Hoc sitjiiidcm facto 
 illud pr()culdui)r() coiiscciuclur, ut ct maximmii ipsi li(!lii>:ioiii 
 (MnolunKMitiiiu ; innciis iu)l)i.s soialimn, ahpio pcrcmic Sancti- 
 tal is Vest viv dcciis sit accessunim. Supcrvacanouui porro fore 
 arhitraimir Sanctilali W'stnc recenscrc quain utile n()l)is forct 
 in lanta loconnn dislantia, Pastorcni ai)ud nos liahoro Eimli 
 charactcrc insio-nitiun, ([ui nuuiia Kj)rdia pro lidcliuni consola- 
 tione i)ossit ohiro sictit ot consulto oniittiinus culoiriuni nicri- 
 toruin, i)rivclarissiini \'iri a nohis connncndati, (jnii)po cuin 
 ejus cxinii'V, et Sinufulares Virtutos, compertissiniic jani- 
 pridem evaserunt Saciw Congregationi do Propaganda Fide, 
 ((uare de suninia dementia, ac pastorali Solicitudine Sancti- 
 ;atis VcNlric conlisi in osculo pedum Beatorum prosteniimin-, 
 Aiticam Denetlictionem implorantes. 
 
 " Datum ex insula Tenu' Novie, Die Vigesimo, Xovem- 
 bris, A.D. 17:14. 
 
 "Fv. Kdnunidus Bourke, Ord. Pred., Missionarius Distric- 
 tus Placentia': Fr. 1'hos. Ewer, Ord, Min. Strictioris Ohser- 
 vantia-. Mis. Dist. Ferryland ; Fr. Pafritius Plielan, Or... 
 Min. 8tr. Ohs., Mis. Dist, de Ilarhour Grace; Gulielnnis 
 Coman, generosus incola 8. Joamiis ; Dav. Duggan, idem; 
 Ilenricus Siiea, idem: Lucas Maddoc, idem; Joannas Wall, 
 id, ; Timotlieus IJvaii. id. ; Joannes Pmlger, id. ; Micliael 
 Mara, id. ; dacohus J\)\ver, id. : Araitinus Del:niey, id. ; Pa- 
 tricius Power, id. : (iuliclmus .Muilowney, generosus incola 
 Districtus de Ilarhour (irace : Joannes (Quarry, idem; 
 Demetrius IIart(>ry, id.: Jacoh. Sliorfall, id. Ferryland; 
 Joannes Coady, id. ; Joannes Powi'r, id. de Magna Pla- 
 centia ; Joannes Kearne\ , id. de Parva Placentia.' 
 
 "Most Holy Fatiirij : — 
 
 " Since, among the many and remarkahle events which 
 illustrate and itdorn the glorious I'ontilicate of Your Holi- 
 
198 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ncss, that is not llio least that in a wonderful maimer you have 
 consoled tlio faithful people of North Ameriea, and have at 
 the same time si)read abroad more fully the Catholic Faith, 
 and greatly streiiirthened the same ))y the thoughtful estah- 
 lishmeut of the Hrst r)is]ioi) of that rcaion, namely, the 
 Most llev, John Carroll, liishop of Baltimore. 
 
 "We, the undcrsiirned, animated by such an example and 
 sueh bi-nignity, in our own lunnes, and the names of all the 
 Catholics of Newfoundland, prostrate at the feet of Vour 
 Holiness, most lunubly ])ray that you would graciously 
 deign to appoint, as Bishop, with a title hi jxirfihus, and as 
 Vicar .Vpostolic, the ilhistrious and most worthy Prefect of 
 our Mission, the Rev. Father .Tames I^ouis O'Donel, of the 
 Order of Friars !Minor of the Observance. The ri'sult of 
 such an act would 1)(> without doubt a great advantage to' 
 religion, an innnense consolation to us, and an eternal glory 
 to Your Holiness. 
 
 '' Jt is altogether uimecessai'v for us to slate how useful it 
 would be to us at such a distant place to have among us a 
 Pastor endow<'(l with the Kpisco|)al character, who could 
 exercise Fpiscoj)al functions lor the consolation of the faith- 
 fid. So. also, w(! pur[)osely omit any praise of the merits 
 of this most noble man commended by us, inasuuich as his 
 bright and singular virtues are ali'cady well known to the 
 Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide. Hence, contid- 
 ing in the sui)rem(; clenuuicy and j)astoral solicitude of 
 ^'our Holiness, wc; again prostrate ourselves in si)irit, and 
 kiss the feet ol' Vour Holiness, beuiriui!: vour Apostolic 
 blessing. 
 
 ''(liven at \ewfoun<lland, the iiJOtli day of November, 
 A.l). 17iH. 
 
 '' lirother Eduumd I)Ourke, Dominican Friar, Missionary 
 of Placentia ; IJrother Thomas Ewer, Franciscan ^Missionary 
 of Ferryland ; lirother Patrick Plielau, l-'rauciscan. Harbor 
 Grace; William Conian, gentleman inhabitant of St. John's; 
 David Dugiran, do. ; Henry Shea, do. ; Luke Maddoc, do. ; 
 John Wall, do. ; Tinu)thy Ivyan, do. ; John Bulger, do. ; 
 
 J 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 199 
 
 Michael Mara, do. ; James Power, do. ; Martin Delaney, 
 do. ; I'iitricU Power, do. ; William ^Iidlowney, j^entleman 
 iiihahitaiit of (he District of Harbour Grace ; John (Quarry, 
 do. ; Demetrius Ilartery, do. ; James Shortall, do., of Ferry- 
 land ; John Cody, do. ; John Power, do., of Great Placeutiu ; 
 John Kearney, do., of Little Placentia." 
 
 Though the memorial bears the siirnatures of but three 
 priests. — Fathers Bourke, Placentia; Yore, Ferryliuid ; and 
 Patrick Plielan, Harbor Cirace, — yet we know b(>\'ond a 
 possible doubt that there were others in the Island at that 
 time, namely, Dr. O'Donel's nephew. Father Michael 
 O'Donel, who, perhaps through a sense of delicacy, did not 
 sign it ; also Father Fitzpatrick and Father John AN'helan. 
 It may 1)e that thest^ fathers were in some distant missions at 
 the time, and could not be reached. The names of many 
 of the laymen who signed the i)etition ai'e still flourishing 
 among us in their descendants. Among the rest may be 
 noticed the father of Sir Ambrose oliea, lately honored by 
 the Home (Joxcrnment by being a})})ointed the liist native 
 Govei'nor of Newfoundland.' 
 
 Th(( urgent appeal was responded to with cordiality by 
 the Holy Pont ill", and the customary Ikdls were expedited 
 for the consecration of flames Louis O'Donel as P)ish()p, 
 Avith the title of TJn/(it!va in parlihus iii/idr/iiiiii, and at the 
 same time Ik; was ap[)ointed N'icar Apostolic of Newfound- 
 land. I'he liull is dated ath of Jaimary, IT'.t!, which, owing 
 to the diliiculties of commmiieation, and the necessary pre- 
 liminaries to be gone tiirough. cannot be considered a very 
 long interval from the date of the memorial of tlie clergy 
 and people. Il is quite ])robable the memorial did not reach 
 liome till lale in the sunnn<'r of 17!)'). 
 
 The nearest [)lacc where he could obtain episcojjal conse- 
 
 ' Altli(>iii:li, owin;^ to ('irciiin-^liiiicc-: imt ihmcssiiiv In !h' cxplaiin'il In re, tiiis 
 apiioiutnu'iit was ciiiii'i'llcd, yet llio mciil'^ of the worthy ;;c'iilU'm!iii were acUiiowl- 
 I'd^i'il liy liis Iwin^r ai)i)i)iiilo(l (Jovcriioi' of the Haliaiiias. So lie U really tlic lirst 
 NowfouiuUaiuk'i' houoreil with a colonial govenioisliip. 
 
200 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 iM 
 
 
 cration in those days was QuoIuh- ; and accord inirly lio was 
 consecrated in tlic cathedral of that city hy the diocesan 
 Bishop, the Kt. Rev. Francis IIuI)ert, two i)riests, the 
 Revs. Messieurs Grave and Desjardins, assisting hy dis- 
 pensation, in lieu of two Bishops, as prescribed hy the 
 Rubric. This ceremony, so inii)ortant to the Church of 
 Newfoundland, took [jlace on the feast of St. Matthew, 21st 
 September, 17!)(). 
 
 The foUowini^ is a cojiy of the certiticate of the conse- 
 cration of Dr. O'Donel, taken from the original, which is 
 preserved in the archives of C^uebec, together with the sig- 
 nature of the Secretary and Chancellor, of the Archl)isl!op, 
 and also the authentitication of Very Rev. Canon Langevin, 
 in sendini;: the document to Dr. Mullock : — 
 
 "Joannes Franciscus IIubekt, Misekatione Divina 
 
 ET SCT.K SkDIS Ai'LC.E GhATIA. 
 "El'KSCOrUS QUKBECENSIS. 
 
 "Notum facimus nniversis (juod Die Vigesinia primPi ^len- 
 sis Septembris in Natalitio S. INIatthici Apostoli et Evangcil- 
 isttv, in EcclesiTi Xoslra Catliedrali acciti.s ct in hoc nobis 
 assistentibus loco Episcoi)oruin, du()l)us Presbyteris Sa'cu- 
 laribus, Magistris Videlicet Henrico Francisco (Jrave et 
 Philippo Joanne Ludovico Desjardins, Vicariis Xoslris (Jene- 
 ralibiis juxta si)ecialem licentiam a S'" Sede A})ost()licri 
 concessam, \os, lUustrissimo et Reverendissimo I). D. 
 Jacobo Ludovico O'Donell, Presl)vtero Reirulari Ordinis 
 Minorum S. Francisci Observantium Nuncupati, Elecfo et 
 Coniirmato Thyatirensi, nninus Consecrationis Episcoi)alis 
 .secundum P»ullas Ajjostolicas ipsi datas Roma> apud Sanctum 
 Pelrum die (^uinla Jaiuiarii pra'sentis Amii 17l)(), I'onlili- 
 catus, S.S.D.X. I'ii Pai)a' \'I., Amio 21°; — ritu coiisueto 
 et ))ra'slitis juramentis assuetis, ini[)eiidinms ; euniquc in 
 Episcopum Thyatirenseni Consccavinuis die et aiuio (jubis 
 supra, prcscnsciue instrunientum Signo Xostro Sigillocjuo 
 
' 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 201 
 
 '■ 
 
 V. 
 
 Diocccsls, ac Sccrctarii Nostri subscriptioni coniimuii- 
 vimiis. 
 
 " + JOANNES FKAXe, 
 
 J:Jjms Qiiehecensis. 
 
 "L.+S. 
 
 " De mandato lUiTii ac RcviTii D. D. Quoheeensis Episeopi. 
 
 "J. (). PLESSIS, r"-e, 
 
 " iSecretarius. 
 
 " Eiro Infra scriptus tostifieo prescntom transcriptuin con- 
 cordarc ruin oriirinali, (^nclu'ci die 20' fchruarii, 18r>4. 
 'XSignatmn) ^ EDMONDUS LAXtiEVIX, P.— D.I)., 
 
 "Quebec Arcliit'JjL SecriuH." 
 
 The following is an oxtract fi'oni the Bull or" Nomination 
 of Dr. O'Donol iiivini; the title of his See in jntrflhus: — 
 
 " Exeer[)tuni ex Hidlis datis Die 5 Jiinuarii, 17iM). 
 Ecelesia E})iseoi)aIis Thyatirensis in Lydia sub-Arehie[)o Sar- 
 diano (jua* in parlihus eonsistit inlideliuni, ])er translationeni 
 Vefibis Endris Franeisei Zaverii, ultinii illius Episeopi ad 
 Eeelesiani Ciduiensem." 
 
 Innnediately after his appointment, Dr. O'Donel wrote a 
 letter of thanks to the Propauanda. He also wrote to Dr. 
 'i'roy, from St. John's, Novemi)er 25, 17i)4 (whieh seems 
 to be a mistaUe for 17!Hi). The followini!; extract will give 
 an idea of the state of the country at that time : — 
 
 ■'My Loi;I), — The vessel that brought out the Holy Oils 
 from Ireland had ])een captured by a French frigate, but 
 afterwards they arrived safe, being re-tal-en." He is now 
 in his tifty-sixth year. " I went (o Ferryland, oidy fourteen 
 leagues from this place, last June ; was blown out to sea for 
 three days. During the nights we could not distinguish the 
 froth of tiic s(>a, which ran mountains high, from the broken 
 ice by whicli wc^ were cntircdy surrounded." 
 
 During the absence of Dr. O'Donel, on his voyage to 
 (Quebec, to be consecrated, the Very lv(^v. Father Vore, who 
 had been appointed Vicar-Oeneral, writes to Dr. Troy, under 
 
202 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 I \ 
 
 date Soptombor 20, ITOfi, a vtM-y interesting letter, from 
 which we take the following extracts : — 
 
 "In the absence of Dr. O'Donel, who has hoii ^ved nio with 
 his care, I feel it ti duty to mention the genen 1 satisfac- 
 tion at his jjromotion, and to accinaint you with the happy 
 chang(! in the sentiments of the [)eople, who not long since 
 burned the houses where jNIass was said or i)riests were 
 sheltered. Kciigion has made great progress in the country, 
 especially in my own district (Fia'ryland). I have completed 
 Jin elegant chai)el, with a convenient dwelling, all at n)y own 
 expense, except £10, which the poor people subscribed last 
 year. The many fruitless attempts of the ^lethodist |)reachers 
 have been successfully batlled, and th(>re is now I)ut one of 
 that sect in the districts of Ferryland and Trei)assey, and 
 even his family became Catholic this year. 
 
 "The Protestants likewise lose ground, and their minister 
 was obliged to decamp, notwitlistanding his £70 a year 
 from the ' Society.' Their feelings at such an event are 
 easily conceived ; but as he was a generous and well-bred 
 man, we always lived in frieiKlslii[) and ])arted in peace. 
 
 "The place is exceedingly poor from a faihue in the 
 fisherv, containinii: nearlv 2,r)00 souls, unetiuallv divided in 
 ten ditlerent harbors in the space of about 70 miles. . 
 The 8th instant nine French men-of-war hov(>, in sight : one; 
 80-gun ship, six 74-gun ships, and two frigates. The 10th, 
 they ])()re down on the harbour to attack. The wind not 
 answering them to enter, and discovering our strong and 
 well-mamied fortilications, they thought it projjcr to steer 
 off, and sailed for Bay Bulls, which liiey attacked and burnt. 
 . A vessel which arrived hi-re last Sunday left (Juel)ec 
 on the r)lh instant. j\Ir. O'Donel was not yet arrived. They 
 sailed from this about six weeks since. riiey went north- 
 about to avoid the enemy. It is generally a long passage, 
 and those who are used to it are not afraiil of danger." 
 
 This letter shows from the context that it was written 
 at Ferryland ; and as the date is Septeml)er 20lh, and he 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 203 
 
 states that Dr. O'Doncl left about six weeks before, that 
 wouhl be about the first week in Auiiust. Althouirh Father 
 Yore had not up to tliat date reeeived an ncCv)unt of his ar- 
 rival, as a matter of faet, at the very mouieut he was writiiij^, 
 Dr. O'Donel was in pre})aration and vigil for his eonsceration, 
 which took jjlace, as we have seen, on the following day (21st 
 Sei)teinber). The eircuitous route, around by the north and 
 throuiih the Straits of lielle Isle, eould not I>e made in shorter 
 time, even in our own day. Uefore his departure from St. 
 John's he reeeived a warm and sincere address, signed l)y 
 the merchants and Protestant inhabitants generally, by the 
 ■colonel, then conunander-in-chief of the forces, and by the 
 officers, military and naval. It shows what an extraordinary 
 change had come over public feeling since Dr. O'Donel's tirst 
 appearance in Newfoundland. It is as follows : — 
 
 "Rev. Sin, — As we understand that you shortly intend to 
 make a voyage to the continent of America, ])ermit us to 
 take this ()pi)ortunity of assiu'ing you of our good and sincere 
 wishes for your safety and happy return ; and how sensible 
 we are of the many obligations we lie under for your very 
 steady and indct'atigable perseverance in attending to, and 
 regulating with ,^iic!i address, the morals of nuich of the 
 greater part of this connnunity, the salutary eU'octs of which 
 have been sutliiientiy obvious. We are no strangers to the 
 many dilliculties which you hav(! from tinu^ to time been 
 obliged to encounter, even at the risk of your life, in regu- 
 larly visiting the diU'crent outjiosts witiiin your reach, and 
 in performing, with clieerfulness and alacrity, those functions 
 from whence hav(^ arisen so many advantages to the inhabi- 
 tants of this Island. That you may long be able to fiillil, 
 with your wonted /cal and attention, the many duties of the 
 honorable ollice you now hold, is the unfeigned wish of 
 
 "liev. Sir, your most obedient Servants," etc. 
 
 As soon as possible after his consecration Dr. O'Donel 
 retm'ued to Newfoundland, and after a most dangerous })as- 
 sage arrived at Flacentia, then a place of greater importance 
 
il 
 
 I 
 
 204 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTOIIY 
 
 than now. It had a lioutenant-frovcrnor and a garrison. 
 The lilshoi) made a pastoral visitation of the district, and ad- 
 ministered the Saerament of Contlrmation. This was not the 
 first time IMacentia had l)een hoiiored hy the pn-senee of si 
 IJishop. Wc have before noticed that the l)isho[) of (^n(il)ec 
 paid a visit here some hundred and seven years previously 
 (1()S!I). liut it was the first Episcopal visitation since the 
 English obtained entire possession of the Island, and nuist 
 have been a source of great consohitlon to tlu^ good people. 
 
 The pastor of the missit)n at the time was the Kev. Ed- 
 numd IJourko, already alluded to. 
 
 The Bishop returned as soon as possible to St. John's to 
 resume his arduous labors. lie had but two jjriests to attend 
 to the spiritual wants of St. JohiTs, Torbay, Portugal Cove, 
 and the South Shore of Conception Bay, Bay IjuIIs, the 
 Southern Shore, and other localities, now all jjrovided with 
 resident clergymen. 
 
 In 1<S01 he i)ublished a body of Diocesan Statutes, for the 
 guidance of the priests under his Jurisdiction, and i)articu- 
 larly adai)ted to the state of the Church in this country'. 
 Among other injunctions, the missionaries are exhorted to 
 visit each other as frecjuently as possible ; all are bound to 
 come to St. John's at least once a year, and the [)riests of 
 Harbor Grace and Eerryland twice a year. It appears that 
 at the time those statutes were pul)lished there were no sec- 
 ular priests in the Island, for in his exhortation to nuitual 
 charity he says: " Missionarii o!nn(>s sive Seculares (licet 
 ndhuc non ad sint), sive Bcgulares CujuscuiKjue Ordiiiis." 
 He concludes the statutes by ordering (we give tlu^ words in 
 an English translation) "that public prayers be ofTenMl up 
 every Sunday and holiday (though but few of the latter can 
 be observed in this Mission, and the Su[)erior will luneafli'r, 
 by a private notice, designate such as can be observed) for 
 our Most Sovereign King George HI. and his Koyal family ; 
 that the priests should use every means to turn aside their 
 flocks from tho vortex of modern anarchy ; thiit they should 
 inculcate u willing obedience to the salutary laws of Eng- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 205 
 
 liiiul, .111(1 to tlio coiuinunds of the govornor and ina<;istrato.s 
 of this Island. . . . AVc most earnestly entreat, and 
 !)>■ all the spiritual authority wo hold, ordain that all niis- 
 sioners oppose with all the means in their power all plotters, 
 conspirators, and favorers of the infidel French, and use 
 every endeavour to withdraw tlu'ir peoi)le from the plausible 
 cajolery of French deceit; for the aim of this conspiracy 
 is to dissolve all honds, all laws, by which society is held to- 
 gether, and more csi)ecially the laws of England, which are 
 to be preferred to those of any other country in Europe." 
 
 These instructions show that the danger to bo dreaded by 
 the spread of revolutionary princii)les in Newfoundland was 
 not exaggerated ; and such being the statements of Dr. 
 O'Donel, it is no wonder that tlu> British Government would 
 not only tolerate, but, in a certain manner, protect Catholicity 
 in the country. Indeed, the loyalty of the Roman Catholics 
 to the English Crown has been frecjuently tested in the North 
 American colonies. After the successful revolution which 
 elevated the United States from a colonial dependency to a 
 great and i»uwerful nation. Congress, at the instance of 
 Franklin, sent a de[)utation to Canada, of which he himself 
 formed one, and of which the iJev. John Carrol, Jesuit, and, 
 subsecjuently, as mentioned before, the first Bishop of Bal- 
 timore, was also a member. The object of the mission was 
 to induce the Canadians to raise the standard of indei)end- 
 cu'- . But the Canadian Catholics, enjoying j)crfect liberty 
 of conscience under British rule, and beholding how, even 
 under the glorious eagle of American independence, the nar- 
 row-minded and gloomy i)()licy of the descendants of the 
 fanatical I'ilgrims of Massachusetts held full sway, refused 
 to swerve from tlu'ir allciriance. To the extreme bitrotrv 
 and insolence of these puritanical neighbors England chielly 
 owes the preservation of her great Canadian empire. The 
 continued aggression, coui)led with insult, offered both to 
 their '"liglu:* and to their nationality, caused the Canadians 
 to shJ'iis. from all desire of political association with such a 
 peo[)le, and thereby strengthened their loyalty to England. 
 
206 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ItT. UFA'. Dll. (VDONEL, Continued.- [1801-1800.] 
 
 ii 
 
 M 
 
 \ I 
 
 Establishmrnt nf Parislirx and Distncrs — StiitP of the ronntry — " Tlic Old riiaix-l" 
 — "'I'lif Old I'aliicc " — UcliiviiK'iit (if Dr. O'Doiicl — AplioiiilliU'iit (if Dr. I.iiiii- 
 bcrt — Tt'sliiiioiiy of Hespcct to Dr. O'Dont'l on i.ciiviii;; tlii^ Country — Mayimni- 
 moiii^ Coiiduct of llic .Mi'iTliaiils ami Inlialiitaiils — Cliurlisli Conduct of (iovcrnor 
 (iowcr — Dr. O'Donid lU'ci'lvcs a Pension of CM ptr An mint — llisDi'parluri' from 
 till' Nlaiid, Last Days, Death (1811), l^pitaph — Ufview of liis Kpiscoputc — I'cr- 
 sonal Character. 
 
 AFTER his consecration the IVishop coiiliimod to exercise 
 his missiouiiry (hitics as before. He tlivided the whole 
 diocese into missions or districts, of which there were at lirst 
 four. 
 
 J^ivst. St. John's, includin<r from Lii Manche tf) Holy- 
 rood, which was attended hy the JJishop tind his uei)liew. 
 Father :\lichael (VDoncl. 
 
 Sc'coiid. Harhor (irace, inchidin*; from Holyrood to 
 Grtites ('ov(! ; norlli from there was visited iimmally hy a 
 priest from St. John's, who also visited Lahra(h)r. Tliis 
 district Wiis atteniU'd hy Fatht-r ^^'llclall, wlio wouhl seem to 
 liave 1)ccn its first missioner. .After Ids death (by drown- 
 inii), Fr. ^'ore came fiom Ferryland, but stayed only a short 
 time ; then Fr. Fitzpatrick took charije of this mission, and 
 Fr. Yore went for jiood there in I'SOl!. 
 
 Tli!nl. Ferry liind, ini-ludiiiu; from Lamanche to Cape St. 
 Mary'8. This mission was first attended by Fr. Fitzpatrick 
 until the arrival of Fr. Yore in l<<Si). 
 
 Fourth. Pliicentiii included from Cape St. Mary's to For- 
 tune r>ay, anil all beyond. It Wiis, as we have seen, first at- 
 tended by Fr. Bourke till 17D8, when he was succeeded by 
 Fr. AVhelun. 
 
OF NKU'FOUNDLANI). 
 
 207 
 
 It has l)o<Mi niontioiicd Uuil Fr. Voro (inivod in 1789. 
 This vciicrnhh' ('Ii'r<;ynmn played a conspiciioiis part in the 
 early eceh'siastical histoi-y of liie eountry tor nearly half a 
 eoiitury, and has left his name indelihly i)rinted on our an- 
 nals, lie was a man of imposintr i)reseiu'(f and indomilahlc 
 will. Dean Cleary deserihos him as "a domineering; man 
 . earryinjj; all hefore him. He used to <j:<) sin<^le- 
 handed in a skill" tVom Ferry land to St. .John's." Wv ar- 
 rived tirst on our shores at Ferry land in 17S!). His Kreat, 
 or ere(h>ntial letter, from the Provincial of the Franeisean 
 Order in Ireland is an anticiuatetl document, hearing; the 
 hirgo seal of the Oi'd(!r, the cross, with cross-arms and cross- 
 hones, with the legend, " Fnifrnnk Jfiiior S/ricfioris Ohs. 
 Pror!nri(v. lllhcrnkv." 1 thiidv it sutliciently interesting to 
 reproduce in full : — 
 
 "Fr. Jacol)us () Reilly, F. F. Minor Strict" Ohservantiio, 
 Provinciie Hiberuiie, Minister Proviucialis et Missiouarius 
 Emeritus, K. V. Thoniie Yor(^ ojusdeiu Provinciie Alunino, 
 Predicatori et Contessario, SalutenuM IJenedii'tionem in Dom- 
 ino. Cum ad missionem AnuM'icanam anheles, Xol»is<j. pium 
 hoc tuum desiderium suppliciter e.\i)osueris, favore Onmi- 
 modo te prosecpii volentes justis tuis votis annuinms, proin 
 tenore pnes(>ntium facultatem tii)i ((juantum in nohis est) 
 impertimur ut ad prefatam Missionem tiuancius accedere 
 valeas. Interim te ecu vitic e.\i'Ui[)laris Keligiosum altofatie 
 ^lissionis Prefectil)us charius in Domino Connnendanms. 
 Vale I Nostri in precihus et Sacriticiis Memor. 
 
 " Datum in loco Nostra' Kesidentife Pon- 
 tanenseas hae die (5'" Marlii Amio rejiaratic 
 Salutis ITSil. Suh Nostro Chirographo 
 Pr<)vinciie(|ue SigiUo Majoi'i. 
 
 Fli. .lACOUrS O KEILLY, 
 
 '' JIini.s'' Prualis." 
 
 "[L.S.] 
 
 "(Signed) 
 
 A man of sucli physical and mental energy was not one to 
 remain long inactive. Inunediately after his arrival he com- 
 
208 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 f« 
 
 mcnccd fo lay the roiindiilions, (cmpornl imd spiritiuil, of tin? 
 future Mission of KciitIiukI. llv liouirlit the fiiini known by 
 the not vory ciiplionious naino of " Scroir^ins," ii/id liuiltii 
 liouso Mild cIiJ'.pcl not far from tlic ruins of lli<^ ('stal)lislnniMit 
 ahandoncil by Lord Haltinior(! over one hundred and sixty 
 years lu'forc. No vesti<j:(^ remains of either house or ehapel 
 now, thouiih the site is siiown to the eastward of the main 
 road, near"tlie IVtoI." lie labored assi(hiously in this Mission 
 for about sevent«'en years. In the year l.SO,') or 1S()(! he 
 went to Harbor (Jraeo, wiiere he eontimied his labors till his 
 death, in 1S,'?3, at the a;j:e of eiiihly-four years. He had been 
 appointed Viear-(Jeneral by Dr. O'Donel, after his eonse- 
 eration in 17!Hi. He was one of the three who petitioned the 
 Holy Fatiier for the eonseeration of Dr. O'Donel. His first 
 act on iioini; to Harbor (Jraeo Wiis to pay olf a del)t of three; 
 hmidred and tifty i)ounds left on the ehapel there, for which 
 purpose he travelled throuiihoul every settlement of tin; Ray. 
 He was succeeded in Ferryland by Father Fitzpatriek, who 
 built the old chapel at Renews (outside of the "Look-out"). 
 On at'count of some money diflieulties he left the country in 
 181(!, and went to Ireland, when; he died. 
 
 The total population of the Island at this time was about 
 thirtv-five thousand, of whom three-fourths were Catholics, 
 and only al)out one-seventh were females. The ordinary 
 wajres of a tlsherman was thirty pounds for the half 
 year. They were "shipped for the voyaire," so that in 
 winter no waires were uiven, nor was there any work, 
 exce[)t rindinii' or boat-buildin<^. There was no cultiva- 
 tion of the soil ; not even potatoes were ])lante(l. Jn the 
 winter mt'U lived in "cook-rooms" attached to the stages, 
 and boarded themselves, or "ate themselves," as they said. 
 Money was plentiful. There was no ])ai)er money, (>xcept bills 
 of exeiiauiie on Fnuland ; no coppers, but dollars (Mexican) 
 were the current medium; and tradition re{)orts that they 
 were so plentiful that men played "pitch-and-toss" with them. 
 Up to the present day many a good " cul haitha" is in exist- 
 ence, in the shape of a stocking crammed with those broad 
 
 i» 
 
 '^l\ 
 
ftt 
 
 OF Ni;\VF()UN'i)LAM). 
 
 209 
 
 piofps.' Every Mocossary wns imported. Bread .sold at. £l> 
 a l)!iLr; pork at £10 a harri^l ; lea, etc., in proportion; l)iJt, 
 then, li>li was worth [!">.■<. a ((tiinlal. 
 
 There was no |)oslal eonnnunieation witli the outer worKI, 
 but vessels h'aviii*; every fall and sprin^j l>r(<'i<xht letters. 
 There were no roads. l'(>()plo travelled in winlei' iVoin IMa- 
 eenlia to St. John's rid St. Mary's and Tr('|)assey, Jlenou/e, 
 ele., and from liOiiijj Ilarlior, vi(f Heart's Content, to Ilarhoi* 
 Graee. 
 
 It has ahvady been stated that Dr. O'Donel built the "Old 
 Chap(d " at St. fb)hn's, thouirh it is most prol)al»le a ehapcd of 
 some sort existed befoi'e his ai'rival here in 17(S4. AeeordiuLT 
 to a statement of the late Dean ('l(>ary, it must have been 
 erected at least ten years before^ that date, viz., 1771; for 
 when the late venerable Dean was stationed at Jionavista, in 
 \^'M), ho met with an old man named Harry lilaek, then 
 eiirhty years t)f ajre (eonseiiuently he had been born in 17,')0). 
 He informed the Dean that the "Old Chapel " was built when 
 he was a yonntr nian of twenty-four or twenty-tive years of 
 aire (viz., in 1771), and that he himself " brouiiht the tirst 
 slick of wood that ever was placed in it. It was laid under 
 the illar in the north-west corner." Auain we have seen tiiat 
 the foundation-stone of the "Old Chaixd " bears a still earlier 
 date, viz., 1 7,'> t. 
 
 An old house still (188.')) exists, belonuinir to Mr. Corlx^tt, 
 in the neii:hI)()i'ho()d of tin; Star of the Sea Ilall, in which Mass 
 Avascelebi'atcd before the erection of the "Old Chapel."- At 
 fir.-<t the chai)id consisted of uu-ndy the lransc})ts and jjart 
 of the uave. It was enlari>'e(l in 1825, and the bell ^ erected. 
 
 •This is IK) iinii;,'in:iry or rhetoriciil fijjTurc. A few years a;,'o a treasiive-trovo of this 
 sort came into llie liaiuls of tiic present writer, in tlie shape of a \y.i<r containiii},' forty 
 ponnds (one liiindreil anil sixty ilollars). They liad l>een concealed uniler a iieartli- 
 stoiu! for over forty years. 
 
 "This house has sinre liecn imlled down to make loom for the wideiiin;; of tlie 
 street, and Mr. Corhett, one of tlie few who conld speaU from personal reeolleetion of 
 Dr. O'Donel, has heeu ;rathered to his forefathers, lie declared that while he lived 
 no saerile;;ions hand shonld he laid upon the old "shanty," for it was not much hetter, 
 and every day till he died ho spent an hour in it. 
 
 "'rhis his|(uie bell, which llrst sounded the toesin of the faith over the hills of 
 Newfoundland, hears the inseription, " John Redluill, fecit 1S2j." It was removed, ou 
 
I .1 ■ 9 ' 
 
 210 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOllY 
 
 The "01(1 Piiiiicc"" wiis built about 1807 ])y Dr. Lambert, suc- 
 cessor to Dr. O'Douel, though i)roviously (<> lliat tinic tluiro, 
 was a small lu)iis(> on lli(» spot, Avitli ono cliimnev fa dariiii^ 
 l*ai)al aiiLiTcssion in those days) and one parlor, rx'l'orc^ tlio 
 eri'i'tion of this pi'imi(iv(> d\\('llin<:', "the Uisliop" (so a very 
 venorablc! lady iiit'ormed mo) "lived in Tom AVilliams' house, 
 at the i'oot of Lime Kiln Hill."' 
 
 lu isil the "Old Palaee" was enlararfd, and was made one 
 of the linest and most im[)()sinji^ lookinii' houses in the town. 
 For a peiiod of nearly seventy years it was the home of the 
 bishoj)s and elerjiy of the early Chnreh in Newloundland. 
 Aroun ^ "' hunu; many saered and soothiuir traditions; and 
 many of the anecdotes of its former history, i-eeited l)y the 
 elder eliM'ev? ill'*' f'l" t>t interest, often most anmsinu'.- It 
 
 tlif taking down of the " Old Chsipol " in 1872, to St. Peter's Cliapol, Queen Street, where 
 it conlinued its holy son;r ot" " Conijri'ijn Cl<ri,iii, Popiihiiii I'nco" till that ehapel 
 heeanie oonvci'tcd into a school, in 18S1, when it was procured by the enerirctic pasior 
 of Salnionicr, I'cv. -T. SI. .Tohn, and erected in the hell-chiinil)cr of the <'eiitral 
 tower of the beautiful (^hurch of St. .loseph, which rises irraeet'idly anioiiu- llie lir-trccs 
 on tliat eharniin',' estuary of the Hay of St. Mary's. There for many a Ioult year to 
 come the sweet tones of this noble oM ha^llin^'cr of the failh will ;;lail(len the ears of 
 th<' hanly li^hcrlnen with the sweet souniU of the " Au'jchi-;," or cheer thcin as thev 
 retui'n in their little boats with the f;lailsome chime of the Vesper jieal. 
 
 ' 'I'hc v<'nerable lady alluded to is .Mrs. Kenury, a re-pectal)le and jjious woman, 
 who died in ISSO, haviuif attained beyond her eightieth year. She remembered Dr. 
 O'DoMcl (piite well. She was horn in the old house, still existini:, in the Duke of 
 York Sireet, alias Kenney's Lane, which bad formerly been tlie " lirsl (Jovcrmnent 
 llou-^c." This hou-ic, tliou,i;h not of any very elaborate architectural or ^gubernatorial 
 pretentions, wa-i, nevertheless, somethin^r of a more duiable ami evinn-ive character 
 than the ordinary wooden (hvellin>rs of the time, a^ the oakm beam-, si ill visible, can 
 testify. It is of very remote anliiiiiity. 1 have not been able to discover the date of 
 its erection, but from the lease and receipts in pus^cs^ion of the Kciuicy lamilv it 
 a]ipears tluit in the year 170."i it was rented by " father ( )'l)ouel " (he was not conse- 
 <'ratcd r>i-hop till the followinjr year, ITU'i) "and J)r. ( );^den, M.D., for Mr. lirinc. 
 father of Mrs. Kenney.' The jiroperty is called " Mary SlriplinL''s I'lantation," and 
 eonsisis cf "a house and ^;arilcn." It hclonirs to " Mary Striplinu', of Ashl)Ui'toii, in 
 County ill' Devon, Kinu'doni of (ireat Britain, spinster"; the rent was £'i 1,"),<. lor 
 twelve months. 
 
 *There was one piu'tioii, a sort of back linhay, <n- attic, exposed to the north-east, 
 which was extremely cold m the winter season. It was siirnilicantly named "Tlu! Lab- 
 rador," and to it were r( lc;;atcd the Junior clcrLTy, on their lirst arrival in the countrv, 
 as a place of probation and noviceship. It was probably supposed that the fervor of 
 their youn;.c hearts would enable them to bear more heroically the nippinijr atmosphere 
 of this " remote " attic. The only line of demarcation defniin;,' the portion of /i rrl/ory 
 allotted to each incumbent of " Lal)rador," for dressinir and washini,' room, bed, etc., 
 was a chalk line drawn across the lloor. 
 
 1 
 
OK NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 211 
 
 ] 
 
 went throiiii'h many vicissiliidcs. In the yoixv 1854, on the 
 conipK^tion ofthc superb newpalacison the Cathedral jiTounds, 
 hv'Dr. Mnlloek, the "OKI Palace" was abandoned, and Bishop 
 and ('leriiy went to live in the new residence. For some time 
 afti'r this, however, the Saturday evening confessions were 
 heard in the " ( )Id Chapel," and the priests continued partially 
 to occupy tiie "Old I'alaee." 
 
 In the year 1<S,').'), on the dismeml)(>rment of tlie K(nnan 
 Catholic Academy and the commencement of the new CoUeue 
 of St. ]>()naventure, tlie "Old Palace " was titted u|) as a tem- 
 l^orary school, undei' the Xew Education Act, and was jjlaeed 
 under the cl!:'r<>"e of the \'ery liev. Fr. (now Archdeacon) 
 Forristal. the tirst President of St. lionaventure's. The fol- 
 lowinir year it Avas found incommodious and unfitted for the 
 larg-e ninnbcr of boarders which soon I-vpui to lioek to the 
 colleue. Tlie ('stablisiunent was removed to "The Monastery" 
 at Px'lvideri', the new l)uihlinii' liot Ix'iue' yet completed. The 
 "Old Palace" w;is thus ajrain abandoned, and remained unten- 
 anted, except by the faithfid sacristan, " Tonuny AVoods,"' 
 until the arrival of the Most Kev. Dr. Power, in 1S70. At 
 this time, it having been reported that the "Old Chapel" was 
 in a dangerous condition, it was examined by competent 
 nieehanies, who deelari-d it their opinion that it was unsafe, 
 and it was ordered to be taken down. The site, howexei', 
 hallowed by so many sacr(>d memories, and sauctitied by 
 being macU' the I'radle of Catholicity in Ni'wfoundlaiul, was 
 not jH'rmitted to be handed over to any purely secular use. 
 It was seem-ed In the newly instituted Star of the Sea 
 Association, a Catholic society of tisiu'rmen, established with 
 religious and mutual beiietieial ol)jeets, who built u[)on it their 
 vei'v tine jmblic hall. 'I'he "Old Palace," which foi'uied i)art 
 of the proiK'rty transferred, did not long survive its alienation 
 from its eeelesiaslical owners. It was bui'ut to the giound in 
 1874. Thus psissed away one of the old landmarks of our 
 Church histor}'. I thought it not unworthy of this brief 
 memoir. 
 
 The severe labors of the mission now beiran to undermine 
 
f 
 
 212 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL UISTOKY 
 
 the constitution of the viMioviiblc Prelate ; nor is it to l)e 
 Avondered jit, for, be.sides tlie cares of the hisho})ric, he had 
 to dischariic, a.s Mas stated, tlie duties of a missionary ])riest, 
 on account of the paucity of clerjivnien in the vicariate. 
 He represented the state of his failing;' healtii to tiie Holy 
 See, otl'ered his resii>nation, and l)egjj:ed for a successor 
 to be ai)pointed. Deej)ly impressed with the responsil)ili- 
 ties of the pastoral otHce, he would not continue to hold 
 n dignity the duties of which he was unal)le to discharge, 
 and the resources of the vicariate were then too limited to 
 support a coadjutor. Accordingly, he procured the a[)point- 
 ment of Dr. Ijambert as his successor, and in tlie year 
 1807 he left the lit'ld of his apostolic labors for his native 
 soil. 
 
 When Dr. O'Doncl was leaving the country, all classes 
 united to show their ajjpreciation of his character. The dvv\) 
 regret of his own Hock at losing their beloved i)astor and 
 father was recijjrocated by the Protestant })ortion of the 
 conununity, Avho lost a friend, and in many cases a j)rotector. 
 A public meeting was called, and a large silver urn presented 
 to him as a token of esteen:, A letter was also sent to the 
 governor ((iower) recjuesting him to forward to the English 
 Government their re(juest for a i)ension to Dr. O'Donel. The 
 governor complied with their request, but in a very un- 
 graceful manner, as will api)ear from his letter. The 
 occasion was one on which it was iu)t necessary to make 
 a disj)lay of his feelings by using the insulting and un- 
 English word " Komish." The result of the petition was 
 a beggarly pension of £.">() per anmnn to him whose services 
 were more useful to the Government of England than a 
 garrison: the man, in fact, who more than oiict' saved the 
 colony to the Crown. '' While the j)rotligat(^ favorites of 
 royalty," writes Dr. Mullock, "and the cadets of a beggarly 
 aristocracy were drawing their thousands ammally from the 
 l)ension \\><{,//J'fi/2)oi(inh was considered a sullicient reward 
 for the acknowledged and invaluable services) of a Catholic 
 lihliop ! *' 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 213 
 
 Tli(^ fblloniiiii' i!^ the letter of tlie meirhiints and inlmbitants 
 generally : — 
 
 " St. John's, Newfoundland, 
 "iHhAuirust, 1804. 
 
 " Siu, — We, the magistrates, merchants, and other inhal)- 
 itants of St. Jolni's, Newfoundland, beg leave to state to 
 your Kxcelleney, that the Kight Kev. James O'Donel, ehief 
 Koman Catholic clergyman of this Island, has resided among 
 us for twenty years, during which time he has strenuously 
 and successfully laboured to improve the morals and regulate 
 the conduct of the })lanters, servants, and lower classes of 
 the inhabitants of tliis and the neighbouring districts, whereby 
 he has (>llectually prevented the (juarrels and animosities 
 Avhich were before fre(pient, and rendered our })ersons and 
 properties unsafe, particularly in the spring of the year 1799, 
 Avhen, next to General Skerritt, he was the person who saved 
 this valuable Island from becoming a scene of anarchy and 
 confusion b}' making the most unwearied exertions and using 
 the extensive influence he had acquired over th(> l()W(>r 
 classes, by Avhich means they were prevented from joining 
 the nmtineers of the Newfoundland regiment at a time when 
 General Skerritt had not sutHcient force to oppose sucli a 
 dangerous cond)ination. This the General with candour often 
 acknowlediicd, and reni'etted that he had not sufficient interest 
 at Home to procure Dr. O'Donel a pension from (rovermncnt 
 for the many essential services he has rendered this country ; 
 but to ()l)tain whicii the Creneral applied to Lord lladstock. 
 Sir Charles Morice I*ole, and Admiral (iambier, for their 
 assistance; whw all most readily agreed in promising theii' 
 support to so just a claim, and testiiuonies and ilocuments, 
 Avhich would in all ])robality have obtaincMl this favour wcM-e 
 sent from hence, but were lost fiom on board the ""Camilla." 
 These were renewed l)y (Jeneral Skerritt the following year, 
 and by him addressed to His Koyal Highness the Duke of 
 Kent; but His Royal Highness being for a considerable time 
 aliroad at (iibraltar, the matter seems to have been forgot. 
 This we regret ; yet we now hope that this truly good work, 
 
■HI 
 
 214 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 I I 
 
 U 
 
 by the fruidanco of Providonoo, Iwis hcon reserved to be ac- 
 complislu'd by Your Excellency : and we earnestly re((iiest 
 3011 will use your benevolent influence with His Majesty's 
 ministers to reward this very respectable gentlenian with 
 some little in(le|)endence during the short remainder of a 
 long life spent in the service of his king, country, and 
 neighbours. 
 
 "AVe have the honor to be, etc., 
 " (Signed) " 
 
 r Then follow the signatures of 
 < the princi[)al inhabitants of 
 { St. John's. 
 
 The following is the Governors repl^' : — 
 
 "Four TowxsiiENi), 10 August, ltS04. 
 " Gentlemen, — I hav(^ received your letter of yesterday's 
 date stating the important benefits Government has received 
 in this islaiid from the useful and })atriotic services of the 
 Heverend Dr. O'Donel, the Romish Bishoj) in St. Jolurs, 
 and recpitsting me to interfere with His Majesty's ministers 
 to obtain him some comj)ensation, in reply to wiiich I have 
 to assure you that I shall with ureat i)leasure lav your repre- 
 sentation briV..- His Majesty's Gov(>rmuent, and use my 
 utmost (Mideavours to get his merit re\var(le<l. 
 
 " I am, etc., 
 
 "K. GOWER. 
 
 "The incri'liaiits and priiicipal iiiliahitaiits of St. .loliii's." 
 
 From a letter of Dr. O'Donel to his nephew. Father Michael 
 O'Donel, IM*., of Clashmore, kindly sent me by the liishof/s 
 grand-nephew, the Rev. .Miclwud O'Donnell, of Ilarrowgate, 
 England (whicji letter shall be produced farther on), wo 
 can learn to within a day or two the date of Dr. O'Donel's 
 departuie from our shores. Tiie letter is dated " Bristol, 
 Se[)temberthe 17th, 1<S()7." He writes : ":My dear Michael, — 
 I have to accjuaint you of my arrival in Europe after a 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 215 
 
 pleasf.Mt passaji^e of 20 diiys." II(^ arrivod first at Portsmouth, 
 whcro ho remained two days, thence it may have taken liim 
 two or three days to get to liristol. lie was in Jiristol some 
 time before the 2'Jlh August. Hence we may conclude he 
 left St. John's about the 2Gth July. 
 
 In a brief account of the life and labors of this "Apostle 
 of Newfoundland," in the "Irish Penny Magazine " of Novem- 
 ber, 18;)4, contributed by a wi'iter signing himself " J. E.,'' 
 there is given, " IVom various manuscpts in his possession," 
 an " Klegy on the liight Rev. James v)*l)()nel," which I d(;em 
 Avorthy to reproduce here, not, perhaps, altogether on account 
 of any very extraordinary literary merit, but as an interesting 
 curiosity, and as also serving to illustrate one or two historical 
 facts concerning the life of our " first Pishop."' (See Xote .'5.) 
 
 The letters "J. E.,'M am informed l)y the Hev. Michael 
 O'Donnell, are the initials of flames Kaid, grandson of ]Mrs. 
 Phelan ( Dr. O'Donefs sister). " lie died many years since 
 in AVaterford," writes F. O. 1). ; "and I, who knew him well, 
 don't believe that a book or a manuscript belonging to him 
 can now be found." 
 
 After th(! line of the "Elegy" referring to "Pritain's gi'ate- 
 ful mite," tlun-e is a note stating that "for his (Dr. 
 O'Doners) meritorious conduct, (Jovernment entitled him to 
 accc})t a free grant of a i)ortion of land in St. John's, now 
 called the 'Pishoi)'s Farm.'" The liight Pev. Dr. Fleming 
 was not aware of this fact, for in his letter (VII.) to Dr. 
 Spratt, S(>ptember 2d, 183(!, he says: "I began to make 
 arrangements, . . . previous to my departiu'c for New- 
 foundland, to solicit at Downing St n-et a grant of ground 
 for the eri'ction of a church and public school, in St. 
 John's. JVof (I sliKjlc J'td-or of lite kind, not a f/nnif of 
 (jround for cdii/ puhUr purpose, having ever been given by 
 tlu^ (lovernment to the Catholics of Newfoundland." Put 
 this grant to Dr. O'Donel Avas a j)rivate or personal one. 
 There is, however, a small piece of ground near " Palks," at 
 River Head, St. .John's, which belonged to Dr. O'Donel, the 
 rent of which is received by Father O'Donnell, of llarrowixate. 
 
2u; 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 " Tho tann," ho says, " has boon routed for ninety-nino years, 
 at a rental of £!) or £10. It lias l)oen ])ai(l, . . . first 
 to my uiiole, tiieii to Mrs. Plu'lan (Dr. O'Donel's sister) 
 and for the last forty years to myscdf." 
 
 A note is added to the second last stanza of the EIei»y 
 statinj; that "the oereniony on the day of his sailinji; from 
 St. John's was most solenm. - All l)nsiness was suspended, 
 liuns wen^ kept tirinii' at regular int(M'vals, and all tho vessels 
 in the harbor displayed tlu'if colors at half-mast hi^'h ! " 
 
 In the letter menlionod as havini; boon written ]»v Dr. 
 O'Donel, from liristol. to his nephew, Father O'Donel, of 
 Clashmoro, he i;lves a more detailed account of the proceed- 
 ings accompanyinj": his departure : — 
 
 ■'Tlio merchants of St. John's b(>havtHl with uncommon 
 friondsjiij) and singular atlontion to me. They <>ave mo 
 a farewell dinner at the Loiidoii 7\iirni ; 17 ix'opio at table; 
 amonii' whom wore the heads of all di^partments : my 
 noi)how, Sullivan, with his friend from ^lontreal. Tiie 
 President made? an appropriiile sj)occh upon the occasion, 
 and then drank my health with ;? times .'5 clioers. The feast 
 was, as usual, unconnnonly expensive and sj)lendi(l. The 
 General, magistrates, merchants, and princi})al iiihiil)itants 
 of the town addressed nio in very llattorinii- terms on tho 
 morniuir of my departure. All the Protestant merchants 
 waited on me in my own house, and escorted mo in ])rocos- 
 sion to PelTs Wharf, whore they had another man-of-war 
 boat with (S ours, and accompanied me in it aboard. All the 
 merchants and inhai)itants displayed their colours, both afloat 
 and on shore, to the best advantage. So far the shore 
 business."' 
 
 Th(> "splendid gift'' mentioned in the Elegy is the large- 
 silver urn alluded to by Dr. Mullock, which was presented 
 to Dr. O'Donel by the peoi)le of St. John's. It was at the 
 time of .T. E.'s connnunication (18;U) in possession of Father 
 ^Michael O'Donel, of Clashmoro, from whom it passed to Father 
 
 \ 
 
OF NEWFOUNDl.AND. 
 
 217 
 
 O'DoniKiU, of ILin'owiiiiio, in whose possession it now is. 
 "The urn," he writes, "is safe in my keejirni;^. It I)eiirs, 
 without (lute, the toMowiniiJ inscription : ' Presented to the 
 lit. llev. James O'Donc^l, D.D., hy th(^ inlial)itants of St. 
 Jolm's, Xesv-found-huul, in testimony of his pious, patriotic, 
 and meritorious conduct durini;' a residence amon<^ them of 
 23 years.' This urn," contimu'S Father O'Donnell, " liis 
 l)ectoral cr«,ss, rini>-, i>loves, false teetii, and stole, are the 
 only articles belonuiuij;" to him now remaininu', as far as I 
 know." The urn or cup did not actually arrive^ in New- 
 foundland, but was received by Dr. ()T)on<d in liristol. In 
 his letter to his nephew he speaks of it as follows : — 
 
 " Alessr. Elmes, Ivennio, aiul Mcliraire waited on me a 
 little before my dei)arture, and said they intended to ])resent 
 me a silver cu}) at St. John's; but as it did not arrive, re- 
 (juested to kno\v where it shoidd be addressed to nu'. It is 
 now in my ]iossession, and one of the tinest })ieces of plate 
 that has ever been seen at Bristol. The devices, raised 
 work, and other ornaments are tinished with ex(|iusite tast(; 
 and elei:ance. It cost 150 guineas, so that 3'ou see my 
 friends were not paying me empty compliments." 
 
 This letter, so often alluded to, dcsci'ibes, in pleasant and 
 easy style, the incidents of the voyage. It is written ui)on 
 very rough pa[)er of large si/e, unruled, in a good hand of 
 anti(iue style, containing souk^ old-fashioned aI)l)reviations. 
 It is folded, of course, without enveloi)e, and is fast crumb- 
 ling to pieces. The seal in red wax is ahnost entirely gone, 
 and the r)ristol post-mark nearly oI)literated. The address 
 on the outside is rather (piaint : — 
 
 "Kev' Michael O'Donel to be forwarded by 
 
 '" M'' Daniel Murphy, Shopkeei)er 
 
 "Broad street 
 
 " St rad bally 
 
 " Waterford 
 
 "Ireland." 
 
218 
 
 ECCLKSIASTK'AL 
 
 \m 
 
 Ilaviii*; thus »»Tiii)hi('ally dcscri. the t'lnbiirkation, Dr. 
 O'Doiu'l I'oiitiniies : — 
 
 "At sea Licutcnsinl-Gencral Dospard, Governor of Cape 
 Briton, and liis Lady wore my nicssniates, and ai^rcoahlo 
 companions tlu'y were ; but were liiuldy astonishod at the 
 lionor done me l)y the Leadinu" nuMi of the })lat'e. She told 
 mc tlie King's Son could cxi)ect no more I ]\IcBrairc said, 
 ' JSFor even .so much.'' ' I put in a sea stock that would render 
 .all of us coinfortahlc to China, as I was loaded Avith presents 
 of all kinds l)y tlu; Hyans, Elmes, and country farmers, 
 Avho sent me at least 40 pounds of fresh buttcn- ; in short, 
 I had so many su])ertluous articles that I sent most of 
 theiu to ]M"* Ai^assiz, Avho remained at McCarthy's Planta- 
 tion till his return. '' This was the Captain's lad}'. The ship 
 was named the "l\attler." "We had a very good soup and 
 four dishes of fresh meat every day at Dinner. Port, iVIa- 
 deira, and Sherry in })lenty, of which we left 1;") dozen of 
 bottles unconsumed .aboard, together with a large stock of 
 poultry, l)ecf, fatt sheep, &e. The Captain can well go and 
 come ui)on our leavings ; we likewyse h.ad every day a divert, 
 consisting of preserV' Plumbs, Strawberries, Cheries, fresh 
 oraires, shadocks, &c. If \\\\ Epicure like Maddoek had 
 been among us he'd wish for 2 months' passaije. ^M" P>ol- 
 lard and Pictsy McCurdy were Passengers in the gun-room. 
 The latter is married to the Pursar of the 'K"",' l)y ))u-th 
 an Irishman, and by i)rofession a nominal Catholick of the 
 tepid kind. I remained only 2 days .at Portsmouth to take 
 a view of the wonderful machinery in the Dock yard all 
 moved by the steam of one lire. They are well worth ihe 
 Traveller's notice, and can't fail of exciting his astonish- 
 ment. I cjune thence to my old friends M'' and M'' But- 
 ler, where I am very comfortal)le, and perfectly at home, 
 and where I met Joseph Ryan who was my guide and com- 
 panion thro' the streets at Bristol. He is temi)erate in his 
 
 ' .Tames McHrairc, K^ti., f'oimdci- of llie Irisli .Sociuty, of whom more shall be .said 
 farther on. 
 
OK NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 21!) 
 
 living, clear in iiis underslandinj;, and sound in lii.s judgc- 
 nicnt. Ho parted me on tiic 2!»"' of Au<rnst for Liverpool 
 to proceed thenee to St. Jolm's. My Furniture sold well 
 except what I gave D'" Lambert, wlilcli would sell nmch 
 higher had tliey been dis^josed of at public vendue. I'll 
 remain lun-e until Oct()l)er, and probably then go to London 
 for some days. I dine nowhere out )f this house but at 
 the Eev'" ^M"" Ploughdon's, Lady Doager tingal's, and one 
 Sibby's a Banker from London, there are many more at 
 Clifden M'ho wish to see me, () Sliea, M"" Brown, but I 
 feel more comfort by dining at home than by attending such 
 gentry as those. I am going tomorrow to see the Bishop of 
 Bath, uho has been a Benedictin Monk, and is in a bad state 
 of health. He has got a coadjutor of the Order of St. Francis 
 to succeed him, whose Bulls are arrived and whose conse- 
 cration is soon to take i)lacc to which I am asked." [Then 
 follows "Domestick Intelligence." concerning certain jjarlies 
 of St. John's who have died or been married, etc., and it 
 thus concludes] : "I am now tired, and e.xpect you'll Avrite 
 to me by return of Poste. Present my allectionate com- 
 pliments to all friends at Cionmell and elsewhere, and believe 
 nu^ to be 
 
 " Vour loving Uncle, 
 
 "JAMES O'DOXEL. 
 
 "HiUSTui., Soi)t('iiilHT till- ;"', 1S()7." 
 
 V 
 
 There is a long i)ostscript on business and mono}' matters. 
 He comi)lains of a young lad, "a nuilish junk of a boy, 
 who'll never do any good for himself or anyl)ody else." 
 His name is Phelan. No doubt a ne})hew or son of ]Mrs. 
 Phelan, mentioned before. He has cost him ovi'r £40, but 
 he has gone to Boston, where he intends to earn his bread, 
 "as he says by his vuntlal oj)erations. . . . He 
 could get £80 for 2 years from (Quarry at l*orte-de-(irave, 
 and have nothing to do but attend shop, but he would not 
 serve any man on earth for so long a time." Of his other 
 nephew, Sullivan, he speaks in high terms of praise. 
 
220 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IllSTOKV 
 
 ' 
 
 "Sullivan is ii tall, liaiidsoino, aocornplislicd yomify man, 
 111 to keep {'ompany with lliosi? of llic lirst rank auywiicrc."' 
 lie c'()ni[)lains also of sonu! of the yorvants liavinn' stolen "(I 
 jiuinciis and a half," and either stolen or hiu'nt " Hills firsts 
 and 2'"''* £;*2, which are a very ffn'at loss;" but he winds up 
 philosophieally with the aphorism, " \o help for Misfortunes I" 
 
 The Father Michael O'Donel whom he addresses is the 
 priest who was out in Newfoundland with him, and who only 
 r"tnrned to Ireland the previous year, IHOl!. He was for 
 seventeen years P.P. of Clashmore, where he died, in March, 
 1832. 
 
 I am indehtcd auain to Father Michael O'Domiell, of 
 Ilarrowuate, for the followinii' additional information con- 
 e(!rnini>' th(! last vcars of Dr. O'Donel: ''The Bishoi), on 
 his return from Newfoundland, visited the j>raves of his 
 ancestors, in the grounds of the old monastic ruins at Kil- 
 ronan, Co. Waterford, three and one-half miles from Clon- 
 mel, — and had erected there a monument " which sc^ts forth 
 that the \{\. Rev. Dr. O'Donel had placed it there to the 
 memory of his father, Michacd O'Donel, who died at the a_i>e 
 of (58 on the 2()th of XovemI)er, 17()7 ; and of his mother, 
 Amt (Crosby), who died on the 10th of November, 1785, 
 aged ()() ; and of his brother. Rev. Michael O'Donel, O.S.F., 
 who died on the 2()th of June, 17!H), aged (>(). 
 
 Dr. O'Donel spent the remainder of his days in Water- 
 ford, riie long life was now drawing to a close. lie died 
 the death of the Just, in the year 1811 . in the seventy-fourth 
 year of his age. Ills remains wen^ transferred to Clonmel, 
 and buried in the old cha})id of St. Clary's, Irishtown. "A 
 tombstone, still to be seen," writes Dr. Mullock, 185(5, "was 
 placed over him, and on it was engraved this ei)itaph, written, 
 it is said, bv himself: — 
 
 i 
 
 "'IIkhr lik thk Moktal Kkmaixs of the Rioiit Rrv 
 James ODoxkl liisiioi' of Tiiyatiua, the fikst qualified 
 
 AIISSIONAUY WHO EVEK AVEXT TO XeWFOUNDLAM), W HEKE HE 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANl). 
 
 221 
 
 SPRNT 2.'l YKAH8, AS PliKFIHT AM) ViCAR ApOSTOLIC OF TIIK 
 
 SAID ]Srissi(t\. IIi; I)K1'.\i;ti:i) this lifk o\ tiik l.Viii of 
 
 ApIML 1^11 l\ TIIK 74tII YI:AU (»F his A(iF. MaV IIF UK8T 
 
 IN pkack. A.mkn." 
 
 r>('iiii:' ill Trcliiiul in 18()0, I niiulc m i)il<;i'iniii_iro to tin* 
 shriiu! of the iirst apostle iiiul Hislioj) ot'oui" Islaiul, l>ut, alas ! 
 no vesti«i;o conld 1 liiid of liis last rcstinu-placc ; not a n^lic 
 of tiio inonumont or inscription to hi* seen I Kxtcnsivc alter- 
 ations have heen tnjule in the clniich, and everytliing in the 
 shape of anti(jiiity has been swept away ! 
 
 "When 1 was a .i^ehool-hov at Cahir," writes Father 
 O'Donnell, of Ilarrowuate, "in the year 1837, I sometimes 
 visited my native town, Clonmel, and often stopped to read 
 the ins('ri()tion on the tomb of the liishoi) in thi! eliapel yard 
 of Irishtown. It stood then where a confessional stands now, 
 in the new and enlarued clmrcli, and its disjecta membra arc 
 liidden away in an ()l)scnre passasio behind the church where 
 Dr. Baldwin, tlu^ parish i)riest, pointed them out to me shortly 
 after their removal from their oriuinal site."' Is it too late to 
 hoi)e that these i)recious ilrhn's may b(^ irathered toucthcr 
 and reset, or at least plac<'d in a monument worthy of this 
 noble man, to whom Newfoundland owes so much, and of 
 whom no memorial of any kind exists anionu' us? 
 
 "It is ditiicult," writes Dr. Mullock, "now even to con- 
 ceive the obstacles a liishop had to encounter duriiii^ the 
 period of Dr. O'Donel's ])relacy in Newfoundland. The sul- 
 len and unwillinu: jjiotection oll'ered him by the Government, 
 availinii itself of his intliuMice and still hating and insidtinir 
 its benefactor ; the tyrannical conduct of the i)ctty otilciais 
 to Catholics, which ho was frequently obliged to overlook in 
 silence ; the rampant biirotry of many uneducated Protes- 
 tants, who knew nothiniif of Catholicity hut what they learnt 
 from r)th-of-Xovember sermons ; the diflii-ulties of commu- 
 nication, for the whole Island was then an impassabl(3 wilder- 
 ness, without a sin<:le mile of road ; the ianorancc of the 
 so-called ' better class,' so that a man like the Bishop, used 
 
■>•)•) 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 ; ii 
 
 'Tin; OI.K I'AI.AlT.. 
 
 /r.vj l.y.Cj^-..X/c.i 
 
 to the I'ctincd sotii-tA' of the nobilitv of Ciilholic (lormanv, 
 was completely isolated aiuoiiiir tlu^ni ; the paiicity of inis- 
 sioiiers, and the impossibility of that close surveillance which 
 a Bislio}) is hound to exercise over his clerixy and people, — 
 such were a few of the ditiicullies the ])ioneer of Catholicity 
 had to encoiuiter in this country. AVell and nohly was tin* 
 duty perfoi'med l)y J)r. O'Donel ; no difliculties daunted him, 
 no sliji'ht or rehulf discoui'aii^ed him, no dangers ai)palled 
 him. lie i)Ut his hand to the ])lough, and never looked back 
 
OF NK\VF()1:NI)LAM>. 
 
 22a 
 
 till llif irood seed wns sown, now, thank God I so abnndunlly 
 fructil'yinii', and wliich lias made Xowloiindland on»! of the 
 most llouiisliinn' ))ortions of (rod's vineyard. 
 
 "The inipulso u;iv('n to C'atliolk'ity l)y tlui aijpointnu'nt ol" 
 Dr. O'Doncl as Vicar Apostolic and Bishop had a yrcal 
 ('(feci, oven on (he material pros[)erlty of tin; Island. It was 
 a rccoii^nition, if we may sc^ term it, of the tixity of l(MUire of 
 the |)o|)ulation. The rnd*' answei- of (Jovernor MilhanUe to 
 the IJishop's petition for leave to aiiirmcnt tlu; niunbei- ol" 
 chapels pro\es that England s'ill hoped to keep the Island 
 11 desert, — ' It was not the interest of England that |)eoj)l(> 
 should winter i.i the Island'! And Ik! blames tlu; liishoi) 
 and Catholic clerjiy for inducing them to make it their home. 
 In ti'uth, whatever im|)r()vement has bectn made in the country 
 is almost altoi:'eth( r due to tlu! Catholic cU-rgv. I'ncon- 
 nected with (j()V(>rmnent, and indcfx'ndent of meii'antile in- 
 terest, they looked to the advantage of the people alone. In 
 every struggle for })opulai' amelioration they always took the 
 lead, and thereby eariie(l the undying hatred of thos(! who 
 desired to kiH'p Newfoundland a mere tishing-station for the 
 advantage of English interests and mercantile monopoly. 
 
 "As soon as they were permitted, and in many cases eviMi 
 before i)ermissi()ii was obtained, they studded tin; Island with 
 chajjcls and parochial residences. They encouraged the peo- 
 ple in ever}- settlement to clear land and cultivate gardens, 
 and in most cases were the only shield between the people 
 and mercantile rai)acity ; for in those days, though the Xew- 
 foundland merchants were in many cases me" of wealth, still 
 they fre<|ue.itly left nothing after them but the memory of 
 their harshness and a few rotten wooden erections. Xo 
 churches, schools, hos})itals, or asylums for decayed tishermen 
 exist to hand down the grateful remembrance of even one 
 Newfoundland merchant to ))osterity ; and still thes(! were the 
 persons who invariably opposed every improvement, and who, 
 to use the words of the Attorney-General to Sir Thomas 
 Cochrane, ' would as soon think of making a ship at sea their 
 permanent residence as Newfoundland.' " Such is the grai)hic 
 
I 
 
 i 
 
 
 I' 1 
 
 u 1 
 
 224 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 iiiul f()rcil)lo pii'turo drawn l)y Dr. Mullock of the state of 
 Xcwtoiinillaiul at tliis iicriod. In .sonic })()ints it may bo 
 tliouiiiit to 1)0 a lillK^ ovcM'drawn ; yet the strong indictment 
 against tlu^ whilom merchants is eonlirmcd hy all contem- 
 porary writers and hy facts. Jt may i)erha})s he urged that 
 ii change of circumstances, and the march of events have 
 brought about a new state of things ; that many of our ))rin- 
 cipal merchants are now residents of the country, with their 
 town-houses and country villas ; y(>t recent events show that 
 it is hard to eradicate the old prejudices. 
 
 A census of the po})ulation was taken in LSOfi, and it was 
 estimated at 2(!,r)05. In all probability the Catholics were 
 more than half. There were al)out six clergymen i)erma- 
 neutly established in the Island, — two in St. John's, one in 
 Placentia, two in Concejjtion Hay, and one at Ferryland. 
 The northern jjortion of tlu^ Island and Labrador were vis- 
 ited from St. John's, and the baptisms and marriages per- 
 formed there registered in the St. John's books. Chapels 
 also were built lu^fore Dr. O'Doncl's dei)arture in St. John's, 
 Harbor (Jrace, Placentia, Carbineers', and Ferryland. 
 
 Sui'h are all the data whii'li can be gleaned of the life and 
 labors of this good and saintly Uishop. He may truly l)e 
 called the " A[)ostle of Xewfoundlantl ; and though some of 
 the details may ai)i)ear triHing to outsiders, they are dearly 
 interesting to us, his spiritual children. I'hcy h't in a few 
 side-lights upon the historic picture of the times, and give us 
 a glim})se at the social state of Xewfoundlaiid at this p(>riod. 
 
 As to his great ((ualities of I'ourage and zeal, we must let 
 his works sjieak for him. His lerter shows him a man of 
 ])lain and simple tastes, though of Avide worldly experience, 
 full of sound sense aiid playful amiability ; a true pastor, who 
 "knew his tlock " individually, and was not above taking a 
 lively interest in th(> smallest domestic allairs, even of the 
 hund)lest among them. Such was Dr. O'Donel, whose mem- 
 ory is forever embalmed in the hearts of the faithful of Xew- 
 foundlaiid. 
 
 1*1 
 
 ■SI 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 22.) 
 
 CHAPTER X\^II. 
 
 EDUCATIONAL IXSTriTTIOXS. 
 
 Tlu' " ]5onov()l(MU Irisli Sociotv " — The " Orpliiin Asvlmn" — Slate of Kiliiciitioii in 
 the I>lilinl — Its \':iriiiii'< I'liasi-s 'J'niccil — The Irish Society's Schools — l''iilhoi- 
 Fk'iiilii;; ICiuiciivors to ;;('! Coiitiol of tliciu, 18'Ji)^ I'l'otcstaiit Kihicalioual In- 
 stitutions — Fiisl Kdiiciition Act, KSIo — Foumlatioii of I'l'otcstaiit ;■ m1 Callioiic 
 ('ollc;;cs, 1814 — (icncral Aiailciny of St. John's — I'ornialion of the Koinan 
 Catholic, Chui'ch of ICnj;lanil, ami (iL'nci'al Protestant Academies, IH.'iO — OiH'nin;^' 
 of St. lionavcnlnre's Colle;;c, liS,'i,"> — ICstahlishment of Wcsleyan Academy, 
 18r)8 — Dr. Mullock's Views on Education — "The Monks" — The Christian 
 IJrothers. 
 
 m» 
 
 ^piIFi sociiil sxiitlierinir so luuvch/ sketclu'd \)\ ])r. O'DoncI 
 -*- gives us ii pi't'pat tin; slal(^ ot" socicly in St. .Tohn's at the 
 Ix'iiinning of the prcst'iit century ; and it nuist he eonfessed 
 that the {)ieture on whieli he (U'aws aside the eui'lain is si 
 very pleasant one indeed. From it we e:in judii'e that St. 
 John's at that (inie litul mach' no piiiiny stritU-s in tlie 
 path of advaneenient and soeitii developniiMil, and thtit Dr. 
 (TDoneTs i)()sitit)n was not aUogether so isolated iis Dr. 
 Mullock Avould have us believe. A city in which souie forty 
 odd i)ersons could sit down in a })iU)li(' room to such a suni))- 
 tuous and eleii'ant repsist as that described must have possessed 
 all the amenities and st)othin<i' intlucnces of i-ivilizcd life ; tmd 
 society must have achieved ii considerid)le deuree of culture. 
 And, incU'cd, such Wiis the ctise. One of the surest sijiiis of 
 the advancement of social comfort and the elevation of public 
 tiistc is the oru'tmizalion of clul)s or institutes for intellectual, 
 educational, oi' benevolent objects, — iissocititions in which 
 men meet toiicther to exchiuiu'c mulutd converse, to assist 
 etu'h other, both tenn)oridIy, morally, and inlclleclutilly, and 
 thus attain the hi<ihest deuree of huiuiin culture. Such litis 
 been the natural course of civic and naliontd iiroirress from 
 the times of the ancient Circeks tind Koniiiiis, with their 
 
1 ' 
 
 226 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIIV 
 
 {iciuU'inie.s, their lyceums, tlioii* foninis, down to our own 
 times, with their elul)s, and inslitutes, iuid cerdes. 
 
 So, then, !i8 ii natural conse(|u<'nce of the niareh of events, 
 we find the people of Si. John's at thi.s date ])utting forth the 
 tirst blossoms of her literary and eharitahle harvest. Those 
 two other indisjiensahle helj)mates of eivilization — the post- 
 oHiee and the newspajjer — also spruni>' into existenee in this 
 year of lSO(i. 
 
 'I'he spirit of reli2:i()us persecution had ceased. Peace and 
 harmony reiiiiicd anionu* all classes, owinu, no doubt, in a 
 ii'reat measure to tlu' i)ru(lence. good sense, and kindly heart 
 of the Kt. Kev. Dr. O'Donel. Men began to think of 
 drawing together more closely by th(! l)onds of friendship 
 and fellow-citizenship. To this jieriod, then, we owe the in- 
 stitution of "The lienevolcnt Irish Society," an institute; 
 which to-day, after its eighty years of existence, is in a 
 nourishing and ever-advancing condition, mnnbering among 
 its associates nearly all of our citizens who either come 
 directly from the shores of the Old Jjand, or who glory in 
 the rememl)ranc(> that their ancestors claim as the land of 
 theii" birth the "green tields of Erin.*' 
 
 The society was founded by one of those mentioned with 
 sonnu'h feeling by Dr. ( )"Donel in the letter elsewhere quoted ; 
 a man of large and charitable soul, warm and generous heart, 
 and who evidently was a sincere t'riend of the l>islio])"s, — 
 namely, James Mci^raire, Escj., merchant, of St. John's. He 
 was a true Irishman, though not a Ivonian Catholic. "He 
 was a man," says Dr. Eleming, writing to Dr. Spratt, 
 ' always remark. ii>le t'or the nnmilicence of his donations to 
 the poor and his kindness to the Catholic cli'rgy." H(! was 
 Presidi'ut of the Irish Society for «_rleveii consecutive years, 
 from lt>(>!> to 1)^21. Though the most ])rominent person 
 in the establishment of the society, he did not accept the 
 presidency at llrst, being |)rcce(led in that oflice by two 
 others, — Captain AVinckworth Tonge (18()(! to 1808) and 
 Lieut. -Colonel John Murray (1808 to 1809). 
 
 As stated above, Mr. Mdiraire was not a Catholic; henco 
 
 % 
 
 9M 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 227 
 
 wm 
 
 the society, in i(sori<rin, was not a relhjimis or denominational 
 socii'ty. Mo mention of reliuions profession is made in its 
 constitution. At the outset tlie patronage of tiie society was 
 under tlie u'overnor for tlie time l)einu'. The oufiroinir ])resi- 
 dentslx'came vice-})atr()ns chirintr their lives. Hence, in l'S22, 
 wlien Patrick Morris, Es(|., was oU'ctcd as the first Catholic 
 presich'iit, we tind I'eii'istered as vii-e-presidents and founders 
 of the society, " Ilis Kxcelh^ncy jVIaJor-Gcneral ^Murray, 
 Governor of Demerara," and ''James McDraire, Ks(|., hitc 
 i\Iajor-('onunandant of tlie St. John's A'olunteer IJanirers, 
 now of Tweed Hill, lierwick." Still, as a matter of course, 
 the Koniaii Catholic l)i>liop, as a leadin<i" Catholic <rentleman 
 in the Island, was eiven a ])i()ininent place in the orijaniza- 
 tion of the society. The iireliminary meeting " of a number 
 of Irish _i>('iitleinen, desirous of relievin<>' the wants and dis- 
 tresses of their countrymen and t\d low-creatures at large, was 
 held at the London Tavern, in St. John's, on ^^'edn(>sday, the 
 Atli Fehruary, iSOli. It was unaniinonsly agreed 'That a 
 society, formed upon true principles of ))eiievol(>nct! and 
 philantliroi)y, would l»e the most elfectual mode of establishing 
 a ])ermaiuMit ndief to the wretched aiul distressed.' Under 
 this conviction, it was ])roposed to elei't a committee from 
 the gentlemen present to form a ccxh' of I'ules and regulations 
 fortius ijfovermnent of the societN'. the extension and reirn- 
 lations of the charity, and to consult with the lit. Uev. 
 Doctor ( )'l)onel and others, whose local knowledge of this 
 country could l>est infc/rm them as to the most ('H'eclual and 
 l)eneticial mode of establishing a CiiAiMTAr.LK Iinsn SofiKTY 
 uiion tinii i)iiiiciples of loyalty, true benevolence, and phi- 
 lanthropy, when the following gentlemen weri' nominated 
 and unanimously chosen : Lieut. -Col. John Murray, flames 
 ^Icllraii-c, L-(|.. dohn Mtdvelloi), Esip, Mr. Jo.s(>ph Church, 
 Captain Wiiickworth 'I'oiige." 
 
 From this it will be si>en that the soci'>ty was jiurely 
 uiisectarian in its origin, and all denominations of Christians 
 were admissible to its ranks, the only (|ualilications re(|uired 
 being that one should be either an Irishman or u descendant 
 
228 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 of an Irishman. And altliougli, in the conrso of tiino, the 
 society became practically an exclnsively Catholic society, as 
 the lines of denominational demarcation became more dis- 
 tinctlv delined in the coimtrv, yet the rnles and con.stitntions 
 on this head were never altered ; and, absolutely speakinii', a 
 member of any sect mii>ht to-day be i)resented for admission, 
 thouiih such is not liUely ever to occur. 
 
 The oltject of the society was twofold, — benevolent or 
 charitable, and intellectual or educational. 'i'o carry out 
 these views, an ammal fee of four dollars was demanded 
 from each member. This was the mu'leus of a fund which, 
 as we shall see, grew to mii>iity |)roi)ortioiis, and })r()duce(l 
 noble works ; a yearly allocation was made of money, cloth(>s, 
 fuel, and provisions, for the poor. Only tiu^ ixiH-ordiuii' 
 Anu'cl knows the thousands of cases of povei'ty relieved by 
 tins society during the past eighty A'cars. It was not many 
 years in existence when it was dcMMned necessary. I'or the 
 carrying out of the twofold oltject of the society, to erect a 
 building which should contain both a public hall for soi-ial 
 and intellectual gatherings, and a suite of schools for poor 
 children. Accordingly, in the year 182(1, a plot of gi'omul 
 was secured in th(> rear of the town, and the buihling so long 
 and familiarly known as ''The Oi-phan Asylmn" was erected. 
 It was opened on the 27th May, 1S27. It had som(> )ire- 
 tensions to JU'chitci'ture, having a fanciful central tower 
 and jtortico, called "The Observatory." It was, at the time 
 of its erection, considered one of the neatest buildings in 
 the city, and was nmch admired by the typical "Out-liarbor- 
 man," on his amuial visit to the capital. The uppei' portion 
 of the building contained the gi-and itaiupieting hail, where 
 for over half-a-century sons of St. I'atrick held their yearly 
 dinners, balls, and reunions. ]Many a lively song and soul- 
 stirring speech have made those old walls resound ; many a 
 hearty cheer or ringing laugh has made the chandcdicrs 
 rattle; and many are the happy — and not few the sad — 
 memories which circle around the old spot, recalling thos(! 
 who ari' gone, who once tilh-d the highest places in the land. 
 
 .1 
 
 i 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 229 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 Tho lower portion of the buildiiiir was devoted to the teaeh- 
 in<r of poor cliildron. It was placed under the eliariLTciof a 
 master, and between four and live hundred eliildren of both 
 sexes were instrueti'd therein. It would appeal' that by this 
 time the society had l)cc()me practically a Catliollc society, 
 yet they still strictly adheri'd to their rules as a non-deiior/i- 
 inatioual body. The Kt. Kev. Dr. Fleminii', in his letters 
 to Dr. S[)ratt, 18/54, and also in a '' Ti('lar:!(»ie"' of the state 
 of reliiiion in Xewfoundland, addressed to tlu^. Cardinal Pre- 
 f(>ct of l*r()i)ai!:!inda in l^;')?, complains of this state of allairs. 
 "The schools," he says, "of tli(^ lienevolent Irish Society 
 continued to enjoy public confidence because they were 
 based on [non-denominational] princi))1es. And, indeed, so 
 jealous wi're this body of the ciiaractev the}' had accpiired, 
 tiiat. althouu'h for some years a sinijle Protestant child had 
 not been sent to the school, yet not only would the conmi it- 
 tee of that exclusively Catholic body not permit the Catho- 
 lic Catechism to be tauiz'ht, merely as a task, in school by 
 the hiastei', but they stood up in opjiosition to the jjriests 
 who attem[)ted to 'l\\'v the children I'diLMous instruction I'vvii 
 afh'V xcliooJ hours."' In his " Ji<'/(t::io)ie" he li'oes more i)ar- 
 ticularly into this matter. lie says he went to the school 
 himself to teach the reliirious instruction, but was refused 
 admittance by what he vnWs '' r/ucsfi CdtloUct lihcnili .''' He 
 says, however, that those who strongly opposed him were 
 only six in munlx'i'. As soon as he was api)ointed coadjutor 
 to Dr. Scallan (1S2!') he auain turned his attention to the 
 school, and, fortified by his new authority, \\i- succeeded in 
 prepariuiT sonu* lour hundred children tor First Comnum- 
 ion, and determined to make a jjuliliv' display on the occa- 
 sion. His opponents went to the I)isho[) (Dr. Scallan) 
 and represented that the spectacle of so many children 
 adorned in Icstive robes miLtlit cause some displeasure to 
 the Protestants. Dr. Fleminu', however, carried his ])oint, 
 and ii'ave the children (\)mmunion in the public t'lmivh. A 
 few days aft»M', a larue number of Catholics called on Dr. 
 Flemiuii" and conuratulated him, and the " C'ouncil of Liberals 
 
230 
 
 p:cclesiastical history 
 
 was disbniulod," niid " from that lime forward llic school has 
 het'ii jilacod under my iiiuncdiatc suporvisiou."' 
 
 Iloro Avo have the history of the <'oinnioiiconiont of Iho 
 iireat liijfht for (^atholic cMhicatioii. What a coiilrast these 
 words reveal with tlie state of tliinfj;s t()-(lay, wlieii not four 
 luinch'ed, l>ut four f/iniisand, children niareli annually with 
 "festive robes," with hands and banners, throuirh the princi- 
 pal streets of the town ; and when our Prolestant friends of 
 all denominations not only (h) not take umhrau'e, Imt vie with 
 their Catholic neiu'lihors in doinu;' honor to the procession, and 
 in caterinu" to the comforts of the youngsters ! 
 
 The state of ('(hu-ation at this })eriod (182(!-I)) is described 
 by Dr. Fleminu", as follows : — 
 
 1 1' 
 
 "AVehad three public schools for the education of the poor 
 •••enerally ; one of lonji standii\<»',' 'The St. flohn's Charity 
 Sehool." maintained })artly by (iovernment and pai'lly by 
 subscript it)ns of all classes of the community, without distinc- 
 tion of class or creed. To this institution the I'rotestant 
 minister su))seiMl)ed as well as the Catholic priest ; and 
 the Catholi(! merchant as well as tlu^ CJovcrnor. 'J'o this I 
 myself have contributed very huiicly in proportion to my 
 means."' The second sehool was that of the Irish Society. 
 
 " The third establishment was enn'ted by one of the 
 luunerous liritisli liible Societies, 'The North American 
 School Society.' IJnt as the Urilish Government have 
 withdrawn their support fr(Mn this and the St. .John's 
 (?liaiity School, an amalgamation of the two has latterly 
 occurred. sULi'ji'csted by that ii"<'iitleman [»Iiidi;-e Uoidton], 
 and therel)y the last (ippurciil ridlyinir-l'oint ol" liber.ality 
 
 — that foeus where all the rays of benevolence of what- 
 ever creed coiild eonverii'c for the advanta<i'(^ of th(> \)ooy 
 
 — was torn down by the most powerful intluential interest 
 in the Island." 
 
 > " Tho 'Colonial ami ("ontiiiciitiil Cluircli Society, ' oriEriiiiilly flic ' Xowfoimdliind 
 Sclidol Sociily,' . . . coiniiiciii'L'd ils ojionitioiis in IHii " (Ilarvrv, Ncnlbiuul- 
 luntl). 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 231 
 
 Shortly at'tor lliis liino (1<S32-;1) tho country reooivod the 
 ffrciit hoon of l\(M)rescnl;i1iv(' fiovcnimcnl, with the h)ii<i- 
 h)()k('{|-l()r ])i'i\ih\i:'e of uiakimr licr own hiws ; and very 
 (^iirly attention was niven to the promotion of o(hication. 
 At tirst, liberal <j,rnnts of money were bestowed, and the 
 sentiment of tho peo})le seemed strongly in favor of non- 
 denominational education. In IX VA an act was introdueed 
 into the Assembly for the formation of '' two eolleges, one 
 for Prot(>stant education and one for Koman Catiiolie."' Dr. 
 Fh'ming sent a petition against it, on the following grounds, 
 namely: 1. While Protestants are seeiu'ed in their rights, 
 there is no provision to secure the a])i)ointnu'nt of Jtoman 
 Catholics as directors for the Catholic ccdiego. 2. That 
 according to llie tenets of tlu^ Catholic religion the liishoi) or 
 ordinary is de Jure and do farUt Su[)(>rior of every lioman 
 Catholic colleae ; yet no mention is made of such fact, nor is 
 ho by the lu-i supposed to have any i)ower ox control over it. 
 
 3. That tho only causes assigned in the act for the vacancy 
 of the position of director are "death, resignation, or absence 
 from the country:" whereas he declares it is necessary 
 that these directors shotdd be recognized menil)ers of the 
 Catholic conununion, api)ointe(l and approved by the said 
 Bishop, and that he shonid hav(> the jiower of sns[)eiiding 
 or dismissing a dii'ector tor such cause as gross misconduct 
 or departure from the Cath()Iic religion, confession ot" the 
 tenets of which constituted his original title to appointment. 
 
 4. That in tin; said dir(>ctors is vested tho power of 
 electing tho ])r()fessors and priiu'ii)al of tho colleges, who 
 (tho ])rincij)ar) "shall be a graduate of (>ither '' ford, Cam- 
 I)ridge, or 'I'rinity College', Dublin." This pru dege also. 
 Dr. Fleming contends, should be subject to the appro\al of 
 the Ivoman (^atholic liishop, and to tic condition that such 
 princi[)al and teachers sliould l)i' Roman ('.".t'.'olics : and, 
 indeed, oiu'o tho ])rinciple of ilenominationalism is conceded 
 tho objections of tho IJishop seem most reasonable. 
 
 That Dr. Fleming's anxiety to presei-ve from contamina- 
 tion tho little oius of his tlock was not at all without sulli- 
 
232 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 I ! 
 
 H. 
 
 I I 
 
 cicnt roiison is .shown from tho tone of a set of rules mid by- 
 laws which were drawn up in pursuance of this act "for the 
 Goverinneiil of the Catholic IJoard of E<lucati(>n."' Uule 
 IX. reads as follows: "^Vhile it shall he the ohject of this 
 J'loard to promote the moral and reliiiious oducatioii of Cath- 
 olic children of the district, they will esteem it their duty — 
 as all schools shall he open to children of every deiioniiiia- 
 flon — (o fovJiid that the slujldest Infcv/cveace he iixed in'th 
 the reliuious iwlmuple^ of the childri'ii."' It would seem 
 that this act did not come into operation, and that in tho 
 followinij year, tho seventh year of the reiiiii of her pres- 
 ent ^Majesty (1844), an act was passed "to jjrovide for 
 the establishment of an Academy in St. John's." This 
 academy was ■)\(m-de))in}ilnational,, 'a\\(\\\\\'a held at "Castle 
 li<'nnie,'' Siuiial Hill Koad, John V. Xuuent heinir priuci])al, 
 and Messrs. Xewnian, M.A., ()\., and T. Talbot, pro- 
 fessors. This academy lasted till 1S.')(), when the de- 
 nominational principle auain trium[)hed, and an net was 
 passed to amend the former act. In this one of 1(S,")() 
 it was enacted that "from and after the j)as>inu- of this 
 act the functions of the jjrescnt IJoard of Diri'ctoi's of 
 the said Academy shall cease, . . . and it shall bo 
 lawful . . . to nominate three IJoards of Directors 
 i"or the said Academy, vi/., a Ivoman Catholic, a Church of 
 Euiiland, and a (Jeneral Protestant IJoard." Thus w(^ see 
 the denominational ti'udency ever slowly but s'-rtdy advanc- 
 ing. The former act of 184.') gave but two divisions, now 
 we have three. As tho salaries of th(> jirofessois were 
 based on poi)ulation, the act gives ns a criterion from which 
 to iudire of the strenath of tho various denominations. Thus, 
 in Section 4 wo read: "There shall be grante(l 
 £2.")() towards defraying the salary of the Roman (^atholic 
 master, i'l'OO . . . the Church of Knglimd master," 
 and £!.")() for "tho salaries of one or moi'e masters of other 
 Proti'staut denominations," liy Section ;') tho Masters were 
 "at their own expense to provide rooms," etc. ^Ir. Nugent 
 still remained master of the Catholic acadoni}', which was 
 
 ■— Mtv ^'^^iat 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 233 
 
 tluMifcfortli lu'ld at ^loiik.slown Road, till {ho oixMiiiii; of St. 
 IJoiiavciituiv's College, ill 185'), and his uppointuicnt to the 
 olli«'i' of Iliifh Slicrilf. 
 
 ill tlu! year 1S^)S the current of denoniinatioiialism iiad 
 made anothi-r rush onward, and we lind the Protestant hranch 
 dividini; and tlirowin*; out another stream, namely, the 
 "Weslcyan Methodist." l>y this time tliat important and 
 rai)idly inereasin<jf denomination had so far advaneed as to 
 demand a .s(![)arate academy, which was aceordinuly granted 
 by an act passed on May 10, l(S").s, hy wiiicii it is enacted 
 that ''there shall be established in St. fb)lnrs a AVesleyan 
 acach'uiy."' Wy this act the salaries ranize as follows: 
 lioman Catholic, i'OOO ; Church of ICn^land, £400; the 
 AVesleyan Academy, £200; and tlu^ General Protestant 
 Academy, £ir)0. I'he li_<j:ures of the latest census of 1884 
 would seem to indicate that we are not likely to have any 
 other subdivision, at least for some years. 
 
 The I\t. Kcv. Dr. jNIuIIocU, in a lecture on Education, 
 phices in stronij: and clo(|uent words the unchaniring sen- 
 timent of the Catholic Church on the all-imi)()rtant (juestion 
 of denominational education: ''The GovernmiMit has ma(ks 
 on the whole, considcrinu' the resources of the country, a 
 fair provision for cducatu)n ; and \\v. enjoy, Ix^sidcs. the great 
 h\('>i^\\v^,j)('fJei:treIiijlousfn'('(h)i)i. As education consists not 
 in k-arninj^f to read and write, or in the accpn'sition of science 
 or languages, but com[)rises the whole training — moi'al.sot'ial, 
 and religious — of the child, and nu)ulds his character for life, 
 it nuist be eviik'ut that the only way to prevent bickering and 
 disunion in the connmmity, and to give justice to all, is the 
 mode a(k)i)ted l)y (i()V(>rnment of dividing the education grant, 
 pro riitd, between all denominations. Hence one great source 
 of disunion, so distracting in other countries, does not exi^t 
 here. All denominations being e(|uallv favored, there is no 
 jeak)usy, no cause of comi)laint. \\\ all countries of mixed 
 populatit)ns where tlu> experiment had been tried of either 
 forcing on the minority the religious education of the majority, 
 or of excluding any detinite religious teaching, and endeavor- 
 
 
i \ \j 
 
 234 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ill*; to sul)stitii(o for it a system of ethics, iiiidcr tho iianio of 
 'C'oimiion CUristiMiiily,' it has rcsullrd in alisojiitr t'aihiro. 
 licli^ioiis (lissoiisions, instead of heiii'j; eliiniiiated, have be- 
 come ehronieand embittered ; and inli(U'Mty and indillerentism, 
 tiie j^rcat eui'sea of modern society, havt^ not only under- 
 mined all iiovernments, monarchical or democratic, but have 
 corrupted and endanirei'e(l the fundamental principles of soci- 
 ety itself by nuliifyinif parental authority, the indissolubility 
 of marriajie, the rights of property, tlu^ dignity of man, and 
 tho honor of woman, — frightful evils, which we only know, 
 thank (Jod ! by hearing. Notwithstanding the imperfect state 
 of our education, naturally to bo exix'cted in a new and 
 ])oor country, with a scatleivd jjopulation and imperfect 
 counnunications, still our criminals are fewer in number in 
 proportion to our population, and the crimes of a lighter 
 character, than in many parts of either Europe oi- America, 
 as criminal statistit's will prove.' 80 far the moral training 
 of th(! people of all denominations has not been a failure, and 
 the basis of a solid Christian education has been laid. . . . 
 It is for the advantage of Catholics that the I'rotestant com- 
 nnmity should be well educated, as it is for the Protestants 
 that the Catholics should be eipially so. Tiie interests of the 
 two great sections of tlie comnuuiity arc* identical, and th(! 
 intelligence and morality of each is a guaranty of peace and 
 unity to the other. Indeed, mixed up as they are, it is im- 
 possible that any impi'ovemeut in the ediu-ation or circum- 
 stances of one ])ai'ty should not excite an honorable rivalry 
 in the other eiiually advantageous to both." 
 
 The importance of this lengthy exti'act nuist be my apolog}'^ 
 for its insertion here in a rather digressive position. To r(!turn 
 to the subject of the Irish Society's schools. It appears from 
 
 ' Tlio convictions for wliiit would be li'!insportal)!c crimes at Home, ov punished hy 
 Ion;; iniprisomnent, show the I'ollowing comparison between Newroundhind and tlie 
 neigliljoi'in^' colonies : — 
 
 Xcwibiindliind. — I'opidalion in ISt.'), nn.riOfi ; conviclions, l. 
 Xew UniM-wick. " INK), IT) i.Ki'J ; " f>2. 
 
 V. K. Island. " IfSll, 17,(K1; " 3«. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 235 
 
 the tiiTio that Dr. Floniinjr <xot control of tlicm thoy bcoaine 
 exclusively Ciilliolic in Uicir tone and luanMiicmcnt. In the 
 year 1SI7 Dr. Fleniin_i>' procured a hrancli of the Brolhors of 
 the Order of St. Francis from (Jalway. Tiiey had cliar<:(^ of 
 iho schools for sonio years, with great success. They wovo 
 familiarly known as " the Monks." Owing to a variety of 
 (Husos they were ol)liired, in 1853, to give up the schools, 
 which again reverted to secular ti^achers, with more or less 
 success, until the erection of the grand new St. Patrick's 
 Hall, and the introduction of the Cinistian Brothers in the 
 year 187(). This was the dawn of a new and glorious era in 
 the history of education in Newfoundland ; but it shall be 
 taken uj) in its [)roper [)lace by and by. 
 
T 
 I 111 1 1 
 
 w 
 
 r I 
 
 230 
 
 ECCLKSIASTU'AL IIISTUKY 
 
 CIIAPTKll XVIII. 
 
 RT. IIEV. I)K. I.AMIUvJtT, HKC'OND IlISIIOP. - [ISOfi-lSlT.] 
 
 1)1'. T.uiiilxTt — His \'i-'itiilii)ii of C()iu'i'|ili()ii Hay iiiiil Fcrryliind — IIo Knlar^ics llic 
 "Ol.l Cliiiiiul"— Ddiciitu State of llcaltli — llu Kosiyns in Favor of J)r. Scailaii. 
 
 nA\'I\(J thus tr.'ic.'d the history of cdiiciitioii ii[) to mod- 
 ern times, we siiiiU now revert to the iiiirnitive ofevtMits 
 ill (hie oi'cU'r IVom tht^ year \S{)Ct. 
 
 AVe hiive seen thiit Dr. O'Donel, worn out. more by lh(^ 
 fiitijz'iie and Ial)or ot" the Mission, tlian hy ohl age, had ii|)i)lied 
 for a eoadjiitor. A meniher of the same OnU'r, and one 
 wlioin h(^ had l<nown in Ireland, ^vas chosen, in the })erson of 
 Fiither PiitricU Lambert. This Prelate was l)orn in ^Ve^•f()rd. 
 On his return from Rome, where, in the College of St. 
 Isi(h)re's, ho e()m))leted his studies, and was ordtiined i)riost, 
 he was appointed a ineml)er of tlie Conuniuiity of Wexford, 
 and was j)rineipally engaged as professor of a seminary 
 estiiblislied in the eonvent. On the death of the I'rovineial, 
 Father Stewart, in 180."), lie was ap])ointe(l X'iear Provincial 
 of the Irish Franciscans, ^\'hile thus engaged in his collegi- 
 ate duties ho learned that he wsis ai)[)ointed Victir Apostolic 
 of Xewfoiuidiand, by J^ius Vll., smd successor to Dr. 
 O'Donel, whose ri^signation had been ticcepted by tiie Holy 
 Sec. lie was ticcordingly consecrated in th(^ Frtmciscan 
 chapel of Wexford in A})ril, l!SO(), with the title of IJishop 
 of Chitrti ill partibi(s,^ and soon after U^ft his home for the 
 scene of his future labors. Never of ti robust constitution, 
 and being rather too old for a hiborious ^lission like that of 
 Newfoundland, wc; do not lind that he mtide any extensive 
 visitation. 
 
 I*! 
 
 ' Di'. T>aiiil)('i't lliii-i iiu'iitioiis the title of his Sec in ii letter to Dr. Troy, June 9, 
 1807: "The name ot the ilioeesc in purtihits is ealled in my Bull /■.'(•c'eitid Chi/trensis, 
 situated iu the Island of Cj'prus, and sutVrajjan to the Arehdioceac of Salamiua." 
 
 j^te-jjpi.'" 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 237 
 
 :, 
 
 lie miulc, however, a visitation of Harbor Oraco (Conecp- 
 lion Hav) and Kci'i-ylaiid, in tin- siiniiiun' of 1SU7. He writes 
 to the Arehhishop of Dublin (Dr. Troy) as follows: "At the 
 tinu? yoiu' (Jnice'ri letter arrived here 1 was in Conception 
 liay, visiting Fiither Ewer's dislriet, which 1 had the happi- 
 "icss of finding in as good onU'r as coidd possibly be ex[)eeted 
 in so Iiiige a range of eoa.sl. I cruised about tw(Mity-one 
 Iciigues of the coast of it and conlii'nied almost four hundrivl 
 children." He also speaks in this letti'r of having just re- 
 ceived th(! Holy Oils from Ireland, and says : "As your Grace 
 is of opinion that I need not scruple to consecrate them 
 with one priest, when no other can \h' had, 1 shall tlo so in 
 future." ' 
 
 III the sauu' letter he mentions another circumstance of 
 some importance, as showing the anti(piity of the diocese 
 of St. flohn's, and its prestigi; above those of the lu-ighboring 
 colonies. He rei'cived a U'tter from Dr. IMessis, liishop of 
 Quel)ec, ill which "he conn)lains nuu-li of the labor of his 
 diocese, which he says it would take him six entire years to 
 visit. He has lately consecrated a coadjutor, who resides at 
 INIonti-eal, and has petitioned Konu^ lately for another, who 
 he intends should resides on the coast of tlu; (lulf of St. 
 Lawrence. He presses me very seriously to accept another 
 part of it, that is, Xt^w Ib'unswick and Xova Scotia. But I 
 assure your Grace I think I have too much sailing around 
 tlu^ coasts of Xewfoundland without going across to the con- 
 tinent. However, ])et\)r(! I giv(^ a deiiiiite answ;er, I v.oulil 
 be glad to have your (Jrace's oi)iiiion on the business." 
 
 Writing to Dr. Troy again, in 1-SlO, he says: — 
 
 "If I can regulate and arrange matters hvw. to my 
 satisfaction, I intend to lake a trip across the Atlantic next 
 
 I 
 
 ' Acroidiiii,' to lUu inv-icriptioiis of ciiiion law, in onlcM- to cany out, with all iluc 
 solemnity, tin; (•erciiuiiiiainrtlio con-^ccnilion ol'llu' Oils, it is nccossary to liiivf twolvo 
 prii'sls, twelve deacons, ami sevi'U subileaeons. This rile, however, is not essential to 
 the Vi'.liility of tho act, unil is ilispensed with in missionary eonnlries, ISishojJs Ijeinj:^ 
 allowed to conseerate the Oils with whalever nnml)cr of priests they can eonvenionlly 
 hrin^ tojrcther, hnt there must he, at least, five, — "cum saccnlotibus quos potueriiit 
 habere duinmodo ud minus sint qiii/Kjue." 
 
^i' 
 
 2^8 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTO.iY 
 
 summor lo try if I can nrovail on some of those voiiiiij 
 missionaries that your (irace Iclls me are now on their way 
 home, to eonie out with me here to this land of milk (ind 
 hnnc'!/ to enjoy tlie sweets of it. . . . My heiiUh is hut 
 middling. . . . Last September I ir()t a fall oil" a tree 
 that lay across the path as I was returniuLT from Ferryland, 
 by which I broke some of my ril)s. They are now, 1 hope, 
 healed, at least are not very troublesome to me. 
 
 "Sir John T. Duckworth, our fJovernor, showed me much 
 civilty and i)oliteuess durinu' his stay here. I dined three or 
 four times with him, and he did me the honor of dining ouco 
 at my table, and seemed ha[)|)V and pleased. 
 
 "I am happy to lind that Dr. Plessis has at lenuth received 
 your Grace's letters. He is a most worthy and zealous Prel- 
 ate, and Avarndy attached to the Irish prelacy. He prays me 
 to forvvard your (Irace this packet. In inutation of him I 
 have issued nearly similar orders with re^rard to his Holiness. 
 
 " PATKICK LA.MIJEUT. ' 
 
 Dr. Land)i'rt was fift^'-five years of aue at the tinu* of his 
 consecrati n. He was acconii)anied on coiniuii' u» New- 
 foundland b\- two priests, viz., the Kev. A. Cleary (uncle 
 of the late Dean Cleary, of Whittles I»ay) and 1{(!V. 
 Denis Kelly, and also Mr. .Taiiuvs Sinnott. Father Cleary 
 remained four years as cuiate in St. John's ; thence he went 
 to Placentia, wlicre he died in 1S2I». K.-v. 1). Kelly did not 
 remain on tlii' mission, hut I'cturned to Ireland, where ho 
 died, at IJarony Fort, in \Xi\. He was unlitted for the 
 rouii'h work of tlm ]\Ii>sion. " He was," the late Dean 
 Ch'arv u-;ed iocoselv tosav, ''loo hohi. He was alwaws i)rav- 
 ing. He woidd not hear confessions nor (((he an;/ iiioiici/.'''' 
 This latter failing was undoid)tt'(lly a serious one, and(iuite a 
 dis(jualilier. 
 
 Mr. Simiofl was s(Mit to Quebec to study theology. He 
 AVas ordained in ISJO, iin<l served on the Mission in \i'W- 
 foundland for twi'uty-one years, when he retired to Ireland, 
 antl died only a few years since. It would appear, how- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 239 
 
 ever, from his Exeat, tliiit lie was only sovcntocn years 
 on the jMission as priest, hut twenty-one years from home ; 
 and also that ho had at lirst only {)ermission to retire for a 
 time, -which arraniicment Avas afterwards ehaiiiied. The 
 Exvat is in Dr. Seallan's handwriting, and is dated 18th of 
 October, 1827. In it Ave read : — 
 
 "(^uoniam ])ost absentiam :^1 annorum a i)atria tua ; amicos 
 et natale sohiiii r('\ isitare vehementer desidcras 
 tenore prescnlium banc veniam impertinmr. Precijjientes nt 
 quam prinunn proxima a\skile, ad curaia anhaaruh), tlbl 
 comm h'^mriim redea,s." 
 
 Under Dr. Lambert's reii-n an episcopal residence, a 
 comfortable wooden l)uildinii- ("The Old Pala('(>"V was 
 erected, and the " Old ('ha[)el '" eiilar<>-ed by the addition of the 
 transepts, to meet the growing wants of the congregation. 
 In 1811 he visited Ireland, and iiuhiced the Ivev. Thomas 
 Scalian, a member of the same Order and convent as himself, 
 and associated with him in the Wexford st'ininary, to come 
 to Newfoundland and assist him in t!;;- mission. Father Scal- 
 lan, after serving the vicariate for a few years, returned 
 to Ireland, and was some lime afterwards appointed Dr. 
 LamlxM't's successor. Dr. Lambert continued till 1817, 
 though struggling with ill-health, to discharge the duties 
 of the e})iscoi)ate. lie then resigned, and returni'd to his 
 native country. He resided in AN'exIbrd for a few years, 
 but was subjtH't to tVe(|ueiil c[)ile|)tic attacks, which soon 
 bronglit him to the grave. He was buried in the l"'raiu'iseau 
 convent of A\ fxlbi'd. He is said, by those who renieiiiber 
 him, to have becm a man of nuich retincment of manner, but 
 not adapted to the situation of \'iear A}io>lolic in a voung 
 country like Xcwlbundland. He was better ([ualiliecl to pre- 
 side over a college than <)\cr a new ^Mission ; but during the 
 few years he spent in this country he conciliated the respect of 
 all I'lasses. A few chapels wen; built during his eijiscopacy, 
 and he left seven priests in the Mission on his de[)arture. 
 
r« 
 
 240 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 T?T. REV. DR. SCALLAX, TIIIKD TUSTIOr.- [1817-1830.] 
 
 Rt Rev. Tliomas Scallan, Third lii^liop — Ilis Coiispcratinii in Woxlord — Airivos in 
 Xi'wfdiinclbiiiil, ISK) — I'rii'sts in tlic Island at tlial Time — His Rcpdit of tlie Mis- 
 sion to L'ropa;,MniIa — (MiaractiT of Di-. Scallan — ICxrcss of I.il)('i'alily — Dr. 
 Rourl^i' AppoinV d First Risliop of Xovii Scotia — Dccliiiiii;,' llcaltli of Dr. Sralliiii 
 — .Vccounts for liis W<,'id<ncss of Rnrposo — Seeks a Coadjutor — Fatlu'r Micliad 
 Aniliony Firming is Appointed and < 'onsoeiated in the " (Ihl (^liapel," 1829 — 
 Death and Hnrial of Dr. .Scallan — His Monument in the Cathedral — Review of his 
 Episcopate. 
 
 DR. LA^IBERT, as wo liave soon, vosiirnod in ftivor of 
 Fiitlior Thonitis SctiUiin, tilso a Francisctm. Tlio Abbe 
 Rrassciir do P>()iirb()urof, in liis '' History of Cansulti," insorts 
 horo llio nanio of Rislio[) (iillis its stiorossor of Dr. Ltunlxu't. 
 But this is a niistalco, tis no such person was ever on this 
 ^Ilssion. It is intended, doitI)th'ss, t'or liishop fJillis, of 
 Scotland, who, I think, was sonietinio in some part of 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 Father Tliomas Sealltin, O.S.F., wtis born in Wexford. 
 He went tlnouiih his studies, and received the Franciscan 
 habit at St. Isidore's convent in Rome. He p.-issed his 
 cnrricuhiin with credit. At tlie conc'iision of his conei!:iiite 
 course lie wjis api)ointed professor of jtliilosjihy, and, after 
 a residence of oiiiliteen years in Ittdy, lie returned to Ireland 
 in 17114, and was ajipointed a moniber of the convent of 
 AVe.xford. He wtis now occupied, not only in the missionary 
 duties of an Irish Franciscan, but also as teacher in a semi- 
 ntiry esttiblislied in the convent. In 1812, as we have sttited. 
 he ciune to Newfoundland with Dr. liiimbert, and remained 
 a few years hdtoiing in the ]Mission, and actjuirinij: tliat ox- 
 per'''nce which he wtis aftorwiirds to put into prtictice as 
 Bisiiop. Dr. Mullock states that he j-ctircd to Ireland previ- 
 ous to Dr. Lambert's departure, and resumed his conventual 
 
'• 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 241 
 
 It I 
 
 duties ; hut Dean Cleaiy states that Dr. Lambert and 
 he Mt together in 1815. "He was," says the Dean, "a 
 shrewd man of the AVovUl, aeutc and eautious." He after- 
 wards, howiner, as we shall see, sutlered from a mahuly of 
 the hrain, on aeeount of which lie pei'petrated some im- 
 prudent acts. 
 
 lU' was ai)pointed l)y a brief of Pius VH., dated 4t]i of 
 April. 1 SI '), Uishop of Drauo iu parflhnx, and by another, dated 
 January 20, 18l(), was nominated coadjutor to Dr. Lambert. 
 He was consecrated on the 1st of May, 181(!, in (he paro- 
 chial church of AVexford, by the Afost Hev. Dr. Troy, xVrch- 
 bishop of Dublin, assisted by tlie ]Jt. Ivev. Dr. Patrick 
 Ryan, liisjiop of Ferns, and Kt. liev. Ivieran Maruni, 
 Pjishoj) of Ossory; Dr. Lambert, l)isho[) of ("hytra. Vicar 
 Apostolic of Xewfoundland, and Dr. Daniel Murray, Ep. 
 Hierai)olcnsis, Avero also present. Imnuxliately after his 
 consecration he wrote (from Dublin, May li)) a Latin let- 
 ter to tlu! Cardinal Prefect of Proi)airan(la, sayinir, tliat as 
 Dr. IiMnil)ert was detained in Ireland, " hijiniiitafe quce iUiiiii 
 ad ojjida jiaslortdid iiilHibilcm reddit" \w would set out for 
 Newfoundland as soon as possible.^ He arrived in the sum- 
 mer of that year, l-Slfi. "Upon the accession of Dr. Scal- 
 lan, my [)redec(>ssor,'' says Dr. Flemiu'r (" Letters to Dr. 
 Spratt," J). 4) "to the See, thouiih the munber of churches 
 had been increased, the munber of priests was only 
 seven." "In two years after his arrival in the Island (Dr. 
 "MiUlock, MS., p. Od) 111' had ten [)riests under his jurisdic- 
 tion."' 
 
 This History would be imperfect should it allow the names 
 of these old priests, the apostli's of our Church, to remain in 
 oblivion. The followinu" meau're item^ concerniui:' them have 
 been lileaned from tradition, principally from the late vener- 
 abl(> Dean Cleary, who for over fifty years bore himself (h(> 
 heat and the burden, and was a soi't of livinii: c<)m[)endium of 
 
 'lie colli iiiucs in follows: " Oniii luiincris incis inipijsitiiin ciim limoic siiliiptis, 
 jacto sillier J)omiiiiiiii ciiraiii iiiciim sponuis quod lUo Duns (jiii nie ml liuiie stiituiu 
 vocavit 1110 ciiutrict, ct ilcbito officio saiictc et ciun IVuctii I'liimi iiiihi iliilik." 
 
 sill 
 
 I 
 
" 
 
 242 
 
 FXCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 our Cliurcli liistoiy. The seven priests in the Island on llie 
 arrival of Dr. Seailan were : — 
 
 llti 
 
 1. Vv. Yovv or Ewer, of whom fnll mention has been 
 madi' before. He came in 17Ni) to Ferryland, wheie ]n\ re- 
 mained till l(S()(i, when he was removed to Harbor (Jraee. 
 There he remained till his death, in is;;;'). He left some 
 money, about $2.;)t)(), wiru-li was placed in the funds of the 
 Irish ("olleii'e, Konie, for the jturjjose of foundinu' a bourse 
 for a student for the ^Mission of Newfoundland. 
 
 2. Fr. V. A. Cleary, who eanie in LSOl), with Dr. Lam- 
 bert, as before mentioned. 
 
 '^. Fr, Sinnott, also mentioned above. 
 
 4. Fr. Brown was a native of Koss, and a member of the 
 Order of St. Auii'ustin. He si)ent twentv-eiuht years on the 
 Mission, prinei])ally in Ferryland. He eame in 1.S12, and rc- 
 tireil to Ireland in ISK). A Fr. Larrissy, of ( allan, and a 
 meml)er of the same Order, eame out with him ; but Ik! re- 
 mained oidy two years, and returned to Ireland in 1814, be- 
 fore Dr. Sealhui's ap])ointment. 
 
 "). Fr. A\'illiam Hearn eame out Ix'Ibre his oi'dination, in 
 1.S14, and, like Fr. Sinnott, was sent to (,)u(>!)cc to tinish his 
 studies. He was stationed at IMaeentia, and had eharL'"e, as 
 we have seen, of all Fortinie l>ay and the ^^'e>t. It is 
 relatiMJ that on one oeeasion he pushed his missionary visita- 
 tion as far w(>st as St. (leorii'e's IJay, where he was inhospi- 
 tably received i)y tlu* Fnulish settlers. Fr. Ileai-n died in 
 I'laeentia in 1829. Al)out the same year of" his arrival 
 (ISII) thei'e eame out :i priest named Cronan : but he 
 oidy remained a year or so, and K'l"t liefoi'e Dr. Seallan's 
 arrival. 
 
 (!. Fr. F'itzirerald. a Franeisean, was an elderly man. 
 He eanu! out the year of Dr. Seallan's appointment, 1^1(1. 
 He left for Fi'inee Edward Island or Nova Seotia about 
 1822. About the year 1812 thert> eame also a Fr. Eitz- 
 simmonds. He was stationed on the Southeiai Shore. He 
 was a little eeeentrie in his ijietv. He raised u lla^'stalf with 
 
OF NEWI'OUXDLAND. 
 
 243 
 
 
 ii 
 
 a cross upon it above u larcc rock at Renews, where he used 
 to cele])rate ]Mass. The rock is still to be seen. lie only 
 remained lin'cc years. 
 
 7. There was also a Fr. Power, who came in I.SIO ; ])ut he 
 was snsi)cndcd from duty, and lived privately at Twenty- 
 !Mile Pond, where he died in 1<S1<S. 
 
 These, then, were the seven holy niissioners who had the 
 care of the seven churches on the arrival of Dr. Scallan. 
 
 The year of his arrival was remarkable for a great 
 event in our Church history, — the lirst ordination of a 
 priest in the Island. This was Fr. Nichol.^s Devereux, a 
 young man whom the IVishoj) had ]»rougiit out with him. He 
 ■was stationed at the northward, and died at King's (\)V(Mn 
 184'). He was also at Iiurin and at Harbor Grace. Dr. 
 Scallan, in his report to Pro[)aganda, 1822, says he was a 
 "good, moral, and studious young man." 
 
 In 1S17 arrived Fr. AVilliam AVhitty. He died in 1S22, 
 and is buried in the "Old Church-yard" at 8t. John's, 
 near wlu>re stood the Scotch Free Kirk. He was uncle ot 
 the vemn-able Fr. ^\'hilty, S.J., master of the Jesuit No- 
 viciate, Alanresa, Tjondon. 
 
 In ISlS came Fr. Denis Mackin, afterwards Dean. He 
 was placed in Harbor Grace, and remained there till 1832, 
 when he was appointed to I>rigus, which at lliat time was 
 separated from Harbor Grace and erected into a separsile 
 eharffe. A man of great taste, he soon had a very beautiful 
 establishment. He tailed his farm by the sweet, melodious 
 name of '" r><ilJ:piinii<>iia" in menuu-y of tlu; i)lace of his 
 l)irth. And the hospitality with which he welcomed all 
 visitors has Ix'come a provei'b long to be remembered by 
 those who enjoyed it. He died in March, 18,")7. 
 
 In the vear 1822 Dr. Scallan addressed a report in Latin 
 to the Cardinal Prefect, in which he descril)es the state of 
 the iNIission and the character of the dill'eri'nt in-iests. Of 
 Fr. Yore he says he was " Doctrs ct ^'enerabilis senex (pii 
 optima valetudine functus et jam triginta (juatuor annos in 
 
244 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIIST0I5Y 
 
 '■>( ; 
 III 
 
 hiic Missionc laborlosa, ct iv^iono iiicleinonli consumpsit. 
 ]psi coadjiitoros sunt. Xicholjius Doveiviix ot Dioiiisius 
 INIiK'kiii, j)r('sl)yt(M'('.s Siocularcs jiiulx) jji'ohi iii<)i'al('s<}uo, 
 s(>(l prior iiKijiis sliuliosiis." Of Fr. Ilcarii ho says ho was 
 " iiulcratiiiahilis ac zolo oxcoIUmis Missionarius." Jii Kini!;'s 
 Cove, " lii'V. Jacobus Siunott sivcularis (luoijuo diiiiuis, ot 
 utilis sacordos." In Hay Bulls, " IJov. Tiiuollicus IJrownc, 
 Auiiiistinianus bona' indolis, prodicator Optinuis, sod nui)or 
 indolons, ac in rotaniiliari nialo a'conoinus. ita ut a'ro aliono 
 uravat us sit ; Milii sunt duo assist (>ntos in liac oivitate uiuis 
 Ciuliohnus AVhilty, Siocularis, probi nioralus, ct utilis Auxili- 
 ator. Alter Alexander Filziicrald, Doiniuicanus a'tatc; pro- 
 vectus zclo I'crvcns, ot in p/redicando indetcssus, si'd indiiiot 
 dodrina ct jtrudeiitia, ipsius roiXiitu licentiani . . . trans- 
 nii<:'randi in insulani S. .loannis [now Prince Kdward] prox- 
 inia a'tat(^ . . . et (vxpecto (pmd ille lactus t'uorit Fran- 
 ciscanus." lie tlicMi describes at lenuth tho ease of Fat her 
 Power, and uives his r(>asons for suspcMidinu* him. lie next 
 gives a dcsci'iplion of his dioceso. The climate he describes 
 as follows : " Aeris temi)eries est valdo vai'iabilis scilicet, a 
 nonagesimo quinto gradu 'riiernionictrl Farhonheili us(juo ad 
 vigcsimum intra y-erum ejusdem."' The interior of the coun- 
 ti'y he thus describes: "Pars interior, (pue ut [)luriinum 
 montil)Us. lacu^us et pahidil)us ooiistat, est omuino deserta 
 et inhal)itata. Si excii)iantur perpauci indigena', (pii tain in- 
 domiti et feroces sunt ut nullo modo ai)propin(juari ])()ssint." 
 This description scarcely does justice to tho chai.icter of our 
 poor I'cothit's. It was fear of the nuu'derous Avhite man, not 
 savagery, Avhich made tho ])oor Indians tiee llu> allurements 
 of ci\ilization. lie mentions Anticosti as ]»art of his dio- 
 cese, but it was uninhal)ited, except by two families stationed 
 thei'e by (loxcrnment to assist tho sirn)wrecked. lie con- 
 cludes by asking for a renewal of his faculties for dispensa- 
 tions in marriages. lie speaks of tho schools of the "liiblc 
 Society" as being condemned by the Propaganda, but adds 
 '' thei'e ar<^ none in this Island." As we have soon, however, 
 they were established the following year, 1823. 
 
OF KKWFOUXDLAND. 
 
 24:) 
 
 VM 
 
 .1 
 
 Dr. ScMlIiin, by the suiivity of his mannors, oiuloarod liini- 
 st'U' not only to Ciitliolics, but also to Protestants, and with 
 thoni and with the nioivantilo classes and Government people 
 he was an espeeial favorite. lie was very hospitable, and 
 we need not wonder that a a-overnor (Prescott), diirinii the 
 episcopacy of his successor, Dr. Fleming, in one of his de- 
 spatches to the Home (lovernment, praises Dr. Scallan, while 
 he speaks of his successor in the language of coarse vulgarity. 
 Indeed, Dr. Scallan has been censui'ed, and ajjparently with 
 some reason, for being too yielding in his endeavors to 
 please and pr()})itiate his Protestant friends. " \\'e may 
 hope, however," writes Dr. ^lullock, ''circumstances at that 
 time excused conduct which at present would bo most 
 injudicious." 
 
 In 1(S1S Dr. P>ourk(> was appointed the first P/ishop of 
 Nova Scotia, and though the appointment had no imme- 
 diate inllueiice on Newfoundland, still it was in some sort a 
 strenirtheninii' to the Church to have a iKMiihborinii" province 
 raised to the dignity of a \'icariate Apostolic. It was proof 
 that Catholics were increasing, and that the days of persecu- 
 tion were passing away. 
 
 Jn his later years. Dr. Scallan was affected with a paralytic 
 attack, which slightly affected the l)rain, and which will ac- 
 count for any weakness which may have occurred in his 
 ecclesiastical rule. 
 
 "No oiu'," says Dr. Fleming, in his " Ttclaziono"' to Propa- 
 ganda, "could surjjass Dr. Scallan in his aii.\i(>ty tor the 
 advancement of the Mission : but, unfortunately, Avhen he had 
 fornuHl his designs to carry out his intended object, he was 
 assailed by a sickness which obliged him to remain for 
 the greater part of a year in a more salubrious climate, and 
 which, after a few years, deprived the Church of a most 
 zealous and estim;il)le i)relate."' 
 
 The fault, or injudicious conduct, hinted at b}' Dr. 
 Mullock, of which Dr. Scallan was accused, w^as one which 
 sprung out of his mild and gentle disposition. lie was of a 
 most gracious and tolerant spirit, and it would ap[)ear that 
 
240 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 he allowed his yiehling toinjx'iMinont to carry Iiiiu a little 
 too far in hi.s desire to conciliate all relii>i<)us denominations. 
 No douht it was with the desire oC hrinirinuf hack the lost 
 sheep to the fold. In his rejHJrt to the Cardinal Prefect of 
 Propaiiiinda (1822) he says: "The Faith is now slowly but 
 isurely increasinj;, and daily sonic are coinini; over to us. 
 No obstacle is placed in our way by those in authority, and 
 the Governor is most friendly (o me, and most faithful. I 
 have had him occasionally to dine at my house." In order 
 to carry out those views, however, he sli<ihtly outsti'p})ed 
 the bonds of iirudence. He allowed his clei'iiy to attend 
 Protestant fimerals, and to entei' the churches and remain 
 present at their funeral services ; and also attended himself 
 at some sort of thaidvsjiiving service, on which occasion the 
 ])rayei's were nwd ''by tlu> Protestant l)ishop of Nova Scotia." 
 No matter how laudable the motive may be, tlier(> are certain 
 limits, beyond which the tenets of the Catholic Church allow 
 not her children to step. We may, and indeed are bound to, 
 assist our neijxhbors in all vorls of idcvci/ aiid cli(ir!f>/, 
 .spiritual and cor[)oral. AVe may assist as friends or mourners 
 at funeral processions ; we may help to bury the dead, and to 
 perform every other act to alleviate the sorrrow of our 
 aOlicted Protestant fellow-men ; but we are not allowed to 
 attend at the reUginiis ceremontj. This alone is forbidden us, 
 and most reasonsdtly, — for it is the belief of the Church that 
 .such service \ii heretical , and it would l)e a sin to countenance 
 it in any way. It is, thercfcn-e, untair to accuse Catholics of 
 J)i<i()try on this account. They only act uj) to their reli^'ious 
 convictions, and not from any uncharital)le sjjirit. V\\{\\ 
 regard to Dr. Seal Ian, it is certain that he was a most holy 
 and /Aialous Bishop, and, as Dr. ^Mullock writes, "we may 
 hope that the circumstances of the tinier excused his conduct." 
 AVe nuist also remember that he was suHi-rinu' from a malady 
 which irreatly impaired his reason. Nevertheless, he was 
 censured by lionu; for this weakness ; but as he was on his 
 death-bed when the censure arrived, it was not made known 
 to him. 
 
 
n 
 
 I 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 247 
 
 In 1827 Dr. Scalhui vi.sitcd Roiiio, and was very well 
 roceiv(>(l hy the Popo and liis superiors in l*r()[)airan;la. He 
 also made a visitation of IMaeentia Wny, and administered 
 Contirmation in Burin and Plaeentia, and several other plaees. 
 Ilis health now lu-gan to give way altogether. He visited 
 Euroi)e more than once. In the year 1<S28, finding he eonld 
 no longer discharge liis duties, he sought for a coadjutor. He 
 accordingly wrote to Cardinal C'ai)rara, I'refect of the Prop- 
 aganda, e\i)laining the ditlicult circumstances of the Mission, 
 the want of priests, and tlie labors to be undergone by a 
 Prelate who would conscientiously discharge his duty, reeom- 
 mending at the same time as his coadjutor and successor 
 Father Michael Anthonv Flemini::, f<>i" manv v<"ii"s the nrin- 
 cipal missioner in St.. John's. He had himself done as much 
 as he could i)erforni ; visited the Southern, Northern, and 
 Western shores as far as IJurin and Harbor Grace ; but the 
 remote north and west, not to sjx'ak of Labrador, were 
 entirely beyond his reach. All these reasons being laid 
 before the Sacred (V)ngregation of Propaganda, his ))rayer 
 was granted, and Father Fleming Avas appointed coadjutor, 
 Vicar-A})ostolic, and liishop of Carpasia in jHtvlihiis. On 
 the 28th October, 182i), he consecrated his successor in, the 
 "Old Chapel," — the first time that an episcopal consecra- 
 tion was ever performed in Xewfoundland. 
 
 He survived but a short time. Eepeated ntta-ks of pa- 
 ralysis undermined his constitution. Day after day he got 
 weaker and weaker, and on the 21»th of May following, the 
 feast of SS. Simon and Jude, he resigned his soul into the 
 hands of his Creator. He left the proi)erty he possessed to his 
 successor, to estal)Iish schools and a seminary. It was not 
 found possible to establish the si'minary at the time, and the 
 funds were devoted to the founding of a convent, and partly 
 for providing priests for the Mission. 
 
 He was interred in the yard of the " Old Chapel ; " l)ut it 
 was intended merely as a temporary resting-place, for his 
 remains, immediately after Dr. Fleming's death, were trans- 
 ferred to the cathedral, and buried in the choir, ))ehind the 
 
 ^ 
 
248 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUV 
 
 higli nhar. Dr. FIciniiii!: left somo money lo have a iiionu- 
 nuMit crccti'd for him, aiul it has hccii oxeciitcd l)y Ilonaii, 
 and is placed at th<! gospel side of the great nave of the 
 cathedral. It is in «Z/o rilleco, and of Saravez/a marble. Tho 
 dying Bishop is represented on a couch receiving tho last 
 Sacraments from his successor. It is a Iteautiful work, in tho 
 most perfect style of art, and will he for auos an ornament 
 to the cathedral. 
 
 During Dr. Scallan's episcopacy many improvements took 
 place in tho country. The iiopnlation became more settled, 
 and tho ])ooplo began to look on the Island as their homo. 
 Education began to bo encouraged; the barl»arous laws 
 against colonization wen; no longei" attemi)ted to be enforced ; 
 the idea of keei)ing tlu^ country merely as a tishing-station — 
 "a big ship moored near the; Banks" — was given uj) ; and the 
 inhal»ilants might build or re|)air a chinmoy without the 
 special leave of the governor, and not dread thtit (as a few 
 years previously) it would be pulled down by the "English 
 authorities." It was, in fact, becoming a rich and settled 
 country; and though mismanagement, tyranny, and misrule 
 had left their marks of degradation on the people, still some 
 sigiis of im])rovoment were manifested on every side, and a 
 more warm relii»:ious feelinii: was excited among the Catholio 
 po{)ulation. 
 
 II' t- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 249 
 
 CIIAPTKU XX. 
 
 LAIUlADon. 
 
 Ori'iiii of ''lo Xamp — PopuliiliDii — ^^ol•:lvillll Missionarios — Anticosti Annexed to 
 hi. .luliu's — Division of I'iiiinliud — liici'case ol' Calholiuity. 
 
 AXK\V iind Ix'tter prospot-t was now oi)oiiiiii:^ for Xow- 
 t'oiindlimd. For tlirct! I'ciiliirics \\v htwo seen licr, 
 socially and i)olilically, cxcommuiiifati'd ; scttlciiicnt proliil)- 
 itt'd ; cultivation iorbiddcn ; roads never tlioiiiiiit of; odii- 
 c.'ition disre^jfarded ; tho only reIi<,don cai)al)l() of tiviii/ini^ 
 and enliiilitening the people first oi)cidy persecuted, and 
 latterly only sullenly tolerated. 
 
 A great cliani>e, however, was now al)out to take ))laee. 
 A census taken in 18:^") gives the poi)ul;iti()n of the wholo 
 Lsland as (;(),()<S(S, among whom were 24,8S2 Catholics; tliu.s 
 giving Protestants, at that time, a majority in round numhers 
 of 5,000, or a twelfth of the whole. Tlio very few inhabitants 
 then on tlie Fi'eiich Sliore and Jiai)rad()r arc not enumerated. 
 
 The northern ])ortion of the American continent extend- 
 ing from the lliver St. Lawrence to Hudson's Uay is called 
 "Labrador." It is generally su[)posed that this name was 
 given to it by tho Portugese navigator, Gaspar de C'orte- 
 real, the exi)lorer, if not the discoverer, of this region. 
 " lie," writes Dr. Mullock, "imposed this curious name on 
 it, either because he considered it adapted to tho labors of 
 tho husbandman, or, perhaps, he thought that tho roI)Ust 
 Es(|uimaux, tlu^ aboriginal inhabitants, might bo converted 
 into ' laljoradovf's,'' working slaves, like tho African negroes." 
 
 Cottcrel's Island, in Trinity Bay, is supposed to bo 
 called from Cortereal,^ who discovered this j)art of 
 the country in L'iOL Ho was tho next explorer after 
 
 'J.r. llowley. 
 
250 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 Ciihot. Tliis is Ihc only rciimiml of lliiit cxfKMlition, uiilo.ss 
 Avo iilso !ul(l roitiipil Cove, as so called by him in honor of 
 his natives land. lie is supposed also to ha\'(! trivcn tht> iiaino 
 of " Conception Uay." 'I'lx! map painted in fresco on tlu^ 
 walls of the Lo(j(jic of the Viitiean J'alac(\ Uome, by A. Var- 
 rese, and reproduced in part at paue '.u of this work, of date 
 1 ')')(), irives the southern portion of this laud as the " Ti^ra 
 do C'ortc! U'eal," while the central portion is called "Terra do 
 IJacealaos," and the more northerly ))art is desiunaled as 
 "Term do Labrador"; while a cajie correspondinii' to thc^ 
 position of the entrance to the Straits of IJel'*! JsK' is called 
 "C. del Laborado." 
 
 On a map of still older dat(>, namely the "(ilobus Martini 
 Ik'haim, Narimbei'o'ensis, 14i)2," this same country, I.e., the 
 southern i)art of Labrador, is called "Cambia." Sir Richard 
 Whitbourne, writiuiT in lOK) (p. Id) calls it "Cambalew," 
 and it is calh-d, as latc^ as 1717, in the "British Pilot" of 
 Taverner, by the name of " Cambaloii." This name owes its 
 oriiiiu to th(^ desci-iplion of Mai'co Polo, who travelled in the 
 Last in the thirteenth century, lie spok(< of the kinii'doms 
 of Cipaniio, Manii'o, Cathay, and Cambalou. 'i'his latter 
 country he ])laced "to the north-ciist of Cathay," that is, 
 China. Now, the navijrators who followed C-ohuubus were 
 under the impression that they had discovered the same 
 lands as ^Farco Polo. Columbus, indeed, never knew till 
 the day of his death that he had discovered the >*'ew World. 
 Hence these post-Columbian navigators gave to tin; coun- 
 tries discovered the same names as those given by I'olo, as 
 nearly as they could judge them. Thus, in IJchaiurs map 
 the land which occupies the position where Newfoundland 
 is situated is called "Cathai"; and as a c()nse<jueucc the 
 land to the north of it is called "Cambalou." On Cabot's 
 map the whole of Labrador is called "Terra d(^ liaccalaos." 
 It received its name of "Labrador," as Dr. Mullock rightly 
 suggests, from Cortcreal. ]vichard Ldens, writing as 
 early as L")r)5, speaks of it as the coast of the land of 
 "Laboradores." The inhabitants are uieu of good corpora- 
 
 ? 
 
OF NKWFOUXDLANI). 
 
 251 
 
 „ 
 
 t 
 
 ttirc, !illli()Ui(li (iiwny like Iiuliuns, and hihnviovH. He siiys 
 it liiul this iiaiiio Itct'oro Cortcreiil, and tliiil lie called it at'lcr 
 liis own naiin\ It is callod on Clianiplain's maps (KIO.'J) 
 "Xonvc'lle Fi-ancc ; " hut ho gives that nanx; to all Canada, 
 in fact lo all America. I'ietro Pas((nai:lio, Venelian amhas- 
 sadof in I'oitnizal, 1")01, says Corttjreal hroiight homo 
 Ihiily-seven oC the inhahilanls of tho new country, who an; 
 pronounced " admirahly adapted for htfjor"; hence; ho calls 
 Iho land " Terra dc; los Lahoradores " — land of tin; laborers. 
 If the name had nd'enuico to tho agricultural ca[)al)ilities of 
 the rc'ii>in itself it was most ina])pro[)riate, for the coast is 
 bleak and barren, and the summer season too short for vege- 
 tation. It was not moro a})pi'o))rial(; as applied to the peo- 
 ple. The Ivs(iuiniaux are neither ninnerous nor willing to 
 apply tlicnisclves to contimious labor, being, like all tho 
 Noi'th American Indians, chielly fishers and hiuiters. Tho 
 wealth of lial)rador consists in its fisheries, which employ 
 over ;5(),(K)() people every sununer, and for the prosecution 
 of which its shores, indented at every few miles with coves, 
 bays, and h!irl)ors, and fringed with countless islands, arc 
 j)cculiarly adapted. Tho western portion, extending from 
 lilanc Sablon to the lliver St. .John, Itelongs to tho govern- 
 ment of Canatla ; the eastern anil northern portions, to Xew- 
 foundland. 
 
 The total luunlx'r of permaniMit inhabitants on the Xew- 
 foundland jjortion Avas, in l-Sol! (when Dr. jNIulIock wi'ote), 
 lJ)')o, of whom .'51.') wer(v Catholics, lint by tho census of 
 188-1 we lind the population has increased to 4,211 ; Catho- 
 lics, biU't. The larg(; increase of ])opulation of Labrador 
 over that of lS7t, ten years previous (nearly double; it was 
 then 2,1 Hi), is owing to the ci})lier that iho jMoi-avians are 
 placed at 1,.")11). Their [)rincipal stations are Ilopedalo, 
 l)oi)ulation, 170; Xain, 2ii5 ; Zoar, 13!l ; Hebron, 207; 
 Okak, iWl; Kamah, (ID. These figures would seem to 
 bo largely above the reality, but as tluiy are supplied 1)y 
 tho r)rethren themselves, there is no means of testing them. 
 Tho Kov. I'ere la Casso, O.M.J. , a priest of tho diocoso 
 
 
 
 !| 
 
252 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 of" liiaiuouski, avIio iikiUos si yearly visilalioii to llic cxtfcino 
 iiorllicni portion of Lal)r!i(lor, is of tlui opinion lliat llio 
 Moniviaus cannot exceed three or tour luuidi'cd. " More of 
 u lradin<>' tlian a missionary estaMisliinent , the l>rotliers have 
 collected around tiuMU some Ksijuiniaiix, diiznitied witli tiic 
 name of Christian, hut, if repoit speaks ti'ue, totally igno- 
 rant of any ndiu'ion, and ])rineipaliy em[)Ioved in the iurring 
 trade for the missionaries" (Dr. Midioek, .MS.). 
 
 AN'haiever truth tlii're may ]n) in Dr. ^Midlock's remarks 
 as to tile state of morality or reliiiion amonir the Ks(|uimaux 
 JNloravians, it is certain, and no secret is macU^ of it, tliat tin; 
 principal ohject of the brothers is trade. Ivieh '* Mission " 
 consists of three men ; namely, a "trader," or husincss 
 nianan'cr, a carpenter and a " reader," who looks after the 
 Sj)irituals. 1'hc dill'erent olliees oi- situations iwc. iil!e<l 
 alternatidy every year hy the thret; men, each talviii^' his 
 triennial turn at kee[>inir the accounts, keepin:i4' the huiidiniis 
 in orde.', or lookini:' al'ter the souls, as {lie case may he. As 
 the wliole concern, however, is carried on as a reliii'ious 
 institution, they enjoy many ])ri\ ilciics, such as receiving;' all 
 articles IVee of duty, on account of which they arc al)le to 
 luidersell iIh^ Hudson l^ay and other furrinu' com[)ani(>s. 
 This hurdensome liandi<'appini:' has heen the causi? of a i:'ood 
 deal of ill-fecrmii' and remonstraut'e. 
 
 In the month of the St. Lawrence lies a laru'i' island, called 
 "A iticosli," a coi-ruption of the Indian name " Naciiitoches." 
 It was discovered by ,Iaci|ues C'artier on the l.")th Auynist, 
 IT).'}."), who calle<l it " Isle de TAssomption ;" hut the Indian 
 nanic survived, 'i'he harremiess of i\\o soil and the want of 
 ports have hitherto j)i'evented its colonization. A few families 
 of liuht-house, keepers and assistants, towards savinif ship- 
 wrecked mariners, constitute its whole; population. In the 
 year 1820 these two places, vi/., LaI)i'ador and Anticosti, 
 were unitcul to the Vicariate Apostolic of Newfouudh.nd. 
 Joseph Octavius IMessis was liishop of (^iiehec, and thou lii be 
 was o|)posed to the division of his extensive diocese, .still, these 
 places being so nMuote and inaccessible, he recommended to 
 
 -» 
 
 .' 
 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 253 
 
 »' 
 
 tli(^ Popo (Pius VII.) tlid (lisnicinhoniuMil of tlicin from Que- 
 bec iiii<l llicir aiuu'xalioii to XcwfomullMnd. Dr. kSciillan was 
 coiisuUcd on tlii^ nialtcr, and coMscntcMl to llu; arraugcnicnt, 
 lliouiili liaviiig no nicans for providiiij^ niissioiiaries, even for 
 tlu^ i)art of Ncwibundland iu\'ir his own residi^nce. P('rlia[)s 
 li(! tlioiiiiiit that at soino future period hi; niiglit provide for it, 
 and considered liie eharii'e at \ho. "nie as a men^ nominal one. 
 
 A lirief was accordini^ly expculiled on the 1st of F(;hruary, 
 ]S2(\ eoimlersianed l)v Cardinal ( onsahi, dismeml)erinir (he 
 (Quebec diocese, and givinu" the; island ol" Anticosti, and liiat 
 pari of the land of Lal»rad()r bounded l)y the northern ])ank 
 of the Iiiver St. .John, to the \'icariale Apostolic of 2S(^\vfound- 
 land ; that tlie Uisliop should afford to the Catholics living" iu 
 those rei^ions all the spiritual assistanct; they re(|uired, and 
 endeavor, as tar as was in his ])o\vei', to brinu' th<' sava^'es 
 and heretics of that re<iion into the fold of Christ. 
 
 Whatever may have been Dr. Scallan's intention, Ik; never 
 hiid it in his j)ower to send missioners to thesis j laces. 
 Somelime after Canada apiin o])taiiu'd Jurisdiction o\cr all 
 these coasts as far as Ulaiic Sablon (or L'Anse a Sabloii), 
 and wiieu some Canadians beuan to settle there as seal- 
 catchers, they always looked to (Quebec for s|)iritual as- 
 sistanci'. Now and then a Canadian ])riest, with leave of 
 the ^'icar-A))Ostolic of Newfoundland, visited tin; si-attered 
 settlers, and administered the sacraments of baj)tism and 
 matrimony. I.iatterly, since the Canadian (iovermnent has 
 ereclecl liiiht -houses and siunal-slalions on these coasts, the 
 visits (if cleriiv are more frc(jiieii(, as the priests, by jxM'inis- 
 siou of (ioverunienl , a\ail themselves of the; semiannual trips 
 of tlu? supplying' steamers to tlie ditrerent stations. The 
 New t'oundland portion of Labrador was, as mentioned, at- 
 tended re;iulaily by a clcri:vman from St. flolm's until it was 
 made a parochial disliict, the i)i'iest residing at Fortime 
 Harbor, Notre i)anu'. Hay. " The whole arrangement ," v, files 
 Dr. Mullock, " between Jiishop IMessis and J>ishop Scallan 
 was fjiulty, but it has now been rescinded. . . . iVnticosti 
 as yet nomlnalli/ depends on Newfoundland." 
 
 II 
 
r 
 
 tarn 
 
 mmmKi^m?--' 
 
 254 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 In the latter part of Dr. Scallan's life, and at his (loath, 
 the Vicariate Avas divided into iive districts or parishes; 
 viz St. John's, Harbor Grace, Placontia, Ferryland, and 
 Kin'-'s Cove. Tliis latter district comprised all the northern 
 l,;ivs, vi/., Trinitv, T.onavista, Fo-o, Notre Dame, and the 
 lunthern shores to Quirpon. There were also nuiny Catliohc 
 schools in the principal places, and C^itholics had every 
 roi.son to congratulate themselves on their incr.'ase ni num- 
 bers, Avealth, and social standin- ; on the spread of religion 
 and education, and the near approach of the political mllu- 
 once which they were soon to wield in the dcstnues ot the 
 country. 
 
OK NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 2")') 
 
 CHAPTER XXT. 
 
 iiT. HKV. Di;. fi,i;mix<;, I'orirnr iusriop. — [is'20-is.r>.] 
 
 Comiiu'iu'iMiK'iit of Dr. Fli'iuiiijr's Mpiscopitlc — St;it(: (it'tlicCnlony — Ciitliolic ICiniiiici- 
 |);iti()n — Its l-^lVocIs on Iri-liiueii Al>roiul — liitoloiauce in St. .lolm's — I)(';;riuliiiLr 
 Taxes — Fiuu'riil aiiil Mania;;'e Fcos Imposed on Catliolies — Dr. Kleinin}; lieruscs 
 to Pay tlieni — lledivision of Parishes — Arrival of Xiiio New Mi>.^ic>iiarie3 — 
 Falliers "rroy, Xowlaii, ISerney, P. deary -- l>r. Fiinniiiir Presents Menmiial in 
 ]"avor of Isnianeipalion — Forwards .Su!)seriplion to the O'Connell Fund — Ilis 
 Ijil)eialil\' towards Dissenters — Obtains for tlieni l!eli>;ions Liberty. 
 
 ri^IIE Rt. Rev. Dr. M. A. Floiuiiig, hv\u<y Coiidjutor 
 -*" liishop (luriiijf the lust yotir of I)i'. Sciilliin's lil'c, suc- 
 ceeded to the \'i(';u'i!ite !it his doiuise, and ji'overned it tor a 
 period of twenty yeiirs, ainitlst lutiny troubles and I'ontradic- 
 tions, "with *:reat success. 
 
 \U' was l)oni near (';irrick-on-Suir, County of Tip[)erary, 
 Irehmd, in the year 17!)2. Jlis uncle, Father Martin Fiein- 
 i;ig, a veneral)le priest, was guardian of the Fnmciscans in 
 the convent of Carrick, luid the nephew desired, after his 
 exaini)le, to consecrtite himself to God in the Order of St. 
 Francis. Accordingly, in 180S, at the etirly age of sixteen, 
 he received tho habit of St. Frtuicis, in the convent of Wex- 
 foi'd. from the lituuls of Dr. Scidlan, tlu'U Superior of that 
 House. "The foreign estiiblishments of the Irish Franciscan 
 l*roviiice had ftillen in the continental revolutions, and St. 
 Isidore's in K'onie, the only rtMiitiining one, was under setpies- 
 trtition by the I-'rench " (Dr. Mullock). 
 
 'J'he instructors of the young novice i.. A^'exf()rd were the 
 Rev. Richard Hayes, a well-known controversialist, and, sul>- 
 setiuently, delegate to IJoine from the Ctitliolics of Ireland to 
 op))osG the concession ol a veto on the eli'ctioii of the Irish 
 Catholic l?ishops to the lirilish ( io\ crmuent , ;ind Dr. Henry 
 Hughes, the learnetl and Aixistolic J»ishop of ( iil)r;iltar. 
 Under thcs(> two excellent mtisters he pursued his studies, 
 
 ;m' 
 
MH.MUHkUHMI 
 
 faitt*iiftfr«tgi— 1> n 
 
 ! Il 
 
 25(3 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 iiiul on tlio ir)(li October, 1815, he wms ordained priest by 
 the IVislioj) of Ferns. Soon after, lie was a|)p()inted to the 
 convent at Carriek, nnder liis nncle, and eonnneneed tlio 
 usual missionary duties of an Irish friar. The old convent- 
 ual eliap(d was built just at the cessation of the ))ersecntion, 
 and was, as miu'ht be expected, a poor ::nd totterinu" ediliee. 
 A\ ilh the permission of his uncle, Father Fleminir threw it 
 down and eonnneneed the new church, which is so •i;veat an 
 ornament to the town at i)resent. liefore he had time to com- 
 plete the bnildinir, he left Ireland, in 1823. at the i)ressinj^ 
 invitation of Dr. Scallan, for Newfoundland. A year or two 
 after he was recalled by his provincial ; but Dr. Scallan rep- 
 resented to the Propaganda the iireat dearth of missioners in 
 Newfoundland, and accordiniily, by a rescrijit, his ((bediencc 
 was transt'eri'ed from the Irish provinet; to the Vicar Apos- 
 tolic of Newfoundland. He therelbre remained in St. John's 
 till his ai)point incnt to the mitre, e.\ercisin<r the duties of 
 curate. 
 
 For a IMission like Newfoundland he was peculiarly (piali- 
 tied : of an active and enei'ii'ctic temiierament and u wiry 
 constitution, a i^reat walker and an excellent horseman, lui 
 could, in his vouth, iro through falii;'U(^ whii-h would break 
 down many others. lie had. in fact, a love of labor as if 
 for labor's sake, and in his latter years he is tlujuii'lit to 
 have shortened his life by unnecessary exertions. 
 
 At the re(iuest of Dr. Scallan he was nominated Bishop, 
 w'th the title of Cai'pasia in ixniihns, and Coadjutor of the 
 \'icar Ai)ostolic of Newlbundland, with tlu; right of succes- 
 sion. 
 
 The Ibdls for his appointment were 'Expedited on the 10th 
 of 'Inly, l.S21>, and on the 28th of October of the sanu> year 
 he was consecrated by Dr. Scallan in the "Old Chapel,"' two 
 priests assisting by dispensation, on accoimt of the impossi- 
 bililv of obtaining assistant Uishops. 
 
 'I'he assum|)tion of the government of the Church of Xewf- 
 onndland by Dr. Fleming marks the opening of another 
 great era in our ecclesiastical history ; and it would have 
 
 I. 
 
OF NEWFOrXDLAXD. 
 
 257 
 
 1)0011 inipossihle to find a man 1)o1tor suilod in ovory rospcct 
 lor tho <:ro!it work boforo Iiini than (ho liishop whom the 
 Holy Si)irit had choson, — a man endowed with all the gifts 
 of mind and hody noces.sary for a grand and oncirons duty ; 
 ol'strong physical powers, great ausferily of life, indomilahlo 
 Avill, and shrewd mental eii(h)wmenis. Though eclipsed by 
 tlu! great intellectual luminary who sueceeded him, the eolos- 
 sal-minded Dr. Mullock, yet tho educational ac(iuirements of 
 Dr. Fleming were of no mean order. lie j)ossessed a wide 
 versatility of talent, as his rare lil)rary and collection of 
 works oil art plainly show. Yd for literature, as such, he 
 seemed not to care too much, his hooks generally touching 
 ui)on th(> practical and scientilic region, such as agri<'ulturo, 
 architect in-e, and mechanics. The period at which he as- 
 smncd tho spiritual reins in Xewfoundland was one of great 
 activity all over the world, — intellectually, politically, and 
 religiously. Kngland at this time was convulsed to her 
 heart's core by the groat religious movement which has gone 
 on ever since, and has not yet ceased ; which has had such a 
 powerful olfoct upon her iimer life as is likely to result in a 
 eom[)lote otfacement of her religious and social charactei- 
 isties I'oi' the past three centuries. America, like; a young 
 giant, was revelling in tho enjoyment of her new-tbund lil»- 
 ei'ty. and was making vast strides in tho realms of science, 
 colonization, intor-eonununication, and all that t'onstitutcs 
 civilization. Above all, she was bringing mio tho domain 
 of the world that now an(l wondrous power of steam, which 
 was soon to ci'oato an empire lor ilsell", more astounding, 
 oven, than thoai't of printing had done some tour hundred 
 years before. 
 
 Ireland, which ov(M' held such intimate relations with Xowf- 
 oundland, and cwry ])ulse of whoso national life awoke; a 
 corresponding tlu'ol) in our citlonial heai't : whose Joys and 
 sorrows were not merely rotlectod. as in a mirror, in the 
 souls of her transatlantic children, but were really and act- 
 ually participated in by them, — Ireland, then, in this glorious 
 year of hS^'J, was just raising her head from beneath the 
 
258 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUV 
 
 lyiaut lu'ol of oppression. The voice of the j^reat Tribune, 
 arnu'd witli the powerful battle-axe of Truth, had cleft down 
 the I)Mrrieatles of prejudice and l)i,ii()trv, and <;ained for tho 
 downtrodden nation the <ilorious birthriii'ht of reiiuious lib- 
 erty, — Catholic emancipation. 
 
 The ellect of this urcat moral victory was not i-onlined to 
 Ireland alone. It had an elevatini^ and ennoMini:- ellect on 
 tlu^ wh()l(> Irish race, now scattered in their millions ihrouiih- 
 out the vast tei'ritories of America and Australia. Tlu; long 
 centuries of persecution, ihouii'h 'they had never subjuiiated 
 the will of the Irish people, nor (|uenched the liirht of laith ; 
 vet, throuuh fori'cd i)overtv, with all its deuradini!: accom- 
 paniments, l)lottin<>; entirely out of their lives for generations 
 the i?o()thing and civilizing intluences of wealth and social 
 intercourse', had, at last, so crushctl down their nobh; natures 
 as to almost obliti'rate from their souls the feeling of inde- 
 pei\dence, and to superinduce that state of self-abasement 
 Avhich is ever characteristic of a race of slaves. 'J'his sordid 
 fei'ling, which caused them to ci'inge in humiliation I)eforc 
 their lellow-nien. whom tluy knew only as jjowerful tyrants,' 
 they cai'ried aiToss the wich^ ocean, and cnch in the free air 
 of America were found men of Know-nothing ly[)e reaily to 
 take advantage of this weakness. 
 
 Kinancii)ati()n, ho.vcvcr, niach^ them feel themselves at last 
 freemen, ami they soon began to hold u[) their heads and 
 look their fellow-men in the face without shame or fear. The 
 foul miasma ol" slavery could not survive in the Knipire of 
 AVestern l-'reedom ; but strong ellbrts were made by the 
 domineering l)arty to keep it alive in the British I'olonies, 
 and nowhere more so than in Newfoundla'.d. Although, 
 according to the? highest legal authoritii's, and, indeed, to the 
 dictates of common-sense, the ])en:d statutes, devised for tle^ 
 extermination of the national reliiiion in Irckuui, should not 
 
 J 
 
 ' Our iviulcrs niuy rocall to mind a (Icsctiplion by A. M. Sullivan, in liis " Xew lie- 
 land, ' of ii jiarly of pnof poasants stamlin;;- triMnbliii;;, liat in hand, l)y llio roadside, 
 amid adrencliinf^ rain, wliilc tlic trnel qtuI vuljrar " ajjoiit " loisurcly rides by, eying 
 UiL'ui with all tlic gross bratulity of a veritable slave-ma'-tcr of llic Lc Drew type. 
 
OK NEWFOrNDLAND. 
 
 259 
 
 »'V 
 
 extend bovond the limits of thai coimtrv ; novorthelcss, as we 
 have scon, the spirit of tiicso laws j)rac'tit'ally prcvaih'd even 
 more l)itt('rly anions' us. The ureal distance from the molhcr- 
 eountry uavc conlich'ncc to [)ctty tyrants, who arrogated to 
 themselves all the powers of law, — nay, even the "high 
 dominion "" of life and dciitli. 
 
 An extraordinary example of this occiUTcd at St. John's, 
 after the i)assini>- of the Emancipation Act. The conunander 
 of the garrison at that lime was Colonel Pjonrke, a Calholie. 
 \)y tlu' constitution of the (Jovernmcnt he should have been 
 President of the Council; hut previous to the passing of the 
 act he was declared discjualitied, on account of his religion, 
 for taking his place at the council-tal)le, though not for com- 
 manding Her Majesty's i'orces I — a nuich more important 
 position and mon^ respon>ii)lc ollice, and, for a dlslot/al 
 man, a nioic dangerous one. When the act became law, he 
 presented himself to take his place at the board, but to his 
 surprise* he was told he was still dis(jnalilicd, as the Emanci- 
 paiion \{{ did not extend to the colonies, the penal laws 
 not having hccri enacted for thes(> countries. Such was the 
 illogieal reasoning ot" the Xewfonndland Jiench. If th(> penal 
 laws did not extend to Newfoundland, surely neither did the 
 disabiliiii's which were created by those laws; yet the New- 
 foundland authorities persisted in this lo|)sided logic, and it 
 was only after a protracted api)eal to the ImpcM'ial (Jovern- 
 menl. su[)p()rted chieth' by the purse and inlluence of Dr. 
 Fleming, that the alfair was decidi'd according to law iuid 
 c()nunon-sens(>, and Catholics were declareil to be on a 
 perfect e(|uality with Protestants in the colony. W't it was 
 lonii' aft(>r this, and after thev had fouLi'ht their wav, step I)y 
 stc[), that the Catholii's received anything like ju'-lice or fair 
 play. .Vt this j)eriod, also, was set on foot in Newl'oundland 
 the agitation tor llonie liuU\ or l{esponsiI)le (Jovermnent, 
 which was at lenuth uranted in ISal. This ^reat boon was 
 achieved principally through the ellbrts of leading Catljolies, 
 among whom (he names of Kent, Morris, Doyle. Nugent, and 
 others, live ever embalmed in the memories of the people 
 
 fl. 
 
 Ml 
 
 J 
 
2 no 
 
 r,rri,F.siASTir.\r, iiis'ioiiv 
 
 Ahoiil tliis tiiuo mIso \ho counlrv Wiis hh'sscd with ;i i^ciicr- 
 oiis Miul ii()l)lc-iiiiii(l(Ml <^()\ ('I'lior. Sir 'riioiiiiis Coclir.'inc, tlic 
 tlist ii()n-iKi\ ;il i:<)\ cnior. mikI cnliri'lv tVcc iVoiii tli;i( ikiitow- 
 iiiiiidcd spirit ol" (lie ii>-liiiii:' iulmirtils. ;i i^odd dcid of wiiich 
 \\;is iiilicritcil li\- (lie iiaxiil ijovcrnors. lie Itiiilt (iovcrn- 
 iiii'iit House, opened up loiids Mild streets. iu;iui:iir;ile(| the 
 Supreme ("oiiit, siud eiieour.'i^cd in e\er\ pos>il»le \v;iy the 
 adviiiieeiuelit of llie eoh)liy. 
 
 Althouiih the mild and eoueiliiit iiii:' disposition ot' I)i'. 
 Seallan had had :iii apparent inollityinu; eU'eet , yet , as Dr. 
 Mulio(iv wi'ites, " it i> to he teareil that eoneihation. carried 
 loo far. is. in the end, injurious to ndiiiion."" \\ ITde, on tlie 
 one hand, it iiuhici's indillerenee anionic' ( 'atholies to the essen- 
 tial distinction lietween the true and the false worship, it does 
 not, on the oilier, induce any true >piiit of tolerance or re- 
 spect from the persecutors. " A maw kish liliernlily,"" con- 
 tinues I)r. Mulloek, "iiidueid tlic>e ('atholies who liad 
 ])retensioiis to ii'entility to despi>e the i)rohihition of the 
 Church a*rainst iioinii' to heretical worship. It was. in fact, 
 (piite usual at that day to i^o to ^Tass in the niornini:'. and to 
 ('hureh. as it was called, in the evinini;', to eoniplimeiit 
 their Protestant iViends." 
 
 Such was the state of the Church in Xewfoimdland when 
 that <xrvt\{ and holy man. Dr. Fleming, was called, like an- 
 other Sylvester, to hriiii:' her forth from the eataeomhs of 
 ])erseeuti()n into the ulorious liiihf ot" frecMloin's >un. With 
 what spirit he entered upon hi> nol)le work he tells us with 
 a frank earnestness. dcNoid of all pretended humility, in his 
 report to the Cardinal I'refect of I'ropai^anda and in lp> let- 
 ters to Dr. Sprat I : " I'efore my eon>eeration . . . F 
 ])assed six velars in the Inland as a curate, durinu' which time, 
 in the discluirii'e of my duty. I had visited every port and 
 cre(d< in the di>trict of St. doliiTs, and also of ('oiiception 
 r)ay. and I felt a ]ieculiar interest in slndyini!,' the manners 
 of the people, and eiiterini:' into tluMr wishe.-. with a view- 
 to discover th(> hest mode of sui)})Iyin!j,- their wants and iiu- 
 provini: their condition"' (Letter to Dr. S|)ratt). "I knew 
 
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OK NKWrorXDI AND. 
 
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 their Miiiits, iiml I felt niysclC !iiiiiii:it('(l l)_v a vivid doirc 
 to satisfy tluMu " (" l!('l<i::ii)iir," p. 11). ndbi'c his coii- 
 sec'vatioii a^ liisjiop. as we Iim\(' ah'cady seen, he took the 
 iiiatlcr of ('(hicatioii of yoiitli into iiis hands, aiid siiccccdcMl, 
 ill s|)i((' ot" ,<'Tav(' dilliciillics, in pincinLr Catholic (Mliication on 
 a linn hasis. From what we ha\(' also seen of liis jution in 
 tlu' matter of the Communion festival of the youiiDj <:irls, 
 immediately aftei' his eonseeriition, and (hirin<; Dr. Scallan's 
 lifetime, it will he seen lliiit he had iirasped the reins with a 
 tii'in and maslei'ly hand, and that the eoneiliatory. if not 
 almost vaeillatiiiif, n-'jii/ir ot" Dr. Seallan wiis jit an end. 
 Another dillieulty which he had to contend with imine(li;itely 
 after his coiis(-eration was the inatt(>r of marriaire and hnrial 
 fees, ^^'hen visitiiiir Ireland in the year iS.'Jii, a puhlie din- 
 ner was oi\,.|i i() him hy the "Catholic Society of Ireland." at 
 the Ivoyal IIot(d, Collc'i'e (Jroon, Duhlin. In the coui'se of 
 anelo(iuent and n'lowinu' speech, Dr. Flemiiii; alluded as fol- 
 lows to this sultject : "One of the marks of degradation they 
 imposed on tl;e peoi)le was foi-ciiii:' the IJishoj) to l)ay four- 
 teen pence for each m.-'.rriaui' that was performed. I re- 
 monstrated with His l^xcidlency on the unjustness of the 
 demand, hut in vain. A\'hen nothinij else was Icl't me to do 
 I ))eremi)torily refused to pay It, and the unjust and deixrad- 
 ini:' impost tell to the i>-round. . . . Another infamous 
 tax that was im[)osed upon Catholics was the payment of 
 twidvc shillinirs for every Catholic that was l)iirie(l, and the 
 most desi'radinu" of all was that the i)islio[)s were forced to c(d- 
 lect it. I refused to do so. and it no loiiii'er exists."' In his 
 letter to Dr. Spr.itl he says: "The Protestiint rector re- 
 (piii'ed a return of the hniials of Catholics, and the sum of 
 tw(dve and sixpence as l»urial lees tor every individual, even 
 of those huiied in the ( 'atholic hurial-izround. This was scrti- 
 ])ulously exacted duriiiii' the administration of Dr. O'Donel. 
 the lirst Bishoj) of the Island, down to the last hour of Dr. 
 Seallan ; and, as even p()^('rty could not claim an cxeni[)t ion 
 from the rector's fee. scarce a wei'k passed without witness- 
 ing the heart-sickening cxhihition of a party (friends of the 
 
 # 
 
'i »' 
 
 21)2 
 
 ECPLESIASTICAL IMSTORV 
 
 (Iccciiscd) collccliii^jj pence IVoiii door to door to ineol tliis 
 t'luel 'mi})osl. !')> :i siiiule ;iet of lii'iuness I hroke it down. 
 I laughed nt llie elaiin, and il sunk lo Uie dust." Fortu- 
 nately for (lie historian of these limes, Dr. Fl<'inin<j: Avas a 
 most voUnninous writer, and still more so, he always drew a 
 I'ouuh draft of every letter, even upon the most trivial suh- 
 jeet. A laruc j)aeket of these oriiiinal letti'rs has heoji kindly 
 presented to the writer hy \Uv Hon. }>\v. Justieo J. J. Little, 
 from which a very succinct history of Dr. Fleminy's episco- 
 pacy' can he drawn. Ainonjj; tlu^so letters is one to the 
 J'rotestant rector (name not j^iven) on this suhject. The 
 dale, April, 1S2!), shows that, even before his consecration. 
 Father Flemini' had laikled this knotty (lueslion with a vij>- 
 orous hand. Some extracts from it will not, I deem it, he 
 considered out of [)lju'e, and will serve to show his trenchant 
 style : — 
 
 "In re|)ly to your hotter of the 31st com])lainin<; of the 
 non-i)ayment of fi'es demanded by you for Catholic inter- 
 ments, . . . and reijucstinii: me to give instructions to 
 my sexton to receive for the future the stipend demanded, 
 I bey; to inform you that I have nothing whatever to do in 
 the reirulations or concerns of that churchyard, unless to 
 perform my duties as a cler<ryman whenever called there; 
 and as to the firave-diiiu'cr, he iiev(U' received any instructions 
 from me, except to jioint out a vacant spot for the interment 
 of a pauper, and then I felt bound to pay him for di<iuing 
 the grave, or to get some of the neighbors or friends of tho 
 deceased to perform the charitable act. 
 
 "Although 1 would I'egret sincerely that any failure should 
 take place in your fees, and as sincerely de})lore that any 
 unhandsome or unjustiliable infringement should be made 
 on the just emoluments of any minister of religion for whom 
 I entertain so high a regard, I must now candidiv acknowl- 
 edge to you what I have never had the o))portunity of doing 
 before, that T consider it the most penal act of injustice that 
 [1 upon any denomination of Christians toconi- 
 
 coui 
 
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 ip 
 
OF NKVVFOUNDLANI). 
 
 268 
 
 :m 
 
 |)ol llicin (() p.'iy to n clorfryiiinn of u dillercnt pcrsiiasion ii ft'o 
 for till' iiilcniuMit of llicir dciid. ... 1 ani sure you 
 are satislii'd to ii('kii()\vled<.'(! that wore the Catliolic tlio ostab- 
 lislicd rcliiiion of tliis ooiiiitrv, you would deem i) the most 
 ;j,alliii<x act to roinpcl your (locU to })ay a \\h\ foi- !>«'vviccs 
 wliicli would Jiot, aud could not, lie jx'iloiiucd hy her luiii- 
 Ister.s. . . . Should you estahli.sh your claim l)y a Icjial 
 process, it would he the bouuden duty of the Catholic 
 priest, in the tirst place, to recommend patience and for- 
 bearance to his pe()|)l(!, and next, by every leual means, to 
 raise his voice, with that of his (lock, in petilioniiii; a repeal 
 of so obnoxious a burl hen. . . . And howcncr the 
 scale may turn, it shall never, I ho))e, break one link of 
 that chain of all'ectioii aud regard which always bound us 
 together." 
 
 Soon after his consecration he couunenced his epi^H'opal 
 duties by visiting ("onceiition liay, and while ilwAw vivj:',vj:vd 
 he was suumuined, in May, \H'M), to attend the d((ath-bed of 
 his ))redecesHor, aud to assume the comi)Icto governmei t of 
 the ^'icariate. 
 
 The tirst work he turned his mind to was the augnu'uta- 
 tion of the number of priests and the subdivision of the lisc 
 districts which then existed in the country. The numlier of 
 })ricsts in the diocese at this tinu' was only seven, of whom 
 one (Fr. Yore) was then in his eighty-second year. Fr. 
 Ilearn, of IMacentia, was atllicted with a mental malady. 
 Fr. IJrown, of Ferryland, was not very satisfactory. "The 
 curate of St. John's (Fr. ^Morrison) was in tlui last stage of 
 consumption" (he died in \^'.)\ ). So that there were only 
 three active missionaries to be relied on. These were Fathers 
 Nicholas Devereux, 1). .Makiu, and 1*. Cleary (afterwards 
 Dean). 
 
 Dr. Fleming, therefore, set out in the fall of \^'M) for 
 Ir(>land in seai'ch of missionaries. He secured nine, of whom 
 six eml)ark(!d without delay, and arrived in Newfoundland 
 curly in 1831. 
 
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 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKY 
 
 These niissioners also deserve a brief hiograpliieal notice 
 in a work like the jjresent. Tiiey were not onl}' pillars 
 of the Catholic Church, hut men of name and fame, 
 worthy of a place in the general history of Newfoundland. 
 They were tlu; ])rincii)al actors on the stage who helped in 
 no small measure to bring about the state of i)olitical pros- 
 perity and advar-jnient which we now enjoy. 
 
 Firtit, then, was the Rev. Edward Troy. He was a 
 prominent ligure for many yeais in our ecclesiastical annals. 
 He was a man, physically and mentally, a giant, lie was 
 the confidant and riuht-hand man of Dr. Fleminu' duriiiir all 
 his troubles and contests for religious liberty and ft)r the rights 
 of Catholics. He was the great crusader in the matter of 
 ensuring the observance of the sanctity of the Sunday i the 
 l)utting an end to "Sunday work,"' which was then exacted 
 from Catholics by their tyrannical miircantile masters, a 
 struggle w hich lasted tive years ; the toning up of Catholic 
 tV'cling on the matter of attending Protestant functions; in 
 the allairof the dismissal of .ludge Ijoulton for partiality and 
 reliuit)us bias. In all the political elections for manv vears, 
 the name of Father Troy was respected and feared. He was 
 a veritable iiiaUeits lieretkorHm, and yet, withal, he was a 
 man of the gentlest disposition when not aroused by religious 
 zeal, and was beloved even !)y those who feared him. A m:ui 
 of this uncompromising character was sure, however, to make 
 enemies among those for whose abuses and tei)idity he had 
 no mercy. Hence a party among the Catholics of the time 
 formed themselves into a sort of l(>ague in opposition to Dr. 
 Fleming and Fr. Troy. These were the rei)resentatives of 
 the men who followed the more conciliatory system ap[)rove(l 
 of by Dr. Scallan, but against wliiiih Dr. Fleming, from the 
 very outsi't, waged unrelenting war. These troulilous times 
 liave now passed away, and not even a vestige of these fac- 
 tions remains, and it would be im[)rud('nt to recall them to 
 memory. We shall, therefore, pass them over with this 
 mere mention, as a history of the Church in' Newfoundland 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 265 
 
 I 
 
 would 1)0 incomplete if it oinittetl all allusion to an organiza- 
 tion wliiih played sueli an important i)art in it. Dr. Flem- 
 ing, in his letter to Propaganda, speaks of Father Troy as 
 "a jni.ssionary than whom this country has never seen one 
 more zealous, or more ardently devoted to the duties of his 
 sacred calling." Nevertheless, the party of oi)position left 
 no means mitried to have him removed from tlu( country. 
 They sent a list of complaints against him and the liishop 
 to the .Secretary of Slate fpr the Colonics. They, by false 
 representations, secured the intluence of "high ecclesiastical 
 dignitaries '' in London, and at length succeeded in gaining 
 the ear of tiie authorities at Rome, where this venerablo 
 clergyman was maligned as "the turbulent priest Troy," 
 and the I)isho|) was ordered to remove him from the Island.' 
 Not willing to disobey so peremi)tory a connnand, but, at 
 the same time, knowing that it oidy required the mere state- 
 ment of the truth at Koine to have the censure removed, 
 Dr. Fleming, by a i)rudent subterfuge, removed Father Troy 
 from the Island of Newfoundland by placing him on the 
 Island of J/crdc/i/'eii, in I'laci-ntia J>ay. Here he ( iirried on 
 the work of the Mission, and built a church and I'resbylery. 
 From this he was subse(|uently removed to Torbay, where 
 he remained till his di'ath, in 1(^72. If wc are to judge of 
 the missioner by the result of his labors, wi' nuist look u|)ou 
 Father Troy as a truly apostolic man. He built the churches 
 at I'ortugal Vo\o and Torbay, bringing the nails in bags 
 ui)on his back from St. .John's, a distance of eight or ten 
 miles, and at a time when tlu re were no roads. He replaced 
 the old wood(Mi chapel of Torbay l)y the splendid stone edi- 
 lice now (>.\is»ing, ami in the spiritual life his coiKpiests were 
 
 ' It was litil iiiorcly tlii' ii'iiioviilof Fiitlicr Troy, but of the Hishnp hiimclf, tliiit was 
 soiifrlil ; mill .so far did tlu' iii;iiliiiiiitioiis go, tliat it is said tliat tlio Austrian Minister at 
 Honii' was dircclcil or rt'i|m'^li'cl by tlio Ibilisl. 'ovi-riunont, at thi; insianco of tlio 
 t'oionial OHico in London, to cniU'avor to |Md<Mirf llio rcnioval of tiiu lii-liop from 
 Ni'wI'oiindland. Tbc nncia^in;;' diatiMbi's a^iainsl him ap|icaiinLr ilaily in the press of 
 Nc'wtoinidhind lie treated willi silent eontempl, bnt thi! eliar^ics bron^'ht aiiainst liini 
 in lionie, and injndieionsly I'orwardeil by liie N'iear Apostolie of London, were most 
 eallin;; to a man who was in reality saerifieinj; himself in the interests of religion, 
 and he euninients bitterly on it in bis "Ii'e/aiione." 
 
266 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IllSTOllY 
 
 not less numerous. lie converted to the Catholic fold almost 
 the entire district of Torbay. So it might he said of him, 
 as we read of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Bishop of Neo- 
 cjesanva. This holy Bishop asking, on his death-bed, how 
 many infidels were left in the city, was answered, " Seven- 
 teen." — " Only so many," he replied, giving thanks to God, 
 "were there of the faithful when I came first." 
 
 Seco)id. Among these missionaries was the Rev. Pela- 
 gius Nowliin, who ciime out in flie year 1(S81. He was 
 placed at Little Placentia, where he remained during his 
 long missionary career of nearly forty years. He died in 
 1871, aged eighty years. Dr. Fleming, iu his account of 
 his visitation of l<So2, says : "On Monday, 23d (of August) 
 we got into Little Placentia, . . . where we 
 had the pleasure of meeting the Kev. Mr. Xowlan, who had 
 been lately ai)p()inted to that district, and it aflbrdiMl me the 
 sincerest satisfaction to find that both here and iu (Jreat Pla- 
 centia his congregation were loud in praise of his exertions 
 to afford them the comforts of religion." 
 
 Third. Fr. Charles Dalton, O.vS.F. He was placed in 
 Harbor Grace, where he labored tor thirty years, till 18(51. 
 The old wooden chapel, with a tower one hundred fe(!t high, 
 erected I>y Fr. Yore, was pulled down, and a new one of 
 stone erected by Fr. Dalton, who also built the jnx'sbytery. 
 The present cathedral is formed of this church, with the addi- 
 tion of apse, transepts, and dome, erected under the episco- 
 pacy of Dr. Dalton, first Bishop of Ilarbcn- (trace, nephew of 
 Fr. Charles Dalton. The work of completion advanced l)ut 
 slowly under the troubled episcopacy of Dr. Carfagnini, but 
 was speedily jjushed on by the present energetic Bishop, Dr. 
 McDonald, who had a solemn o[)ening of the building in 
 1885. Fr. DiiltoM also erected the church in Carbineers'. 
 
 Fourth. Fr. Keillv, who did not remain long on the ^lis- 
 sion. He died in Ireland. 
 
 Fifth. Fr. Edward Murphy, who died in St. John's the 
 following year, 18o2. 
 
 Sixtli. Fr. Michael Berney, who survived until the pres- 
 
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OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 267 
 
 ent year (188')). lie died at Burin. During the past twenty 
 years he had done no aetivc duty, having been paralyzed in 
 the riglit side, the result of exposure to severe and wet 
 weather during his missionary tours. Lest there might be 
 any dissatisfaction among the clergy at the division of tiieir 
 parishes, lie began by showing the good example in his own 
 district. He separated Bay Bulls, and placed there the young 
 pi'iest, Fr. Patrick Cleary, who had come out in 1S21), and 
 who had been placed first at King's Cove, as curate to Fr. 
 Devereux. 
 
 Fr. Cleary, of late years familiarly known as "The Dean," 
 was another of those noble men who have impressed their 
 names in the memory of more than one generation. To him 
 was vouchsafed that boon, not very usual, of eelel)ratiiiir the 
 "golden jubilee," or fiftieth year of priesthood, and during 
 that half-century, and more, he labored with untiring zeal 
 among his faitliful peoi)le. Though small of stature, he ^\as 
 a man of iron physi<jue and great strength of mind, and up 
 to a few years before his death he vied in activity and energy 
 with the youngest curate in the country. To his zeal and 
 noble j)riest]y virtues, the parish of Bay Bulls, or Whittles' 
 Bay, owes it that it may be classed as the most thoroughly 
 Catholic district in the Island. To him it owes all that it 
 possesses of advantage, both temporal and spiritual, — not 
 only schools, convents, and churches, but also the finest 
 roads and bridges, wharves, etc., in all Newfoundland. In 
 those days it was not enough that a priest should look to the 
 spiritual advancement of his ix'ople, but on him also devolved, 
 in a ii'rrat measure, the administration of all (iovernment 
 grants, and everything concerning the teni[)oral welfare of 
 the peoi)le.' 
 
 1 One of the parisliioncr*, laiuciitiiif; Uic dcatli of the jrood old Deiiii, was hearil to 
 lemiivk, " A'!(l why shouUhi'l wi: miss hiui ? Sure, he Imrned us, au' christened us, 
 an' uiai rid us, an' herrid us all, fur de last lifty years ! " 
 
 The Deau died on the 21st Oetoher, IHH'i, in the fifty-third year of his pii<'stliood, 
 ;vnd the eijihly-scvonth of his a;j:e, after a noble and virtuous life. He was horn in 
 Wexford, in tlie parisli of Bannon, in the year 17i'0. He made his preparatory studies 
 
 ■ ! 
 
 
208 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 IVsidos lliiis c'lirtailiiiir (he district ot" St, John's l)y sop- 
 iii'iitiiiif tVoiii it tlu* portion wiiii-li ho t-alls Uay liiiUs (nnd 
 which was afterwards called Whittles' liay, as the Dean made 
 that harbor his place of residence), Dr. Fleniiuir k»'pt three 
 cnrates in the palace with himself to do the work of St. 
 John's, which still included Torhay, Ponch Cove, I'ortn- 
 ual {'()vc>, Topsail, and I'etty IIarl)or. llarhor (Irace was 
 divided, for the [jresent, into two districts, with live priests; 
 and ho declares his intention, on his retnrn from Ireland 
 (18;{7), to further sulxlivide it into five. Ferryland was 
 also divided ; one priest heiiiir resident at Fermenso. 'i'his 
 arranii'ement has contiinied until the i)resent day, with the 
 exce[)tion that the present eneru'etic incumbent, Kev. fFohn 
 AValsh, has removed the ri'sidence to Kogneuse, where he 
 has erected an eletiant church, convent, jjarochial house, and 
 schools, all situated on an elevated sitc^ above the pictures(]iie 
 village, and forminii" <iuite an imijosing grouj) of ecclesias- 
 tical buildings. 
 
 Two additional ])ri('sts were sent to Placentia. making the 
 whole stalf consist of three, which, however, he declaivs by 
 no means sutiicient for so vast a district, embracing more 
 than three huiulred miles of coast ; but the poverty of the 
 people, "a po[)ulation of over four thousand, scattered along 
 tlu! shore in coves and harbors," would not j)ennit him to 
 iiu'rt'ase the luunber ; and, linally, an additional priest was 
 placed at King's Cove. This gives a total of sixteen priests, 
 
 in his iiiiliv<' coiintiT, mill coiupli'tcd liis tliooloiiiciil cniii'-ii" :it tluM'iillcfi'c (iC liirclitii'ld. 
 llo was orilaiin-'d in tlio C'atlicilral of Ijiiii^curihy liy Dr. Kcaliii;;, llj^liopul' I'oiiis, on 
 Easter Sunday, 1829, just six days bei'orp tlio ;;ainin;; ol' Emancipation. Ho came out 
 to Xewfoundland tlio followin;; summer. After scrvin;^ some time as curate in St. 
 .John's, In; was sent to Ivinir's Cove. lie told many amusin;f and interostin<r anec- 
 dotes, sliowinji llio wild state of the nortliein missions at thai time. It was cnsloin- 
 ary for clerks, captains of sliips, or any one sujiposed to lio possessed of some hiniin' 
 to 1)0 aslied to perform the marriage ceremony. There was a (piile notorious func- 
 tionary of this sort, lie had heen a hedj;e seliool-maslcr in Ireland, and, in conse- 
 (piencc of his reputed knowledffo of Latin, was in hvqoX demand. ( )n lioiufi' (inestionod 
 hy the Dean as to how ho perl'Muieil the nuptial service, he answered : " Well, ycr 
 reverence, I ;iivo 'cm all the Latin 1 have, an' that's the A' J'mfiiii(/i,i " .' 
 
 The Dean's faitliful successors, Ucvs. X. IJoche and M. O'Driscoll, have creitcil to 
 his memory, in Whittles' Hay, an eleyant munuinent in the form of a Keltic cross, of 
 Irish uranitc. 
 
 Tt 
 
01-' NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 269 
 
 l»L'f.i(l('s tlio i}isli()|). lUit Iho " Jieluzione " from which those 
 IKirticulars arc takcu was written in 18;J7. 
 
 Dr. Flcniinu:, on the occasion of his visit to Ireland in 
 l.SIU), to procnrc priests, went over to London and |)rescnted 
 a nieniorial to His Ahiji'sty's Government on the sul>jcct of 
 Catholii eniani'ii)ation as concernin;^' Newfoundland, ^^'e 
 have ah'cady mentioned that the autlioritios in Newfoundland 
 not oidy i)rosumed that the penal laws of Ireland applied to 
 this colony, but, even with stranjLTe perverseness, refusi'd to 
 acknowledirc that the eU'eets of the Catholic emancipation, 
 •rained the priivious year by O'Connell, slmuld l>e extended 
 to this country. 
 
 I)r. Fleminu's memorial was graciously received, and he 
 obtained iin order by which it was declared that f/ic jienal 
 hiirs (lid not (ijferl Ni'n-foundhi iid. This ))ro()f of the grow- 
 inir iiilhicnce of the Catholic Bishop filled his fanatic o})i)o- 
 nents with alarm. 
 
 That Dr. Flcminu' took an at'tive interest in the <rreat 
 struirgle of the Irish people for reliiiious freedom, under 
 O'Connell, would be only natural to suppose. That he 
 would be abit', in any practical way, to help on the move- 
 ment, we might not, i)eilia[)s, expect, considering the \w\- 
 erty of his Mission, and the great works he had undertaken ; 
 vet the draft of a letter still extant shows that even out of 
 the richness of his poverty he was able, with the "subscri|)- 
 tions of a IV'W Irishmen, and friends of Irishmen, in this 
 transatlantic colony," to forward to the "O'Connell trib- 
 ute" the very respectable sum of £117 sterling. 
 
 In anotlu'r lett(>r, without dat(^ or address, iie speaks of the 
 O'Connell tribute as "a sacred fund, consecrated by Irishmen 
 to national gratitude." and says that every year since its 
 institution he fell increased satisfaction at contributing his 
 mite towai'ds it. "as a small testiujony of my estimation 
 of the great advantages won for my country l)y Mr. O'Connell, 
 and of his extraordinaiy sacrilices iu her cause, and his un- 
 remitting exertions to ameliorate the condition of her ])eo]ile." 
 He then goes on to complain that while Ireland enjoys tran- 
 
 i! 
 
 Ill 
 
270 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 quillity, in NcwfomuUiiiul it is (|iiit(' tlio vovorso, "tlir()U<;h 
 some uii:icc'oimtal>l(' Mini l»lii:liliiiir iiillticnci'."' IIo asks to 
 have his iiaiiio enrolled anionji; " my ohl and eherished tViends, 
 tile exeellent people of Carriek-on-Snir, and at the same time 
 to i)laee thereon the names of several of the elerjrymen who 
 desire to parlicijiate in the pleasure of thus expressin<j^ their 
 respect and attachment to the father of his conntry and tin; 
 friend of mankind, ^^r. O'C'onnell." They add their sub- 
 scriptions to his. " Several jientlemen, also, havinjj: heard 1 
 was about to send money to the fund, have reciuested of me to 
 add t heir names, — a I'ccjuest it <;i ves me <rreat pleasure to eom- 
 \)\y with. Amon<rst them you will find several mend;ers of 
 our TiCijislature and some of our most respectr.ble citizens." 
 
 Thus we see connnenced that continued stream of licnerous 
 assistance, sent forth almost each succeedin<jr ^ear I>y the 
 children of Ireland in the \ew World, to their fathers and 
 friends in the old land. In all their times of hardship, trial, 
 and need, and in their lon<;-contimu'd struirjrle for national 
 freedom (which now seems about to dawn on them), New- 
 foundland, as we shall see, has never been backward in this 
 noble work, ^^'henever a call has be(;n made upon her, 
 whether to relieve distress, to help on the struirii:le for eman- 
 cipation and freedom, or for the buildin<; of churches and 
 schools, even down to the latest movement, "the J'arneli 
 fund," her children have ever been ready, with hand and 
 purse, to help the land of their forefathers, in love and ven- 
 eration, for which they yield not to any nation that has been 
 planted b\' her emiirrant sons across the seas. 
 
 I'he uncomi)r()misiiig severity with which Dr. Fleming 
 treated tepidity or laxiuiss amonj; Catholics, as well as the 
 determined opi)osition ho showed to their temporizing with 
 those outside the Church in all religious or sacred services, 
 might i)ossil)ly be thought by some to proceed from fanatii-ism 
 or sectj>.ian bigotry. But read in the light thrown upon his 
 character, by his acts of noble generosity, such a judgment 
 cannot be justly formed. On the contrary, that untlinching 
 conservatism must be admitted to spring from the highest 
 
 ^L 
 
OF NEWFOINDLAN'I). 
 
 271 
 
 H(>ns<> of honor and reli<;ious principle, and camiot l)ut com- 
 mand respect and admiration evcMi from those who ditl'cr from 
 him in ail religious views. While ho despised the Catholic 
 who, thronjih a crin<rin<i^ de>ir(> to please his Protestant 
 friends, placed his reli^iions principles underfoot; on the 
 other hand, he had a sincere respect and feeling of friendshi[) 
 for the honest professor of a rcli«:i()u.s creed different iVom 
 his own. This was shown in a most remarkal)lc manner hy 
 the fact which wo ln^ro relate. IIavin<; piined for his own 
 tlock, after a hard tiu'ht, the iuion of reliii'ious lii)erty, he did 
 not then remain quiet on his oars. His senses of liiir play 
 and justice would not j)ermit him to do so while any of his 
 fellow-Christians were sullerinj; under injustice;. 
 
 I'p to this time the Church of Kn«,dand in Newfoundland 
 had assmned to itself, thouiih without any legal authority, all 
 the rights of a domineering estahlishment. As already re- 
 marked, a most unjust tax was extorted from the Roman 
 Catholics on occasions of births, marriag(>s, and fimerals. 
 Rut a tyranny of a. still more galling kind was exercised 
 against all ditisentlnijhodk'fi, inasnmch as they were altogether 
 dei)rived (even by jjaying a tax) of the right to perform their 
 own religious ceremonies. 
 
 Dr. Fleming, seeding the very great injustice of this law, 
 drew up a j)etition on this subject, and had it j)resenled by 
 Mr. John Kent, in the very tirst session of our newly-ac(iuired 
 local Legislature, on Wednesday, Jan. oO, 1833, which 
 had the desired etlect. Ilence to this strong-minded Prelate, 
 who was accused by some of bigotry, l)ccausc he strenuously 
 forbade his own tlock attending Protestant worship, the Wes- 
 leyan body owe the status and recognition which they to-day 
 enjoy in Newfoundland. It is ditlicult to get nuMi of the 
 world's way of thinking to see the correctness and truth of 
 the princii)les of the Catholic Churcii, which, while she allows 
 and desires j)erfect liberty for all those outside her fold, will 
 sutfer no tampering on the part of her own children with tli(5 
 sacred deposit of Faith, of which she is the divinely-appointed 
 ijuardian. 
 
 % 
 
 
 a; 
 
T 
 
 272 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIJY 
 
 Till' petition, thoiiijh lon<;tliy, I pi-odtico horo, ns it in ouo. 
 of tlic noMcst (locimionts to lio t'ound in the iiiuials of our 
 history, .'iiid will viiidicato for all time to conu! tlio cliaractor 
 «>f this {jrcat Piclatc, and <j:ain for his nicniorv a tril)uto ot 
 rt'spoct from all classes and denominations of citizens : — 
 
 "A petition from the Riirht Reverend ^liehael Anthony 
 Fleminir, D.I)., prelate of tlu! Catholic connnunion of N'(>\v- 
 foundland, was presented hy Mr. Kent, and read, settinj^ 
 forth — 
 
 "That the petitioner humltly l)(\<rs leave to solicit in the 
 most respectful manner the favorable attention of the House 
 to the painful condition to which a larire and resj)eetahl(( por- 
 tion of fellow-Christians, the Dissenters of this countiy, are 
 suhjecled hy a clause respectinjr the celebration of marriaires, 
 as contained in an act intituled, 'An act to rei)eal an act to 
 reiiulale the ceU'bration of marriaires iu Newfoundland,' which 
 compels the Dissenters of this country to solemni/.e their mar- 
 riajics accordiiiL^ to the ceremonies of anotiu'r Church, and by 
 a eler^fvman of a dill'erent establishment. 
 
 "That the petitioner, while hedisdaims any idea of dictatinj; 
 to the House, hopes that it will not be (U'emed i)resumj)tuous 
 in him to ex|)ress his (h'cided opinion 'that a conciliatory 
 system of policy towards all classes of people is, under 
 Providence, the best and surest sujjport of every i^overmnent, 
 and that in a free government, like our own, nothinif but a 
 necessary retrard to the safety of the Constitution can justify 
 the enactment of any hiws of a restrictive nature, especial!}' 
 on matters of rcliuion.' Wherefore, when the loyal, peace- 
 aide, and pious deportment of the Dissenters of this country 
 is constantly demonstrated, the jjetitioner relies with conli- 
 dence on the justice and lil)erality of the House, that 
 the unmerited stiirma which has been iini)ressed on so 
 meritorious a body hy so umiecessary a law will be re- 
 moved. 
 
 " Vour [x'titioner humbly submits that, with respect to mar- 
 
 ^1. 
 
'iTITlllliHI 
 
 T 
 
 OF NKWEOUNDLAND. 
 
 27;5 
 
 u> ► 
 
 ri!i<ro (unless as a civil coiitracl), the Slato should liavo no 
 couccru, as each rciiiiious sect ou<>lit to I)c left as fully at 
 lilxTty to reifulatc tlio rcliirious ccrciuonics attendant on niai'- 
 via^'e as any other part of their ceremonies, as tliei-e can he 
 no more icason for coinpeliinij: a man to l»o Jnarried hv a 
 clerayiiian of an opjiosite church than for compellinuf him lo 
 ))articipate in the ordinai'y servicer of that church evei-y 
 Sunday. 
 
 "Wherefore tli ^)etitioner considers that the parties, I)ein<r 
 of Dissenters, or any reliii'ioiiisls seekinir lo he married, and 
 who ])rofoss conscientious molives, j)rinciples, ami riles in 
 oI»jeclion of those practised and performed in the I'>pisco- 
 l)al, or any other church, ouiilit not to he forced lo violale 
 their conscience ; and that to force Ihcm, under pains and 
 penalties, to l'o throuiili a ceremony forei<ni to their mind is 
 unjust, unchristian, and intolerant, and in direct violation of 
 the fundamental principles of the Constitution. 
 
 " The petitioner lays this view of the case l)ef()re the consid- 
 eration of the House, and also heirs, in the most respccll'ul 
 manner, to say that lu^ would consider it a rctlection on tiu' 
 int(dlect and «rood feeling hy which the present enliiiiilened 
 aire is distinixuished were such a law sullei'ed louijer to exist, 
 — a law which every enliiihtened man ahhors. 
 
 "That the petitioner, deeply impressed with these s(Miti- 
 ments, and sensi])le, from experience, of the irriev;mcc of 
 heinu' deharrcd tin; hlcssiiiiis of civil and '■eliiiioiis liitcrty, 
 should deem himself nnworlh}' of that freedom which, thanks 
 to a wise, paternal government, he now enjoys, could he for 
 a moment he insensihie to the hai'dships of his dissenting 
 hrethren, or hesitate to seek, hy every constitutional means, 
 the same share of liherty for Ihem. Tin; ])cliti()ner, there- 
 fore, hunihly entreats that il will please; the House in the 
 connnencement of its important lahors to re[)eal this unchris- 
 tian and unwise hiw, and to extend to the Dissenters ami 
 Methodists of this Island the privilege of soUnnni/ing mar- 
 riages in their own church, and hy a clergyman of their own 
 cstahlishmcnt, — a measure which will conciliate the affections 
 
274 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 li 
 
 jiiid gi'iititudo of so extensive and respcctahle a portion of 
 His Majesty's subjects, and also, by an e(iual participation 
 of reliirious as well as civil liberty, etl'ectually consolidate, 
 in one connnon sentiment of warm, unqualitied attachment 
 to the new institution of this country, all classes of Chris- 
 tians." 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANl). 
 
 275 
 
 CIIAPTKll XXTT. 
 
 THE riJKSKNTA'nox xrxs. - [is^n.] 
 
 Tlic rro«ont;ilion Xuns— MoIIut Mimdnlcii's Xiinntive — .Tdunicy to Dublin — 
 Wiitcrtoril — N'oyajri! to NfwI'ciiiiulliinil -- <>]iciiiML' nf :iic ScIhihN - - 'I'lic I'ros- 
 mtiilion ('(iiivci.i —"Till! I'iri' cifKi" — Coiivciit 1 )csirinc'il — New Con vent uiiil 
 SclionN llicclcd — I"ir>t lli li-ioiis Itccciition — .Iiibik'o, 18;i;3-;U -Oilier Convcut- 
 iiiil i;-l:il'li~liiiifiits ill Aiiicrica. 
 
 nA\'IX(i. in llic short s|);ic(M)I" tlircc yciirs, ])l;u'('(l tlu* Mis- 
 sion ill :i st.-itc ol' in.'irkcd iniprovcnuMit .'nid ;i<l\ .•incciiicnt, 
 liavinii: iiinro ihaii doubled the unmltci' of cdcriryiiUMi, and 
 provided a |)a>t()i" for ovcry ])Im('(' wlicro one could 1)(» at all 
 supported, so that, although the nuiul)er \vas not yet by any 
 nieiins adet|uat(! to th(> fast inereasiuix population. y<>t there 
 was not Icl't any settlement, however small, which would not 
 have the ai'dently desired blessiuii' of a \ isit from the priest 
 at least once in the year, llavini:' accomplished all this u,'ri':it 
 work of ori^aiii/.ation in such an incredibly short s[)ac(> of 
 time, this zealous Predate now ])repared to set aliout the 
 a('C()ni[)li>hment of what may be considereil an eijually 
 important obje(.'t, if not more so, namely, tlu* foundation 
 of a convent and the inti'oduction of a I'onimuiiity of I'l-esen- 
 liilion nuns. 'I'his undcrlakiuii' nmst certainly be looked 
 upon as the li'i'oatest work of his iilorious episco|)ate, for 
 ihouiih the building" (»f llic cathedral was a mighty and noble 
 act, and one which strikes the eye mor(> immediately, still 
 liic buildiiiii" up of the moral temple in the souls of his faith- 
 ful children mii>t I'aiik as a holierand noliler woi'k before \\u\ 
 (yes ot'(iod, ihouiih not so prominent to those of the world. 
 There can be no doubt tlia.t Dr. Flemin;^" himself also thought 
 this the crowninii' work of his episcopacy, and that he had 
 pon(lere(l loni;- and sei'iously u[)on it even iVoni tlu' very 
 luonient of liis elevation, and he frequently w rites of it in 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 

 270 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 his letters. Thus, in 1 is letters to Dr. O'Coniiell, P.P., St. 
 MieliMel's and St. John's, Dublin, after descrihini; the state 
 of education in mixed schools, he continues : — 
 
 II i 
 
 "Such was the state of thinixs at the period of my acces- 
 sion to the \'icariatc, and, imj)ressed with the strong teelinus 
 of the inii)()rtancc of sununoninir to our aid a proix-r system 
 of reliiiioiis education for niv eonixrcufal ion as tar as niv 
 means, liii'ally contracted and overcharii'ed as they were, 
 would allow, I felt the necessity of withdrawinu' female chil- 
 dren from under the tutelajre of men, from the danu'crous 
 associations which ordinaiy school intercourse with the other 
 sex naturally exhibited ; for whatevei' care coidd he a|)[)lic(l 
 to the culture of female children in mixed schools, Ihey nmst 
 lose nmch of liiat delicacy of feeiin<>' and relinenKMit of sen- 
 timent which form tl:e ornament and u'race »)f their sex. 
 Besides, viewinii' the «>reat intluenci! that females exercise 
 over the moral character of socii^ty, — the <:i'cat and useful 
 and necessary intluence that th(^ example and th(> conversa- 
 tion of the mother has in the formation of the character of 
 her children, as well male as female, — 1 Judiicd it of essen- 
 tial imjiortance to lix the character of the female ])ortion of 
 our conununity in virtue and innocence, by training!' them in 
 particular in the wavs af inte<rritv and moralitv ; bv aH'ordiu"' 
 thenj tlu! very best opiiortunities of havinu; their reliuious 
 principles wi il Ii\ed ; by impartinii" to them, while their 
 youuii: minds were dailv receiviiiii the elenumts of a ":cneral 
 and useful education, a course of religious instruction that 
 should teach them the true value and the proi)er use of those 
 mental treasures by which they were bein*;' enrich(>d ; for I 
 felt that which all nmst feel, namely, that when once the 
 futuie mothers arc imi)ressed with the truths of religion, 
 once they are solidly instructed in the divine pri'cepts of the 
 (lospel, once their younic minds are enlari^'cd and enlight- 
 ened and strenii'thcned by educational knowledti'e, — the 
 domestic; lireside is innnediately made the most ))owerful 
 auxiliary to the school, and instruction an;l true education, 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 277 
 
 tho l)a.sis of wliicli is virtue and rcliiiion, are instilled into 
 the lilllo ones at their niotlier's i^nee, and they tjo abroad, by 
 and by, into school, or inlo soeiely, with all the elements that 
 tit them to 1)ecom(i virtuous citizens. 
 
 "These feelini^s and opinions wen; the motives that led 
 mc to consider tho ostaI)lishment of a Presentation convent 
 essential to the permanent success of tlu; ^lission." 
 
 Airain, in h's " Itch izi one''' to Propairanda, he dwells 
 warmly upon this subject, and jjarlicularly on the state of 
 society at the time, which rendered il of |)aramount necessity 
 that a complete separation of the sexes should be observed 
 in the schools. ' The Ixtys," he says, " at a very tender ai>(! 
 are employed in some way or other about the fishery, in 
 order to earn as much as will support themselves anc' render 
 them almost altoii'cther indei)endent of their parents The 
 conseciuence is, that, free from every domestic restraint, they 
 are much ex})osed to tlu; temptation Ot drink nini, ir/iich, 
 accovduKj to ciisfoni, is scrvca out to tlieni ri'fiidarh/ three times 
 addi/.'^ Things beiui:' so, and beiuir animated with thes(^ 
 sentiments, . . . not • ithstandin^- the subdivision of 
 my district, and the conseciuent diminution of my income; 
 notwithstanding the ditliculty of sustaininii' three priests in 
 n district so narrowed ; notwithstandini:" the jrreat expense I 
 underwent in bringini:; out so many ])riests ; notwithstand- 
 iuii", 1 say, all this, conlidint; in the benevolence of my peo- 
 })le, and still more in tlu^ i)rovidence ot" that (iod who takes 
 care of the welfare of his own little ones, T took my deter- 
 mination of introdueini^ a convent of Presentation nuu.^, 
 and au'ain, in l^'.VA, I crossed the Atlantic and secured a 
 small connnunity of that Order, to ct)me out to educate our 
 poor little girls." 
 
 ' Tills cxti'iiorilinnry ciistom — ii remnant, no douht, ol" the times of the ohl fishing 
 aihnu'iils, who serveil out the '^voa ui'cov(lin;f to iiiiviil iv^fiihitioiis — was in vo;,'ue until 
 very hito j-ears on most of our larffe mercanlile premises, ami is to tlie present t\ny 
 eontiimeil on some of tlie o((l Kn^rlisli and Jersey houses. Kvory "hand," boy or 
 man, liad iiis brown jii!,', with yellow stripe ronnd tho middle, ealled " a yallow-belly," 
 and when the time for the " mornin'," the "eleven o'cloeker," and the "eveiiin"' 
 arrived he approaelied the rnm-ptinehcon, and, drawin" 'ho spile, filled his "yallow- 
 belly." 
 
j 
 
 278 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IHSTORY 
 
 Dn'ollinuT auiiin on this subjoct, in Iiis IctUr to Dr. Sprnlt 
 ho sMVs : " ^'ou will s.'iy, jx'i'lKips, tliiit with nil Uu'so 
 (Mnbarnissnicnts IIkm'c ■\v;is sonic (IciiTcc of imprudence in 
 clmririiiiT niyseir with tlui support ot" sin cstublislinient so 
 wciiihtv. To this 1 ciui only reply, tliiit so slroniily was I 
 impressed with Its noccs.-rity, thiit thert: is no sMcrilic(> that 
 I would not make ior its acfomplishmcnt and to cMisurc its 
 alaltility. I did lay asid(> many comforts that I had Ixmmi 
 accustomed to. I was ohliii'cd to reduce the nund)er of my 
 iscrvants, and to content myself with the service of one n'cneral 
 iiervant and a hoy, and to retrench at tal)li? to such a deiirce 
 as to sidtjet't myself to the charp' of i)arsimony. I had here- 
 tofore lieeu aliie to keep a pair of ijood horses, and what we 
 ]iei'(> call a ' carriaj>v.' I am now forced to surrender the 
 latter, and liuiit mv Ktii<l to a sin::ie horse." 
 
 The history ol" the establishment of the l'r(>sentation mnis 
 in NewfoimdliUid has been very fidly reproduced in the ex- 
 cellent " Life of Naiio Naiile," by \\v\ . Dr. Hutch, of Cloync.' 
 The items in Dr. Hutch's account are taken chielly from an 
 ai'ficlc by the present writer pul)lisln'd in one of the local 
 
 ' Tlu' Iriinuil iiiilliiir <U'votcs the jrrcMtci' imriioii of a cli!i|)lpv to tlic c-*l!il)lisliiii('iit 
 and .spiviul ni' ihc Onk'i- in Xowioiiiiilliiinl. lie will, liout'vcr, it is to lio Imped, 
 foi'rifivc !iii :uilint son of 'JV-rni-XoVii for soltiiij;' liiiii i'ii;lit in one >l;i'Piiit'nl, nol 
 liioi;riii)hi(';d, Iml ^r('ourii|)liic:il. Tlic Itcv. 1 )r. Iliitcli lur-i-is in the vciy (•oininoii 
 but oft-coiTccti'd I'l'foi- of spi'akinu: of Xcwfoundliind ii-i u pl:ice in the " f:ir iioi-tli." 
 A\'i' can, of ciMii'sc, in;d<c >-onu' idlowiince for the pocticiil lici'n^e taUcn in llic inrfaee, 
 wliiMV tlin iu'('i's>itii's <if iin elcL'iint antithc-i-i inako liiin speak of the '• i-lands of tlic" 
 sonlliern seas, where llie ovanue ;;i'oves perfiinie the air of An-tralia, and the tropie 
 sun hiirn^ lip the soil of 1 ndia, . . . a< Well as in the lai' north, wlier' a mantle of 
 almost perpelnal sikpw covers the hills and fore-l> of N'ewfonndiand.'' 'I'he heanly 
 of the picture lielps ns to eomloiie the inaccuracy of the ^lalinient. lint, llnii, in the 
 calinei' moments of plain, simple narrative (|). o(l."i) he spi'aks of Newfoundlanders as 
 "the hardy fishermen id" tlu^ north." 1 Iiclt to inform the I'ev. Dr. llntch, I'irstly, 
 that Ncwfouiidlanil is not covered willi an "ahno-t |ierpctual mantle of snow." The 
 snow-mantle u'cncrally endures about four months out of the twelve. Secondly, 
 instead <d' heiriL; iu the " far north," a ^:lanee at the map will show him that she is 
 actually alMuil ;i(H) miles nearer to the c(puit(U' than himself. 'J'lic latitude of I'ernioy, 
 Ireland (v/hence Dr. Ilulch writes), is ii little more than ."ii° X., while St. .loliu's, 
 Newfoun<llanil, is cnily -IT'/V X., a dilfcrence of more than I'.', decrees, (U' ahout 27.") 
 miles. In fael, we are situated evaclly iu the latitude (d' X'ersaillcx, and the most 
 northerly poitiou uf Xewfonni.lhuul is farther south than the must southerly point ol 
 Inland. 
 
OF ^'E\VF0L•^■1)LANI). 
 
 2VJ 
 
 newspapers, on the f uhject of llie Golden Jubilees of brother 
 Miiuditlcn, which wis eeleltrated in St. John's on the (Jth of 
 Deceniher, 1N7;). Smee that time another din-ach.! of years 
 has been told otf on Time's rosaiT, and the vcncraltle 
 Mother Ma_<r<hden siill survives, and had tlie honor ofwit- 
 nessinii' another jnhik'e, namely, that of her arrival, fifty 
 years a<:o, on the shori's o\' Xewfonndland. 
 
 There are many faets eoneerniiiii" the early history of the 
 Xewfonndland foundation which are not ii'lven by Mr. Hutch, 
 us they have never appeared in j)rint, but which will mo.-t 
 appr(/i)riatel3' find a ))lace in this History. They have been 
 taken principally from the v/'ra voce ti'stimony of ?Jother 
 Maifdalen. This veneral)le lady is still in stronu' and hearty 
 health, and though for some years past (lei)rived of si<.dit, 
 yet is in full i)ossession of all her mental faculties. 8he is 
 a liviuii" exam[)Ie of a holy and virtuous life, t'ull of /,(>al and 
 bin'ninii' with the lire of divine love, so sti'onii' that the 
 proverbial riiiors of our climate, after " lifty years midst the 
 winter's snow and the sunmiei'"s i^low," have not l)een able 
 to (piench those buoyant life-si)rina"s. 
 
 Mother ]\[aii(lalcn U'Shauidmessy was born in (lalway, 
 on the li'thof November, ITIK). She is eonscipient ly ni)W 
 in hel' i>,")t]i year. She entered the Presentation convent in 
 that city in 1N21, and pronounced the solenui vows in \S2'.}, 
 beii'u- then in her I'lMli year. In \s:),\, the tenth year of her 
 reliii'ions prolession. she canni to Xewfonndland. The con- 
 vent in (lalway was, accordini:' to her ret'oUeetion, a tine 
 building', situatctl a little outsiile the town. Tlie connmmity 
 consisted of ihirty.-three t-isters. The Superioress, Kev. 
 Mother Mary dohii. was a mo>t estimal)le lady, then !M) years 
 old. She belonged to the family of llie I'owei's, of Silver- 
 stream, County \\'aterford. She had a brother in the East 
 Indies who was wvy wealthy, and who allowed h(!r a hand- 
 some annual income. 
 
 i- ;i 
 
 ■'I well remember." says Mothei' ^^a<J:dalcn, "the morninjr 
 of the 2".»th of dune, IS'.V.\. A clergyman ap[)i'are(l at tlu! eon- 
 
280 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOUY 
 
 vent irato carrying a carpot-hai:'. lie said he was an Ameri- 
 can li'slioj), and asked leave to celebrate jNIass. This was 
 the Kt. Kev. Dr. Fleniini;:, IJisho}) of Newlbundland. After 
 JNIass he asked to sec the schools. I was appointed to show 
 iiiin thi'ouiih. J was young and smart then, you know, like a 
 tiy. 1 explained everything. ] supj)ose I spoke a good deal. 
 lie was delighted with everything he saw, and seemed to take 
 a i)articular fancy to me. He s[)okc to me in the most fervent 
 tones of the desolation of his diocese. II(^ said, 'You must 
 come out with me to Xt'wfoundland. That is tlu^ only way 
 you can save yonr soul;' and much more to that elfect. I 
 told him I thought I could do no good hy myself. lie then 
 asked me if I would come jjrovidcd I could get some others 
 to accompany nu*, and I said I would. When we returned 
 to till! conmiunity-room he made his request to the Kev. 
 Mother. 
 
 " Kev. Mother called all the Sisters, and })laced the matter 
 betore them, hut left it entirely to their own choici'. Dr. 
 Fleming said : 'If you do not hke the place, I will land you 
 safe hack in this parlor again without a ixMuiy of expi'use 
 to the house' Four Sisters immediately consented to go, 
 namely, Si>ters M. Magdalen O'Shaughnessy, IJiM'nard Kir- 
 wan, M. Xaverius Lynch, and Xavici- .Molony. 
 
 "Dr. Fleming then went to obtain the consent of Dr. 
 Browne, Ilishop of (lalway, who was then away at the sea- 
 side, at a ]>lace named I^'nvilIe. Di'. llrowu immediately 
 consented, and the two IJishops cann' next morning to the 
 convent. luunediate preparations were made for our depart- 
 ure. The retreat was aiitieipati'd, and Dr. Fleming left for 
 Dublin to arrange about our passage out to the New World." 
 
 It nuist not l)e imagine(l that Dr. Fleming, in his enthu- 
 siasm, was so carried away as to forget the biisiuess portion 
 of his ])roject. A letter from Dublin, dated Adam and Kve's 
 Chapi'l-house (the Franciscan comnuniity on ^leirhants' 
 Quay, Dublin), July 17, l(S;5;],to the Mother Superior shows 
 how anxious he was to i)rovide for the [)roper maintenance 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 281 
 
 and rouifort of tliii nuns, and how, amidst a nmltiiudo of 
 Imsini's.s, and .I'niost ovcrwlielniing diflicullics, oven tho 
 .smallest dotail did not escape his att'-ntion. lie iirstexcuscs 
 himself for so h)n,i!,' a di'hy on account of the absence of Most 
 Kev. Dr. Murray from Dublin, then tho "pres.s of duties con- 
 nected with (he spiritual relreat and ordination of the joung 
 men who xolunleered Ibr the North Americiin mission,"' He 
 next states tiiat he had a long conversation with his Grace 
 on the suliject of the foundation in Newfoundland, and that 
 Di'. Murray " rejoices and thanks God with and for nii;." IIo 
 then enters on the question of means : "£l,r)()0 were lodged 
 in the f(Ui(ls by my predecessor for (he benefit of the Mission ; 
 this sum I intend shall l)e appropriated to that special pur- 
 l)()se." Dr. .Murray directed him as to the investment of the 
 money, and volunteered to become one of its trustees. "I 
 also stated to his Grace my pledge to you that 1 would build 
 a suitable dwelling-house and si-hool without any Infringe- 
 ment on this smn, and that 1 would guara iteo £1UU per 
 anmnn for tluMr supijort, which annuity shou d continue till 
 their own funds would be adcMpuite to ail tlu'ir donuistic 
 wants. l)Ut when I speak of £100, I nuist take li'ave to 
 obser\c that when I consider that these, my dearest sisters, 
 are to be my co()perators in (he works of I'cligion, in promot- 
 ing the gloiy of that bountiful Kcdeemer we are destined to 
 serve and adore, they may rest satislied that my most earnest 
 desii'e, my most strenuous exertions, will not be wanting (o 
 contribute not only (hat paltry sum, but all and everything 
 in my power to promote their ha))j)iness." He adds some 
 glowing words of encouragement to the Sisters, expressing 
 his confidence in (iod and in the generosity o" the good })eo- 
 ple of Newfoundland. "I have been greatly disappointed," 
 he continues, ''in the vessel I had intended to take passage 
 by. She arrived here on Saturday, and I find, on <'xainin- 
 ing her, that she is rather small to make comfortable acconi- 
 
 '1^: 
 
 ' Those " yoiiiiL,' men" wore five in iminln'r, and liiivc since ruifillinl tlipir hilpor and 
 p>ni' lo iTci'ivi' llii' I'l'Wiutl ol' till! t'ailliliil liiisliaMdnian. Tlioy wei'o the Kuvs. Jici'- 
 Uiird iiiul Jiimi's Dull'v, Mclvcnna, Ward, and ^\'ald^'on. 
 
282 
 
 ECCLKSFASTICAL UrSTOUY 
 
 inodalioii lV)r llie liu'iics. I i^o this cvcniiii; to Livci'ijool to 
 fciCL'k for :i <j:ood vessel, mid I e.v[)eet to return livre Iiy Mou- 
 ih\ 'veiiiiiif. I shall then know inon? nhout my movements. 
 I iiiu ill! anxiety to relnrn to (Jalwiiy. 3iy prayers, my 
 heart, my soul, are all employi'd in tlu> eau^e. 11" these dear 
 Sisters feel as I do, and unite with me in earnest in jtromot- 
 i\\<X tlH> cause of religion, I hope, in llu> uku'cv of (Jod, tiial 
 our Ial)ors w ill close hv an everlastiuir" I'ecomix'iise. 
 
 " S()licilin<; your prayers, and those of your commimity, I 
 beii" to .'^uhscriho myself, with the urealest I'ospect, your 
 much ohliiiod and devoted humhle servant, 
 
 + "MRIIAKL AXTIIOXY FLEMING. 
 
 The Itev. Mother re])Iied, iiivinn' formal consent that the 
 Sisters should jzo, l)ut stii)ulatini; that tlii-y should he sent 
 back should siu'h a coiu'si^ become necessary. 
 
 Tlu' follow inii' is a coi)v of the letter of liev. Motiier : — 
 
 " >ry DKAU Loiii), — T recei.cd your letter of the 17th, 
 which contains cverythiiiu' that vay greatest solicitude foi- the 
 ha])piuess of my (U'ar Sisters coulil desir(>, witii the excep- 
 tion of w hat I now meutiou, and to which 1 know your Lord- 
 ship will not oltject. It is that this conununity >liall have it 
 in their power to recall our Sistei's at any time after six 
 years. Should the convent at Newfoundland he then sulli- 
 clently establislu'd, or should the i)resent llatterinij ])r()spect 
 of pronu)tinii' tin; great end of our holy Institute, by coiiper- 
 ating in the instruction of the pooi* female chilureu iu St. 
 John's, )iof sKircad to'their satistactioii, or should they wish 
 to return for any othei' jjarticidar cause which they may dccui 
 neccssar;/, that, in that case, your Lordship would iia\e them 
 safely conducted back to tlu'ir convent iu (Jalway. I woidd 
 not have thought it necessary to insert this latter condition 
 only for the uncertainty of life ; for, if tlu. Lord spare you, 
 i'.s your Lord>hip has ])romised it, I leel eoulident you would 
 faithfully fidtil that promise. Though W(^ the Sisters ol this 
 conununity, deem it necessary to make this stij)ulution, those 
 
OF NrWt'OUXDLANl). 
 
 261] 
 
 Sisters wlio, uihIcm' your Lordship's protection, iiiid witii 
 (iod's assislaiu'c, nw midcrtakiiiu" this jwchioiis, luit iii'atil'y- 
 iiig task, unite with us iu hoi)in<:' that it may not Ix. iicix'ssary 
 to recur to any such expedient. With .sentiments of esteem 
 for and contidence in your Lonlship's j)aternal tenderness 
 and protection, I, willi th(! sanction of our irood liishop. Dr. 
 lirownc, I'esiiiii to your care our dear Sisters for the unvit 
 \V()i'l\, earnestly soliciting for tlieni a continuation of tlie 
 kind interest wiiii-h you now |)r()l'ess to take in their every 
 hai)piness. 1 trust tiiose Sisters will not disappoint your 
 most sanguine wishes, hut tiiat, t'aithfidly cooju'rating in 
 your zealous elforts for the welfare of the estahlishmeiit, 
 and the greater glory of (Jod, your Lordshi[), with them, 
 shall have the consolation of seeing it })erlectly consolidated. 
 To ol)tain from Heaven this blessing, the prayei's of this 
 community shall not cc^ase to he oll'ered. I remain, my dear 
 Lord, with great respect and earnest wishes for your every 
 hapi)iness, and begging a remembrance in your prayers, 
 "Su. MAKY ,I01L\ rOWLK, 
 
 " /Snperiorett.s.'" 
 
 "The stipulations contained in the Ivight Rev. Dr. Flem- 
 ing's, and in tlie al)()ve letter, arc; unanimously api)roved of 
 an 1 accepted by the ('haj)ter of Discreets. 
 
 "Sit. .AI. JOSKIMI XOLAX. Ass/.stanf. 
 
 "Sk. M. r,i:i:XAK'I) KIUWAX, Jho-sar. 
 
 "Su. :\L ALOYSIL'S JOW'K, JIo//a'ri>/Mji'!ces." 
 
 The KM. IJev. Dr. l)rowne gave his •sanction by a Latin 
 dociunent, of which the i'ollowini:' is a translation: — 
 
 '' I sanction and approve of the stipulation enterc-d into by 
 the Superiori'ss and conununity of the Presentation convent 
 of this town with the Right Rev. Dr. Fleming, liisho]) of St. 
 .John's, Newfoundland; and I do, by these presents, author- 
 ise and dir«'ct the Sisters M. liernard Kirwan, ^L Magdaieii 
 O'Shaughnessy, M. Xavier Molowney, and M. Xavier Lynch, 
 
284 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 to (lopart from the eonvoiil wliicli they now iiiliiihil, and pro- 
 ceed, under the guidance and protecling care of the Kight 
 IJcv. Dr. Fleniinii', to the city of St. John's, Newfoundland, 
 there to found and cstahhsh a new convent of tliis exceUent 
 Jnslitute, for tlie instruction of poor teniaU; children, and to 
 promote the best interests of religion and society. 
 
 + "CiKUR(JE ,]. r.IJOWXE, 
 
 " BIsliDj) of GaJiniy. 
 "Given in (Jahvay, this 8th day of August, iHUa." 
 
 To the above document is attached tlie following : — 
 
 "I do hereby api)oint Sister Mary r>(M-nai'd Kirwan Supe- 
 rioress of the intended convent of St. John's, Xewluund- 
 Uiiid. 
 
 + "MICHAEL AXTIIONY ELE:\IIN(i, 
 
 " Bltiliop of Xeiifoundland." 
 
 All preliniinari(>s having Ixhmi thus settled to th(> satisfac- 
 tion of all })arties, the IJishop set aboiit making his arrange- 
 ments for the safe conduct of the nuns to tiieii' new and 
 distant home. It was not so L'asy a matter in those da\s to 
 secure a safe and comfortable passage across the Atlantic, 
 especially for ladies una<'custonied to ocean travel, as nowa- 
 days, wheji ocean steamers, like lloating palaces, ahuost 
 amiihilating time and s[)ace and reducing sea-sickness to a 
 mininunn, are leaving, almost daily, all the piineijjal ports 
 of the Ignited Kingdom for vVnu'rica ; so that while the 
 Sisters were patiently, but anxiously, awaiting the moment 
 of their departure. Dr. Fleming was expending his enei'gies 
 in endeavoring to ])rocure a suitable vessel for their trans- 
 port. The following letter will show the worry and annoy- 
 ance which he experienced : — 
 
 "Adam axd Evk, Monday, 12 o'clock, 
 
 "5 August, 1833. 
 "Mv DEAK Rev. Mother, — I am but Just arrived from 
 Liverpool, and although not a little fatigued from a disagree- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 285 
 
 )- 
 
 iil»l»' piissMir*', 1 liasl(Mi to reply to your kind letter of the ith. 
 Since I (lid myself the favor of writinix to you until 
 this nionjent was a eontiniie<l round (»f uneasiness and disap- 
 pointment. Thrtie or four dillereut enirairements I entered 
 into with shipowners, and searee had two days elapsed with 
 either when these enjxaijements were hroken. On l"'i'iday 
 evening last I look my departure for Liverpool, for the 
 seeond time within these ten days, and havi;, I hojxj, finally 
 and eHectually concluded tin; matter, as far as a written 
 document l)etween the shipowner (Mr. liroekiehank) and mo 
 can liind. Uy this agreement the vessel is to put into Water- 
 ford eai'ly next wecsk to take us up. I cannot, of course, 
 withdraw fi'om this contract, as hy doinii- so I should not 
 oidy he Itound to |)ay the conti'act money, hut he liable for 
 any conse(|uenccs atlendinir the vessel on the passai>e to 
 ^^'aler!ord. I cannot, thciefore, think of any other vesscd, 
 unU'ss IJrocklchank would he satisfied in rescindinu' the con- 
 tract. At all events, I stronuly suspect that the vcvssel in 
 youi ])ort, to which you allude, is one em|)loyed in the 
 timlier trade, and in such a vessel I should not like to make 
 passiiiz'c. And though many persons may take passau'c in 
 these ships, and he fortunate enouiih to ai'rivc sdfe at their 
 dotination, in ii'cneral, thanks is due to the weather, and not 
 to the vessel. They are princii)ally ships that are lit for no 
 other work, heini:- old and infn'm. ]»ut, whethci- old or new, 
 they ii'ct so .-trainecl hy the very first caruo of timl)er that 
 thcv are never after suflicientiv staunch to make them .sea- 
 worthy for my choice. 
 
 "When I take u day or two's rest, t'or indeed I rccpiire it, 
 I shall iro direct to (iaiwav. On Thursdav morninir T intend 
 Icjivinu" this. I hope tiien to have the pleasure of seeiuijf 
 you. W"\\\ you tell my own dear Sisters how distressed I 
 have been that the many unforeseen difliculties which I had 
 to meet should for a moment liive them anv uiieasin(>ss, 
 which they necessarily must. l>i. . now that a I)etler pros- 
 pect is openin<r, and every hope of our bein<r in St. flolin'.s 
 before the middle of Septeml)er is displayed before us, I 
 
 ! 
 
 I- 1 
 
 •in 
 
 1 
 
•2M\ 
 
 KCCMvSlAS'riC.M, IllSldUV 
 
 I't'cl ii lo.'nl (»f ('.•lie Mild li'()iil)l(' I'mII iVoiii my shoulders, :ind 
 inspired l»y tiie mo^l liv(dy eoiilideiiee tli;it (iod will liimiiI 
 nie now that \'i\\uv wliii'li I hiniilily and rer\ciill_v |irayloi, 
 evfi// (i/ijxir/iniiU/ "/' rniilrlhiil !:iii In tlw spirfftidl (in(l liiii- 
 pontl /iiijijt/iirs'i (■/' f/ii sc ///_// (/ciir St's/crs. /'or //is (jrcafcr 
 IkhioV and ijjti, y. 
 
 "^^'ilil liie hope that you will excuse the iiiaiiy hlini(hM's 
 of this letter, wiiieh eoidd not he avoided iVoiii the slate of 
 my head and hand al'ler tlu severe passage of ia>l iiiiiht, l 
 siiall close this with many thanks to you lor your kindness, 
 and most alleetionale I'ciiards to all the Si>ters of yoiii- 
 t )iiiniiinity. Voiir uiiieli ohliiicul iind veiy "^rati'l'u!, Iminlde 
 servant, 
 
 "+ MICIIAKL AN'rilONV FLKMIXCi. 
 
 '• Till; 1!kv. MoTinat vSrn;i!i<nt, 
 
 '^ J'ri'.'ioifdtidii ('t)iirciit, (I'li/inii/." 
 
 \ow to resume Mother Maiidaleii's narrative: "Dr. Flem- 
 iiili' ai'rived a second time in (ialwa\, on tiie 11th Auiiii^t. 
 and we h-t't next moriiini:', the least of St. Clare. \\'(! were 
 alla.-tirat an early hour. W'v had Mass at 4 o'ldock, and 
 all received Holy ( 'oinmnnioii. 
 
 "The inail-coa(h, l»y spei'ial reijuest ol" the Disliop, was 
 sent over from Kiiroy's Ilottd to the convent, and we all liot 
 in. There was, of course, ureat weei)iiii;' and lameiilation 
 amonu" the Si.^ters. as they knew they should never see us 
 aii'ain in tins world. 
 
 "There were no other passeii'iers in the coach. Dr. Flem- 
 iiiii' sat on tlu! box l>y the driver, and us(>(l to come now and 
 then to the window to eiicoiiraii'e us. Our lii'st haltiniz'-plat'e 
 was llalliiiasloe. At Alhlone we cliaiiired horses, and arrived 
 at Duhlin in the excninu', after d;irk. We were I>roiii;ht to 
 Ormond (^uay, to the house t)f a lady from (ialway named 
 Iliiuhes, owner of a lame paper-mill and factory. She 
 knew me, and had a hearty welcome for us all, and set, a 
 portion of her laruct house apart all to ourselves, ^^'e had 
 Mass celelirated every morning in the house. A priest from 
 
f»F NK\VForXI)I,AM>. 
 
 287 
 
 tlic ii('i!j;lil>()riii;u' <'i>ii\ciil of Adam mikI IOvc was scut over to 
 act iiH fliaplaiii loi' us." ' 
 
 After SDiiic nImv in I)ul)liii, l>y llio same anli((tial('(l iiicaii-* 
 ot'convcyaiicc IIk'V li'av('llc(l to AN'atcrloid. Here llifv wcii- 
 r(>('('i\»'(l \\\\\i <'iillni>iasiii. Tlit'i'c had loiiir hccii a l»oiid ol 
 sympathy hctwccii tlie ^ VAv liilarld jiiid tlie 'Dihir aii AV/.s/,-, 
 the f ""ihif FIsli, \\^ Xcwl'oimdlaiid is ifraphicaliy calicd in 
 t''« ''.:!<• loniiiic. I'^or many yrars prcviou.s to tliis linu! 
 ^^^ . ha<l liccn (lie, start inj;-|)oin( lor cmiirranls to tiio 
 
 "AN'iiii i'lantation,"' and many ol" our principal Catholic 
 rMniilics liad come l»y that rouic. 'I'lic .\h)rri-<'s and Kcnts 
 liad carried on a rcLinlar passcnifcr traliic tor over --ixty 
 years. (Sec Note A.) It was only nalnraU tiien. that 
 any ono Icavinix I'oi' Xewlomiillanil would he weleomeil with 
 a cciiil iiiilc I'lnllc, jind oNcrw helmed with niessa<;es and salu- 
 tations to friends and relations fai' away across tiie ocean. 
 A\'c can easily iniaiiinc. then, tiie enthusiasm with which 
 those holy ladies were received, who were looked upon as 
 nol»le heroines (for such, indeed, they were), lioinir to oll'er 
 \\\) their lives and lahors for tlie children of the Far \Vest. 
 
 Tliev wci'c taken in chari^'c Ity a gentleman nameil Sher- 
 locU, and hrouiiht to his place (a line house with lai'izo 
 tiardcns), outside the city. Mrs. Sherlock had a sister, a 
 ])i'olcsscd rtdiijiious in the (ialua}' house, who had written 
 announcinir llic coining' ol" the nuns. Here thi'V werc^ re- 
 ceived with royal honors. "ju>t as if we wcic princesses,*' 
 says Mother Maii'dalen. "'riie ])riesls and people iVom the 
 town came out continually to see us. The Ui^hop, l)r. 
 
 i 
 
 ' 'i 
 
 1 An iimii^in;;- iiu'iili'iil orcnrnil in roMiiccliciii willi \.\m liinllor, wliirU MoiIut 
 Muirtlnli'ii rcliiirs willi liri' jn'i-iiliai' i,tiir'l('. It 1i;ijiik'iip(I thill inic uiniiiiii;; !i viTy 
 vollliir friar was lolil oil" tn I'l'lcliiiifc .Ma<s I'urllic iiiiii-. On I lie s:mn' iiinniiiiLT a vciicia- 
 blc I'lillur caiiic over iViiMi the ( unvnil, iiol kiiowiiii;' Iliat oiw liail alrraily lucii >riil. 
 W'lu'ii lie saw Iho ycmiiLf inii'^t lie said, " Well, my lioy, wlial dn mui !^l|rl\v almiit 
 iiiiiis : You liail lictli'r i;<) liai'k lo yoin' i'omvi'mI." This voiimlT IViai' was im otlicr than 
 I'allicr .lohii MiiHocU, who was thru in liis twenty-sivth vi'ar, itml hail In en only hitcly 
 oniaincil. I.illh' it was thtin;^hl ,'iit llial time thai he was artoiwanls lo hoconu' tho 
 I'li^hop ol" Ni wlonnillanil, and spiiitiial sn|iciior for many years of Mother Mai^chden 
 anil lier little eommiiliily. And many ii time, in aftei' years, did he vood-nalnii'dly 
 rally her on this event, sayin;:', " Ila, lui! Yon Ihon^ht me loo yonnu' oneo lo act 
 us yinir eliaiilain, ami yon tnrned me away. Now I (an havi' sati^faelion." 
 
I ! 
 
 288 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 SI 
 
 liarron,' was most kind; lie jiavc u.'A l)()()ks and rolics, and 
 caiiio t)Ut every day to celebrate Mass for us. Sherlock's 
 wa.' !i splendid place, with a grand mansion and beautiful 
 gardens. A\'o used to walk in the gardiMis every day ; there 
 was also a \ovy tine library." Mother ^Magdalen humorously 
 describes the consternation of the young religious on their 
 being attended at dinner by servants in t"ull livery, and ])rc- 
 sentcd to ladies and gi'iitlenien in full dress. In fact, so be- 
 wildered were the poor Sistei's. after their long retirement 
 of cloister life, that they did not at all enjoy the grandeur 
 ])repared for them, but begged themsidves off on the next 
 occasion, and had a cosey little [)lace tor thi-mselves in the 
 library. 
 
 Mother Magdalen i)r()mised this tine old Irish family that 
 God would ri'ward them for their great kindness, and the 
 reward was not long delayed, foi- very shortly after three of 
 the Misses Sherlock received the grace of religious vocations, 
 and Joined the l^rsuline Order. 
 
 As soon as Dr. Fleming had all pi'cpared, the vessel 
 appeared in the stream, and the mms took their tinal depart- 
 ure from Waterford on the 2Nth August, the feast of St. 
 August in. They wc j accomi)anied by Dr. Fleming and 
 his''n)oy IMiil." 
 
 As the ship gentU' floated down with the tide, and put 
 out to sea, the long-pent-up feelings of the brave Sisters at 
 length found vent, and they began vividly, for the tirst time, 
 to realize the greatness of the act which they had under- 
 taken. - 
 
 ' Dr. Ilarron was not Bishop of VVatort'ord, l)nt an Aincvicaii Uisliop, who was 
 travi'Uiiiir Tor his lioaltli's siikc at the tiuic. 
 
 '' The scciio ami the circiiinstaiicoshiin;^ rnri'ibly to our niciuory tlie lines ol' Seneca's 
 Mcila'a (Act ii., .Scene 3) : — 
 
 Aiulax iiimhim <|in frclii iiriiiuis 
 Kiili' lam fniijili luTlidii rii|iil ; 
 'l'i'rrart(|in' hiiiih pdHt tcruM vidcnn, 
 Aniiiiiiin li'vitniH crrdulit aiirln; 
 Uulikxinc HccaiiH irrpia'a cursu, 
 I'ouiii triiiii tidirc liirno; 
 IiitiT vita- iiiiirtiH(HR' \\\\», 
 Nimlum grueiU llmlte ducto. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 289 
 
 Tho sailors wore most rospcctfnl <lnrii\ir tlio voyaiZG. Xot 
 a loiul or iinlx'coining Avord was spoktMi. "(icorixc," the 
 cook, an Kiiii'lisli l)oy, was most attentive. Ilis usual saluta- 
 tion was, " ^Vllat will tlu^ ladies take to-day?" — tliouirh, if 
 tii(! truth nuist he told, his larder did not ijivo him a very 
 extensive ehoiee, and the ([ucstion ot" the mi'-nii was frcner- 
 ally deeided hy puftini; the kittle to boil and giviiiLj them a 
 euj) of tea. Dr. Fleniinu' had secured the eahin entirely for 
 the nuns. lie read a spiritual le<'tmv tor them every day 
 while they worked. The i>'('od shi[) "Ariel" made a very 
 fair a\('rai:e ])assaire of twenty-tive days. The weather was 
 tine; there was one storm. Tho nuns, of eourse, thought 
 the i)assairci lonj; and danirerous, and, we may he sure, 
 pra\e(l very fervently. No aeeount of their arrival was 
 I'eeeived at the convent in Clal way for four montiis, tin; 
 letter eontainiuir the news havinu; heeu mislaid in Liverpool. 
 The eonmumity trave them \\\) for lost. Solenm requiem 
 otliee: were eel 'orated for them, eo[)ies of their vows burned, 
 and a u'c'iieral inournin<; took plaee in the eonvent. " We 
 arrived," says Mother Magdalen, "on the 21st of Septeml)er, 
 
 Tlic following' may lie otVci'inl as a traii^-latiun : — 
 
 IJravi'-lu'iirti'd lu> who tirot in frairilc liark 
 
 liaiiiichcd o'lT till' ilei'p to pltiiiuli the iiiikiiowii ilark; 
 
 llirt native shori' tichiiul hiin xwil'ily llici*, 
 
 Uiri Koiil I'diiliilini; to the ucmlc Incczi'. 
 
 Ue witli a iloalitfiil coiirHi' diviilrH tlii' Hood, 
 
 And tnintrt liiiiim'lf unto the HlrndiT wood; 
 
 Ia'iI onward I'Vcr in a iiraccfiil i)atli, 
 
 l>nt all too danij;oroiirt; — 'twixt lil'i' and death. " 
 
 It is in this saino choiiis tiiat oi'ciiis tln> woU-kiiowii pi'opliecy of tlie discovciy of 
 Ncwruiimllaml : — 
 
 " vi'iiicnt aniiis, 
 Sn'cula Hi'iis; — (|uilinH Occanii^, 
 Vlnc'uia rerwtn laxel it iiiu'i'iiH 
 I'ati'at trlliiB Ti|)hy«(iuo Snraa 
 Di'tc'ual Orhin. Xei' Hit TerriH. 
 I'llinia 'rimli'." 
 
 In latter yearn nliall eoine a wondrous au'e, 
 When ocean sliall the ehalns of thliins niitiind, 
 And show the inlirhly world that lies hehind. 
 And 'I'iphys shall a Nkwfoindi.and explore, 
 Nor Thiile shall loliyer he the last known shore! 
 
 (See Note fl.) 
 
 i'l 
 
 f. \ 
 
 n-: . 
 
290 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHV 
 
 llic foiisl of Si. ]\r:ittlK'W. All tlio jiopiiliilion of the Icnvn 
 flocked down to the \vh:irvcs, Miul cliiuhcd up tlic niMsIs ol" 
 the vessels to see us iind weleoMie us; nud sonu- ol" tli(^ 
 ])rin('i]):d inliMhitauts eMine on hoiird, vyiiiLl' will; each oilier 
 i'nr llii> honor ol' rowiiio- us aslioi'c. W'v weri> uol allowed lo 
 (lisenihark until liny had made a Uew landinn-stair. The 
 best cari'iaii'c in the town (Dr. Carson's) was sent lo I'elch 
 us." ' 
 
 'riiey wvvo driven to the r>i>hop*s residence, "the Old 
 Palace," cheered all the way l»y the crowd. ]iy a reniai'k- 
 al)le coincidence, the \('ssel hrinii'inu' out the new pri(>sls 
 arrived in the " Nai'rows " of St., John's at exactly the sanu! 
 inonieni as the "AricJ." 'I'Ucy had left Ireland on the same 
 day, hut had not been siiiiited duriuii' the voyaiic. The muis 
 remained exactly one month at the "Old Palace." In the 
 meantime I)r. Flcminii' had |)rocuri'd a lious(> for them: it 
 had fornuMly been a ta\(M'n, with the siun of "The KMsinj:^ 
 Sun," — a name consid(>rcd as a propitious omen, syml»oli/iii>- 
 the liiiht of faith and ediicalicn which they came lo dill'uso 
 throuiihoul the country. 
 
 The day of the oi^'uinir of the schools was one of <:'reat 
 joy lo llie iiood people of Xi'\vfoimd!an<l. Il is described in 
 li'lowini:' terms in one of the local papei's of the day ("The 
 I'alriot." October, bs;');*.): "On .Monday, 21>l in>t., this 
 infant institution was opened for the i-cceptioii of pool' feuiido 
 children. Sel(U)m has it been onr lot ii'' wilni'ss a scene of 
 such deep intei'est, . . . wlu'ther we rei^ard the com- 
 munity of ladies of family and foilune, siirrendcrinii' all the 
 Joys of life . . . Ibr the adxaiicemeiit of the lilory of 
 Ilini to whom they liaxc consccrate<| their V\\v>. or the lillle 
 a[)j)Iicant for admission, while she tries to read her fate, 
 or multitudinous feidiiiiis of the esliniai)le l*r(dal(^ 
 to whose exertions we owe this blessini:'. There he stood, 
 
 1 All iiiiiii'iiiiy: ;iiu'i'(totc i-i told <'i)nccniiiiu'' llii^ cinriiii;!', Il liiul lonm'rlv bt'ioii^rccl 
 lo Dr. l'li'liliii;i, 1111(1 Iiilil IjCL'ii sold by liiin in order lo rui-ic t'liiids lo I'lirrv oiil soiiii? of 
 Ins yirut spiiiliiiil works. Tlio >jood old |)f. ('nr«nii drove roiiiid in il l'<ir many vomis 
 on Ins moriiin;; cM*, (juitc iiiditVcrt'nl to liii' fact llial a l.wixc jiilditl milrt' was ciiilda- 
 /oiiL'd on llic i>anc'ls. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 2(11 
 
 vn 
 
 of 
 1(1 
 I'l" 
 
 () 
 
 ell 
 
 witiKvssiii;:^: llic coiiiiiUilioii of his doarcst \visli(>s." But, nol- 
 witlislandiiiu' tli;i( the iiiiiis o;ivo up to the use of the schools 
 all the house except the verv siuall parloraud two hed-roouis, 
 which served theui at ouce lor eouuuuiiily-iooiii, sittiiii::;- 
 rooui. refectory, and chapel, yet after all liiey could not 
 I'eceive more than four hundred and lifty children. Apiin 
 we repeat, never was there witnessed in St. flohn's a scene of 
 dcojier interest than the openinir of the Presentation schools. 
 Tiiis hou>e was situated at tiie foot of Pilots' llill, and, 
 thonu'h it was the best which could he procured at the time, 
 it was still hut a sorry makeshift. The school had formerly 
 lieen a slaui:htei-house. There was a forije in the immediate 
 neiiihlioriiood and a stable in the rear, the only ajjproach to 
 which was through tlu> hall of the house, throunh which the 
 horse was |(>d daily. Dr. Flemiiii;, one day, visitinii' the 
 nuns, met tiiis j)rivileu'ed (piadruped, and was ohlii>-e(l to 
 yield place to his (>(|uine majesty. lie had had no idea that 
 the nuns had to sull'er such ineonvenienc(> ; and, thouLrh he 
 had hired the place! for a yeai', he determined to remove the 
 nuns at once. The iittiuii" up of this hou-.e and school, such 
 as it was, cost ahout tTiUO, as Dr. Fleminir stat(>s in a letter 
 to Karl(irey (iMth I'\'l)., 1817): it was also suhject to an 
 exorliitant rent. So in very lilt ie more than one month (viz., 
 <Sth Deceiulier), a more suital)le site oll'eriini', they removed 
 to !i more comfortaliU^ and commodious dw(>ilinii'. Tliis was 
 a house which had been occupied hy Archdeacon \\"\\, near 
 the Kiiiu's Ivoad. Here the nmis remained for eiiiht years, 
 i^ivini:' tlie locality the name of " Nunnery Hill," w..ich it l)(>ars 
 to the present day. Here a new school was erected, at a 
 cost of u[)wards of £()()(). It was of line proportions, and 
 Dr. Fleniim:' spi>aks of it in his letter to Archdeacon O'Con- 
 nell, of Diildin, ISM, as " laru"*' and commodious."' It ii'ave 
 accommodations to twc-lve hundred childnni. " ^^'hen you 
 take into accoimt," he (-ontinues, "that for nearly eleven 
 years more than oik; thousand children have Ixhmi in daily 
 attendance at these; schools, you can well estimate what a 
 world of <>-ood these |)ious ladies accomplished." 
 
i I 
 
 !H ! I 
 
 P 
 
 2!>2 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 But still tlio /.('III of lliis (Micru'clic l^rclato wi\.s not 
 oxliiiustrd. He (Iclcnuiiicd lo })()ss(>ss a Ixiildiiii;' wliifli 
 Avould surpass in ch^u'iinco all that had hitherto bccu orcclcd 
 
 lousc which Ik! dcsci'ihcd as (oinnio- 
 
 in St. ,lohn 
 
 'I'hc 1 
 
 dious at lirst was now no loiiucr so. the iuiiuIxt of liic coni- 
 nnniity hciiiii' doubled. Uesidcs, lu> found it hai'd to he 
 obliii'cd to ]y,iy sucli a heavy I'ent ( i'SO per annum) for a 
 house old and deeayini;. He had already paid, Itetween rent 
 and repairs, eonsideral)ly over £1 ,()()(). So he deternn"ned, 
 thouirh the new eonvent was not coniijlete, that he would not 
 renew the hase of Arehdeaeon AVix's house. The poor nuns, 
 theri'fore. had to move their camp a^iain. 'I'hey i'eniaine(l 
 over nine years at Xumiery Hill, \i/.., from Deeemlx'r .'JI, 
 l<s;;... to Auiiust HI, 184."). This lim(> Ihey were aeeonuno- 
 dated in a house -which had Iteen a hall-alley, situated a little 
 outside the town. Her(>, apiin, repaii's and a tempoi'ary 
 school were neeessaiw, and some three or four hundred 
 j)ounds expended. The nuns i'emain<>d at the hall-alley 
 until Decemlier II, 1S4 I, when they were c()nduete(l to their 
 niau'nilicent new convent at tlu; head of Loiili's Hill, on a 
 site Avhieh he purchased in \oveml)er, IS 12, and which ho 
 descril»es "jis a charming' situation above tin; town, sulli- 
 cicMitly near and central. It commands, and is well seen 
 from, almost every part of the town and harbor to Xari'o 
 The buildinii' itself was " worthv of th(> ladie 
 
 ws. 
 
 and the ijloi'i- 
 
 ous cause they were end)arke(l in." He then ^'(H's on, with 
 pardonable enthusiasm and ureal minuteness, to describe this 
 mau'uilicent structure. " It prc^siMits a handsomely linished 
 front, tlanUed at the an<>'les by hexaii'onal castellated towers; 
 a spacious ])ortico, extendini:' twelve feel, and risin;^- ciuiit 
 feet al. )ve the whole building, marhini;' the li'i'and cut ranee, 
 with two s{|uai'e towers upon the angles, showini*' between 
 them a splendid liilt ( Jreciau cross." It cost aln)ut l'l,0()(). 
 lint, alas I the poor nuns had not reached the end of their 
 pili:rimai:'e. They had, like Mom!s, o:ot a glimpse of the 
 I'roniisod land, but thcN' had not \v{ safelv ci 
 
 'o.sse( 
 
 I th 
 
 .lord; 
 
 m. 
 
 This nobli; buildinir was dot)med, within two 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLANn. 
 
 293 
 
 yoiirs, lo lie cninildcd info ;i hvixp of ruins. Tin? charity 
 of" f!io irood nuns trust rafcd flic })rii(li'ntial caros of flic 
 zealous liisliop. It was suflicicntly distant from surround- 
 inu" iHiildiuiis to he safe from conlla^'ratious from without, 
 l)uf on the occasion of flic u:rt'at lire of tiic I)th of .hnu;, 
 1<S4(!, Avhich hiid the whoh' town in aslics, <his very isola- 
 tion, to which Dr. Fh'mini:^ trusted for security, was flic 
 cause of its destruction. The li'ood nuns opi'netl their spa- 
 cious halls for the rece])tion of clothes, t'urnilure, etc., of the 
 peojilo who were ohjiiicd to ilee het'ore the terril)le elemenf. 
 Anionix some ot' these articles were l)roui;hf a few snioidder- 
 inii' sparks, which soon hurst into an uucontrollal)i(; llauie, 
 and all was lost. The nuns hai'cly I'scaped with their lises, 
 iNIother .Mai:'dalen, who I'lMuaiued to uather u[) what, letters 
 and small cash there were on hand, ha\ inn' her habit sinii'cd. 
 The comuumity at this time consisted of six Sisters, two 
 havini: joined the orijiinal four.' 
 
 l)r. Fleming' was in i^urope at the timo of the conllaiira- 
 fion, havimi' u'onc home to secure some additional Sisters. 
 Th(> nims W(!re conducted first to the ]\Ier«y ConvcMit (re- 
 cently built near the cathedral irroiinds) and thence lo a 
 eotta<;e belonixinii" to the I»isliop, and situatecl about a mile 
 in the country. His Jiordship had i:i\<'n to this little farm 
 the name of '' Carpasia," that beini;- the title of his diocese 
 ill jxirtlhns. The nuns remained there for ti\t' moiilhs. 
 sle(>pinLr upon the floor of the barn, teachinii- the children 
 (who still llockcMl to them) on tine davs in the open fields, 
 and in rou<;h weather in the stables and outhouses. 
 
 The news of the terrible catastrophe reached the l>ishop 
 at Liverpool, where he was en route for St. John's with two 
 reliiiious.-' His consternation may be more easily ima<;ine<l 
 than described. He immediately ollei'cd to releas(> these 
 Sisters from their [)romise and to restore them to Cialway ; but 
 
 ' Tliosc wiTO Oitlu'iiiic riii'lan (Sister I^^tiiiliiis Al(iysiiis) iiml Amelia Slianli'v 
 (Sister Aiildiiiii), wiio arrived in 18rJ, iiiid iiiiiile llieir |)rol'essioii im tlie least i^t' the 
 Presentation, Jlst Noveniln'v, ISIti. 
 
 "■ Tliese wei'C Catherine FlVeneli (.Sister Josejihine) ami !Miss Lovelocli (Sister I". 
 tic Sales), 
 
 ^f 
 
•f 
 
 I 
 
 
 fl ' 
 
 294 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOllY 
 
 thoy nobly choso to como on to tlu'ir sisters in misfortune in 
 NewfoMiuUand. When Dr. FlcniiuiT arrived in St. John's 
 and luheld the ruin and niis(MT on all sides, — the eoinplete 
 destruction of the eity, and, above all, the i o\v vacant and 
 unsightly si)ot where so siioit a time b(>forc i.'> had looked 
 with pride as he went out throuiiii tlu; "Narrows " and saw 
 the noble convent, the darlin<i' object of so mary yeai's of 
 anxiety and labor, — his heart saidv within him. V hen he saw 
 the i)lac;e when^ the nuns' beds were laid on the iloor of the 
 barn he shed copious tears. II(^ never wholly recovered from 
 the shock which he then received ; from that moment, worn f)nt 
 by faliutu> and anxiety, his health beaan to decline, llis pen, 
 erst so prolilic and so swift, bej^ins to show siijns of waver- 
 ini;-. lie likens himself to the dove cast upon the waters 
 and not able to tind rest for his weary winirs. He felt that 
 his course was nearly run. A\'ritin<i" in the followiu<; year 
 (18th of November, 1S47) to tim Archl)ishop of (^uebet; he 
 says : " After labourin<; in this ijortiou of the ureat vineyard 
 for nearly thirty years, I find my health so weakeiu'd and 
 my constitution so broken that it is impossil)le I could ever 
 hope, duritiij: the remnant of my earthly career, to enjoy the 
 happiness of meetini; youi- (^irace." 
 
 r^arly in the year 1847 Dr. Fl(>min_£r, feelinu' his stren<>th 
 failinijf, applied for a coadjutor, and his choice was tix(Ml 
 upon Fiither John T. Mulloi'k, the lirilliant priest of his own 
 Sei'aphic Order, whom he had known for the ))ast fourlcH'u 
 y(>ars. Di-. Mullock arrived in St. John's in May, 1><\H. IIo 
 immediatcdy set to work with that wondrous viii'or and 
 strenirth of mind and will which were his distiuuuishiug char- 
 acteristics to carry to coini)letion all the ^reat mulertakinirs 
 which he found in an unfinished state. TIk; losses which Dr. 
 Fleming susfaiiu>d by the "zreat lire were almost overwludm- 
 in<x. In a letter to Earl (irey, 22d of Fcjbruary, 1817, he 
 details the sums he had expended in connection with the 
 convent and other ecclesiastical buildin<rs, amounliuij: to 
 upwards of £10,000. He apjilied for a portion of the money 
 subscribed in Fiii^land for the sufferers by the fire. "Surely, 
 

 /■(U^/^ /C^yrfi) /vV//'^-^ 
 
I il 
 
 '1 
 
OV MOWFOUNDLANI). 
 
 2\)f) 
 
 < 
 
 tlioii, my Lord," ho says, " it is not unroasonahlo that T, with 
 llu! deepest respect, and in all tiie Innnilily of sad snllerinir, 
 pray your Lordship to I'xtend liere a kind and helpini; hand 
 to enable nie to once inoie open a school to which no fewer 
 than three thousand children are in vain lookinir for instruc- 
 tion." 'I'his touehinir appeal, howcncr, proved unavailinir. 
 Nevertheless, Dr. MullocU at once set about the construction 
 of the ni'W schools and convents on .-i still urander scale than 
 before, 'I'he foundations of the convent were laid by tin; 
 Kt. IJev. Dr. Mullock on the I'.'xl of Auunist, l<sr>(). 
 
 The l)resent erection is of cut stone, and, with the school- 
 house attached, cost the smn of £7,000. The site is at the 
 eastward side of the cathedral, coinniandinir a niauiiiliei'iit 
 ocean view, and overlooking for many miles the .surronndinjx 
 cctuntry. The tyhi corresponds with that of the cathedral, 
 and the spacious grounds in the real' allbrd ami)le space for 
 gardens and ornamental grounds. ^N'ith the foundation-stone 
 was de})ositcd a vase containing several medals, current 
 coins, the seal of Dr. Fleming, the names of the clergy of 
 the colony, of the lUshops of Ireland, of His Holiness the 
 Pope, the journals of tin; tlay, and some wheat, the produce 
 of th(^ Island in l<St(S, etc., together with a scroll bearing 
 the following inscri|)tion : — 
 
 J' 
 
 ii 
 
 11 
 
 The foundation-st^'-'^ of this Convent of the Nuns of the 
 Presentation Order i^first established in this City of St. John's 
 in MDCCCXxxiii, by the Right Rev. M. A. Fleming, O.S.F , Bishop 
 of Newfoundland) was laid by the Right Rev. John Thomas 
 Mullock, OS P., Bishop of Newfoundland, on the xxiii day cf 
 August, MDCCCL, in the fifth year of the Pontificate of His 
 Holiness Pius IX., and the fifteenth year of the reign of Her 
 Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and 
 Ireland, Sir John Gaspard le Marchant being Governor of New- 
 foundland. 
 
 Uirect. g Superintendent, PAT'K KOUGH. 
 Builder, JAMES PURCELl 
 
I 
 
 290 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 " 'V\w locjil Lc^isliiturc litis volod llic sum of ,i':i,()On 
 stci'lini:' towards tlic tM't'rIioii of those hitildiiiirs. I)r. Klciii- 
 iiitr It'll inoiicy ( i';500) in his will, and tlio coniircpilion 
 present on tin; aliove occasion eontiihnted £.")()(>. In one 
 year tVoin the present time the whole will he completed, and 
 hv the end of this season the schools will lie in operation." 
 
 In the conrse of three yeai's this splendid snite of hnild- 
 iniis was completed, l)iddinLr delianc(^ to the elements, for 
 they are no longer conslrticted of frail wood, hnt of imperish- 
 ahle granite. And here, at last, after so many vicissitudes, 
 tin' tr'(>od mms found themselves in a peaceful and jjcr- 
 manent home. They had not heen, however, idle durinj^ 
 the intcM'val Itetween the lire of ' Ki and the takini:' posses- 
 sion of the new convent. " Wherever we went," says Mother 
 MnLrdalen, "and amidst all our trials, we had one consolation, 
 — the children never left us. If we had not the pooi- little 
 ones to w )rlv for we coidd never have lived through it." 
 
 In the month of Novend)er followiuii' "The Fire" Dr. 
 Fleming hrouirht them to the ^lercy ( 'onvent , .a ])ortion of 
 which was ])artitioned oil' for them, and "where [say the 
 amials of the convent] the\' received all ])ossil)le kindness 
 and attention iVom the Superioress, Mrs. Creedon." They 
 remained there live years. A temporary si-hool (the tilth) 
 was erected in the rear of the convent. On the 21st of 
 ()ctol)i'r, KS,">1 (the anniversary of the first openinir of their 
 school eiii'hteen years previou>ly), not wishinu' to encuml)i'r 
 th(^ Mercy nuns any further, they took up their abode in u 
 portion of their new stone schools, which wei-e not yet com- 
 pleted, and for -;ome time their only voni' at niiiht was a sail, 
 kindly lent by one of the merch.ants. Finally, however, on 
 the 2d of Jnly, 18.");), they took possession of the splendid 
 convent hnilt for them by the lit. Jfev. Dr. Mullock. No 
 expense had heen sjiared by him to makt; it both convenient 
 and conventual. The Sisters now enjoy everythinii" requisite 
 for their happiness, and have the consolation of seeinn- their 
 institute tirmly established in the Lsland. This is the eighth 
 
OF NKWFOrNDLANl). 
 
 21)7 
 
 }0 
 11- 
 1)11 
 
 1- 
 
 honso tlioy occupied sinco they left (licir convent in rutlwiiy, 
 (liirinLT wliicli linic liicy liiid iiiiiiiy li'liils niid pi'lviif ions, hut 
 had at all times their seliools well altenck'd, wiiieh amply 
 recompensed them tor all iiiconvi'iiiences. 
 
 From this time we heuin to see the Onh'f llomish and put 
 forth oll>ho()ts into every part of the country. In duly, IJS.'jI, 
 the tlrst Itraneli house was estahlished in Ilarltor (iraee; in 
 IS.VJ at ('!'.rl)ineers' ; 1N')I> at Ilarhor Maine, and also in 
 iSj.'i at Fi'rnieuse, and at other places. At present ther(! 
 lire thirteen hranch houses in the Island, and altout one hiin- 
 dreil and twenty reliizious, who teach an .'nd'aiic of two 
 thousand childi-en annually. After hall-a-century of lahorand 
 zealous tcachinir, how much more truth and force are in tlicso 
 words of Dr. FIcmin,!'" than when he wrote tlicni : "And so 
 the <:()od Avorli iroes on. Hundreds of children, nay thou- 
 sands, ai'c annually sent forth from their schools, tiaincd in 
 the highest princi|)les of virtue and honesty, conferring!: on 
 our country a hlcssiim- incomparably lich, and producini; a 
 rac(> of mothers of families such as Newfoundland may l)e 
 proud of, as havini>' no superior in any ))ai't of I he woild." 
 
 The lirst religious reception ever performed in Xewfound- 
 land took place on the otli of Auuiist followinu' the year of 
 the nuns' arrival, vi/., \S'M. The ceremony, always in- 
 tcrcstinii'. was rendered doul)ly so on account of its novelty, 
 and was witnessed hy a lai'i:'e nunil)er of people. It had at 
 tirst heen intended i(f \va\v the ceremony pcrfoi'nied in the 
 nuns' private chapel. I lowever, the permission (»f the liishop 
 was ohtained to have the laru'e upper school-room converted 
 into a tem[)oraiy chaptd for the i)m'i)ose, for the gratitieatiou 
 of thost' who (h'sired to he i)resent. The proi-eediuixs on the 
 occasion are minutely descrihed in a local newspa[ier, "The 
 Patriot," 12lh of Auirust, l.S;')t,at irreat leiiiilh. Wo «iivo 
 here a short accoimt of this heautiful ceremony, Ix'sidcs the 
 symholic meanintj of the nivstic riiihl which is alwavs in- 
 terestinij; and touchiui^. It must he looked upon in New- 
 foundland as an event of irreat importance in our r>'iii:i;)us 
 amials. The young lady received was INIiss Maria Nugent, 
 
 « 
 
 III 
 
203 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 fi; 
 
 »ii!*(cr of .Joiiii V. Niiircnl, Ks(|. Tlu' Hisliop wms nssLslcd 
 by tlu; lifvs. I*. Waid, as dcncon, T. Waldron, us sul). 
 deacon, and K. Ti'oy, as master of ccrcnionics. Tlie licv. 
 li. Dully was also present. TIk; Uisliop awaited at tlio 
 altar the procession of nuns, who soon appeared, *' })receded 
 hy tiii'c(^ very yoiinii' cliildren, nieces of llie lady, simply at- 
 tired in while, on(! in advance hearing- a crucifix and I Ik? two 
 others heaiiuiz; li>ihtcd wax candles in one hand whih? with 
 the other they cai'iied Itetween theni a heauliful silver liasket 
 containinii' tlu; hahil, the cloak, and tlu; veil. Alter these 
 followed two mins, and then Miss Nuu'cnt, fashionaldy 
 dressed, and supi)orled l»y the Rev. Motiier on ihe riijht 
 and Mother Assistant on the h'ft. At the c()nclu>ion of the 
 ceremony the liishop addressed to the; newly-received novice 
 ji short and aircctinii' discoui'se, takiui,' for iiis text the words 
 of Luke iv. liS : 'The spirit of the Lord is upon me ; whcn;- 
 fore he halh anointed njc to preach the gospel to the 
 ])oor.' *' 
 
 Here we see the first fruits of the ^ood seed sown by the 
 faithful children of Xano Naule, which since that time has 
 produced such abundant harvests that it is now no longer a 
 novelty to see the announcement t)f a religious r(>ception or 
 profession in our new's|)apers. This lady, ]\Iiss Nugent, not 
 linding her vocation adapted to the I'reseiital ion Order, after- 
 wards Joined the Mercy Order, and became a most exem- 
 plary relif/ense, as we shall see farther on. 
 
 On Novend)er r)th Dr. Fleming pul)lished for the first time 
 in Ihe liistorv (jf this countrv a iubUee. On his arrival 
 with the nuns he fouiul awaiting him an encvclical of Pope 
 Gregory X\'L, addressed to the whole hierai'cliy, of which 
 Dr. Fleming, in this his first pastoral, gives a sunnnary : 
 " It is usual that ii Poi)e on his accession to the pontificate 
 should address a letter to the r)ishop.s of the Christian world 
 on the subject of the condition of the Church. . . . The 
 encyclical letter of his present Holiness will maintain a dis- 
 tinguished i)lace among the monuments of ponlilical zeal. 
 His Holiness appears earnestly atllicted by the news of the 
 
OF NKWrorNDLAXn. 
 
 290 
 
 i 
 
 iitllictions (if the Cliiircli ; the alhick.s (liicclcil jn^Minsl, licr ; 
 lh(^ (lisonlci'cd xtatc (tf society ; the inliilclily, iiisiihonliiiii- 
 tion, Jiiid \ ici- wliicli liiid loiij; r.'iL'i'tl iitjMiiist the Climvli of 
 Christ, its cliicf jjustois, its prelates, mikI all its .saered law. 
 He eoiidemiis in the most foirihle terms tho.st; 
 opinions and maxims whieli tend to weaken tho submission 
 due to piinces and to eneouraii'e icvcdl. To these ')pinions 
 His Holiness opposes tlie doctrine of Si. Paul, who dcv iares 
 that 'all power is from (lod;* and as the teachers of these 
 opinions have alle<re(l that the first Chi'istians did not revtdt 
 because they wer<^ not the sli'oni!'er party, he denounces in 
 the most nni|nalified terms a doctrine so injurious to relii:ion, 
 so inc()nsi^tent with the leslimony of history, and so formally 
 opposed to the conduct of the early heroes of Christianity. 
 He (pioles th(^ words of St. Kucharius on the sui)joct of the 
 martyrdom of St. Mauritius and his comj)ani()ns, in which 
 the holy mailyr says expressly 'that the; daiiircr of losin^f 
 their lives did not indiu-e them to revolt;' and another 
 ])assa_ii:e from Terlullian, which states 'that tho Christians 
 were very numerous, and that if they sull'cred themselves to 
 lie i)ut to death it was not because they were weak, but be- 
 cause tlicy knew that revolt was never lawful.'" 
 
 These observations of the I'ontilf were jirobably called 
 forth by ihe disturlied and rt'volutionary states of France at 
 the time. Tlu' Holy Father then complains of "indill'erencc! 
 in reliiiious matters, bad books, which have been so indus- 
 triously circulated," and calls on the whole Church to })our 
 forth ])rayers. The Jubilee in this Island and its Vicariate' 
 ■was i)r()claime(l for two months, vi/., from 1st December to 
 the lirst Sunday in Fciu'uary ; tho other conditions being 
 tho ordinary ones ; the visits retjiiii'ed beinu' three separate 
 visits of one-half hour to any Catholic i-hurch. 
 
 This beiui; the first flubilee of which we hav(! any record 
 in our Cluirth history, I have IhouLrht it interesting to dwell 
 in a manner somewhat lengthy upon it. 
 
 From this wo judiio that the Church in Xewfoundhuid was 
 fairly launched upon tlu; career of future gri'aluess. She 
 
 ^i 
 
;3oo 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTORV 
 
 was licginninj^ to omor«j:o IVoin tlic !inti(itin((Hl stale In wliicli 
 ishcliad liitliorU) «?xisl(Hl, and to hlooni with nil the beanly of 
 lii(>rMr('liial dcvclopnicnt, wliicli last riiH-ned durin<>: tiio last 
 yoars of tlui I'piscopacy of Dv. Flcmini::, and canic to a irrand 
 dciiice of poii'cclion in the jilorious roinn of his successor, 
 th." III. Kev. Dr. .Mullock. 
 
OF NKWrOUNPLANI). 
 
 ;k)i 
 
 CTIAITEK XXIII. 
 
 DIl. n.HMINCi'S NISITATIONS.— [lS31-l.S,S(i.] 
 
 Est ' '■ linient of ;i I'l'dlr^laiil Mi'-lmpric -Dr. Flcniiiiu's VisiiMtion Xovtlnvard!), 
 iMcfi - l'<);;t>, 'I'iiliii^- llailiiii-, llcniiiu^ Neck, (iiicii l'.!i\, MhiIum's llurlinr, Kiiifx's 
 Ciiv \'i>it!iti(>ii Sdiilliwiiiils, lK;i."i - I'rtty Ihulicn „ I'"fn_vl:m(l, I'ciniciisc, Itr- 
 ... ..so, liiii'ili — I)is<'()nir()rtH (if Missioiiiirv Life SI. I'ii'nc, lliiy (I'l^spiiir, (i;il- 
 tois, Conn IJivcr, Inilinii Hcttlcnicnt - Simplii'ily .•nul I'icty of llic liidiaiis (Iiciil 
 I'hicciilia— St. Man's Siii;ill-|ii>\ in Si. .Inlm's and I'clly Ilailior. 
 
 A 
 
 rKOTKSTAXT l.isliopric w:is cstMhlislicd in {he Isltiiid 
 ■^^ ill IN.")'.*, under the til Ic, not ol" Si. J()lm'>, lint of " \c\v- 
 roiiiidlMiid." Tlic lirst lUsliop \\;is l)r. S|><'ns('r, :iiid on liis 
 IriUisliition to .Iiiiuaicii l>i'. Fcilil \v:is appoiulcd liis siu- 
 I'f.ssor. Tlic iiiipoiutiiiciil UMs, of course, purely a State 
 matter. The words of tiie iiist runuMit of estalilislinKMil are- 
 as follows: "Whereas 1)y letters-patent under the (Ji'eat Se.al 
 of the I'liited Kiniidoni of ( ireat lirilaiii and Ireland, hear- 
 iuLrdateat \\'estininster. the ITlli d;i\ of .Iiilv, l.s.'IH, in the 
 ."hI \{';\v of ( )ur reiuii, W C did erect , found, :iii(l ord.ain, make 
 .iiid constitute the Inland of \ewfoundland to he a Bishop's 
 See, and to \h' called henceforth the liishopric of New- 
 foundl.and." 
 
 Duriuii" the years ]s:]\ and is;;,") 1 )r. l-'lemiiiu'. not wit h- 
 staiidinn' all his niiiltifarioiis l)U>iness, and the dillicultics ami 
 obstacles placed in his way, not only in those polil ico-reliii- 
 ious lualters, lail al>o in the mailer of pvociirini;' a >ile for 
 llu'- callu'dral, in which he was then eiiuaLH'<l. and which 
 caused him, as we shall ^ce. to cross the ocean three or foiii' 
 times, — ■ not wilhst.'inirmii' all this he found I ime to ni.ike e\- 
 teii.-'iNc visitations of his \'icari;ile, Ixitli north and wesi . 
 He has lel't complete descriptions of these \ isilalions amoi.'i;' 
 his munerous writiiiirs, parliciil;irly in his " /ii/iir.ioiir" to 
 I'i'opai:;m<la, in his letters to the .\niials of the I'rojxrt/o- 
 
 < fj 
 
 4 
 
302 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 hecMi :ili('!uly j)iil)lisli(Hl in pamplilct form, yvi tlio otiiors, 
 jis fur !is I know, only exist in the Ilaliiin ami FrtMU-h, and 
 tlic laltor arc now rare and out of print ; hence? it w ill be 
 interest injj^ to ivprodnee them here, so a.s to preserve tliem 
 in a more permanent form. I shall, however, strive to enr- 
 tail them, so as tt) a\ oid nnnoeessary repetitions : — 
 
 When 1 formed mv resolution to visit 
 
 my poor jieojilc 
 
 in i\w northern distriet, I was ohliued to aecept the kind 
 oiler madi' me l»y the master, of a <>ratuitous passaue on 
 hoard a small reiurn tishinir-schooner bound for Tilling 
 Harbour, in the island of Foiio. Wc sailed from St. fIohn\s 
 on the 2()lh of last June, LS34, huh-n irunwale ile(>p uith 
 neeessary su))plies for tlu; suimner's lishers, and I was 
 obliii'ed to ii'o aeeompanied l)y only one cleruyman, liev. 
 Mr. Hallon, and without a siniile donu'stie. while the vessel 
 was litei'ally crowded with men ;.ud women, who were hired 
 for till' prosecution of tli(> lishery. Our course beiiiii' partly 
 alonir shore, and the wind [)retty favourable, we reached our 
 destined port in forty-ei:Li'ht hours. 
 
 "The island of Fou'o is a barrer. rock of about one hun- 
 dred miles in circumlerence, at the t'litraiice of (Jreen Hay, 
 and only inhabited because tlie sea around was considered 
 ji'ood lishinii'-u'round. Iiavinu" lor its capital the Harbour of 
 Foii'o. Tiltiiiii' Harltour, on the south-eastern extremity, is 
 the second principal town, and contains about i'wo hundred 
 inhabitanls. and, besides this, tlieiv, nw many little villaii'cs 
 containing from twenty to lifly, or one hundred iiiJial)itants 
 each, of which the principal ar(> flobat's Aim, and another, 
 the entnince to which is called Herring Xeck ; and t!ie island 
 irives name to a district reluriiinii" a member to our Now- 
 foundland House of Assembly lUil it is not my intention 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 303 
 
 to liivo you a uooiiniphiciil dosi'iiption of llu^ coimtry, and 
 thoivCoiv, puisuiiiix my tour, T must inform you tliat at: 
 Tiltiuj; Harbour I romaiiKMl four days to recruit al"t(<r the 
 disai>:r(.'omcnt of niv very uncoinlbrtalilc vovaL'o, and duriui; 
 luy stay I oontirmcd iif) fewer tlian tlu'ce lumdred and four 
 |)orsons, heiny nearly the entire poimlation. 
 
 "From Tiltinir Harbour I sailed on board a small iishiuir- 
 boat for Fortiuie Iltu'bour, situated at the north extremity 
 of (ireen P»ay, intendini*' there to begin, as it is the most 
 remote inhabited part of the l?ritish portion of Newfound- 
 land, and next to the Freneh Shore. But the bay is exeeed- 
 inuly open, and generally tempestuous, and as the ])assage 
 across is not less than from fifty to sixty miles, we could not 
 have UHich conlideiice in our littU' craft, and were obliged, 
 after beating about for a day, to put into Jobat's Arm in' 
 distress, Avhere we continued mitil the next day ; and having 
 been obliged to send back the boat that conveyed us so far, 
 we were kindly accommodated with a boat and crew by Mr. 
 Henry Stark, and sailed next morning, l)ut not until I htul 
 oU'erecl the Holy Sacrilice and achuinisti'red Coniii'mation to 
 nin<>ty-eight individuals ; but finding, after u (hiy niul a night , 
 that a rough sea and contrary winds and threatening weather 
 promised us a longer passage than we anticipated, and seeing 
 that it was only by this boat, and the cxertion.s of the two 
 men who worked her under him. that poor Stark .supported 
 his helpless fan\ily, I was most anxious to get into some port 
 where I miglil have an opportunity of ndcjising them, and 
 procuring a fresh crew ; but the worthy fellows fcdt hurt at 
 the i)roi)osition, and when, in the course of the morning 
 after, wo were put into the Harbour of Fogo in distress, 
 they exulted at my disappointment wlu ;> they fountl I could 
 not procure another l)oat. 
 
 "We sailed from Fogo in a few hours, determined to 
 struggle on, but again, towards the next evening (the eve 
 of the festival of SS. Peter and Paul), were driven into 
 Herring Neck, where wc enjoyed the huml)lc, though cor- 
 dial, hospitality of Mr. iind Mrs. Kent, and where, for tlui 
 
 
 II:] 
 
304 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHV 
 
 first lime simo we Icl't the ('(Miif'ortahle I'csidciico of Mr. 
 Burke, (tf Tiltinij: IIiirI)oiir, wo indiiliicd ii» the liixiirv of a 
 bed ; and thus were we for lour ih\y!< healeii ahout at every 
 side of the Island of Fouo, and it was not until the evening 
 of the tiflh we entered Fortune Harbour. 
 
 "Here were we, then, in an o|)en boat, without the least 
 shelter from the inelonieney of tin; weather, — a boat, taken 
 at once tVom the tisherv, covered with the slime of li.sh, 
 now rendered putrid from the aelion of the sun, — after 
 inhaling that putrescence for live days, and being in distress 
 for i)rovisions, at length permitted to land in our destined 
 port ; and here we released our pooi- men and their I)oat, 
 after so long an abscence from those avocations to which 
 their families were to look for support ; and as it liappened 
 to have i)roved, I believe, the only good week of the fishery 
 in that (|uarter, their sacrifice for our acconnnodation nuist 
 have b(>en great indeed, and is to me, even now, a cause of 
 heartfelt regret. 
 
 " And now, who I'an define my feelings on entering this 
 wild distric' , there to commence the t(Mls of my visitation, at a 
 distance, in the most direct way. of near four hundred miles 
 from my residence, but increased, in my devious and ])eril- 
 ous course, u|)wards of six hundred ; or who i)ortray my 
 gratitiul(> to God for inspiring me with fortitude, as He had 
 blessed me with lu-'lth and sjjirits, to eml)ark in an under- 
 taking so hazardous? 
 
 " I found about forty families, comprising the entire pojin- 
 lation of this harbour, principally Irish, or the descendants 
 of Irish settlers, and never shall 1 forget the burst of allee- 
 tion. of exultation, with which wo were received among them. 
 
 " It was evening on the lirsl of ,luly when we slowly 
 approached the high and commanding shores on the north- 
 wi'st side of Green Bay, and weai'v as we were, our limbs 
 crijjpled from constant sitting, our heavy eyelids closing 
 from Avant of sleep, our s[)irits de])ressed, and our crew at 
 length exhausted with exertion : yet, subdued as we were, 
 wo could njt refrain from admiring the sublimity of the 
 
OF XEWFOUNDLAXn. 
 
 305 
 
 prospoct bcloro us : tlio iiiajcsl y of tlio inoimtains, crowned 
 by ctoniiil ^'')rosts, as the sctliiig sun pouivd its ' liijuid lii>lit' 
 Ihrouiili (Ii(^ luliiiiio. We were bcciilmcd jis wo stood before 
 the iiari'ow inlet, and our crew were uiKd)le to row our eraft 
 in. We wei'e perceived from tlu^ shore, and curiosity to 
 ascertain who were the strangers brou<>ht out a boat to see 
 us. Upon h'arninir who we were thi-y returned, and in a 
 little time after skill's (for there is not a sinulo sail-'noat in 
 the entire harbour) came out to tow us in, and we entered 
 amid the acclamations of all, men, women. 'Uid children ; all 
 had left their employments, and the evenin<j: was devoted to 
 festivity, and closed with thanksaivinir to Heaven for impart- 
 iiijr to tiieni — who, in the memoi'y of man, had been only 
 twice visited by a dereyuian — so irreat a blessin<jf. 
 
 "1 remained here three days, durinu' which time there was 
 a total cessation from business, so anxious wen^ the poor 
 l)eoi)le to show us every attention ; and the unall'ected [)ain 
 we felt at jjartimif was considerably enhanced by the honest 
 effusion of unsophisticated sorrow that burst from all, and 
 the tear that trembled on the eyelid, or rolled along the fur- 
 row(>d cheek of the weather-beaten li^herman. 
 
 "In tlu' entire Island I have not met a i)eopIe so well 
 instructed in their reli<>ion, or among whom reigns so much 
 virtue, or a place where vice is so little known, — and all this 
 good, under (iod, to be; attributed to the vii'tues of three 
 families. The fathers of these excellent families assemble 
 the entire population alternately at their houses on Sundays 
 and holydays, whe'c j)Mblic j)rayer is offered and a spiritual 
 lecture read, and in th(> evenings of hvni and Advent the 
 Rosary and a lei'ture ; whiU' the mid hours of the Sabbath 
 thoughout th(! year are devoted by Airs. Power, that truly 
 Christian mati'on, in instructing the children of her neigii- 
 bonrs to walk in th«' paths of religion and morality, — in 
 training their infant lips to lisp the praises of Ilim who thus 
 raises, even in 'the desert,' lights to guide to happiness 
 eternal. This excellent woman is a (ierman, and rcc(Mve(l her 
 education from a connnunity of nuns in her native country. 
 
 'ft--. 
 '■I'll 
 
 ■ f. 
 
306 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 ^jt 
 
 J II 
 
 ''Oil, liow (lid my l)()s<>in throb with (Miiot ion upon witnoss- 
 iiilj Iho fiuils, th(^ oxtraonliiiiii'V fViiits, rosiiltiiiif fi'oin the 
 l)i()us cxiimph" ;iii(l rclii^ious iiif^tnu'lioii of ouo. ijood woiujui, 
 \vh(Mi I v(>ll('cl('(l that, in a tew yoiirs, by the iiistninuMitality 
 of my littlii convent of St. John's, in every liarbonr, and 
 every ei'eeU, and every eove in the I-land. wotdd b(> foniid 
 mothers dill'iising aronnd them, like Mrs. Power, the liless- 
 iiijrs that Heaven had so abnndantly imparted to them! 
 and how it did eonlirm the conlidenee I entertaine(l that that 
 invalnabU^ i.istitntion, poor as it now is, nnist llourish, des- 
 tined, as it is, by God for tiie re<>'en(M'ation of a ])eople I I 
 met these good people in joy, and parted with them in jjain. 
 I said l)efore, that in the entire harbonr there is not oik; sail- 
 boat, and, tlierefore, I nuist of necessity c()nnn(Mic(> my wan- 
 derings home in a small skill", wiiich they call here a 'punt.' 
 It is something like your jolly-boats, or rather whale-l)oats, 
 but not as seaworthy ; and in this giddy bark, built to eon- 
 tain from two to three (piintals, or hundred-weight, of lish, 
 and now smik to the gunwale by tlu' addition to tlu^ crew, 
 consisting of four p(>rsons, of us two men, — in this contined 
 thing, where, when eripjjled with long sitting, we could not 
 (extend our lim!>s, nor dare to stand erect for tear of ui)set- 
 ting the skill", we |)ulle(l oil' to cross ihe extensive and turbu- 
 lent walei's of (jreen l>ay. 
 
 "This magnilicent bay eompi'ehends several smaller bays, 
 each of which in its(>lf would be considered too larg(; to 
 cross in a tolerably-si/ed sr.il lishing-boat. W(^ could not, 
 of course, b(^ expected to feel cpiite secure in our lillle craft. 
 However, as it was my intention to visit; the harbours and 
 creeks along the shore, we continued to coast along until the 
 evening of the lirst day, ■when we ))ut into :i placi! called 
 Shi[) Kun, inhaliited by only two families, where I exchanged 
 a couple of hands fir a younger and l"resh(>r pair, and, having 
 passed thi' night tluu'is sailed in the morning l"or Morton's 
 Harbour.' Here, on our arrival, I lirst began to feel fatigued, 
 
 Dr. I"l(-iiiin" met in lliis Imrboiifoiicdf tlic niitivc American Imlians, lunl 
 
 pro nil 
 
 ^e,l 
 
 to return next June to meet tlic several Indian tribes of lliiit eoust at the Itiver Exploits. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 307 
 
 oss- 
 tlio 
 
 IMIl, 
 
 lity 
 .'iiul 
 1111(1 
 
 "Ml! 
 
 Ii;it 
 ics- 
 
 iiiul wlicii I lit first cssiiycd to use my liiuhs, tlicy refused to 
 sustiiin Miy hody ; l»ut, as [ could uot jirocure a t'resli crew, 
 I Wiis forced to press forward to Fogo, Ix'cause hetwtHMi 
 these two harbours th(!r(! was no place in which I couhl hopt; 
 to _i>-et a boat or crew. l)Ut 1 cannot pass here without 
 adverting to tlie warm h()si)itaiity exhihit.'d toward us hy 
 i\Ir. Taylor, an honest rrotestuut settler. He Ii\('s a litth; 
 outside of Morton's Ilarhour, and, upon hearing of our ari'i- 
 val, he at once c,.:'ui down tt) press us to refresh ourselves at 
 his house. lie said we looked fatigued, and that he had 
 comforlahle beds, and altundant means of recruiting us amid 
 our hardships, and oll'ered us that strongest of all induco- 
 ments, a 'hearty welcome." lu'ging expressly, and with 
 marked kindness, that if he had a ])alace at his (lis[)osal lio 
 should feel ha|)|)y at ollering it for our use ; and oiu' only 
 regret in leaving the harbour was at our inability to gratify 
 his wishes ; ])ut I shall ever retain the memory of iiis kind- 
 ness, and if it over again be my fate to visit that coast I shall 
 uot pass without testifying to him the sense I entertain of his 
 sterling worth. 
 
 "A^'e sailed now one(> more for Fogo, and, with excessive 
 exertion, reached that port al"ter a j)assage of four-an<l-twenty 
 hours (the wind heading us the entire way) ; but night com- 
 in<; on I implored the crew to li'el ashore, that we miiiht 
 renew tin' cii'culati(in of the blood (n our long-contract(Ml 
 Tnubs ; and we accordingly did go ashore, and lighting a lir(% 
 we lay alongside oi' it on the rocks and slept till morning, — 
 the soundest and most icfresliing sleep we ever in our lives 
 enjoyed. 
 
 " r>ut I lia\(' exhausted your patience and my paper. Suf- 
 fice it to say, that, iu the course of our short summer, I 
 accom|)li.died a Journey of at least more than twelxc hundred 
 miles, visiting I'oi'ly-six harbours in my circuit through (irecn 
 l)ay, lionavisla IJay, Trinity J»ay, and Conception 15ay ; that 
 T administered tlu; Sacrament of Confirmation \n upwards of 
 thr(>o thousand [lersons ; of I'enance and Eucharist to nu)re 
 than that numbiir. For the greater part of the time I knew 
 
! 
 
 i li 
 
 r.08 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL III' 
 
 not the luxury of si bed, while f :i and ni<;lits together 
 
 J had not an opi)ort unity of reeliin..„ even on the thwart of 
 the hoat ; 1 had not I)een able for days to take olf my elolhes ; 
 1 seidoni met Avith better fare than a hard .sea-l)isenit and a 
 lillle li>h, sonieliines a l)it of fat pork out of the pieUle, 
 while I had not an oj)i)ortunity of indulging myself in my 
 exiiaustion witii a single glass of wine; no variety of food 
 whatever, exeejjt when the men would land on some desolate 
 rocky iskuid, and, robbing the sea-fowl of their eggs, strike 
 a fire and ro:ist them on the rocks ; while at the sauK! time 
 the stench of the ])oat from bilge-water, mixed with jnitrid 
 tlsh, so aU'eeted my stomach as to induce a seven* bilious 
 attack, which developed itself upon my return. Add (o this, 
 that 1 have oidy painted oiu" hardships by sea ; but if I 
 described our wandm'ings by land, crossing ))athless promon- 
 tories, and winding round l)ays, through forests and morasses, 
 frc(iuently when batlunl in perspiration, and fainting with 
 exhaustion under a burning sun ; obliged to plunge into a 
 river to wadc^ across, and tluui unable to change till our 
 clothes had dried on our backs ; our shoes worn from our 
 feel, and our clothes in tatters, torn by the thick underwood, 
 — you may form some idea of the dilliculties of our Mission. 
 
 " liut why should I close this without acknowledging the 
 warmth of feeling exhibited to us in King's Vow. by Mr. 
 Mullowney, of Cork, a gc^iUlenian truly worthy of re{)resent- 
 ing John ]\[acbraire, Esq., of Tweedhill, in B(>rwickshire, son 
 of the late warm-hearted James ^lacbraire, Esip, the most 
 opulent mei'chant of this country, and one of llu^ most benev- 
 olent founders of tlu^ ' IJenevolent Irish Society,' always 
 remarkal»le for the nuniiticence of his donations to the [)oor 
 and his kindness to the Catholic clergy. 
 
 " Mr. Mullowney, Mr. Macbiaire's agent, received us with 
 all that cordiality which marks his character, and tried every 
 means in his power, and, in(le(!d, with considerable success, 
 to alleviate our suderings. Here we enjoyed eomfoits that 
 those only can appreciate who have i)assed days and nights 
 together ever sitting in one spot and in one jjosturo without 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 309 
 
 daring to move, and even ihon only varying l)y snaU'liing a 
 hasty r(>j)i)so .stretched at the bottom of a lishing-ljoat, or 
 upon the hare; surfaces of the hard rock. A\'e did enjoy th(! 
 kindness of Mr. INIuilownt'y, hut yet not alone in his hospi- 
 tality, hut when we were forced to move for another hai'bour, 
 he had a boat i)rei)ared for our recei)tion, the master and 
 crew of which were directed not to leave us until wo had lin- 
 ished our tour ; and, in compliance with his injunctions, they 
 brought us to the several harbours in Trinity Uay we intended 
 to visit, and at length retiu'ued to King's Cove, after bring- 
 ing us to l)ay-de-\'erds, in Conception Bay, where, after 
 having made a visitation of the dill'crent harbours, we closed 
 our wearisome wanderings for the season. AVhile speaking 
 of Mr. ]Mullowney, I imist not omit to acknowledge the 
 ])()lite attentions of Mr. Drawbridge, of Greenspond, the 
 res])ectal)le agent of Air. Carland, of the house of (ieorgt; K. 
 Kobinson, Brooking, (Jarland, & Co., who received us with 
 the warmest hospitality." 
 
 "Having sutTercd severely during this visitation from 
 being obliged to make long passages aci'oss the bays in 
 small oar-boats, where it was impossible for hours to change 
 posture, one nuist of necessity kce}) sitting, for to stand uj)- 
 right would be to endanger the lives of all by overturning 
 the boat. Then to be obliged to pass whole days and nights 
 in this miserable plight was more than my constitution could 
 bear, and for some months after my return I found myself 
 in a very delicate state of health." He d(>termin<ul, there- 
 fore, to have a small schooner of about thirty tons built for 
 himself. " The thought of so great an enter[)rise," he says in 
 his ' Rda::ione,'' " at lirst frightened me ; but I undertook it, 
 contiding in Heaven, which, as it had helped me hitherto, 
 would not, I felt, abandon me now. 
 
 "■ I gave directions to have a small vessel built of about 
 thirty tons burden, and this vessel was not ready to sail until 
 the middle of July, for which reason I was compelled to 
 abandon my lirst intention of visiting the northward, and 
 
;no 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 (■(>iis(>(iiu'ntly was ohIipMl most rcliictaiilly lo disappoint \\w 
 Indians ; l»ii( as I was already aware that Ihoy were a i>e()[)l(! 
 oxeocdin^Iy jealous of tlie least alteni])! to dtiiHMVi! tluMn, 
 lest they .sliouhl happen lo l»e siihjeeted lo any inconxcnieiiee, 
 or to I'eel any ainioyauee at not lindini;' nie at the time and 
 l)Iaee of nieetinif, 1 sonii'lil and I'oiind an opportunity ol" 
 ac(jiiainlini:' them ol" the eirciimstance ol" my detention and 
 ('onse(|ii(Mit ('hanij^e of route, and told tliem I would certainlv 
 nuH't them in tli(> I'ay of l)c>spair aliout the close of that 
 month. 
 
 "'{"he noon ol" Friday, duly 17, 18,').'». l"ound me weiuh- 
 iiiu,- anchor on hoard the little schooner 'Madonna," with a 
 crew consistiii'ij of throe haiuls and the sl<ip|)er, accompanied 
 by tlu^ Kev. C Dalton, pastor ol" II;irl)our (irace, who had 
 been the zealous and unllinchinLT ('omi)anion ol" my toils the 
 year before, and the ]ie\ . M. lierney, pastor of Ib'uin ; and 
 althouiiii our deck was encund)ercd with a thousand feet of 
 board, or, as we call it here. Iinn/xw, we saileil out of the 
 harbour in uallant style, and in a l"ew minutes clearcMl the 
 southward point, and in an hour ca-t .'inchor in the liarl)our 
 of P<'lty Ilai'bour, and discharii'i'd our hunl»er for the chai)(d. 
 
 '"fhis little town is within ilw di-trict or ])arish of St. 
 John's, and al»out eiizht miles distant, and separated from it 
 by a I'oad. or rather jiath, that is hardly passable but in 
 winter. The entrance to the harl)oui' is esteemed dan2:erous, 
 but the harbour still alfords irood anclioray-e and shelter fi'om 
 every wind. Lik(^ almost all other towns, tluu'e arc no 
 streets, but the houses stand irregidarly scattered al)out ; 
 but there is here this peculiarity, Avliich, indeed, occurs in 
 one or two other ))lae(>s in the Island also, that the site of the 
 town is so very rocky as not to alTord sulHcii'ut earth for the 
 raisins: of one month's sui)i)lv of \'eiretal)les for the iuhabi- 
 tants. liut as I may again advert to this [)laee, I shall pro- 
 eee<l with my narrative, 
 
 "The wind that served to brinii' us into Petty Harbour 
 would not answer to (ak(! us out aj:ain. AVe were compelled 
 to tarry there for the remainder of that day and the entire 
 
 ■ 'am'°gia :a r<ig;gw«a%f)tJi?T»i>' . 
 
OF N K\V VOV N DLA ND. 
 
 311 
 
 of Siiturdiiy, and on Siiiiday, id'tcr Iiaviiii; od'crcd tho Divine 
 Sacrilicc, \\c aii'aiii set sail t'oi' the .southward ; liiil, llw^wiiid 
 a<rain licadinii: us, we wcic ()l)liii'('(l lo put into I'Vri'vlaiid, 
 wliicii place we were n(»t aide to make until alioiit noon on 
 Monday, altlioiigli distiint IVoni I'ctty llarljour only aliout 
 nine Icairucs. 
 
 '"riiis liai'hoiir allords (|iiit(' a conti'a^t to I'ctty IIarl)onr: 
 in the latter, to the very water's edire, where the hills do not 
 come down preeipit(»usly lo the shore, the hnid is covered 
 M'ith innnense masses of stone iiiil)cdded upon a foundation 
 of solid I'oek. so that yon would he inclin'ed to think that it 
 was almost necessaiy to exe'cise inu'cninty in oi'der to dis- 
 co\'er a site lor a house ; and as for gardens, I liclieve the 
 liirircst in I'ctty Ilartiour would hardly nicasui'*' ten yards 
 sipuirc. and c\cn to these the only nu-ans ot' conveyinjj; 
 manure is on men"> Iiacks up steep. erai:i:y ])recipiees ; Avhih; 
 in Ferryland you lind yourself in the nd<lst of a suiilin;^' 
 country, the iimnediate ueiiilihourhood of the town Hal and 
 fertile, hut surrounded hy hii:li and sterile hills. 
 
 "The harhonr itself is rather capacious, heinir al)out three- 
 (luarti'rs of a mile wide when you |»ass an island that stands 
 at the entranc<'. called Isle du Uois. It is well sheltered, 
 except to the north-east, and allords i^'ood aiu-horaii'e ; hut 
 the winds from the north-east produce a hi'avy and danger- 
 ous swell within. The hou>es here are i^euerally more com- 
 fortahlc, and here several larii'c I'onccnis iwo fallini; to decay, 
 owinii" to the declension of the tishery. which h;id hcen 
 lornierly carried on with i^rcat spirit on this coa-t. 
 
 "I had not intended lo luit into Fi'rryland, at least until I 
 should l»e returninu'. hecause. as the sununer was rather 
 aihanced, I preferred pu>hiuii" on as (juiekly as possible, to 
 <2.ive an opportunity to lho>e in sipu-stercMl r-ilualions, who 
 had never had the /^ratitication of sccini:' their Uishops, of 
 approaching" the Holy Sacrament of Conlirmation, and as I 
 had a few years before administered Conlirmation in that 
 harbour, I was not so anxious on their account ; and for these 
 reasons, when I did huul, 1 found the people not prepared, 
 
 ' I. ^ 
 
 
I f 
 
 II 
 
 ill 
 
 •M-2 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL niSTORY 
 
 Mild (he clcr^jfyiUMii, tlic K'cv. Timothy Brown, ahscnl, and 
 IhorcCon! I took a Itoat and prococcUMl lo Fcnnciisc, al)()ut 
 lour niih's west, and havinj; chanced lo meet (ho llvv. J. 
 Dnll'v, th*' cnra(c ot'diis dis(iic(, as I was stei)i)ing on hoard, 
 (,hat reverend <;en(lenian accompanied lis. 
 
 "He had heen i)i'epai'ed (o receive ns at Fermcnse ; and 
 w'h(Mi, upon my arrival there, I proceecU'd (o examini; (iioso 
 whom he had instructed upon the importance of the Sacrament, 
 and (h(! dispo.si{i()us necessaiy to receive it woHhily, I was 
 ;iiatilied lo lind that, amonix one lumdred and (wenly indi- 
 vichials, (hen- was not onc^ who did not "jrive ahundant proofs 
 that a zeah)us and in(h'i'atiu'al)le (eacher iiad found a docilo 
 and susceplihlo con^ireuation, and (hat {\w. seeds which (he 
 Kev. J. Dulfy seaKered had not faHen by (he ' roadside; ' or 
 'amon^ (horns,' but liad been hiid in a fruitfid soil, and prom- 
 ised an abinuhint harvest. 
 
 '■ On (he next day, Tuesday, Ihc 21st, afler iiavinuf olferod 
 (lie Divine Sacrilice of (he Mass at (iu; chapel, and exh()r(ed 
 a (h'nscly crow(U'd conixr(\!i'a(ion, I a(hninistered ('()ntii'nia(iou 
 (o tha( munbcr, and innne(lia(ely af(er sent forward a mes- 
 scniii'er to ac(juaint (he i)eoi)h' of llenews that I should visit 
 that harbour next morniiiij^. 
 
 "On (he mornini:' of Wedn(>s(hiy, 22d, havinir made our 
 matin odcrinii" of the IIolv Sacrilice, we ai;ain took boat for 
 Jvenews, about four miles dis(an(, and entered the hai'bour 
 aI)ou( noon. This is a poor (lshin<^ harboiu', but inhabited by a 
 very intclliireni people ; and hero, as w(dl as in Fernu'us(% (he 
 Rev. J. Dully 's zeal in the promolion of relitrion is manifesled 
 in (he construcdon of a eoniinodious church, atlaclied to which 
 will be a comfor(able residence for the cleriiyman. I'ho 
 l>eopIe Ikm'c, too, T found exceedingly well ins(ruc(ed, and 
 all (he chiUlren well ac(|uain(ed with (heir Catechism, owing 
 to the unaided exertions of (he same reverend <;entleman ; 
 and on the followiuij: mornin<r, Thursday, 2.')d, I administered 
 Conllrmalion to one luuubvd and forty jjorsons, a larne pro- 
 })orli()n of whom were converts to our holy relijiion. 
 
 " From this i)lace we returned the same day to Fermeuse, 
 
01'- NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 31.'i 
 
 wluMT, Iiaviiiir n>sn\n cnjoyctl the liospitiility of Mr. Ncill, \\v. 
 joined our liltlc vessel, :im(1 oii lliu next day we proceeded on 
 onr voyiiii'e ; hut luivinir ni'rived iit Trepassey Hay, wo <;ot 
 eonipletcdy hoealnied and envelo|)ed in a dense i\)<x, and there- 
 fore! I'onnd it necessary to come to aneiior nndcr Cape I'ino, 
 tlu! western entrance of tlu; l)ay. This Ixinij; a most (hin^ifcr- 
 (uiM shore, we tooU advantaiic ol" a liiiht ltree/(^ thai sprniii^ 
 n)) (hirinijc the niixhl, and <:()t nnder wei^ii once more; l)ut 
 al't"r a sliort time the wind died away, and \\v ai^ain ;;ot 
 becahned at the eiil:anc(! of this hay, whi^re the tide; runs 
 eiiiht knots an honi . 
 
 '' Th(( ninhl was intens(dv (hirU, and wo contimied (hiftin<; 
 for a considcralih' time, when we were alai'ined Ity tiie cry of 
 tlie seamen, ' IireaUeis astern ! ' and inunedialcdy we conhl 
 distinctly hear \\\c snllen roar of tho surirc as it rushed 
 ai>aiiist the rocks, and, IjreakinUi <hished its foam into the t'm'v, 
 of heaven, as if in an;i'er at the interruption; and inevitaI)lo 
 death seemed to threaten. ^^ e let }io our kedu'e anchor, but 
 the force of the tide and the violence of tho swcdiinu: waves 
 rendered it of little avail; yet was it not altoucther useless, 
 for by pullini:' upon the haws(>r we brought lier head a little 
 around, and then cutlinn' away oui' anchor, a sliiiht aii' of 
 wind s[)rinuinii" up at the s:un(^ monuMit, our vessel's side all 
 but touched as she drifted ah)nii' a ridii't' auainst which wo had 
 liecn rinmini:': and in this miumer, at tins expense of oni* 
 anchor and cal)lc, were we, by the interposition of Divine 
 Mercy, saved from a fcarfid and instantaneous death. 
 
 " \\\'. now sailed with a lair wind for onr destination ; but 
 a<>ain in a few hours it altered ; and altera fatijiuinj; passajje 
 of nearly three day^., we arrived on tiie morninji' of die 'iTth 
 July at r>uriii, into which jjlace 1 lu'xt put, and where 1 n;- 
 mained an entire week. 
 
 "At liurin W(! enjoyed the comfortable fireside and coi'dial 
 welcome of the companion of our voyau'c, the licw Mr. IJcr- 
 ney : and as tho entire popidation of that portion of tho dis- 
 trict which lies alonj;' tlu! western shore of Placentia IJay is 
 scattered over an imnieuse number of islands, wo wore 
 
.314 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 obliircd to (lofcr Ihclimc of iulministrrinu; Confinnntion there 
 to the ioUowiiii; 8uii(l:iy, llu> riitire week Ix'iiig riMjuisitc to 
 advertiser llici jjcople mikI hrinijf llieiii toixellier. 
 
 "IJiii'in is Mil i>l'iii(l ;il)oiil tlirce miles in lenu'lli, and Iviiiii' 
 noi'th iiiid south, iiearl}' a mile from the iiiainlaiul, and ahoiil 
 it you fuid a iaru-e uumher of islands, some of Avhicli are 
 covered with wood; and tlu> population u})ou these is so thin 
 and scattered that one friend cannot visit another hut hy 
 boat. 'Jlie Island of lUiriu is for the most ])ait a solid rock, 
 scarcely allnrdini:' anytiiinii' like ])as(ure; and, in some in- 
 Ktances, th()>e who wish to enjoy the comfort of a i^arden at 
 ilicii" house nuist brinii" soil from other places, and we used 
 while there V(>i:'etabh,'s raised hy our respcc't(>d host in a 
 garden so created. 
 
 " rpon coming ashore, I was most agr(M'al)ly surpi'ised to 
 find that Jill my anticipations of the state of the ("Inirch and 
 the parochial residence of the clei'gyman, etc., wwc sur- 
 passed. ']'!k> hold ])()sili()n of the church — its site being 
 ii[)i)u a ^■cry commanding height, rising almost precipitously 
 from the shore: its neatly fmished (iothie Aviudows; the 
 tasteful manner in which it is painted ; the >im))le and chaste 
 style of the altar ; the neatness around you at all sides; the 
 liandxime and light gallcrie> : and, t' ii. the sacred hal)ili- 
 ments of (he clergyman, — all giatilied n.e in the extreme, 
 and found the most pleasing commentary upon tli(> piety and 
 zeal of that rcNcrend gentleman. 
 
 "The hou>e is also a ^ery n(\'it and comfoi'tablc editice, 
 adjoining the church, and with a handsome and wcll-laid-out 
 garden, which runs in front the full length of the house and 
 chui'ch. f(U'nis an ciiscinliJe. truly crcdiialiU> to the ta>te and 
 in(lu>lry of the IJev. Mr. I'ei'iicy, and jiresent to the con- 
 femplativi' obserxcr lli(> most I'oiix incing proof that tlu; 
 virtues of the pastor are \\(^ll estimated by the congregation. 
 
 "On Sunday. August the 2d, the testis al of the dedication 
 of St . Mai'y of Angels, a large congregation assembled, and 
 after liaving celebrated Mass, at which an excellent choir 
 assisted, exiun'ted those who wer(> te) l)e conlirmed on the 
 
if 
 
 '■■■ 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 31') 
 
 
 iniportaiu'C of the act tlicy wew, alioiit to perform, and tlui 
 lia[)py results llial must lollow to those who i-eceive so holy 
 a sacrament ui(h the i)roper disijositions. I ailministered 
 Conlirmalion to ninety-tour jx'rsons, uho had heen })re- 
 viously well ])repared and instructed, and umonii'st whom 
 were no fewer than thirty-six heads of families, converts to 
 the Ivoman Catholic faith : and on the next day, Monday, I 
 apiin administered that sacrament to twenty pci'sons, who 
 came from a i;i-eat distance, and had not hccn aide to reach 
 iu time to he conlirmed tlie day hefore. makini;' the entire 
 numl)er at liurin one hundred and liftcen. 
 
 "JUnin is the last ecclesiastical district to the W(>stward : 
 it commences from Little Paradise, in IMacentia Uay, and 
 runs down southward to ('a})e Chapeau Kouiic, which, with 
 Cajie St. ^[ary"s to tin east, forms the entrance' to I'lacentia 
 Pay. heimi' there sixtecMi jeaii'ues and a half wide. From 
 C'ai)c Chapi'au lvoui>e it strikes to the westward as far as Cape 
 Kay, and from Cajie Kay rims a^ain north even to IJelh^ IsK; 
 in the Straits. 
 
 "Uutwhat facility do we find in thus defunmr the limits 
 of a district in Xew foundland? How easy to tell you that 
 the northern district extends from the (irates to Cape John ! 
 But when you are told that it includes the vast hays of 
 Trinity, rxmax ista, CJander IJay, Uay of Exploits, White 
 Ihxy, and IJiiy of Xoti'c Dame, eom|)rehendin;x a coast of 
 prohahly tweUc hundred miles in len^^i'th, you may have 
 some idea of the manner in which the duties are to he per- 
 formed Iiy tlu> cleru'yman ; parlicidarly when you learn that 
 in many hai'ltours you will iind no more than two families, in 
 some only one, and ii larp' numln^r containinii- less than ten : 
 and, then, the vast multitude of islands similarly inhahited, 
 fiu- which the t'oast of Xewfoundland is remarkahle. — you 
 will i)ercei\'e cleai'ly that many, very many, indeed, in those 
 remote' and isolated places nm>t (>f necessity appear I)efor(^ 
 the eternal throne of the Most Iliuh (iod unaided l;y the 
 savinu' graces eommunicateel iu the holy sacraments. 
 
 " In that very northern district, if J had it in my i)ower to 
 
r>i6 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 i 1(1 
 
 I'l 
 
 have two adclitioiiiil clcrirytnon, one to place in Trinity r>iiy, 
 and anotlior in Fortune! Harbour. Thoso witii tho cKTirynieu 
 at ])rosont in Tilting Harbour, an.l the Kev. X. Devereux, 
 in King's Cove, in Bonavista Bay, I would lioi)o that tiie 
 poor i)eoi)le in that (juarter would be attended to ; but", then, 
 a vast majority ot'llie people of Triiihy jjay are Protestants, 
 and the few Calholies are far apart, and poor, so that the 
 elergyinan allocated there, as also in Fortune Harbour, should 
 bo su})i)orted l)\ a stipend raised elsewhere. 
 
 "An annoying circiunstance, but one which will enable 
 vou to estimate the comfort of a loduinu' in such a dwidiin": 
 better than any description 1 could give, occurred to me, on 
 my former visitsition to the northward. Yon are aware that 
 1 was, on all mv littUi vovai^cs, conlined to boats, sometimes 
 small and sometimes large. When T would get into the 
 lai'gc class of boats, I could enjoy the luxury of leaning ; for, 
 with my back naturally weak, it was my grcat«'st comfort 
 when iVced from the stillness of my })osition in the smaller 
 boats. Indeed, [ could seldom sit upright, but kept con- 
 stantly leaning forward on that i)ail of llu^ false deck where 
 the peo})l»! laid the board for our meals ; and even while par- 
 taking of their ruiie fare, as it was flung out of the |H)t upon 
 the board. — for it usually consisted of pork and lisli boiled 
 together, ^vhich they call ' lish and vang," — 1 coidd not re- 
 frain from such indulgence, even though at the "xpeuse of 
 my coat. 
 
 "At length, one morning when 1 arose, after having 
 enjoyed the comfort of being able to sleep upon a IxmI, I 
 dressed, and, on putting on my coat, fancy my surprise* at 
 finding one of the sleeves literall3Maken away; but, upon 
 investigating, I found that the reason was that, my bed 
 having been upon the floor of the hous(\ although what 
 might \)y\ called a comfortable one, I had stulled my clothes 
 along in the spaces to keep out the nuisiiuitoes and galley- 
 nipj)ers, and that the sleeve of my coat had passed through 
 the interstices, and having been considerably imi)regnated 
 ■with the juice of the tishermen's food, ind)ibed from the 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 317 
 
 'viing-board,' the entire sleeve, from the elbow, was eaten 
 away by the doirs or the rats. 
 
 "On the niorniiiij of Tuesday, August 4, at an early hour, 
 our bunting was hoisted, and the Cross floated gallantly at 
 our fore, and the principal i)e()i)l(' of Burin raised the Union 
 and their several house-flags, to eonii)linient us on our 
 departure. When we got under way we were gratified by a 
 salute with camion froui the battery of St. Patrick, and again 
 from that of St. (ieorge ; and wlien the establishment of Mr. 
 P;ige, a highly resi)ectable English gentleman, oi)en(Hl upon 
 us, we Avere paid a similar mark of respect, and in a few 
 moments afterwards cleared the harbour of Burin, and bore 
 away for Caj)e Chapeau Rouge ; but having made the Cajjc, 
 and stretched a few leagues along the shore, the wind i)rov- 
 ing unfavourable, we were compelled to steer our course for 
 St. Peter's. 
 
 "This island is not within the jurisdiction of the Vicar 
 Apostolic of Newfoundland. It is a small French island, 
 about a dozen leagues from ("ape Chaj)cau Ixougc;, and 
 the cure has jurisdiction innnediately from the Holy See. 
 Here we arrived the same evening, and having i)aid our 
 resjjects to the Very l\ev. Dr. Olivier and his uicalre, M. 
 Lamie, we dei)arted on "Wednesday morning, with a fair 
 wind, for P)ay I)esi)air, and on the evening of the same 
 day anchored in Hermitage Bay, where we notiiicMl to 
 the few inhabitants, and among them the old man of the 
 name of Long of whom I s})oke before, that on the day 
 after the morrow the Bishop would celebrate ]\[ass and 
 admiuister the Sacrament of Confirmation at (Jaltaus, the 
 principal harbour of Long Island, at the entrance of Bay 
 Despair. 
 
 "Nothing t'ould (M|ual the delight of these [)()or people at 
 hearing thi^ coml'ortiiig intelligence. At first they could 
 scarce give it credence ; but as tlu^ rinnour of our intended 
 visit had already reached them, they wei-e easily led to 
 believe, and shed tears of joy and gratitude. In tiie morn- 
 ing we sailed over to Galtaus, and on my arrival I was 
 
318 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IILSTOHY 
 
 
 ; ^1 
 
 iiiii 
 
 I/' 
 
 
 jjolitciy aocomniodtitt'd by "Mv. CJiillop, the liiirIilyvospo('t!i1>lo 
 nii'i'iit of the lu)us(v of Ncwiiiiiu ct Co., willi a wlialc-hoat 
 and crow, and in this way [jrocccdcd myself to advcrti>(' tlic 
 people in the adjacent coves ;ind liarhoiii's of my arrival; and 
 short as was the notice, I, on tiie lollowinii' morniiiLl;', Ani^ust 
 Till, administered C'onlirmation to lit'ty-tbnr jx'rsons, and 
 received two converts into the Chnrch. Next day I left 
 (Jallans for Hay Despjiir, and our course for that hay was 
 through the narrow delile or strait called Long Island 
 Passaii'e. 
 
 " On the 8th of Aiiirust we entered tliis iiassairo. It was 
 a deliirhtful day, aiul we ran alonii' hefore a liiiht l)ree/.e. at 
 the rate of live loiots an hour, throuiih what I may call a 
 beautiful mai'ine sivcnue, ruimini:' dui' north al)oul twenty- 
 five miles, and liounded on bolh sides by most maiiiiificent 
 forests. The sun had already ascench d pretty hi^'h in his 
 course, ami as we I»rushed alonu' rapidly, nearly touching' both 
 shores at the same time. I thought Nature had exhausted all 
 her powers to render the scene eiichantinu'. 
 
 "The shore on the ri^ht and on the left rose ])recipitously, 
 and the forests literally lumj:' over the summit, while the sun 
 poured throuii'h the foliage its liciuid lii:ht . uivinii' an e\i'r- 
 varyini:' lu>tre, sheddim:" an eternally chanii'inii' charm upon 
 the landscape. We i'elt as it" we were touchiiiLf an luiexplored 
 country, where all thai can I)cautify oi' embellish, all that 
 can chet'r or animate the fai v' of nature is ever britihl and 
 evci- NcrdanI, and where darkness and sterility are unknown : 
 sut'li waslhe as[)ect of the country all along these uiiinhabileil 
 (roasts. 
 
 " ^^'Ilen you pa>s Long L'-landyou are in the centre of I'Say 
 Despair, which lieic spread.- en>t and west, and thi'ows its 
 vast aims in these diri-ctions far info the land ; one arm as if 
 anxious to meet withtiander liay. and the other rushing lo 
 embractr the i)ay of Lxptoits, lea\ ing only a few miles of 
 land separating the extremities, so that the Indians, parsing 
 iVom tlu' northern settlement to that of Way 1 )e>[)air, have 
 little uKue than one day's journey to travel liy land. 
 
 i 
 
 \A 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 310 
 
 " Tlio oastwiirtl hraiicli wjis our course, and avo piissod 
 along the coast of liie cliarniini!: Tsle du Uois ; and sailing 
 by the mouth of 1/itlle Kiver, at ItMiglh cain(> in sight of the 
 Indian wigwams at the entrance of Conne KMver early in the 
 day. Tiies(! pri'sent a singular ap[)eai'anee to thc^ stranger. 
 Imagine to A'ourself a l;irii-e colh'etion of tents irreii'ularlv 
 disjjosed, constructed of long straight poles stuck in the 
 ground and coming t()g(>ther at the top, tied with birch 
 fastenings, and the whole kept in a eii'culav form by means 
 of hoops within, and covered with the bark of tr(>cs. At tlie 
 <'nlrance of the rivei' a high sand-bank runs across, lea\ing 
 barely I'oom for a ncsscI to enter the pond or basin wilhin, 
 and upon this jjeninsular bank are those conical tents or wig- 
 wams disposed. 
 
 "ITpononr aiiproacli the inhabitants lied, but tlu^ instant 
 we hoisted the ilag, on which a cross was disj)layed, to the 
 masthead, conlidenct! seenu d restored, and they retui'ued 
 from the woods; and what was my annoyance to leai-n that, 
 although these ])0()r peojjle had been two months expecting 
 me in this i)lace, Ibr they had heard of my intended route to 
 the westward even bctbre they recei\ed my message, some 
 ovil-disposed ))erson ac(|Uainte(l them, as if from authority, 
 that no cl(Mgyuian would > isit them this year. 
 
 ''A few men and women, howcNcr. I'ould not be dissuaded 
 from waiting, so that in place ot" meeting at this rendezvous 
 from two to three hundred Indians, I oidy found twenty- 
 eight persons, whose joy in seeing us was testified by a thou- 
 sand little innocent e\lra\ agancies. W'c remained with tluMU 
 till the I'ollowing ^\'cdn('sday. instructed them Ihi'ouLili an 
 interjireler, said Mas.^ every day in their wigwams, heard 
 their confessions, and fmally coiitirmed twenty-seven of their 
 num1)er, the othiu's having been conlirmetl titty years ago in 
 Canada. 
 
 "The simplicity of the nianner> of thes(> p(M)ple is truly 
 interesting; and their piety, the air of recollection lh<'y ex- 
 hibit at their devotions, their attachment (o their icligion, 
 and their veneration for its ministers, are edifying in the 
 
 il 
 
 I 
 
 
320 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTORV 
 
 cxtreine. Tn roarin<i; their chiUlivn tlioy aro particularly 
 caroful lo instil into tiieir tontlcr iniiuls a love of purity and 
 attachnu'nt to every virtue. Wlienner they settle lor a 
 season, tor they lead a wanderinji; life, the first thini^ tlx'y do 
 is to unite, and hy their joint labour erect a lar<re wigwam, 
 which they use as a house of prayer ; and should any of their 
 tribe od'end auainst public morals, \n\ is invariably excluded 
 from this c^hurch, and, in some cases, is never apiin perniitted 
 to enter until his ollence is wijied away in the Sacrament of 
 Penance; and they invarial)ly observe the Sabbath with the 
 most scrupulous exactness. 
 
 "On Sundays and holydays of the year they invariably 
 assembh; toirether in the morninu", and after sin<i:in<; the 
 Ki/n'e EJelxdii^ the (Uorla,i\\\iX 6'rc(/o, they oiler the Rosary, 
 and some other prayers, usually occui)yiu<; an hour; and in 
 the alternoon they ai>:iin meet and sin^u' \'espers, for they have 
 not only books of devotion written in their own lan<:[uagc, 
 but also the princi[)al hynms and psalms set to the Gregorian 
 chant. l>iit the curiosity of some may probably be excited 
 at learning that I heard thi'ir confessions, although I did not 
 uiiderslMnd their language. The mode I adopted was simple ; 
 and as it deviated tVom the manner in which they made 
 their former conlessions — being through an interi)reler — I 
 shall relate it. In the great wigwam or church I caused u 
 [)artition to be raised of deer-skin, and having seated myself 
 'erDretcr at one side close to the skin 
 
 >y 
 
 P 
 
 and in such a way as that neither could see the penitent, who 
 kiu'lt at the other sidc^ of the skin, I reached my liand behind 
 the partition, where I held that of the penitent. I now put 
 such intcrroiratories as I judired necessary throu<rh the in- 
 terpreter ; and, as I had jireviously carefully instructed them 
 in the manner in which they \\. re to conduct themselves, the 
 rei)lies wei'(^ given, not orally, but the alHrmatives by a gentle 
 pressure of my hand, and the negatives by a withdi'awal of 
 theirs. In this manner I heard the confessions of the whole. 
 "And now canu; the period of departure, and nothing 
 cou'.d exceed the jrrief of the entire mimbcr, which vented 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 321 
 
 itself alt(M"natrly, amid siixlis and tears, in cntroalios to pro- 
 lonii^ our stay, and coniijlaints of the shortness of our visit; 
 but oil the niorninir of Wednesday, when our colours were 
 hoisted, and they saw us determined to sail, they all turned 
 out armed with lonjjj strand <inns, and saluted us with several 
 volleys, tired with the most unerring exactness, and several 
 fcitu dejoio, that seer^ed to bet ray loni; practi-'e. The dexterity 
 of the women in loadinir :ind tirinir these heavy j)ie(!es, seven 
 or eiglit feet long, was particularly annising to us; and as 
 long as we continued in sight, these warHU(! compliments 
 were continued quicker in succession tlum it is jjossible for 
 you to conceive. 
 
 "On Wednesday, the 12th, we sailed from this interesting 
 tribe for (ireat fJer»is IIarl)()ur, at the extremity of the; bay, 
 where only four families reside, and having hoisted our Hag 
 as a signal to those at a distance, — for we had here no means 
 of connnunicating with the nc'ighbouring harbours, — we col- 
 lected about thirty next day. of whom I confirmed t wenty-four. 
 
 "On Friday we steered for St. J\'ter"s once moie, on 
 our return, and on the same evening cast anchor in the har- 
 bour, where we i'xi)erienced the i)olitest attiMitions f>-om the 
 Kev. J)r. Olivier and the local authorities, and having been 
 pressed to remain for the Sunday, I celebrat(>d a Pont ideal 
 High Mass; and on the Sunday following, August l<Sth, set 
 sail for Cape Chapeau Kouge, and entered the harbour of 
 Great St. Lawrence the same evening, and as a i)racticable 
 pathway runs from (Jreat St. I^awrence to Little St. I>aw- 
 reuce, the pco|)le of the latter j)Iace were soon advertised 
 of our coming ; but as I was given to understand that a mes- 
 senger was des})alchetl to Lawn. al)out seven or eig ' niles 
 distant overland, where one or two taniilies reside, 1 waited 
 until Thiu'sday, when, having discovered ihat the messenger 
 had not gone, I was under the necessity of proceeding with- 
 out them ; and on Thursday, tln^ 21th, I had the satisiaction 
 of administering Contirmation to sixty-live [X'rsoiis, a majority 
 of whom were converts and the children nf converts to the 
 faith. Immediately after we set sail for Burin, in order to 
 
 ■ ' 
 
322 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKV 
 
 Iciivo llu'lJov. ^\v. I'ciiu'V ill homo, jiiul ri'iulicd lliiit liarhour 
 on lliiil (>v('niii<r. 
 
 "On Friday, 1st (if Aiiii'iist, we Miilcd tVom I)iirin lor 
 (ii'cal IMai'ciilia, at llic opiio.site side of liie bay, l)iil much 
 hiiilier up ; and liavini:' reached the laltor rather late, wo stood 
 oil' duriuii" the uiiiht, and in tlie moruiui:", the wind ])rovin;^ 
 rather hatlliiiir, Mr. ^Iur|)hy. the wortliy aircnt of my hiend 
 Mr. Sweetman, wlio had received instructions from that 
 excellent <:-eulh'iuau to make our sslay in IMacentia as com- 
 lbrtal)le as [)ossil)le, siMit out boats to tow us in. and early 
 on Saturday we cast anchoi' in I'lacentia Harbour. 
 
 "On Sunday, the 2."»d, I administei'cd the Sacrament of 
 C'ontirmatioii lo oiu'hty persons, amongst whom were many, 
 and ])articularly several of the most respectable inhal)itants, 
 who liad been converted to tiie faith ; and on ^Monday I 
 a_i>ain conferred Confirmation upon twenty-nine ])ersons, who 
 came up from near the extremity of the bay. and liad arrived 
 too late the day before, ma kinii' the number one hundred and 
 nine in all. 
 
 ''On Monday, the 23d, wc sailed fi'om this harl)our, 
 havini:'. durinir our stay, received the kindest attentions in 
 the house of Mr. Sweetman, whose absence in Ireland de- 
 prived us then of the pleasure of personally expressiuiT our 
 acknow lediiuients. Jn a cou|)le of houi's we ii'ot into 1/ittle 
 Placenlia, beinu' (>nly aliout three leagues to the northward, 
 where we had the ])leasure of meetinu' the IJev. 'Mv. \owIan, 
 who had been lately appointed to that disti -t ; and it 
 all'orded me the sinceiest satisfaction to llnd, both here and 
 in (ireat IMacentia, his conirre<>ati()n loud in praise of his 
 cxeitions to allbi'd them the comforts of religion. 
 
 " Ilei'c we remained till Sunday, the oOth. These live days 
 AV(> passed heariuii' confessions and instrut'tiuii' the coniir(\iia- 
 tion, whom we found well j)repared by that reverend u'ciule- 
 man ; and never did I meet a i)eoi)le more attach(>(l to their 
 rcdigion, or more devoted to its ministers, than the people of 
 this entire district, and on Sunday I had no fewer than 
 ninety-four to whom to achninistor Conlirmation. 
 
 wt 
 
OF NKWFOrNDLAND. 
 
 323 
 
 
 "On ^Nrondiiy, Au<;iist 31st, avo steered our eoursc lor 
 Iiiirreii Ishmd, near the head of the hay, on the western 
 shore, where \vc ai-rived that eveninir, and on tlie next day I 
 contirnicd sixty-two persons; and as the day was consider- 
 ubly advanced, and I at leniith heiran to feel weary, I de- 
 ferred our departure till tlie day followinir, when we sailed 
 for Meraelieen, in the island of that name, which lies a short 
 distance, about ii league, to the southward of liarren Island ; 
 but thut part to which w.e were bound being seven leagues 
 distant, we reached there on Wednesday evening, where we 
 remained till the Sunday following. 
 
 "On Sunday, Seitteniber the fUh, I connrmed eighty-six 
 persons in this harbour, among whom were twenty-six who 
 had been converted to the Catholic faith ; and innnediately 
 after the ceremony of the morning I was wailed upon by two 
 men who stated that they were Protestants, that they were 
 induced to accompany their Catholic neighbours out of a frolic 
 and through curiosity, and had attended that morning in the 
 place when; we had celebrated with a propensity to turn 
 everything into rNiicule, but that the instructions there 
 given, both before and after Continuation, dissipated their 
 errors, and convinced them that ours was tlu^ true faith. 
 
 " To the insti'uction of these sincere children of gr:ic(! I 
 devoted this day, deferring my intended departure till the 
 next. In the course of tlu; same day a third individual was 
 added, and in {he evening I admitted them i)ublicly into the 
 Church. In the morning I administered Contirmation to 
 twelve persons, including these tliri'e converts, whom (Jod 
 has so signally rescued from the ways of error. Thus was 
 the total number of [lersons conlirmed at Merachcen ninety- 
 eight. Immediately after the close of the ceivmonies we 
 de[)arted, bearing away for St. Mary's IJay, and anchored oji 
 Tuesday evening in St. Marv's Ilarljour. 
 
 "Here we again met the Kev. .lames Dully, against whom 
 there had been a rmnor circulated that i)roceedings at law were 
 instituted for the alleged o tie nee of, with a party of rioters, 
 tearing down and destroying a lish-tlake on the i)remise.s of 
 
 m 
 
324 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 if* 
 
 m 
 
 'I 
 
 I 
 
 Messrs. Sliulo, Klson, & Co., at St Mary's, who have a largo 
 concern here, over whieli an ancnt of the name of JMartui 
 presides, who seems exceedingly ohnoxious to the ))eoplc. 
 
 "The ilake had really been destroyed; but, then, it had 
 occurred in (he January before, and we were now come to 
 September, and it ap[)eai'ed to me that this charge was 
 merely kept hanging over Ihe reverend genlleman and the 
 j)oor jjcople of St. Mary's for vile party purp()S(\s ; and what 
 tended to confirm this opinion of mine was, that now the 
 Cii'«'uit dudge was about to dose his labours, after having 
 heUl his court in all the adjoining harbours, as well as in the 
 liarl)()ur of St. Mary's, and yet tlu^re were no informations 
 lodged or evidence taken upon the subjcH't ; and therefore, 
 under such circumstances, 1 thought it the duty of his 
 liishop. where the character of a clergyman was for many 
 months made tlu^ butt at which to level every foul and enven- 
 omed shaft of the traducer, and yet deny him the ])rivilege 
 of a legal investigation, — J thought it my <luty to institute a 
 riii'id inciuirv into the circumstances, the result of which was 
 that I was c()mi)elled to acpiit both the i)riest and people 
 of even tin; substance of criminality. 
 
 " J am (|ui(e sure you will ac(|uit me of any intention of 
 imi)u<>'niiiir v<>i'i' knowled<»e of anv of the lilierai arts and 
 sciences if I at once conclude that you know nothing at all 
 of !i lish-ilake. This is an erection raised for the purpose of 
 drvin<; tish. In this counti'v sea-b(>ach(>s are very few, so 
 that necessity, the i)arent of invention, has taught the jieople, 
 as it were, a mode of creating beaches, even amongst the 
 rudest rocks. A number of shores or uj)rights are fixed in 
 the ground, and upon these arc nailed a suflicient quantity of 
 beams, by which the whole frame is iirndy connected. On 
 these beams a floor of wattles, or, as we call them, 
 ' longures,' prol)al)ly from the Latin loiK/uriu.s, is laid. The 
 extremity of this tloor generally rests on the ground, or on 
 very low stakes, while the height of tlie uprights increases as 
 they run into the sea or to the water's edge, so that the tloor 
 presents a perfect level, sometimes of several hundred s(|uare 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 325 
 
 feet, aiul then it is covcM'cd with the liirlit tops of bouirlirt tied 
 down with hircli iMsteniiii^s, n\Hm wliieh tiie lish is spread, 
 and in this manner is there, wliere the beaeh is insutlicient, a 
 valuahie sul)stitnt(i provided. 
 
 "In St. Mai-y's Ilarl)our, the house I have alluded to have 
 very extensive premises; and their airent, Mr, Martin, <;ot 
 into the IIou.->e of Assembly, and althouiih jx'titioned against 
 by tv,() thousand people as not legally (pialilied, — not bein<^ 
 n householder, — /tis aim vote was idloired to ver/afire the 
 motion for inf/uirt/ info that (/luilijiailion ; and shortly afltu" 
 he was invested with the eonnnissioii of the i)eace, — the oidy 
 inaiiistrate in St. Mary's liay. 
 
 "I found the harbour of St. Mary's lik(\ almost every other 
 harbour in Newfoundland, a eolleet ion of houses built at ir- 
 rejiuiar distanees, not formin<; anywhere a stniet or a lane, and 
 eonunandin<i: a liood beach, l)aeked by risin<>; ground rather 
 elear, whieh proved useful to the pco})le for all i)ul)lic pur- 
 l)08es ; and from the oldest inhabitants of tlu; bay, men more 
 IhiM) seventy years of aue, I learned that, as lony- as they and 
 their fathers renu'inbered, this beaeh, and the mound behind, 
 were rc_i>arded as publie proi)erty ; nor had any one durintr that 
 innneuse lajise of time ever laid elaini to a riuht of jjroprie- 
 tarv. On the mound, many years airo, had been ereetcd a 
 Catholie ehureh by the jx'ople ; but, o\vini>' to the ex|)()sure 
 of the situation, it was blown down. A second was ei-(U'ted 
 on a dillerent site, but this was literally blown over the hill ; 
 and now the peoi)le, under the direction of the Kev. James 
 Duily, who has nuieh distinguished himself by his activity 
 in urainjj on the erection of churches throughout that dis- 
 trict, di'termined to come down nearer the beaeh, and ex- 
 cavate a sit(i for tlu^ church, and thus place it beyond a 
 possibility of meeting a similar fate. 
 
 "As this beaeh was the only place that was not occupied 
 privately, of course it was the only ])lace of landing, not 
 only for the people of St. Mary's, but for the inhabitants of 
 the other parts of the bay, who, as the mouiul wa*; a[)i)r()- 
 priated as a public cemetery, required the use of the beach 
 
f 
 
 ■ipiV IK 
 
 aatP'z:.. ' 
 
 320 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ! ri 
 
 HH a iMiliIic passiiijo ; and, aijain, this hcacli and this mound 
 Avcru tho only phici's on whii'h the jx-opjc! i-ouhl claim a riu'ht 
 to spread out their nets, ete., tor (h-yinu:, or on which they 
 could draw up their boats to remain for the winter, or to 
 repair in tlu^ spring. 
 
 " In the winter of 1834-5 it 8eoms n poor man named 
 Fewer ei'ccted a llaUe on a i)art of tliis heach : hut scnrcelv 
 was it up when Mr. ^lartin, the magisti'ate, hefore day in 
 the morning, brought a party to cut it down ; and so far, I 
 ai)i)reliend, Ik; acted very properly; but in |)lace of stop|)ing 
 liere, ln^ eonunenced at once to run a new llaUe for his house 
 the full IctKjth of the beach, thus at once cult ing oil' tlu^ public 
 from a possibility of conveniently using their church groimd 
 or their cemetery, and (Ie[)ri\iiigall tlu^ inhabitants of the only 
 place on whiih they could haul uj) their boats and cratt in 
 tlu^ winter; and llu! natural result was, that as the m;igis- 
 trate li;i(l clearly shown them, in the instance of Fewer's 
 flake, that a public nuisance, and obstructing the highway, 
 may Ik; leuallv removed and destroyed by any ix'rson, they 
 proceeded Avilli the erection of their church, occasionally 
 jjivinii" Martin notice to remove the Hake. 
 
 "At length the church Wits tinished ; and now they cut 
 the tliike across at Martin's boumhiry, and aiiJiin noticed him 
 that they would destroy the entire of the new tl.Mke :is it 
 extended from this cut if he did not remove it ; and, seeing 
 that altt'r the lapse of several weeks their notices were 
 unheeded, the entire i)()j)ulalion united, and in llie most 
 orderl}' manner, exceedingly unlik(> riot or confiisiou, delib- 
 erately took down the Hake, ms Mr. Martin had done, with 
 this tiid'ei-ence, that Mr. Mint in, the magistrate, attackeil 
 Fewei''s tlakc^ by night, and they ai'ted in the middle of the 
 noondiiy ; Martin tore down, without any ])revi()ns notifi- 
 ciition; the jjeople having given ample notice, and having 
 taken down the allair, they destroyed the lUiUerials. 
 
 "This, I really feel convinced, is a true statement of this 
 case, uhii'h hiis been made use of in the most ludiandsome 
 manner as a i)retext for insulting and maligning the peo[)le 
 
 w«. 
 
OF NEWFOUN PLAM). 
 
 327 
 
 ()(' XcwfouiKllMiKl. — !i people proverltiiil lor their obedieneo 
 to the l.iws of ilieir coiiiitrv. \>n\, altlioiiirh this ease had 
 eoiii|)lelel_v died away, — allhoiijrh Tiionths had e!a|)sed jmd 
 no inroi'iiiatioiis weie lodired, — ailhoujjfh Ihe Soiilherii Circuit 
 passed o\(M', and the Court had aetiialiy held a session in 8t. 
 ]\Iary's lI;irl)our itself, and on the very spot in dispute, ^vith- 
 out a single f|uestion luiviiii:' arisen upon the subject , no sooner 
 did the honourable the ('liiel" Justice (Mr. J»oultoii) land in 
 St. .b)hn"s, on his return from Kn<.d:uid, than lu^ himself 
 issued a warrant auainst the jx'ople of St. Mary's, and the 
 Kev. .Imuu's Dully was arrested by two connnon catch[)oles, 
 and drajipMl a distance of many miles throuiih a country 
 where a people, thouiili attached enthusiastically to their 
 clerii'V, Liave on this occasiou the stroni^est proof that they 
 are laui:ht to reverence the laws even, if possible, more. 
 
 "These coiistMblcs brouLrht tlu! reverend lienllcman before 
 the district magistrates of Ferryland, who, upon his a])pear- 
 anee before them, could not resti'ain themselves from <iivin<^ 
 expression to their satisfaction at havinir ' eauu'Iit ' a priest. 
 He iiave bail for his appearance at the next session of the 
 Su]>rcnie Court, and as this court is ludd at St. John's, ho 
 at once saw there was som(^ object to bo gained by omitting 
 to have him tried Ix'fore the Circuit Judjro, and roservinij;' him 
 for the Hon. .Iud<4e IJoulton, because such was the facility 
 to ii'ct witnessi's, etc., when the trial was to b(! had on the 
 circuit, that there was every security for havinu' justice done ; 
 and he anticipated the utmost dillic-ulty in gettinjr <i parcel 
 of very poor men to volunli'cr. or, indeed, to consent to 
 come in anyway to St. dohn's, a distance of a hundnid miles, 
 in the de[)th of winter, and at a time when small-pox, a 
 disease at th<> bare mention of which the peoph; of \ew- 
 foundland shudder, was raii'injj; there with fatal violence. 
 
 " I'pon the opening" of the court, the IJev. ,bunes Dully 
 appeai'cd, and luiother jjrisoner with him ; but althouiih he 
 stated his readiness lo ine(>t his accusers, unsui)ported as 
 he was by a sinirle witness, the Crown, — for it was made 
 matter of prosecution by the Attorney-General, — the Crown 
 
r 
 
 <npil 
 
 WJlt I ~ 
 
 328 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 drew l)!ick and adjourned the case till the next term, upon 
 the ])lea of not having all the parties accused together; so 
 that hero was the priest again sent away, obliged again to 
 walk hack to St. Mary's, one hundred miles, having only 
 four days before acconii)lished the same journey, and with 
 Ihis slur u[)on his cliaracter not to be removed before next 
 X()veml)(>r. lUit such, unha))i)ily, is the administration of 
 justice in Xewfonndland, where the character or liberty of a 
 priest is in question. 
 
 " The importance of this subject, and more particularly 
 its connection with the objects of my visitation, one of which, 
 and perha])s the most important, is to ascertain the character 
 of the ministers who have the charge of souls, and tlu; man- 
 ner in which they fultil their high trust, nuist be my apology 
 for obtruding this relation upon you; but it will also give 
 you practical illustration of my former observation, that the 
 missionary who zealously discharges his duty in Newfound- 
 land nmst exjx'ct to be replenished with o))probrium. 
 
 '"The day after my arrival I devoted principally to the 
 investigation of the circui>istances connected with the il ike, 
 and on Thursday morning I eontirmed eighty-live persons; 
 and as ihs was the last place at which I intended to stop, we 
 set sail, after Confirmation, for St. John's, where we arrived 
 on Saturday, the 12th of September. 
 
 "And thus we closed a visitation, in which we had under- 
 gone the greatest labours, tlie greatest hai'dships, and had 
 more than once incurred the greatest dangers ; but, never- 
 theless. Heaven permitted us to land in safety, and with 
 eom[)aratively unimpaired health. And now I sh:dl close 
 this long letter, reserving for a final one the particulars of 
 the dilliculties that awaited us at home, where we found 
 small-i)ox raging violently, while the i)eople were sull'ering 
 from extreme ])overty. 
 
 "I am, my dear Sir, with great respect, 
 
 "Your most ol)liged and very humbl(> servant, 
 "+ MICHAEL ANTilDXY FLEMING, 
 
 "Catholic liiff/ioj) of Xeirfouudland, etc,'''' 
 
 wi 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 329 
 
 "I found my poor peojjle, upon my landing in St. John's, 
 sunk in the uroiitest misery, owing Vo the ravages making 
 among tliem hy small-pox ; and as upon the breaking out of 
 every c[)idemic it is the humbler classes whose poverty first 
 invites disease, the poor of St. John's were sufferers indeed. 
 
 "At this lime, too, the utmost anxiety pervaded the pu])lic 
 mind, b(>eause now ai)proached the jx'riod at which the labours 
 of Ihe fisliery came to a close, and when those who had toih'd 
 through a long summer naturally expected to meet a recom- 
 pense in the same manner as Ihey had been accustomed at 
 all times before; that is, from tlu; merchants, for whose 
 advantage they had been toiling. And here observe that 
 the fishing-servants form the most immerous class of the 
 population in St. John's, numbering over four thousand. 
 
 "The pers(m who hires the fishing-servants is called a 
 2)Jan(ei\ and although not realli/ the steward of the merchant, 
 yet has always been regarded as acting in that capacity, and 
 therefore the Hsh and oil procured during the season, through 
 the labour of the servant, has ever been made liable in the 
 merchant's hands for the servant's wages, or where the 
 amount offish, etc., taken was insufficient, then for a ratable 
 proportion of the jiroceeds ; because the planter i> most eom- 
 moidy a man destitute of means to defray the expense ; as 
 the steward of a nobleman could liot be imagined to be a 
 sufficient security for the wages of the servants he engaged. 
 This has been always the mercantile usage on the sul)Ject of 
 servants' wages, and it has been strengthened by rei)eated 
 acts of Parliament, and confirmed by numberless decisions 
 of the (\)urt of Sessions, and of the Sui)reme Court, under 
 the administration of Chief Justic(>s Iveeves, Forbes, and 
 Tucker; but on the ^'oming in of ,lndg(\ Uoidlon Iw reversed 
 the princi[)le, and exonerated the merchant from a claim 
 ■which relieved several of them of many hundred pounds 
 wages, and involved the wretched people in a proportionate 
 degree of misery and destitution. 
 
 "At the time to which I allude the lion. Chief Judge was 
 in London, and the utmost anxiety pervaded the poor[)eoi)le 
 
 
330 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 to asc'ortain Avhetlior tlio next Circuit Court would relievo 
 tlicni ; but ujion the courts openiuiT, it bejran to be rumoured 
 that tli(> Chiet" Judge was returning, and, therefore, «Tudge 
 Brentou actually refused to entertain a single civil case lest 
 this question should be called up ; for he had often and often 
 decided it the other way before Judge lioulton's time; and, 
 therefore, it lay over till Judge lioulton landed, and in u few 
 dax's a linal decision dashc' the cup of h()i)e from the 1 ps 
 of many thousands who, with their families, Mere looking 
 to his fiat for means of supi)ort, while they saw their little 
 ones dying around them of a loathsome disease. 
 
 " Here was a tr^Mug occasion for the clergyman who pos- 
 sessed humanity to calm the feelings of a father who saw his 
 ons[)ring j)erishing with want, after passing the sununer in 
 toil and hard;;hi|i, many hundred miles from home, to em'ich 
 an individual who now took an advantage of his situation. In 
 justice, however, to the commercial body in St. John's, I 
 ought to nu'ution that the greater ])orti()n of them scorned 
 to take advantage of that adjudication, and have paid with 
 cheerfulness their servants* full demand, — an act of Ixmk^vo- 
 lence which will be long and gratefully remeud)ered by the 
 ]K)or peo])le. 
 
 "But lo make such an individual as the one above described 
 respect the laws of his counlry, to convince him that ho 
 ought to respect the constituted authorities, under whom ho 
 had sull'ercd such wrong, could only Ix^ ellected by mitigating 
 the atlli<'tion and soothing the wounded spirit of the individ- 
 ual : and the })riest succeeded in restraining them from the 
 commission of acts of violence or outrage so far that ui'ver 
 in the history of Newfoundland has there been known less 
 ci'ime to have Ixum eonnnitted in St. fJohn's than during the 
 past winter. 
 
 "To add to the dilliculties of this period, so very many 
 persons who had previously been vaccinated, and some more 
 than once, had fallen victims, upon this occasion, to small- 
 poy that all conlidence in the eflicacy of the vaccine matter 
 as a preventive was destroyed ; and at all sides they began to 
 
 wi 
 
OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 331 
 
 inoculate with tlio naturiil virus. The number of cases, as 
 slated upon tiie eviilence of the praetisini^ medical men 
 before the Grand Jury, amounted to upwards of six thou- 
 sand in 8t. John's. 
 
 " About the first week in Xovember the disease In'ol^e out 
 in Petty Harbour, one of the viliaires of the district of St. 
 John's, wliich place I mentioned before as havinir l)een the 
 first port I put into on scttiuij out for the southward ; and as 
 this place is entirely occupied by peo{)le eniiaucd in the 
 fishery, and jirobably ninety-nine hundredths of them fishina- 
 servants, I at once saw that their extreme j)overty would 
 preclude the possibility of procurinix medical assistance, and 
 that, for the same reason, I knew they could not provide 
 either the necessary medicines or needful nutriment. 
 
 "In such an emerixemy what was to be done? The Ex- 
 ecutive had attem[)ted nothing; to check the disease or to 
 soften its visitation upon tlie ])oor. There were six or seven 
 thousand pounds in colonial cotl'ers, excess over tlie year's 
 expenditure and debt, and yet not one sin<>le f:nthin<j was 
 given to relieve th(! suHcrinu's of tlu^ afflicted. There was 
 no hospital opened; no dispensary instituted or recom- 
 mend(Hl ; no soup-house founded ; not a subscrii)tion o|)ened, 
 even though some five oi' six and twenty thousand pounds 
 sterling of salaries are paid amuially out of the public taxes 
 to ])ersons resident princi[)ally in St. .lolurs ; but the work 
 of death was ])rogrcssing, and the terrors of pestilence 
 blanched everv cheek. 
 
 "Xay, there seemed to Ix* arts used, I will not say to spread 
 the contagion, but to add to the api)rehensions of the pul)lic, 
 and to increase their fears. The Chief Justice on the bench 
 declared it the duty of the (iraud JiU'y to indict anyone who 
 came out of a house wliere jx'rsons lay ill of sniali-pox, and 
 actually in open court re[)roved Mr. Harding, a resi)cctal)le 
 citizen living at the lU'ach, whose amiable anil highly accom- 
 l)lished daughter was lying ill of this dis<>ase, for having 
 come out of his house, even though he had done so in obedi- 
 ence to a summons of the Court to attend upon the jury; 
 
332 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 
 i 
 
 and such a doetriuo, at a moiiKMit when lumtlrods Moro froinsj 
 from door to door l)oir<2:iii<r old linens for tlioir childron, their 
 parents, their wives, or their husbands, or food or clothing, 
 or other comforts necessary to (he sick or the convalescent, was 
 calcidaled to produce nuich discontent. In a few weeks, 
 however, the diseas(> visited the honoui'able rludge's family, 
 and he appeared abroad, breaking through the rules he him- 
 self had made. 
 
 "But I have said that nothing was done to check the dis- 
 ease. I was wrong in saying so, for as soon as ever it I)(>gan 
 to attack the families of the rcsjH'dalile inhabitants the P'l}'- 
 sicians were invited by the Executive to attend (/rafnifoi/sli/ 
 at a house formerly occu[)ied l)y the. St. John's Charity 
 School, and for which no rent is payable, for the purpose; ot 
 vaccinating the })oor. At this time there were ujtwards of 
 two or three thousand persons after ha\ ing undergone inocu- 
 lation with the natural matter, and when the disease exhibitcMl 
 itself as on the decline. However, on the opening of the 
 House of Assembly, the Governor, in his speech, asked for a 
 grant of money to stem the progress of smaIl-[)ox ; and a sum 
 of tive hundred pounds was granted some time in March or 
 April, when not one case existed in St. John's. 
 
 "Upon its l)reaking out in Petty H:irl)our, I went to that 
 little place, as I was unwilling to subject the excellent family 
 of Mr. Iveilly, where I usually lodged (and where for the last 
 forty years bish(>i)s and priests have always i-eceived a wai-m, 
 Avelconu', coi'.irortable, and hos[)itable home), to the danger 
 of infe<'tion through nu^ 1 resisted their kind entreaties to 
 reside with them, and begged the use of a waste house near 
 our church ; and here I planted ni}' medicine-chest, and set 
 it up as the village dispensary ; and here 1 stayed for the re- 
 mainder of the winter. 
 
 "I now applied myself sedulously to the improvement of 
 this interesting little harbour. 1 was engaged, as I remai'ked 
 before, erecting a beautiful little church here, for here there 
 is a congregation of about seven hundred persons ; and as the 
 cemetery was in the very centre of the little town, I was solic- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 300 
 00 
 
 itoiis to romovo it tosomo pV.wo whoro siifRoiont soil to cov(M' 
 the l)0(li('.s iiiiixht bo liud ; tor as three jkm'sods who died of 
 thill (IreMclful di^so!lse had been interred l)efore I eame, I was 
 apprehensive thatdan<rer inii>ht arise from lcavin<i' tluMn, and 
 allowinj.^ otliers to be l)urie(l in some i'lstances within three 
 or four yards of tlie doors of the houses. 
 
 "The vicinity having been explored, a place perfectly suit- 
 able, and at aljout half-a-mile distant, was discovered, and to 
 it I had all the I)odies forthwith removed. 
 
 "At my own expense I purchased a ))iecc of irround ad- 
 joininsjj the ohl cemetery, in order to make it a useful sipiaro 
 for the public around our church, and at ureat expense, by 
 blastinii" the rocks, reduced it to a level, so that it forms 
 quite an embellishment in a little place when; there is not a 
 singlf! level s[)ot of six yards sipiare in any other part 
 of the harbour. 
 
 "In fact, Avhat with the building' of the church, the pur- 
 chasinii" around, the eleariui^ and levellinu', etc., 1 had 
 expended ui)on that little town upwards of eiuht hundred 
 pounds ; yet did it 1(MkI to brinu' mori> annoyance ujjou me. 
 AMiat was my sur[)rise to learn one day from the (lovernor, 
 upon the occasion of my waitinir on him, that some of the 
 Protestants of Petty IIarI)our had just petitioned against me I 
 I then found that they had been worked upon — for they and 
 I had always been ui)on terms of friendship, nor did I own 
 any dillerence between I'rotestant and Catholic in my atten- 
 tions to the sick, or in the gratuitous ditrusion of medicine 
 and nt)urishin<i- food. 
 
 "The Protestants, then, I had just found, had been worked 
 upon to get this petition up to prevent my tinishingthe chapel- 
 yard, or S(iuare, for its professed object was to forbid my re- 
 moving or interrupting the repose of the mortal remains of 
 some of their deceased I'riends. Even Governor Prescott 
 himself nmst have seen through this, and considered it got 
 up for party motives, for in his reply to my otTicial explana- 
 tion on the subject, he reconnnended my waiting until those 
 prejudices should be removed I)y renionstrances ; and I 
 
, .(.. UMlii y—pn 
 
 WBmSBS^ 
 
 33i 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL IIIST01{Y 
 
 ft: 
 
 ti 
 
 nm sure it is to His Kxcollcncv I owe it tliiit tlicv wore 
 iilmost iiiuncdialcly ii'iuovcd, and one ol' tiioir cIcrii'viiuM), I 
 understand, was pleased to appland my motives, and admit 
 that what I had done was tor the imi)rovement of the con- 
 dition of the i)0()i)lo." 
 
 Dr. FU'ininir spent the winter of lS3r)-r» at Petty Harbor, 
 assistinii in a most heroic maimer those who sulfered tVoni the 
 small-pox. He retnrned to St. John's in April, and on the 
 2()th of that month confirmed "l,;>It() persons, ])rincipally 
 children." On the 1st of ]\Iay he continued ()<)2 in 'I'orba}', 
 and on the <Sth, 44i) in Portnual (\)ve, and on the l")th, 418 
 in Petty Harbor, — " tlms maUini:- a (otal of 2,sr)4, amongst 
 whom were 304 converts to the faith." 
 
 :i .1 
 
 "On Friday, May 27th (this was End)er week), T set ont 
 from St. John's, at seven o'clock A.]\r., for Portniral Cove, 
 in order to consecrate tin; Church of St. l*atrick. at liriuus, 
 at the other side of Conception Uay ; and as it was so early, 
 the Key. Edward Troy and I, with two or three lay gentle- 
 men who accompanied us, forbore to take our collation be- 
 fore we left town ; and when wi> arrived at the Co\(', the 
 wind was so inviting, that, promising as it did a |)assago of 
 only two or three hours, we })referr«'d start in;/ immediately, 
 and stepjxMl on board, having just barely broken our fast. 
 
 "This may ii'vo you some idea of the uncertainty of com- 
 munication in this country. There was not on l»oar(l the 
 packet either meat or drink, for what need of ei her where 
 you could see the landing-place before yon ; but ha\ ing Iteen 
 becalmed, and headed by the wind afterwai'ds, we were 
 tossed about the l»ay that entire day, the entire^ of the night 
 followinsx, and arrived at our destination not till eleven 
 t)'clock A.M. next day, when we landed in a complete state 
 of exhaustion from want of food. 
 
 '* I shall not tarry to describe the true Irish welcome we 
 met from the peo[)le of Brigus, or their tridy good pastor, 
 the Key. Denis Mackin. Suffice it, that we continued wind- 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAXD. 
 
 33.-) 
 
 1>omi(l lioro for sovoval dnys after tlio consooration, and that 
 on tho occasion of that ceremony there assembled people ot 
 all creeds, from the most distant parts of tho bay, so that so 
 irreat a mnltilndo of people had never before assembled In 
 that part of the country. 
 
 "On the followinii' Sunday, June the .Oth, 1 had arranged 
 to conseci'ale tlu^ beautiful (Muirch of Corpus Christi, at 1\)i- 
 bay, erected almost soli'ly at the expense ol'tlu^ Jvev. Kdward 
 Troy, a missionary than whom this country has never seen 
 on(! more zealous or mon; anUMitly dcNoted to the duties 
 of his sacred callinii'. A\'e, therefore, sailed \\u\ very first 
 favourable moment, and on Suntlay consecrated this church 
 for a truly aood coui:reiralion. 
 
 "And now one duty more remained to be fullilled l)eforo 
 my depaiture, for 1 had lonu' promised the i)eo[)le of IIarI)our 
 CJrace to take the earliest o])portuuity of administerini;^ Con- 
 tirmation to fhem ; and in order to comi)ly, 1 sailed on Tues- 
 day, the 7lh, aii'ain accompanied by the IJev. Kdward Troy, 
 for Carbonear; and here I arrived in a few hours, and on 
 AVednesday contirmed uj)war(ls of six hundred jjcrsons in 
 Harbour (irace, amoniist whom were many converts ; ]»ut as 
 tho next day was wet, I thou_i:ht that children could not well 
 be brouiiiit on that morning from a distance, I ]ni{ olf tho 
 Contirmation of Carbonear till Fiiday, when seven lunidred 
 persons were admitted to participate in that sacrament, ini- 
 mediaU ly al'ler which Ave set sail for the Cove, and arrived 
 in St. .John's on tho same evening; and as upon my arrival 
 I found that several juM'sons who had been disa))poinl(Ml on 
 (he former occasion were now well jtrepared here, on A\'hit- 
 Snnday I confu'incd four himdrcd individuals, making the 
 total in the district of S( . .John's 3.i^")4. 
 
 "And thus have 1 brought this narrative down to the 
 jieriod of my departure ; and I ])ray ardently and (>arnestly 
 before my (iod that these details may tend to induce aften- 
 lion to till' spiritual wants of an interesting I>ut long-neglected 
 l)eoplo, and awaken the good and the wealthy to llu^ spiritual 
 distress of thousands of souls who are wanderiuir without a 
 
 HI 
 
I I III— ipwwn 
 
 «.'>»«k.«ti«i«auMiM'- 
 
 M 
 
 338 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 shepherd around the ,«no\vs of the Labrador and on the bleak 
 coasts of Newfoundhmd. 
 
 "Believe me, with sentiments of esteem, your devoted 
 and humble servant in Christ, 
 
 " + MICHAEL ANTHONY FLEMING. 
 
 "TuK Veiiy Hev. Joiix Spuatt." 
 
 i 
 
 
 w 
 
 m: 
 
 v—'ir 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 337 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 TIIK CATIIKDIIAL.— [1830-1819.] 
 
 Commenrnmciit of the C'iitliedriil — T)ifficiilty of ()l)tiiiiiiii;r Ground — Reception of 
 Dr. Fleming,' on liis Hcluni fioni Itonie — -I'lirtlRr I)itliuiill'"i ;ilii('i'(l in his Wiiy — 
 lie returns to Enj.'liin(l in AViuler, 1838 — Correspondence rcialin;,'' to ('alliedral 
 (iround ^ ,\ssistiincc tendered by the Irisli I'iilianicntary I'arty, O'Corinell, 
 I.yncli, Moore O'l'.irrell — I'alher Troy Appointed \'i('ar-(ii'neral — Lellir fioni 
 Dr. I'li'uiiiitf to iiini — Tiie (iround for ('alli('(h'al seemed — Kntliusiasni of the 
 I'eople — Miillins' (iliost — Mickle's "<'rool<ed Furrou^'h." — Feneini^ in the 
 fironnd — I'rcparalion of Material for tlu; Cathedral — Laying the Foundation 
 Stone, 1811 — Completion of the Cathedral. 
 
 HAVIXCJ, by llin Introduction of the nuns and the cstub- 
 lisliniont of tlioir schools, provided, as ^ve have said, for 
 the uiovdl /e)nj>/e, — the huildinu' up, that is, in the iicarls of 
 tlie eiiihlrcn of his flock tiiat s[)iritual edifice whose foinida- 
 tions are laid deep tind tinii in a sound religious education, — 
 Dr. Fieining iniinediately turned his mind to the great and 
 ab.sorbing work of erecting the material church ; that is, the 
 great cathedral, which stiuids to-day a glorious monmnent 
 of his zeal iuid faith. From the first moment of his episco- 
 pacy he had held stetidily in view this noble project. Ilis 
 motives and sentiments on this sul)ject are described in his 
 letters to llie Kev. Dr. A. O'ConnelJ, "On the State of T jlig- 
 ion in Newfoundhmd : " — 
 
 "I am engaged in the construction of a cathedral on a scale 
 of unusuiil elegance, extent, and beauty. I'lit its it has 
 been said by some that it is an imdertid<ing ui)()n my part 
 somewhat approaihing presumption to think of the erection 
 of an occlesiiisticid biuldiiig such as I have undertaken, and a 
 building of stone in a country where there never was raised 
 ii single temple save of the most perish:d)lo mat(>rial, — a 
 building of such an extent tuid such a plan, exhibiting the 
 
iiiini 
 
 338 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 
 hcautios of sticli arcliilcctiinil dcsiiin as nooossarily to involve 
 a t'onsiclcriiblc outlay ot" inoncy, and in a mere lishinji colony, 
 — I may he p(M-niitt(Hl to say thus far, that it is of very little 
 conseciuenc'c to me in wliat soil of (IwcUinii' I oll'cr np my 
 unworthy ])ray('rs during my brief sojourn in this lilc ; it 
 matters not to me wiiether 1 l»end my knee in a temple or a 
 hovel ; but when I consider that if in the old law (lod himself 
 deemed it re(juisite to instruct his peoi)le to eri'ct a temple to 
 his worship of the most liorueous ma<j;nifieene(! and the most 
 eostly materials, how niueh moi'e should it not he dei'med of 
 consequenee in the Christian dispensation that the blood 
 of the lianil* be offered in a ehureh suitable to so august a 
 mystery? How eau I think, then, as a minister of the ^lost 
 High (iod, without pain and mortilieation, upon being every 
 day ol)liged to oll'er u[) the Holy of holies — to oiler up the 
 Body and IMood of Christ Jesus — within a l)uilding that is 
 unworthy of being used as an asyhun for the l)easts of the 
 tield? 
 
 "The Catholie Chureh of the eapital has hitherto been the 
 tiieancst house devoted to ]iubli(' worshi[) in St. John's. It 
 is a rude, ill-shaped wooden building, falling to ruin, nearly 
 out of lease, and held at an enormous yearly rent; add to 
 whieh that it is so far front being ade([nate to the aeeonuno- 
 dation of our rapidly-increasing congregation, that in the 
 midst of winter, on every Sunday, you may behold several 
 hundreds of the })()()r jjcople assisting at the Holy Sacrifice 
 exi)osed to the piercing winds, to the pelting of the bitter 
 snow-drift, and kneeling imbedded in snow : and this building 
 being ineapid)le from want of sj)ace of any increase or addi- 
 tion, I thought it my duty to (Jod, to the j)eople committed 
 to my care, to give them, if possible, a temi)le superior to 
 any other in th(> Island, — a tem))l(^ at once beautiful and 
 si)acious, suitable to the worshij) of the ]Most High (iod, and 
 that may be regarded in after times as a memorial of the 
 piety of the faithful, a i)ledge of the i)ermanency of our holy 
 religion, and an object of holy pride to the fervent Catholic. 
 
 '' I looked around me and 1 could neither see a favourable 
 
OK NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 339 
 
 site on wliicli (o croct a new one, nor luid I the nicsins of 
 piiiH'liiisiiii; it wiiH tlicro one in view, nor a shilliiii; in my 
 pocivct to coniincnco the Imildini;. I was poiiniicss, and I 
 niiii'ht almost siiy t'ricndlcss ; and yet in proportion as my 
 ))ov('rty iippcaii'd <rreat, in proportion as the prospect 
 !ip])t'!ir('d iilooniy, Miid as dillicidty crowded npoii didicully 
 liad idniost, assnmed the nai'h of impossihility, He who 
 (hdi^hts in ])r()vin_<; liimself the friend of the destilu'u-, the 
 streiiizlh of the <ei'hlc, who lovi's to niiike the humble and 
 lowly the instruments of His greatest works, inspired me to 
 extend my views, to enlarire my concej)tions, imd to sec only 
 the jrrciit ohject to l)e accomplisiied, and to shut my eyes to 
 the harriers that presented tnemselves to its c()m})l(>tion, 
 refleelinir only that the work was for God's "lory and the 
 comfort of my ]hh)v people, and that in the warm heai'ts 
 and i)ioiis dispositions of the faithful I had a mine of wealth 
 calculated to sustain and support me throughout the great 
 undertaking. 
 
 "Insi)ii'ite(l hv these reflections T beufan literally without a 
 l)enny my arduous strugghs in 18.')4, by memorializing the 
 (lovernmcnt foi- a piece of ground ; it certainly is a valual)le 
 si)()t, beautiful!}' situated, almost in the centre of the town, 
 and containing about eight acres. To give a delaihnl account 
 of all the circumstances connected with this ap[)lication 
 would till a volume. I shall merely content myself by saviuij, 
 that before I succeeded in obtaining tlu; object of my prayer 
 to the Crown, it cost me nearly tive years of V(>xalion and 
 aimoyance, without i)ause or intermission. How much of 
 tribulation did 1 not endure during that period ! Every eil'ort 
 that malice the nuot ingenious could devise lias been re- 
 sorted to to thwart my views; caUnnny, insult, and op])r()- 
 bi'ium were heaped u])on me to impede the accomplishment of 
 my wislies, to Itliu'ht the prosp{>ct of my success ; but. con- 
 scionsof the integrity of my intentions, I persevered ; andafter 
 having travelled 20,000 miles of the Atlantic; Ocean sohdy 
 upon this business, amid storms, tempests, danger, and 
 death, and undergoing all the hardships and privations that 
 
aio 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOKV 
 
 luiniJUi UMliiro could ciidiiro, (Jod ultimjifdy crowned my 
 hopes with llic comph'dvst success. 'I'liiit hiirh-miiidcd nohhi- 
 niiiii, liOi'd (Jlcncli;', then in the coIoiiImI iKhniiiislriilioii, hav- 
 intr ill h'ligth iiccedcd to the jjI'mvci" of iiiv pclilion, I wjis 
 put ill possession of the i)reseiit vahiahh; piece of gromid that 
 forms the site of our catlieih'ul." 
 
 It^ 
 
 I 
 
 "As usual," Avrites Dr. :\rullock (MS., j). 72), "in all 
 liis luidcrtakiiiu's he hiul to encounter the most determined 
 oi)position." 'i'liat Dr. Fleuiiiii;" should have had o|)|)onents 
 in the troubled arena of politics, and even in the matter of 
 schools, is not altoufctlier to i)e womiered at, hut it. seems 
 stranire lliat in such a purely reliii'ious m;!*ter as this any 
 should he found to oppose' him. One reason for this oppo- 
 sition we may lind in tlu' fact that the site on which the 
 cathedral stands, and which is now tlu; centre of what may 
 he called the '' ui)per town," was some foity years auo a 
 hnrrPii iri/dci'iifss, and was cousid(>red hy the easy-uoin<i^ 
 folk who lived in the lower town as ''out in the woods ;*' 
 hence they condennied Pr. Fleminii's idea of huildinii' the 
 cath(>dral "on the barrens," and predicted tliat no one would 
 ever u'o up there to attend Mass or reliixious services. 'I'iiue, 
 lu)wever, has shown that Dr, Fleming ,-aw farther into the 
 future than tlu's(> would-be wiseacres. 
 
 'I'lie cathiHlral site is now the central ))()int of a new and 
 beautiful city which has o-pown uj) around it. — n city which 
 ihay be truly called an urh.'i ai riur, for thouuli within two 
 niimites' walk of the central business pai'ts, it is, by its 
 great elevation, entirely removed from the noise, bustle, 
 and dust of trade, and surrounded by (juiet terraces and 
 irardeus ; and vet the inniiense conureirations of from live to 
 seven and ei^^ht thousand which throni; its ample aisl(\s at 
 each of the five ^Fasses celel)rat(>d every Sunday, and which 
 pour their livinir streams lik(v a miiihty tlood from its many 
 portals in all directions after \'espers, — all this uives the 
 lie to the predictions of the grumblers of Dr. Fleming's 
 time. 
 
-..-~-^.:^-..mm 
 
 ™JJIUll4-i» »"""■■■ 
 
 of 
 
 pr 
 
 1)0 
 
 ha 
 
 ()(• 
 fiv 
 
 £ra 
 so 
 
 Cv 
 
 lo 
 
 (ll 
 tl' 
 
 li( 
 i\) 
 ot 
 of 
 to 
 111 
 fo 
 In 
 lo 
 jir 
 111 
 re 
 
 1" 
 fo 
 
 c 
 
 111 
 s;i 
 \v 
 111 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 341 
 
 It would 1)0 unnooossrtry to trace iiiimitoly the intricacies 
 of (he slru<r,irl<^ Avliich this jiivat Prelate went tlirouj^h to 
 procure this site of land ; hut some brief account of it will 
 he interesting to tliosc of the pri'sent generation. As we 
 have already seen, he travelled twenty thousand miles of 
 ocean, tliat is to say, he crossed the Atlantic back and forth 
 five times before he succeeded in his great enterprise. In 
 a letter to the Central Council of th(^ Society iC- the Propa- 
 gation of the Faith, dated 20th May, 18;}8, Ik; describes 
 some of his trials and diiliculties in this matter: — 
 
 "In l<S,3t I had addressed a memorial to the T5ritish 
 Government, to oI)tain a large piece of land at St. John's 
 to build a cathedral, a convent, schools, and episcopal I'csi- 
 dcnc(> thereon. I also dcsir<''' a suitable place for a ceme- 
 tery. . . . The following year I renewed my applica- 
 tion, and in 18.'](! I went to London for tlie purpose of 
 following up my rc(|ucst. I was in Rome in the month 
 of June, l.s;»7, wiien I received a reply from the Secretary 
 of State. It informed me that insti'uctions had been sent 
 to the (Jovernoi' of the Island to comply with my dcMiiand. 
 lnunediat(>ly on the reieipt of this news I returned to New- 
 foundland, anxious to take possession of the land grante<l 
 by the (Jorernment, and to commence the buildings so long 
 looked f(). by the people. . . . On the morning of my 
 arrival the n(>ws spread on all sides. All the peojjle, leaving 
 their work, came to the shore. Iiefore leaving the vessel I 
 received a dei)utation of the yoimg nuMi of the Island, Avho 
 presented m(^ with an address, and begged permission to 
 low me ashore in a boat wl:icli they had elegantly preparecl 
 t'or the oci'asion, and which disphiyed the banner of the 
 Cross, — that Cross by which and for which 1 had sur- 
 mounted so manv dangers. On setting foot on land I was 
 saluted with cries and tears of joy. . . . The AssiMuItly, 
 which was in session at the moment, adjoui'ued, and all the 
 membcM's <'anu' to the v.harf to compliment me. 
 
 ".Vftcr having saluted luy priests, who car.iv' to nuu't nu-. 
 
•T^ifmim 
 
 ;}42 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 r jiMvo Iho si:Lrn.'il, and \\v wont in procossioii towards Iho 
 cluuvli, f'ollowiiii!: llio priiuipal streets of the eily. We had 
 not proceeded I'ar when a ceremony occurred which I had 
 jiot in the least o.\pect»>d, and Aviiich awaited in me the most 
 sweet emotions, The two ranks of the ])roecssion oiMMiing 
 suddenly, I saw advancinir a swarm of youni^ nirls, dressed 
 in white and carry inir a hanner of white sal in, on wliich was 
 cmbroidiMvd a <zilt cross crowned with ih)wei's. Tliis I)anner, 
 wiiich was tile work of tlieir own liands, was at liic same 
 time an emhiem of the i)urity of these younii; souls, and a 
 souvenir of tlie ^Mission of Xewfoundland, They kn(dt down 
 in the street to receive my blessing, and I couhl not n^strain 
 the tears whicli escajjcd from my eyes at tliis new testimony 
 of the aifection of my dear diocese. These chihhvn, of 
 whom the oldest was not more than twelve j'oars of age, 
 belonged to the schools t)f the Presentation convent, which 
 I had estal)Iishetl only thn'c years ago. They then took 
 the head i)f the [)roeession, and when the entire covfcjc had 
 entered the church, they came to the foot of the altar to 
 |)resent their bamier to me, 
 
 '"After having rendered thanks to the Sovereign Dispenser 
 of all these benelits, I addressed a few words to those 
 assembled, and informed them of the success of my ellbrts. 
 1 icconnted to them the nund)er]ess proofs of good- 
 will and the special favours which were showennl upon nu; in 
 Home l)y His Holiness and by the Cardinal Prefect of I'ropa- 
 ganda ; the gifts which they were about to send for the 
 Mission; the lively interest which was shown at Lyons in 
 the bosom of your Council ; the genmous donations which 
 your noble Society had destined for us, 
 
 " ]\Iy tirst care was to demand from the Governor the con- 
 cession of the lands granted by the Imperial Govermnent. 
 Hut 1 found my enemies had been at work. 
 Although I had in my hands the onler of the Colonial .^!inister 
 for the concession of the site, the (Jovernor refused, and 
 pressed me to choose either of two other sites, ea* h ecjually 
 unfavourable. 
 
 ff «bu«M 
 
OF XKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 343 
 
 "Tlio Jifl'airs of the tlioi'cse did not peniiil; me to uiulortiikc 
 at once another voVMge to En:irlan(l, yet it was ahsolutely 
 necessary. 1 did not set sail till tlui month ot'.Jannary, that 
 is to say, in the most nnl'avourahle time of the year. AVe 
 l)assed the tirst four hundred miles in the midst of ice. The 
 weather was most tem[)estnoiKs, and it was with ereat dilli- 
 culty that wo arrived at Falmouth. I went innnediately to 
 London, to make my report on tlu; ojjposition oll'ered to me. 
 jNIy ))rotest was favourably received. I obtained a formal 
 order delininu; particularly the si)ot to be j!:iven, precisely as 
 I [)ointed out. It is a maiiiiiticcnt site. It commands the 
 city, the harl)()ur, the ocean, and a vtist expanse of country. 
 The Cross elevated on these heiifhts will be a consolini;' sioht 
 for the poor inhabitants of these countries, . . . And 
 St) my hojjes were realized. . . . May the heavenly 
 I'rotector, who has deiii'ned so far to bless my feeble ellorts, 
 enable me to tind the means to conduct the enteri)rise to a 
 hai)i)y conclusion I " 
 
 The correspondence concerninu' this matter consists of an 
 innnense mass of lctt(-rs, memorials, petitions, etc., stretch- 
 ing over a ])erio(l of ne:irly three years. Jt will l)e found 
 complete in the Aii])endix to this volume. (8eo Note .").) 
 
 To forward Ids project. Dr. Flennnir enpiu'tMl the stM'vices 
 of O'Connell, Moore O'Farrell, one of the hii:h t)(licials of His 
 JNIajesty, Mr. Anthony Lynch, the learned He|)i-esentative for 
 Galway, and several others of the Catholic leaders. The 
 enthusiasm which Muinuited the venerable Prelate seemed 
 contaii'iotis, and all who met him were ins[)ired by his zeal, 
 :is may be seen from tiie t\)llowiug exlrat'ts. Mr. Anthony 
 Lynch, memlier for (iaiway, writes t'roin London, 2llh of 
 March, 1^137 : — 
 
 "T miule many eH'orls to find your liordship in Loixlon, 
 and at length learned you were in Home. ... I hasten 
 to connuniiicate to you a jjiece of iid'ormalion. which will Ite 
 most grai<'ful, and it is that I have succeeded in securing the 
 grant of land for your church.'' 
 
 H 
 
 i 
 
;U4 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Moore O'FiUTell writes as follows. I have not the (Lite, 
 and only a Latin translation of his letter, made for the use 
 of the authorities in Home. I restore it to the original : — 
 
 '' T coiiii'ratulate you on the ol)laiiiin_ii' of your object. I 
 have received a letter from Lord (ileiielii' grant inii' the piece 
 of land descril)ed as follows." Then follows the (lescriptit)n 
 as laid down in the report of Engineer Walker. '' At length 
 you are rewarded for all your lal)ors." He then si)eaks of 
 the accusations made against Dr. Fleming and his priests, 
 and sajs he will have an o])p()rtunity of defending him. 
 "You will he glad to hear that a society has been instituted 
 to take particular cognizance of all all'airs of nialadniiuistra- 
 tion in the colonies, and to bring them before ParlianuMit. 
 If the ministry be not chauixed before lU'xt session, I will 
 invite them to a discussion relative to the allairs of Xewfound- 
 laiul, and if you should have leisure, I would wish vou to 
 su|)ply me with particulars." 
 
 On leaving St. rlolm's, July 4, 1S',}C), Dr. Fleming ap- 
 pointed the Rev. Father Troy \'icar-Gi'uei'aI, giv'iig him full 
 charge of the spiritual aduiinistration of the diocese, lie 
 writes to Father Troy, from Livi'rjjool, on July 17, "after 
 a jiassage unj)recedented, . . . both as rcsspects exj)e- 
 dition (1.") days) and the tiueness of the weather." 
 
 It was Sunday morning, and as soon as they anchonMl off 
 the King's dock he went ashore to hear .Mass. Having 
 learnt that a vessel was about to sail "on return tide" for 
 St. John's, though not having tin; use of his lingers, he can- 
 not refrain from scribbling a line to annouiu'c his safe arrival, 
 and to ask the p(M)j)le to give thanks. He would start for 
 l^ondon at once, as Parliament is not yet i)roi'ogued, but he 
 cannot get his trunks ashore before " 12 o'clock to-morrow ; " 
 he expects to be in London on Tuesdiiy -•'ening. He 
 desires to be remembered to the priests, the Sisters, and the 
 dear people; lu! will not })articulari/e names, but cannot 
 refrain I'rom numtioniiui' "Messrs. Nui>:ent, Kent, Dovle, S. 
 
OK NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 345 
 
 Morris, Dillon, and 0'^^;lra." lie enjoins on liiin to write ])y 
 "every vessel sailinu' for England or Ireland." 
 
 On Sept. lOih, 18;](), he writes Father Troy from No. 7 
 Ayr .Street, London. He eomplains of not having yet had 
 one line from any person in Xewfotmdland. " 1 have been 
 rather nnfortunate," he eontinnes, ''as yet in my api)lieation 
 to Government. In faet, I eame here at the wrong time, 
 when tiie ministers, harassed by a long session, and every 
 member of the House of Commons from whom I eould 
 exjjeet any assistance or sympathy, had gone to their respec- 
 tive country homes. I think, however, I shall eventually 
 succeed, but not, I believe, before ()etol)er. 
 
 "I hav<! not had a m;)nient's resi)it(! since my arrival here, 
 Avriting letters by night, and endeavouring to ju'ess their 
 consideration by day on the heartless few about the seat of 
 Government, that I am lu'artily tired of them, Vmt in order 
 to guard against the worst, I expect you will iniinediatcjiy 
 wait on my friend Mr. Wakeham, and tell him, in tiie event 
 of A\ iliiams's Plantation being put up for auction, to make 
 the i)ur(h:ise for me ; and should tlu; chapel funds in hand bo 
 insnflicii'nt to covi-r tlu; amount of purchase, let money be 
 raised by mortgaging my farm or any other propt rty I have, 
 if nccessai'y. . . . You may rely on the integrity of Mr. 
 Wakeham; but let no person be aware of your negotiating 
 with h.iiu on the subject of that purchase, lest it should go 
 abroad, and we should be then-by de[)rived of that only spot 
 that can be rendered available for all our puri)oses. 
 You can mention the circumstance in confidence to John 
 Casey and James Treacy ; get them to attend the sale and 
 make an oiler for it, in order to throw tlu^ enemy oil' his 
 guard." lie states that he is [)ressed on all sides to remain 
 in Europe the winter, but had not made up his mind. .\s a 
 matter of fact, hi' did, and visited Ivonie, of which we shall 
 treat moi-e fully hereaftei'. 
 
 While at Kome, in June, \>i'M, as we have seen. Dr. 
 Fleming received the fivorable news that his petition con- 
 cerning the land was granted. He inunediately set out for 
 
mmKs:: 
 
 
 34G 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOUY 
 
 Nowfoundlaiul, and airivod sonic tiino bcl'oiv October .'>d ; 
 for thoro exists a letter written by liiiu on tli:d date at St. 
 John's to llio (\)lonial Seeretai-y, the Hon. James ('rowdy, 
 askin<r for " the allowance niadi^ by the Uritish (iovernnient to 
 the Catholic Dishop of this Island, which was due since the 
 early part of the year." Dr. Midlock (MS., p. 71) states 
 that "in the month of December, a week after his ariival, he 
 Avas once more on the Atlantic on his way to London." This 
 is not, however, (jnite exact, as we have seen that he liimscll" 
 states (letter to the J'i'o/xn/d/ioii ifc ht Fo!) that he could 
 not lcav(Mill ,Famiary. ( )n the ;>('/th of danuary, IM.'SS, he 
 writes from '.\'l Craven street, London, Strand, to I'^alhci' 
 I'roy, and states that "after a tolerable passau'e I landed in 
 Falmouth on the llMh of' fbuniary. The captain was truly 
 kind to me, and never did I feel in better health." lie then 
 speaks of his interview with Mr. Xuu'cnt luid Dr. ('arson, 
 who were at that time in liondon as a delei:ation from New- 
 foundland, ol" which some notice will be i^ivcn in a future 
 chapter: at present we are concerned only with tliat ])art 
 Avhich relates to the struiiiile for the plot of land. " I am 
 sure," he s;iys, "of o{>niiig the u'round, not witlist.andinii' tin- 
 obstacles throwii in my way in tlu^ most inlluential (juarters. 
 I am at a loss to (h'termine whether or not I shall 
 pureliiise \\'illi!uns*s pro[)erty. I cam;ot take my heart olf 
 that spot, — the site the place pr(>sents, and the accommoda- 
 tion it allbrds for all th(^ pur[)oses I contemplate; still the 
 idea of laying out all my dis[)osable fund alarms me. ^bly 
 (lod direct \\\(\ I The ])a])crs are sij.'iied, and I can purchase 
 whenever I ])lease. A\'rite me at once, and tell me what you 
 think. How nuich have voii offered to Monier Hutehinii's';' 
 I find Arthur (";ii'lcr"s claim is out of the (juesliou." 
 
 On March 7, 1S.")(S, he wrote the liiia! appeal to Gov- 
 ernment (No. 14 of the cori'cspondeiKH' already allude<l 
 to') which secured his o!);(>et. it is :i niastcrh' letter, full 
 of streuiith and force. He s|)eaks with the slroniT leelin<!' 
 
 I S('(' AlilK'lKli.\, 
 
* 
 
 OF X E U'FOUN DLAN 1). 
 
 347 
 
 of triilli and honesty, refutes in a ( rusliiiig manner all the 
 nuiehinations phiuned aj^^ainst him, and carries conviction to 
 even the most biassed mind. Th(U'e was no further ([ucst ion ; 
 the land was granted at onc(\ On April 7 he writes a 
 letter of thaidvs to Sir Georgi; Grey, from A'o. 8 Surry 
 Street, Strand : — 
 
 " Sii;, — I liav(^ the honour to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your letter of to-day, . . . wherein you ac(iuaint me, hy 
 direction of Lord Gleneln', that Ilis Lordshij) has ascertained 
 from tile Masf(>r-( JiMieral and Iioard of Ordnance? that there 
 is no ohjection in a military jjoint of view to the iifrant to nu;, 
 for the erection of a school-iiouse and chapel, on the land to 
 the eastward of Fort 'i'ownshend, formerly occuj)ied as the 
 garrison wood-yard, and which was the land originally aj)- 
 plied for Ity me ; and further, that as it appears that the 
 other })ortions of land which had been ollered to me do not 
 j)ossess the same advantages. His L()rdshi[) has directed 
 Ca])tain Prescott, if no insui)eral)le ol)jcclion shoidd exist, to 
 })ut me at once in possession of tiie land to the eastward of Fort 
 Townshcnd. Allow me. Sir, through you, to exi)ress to His 
 Lordship my sincere thanks, . . . and to assure him 
 of my gratitude to Her Majc^sty's (lovcrmncnt for the con- 
 sideration they have testified tor the comfort and convenience 
 of so large and >o loyal a portion of Her Majesty's sul)jects, 
 ali'ordiiig to the infant population a means of ac(|niring educa- 
 tion ; to the aduH an op|)ort unity of ollering up their orisons 
 for their Sovereign ; and a place of lasting repose for the dead ; 
 and to me the hap|)iness of laying the foundation of a suite 
 of erections which, I trust, will long remain a monument 
 to the lilicrality and henelicence of our glorious and good 
 (^ueen." 
 
 This was the last of that circmnlocutory correspondence 
 continm'iig over a period of ni'arly four years, and involving 
 the ciossing of the Atlantic liviHimes by the indefatigal)le 
 liishoi). Uut he was well rewarcU'd for his i>reat struimle, 
 
 1 O CO 
 
I '1 
 
 i 
 
 mmmmi 
 
 5» 
 
 ms 
 
 348 
 
 KCCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 'i 
 
 TIh' niiiiouiu'oiiicnl to llic pcojjlc )»y Fallii'r Troy that the 
 urouiul hail Ixu-n (thtaiiicd was tho signal liir great rejoicing; 
 l)ut on Iho arrival of Dr. FU'niiiig hinisdC, in Ihc month of 
 October, their (Milhnsiasni hnr.'^t ail liounds. 'I'lie icason \vi»y 
 l)r. Fleming did not return innnediately to St. John's is (ex- 
 plained in a letter of fJnne, liStS, to the Propagation of the 
 Faith. "Jt was in the spring of l.S."»<S I had thus suecee<led" 
 namely, in securing the gi'oiind, "l»ut hefoi-e I returned to 
 St. flohn's I thouglit it important to communicate with somo 
 of the llrst architei'ts of the day, in order to he fui-nisiied 
 witli tine niH'essary (h'signs for the calhedrai. J had com- 
 munication willi several, hut our climate is so peculiai', our 
 frost so intense, and the (juantities of snow falling every winter 
 so heavy, I at length Judged it belter to jjroceed to the north 
 of Fnro[)e, and at Altona, on the FII)e, obtained from the 
 architect enii)loyed by the Danish (lovernment, ]\I. Schmidt, 
 in that city, all 1 desired, so that it was not till tiie end of 
 October I was enabled to arrive in Xmvfoundland." 
 
 M. Schmidt's designs are still ])reserved in llie Fpiscopal 
 Lil)rai'y in St. John's, from which it will l)e seen, that lliough 
 the general stylo of his j)l!ui has been preserved, yet it has 
 be(>n greatly modilied, particulai'ly l)y the aI)olition of a portico 
 and the addition of the transej)ts. The tinal ])ian, which was 
 the one actually worked upon, is drawn by ^lurphy, ot Dublin. 
 
 Dr. Fleming describes his arrival as I'ollows : — 
 
 '* Tt wouhl be impossil)le to describe the enthusiastic fervour 
 that has Iteen evinced by the peoi)le of St. John's upon the 
 occa>ion of the accedence of that grant, so deeply interested 
 were their feelings; and so thrilling was the announcement of 
 that success, that the whole population turned out and assem- 
 bled sinudtaneously upon the ground, some bearing longuers, 
 some conveying posts, and even children bringing nails and 
 implements; and in the incredible s})ace of ten minutes the 
 whole space, containinir upwards of eight acres, was enclosed 
 with a sid)stantial t'eiice live feet high. 
 
 *' The next demonstration occurred upon my requesting 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 349 
 
 tlnibcr for seiifl'oldini; for the l)uil(liii<i^. Notwithstamlinj^ tluit 
 the woods wlicrc such stutF was to bo obtiiinod witro not less 
 thiiii twelve miles distant, yet in one day, and before one 
 o'clock in the afternoon, T had placed on the "ground more 
 than £500 worth of timber and s[)ars. 
 
 "At the noi'th side of St. John's stands a rocky hill, called 
 Siji'nal Hill. U})on this hill, many years aii'o, a vast (|uantity 
 of huii'e rocks of red (jranite had been raised from their beds 
 for the piii'poso of openinu' a road to the barracks which 
 stands on this hill ; they lay there in confusion. Fpon these, 
 in my solicitude for j)r()curinL>' a suitable foundation for my 
 biiiMin;:', I cast my eyes. Their removal would be a benelit 
 to public improvement. The (iovermuent were scared from 
 it. because the exi)ense necessarily incident uj)on it would 
 far outbalance any iuuncdiate benefit to be derived by them 
 from it. I api)lied for them to tlu^ Colonel of Enuinecu's, who 
 at once uranted nu; permission to take them. I pive notice 
 on the Sunday that on the Wednt'sday followini;' wo should 
 eonnnence this undertaking at nine; o'clock in the morninn' ; 
 and at that hour uj)wards of si.xthousiuid persons were on the 
 .spot ])rei)ared for the undertakinu'. T recommended them to 
 form themselves into larije parties; and never was there ex- 
 hibited a u'reater decree of enudation than Avas te^titied by 
 those bodies, — each vvinir with the other either in brinuiuii" 
 the heaviest stones or the greatest number of loads in the 
 course of the day. The season nave us a beautiful snow-path, 
 particularly adapted for the slide-hauliuix ; and before tlu^ close 
 of the eveninu' tluMc had been de[)osited on the ground al)ove 
 l,2(iO tons of stonc! \\>v the foundations. 
 
 " Much of this stone had to be drawn over an extensive 
 and dangerous lake; yel no sentiment of fear daunted the 
 minds of any of the men, while I stood by tilled with anxious 
 solicitud(! lest the slightest accident might occur to damp 
 their ardour. 1 observed a few of our hardiest class, the 
 ])ilots, at work disengaging an enormous mass of rock from 
 its bed in the side of the hill, inmiediately over the lake. 
 
 
850 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIFSTOHY 
 
 aiul Icrrilicd at llic (laiiifcr, in the lirsl, placo, lest somc^ ol" 
 them sliotild Itc criislicd, I iiidiircd iliciii t(/ dcsi.sl. 'I'licy 
 ])ivt('iid('(l tc eoniply, hut watched llic opportunily of my 
 willidrawal to renew their ellbi'ts, I had not jroiie far when 
 I heaid a uild shoiil. I turned, and saw alioiit a liuiKhcd 
 men haulinii' with ropes the iilentieal rock which lliey liad dis- 
 l()(li!:i'd, in spite of my prohihition, and drairiicd it with iii'cat 
 swiftness across the lake, otherwise its il-real weiu'lit wonhl 
 liave don'ttU'ss suidv llircMiuii llie ice, and Itnricd it, and, per- 
 liaps, many persons also, in llie hosom of the lal<e. This 
 stone was estimated to contain upwards of seven tons. 
 
 " Apiin, wiien I notiliedmy (k-sire to liave the foundations 
 cxca\ ated, thc^ appearance of tlie peoph- wastrnly edifyini:' and 
 alfectin^'. 'I'here you miiilil liehoid ail (dasses of llie popula- 
 tion join witiiout di>tinction in this laborious undertakinu' ; 
 even women, hendinu" umlcr tlie wciiilit of years, assist ini>: to 
 convey away the (day oi' graved in their a|)i'ons ; sothat in less 
 than two days the \vhole i'oimdations were excavated, contain- 
 inir 7!l,2(i() culiic feet, or 8,N()<» cubic yards. 
 
 " liut nothinu' coidd more; strongly manifest the feidinii's of 
 the l)eople than tin- zeal e.\hil)ited in conveyinii' the l)uil(rm_u- 
 stone for the erection of this edifice. Every Ctitholic owner 
 of a schooner or boat, and even some Protestants, \ olunteered 
 to send their vesstds iiratuitously to Kelly's Island, a distance 
 to many of them of more than two hundred miles by water, 
 for a cariioof stones, which were there ([uarried for the pur- 
 pose, and the fishermen oflered themscdves to form the crcnvs ; 
 and no sooner are these caru'ces landed than the farmers of 
 8t, John's send their carts, althouiih this work necessarily 
 occurs at their busiest season ; and the mechanics in the town, 
 — smiths, tailors, victuallers, coopers, carpt'utei's, shoe- 
 makers, and the pilots, as good and virtuous a body of men 
 as live, and even shopkeepers and met'chants, — all take a 
 day, each dei)!irtment alternately, to load and unload those 
 carts; even the female portion of the conirreuation insisted 
 u'pon devoting one diiy in each wwk to those works ; and you 
 might behold hundreds of females, young and old, married 
 
 f^ '" 
 
OF NKWI'OUNDLANI). 
 
 a5l 
 
 nnd siiiiflc, rich iind poor, iisscinMcd every Moiid.'iy moriiinir, 
 f'liriiislied with hMrrows, jictinir the |);irt of Ijihomcrs hy hriiii;- 
 intr sl<»iie iVoiii th(^ most dist;inl purl ot" llie uTiXiiid, where it 
 h.'id heeii |)lMeed, to (he loot ol" the seiiU'ohlint;" ; Miid tliis niiiii- 
 ilestiition of ze:d and <h'V()tion (coiitiniiei! as it has heeii IVoiii 
 the lirst week until the eh»s«' of the htiiidinii' season) is witli- 
 oiit parallel in the history oi" the Chnreh in any eoinit ry."' 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 'Till' fill liciN 1111(1 iiiollu'i's of llio pivspiit ^.'fiu'rritioii t;l(iiv in ici'imiiliii^' ti> llicir 
 oliildrcMi liow llicv took piut in tlio-io works, niid m:uiy lui iiiuciliptc, iiiiiiisiiii,'- i,v iiii( r- 
 t-iliii;r, isrclicarsrd llu'icaiu'iit. Tlif |)U(i|iIo, liii\ iii^r li'iiriicii liy I'Xju'riiiii'c' limv iicccs- 
 Siiiy it was tuoliluiii scciiii' nnd iiudiiNlitt'd |)()s»c»-.iciii nl' llic land, were ni>| ■^ali'^licd 
 Avilli I'l'iicinL.'' it in. 'I'licv llioii^'lil llial it'llicv cnnM l)iil liavt' one corpse liiiiicd in lliii 
 ^jroiiiid it, woidd l)(" a iIdmIiIc scciirily, as tlicy diil not liclii'Vi; that I'vrii tlicir liilUTcil 
 rncinii'S would atlompt to inovr tin- dead. lint tof^'ct llioco/yxM dilirl.i, that wa> tin' nili. 
 Who would Ih- iiccoiiiniodalinif cnoii^rli to die? Or whose faith was -.Irnii.:' cikiii^Ii 
 to allow liimsi'lf to h(' hiirinl alive, or made a vieliin of? lieliol I ! "the ram is 
 founil slicking' fast anion^' the hi'iers." A certain notorious eliaraeter in the ti>wn of the 
 name of Mnllins took oeiM>ioii mo-t iip|iortniiel_v to die (at least so it was saiil), and ho 
 was linri<'d with trreat |)om|i in a hack part of the new ;;romid, not far fnnii where now 
 •stands the hall-alley. .Some said it was a clever trick of old Mnllins to die at that 
 time, as othci'wise \w never would have ;^-ot a iliceiit burial, linich less a ;^raiid fiinei'al. 
 I5nl not lonjr after this the veritahle .Mnllins appeared aLraiii in the llesh, tlioMi;h many 
 uverred (and will aver to this day) that it was his "•host. 'I'he fact was thtit poor 
 Midlins " is not dead, hut .slcepeth," havin;r heen induced hy " the hoys " to take an 
 ovcr-ili;ni;:hl of a certain soniidferous decoction to which he was leather partial ; and 
 it was hnt a eolHn full of stones that was huriiMl with honors ! 
 
 I am tempted to ri'I'ite one other anecdote on this snhjeet. \ few years wu it 
 Illi;;ht have hcen noticed that there was a rather siii;,'ular curve on tlie wcsU'iri houi. !- 
 ary of the plot of laml in i|Ueslion. It cannot now he noticed, as, since thai time, undi'r 
 tlu' Iicnnett (Jovernment, an additional piece id" the Onlnance c-roniid was ohtained, 
 and the road was moved farther westward ; hut at the time the road |)a>-cd nnder- 
 ncalh the I'alace windows, and immediately in frcnit of St. lionavcntnrc's ( 'olle;;i'. 
 'I'lu' line of road, insteail of luiinin^ in a strai^dil line, cuivimI suddenly we-twards at 
 the corner of the I'alace. On remarking,' this fact one day, and wondcrin','' what 
 caused il, an old man who was working; ahout a drain looked up and said, " Well, yer 
 IJev'r'lis, 1 can li'U ye all ahont it, for it was I done it meself. Yes, (iod lorui'mc, 
 'twas the first rro^iv (/./'//'/■(('/(//'( I ever opened in me life, and the last, too. IJiit sure 
 only for the I'ase was in il IM never disgrace me-elf he lavin' sicli sod as that .-iflhcr 
 me, as crooked as a shovel handle ! " — " Why, how was that, .Mickle r " — " Well, \i'. 
 sec, yer Kev'r'ns, when Ui^hop I'lemin' (d'od he udoil to his sowl I) ;:(it the liil o' land 
 aflhcr thrav'lin' nieiiy a thousan' mile o' tin' suit ocean, the lioiindhai ies was laid out 
 wild .stakes, and 1 was a\cd lo come wml iiie horses an' plnui;h to run a smj, -n ilny 
 could see where to put the fiuce. Well, I come jcs' hcl'ore dawiiin' o' d.iy in the 
 inornin', an' I yoked-to and sinrled. I see at wanste the way thiiii fellas o' the ( iarrison 
 laid otV the line. Av I folly'd it sthraiiihl il 'nd run down a'most to iiothiiiu' there heyant 
 Ipcthe fiMMlt road, j.'s' where the Ilishop wanted to have thiM atalhei'al faciu'ou. .So,ses 
 I, in the iiameo'(iod, thoii^di it^oesairi'ii me heart to makeacrookcd sod, lor this wanste 
 I'll do il ! So I f;ov a little elinek o' the rein, an' I turneil 'cm out towards the (iarri- 
 son gate. An' sure, yer llev'r'ns, ye can see yerself av 1 went slhraight I'd eut right 
 
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352 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IlISTOKY 
 
 t 
 
 With such an enthusiastic people wo may bo sure the work 
 of construction was not porniittod to flag. But even allow- 
 ing for all this zeal and energy, it still remains a wonder and 
 a prodigy that such a building, equal in size and architecture 
 to many of those which, in the Old World, have taken 
 centuries to build, should be erected in Newfoundland, and 
 that, too, in such an incredibly short space as nine years ; 
 for the foundation-stone was not laid till 1841, and Dr. 
 Fleming had the consoling happiness of celebrating the first 
 Mass in it in 1850, a few months only before his death. 
 
 For nearly three years after the securing of the ground 
 the tinie was employed in gathering in material from all sides. 
 Like Solomon of old, he sent levies of men into the forests 
 to " hew the fir and the cedars," and to " liew stones in the 
 mountains ; and to bring great stones, costly stones, for the 
 foundations of the temple, and to square them."' The re- 
 mainder of his life was principally taken up with this great 
 work, and he made many voyages to England to procure 
 materials and further the work. While the stones were beinjj 
 quarried in Kelly's Island, in Conception Bay, he lived there 
 in a hut, used the pick and crowbar, and assisted to carry 
 the stones to the water's edge, whence they were gratuitously 
 conveyed to St. John's by the owners and captains of our 
 vessels. "He might, however," writes Dr. Mullock, "have 
 avoided this unnecessary fatigue, and the affair could as well 
 be carried on under his direction ; but such was his disposi- 
 tion and anxiety to do everything himself." 
 
 The material of which the cathedral is built (with the ex- 
 ception of the ambulatory walls, which are of Kelly-Island 
 stone) was [)rincipally imported from Ireland. The main 
 walls are faced with cut limestone from Galway, and the 
 
 throufih the statute o' St. John on the arch below ! " And, sure cnouiih, tliouph St. 
 John would have escaped the dissection, not havni;^ been placed there till nmnj' ycai's 
 after, yet the line wonld certainly liiive run in such ii manner as to have destroyed the 
 grand pia/./.a of the eatiiedral. It is, indeed, ainusinf; to think tliat, after all the reports 
 and investigations of military and civil authorities, continuinjx for over three years, tlic 
 whole affair should in tiie end ho decided by Micklc's havinjf overcome his scruples 
 about making " a crooked furrow " ! 
 
 i 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 353 
 
 quoins, mouldings, belting, .and base courses, window-frames, 
 hciids, sills, and mullions, are of Dublin granite. Dr. Flem- 
 ing sought, at first, for cut stone from the neighboring 
 colonies. On the 29th of June, 1839, lie wrote Michael 
 Tobin, Esq., of Halifax, inquiring about freestone, which 
 he hoars can be had on very r(!asonal)le terms in Nova 
 Scotia. He had seen some which had been lately imported 
 from there for the new Custom-House which appeared very 
 good. This elFort failed evidently, as there is no freestone 
 in the cathedral. These two years of preparation were ji 
 period of contiiuied bustle and excitement in St. ♦John's. Day 
 after day schooners and vessels were arriving with stone from 
 Kelly's Island and Europe, and gangs of citizens were told 
 oif to uidoad them at the " Bishop's "Wharf" and the Ord- 
 nance Wharf, which had been kindly loaned. All classes of 
 the peo[)le — tradesmen, shopkeepers, laborers, farmers — 
 attended in turn, vying with each other in their enthusiasm. 
 
 "Never," says Dr, Mullock, "even in the Ages of Faith, 
 did a })eople exhibit greater enthusiasm than did the New- 
 foundlanders in the erection of this temple. Hundreds and 
 thousands of tons of stone, landed at the Bishop's Wharf 
 by the gratuitous labor of the people, were by them gratui- 
 tously carted to the cathedral grounds three hundred feet over 
 the level of the water. One day a thousand tons of cut 
 granite, for (iuoii)«, window mouldings, iiP.d string courses, 
 would arrive frcnn Dublin; in a few days the whole would 
 be landed and dei)osited on the cathedral ground without a 
 shillini::'s exi)ense for laI)or or cart-hire. Ai^ain, cariroes of 
 stone from Kelly's Island would continually arrive, gratui- 
 tously conveyed in ships belonging to St. John's and the out- 
 ports ; and again the })eople, day after day, month after 
 month, year after year, discharged them, and convened them 
 to the building, untiringly laboring for the glory of God.*' 
 
 As to Dr. Fleming himself, he seemed endowed with super- 
 
 natural streuijth. 
 
 He crossed the Atlantic again in 1840. 
 
SH 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOKY 
 
 And wc may form sonic idou of his Inbors from the followinir 
 extract from a letter written to the (^irdinal Prefect of 
 Propaganda, on tiie 2.'}d Septcnd)er, 1841. His Emiiienco 
 had written to Dr, Fh;ming in Xovemher, 1840, inviting him 
 to visit Rome, and, having received no response, wrote again 
 in January, 1841. This letter also reniainmg unanswered, 
 the Cardinal writes in a rather severe tone in July, 1S41, 
 enclosing copies of the former letters, and c()mi)laining that, 
 though he (Dr. Fleming) had visited Kurope suhseciuenlly, ho 
 had not come to Rome. Having cxj)lained that he did not 
 receive the letters, they having been unaccountal)ly mislaid, 
 Dr. Fleming continiu's : " In good truth, had I really n^eeived 
 the letters, notwithstanding the jjrofound respect and venera- 
 tion which I entertain towards the Sacred Congregation, it 
 would have been imi)ossible for me to comply with the 
 request. . . . My whole stay (in Europe) only amounted 
 to the short space of six weeks, and during that time I had 
 no opportunity of enjoying one day's repose. I had to visit 
 Ireland, whence to procure three additional priests ; I had to 
 make arrangements for their passages ; 1 had to superintend 
 the makinjr of models for the ornamental stone necessary for 
 our ncAV cathedral ; I had to look to the cutting of that stone 
 in Dublin ; I had to procure an engraving, to be cut, of the 
 new edifice in a state of completion, that the sale of the 
 plates might increase the resources for the building; I had 
 to fly to IJirmingham to procure medals connnemorative of 
 the laying of the foundation-stone, which I intended should 
 take place early in the ensuing spring, in order b^' their sale 
 to still further augment my funds; I had to hurry to Liver- 
 pool to contract for vessels to bring out the so-cut stone at 
 the oi)ening of the new year ; and ever and anon to adopt 
 every ofler of a vessel departing for Newfoundland to expe- 
 dite my works there in progress. jNIy days were one 
 unbroken round of toil ; my nights given more to thought, 
 and thv'i transmission of those thoughts to paper, than to 
 repose, until at last I had, in that short space, matured all 
 my business. I once more returned to Liverpool to take 
 
 ip* 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 mi 
 
 shippiiii^ for Xowfoiindliind, wliorc, now oxhiiustod and suh- 
 (lucd, my health f'iiili'd nio, and my sliattcMrd and harassed 
 frame sank upon the Ixrd, whence for tlio first tin»o I arose 
 only It) step on board the vessel and brave the hardships of 
 a voyaiie of two thousand miles." 
 
 On his arrival on this occasion he was ofreeted with more 
 than the ordinary cxi)ressions of joy and welcrome. In 
 October, shortly afti'r his arrival, he addressed the people 
 from the altar in a most fervent expression of thankfulness 
 to them and uratitude to God for the great success which had 
 thus far attended iheir irlorious ellbrts, and he gives a graphic 
 account of the state of the works. 
 
 There were many who had directly opposed the great 
 work, and others who looked on inditrcrcntly, who, not 
 enlightened and sustained by the burning faith with which 
 animated his own l)reast, looked upon his ellbrts with a sneer 
 of contempt as the vain attempt «)f an enthusiastic dreamer. 
 "It is imi)ossible," they said, " to (iomplete such a work in 
 Newfoundland I '' Dr. Fleming had said that lu> would have 
 the v.hole |)lot of land fenced in in half an hour. "Impos- 
 sible ! " said his op[)()nents ; an<l they calculated the immenso 
 number of posts and shores, the stupendous (]uantity of 
 longures, th<! masses of nails. "It could not be done in a 
 fortnight." "So it had I)eeii with the croakers, even from the 
 very dawn of the faith. 'There is a lad here,' said one of 
 old to flesus, 'who has iive barley loaves and two little 
 tlshes ; but what are they among so many?' You know 
 the secjuel. Jesus blessed them, and they fed the multitude 
 of live thousand, and there were twelve baskets of scraps 
 left. We had given //((Jf an hour for the work of the 
 fencing; but (Jod blessed it, and you accomplished it \n (en 
 miniUcs; and there remained as nuich material as would fence 
 it over again." 
 
 In his letter to the Society of the Propagation of (he Faith 
 he describes more minutely the scene of the fencing of the 
 ground: "The I'cfusal of the Governor to give (he land 
 brought me a fourth time across the ocean. Nor did I leave 
 
a')6 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 t 
 .«■■■' J 
 
 
 London until 1 learnt that the grant bad actually been placed 
 in the bands of my curate, and the ground taken jjos.session 
 of. Tbo concession was announced on Sunday to tho con- 
 gregation, and they were asked to belp to fence the land. 
 . The morning proved auspicious. At an early hour 
 every part of the town was fdled with joyous groups making 
 preparation for tho event. At 10 o'clock the church bell 
 rang out, and innnediately all assembled at the ground. Tho 
 old and tho young, the healthy and the intirm, even tho 
 Monien and children ; . . . and so had they, as if by 
 conunon impulse, disposed themselves that where there were 
 persons too young or too feeble to assist in the erection of 
 the fence, some of them brought ix few pickets, some a few 
 nails, some a saw, some a hanuuer, or some such implement. 
 All then took up tlusir positions around the space to be 
 enclosed, supi)lied with the necessary posts and shores and 
 longures, and in less than Iwentij minutes these nine acres 
 of ground were enclosed with a substantial fence six feet 
 high." 
 
 To continue Dr. Fleming's discourse in the "Old Chapel'" : — 
 
 "It was impossible, said my opponents, to bring the 
 stone from Kelly's Island ; but God insjjired his peo[)le, and 
 the work was accomplished. Finally, it was impossihle to 
 move it to the cathedral ground. Yet it is now laid tlu^re 
 ready for the hammer of the mason. • . . What shall I 
 say to you who have "worked so well and so faithfully in tho 
 sacred cause ? II(/W can I thank the lisherinen of Newfound- 
 land? How shall I repay the farmers and the laborers the 
 deei) del)t of gratitude I owe them? AA'hat return shall I 
 make to the mechanics and shopkeepers? Oh! a life of 
 service could not be regarded as an equivalent. It is God 
 only, that God, for the promotion of whose divine worship 
 they have labored, that can reward them. . . . You will 
 bo gratified, my dear people, to learn that at this moment 
 there are ui)wards of sixty stone-cutters eni[)l()yed in pre- 
 paring cut stone in Dublin, which I shadl have ready for 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 367 
 
 exportation by the first vessels in sprin<^, a sciison whpn 
 froi«^'it.s from Ireland are always lowest, and it is no harfii 
 for us to save some five or six hundred [)ounds in freight, l 
 have also ordered 400,000 of brick from Hamburg. 
 Thus will I be provided with such a (juantity of material as 
 will enable me to conunence the work without further delay. 
 
 " I have also come provided with a model of the work, — 
 not a picture or a painting, — but a cathedral church \n 
 miniature. The whole edifice eonndcte : its aisles, porticos, 
 towers, ambulatories, altars, sanctuary, and all, constructed 
 in the most exact synuuetry and proportion, whereby we 
 shall effect a still further saving in the construction, and 
 greatly facilitate the progress of the work." He then calls 
 upon the schooner-owners to bring more stone in the spring, 
 " for, great as is the mass of stone upon the ground, I assure 
 you we are far from having a sufficiency." 
 
 The preparations weic now so far advanced that there was 
 no doubt that all would be ready for the great event early in 
 the ensuing spring. And at length, on the 20th of May, 
 1841, the foundation-stone was solenmly blessed and laid by 
 Dr. Fleming with all the imposing ceremonies of the Catholic 
 Church, and the work really conunenced. 
 
 The following description is from a local newspaper, "The 
 Newfoundlander," of Thursday, May 20, 1841 : — 
 
 LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION-STONE OF THE CATHOLIC 
 
 CATHEDRAL. 
 
 "On Thursday last, the day appointed for the purpose, 
 this interesting ceremony took place. At 12 o'clock the 
 procession conunenced forming at Ihe Roman Catholic chapel, 
 and soon after moved slowly onwards, proceeding down 
 Queen's Street, through Water Street, and to the cathedral 
 ground by Cochrane Street. The day was not particularly 
 favoraI)le, but the weather continued sufTiciently fine to admit 
 of the proceedings of the day being terminated without 
 much inconvenience. Competent judges, who viewed the 
 multitude on the ground, estimated the numl)er assembled at 
 
;5r)8 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ten to twelve thousiind ; and we think it did not fall short of 
 it, for, as the procession proeet'ded, it seemed as though it 
 woidd never end. After tiie ceremony of hiying the stono 
 had been gone through a sliort but impressive ad(h'ess was 
 delivered by the Kight Rev. Dr. Fleming, pointing out the 
 importance of the great work lie had now conunenced, of the 
 difficulties lliat stood in the way of its accomplishnuMit, but 
 which he conlidcntly expected to surmount. A collection 
 was then opened on the ground, and the handsome sum of 
 £2, GOO ($10,400) raised on the spot. The proposcnl edifice 
 is to be on a scale of magnitude unequalled in any of the 
 North American colonics. It will be a stupendous work ; 
 but the energy, perseverance, and zeal of Dr. Fleming will, 
 we think, be sufficient eventually to accom[)lish it, for in 
 the furtherance of the interests of the Church over which ho 
 presides he allows no obstacle to arrest his ctToris, no diffi- 
 culties to stand in the way of what he conceives calculated 
 to promote her advancement. It is because of all this that 
 we look to the successful progress of this herculean under- 
 taking, which wo should otherwise deem to bo wholly im- 
 practicable. 
 
 i>i 
 
 , J 
 
 PROGRAMME 
 
 or THB 
 
 ORDER OF PROCESSION 
 
 is' 
 
 IN MOVING, THIS DAY, 
 For the Purpose of laying the Fouudatloii-stoiie of the New Cathedral. 
 
 ;■ I 
 
 
 At 12 o'clock persons who arc disposed to unite in this solemn ceremony 
 will assemble in the vicinity of the Catholic Clinrch, wlicnce tlie procession 
 will move by Queen's Street, down the Lower Street, up the Hcach, and by 
 Cochrane Street towards the Cathedral ground, in the following order : — 
 
 CROSS-BEARER, 
 
 
 
 In purple tunic, and on each side of the Cross two acolytes In white, 
 carrying waxen torches. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 'J^d 
 
 TiiK Uanu, tliree and throe. 
 
 A Buniicr with a palntiiifj of tlic presfiit I'ontlff, (Jrogory XVI., boriu- by a 
 
 person (Iri'ssed in scarlet. 
 
 A Cauvkntku, 
 
 carrying the Thins, siipporteil on tlie rlffht and left by two Masons, one 
 
 bearing, on a cnshion, a scpiare and mallet, and the other, on 
 
 a similar cusliion, a s(|uare and trowel. 
 
 A Ma.son, 
 
 carrying, on a cnshion, Tlans of the Altur. 
 
 TnK Model ok tiik Catiucduai., 
 
 supported l)y four persons with sashes. 
 
 Masons, two and two, witli aprons; Tradesmen In general, two and two. 
 A Painting of tiie IJedeemer, carried l)y a person in white. 
 Female Children, three and three; Ciiristian Doctrine Society, two ami 
 two ; Boys, three and three. 
 A Painting of St. John, supported by two persoas wearing white 
 sashes on each shoulder. 
 Fishermen, three and three ; Mochaidcs' Society, with tlieir own banners. 
 Benevolent Irish Society, with their own i)anners, and pre- 
 ceded by two persons carrying the embroidered 
 figure of St. Patriclv. 
 Farmers, three and three, preceded by one bearing a figure of 
 Daniel U'CJoimell. 
 Gentlemen, tliree and three. 
 A Band. 
 A Banner witli a llgnre of the Queen. 
 
 Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, three and three, preceded by two 
 
 persons bearing a painting of the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 A Puir.sT, 
 
 carrying in his liands a c<)i)per ))ox containing the parchment with tlie 
 
 inscriptions, coins, latest periodicals, etc., and supported on 
 
 the riglit and left l)y two Clergymen, one bearing in 
 
 his liaiids a vase lllled witli Holy Water, 
 
 and the otlier an Asperges. 
 
 Pkiksts, 
 
 two anil two. 
 
 Tiik Bishop, 
 
 supported by two Priests. 
 
360 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 The foundatioii-stono was a Iiuf^e mass of granite alwut 
 two lonn in weight. It wa« phiced under tiio corner of tho 
 weHtern tower. In the cavity was placed a parchment roll 
 with the following inscription : — 
 
 } 
 
 Co t[)c 6rot ]£)omx iinb 6lori) of 6ob. 
 
 THIS FIRST STONE OF THE CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN'S, 
 
 NEWFOUNDLAND, 
 DEDICATED TO THE MOST HIGH GOD, UNDER THE PATRONAGE 
 
 OF 
 THE BLESSED ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, WAS LAID BY THE 
 
 RIGHT REV. DR. FLEMING, 
 IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PRIESTS WHOSE NAMES ARE 
 
 HEREUNTO SUBSCRIBED, 
 AND SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF OTHER PERSONS, ON THURSDAY 
 
 20TH DAY OF MAY, 
 
 IN THE YEAR OF OUR REDEMPTION 1841, IN THE 4TH YEAR 
 
 OF THE REIGN OF HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY 
 
 QUEEN VICTORIA, 
 
 AND THE ELEVENTH OF THE PONTIFICATE OF HIS HOLINESS 
 
 POPE GREGORY XVI. 
 
 The following are the names of the priests who signed the 
 document, all of whom have gone to their reward : — 
 
 Very Rev, C. Dalton, 
 Very Kev. Denis Mackin, 
 Rev. Thomas "VValdron, 
 Rev. James Murphy, 
 Rev. P. K. Cleary, 
 Rev. Pelagius Novvlan, 
 
 Rev. r. K. Ward, 
 Rev. J no. Foristal, 
 Rev. Jno. Cummings, 
 Rev. Kyran Walsh, 
 Rev. Ed. O'Keefe, 
 Rev. John Ryan. 
 
 p m^-. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 361 
 
 Ut 
 
 iie 
 
 Tho foundation of the ciithodral of St. John's murks tho 
 coninicnciMnent of a r<'niarkal)lc era in the history of Now- 
 foundhuul. "One {jfencration after another," writes Dr. 
 ]\Iullo('k, "of adv(Milurer,s retired with wealth, hut still New- 
 foundland remained a pathless wilderness, without roads, 
 without postal eomnumiealion, even, with the mother-eoun- 
 try ; without any improvement sinee the days tho red 
 Indiiiiis roamed throujrh tho land, unless a t'vw wooden 
 stores, some wooden villaj^es seattered alonj^ the sea-eoast, 
 and a misi'rahle wooden town for its eapital. The erection 
 of the lar«>:est elmrvh in North America, on the most com- 
 manding position in St. John's, was a <rrand protest that 
 Newfoundland was no longer to be merely the home of a 
 migratory fishing ])opulation ; but that henci;lbrth she should 
 take a place among the infant nations of tho New World, 
 destined, from her position, her resources, and Ikm- maritime 
 population, to bo hereafter the Queen of the Northern 
 Ocean ! " 
 
 The work of tho cathedral progressed rapidly, so that Dr. 
 Fleming, writing in 1848, was able to say : — 
 
 the 
 
 "The main walls of this noble edifice are now raised about 
 thirty feet, and the extern walls are finished ; yet I am 
 obliged to pause until I shall have obtained from Ireland 
 a sufficient (juantity of cut stone for its compU^tion. Hut it 
 has often been a subject of remark how it happens that I, 
 who can conunand such assistance from my people, should 
 come to Ireland for cut stone? Sim^jly because the differ-' 
 ence of wages paid in colonies and in Ireland tnore than 
 meets the amount of freight to Newfoundland, as vessels en- 
 •raiied in the North Ameiican timber trade, bcin<x o'oliucd 
 generally to go out in ballast, are ready to take freight at 
 what will barely pay the expenses of the voyage. As it is 
 necessary that new contracts bo now entered into for the re- 
 mainder of the building, I therefore found it re(]uisile to 
 revisit Ireland once more for this purpose ; for it is only iu 
 
362 
 
 KCCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ''I 
 
 winter I coukl think rf absenting myself from Newfoundland, 
 even for the shortest period, without materially interfering 
 with the pronvess of this structure ; and although I am quite 
 sensible of the ditiiculties before me, yet my reliance is upon 
 the benevolence of the faithful ; and when I reflect that in all 
 my undertakings hitherto, however great the expense, and 
 however limited my humble means of meeting it, Heaven 
 was always ready to open a way to their accomi)lishment. 
 I must say that I have never entertained a doubt that He 
 who i)lanned the great temple of antiijuity and endowed it 
 with the wealth of the nations of the world ; and He who, 
 upon the base of the huml)lc fishermen of Galilee, reared a 
 chuich cons|)icuoi:-: for its grandeur, and magnificence, and 
 extent, will not withhold His assistance when there is a 
 question of raising up in the midst of the wilderness a teni- 
 ple to Ilis w i'shii), intended to attract the wanderers to the 
 fold, and to last for ages as a monument of our fidelity to 
 that creed to which we are devoted. When there is a ques- 
 tion of the estal)lishment of an edifice where the little ones 
 of His promise shall be brought up in the ways of peace, and 
 schooled in the i)aths of virtue and religion, He will open the 
 hearts of the faithful followers of His sacred cross to lend 
 their cordial and zealous assistance." 
 
 •si I 
 
 Nevertheless, some mistakes were connnitted in the fur- 
 therance of the work. He unfortunately endeavored to 
 carry out the building without tiic su[)erintendenco of a 
 <|ualified architect, and, in conse(|uonce, met many grievous 
 disappointments; portions of the work had t(> be taken down 
 before it was conq)leted, and tlu; roof had to be renewed 
 inunediately after his death. He was also fre(]uenfly de- 
 ceived in the i)urcliase of aaterials. He labored under one 
 great diliiculty, the want of good workmen. Very few stone 
 buildings then existed in the city. The churches, court- 
 iiouse, and publi offices were all of wood. Architectural 
 beauty or dural)ility were not thought of, and, consetiuently, 
 skilled workmen, especially masons and stone-cutters, were 
 
 -P V^kWU", 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 863 
 
 with difficulty procured. It was, then, a herculean task to 
 undertake such a huildini^, and while his whole enerj^ics 
 were given to the work, a constant fire of conii)laints was 
 kept u^) against him at the Colonial Office and the Propa- 
 
 ganda. 
 
 In 184(3 occurred the ever-memorable fire. Dr. Fleming 
 was in England at the time, as has already l)cen stated. He 
 lost by the fire £4,000 ($16,000), and on his return to St. 
 John's he a[)plied for a portion of the money collected in 
 Engliiiid (£31, 51(5 stg.) for the restoration of the city of 
 St. John's, but was refused. 
 
 Notwithstanding the great blow received from " The Fire 
 of '46," which also laid in ashes his beautiful new convent, 
 the energetic Pre!':te still pushed on the great work of the 
 cathedral. In June, IH-iS, he describes, in a connnunication 
 to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the state of 
 the building: "It is now, in the seventh year after the 
 laying of the first stone, brought so near to completion that 
 the oldest man who looked upon its connnencement may not 
 unreasonably hope to be spared to see it opened for divine 
 worshii)." And notwithstanding the series of misfortunes 
 which the country met with during those years from fire, 
 temi)ests, etc. (for the "Year of the fire" is known also 
 as the "Year of the gale"), yet the church is clear of all 
 del)t. " Nor shall we owe a shilling until the completion of 
 the altars, which will be about the middle' of next sununer." 
 
 During the year 1848 and 1849 Dr. Fleming was in corre- 
 spoiidence with Messrs. Tobin, of Halifax, Gilmore and 
 Kankin and others, of New Brunswick, in relation to the 
 timber re(|uired for the cathedral. In a letter to Dr. Dol- 
 lard, Bishoi) of New Brunswick, 31st January, 1848, he 
 speaks of the cathedral as follows ; — 
 
 "I have now completed the structure of this beautiful 
 edifice as to the externals. The walls, the roof, and the 
 towers are all finished, and I have oidy the interior now to 
 struggle through." "But this," ho says, "considering the si/o 
 
3fi4 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 of the building and the state of the poor people, stricken by 
 fire, by tenii)est, and by famine, is a matter of no mean 
 
 magnitude." 
 
 
 This is tlie hist letter extant concerning the great work of 
 Dr. Fleming's episcopate. At the risk of becoming tedious 
 I have tliought it well to dwell at length on these touching 
 pictures drawn by the holy Bishop at the very time that 
 he was occupied, mind, and soul, and heart, with his stupen- 
 dous enterprise. It is true they are more matters of biog- 
 raphy than history ; but as these pnges are written chiefly 
 for Newfoundlanders, who cherish with fond allection the 
 remembrance of those glorious days, I would deem this 
 work imperfect were I to omit any portion of these descrip- 
 tions. The finishing and adorning of the cathedral, the 
 erection of the grand altars, the placing of all the splendid 
 works of art, painting, statuary, mosaic, etc., belong rather 
 to the life of Dr. Mullock than Dr. Fleming, and shall be 
 treated of at length in a future volume. For the present I 
 conclude this chapter by repeating, that Dr. Fleming lived 
 to see this crowning laljor of his lite and love so far com- 
 l)leted that he was able to celebrate the first Mass in it on 
 Easter Sunday, l.S.'iO, though he was so weak in health that 
 he was obliged to have a chair placed at the altar, on which 
 he rested several times duriujr the sacred function. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 365 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE MERCY NUNS.— [1837-1830.] 
 
 Persecution of Dr. Flcmiiif]: — The "Secret Afliilavits " — His Visit to Rome — 
 Honor Conferred on him by the I'opo — Appointed Domestic I'rolute to His 
 Holiness and Assistant at tiie rontifical Tlu'one — Introduction of the Sisters of 
 Mercy (1842) — Arrival of tlie Nuns — Kntiiusiastic Reception — Sister Frances 
 Creedon — Sister Joseph Nu;.'cnt — Motlier Mary Vincent — The " Faniitio 
 Fever" (1848) —The Cholera (18r)6) —Tlie Orphanage — Mother Xavier — The 
 New Oiphanage — St. Bride's Academy. 
 
 FROINI what has been written in the hist chapter, showing 
 the ahnost horcnlean hihorsof Dr. Fleniiuii' in the i)nsii- 
 injr on of the great and i:i<iantic work, the hiiildin"' of the 
 cathedral, it might Avell bo thought that it would have 
 absorbed every faculty of his mind, every energy of his 
 body, every moment of his time ; yet it was not so ; for 
 during this i)eriod, notwilh. tanding his fre(]iient oyage-s 
 across the ocean, his Hying .'"rom one city to another, con- 
 sulting with architects and modellers ; making contracts with 
 workmen and superintending their operations ; arranging 
 for tlie transshipment of material to Newfoundland, and the 
 thousand other details connected with his undertaking, ho 
 coptrived to pay his olHcial visit to Rome {ad Ihiihia), and 
 there to draw u[) and publish in Italian his " lielazione," u 
 most exhaustive treatise on the state of the Mission. He 
 also undertook, during the most active years of the cathedral 
 progress, the introduction of the Sisters of Mercy, a woi-k 
 which alone would have been sufHcient to mono])()li/e all the 
 attention of an ordinary man. But, besides all these mat- 
 ters ap[)ertaining more itnmcdiafely tt) his spirituid charge, 
 he took a most active i)art in tlie new j)olitical life of the 
 colony, just then develoj)ing itself, liut v, luit is most 
 wonderful is, that all this time he was the sul)ject of a 
 constant attack, and a species of persecution, which would 
 
366 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 I 1 
 
 have prevented one of a different disposition from giving at- 
 tention to any serious matter ; in fact, would have driven him 
 to despair. All this, however, only seemed to nerve Dr. 
 Fleming on to greater deeds, and to add new determination 
 to his will, new force to his physical |)owers. 
 
 This systematic and relentless ojjposition Dr. Fleming 
 had to contend with throughout the whole of his episcopate ; 
 and wliat made it more jjainful was that it came, as it were, 
 from "his own household ;" that is to say, a certain i)arty of 
 his own flock, who seemed disposed to condenm and criti- 
 cise all his actions. It was amazing to what lengths this 
 cabal proceeded, leaving no stone unturned to procure the 
 disu'.isfsal or withdrawal from the country of this nohle Prelate. 
 First, the civil arm was tried: complaints wei'e madt to the 
 Colonial Office accusing him of disloyal conduct. The prcj- 
 uilices of the local governor (Captain Prescott) were en- 
 listed against him, and a series of affidavits, secreflt/ taken 
 by him, were sent to London ; but all to no pur})ose. Then 
 the spiritual power was enlisted : liishops and Prelates in high 
 authority in London and in Lome were, ])y false representa- 
 tions, persuaded to raise the cry against him ; and, finally, 
 Lord John Russell, then Prime Minister, ordered the 
 Foreign Secretary to connnunicate with the Austrian Minis- 
 ter, Prince Metternich, to have the complaints against Dr. 
 Fleming laid before llie court of Rome. As long as the 
 accusations were confined within local and colonial limits, 
 Dr. Fleming could afford to desi)ise them, and, as it were, 
 trample them down by the great moral strength of his 
 character and that almost heroic confidence which he felt 
 from the inward conviction of being right. lUit when efforts 
 were made to damage his character in Rome, then, at last, a 
 sensitive })oint was touched, and he felt himself moved to 
 action to vindicate his doings. In the year 1837 he went to 
 Rome. He was received with the most marked courtesy, 
 lintl triumphantly vindicated his action against his accusers, 
 so'as to gain the highest a[)proval from the Vatican. The 
 statement of his case, already alluded to, and largely quoted 
 
 ■ti.itMiLMh. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 367 
 
 from in this volume, the " lielnzione," was so interesting find 
 important tliat tlie Holy Father ordered it to bo printed at 
 the Pi'opaganda printing-office. 
 
 It was in the year 1837 that, l)eing in England on one of 
 his journeys a1)out securing the plot of land for the cathedral, 
 " .vith no prospect of returning to the home of my heart," as 
 he writes to Father Troy, " for some months to come," he 
 made up his mind to go and receive the Pontifical Benedic- 
 tion at Kome, as nell as to rebut once for all the calunmies 
 insinuated against him. The first diflioulfy to be encountered 
 was the shortness of funds. But he found a kind friend in 
 a Mr. A^'right, a banker in London, who gave him a letter 
 of credit for twice as much as he would require to spend. 
 He travelled by easy stages, " loitering his time along the 
 Continent," as he modestly says ; but we may rest assured 
 that his active mind and observant eye and indefatig.ible 
 energy were all at work to profit to the utmost by this 
 journey, — to acquire useful hints in architecture, or add to his 
 store of ecclesiastical knowledge ; to pick up rare and inter- 
 esting books, paintings, and works of art. He consequently 
 did not arrive in Rome till the 12th of March, and, to his 
 great regret, he found that it was too late to be able to make 
 the preliminary arrangements to ena1>le him to take i)art in 
 the ceremonies of Holy Week. In the first place, he had 
 not the robes necessary to wear on beiiig presented at the 
 Pa[)al court. " Mere accident, however, put in my way the 
 robes of a Franciscan Archbishop," wliich had been left at 
 St. Isidore's. "But still I could not attend the ceremonies 
 without being first j)resented, and it was too late for that 
 now. Thus was I situated on the evening of the 18th of 
 March, deploring in silence my misfortunes, when I perceived 
 a dragoon gall()[)ing towards the convent of St. Isidore's, and 
 I immediately was presented with a letter from the Master 
 of the Apostolic Palace informing me that the Holy Father, 
 having learnt of my arrival and disappointment, had been 
 pleased to dispense with the ceremony of presentation, and 
 signifying the desire of the Pontifl' that I should attend the 
 
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Ml 
 
 11 i 
 
 H ! 
 
 io 
 
 functions, and take my place anions the Bishops next day 
 (Palm Sunday), and that the Holy Fatiier would give me an 
 audience afterwards. 
 
 "This was a very special favour, particularly as it was 
 granted without memorial or solicitation, either direct or 
 indirect. On the third day of my attending the Coppella 
 /SV.sy«»o, while all were sitting, the Pope on his throne, the 
 Cardinals in choir, during the singing of the Crer/o, . . . 
 I was conducted from where I sat, among Bishops of every 
 nation, and placed as one of the assistant Prelates to the 
 throne, and constituted Chaplain to Ilis Holiness." 
 
 He felt overwhelmed by this honor paid to one so 
 insignificant as himself, in (he presence of Cardinals, 
 Bishops, Princes, and I'relates of all ranks. He i lade, 
 while in Kome, a collection of splendid paintings, with other 
 substantial gifts, for the benefit of Xewfoundland. " 1 must 
 remark," ho writes, " that the greatest enemies are often 
 destined by Heaven to accomplish the greatest amount of 
 good for those against whom their hostility is directed. I 
 would- hardly ever receive those marked attentions had not 
 my name attracted the notice of the court of liome through 
 the medium of my enemies." He alludes to a report set 
 afloat that he had been appointed to Waterford, as Bishop; 
 again, ^hat he should not leave Rome. "But," ho says, 
 "solemnly before Heaven I declare there is not a situation in 
 the Catholic Church I would accept this moment if it were 
 to keep me from Xewfoundland." He closes this very inter- 
 esting letter, of which only a small portion has been ex- 
 tracted, by asking Father Troy to send on whatever money 
 he can possibly s^jare. " The expenses of a Bishop here are 
 enormous. My dress, as assistant at the throne, cost 200 
 scudi ($200) ; and then every Bishop must keep a servant in 
 livery with an enormous cocked hat." 
 
 For many years Dr. Fleming had meditated the introduc- 
 tion of a reliarious Order for the instruction of children of the 
 more wealthy classes, who were both able and anxious to pay 
 for their education. The institution of the Prcseu'^ution 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 3G9 
 
 Convent was intended for the education of tlie female poor, 
 not only of St. John'.s, but of the whole Island. "But so 
 attractive h.id it proved," writes Dr. Fleniinj^ to Archdeacon 
 O'Connell," that very many children of the wealthier classes 
 have attended their schools; some even have been sent from 
 the mo'-t remote parts of the Island to oI)tain their education 
 there, and not a few from the neighlxjuring colonies. 
 
 "Still did I feel that more was needed. I certainly was 
 every day nun ^ and more gratified at beholding the hap})y 
 progress of this invaluable institution, although for several 
 years the whole burthen of the -o'hool fell upon the four 
 foundresses of the establishment ; but at length tluMr great 
 usefulness attracted (he att'Mition of others, and four more 
 have since been added, whose assistance is most valuable. Yet 
 I saw tliat so far I had onlv provided for the reliirious instruc- 
 tion of a portion of my people, and I sighed over the wants 
 of the more respectable, the more wealthy, and comfortal)le 
 classes, because the want of good female schools even for 
 these was deplorable. 
 
 "Anspach, in his 'History of Newfoundland,' written in 
 1815, tells us such was the character of the intellectual por- 
 tion 'of the inhabitants of the capital that Paine's "Age of 
 Ileason "' and "Rights of Man " had more authority among 
 the inhabitants of St. Jv'hn's than the sacred Scrii)tures. In- 
 iidelily had taken fast hr Id of the i)ul)lic mind, and tlic m(>st 
 detestable o[)inions upon these momentous subjects were nn- 
 blus'^ingly es[)oused and advocated l)y individuals holding 
 some of the most inqjortant situations in society.' This i)ict- 
 ure, to be sure, is drawn by a Protestant clergyman ; but we 
 must admit that there was nuich truth in it ; and to this mav 
 be added the great laxity that at that time, and, indeed, until 
 recently, prevailed amongst Catholics, some of the most re- 
 spectable of whom would go to the Protestant church or to the 
 Methodist meeting-house oi)eidy to a mid-day or evening 
 service, to exhibit their llbevalitij. These things greatly em- 
 barrassed the morning t.)f my Mission ; but although they 
 have, thank God ! nearly faded away, yet from the aping 
 
370 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 ■II 
 
 to 
 
 IS I 
 
 t 
 
 after frcntility (bociuisc good care is taken by otir rulers to 
 keep Protestantism tlie ' <;enteel relief ion,' tor the amount 
 paid in salaries to public oflioer.s is upwards of £20,800, an- 
 luially, and out of wliieii there is only £820 paid to Catholics, 
 and even this small sum was kept from them until within 
 the last five years, since when three Catholic api)olntmcnts 
 have been made) — from the aping ^ter gentility, particu- 
 larly amongst those who wisli to b(> considere<l as respectable 
 Catholic young ladles, you would bo astonished to behold 
 their ejjgerness to sho\k' themselves oil' at a Protestant cere- 
 mony, or to marry iny little Protestant that may present 
 himself. 
 
 "Thus was it incumbent on mo, by every exertion in my 
 j)ower, to ap[)ly a remedy to this evil ; to raise the character 
 of Catholicity ; to give it a position in public estimation that 
 it had not before ; and, therefore, as no school had ever been 
 established in ^i jwfoundland where respectable Catholic ladies 
 could receive a good and rei'gious education, I determined, 
 as the means best calculated t(; accomplish thi:^ end, to intro- 
 duce a comnmnit}' of nuns of the Order of Mercy, whose rule 
 would permit them to keep a pension school; and in compli- 
 ance with this determination I sent to their parent institution, 
 at IJaggott Street, under the care of the sainted foundress, the 
 late Mrs. INIcAuley, a young lady who had resided several 
 years in Newfoundland, and who was intimately acquainted 
 with the (■■'•cumstances of the country, and the peculiar wants 
 that I particularly needed to suppl}', to pass there h< r novi- 
 tiate, in order that she should return to mo after her profes- 
 sion, together with such other ladies as should be inspired to 
 accompany her, in order to found a Convent of Mercy at St. 
 John's and o[)(mi a school, — a day-school for such as could pay 
 for their education, — a school where children may be taught 
 the elegant and fashionable accomplishments of the day, and 
 at the same time may have their j'oung minds properly im- 
 bued with the princii)les of religion. Two ladies of that 
 Order accordingly did come. In May, 1842, th(!y sailed from 
 Dublin, accompanied by three ladies, postulants for the Pres- 
 
 ii 
 
OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 371 
 
 ontiilion convent, and five priests for the Mission, iin'l arrived 
 all in ijood Iiealth at St. John's after a passajje ol t".venty- 
 oijLrlit days. The hidies for \\h\ I'resentation Order were at 
 onee conveyed to their convent. The priests Avere soon 
 placed in their respective Missions, — the Sisters of Afercy 
 takiiii"; up their al)ode at my residence, which I had iriven np 
 to {hvuij)ro tcinpnrr, nntil I should have jjrepared for thcni a 
 more suitable and coinfortal)Ie ilwelliiiir." 
 
 These pioneers of the !Merey Order in the New World ar- 
 rived in St. John's on the feast of the Sacred Heart, the 10th 
 day of June, 1.S42, about six months after the death of the 
 saintly foundress, jNIolher McAuley.' This was the first 
 house of the Order founded in America, and there is a, tra- 
 dition of the Order that Mother McAuley luM'self had intended 
 to come to Newfoundland to found the house here had not 
 death taken her away. The younj; lady alluded to by Dr. 
 Fleming; in the extract w'as^Miss Creedon, who was ap])()inled 
 first Ivcv. ^Mother of the new establishment, and to her in a 
 ffrcat measure is due the existence of the Order in Newfound- 
 laud t()-(hiy. 
 
 The arrival of the first Sisters in St. John's is thus described 
 by Dr. Fleming : — 
 
 "The signal of the approach of the 'Sir "Walter Scott' on 
 the morning of the 10th inst. produced among our popula- 
 tion tlie most gratifying excitement, and as the wind was ofl- 
 
 •Tho Order of tlic Sisters of ^Fcrcy was founded by Catlicrinc MeAulev, in Dnb- 
 lin, ill 1827. Tliia siiinlly wonmii was horn on the fonst of St. Miclmi'l (.Sept. 2!)), 
 1787, at Storniantdwn House, f'onnty Dublin. Slie was endowed wilh a most allVc- 
 tionate and eliarilable di-;])osili()n. She felt a peculiar desiie to (onsole sorrow and 
 Bftli<'tion wherever she eueouutered it. She lost her parents when vounL', aid on 
 coming into possession of her property she at once set about the oreetion of her 
 institute, whieh was destined to t ccnpy sueh an ini))ortant place in the (hnreh. She 
 purchased a piece of ground in IJaggott Street, Dublin, aiul on the feast of Our 
 Lady of !MiM('y (2llli Sei)t.), 1S27, the new building was solemnly l)losscd by Dr. 
 l?lake (her sincere I'fiend and sphiiual direetiu', afterwards l>i>hop of Dnnnorc), ^^hen 
 she at once opened her schools for poor <'hildren, and ol)tained perniis>i()u to vi-^it the 
 sick in the hospitals. In .luno, IS.'iO, the new institute was eoufiruiccl by itescript of 
 Pope I'ius \'Iir. The Order soon began to spread. Applications eanio from all parts 
 for the establishment of colonics of the Sisters. .She died, iu the odor of sanctity, oil 
 the 11th November, 1811. 
 
I' '' 
 
 87S 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IILSTOIIY 
 
 shore, and sho could not msiko tho harbour early in the day, 
 towards the afternoon I took a j^ilot-hoat and proctHuled to 
 8ea to jrreet our pious fri(!nds upon theirarrival, and, it' neecs- 
 pary, to In-inj; th(Mn ashore, lest they should he eompelled to 
 add another nii^ht to their weary voyage. 
 
 "T reaehed the vessel ahout tour miles from the shore, and 
 was happy to tind all on hoard in exccdlent health. I was, 
 indeed, almost surprised to see our revertMid Sisters so very 
 well after a transallantie voyage of thirty days, unused as 
 they were to the soa, and that their spirits were not in the 
 8li<;htest degree subdued. 
 
 "The captain, Mr. Byars, whoso kindness and attention 
 throughout were subjects of nnich ))raise, now informed us 
 that he could not expect to enter the harbour that evening, in 
 conseciuenec of which we made immediate i)rep!»rations to get 
 tluf nims and six clergymen ashore. For this jjurpose we 
 used the boat which I had brought, together with that bo- 
 longing to the pilot on board, and which had remained with 
 the vessel, and in a short time got all on board the boats, 
 althoujih, from the jrreat hei<;ht of the vessel and the heaMin<; 
 of the sea, it was attended with some difficulty to get the 
 hidies safiily and comfortably placed there." He then gives 
 a graphic description of the "Narrows," the town, the fish- 
 flakes and stages, and speaks of the surprise and interest 
 taken in all these things by the Sisters. "On ai)})roaching 
 the wharf of the Hon. James Tobin, we found it and those 
 adjoining thronged with multitudes who were eager to extend 
 a welcome to those who had made so many and such great 
 sacrifices for the promotion of the spiritual interests of the 
 people of Newfoundland, and, as they nearcd the landing- 
 place, cheers, loud and long, testified the delight of the ex- 
 pectant nudtitudes. 
 
 "On landing, the ladies were conducted by the Hon. Mrs. 
 Tobin to her residqnce, where they remained until niy car- 
 riage arrived to remove them, upon which they repaired to 
 the Presentation convent, where, having left the two postu- 
 hints, they proceeded to the church to offer thanksgiving. 
 
 ■i' . U 
 
OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 373 
 
 ung 
 
 ! ex- 
 
 'ing, 
 
 and to invoko a l>lossin<j; on llicir MlsHion, prior to ojitoring 
 ni}' lioiise, Mhiili luid been liastily littod up for tluim, their own 
 convt-nt not luMiig yet fiiiiHluul, notwithstanding the activity 
 Avith which tho work progn^sscd. 
 
 "Th(!y aro now actively (Migagcd in thoir sacred employ, 
 daily visiting tho sick. Indeed, so pressing were they to be 
 permitted to enter upon their labours immediately on their 
 arrival, that I was oltliged to consent to it on the subsefjuent 
 Monday. . . . And such has been the; industry of their 
 attendance, and the efllcacy of their instructions, rendered 
 still more efficacious by the suavity of their manners, that 
 they are looked up to with the greatest reverence and 
 alK^ction by all classes of the conununily. In the meantime 
 I proceculed actively with their convent, and in a few mor+hs, 
 with an expenditure of more tlian two thousand pountls, I 
 Avas enabled to conduct them into a commodious and coni- 
 fortaI)le edifice atljoining the cathedral, in a conunanding 
 position, presenting from the town and harbour an extremely 
 interesting oltject. They are now joined 1)y a fourth lady, 
 of high literary attainments, who, as she had [jreviously com-^ 
 pleted her novitiate in another house, has been already 
 professed. 
 
 " On the 1st of ^lay of the past year (1843) they opened 
 their school, and in a very brief space of time they had a 
 considerable number of pupils, whose jjrogress even now, 
 from the exceedingly judicious system, gives great satisfac- 
 tion ; but the connuunity is now so small, and as they are 
 eniraircd in teachiuij between the hours of ten and three, with- 
 out a moment's relaxation, the necessary result of this is, that 
 during that time the sick nuist be entirely neglected. 
 
 " Would to God that the Spirit of the Iloiy Ghost would 
 inspire some three or four daughters of the Island of Saints, 
 gifted with an education and accomjdishments suited to the 
 fulfilment of the varied and important duties of such an insti- 
 tion, to embark upon a mission that promises so rich a 
 harvest ! IIow happy should I feel at receiving upon our 
 shores a treasure so valuable ! IIow gratified to I)e al)le to 
 
Mi • 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL IlISTORV 
 
 I 
 
 add to lliosc pious Sisters a siillicii'iil, jiiiinltcr to render llin 
 |)(M'r(>niiaiic(r ol' tlie hcIiodI duties facile, and at tin) same liino 
 to save tlu! shk jxtor partitiularly from the privation of \vhi(!li, 
 since May, they liavo been thus to a great extent necessarily 
 SMl»j<'eteil I '' 
 
 The convent spoken of l>y Dr. Fleniini; was of wood. It 
 has been replace*! by one of stone, of superior styh^ and 
 ttcconnnodation, erected by Dr. Mullock, on th(^ sanu^ site, 
 in 1S')(;. It was solcnndy opened on the feast of JSt. 
 Michael, 1S.')7. The two ladies who accompanied Miss 
 Creedon to found i\w convent were Miss Lynch (Sister 
 Mary IJose) and Miss Froney (Sister M. Ursula). These 
 latter returned to Ireland, in Novcmiter, IHl.'J,' ji-avinuf the 
 .sole charge of the institution on the shoulders of Sister M 
 Francis. For nine months, during a pei'iod of great triu 
 (lid she alone maintain the existence of the Order, when, 
 owing to some untoward (circumstances, the Bishop was all 
 th»^ time undecided as to whether IIkc convent should be i)re- 
 eierved or suppressed. The indomitable i)erseverance of Miss 
 
 ek aft(U' week, month 
 
 iP 
 
 i»y» 
 
 after month, she went regularly through all the routine of 
 convent discipline, — rang herself to i)rayer, to meditation, 
 to refectory, to choir; performed by herself the Office, the 
 spiritual lecture, the visit; attended the sick, taught tho 
 school. In a word, continued every jjractice just as if there 
 were a whole connnunity under her charge. At length sho 
 was joined by ISFiss Maria Nugent, who took, in religion, 
 the name of Sister M. Jos(!ph. This was a lady of remark- 
 able character and talents. She is the same -who, in a former 
 chapter, is mentioned as having been the first postulant 
 rec(!ivcd in Newfoundland. She was received for the Pres- 
 entation Older, but finding she had not a vocation for that 
 institute, she retired to tho house of her brother, John V. 
 
 1 Sister M. Rose retii'cd from Mie Order, and is still liviii<f at Toiiloiiso, in Fninrc. 
 Sister Ursula went to Australia and Ibundod a branch of tho Order there. She died, 
 fidl of merits and good works, this present year, 1880. 
 
OF NKVVFOUNDLAND. 
 
 376 
 
 ho 
 
 M'O 
 1»0 
 
 kUT 
 
 fint 
 [os- 
 Ihiit 
 
 Lliuil, 
 
 Nuf^cut, Ksfj., wlicro sho lived fluj lifi? of a ivcliiso, novcr 
 nppcMriii^jf in jml)Iic except lit eliiirch, mid lun'or oiistiiii; aside 
 tlu! reliirioiis lial>il. She was a lady of reliiied taste and 
 cultivalioii, a classical scliol.-ir, and inistres.s of tlu^ modern 
 lanjiuaires. SIk^ ()ccu|)ied her tinii! in the education of her 
 brother's children. As .soon as {\h\ Sisters of Mercy came 
 who felt revive within her the stronij religious vocation, 
 which only wanted tiie proper channid to develop itself. 
 She was joyfidly nu'cived hy Sister Francis, who was a sister 
 of Mis. Niiiifent. She fiiliilled with exemplary zeal all the 
 duties of a true Sister of Mei'cy for the period of four years, 
 when who fell a victim to her holy ealliuij;. 'i'he year 1.S48 is 
 ever nu-morahle in the history not oidy of Ireland, hut also 
 in N(^wfoundlaiid and Canada, as " the year of the famine." 
 Thousands of poor, starvinjj^ innnii^rants, striving to escape 
 the di'cadful death from hunger at home, endciivored to 
 crowd themselves aboard the ships l)ound to America. Tiien 
 ensued all the miseries of Sfjualor, disease, and iV'vcr, ending 
 in wretched death and j)r()miscu(, is burial on the tirst point 
 of land reached for those who had not already been thrown 
 by hundreds into the ocean. This terrible " famine fever" 
 found its way to St. John's, and the victims were placed in 
 the hospital, and were attended by the Sisters of Mercy. 
 
 Among those iinforluutites was one who turned a deaf ear 
 and hardened heart to the exhortations of the j)riest. Sister 
 Joseph undertook the task of reconciling him to God. Al! day 
 long she watched, and prayed, and exhorted, and instructed 
 by his bedside, till (rod heard luM' i)rayer, and the poor 
 wretch opened his heart to the inpouring of divine grace. 
 The priest was at hand, the jxjor soul was shriven, the body 
 anointed, and death soon came. 
 
 Sister Joseph retui'ned to her convent, Iiei- heart full of 
 thanksgiving; but, alas I the germs of the fatal malady had 
 taken deep hold of her. A few days and she too was laid 
 in the grave of the fever-stricken, — a martyr to the spirit of 
 her sacred vocation. 
 
 Inunediately after Sister Joseph's death Mrs. Creedon was 
 
37G 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 I'i 
 
 n 
 
 li ) 
 
 joined by IMiss Agnes, eldest daughter of John V. Nugent, 
 Esq., and niece of both hidies, so ■well known afterwards as 
 Mother ^lary Vincent. Mother Vincent, besides inheriting 
 the bright gifts of a learned race, had had also the advantage 
 of a training of the tirst order, and a classical education, 
 with all its accompanying relinenients, under her aunt. Sho 
 at an early age manifested a strong and fixed desire to enter 
 religion. Sue was received into the Order by Dr. Fleming. 
 This was the last act of the kind performed by that venerable 
 Prelate, and he rose from a sick-bed to pay this honor to a 
 family for whom he had so great a respect. Her })rofession, 
 on the 8th December, 1850, was niade in presence of Dr. 
 Mullock, so that her career forms, as it were, a connecting 
 liidv between the two episco})ates. 
 
 In 1850 the oriihanage in connection with the convent was 
 erected l)y Dr. Mullock, the funds for the purpose having 
 been left by Dr. Fleming. Mother Vincent was ajjpointed 
 Superior, and removed with the oi'phans to the old Moiujstery 
 of Belvidere in 18.')9, Avhen a young ladies' boarding-school, 
 under the title of " St. Clare's," was opened in the orphanage 
 building. 
 
 From this time forward the Order flourished vigorously in 
 the Island, and constant new instalments of novices and 
 [)ostuhuits arrived from Ireland to till its ranks. On the 
 occasion of the profession of Mother ^'incent, the white veil 
 was taken by Miss Theresa Bernard, a joung lady just then 
 arrived from Limerick, and who has lived among us for the 
 past half a century as ^lothcr Xavier. Both have now gone 
 to receive the reward of long lives of labor and love. 
 
 In the year 1850 the cholera broke out in St. John'.s, and 
 raged with great violence. Then were seen the Sisters of 
 Mercy in their true element. From daylight till dark, and 
 often through the night, they worked indefatigably. No part 
 of the city slums was too dark or too filthy for them. They 
 entered the houses of the plague-stricken when all others 
 had abandoned them, lighting the fires and preparing some 
 humble food ; scruljbing and cleaning up the little tenements ; 
 
 II' ( 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 377 
 
 dressing and washinfr the sick; and, finally, carrying the 
 dead bodies to the coffins, wliicli were placed at the doors on 
 the streets by fearful ofljcials. But it is unnecessary, as it 
 would be impossible, to recount all that was done ])y them in 
 those dreary days. It is enough to say they were true to the 
 spirit of their holy Order. 
 
 In the course of time the Order spread throughout 
 various parts of the Island, so that there are now seven 
 connnunities and over fifty Sisters in the coiuitry. Of lato 
 years a great impel us has been given to the Order in both 
 the charita))lc and the teaching branches. A magnificent new 
 orphanage, in brick and stone, has been erected at a cost of 
 about $20,000 at Uelvidere, furnished with all the latest im- 
 provements and modern appliances, for the acconnnodation 
 of from eighty to one hundred ori)hans. At the Mother 
 House, the school of the Guardian Angels, for infant boys 
 and girls, has been opened, to be conducted on the kinder- 
 garten system ; and a new young ladies' academy, opened at 
 the beautiful grounds of St. Bride's, VVaterford Bridge, 
 which, though yet only in its infancy, has given already great 
 promise of future success. 
 
T 
 
 378 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 V :.! 
 
 POLITICS— [1832-1838.] 
 
 (iencral TJoviow — State Politics — Petition for Home Rule — Local Lc;:fi.ilatni'C 
 (irantuil (18.'i'2) — First Elections — Jinl^'c IJoiilton — All'air of Drs. Carson ami 
 Keilly — Patrick Morris, Esq., Attacks tlie Jiult^e in tlic Assembly — Messrs. 
 Nnfrent, Kent, an<l Carson Appointed a Delejration to L:)nilon on tlie Itonlton Case 
 — Dr. Fleiuiiiff's \'ic\vs on the .S\il)jeet — His (ireat In'lnencc at Home, and in 
 Local Politics — Jnd^c Bonlton Coiulcnmcd and Ueniovud. 
 
 IT'ltEQUENT allusion has been madt; in these pages to the 
 political stale of the Isliind diirinir Dr. Eleniing's time; 
 and, though this work claims to he hut a history of the 
 ecclesiastical affairs of the country, yet, so intimately are 
 they connected with its political life, that a hiography of Dr. 
 Fleming would be lncoini)lete without :i more particular men- 
 tion of them. 
 
 The period at which Dr. Fleming obtained tlu; reins of 
 spiritual jurisdiction in Xewfoiuidland w;is one of great 
 political activity in Irehmd, tind, in fact, throughout the 
 world. Till! spirit of autonomy a-id independence awakened 
 by the Freiu'h Kevohition had sjjread like a tire among all 
 peo})les. The old-time sentiment of feudalism and conserva- 
 tivisni was .shaken from its throne, and tlu^ i)eople, under 
 the high-sounding title of the Dcitiocrtici/^ began to claim a 
 voice and a ri<;ht in the manaircnient of the allairs of their 
 nation which they had never befoi-e thought of. 
 
 It is not my intention here to pass any judgment on this 
 modern innovation; possibly it may ha\e its advantages as 
 well as its drawbacks. One of its effects undoubtedly was 
 the relaxation of religious, or rather denominational, con- 
 servatism, which also is a doubtful advantage, but whicii, jit 
 all events in England, paved tlu; May toward the concession 
 of religious liberty to Ihitish subjects belonging to the 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 370 
 
 hitherto "abominable " Church of Rome. The iinmediiite 
 fruit of this sentiment of toleration, dexterously and deter- 
 minedly nianii)ulated by O'Connell, was the undeniai)le boon 
 of Catholic Emancipation. This boon once giiined, tbo 
 Irish people, having thus secured, at least in somo measure, 
 though not completely, their rights as Christians, inmiediately 
 set about considering how they should secure their rights as 
 citizens, — those civil privileges and recognitions which had 
 been so long denied them. Then arose in the national breast 
 those aspirations which in our own day have culminated in 
 the Home Rule movement, now at last on the eve of being 
 crowned Avith success. 
 
 It is but natural that all these agitations and movements 
 of political life in the mother-country should immediately 
 react upon the colonies, and that the same scenes should be 
 there rei)eated on a smaller scale. Particularly was this the 
 case in Newfoundland. Firstly, because she is the nearest 
 transatlantic colony to the mother-coimtr}' ; and, secondly, 
 because the majority of her population were composed of 
 inmiiiirants fresh from the scenes of iwlitical and reliirious 
 strife "at home;" and the tales of Vinegar Hill and The 
 Bridge of Ross were rehearsed of winter nights by actual 
 l)articii)ants in these encoiuiters. It is no wonder, then, that 
 the spirit was kept alive. During the years 1831 and 1832 
 petitions were sent Home from the peo[)Ie demanding a local 
 Leg?slatur(>. 'I'lie ])rayer of the jjctitions was granted 
 at length, and in 1S.")2 the first elections took place. As 
 might be expected in a country hitherto unaccustomed to 
 the exercise of the ijolitical franchise, considerable excite- 
 ment and denominational discord was created. Hitherto all 
 th(^ public odiccs in the country had been liUed to llie 
 exclusion of the Roman Catholics. These latter, having the 
 majority among the votirg population, elected memliers of 
 their own Clmrcli ; and deeming that tiie time had at length 
 arrived when tliey should ol)taiu justice, probably became 
 somewhat arrogant, and allowed their feelings of injured 
 riu'ht to verire very closely on the borders of vengiumce, if 
 
I 
 
 380 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 1: ! 
 
 I 
 
 not to outstop them. The dominant party, on the other 
 hand, seeing their h)ng-possessed power and inihienec about 
 to he wrenehed from their grasp, no doubt made desperate 
 efforts to retain tlieir hold. Hence we can easily see that 
 feeling must have run high on both sides. 
 
 In Xovember, 1833, the year of the iirst local jiarliament, 
 Judge IJoulton arrived in Newfoundland. lie had been 
 removed from the position of Attorney-General of C^uiada 
 owing to some political trouble. He was a man of great 
 legal knowledge, but of most domineering and passionate 
 character. No sooner had he arrived in the country than 
 he began to make sweeping innovations in the laws and 
 established customs, especially those regarding the empan- 
 elling of juries and the relations between the merchant and 
 the tisherman. The other two judges of the ISupreme Court, 
 Messrs. Des Barres and Brenton, awed by his superior 
 forensic acumen, became pliant tools in his hands, and 
 acquiesced in all his judgments. The ])e()ple, however, 
 soon began to resent these encroachments on their rights. 
 He altered the law as regards the emijanclling of juries in 
 such a manner as to enable the merchants to select special 
 juries entirely of their own class. He a1)rogated the law 
 which gave the tisherman a Hrst lien for wages on the voyage 
 and i)reference in payment for current supi)lies. lUit these 
 were not the worst of his faults. A suit was instituted by 
 Dr. Carson against Dr. Keilly for defamation of chara-cter 
 in the matter of the case of a certain Mrs. Antle. Dr. 
 Keilly was ])hysician to the judge's family, and the judge 
 showed a marked prejudice against Dr. Carson. He went 
 so far as to say from the bench that if the case had resulted 
 in the death of the woman he would have Dr. Carson indicted 
 for murder, and he would make the Grand Jury bring in a 
 true/ bill; and he wound up by saying, "I Avould c(u1ainly 
 hang you ! Yes, I would hang you ! " So far did he at 
 length compromise himself in these matters that the case 
 was brought before the Im})erial authorities, and in 1838 
 Patrick Morris, Esq., made a most powerful attack upon the 
 
 -ar 
 
 "r-« 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 381 
 
 jiuljrc from Ills place in the Assembly. Ho was joined hy 
 Messrs. Nugent and Kent, and so serious were their accusa- 
 tions that the judge took out an action for lihel against 
 them. The words of Patrick iNIorris on this occasion have u 
 ring about them worthy of O'Connell, his great prototype. 
 The following extract from the speech of this great chami)ion 
 of liberty in Newfoundland deserve to be enil)almed in the 
 pages of a history such as this: "The Chief Justice has 
 exhibited on various occasions great jjartiality on the bench. 
 His adjudications have been biassed by strong i)arty preju- 
 dices ; his judgments have been unjust, arbitrary, and illegal, 
 opposed to the milu and merciful princii)les of British law ; 
 opposed to public liberty, to Ma(jna Charkt, which pro- 
 claims that 'freemen shall not be amerced for small faults 
 or above • measure for great transgressions.' . . . Judge 
 Boulton has totally subverted the ancient laws and customs 
 of the country ; has set aside the decisions of all former 
 courts and judges. This is a statement I have frequently 
 made for the last three years, ... at public meetings and 
 in published letters, when I could not claim the privileges 
 of a member of this House. . . . I was determined to abide 
 the consecjuences. No punishment could be too severe for 
 me if I had, without foundation, made these charijes. The 
 proof of their truth, I think, I might rest altogether on the 
 fact of their never having been denied. The judges did 
 not deny them, the bar did not deny them ; the lawyers who 
 owc'l Judge Boulton so nuich for giving them a monopoly 
 did not stand forth in his defence. No man has been found 
 publicly, either through the courts or the press, to defend 
 him. The facts are notorious and undisputed. . . . He 
 has trampled on the rights and privileges and innnuiiities of 
 the British subject." 
 
 To cap the climax of all his illegal jn'oceedings he laid 
 aside the ermine, descended fiom the bench, and ple!id(!d his 
 own cause. Finally, an address to the Imperial authorities 
 was drawn iij) by the House of Asseml)ly ; but he, in his 
 capacity of President of the Council, had it rejected. A 
 
382 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTt-icY 
 
 dopulation was then appointed, consistinij of Messrs. Carson, 
 Nuirent, and Morris, wlio proceeded to London and suc- 
 ceeded in Iiaviiiir the matter tried before the Privy Council 
 and ohtainiiiiT the removal of the obnoxious jud<;e. The 
 Privy Council, in sentencin_!| the judiie, though endeavoring 
 to screen him from the more serious charges, yet recom- 
 mended his removal for having indiscreetly allowed himself 
 to so much particifjate in the strong feelings Avhich appeared 
 unfortunately to have iniluenced the diil'erent parties in the 
 colony. 
 
 It was but natural that the Catholic r)ishop and clergy 
 should take an active i.^tercst in this matter. They were 
 fully convinced that the judge was prejudiced against their 
 flock, and that they couM not expect Justice from him. Dr. 
 Fleming being in London, 1838, during this trial, thus 
 writes to Father Troy : "On the second day of my arrival 
 here I found out the address of Dr. Carson and ]Mr. Xugent, 
 and iinding them so comfortably housed, T joined them, and 
 now here we are a trio. I did this to show that with them, 
 and with the [)eople of Xewfoundland, I wished to be identi- 
 fied, and that with them I should i)r()sper or perish." lie 
 then states that from the tone of i)ersons in authority at the 
 Colonial Office it api)ears i)retty certaii; that "Mr. Boulton is 
 disposed of. I ex^x-ct soon to hear of the a|)i)ointment of 
 one to succeed him whose conduct, wisdom, and judgment 
 will, I trust, make reparation for the injuries ami hcart- 
 1)urniugs inllictecl on Xewfoundland by that m:in. 
 The recc[)tion of the delegates at the Coloni:d Ollii-ewas 
 truly Haltering. I am very confident that everything will be 
 done to meet the wishes of the peoi)le. . . . Tell the 
 peop1(! to be of good heart. Xewfoundland will, and must, 
 flouiish!" He then states that Lord Duriiam had been 
 api!()intcd to settle the all'airs of Canada, and that lu; was 
 informed by a iientlcman conversant with tliese matters that 
 he (^Lord Durham) was also authorizc(l to take under his 
 caiv! the business of X^^ewfoundland. 'You may take this as 
 a fact, that Lord Durham is and will be uncontrolled. His 
 
■ 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 383 
 
 own judi^mont . . . will ho his soln and only ixuido ; 
 . and ho assurod that tlioro is no nohlonian within I lor 
 Majosty's dominions nioro oapal)lo of forniinjj: a corroot 
 o.stiniatc of afl'airs or moro willinj^ and dotorniincd to sui)i)ort 
 tho lihorties of tho pooplo. . . . Dr. Carson fools, as ho 
 always did, intorostod in tho happinoss of tho country and in 
 followin<; up the ohjoot of his mission. Poor Xuiront is 
 indofatiixahlo. Nowfoiuidland can never suflicicntly repay 
 hlni for his services." 
 
 I'horo is a postscrijit to this letter marked " I'rivate." It 
 may ho published now with impunity. It will show tho 
 great iPilluonco possessed by Dr. Fleming over tho political 
 destinies of the country, and will give some ground for 
 the opjwsition raised against him, whii-h culminated in 
 his being accused before the Home Otiicc, as wo iiavo 
 seen. The postscript is to this etfect : " It would bo most 
 important that th(^ members of tho House of Assembly 
 should j)ere})ij)ion'/^ refuse to meet until tho return of their 
 delegates." 
 
 The great political intluence acquired by Dr. Fleming, 
 and enjoyed over since in the colony by his successors, 
 though it Avas thought a dangerous imi)lement by many, even 
 among his own ilock, Avas never used by him except in the 
 true interests of the country and tho pe()i)le whom he loved 
 so well, and Avhose temporal welfare, advancemont, and 
 comfort ranked in his mind as second only to the salvation 
 of their souls. 
 
384 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 11 L 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 11'^ 
 
 " AFTER THE FIRE." — [1847-1850.] 
 
 After " The Fire " — Sufforin^H of llie People — " Tiic Camps " — Generosity of the 
 People ill Siil)seril)iii^' to'tlie Roliefol'lhe Fiiiiiiiio-Stiicken in Ireland — Dr. Flem- 
 ing Applies lor a ('oiidjiitor — Father J. T. Mullock, t)..S.F., Appointed — Arrives 
 in Xewl'oiindland, May, IHi8 — Newfoundland Kreeted into ii Dioecsc, to bo 
 Annexed to the Province of Qiiehce — Dr. Fleniin;r Ol'jeets to this Arran;jrctncnt, 
 aNo Dr. Mullock — Arranijeineiit Rescinded hy Rome — Project of a Colonial 
 Ecclc^iii>lieal .Seminiiry — It is Opposed I»y Dr. Fleinin;;- He (Jives his Reasons — 
 His Prejudice aL'ainst a Colonial Piie-.thood — Nolile Views of Dr. Mullock on this 
 Subject — Estahlishnient of St. Honavcnturc's Colle;:e — Distinf^uished Xewi'ound- 
 laiid Priests Abroad — Revs. T. Urown, S.-I., Ryan, S.J., Kavana;,^!!, S.J., unci 
 Bennett, t^.S.S.H. — " First Native Priest " — Father Mca;:lier, S.J.— Rev. Messrs. 
 Creene, Mulloy, I lou'an — Sister M. Haptist, First " Native Nun " — Rev. James 
 Rrown, First Actual Missionary Horn in the Country — Last Days of Dr. Fleminjj 
 — He Celebrates the I'irst Mass in the Cathedral — His Death and Funeral. 
 
 
 IN tlie yonr 1817 St. John's l)og!in to rise like the phopnix 
 from its asho^. The lale of her sutJerhiirs had been 
 sounded abroad througli the world, and generous reluif had 
 poured In from all sides in the shape of money, provisions, 
 and elothing. Vessels liiden with goods eamc from England 
 and Anu>rica. An energetic eotnniittee was appointed and 
 organized under Colonel Ltiw, acting governor, and after- 
 wards directed by that most excellent of all our governors. 
 Sir Ciasi^ard Le IMarchtuit, whom a benign Providence had 
 sent at this crisis to mitigate the severity of the great blow 
 inllicled on the country. Through the well-managed agency 
 of this committee the wants of all were supplied, comi)hiints 
 and grievances exiimined and adjudicated upon, and a j;ro 
 rata money compensation made to all for their losses by the 
 fire. The Benevolent Irish Society, always at the front in 
 cases of emergency, handed over to the use of the committee 
 their building, the Orphan Asylum ; and daily were seen 
 crowds awaiting their turn at its doors to receive their dole, 
 forming queues, after the manner of the famished inhabitants 
 
OF NKWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 385 
 
 of Paris at tho time of tlie Revoliilion. Tents, camps, and 
 sheds were improvised to shelter th(! pe()i)h', all the vessels 
 in the harbor \}v\wjr laid under eoiitrii)uti()n ; and though 
 many .sullered extremely from tho severity of the winter, 
 yet such was tho good njanagemcnt and zeal of tho Kelief 
 Committee that not one could l)o said to have died of actual 
 exposui'e, though no doul)t tho har(lshi|)s undergone may 
 have hastened the deaths of many. Several camps or sheds 
 had been erected on the cathedral ground, where many fami- 
 lies passed tho winter. In tho ensuing August (1<S47) there 
 were still some iiftecn families, comprising some forty souls, 
 as yet unhoused ; and foreseeing tho prol)al>ility of being 
 obligi'd to pass another such winter, they memorialized tho 
 Relief Connuiltee, through the Kev. John Forristal, imi»lor- 
 ing him to lay before them (the conuuittee) their api)rehen- 
 sion of encountering tho rigors of another winter, exposed 
 to tho same unspeakable miseries. "No one," they say, 
 "knows better than your reverence tho hardships, tho dis- 
 eases, and the deaths entailed on tho unhap})y inmates by 
 such utter exposure to the severities of this inclement 
 climate."' They were all well housed before the following 
 winter ; the sheds were converted into snug and comfortable 
 cottages, and though they still retained the name of "The 
 camps," they did duty for the housing of the poor for many 
 years, until tho erection of the Poor Asyhun in 181)4. 
 
 An example of the buoyancy of trade in Newfoundland, 
 and also of the wondrous generosity of the peo[)lo, is found 
 in tho fact that, in this very year of 1847, as they were yet 
 only recovering from tho etl'ects of the great fire, they \»cro 
 abl(^ to send a most munilicent donation to tho poor people 
 of Ireland, then suflering from tho eifec^s of bad harvests. 
 The following letters are found in the archives of tho Secre- 
 tary's oilico : — 
 
 111 
 
 " Secretary's Office, 22 June, 1847. 
 " Sm, — By direction of the Governor I transmit to you, 
 for the information of tho subscribers to the fund for the 
 
38 fi 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOHY 
 
 I I 
 
 relief of the disli.'ss prcviiiliiii; iti Ircliiiul, llio }i('(.'oini)iUiyin,i; 
 copy of II (IcspMlcli wliicli II. IC. llio (Jovenior li;is received 
 from the Right Ilon'hlo the Sec't'y of State for the Coh)nie.s. 
 " I liave the honor to be, Sir, 
 
 " Your ohed't serv't, 
 
 ••(Signed) CIIRISTOIMIKU AVKE, 
 
 "j»'o ISecCy. 
 
 "To U. G. (jiAitKivrr, Esq., lligk Sheriff." 
 
 " Downing Stueet, 2011» :\r!iy, '17. 
 " Sir, — I have to acknowledge the recpt of Colonel Law's 
 despatches, lunnhered and dated. No. b'iS of the 1st and 
 No. r)(S of the 27th March, transmitting two Bills for the 
 respective sums of X,')()() and t'-'J-OO stg. (I)eing aiTit collected 
 at a ))ul)lic meeting in St. John's for the relief of the distress 
 prevailing in Indand), and acconipanietl hy a letter addressed 
 to me hy the Sherill'. 
 
 " (Signed) 
 To Snt fl. ^.v. Makciiam, Govr. .jc." 
 
 GREY 
 
 I)r. FUnning, seeing at length the nohle edifice, the object 
 of his constant cares ai.d labors for the ))asl ten years, now 
 nearing completion, and feeling his own energies fast suc- 
 cumbing to his many toils and labors, at length besought the 
 authorities in Rome to giant him a coadjutor. Jlis prayer 
 was acceded to, and towards the close of the year 1847 
 Father John Thomas Mullock, of the same Serajihie Order 
 of St. Francis, was apjiointed, with the title of Rishop of 
 Thyatira hi jxir/i/jiifi, and with the right of succession. And 
 never did the mantle of a noble IJishop fall on the shoulders 
 of a worthier successor. He was consecrated in Rome on 
 the 27th December, 1847, by His Eminence Cardinal Fran- 
 zoni, and arrived in St. John's in May, 1848. 
 
 At the same time that this appointment was made the 
 Vicariate Apostolic ol' Newfoundland was canonically erected 
 into an episcopate, Dr. Fleming being thus translated from 
 
 •W 
 
 msm 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 38/ 
 
 Iho noniiiml Sco of Ciirpasiji in partilms i)i/ideh'ii»i to tlio 
 artuiil S('(^ of Ne\vf()Uii(lliUi(l. Tlio Cliurcli of Ninvfound- 
 liiiid was now foiisiilcrcd tliorouglily well cstahli.sluHl and 
 in a iloiirisliinj; condition, endowed with a cathedral, various 
 chnrciics, convents, etc., so that the authorities in lionio 
 Judired it seasonable to thus (jstahlish its hierarchy on a i)er- 
 nianent basis. 
 
 The llidl of the Pope niakin<if this canonical erection of 
 the diocese of Newfoundland was forwarder! to the Arch- 
 bishop of (Quebec, Monsei;.^neur Joseph Si<;nay, and throu<;h 
 IlistJrace was coininunicated to Dr. Fleming;. The riiason 
 of this was that another chancre was contemplated, namely, 
 the i)laein<x of the new diocese as a Sullragan See under tho 
 archiepisc()i)al provinc(! of (Quebec. To this arranj^ement, 
 however. Dr. FIennn;i: stremiously objected, and he ;j;ives his 
 reasons in full in a letter addressed to the Archbishoi) on tho 
 18th November, 1847 : — 
 
 "I would not," he says, "be dischar<!^ing my duty to your 
 Grace, to myself, and successors, or to the Church of which 
 I am the humblest Prelate, were I to neglect expressing my 
 opinion of an act the consequences of which can hardly fail 
 to prove injurious to the best interests of religion. 
 One of the i)rincipal ol)jects proposed to be attained is tho 
 facility of access of the Sutl'ragan to tho JNIetroiJolitan, and 
 the meeting in Diocesan Syuod periodically. lUit Newfound- 
 land is distant from Quebec no fewer than twenty degrees 
 (about 1,200 miles). There is between that country and 
 this no commercial intercourse. The navigation of the Gulf 
 of St. Jiawrence, from its entrance at Cajjo Kay and the 
 Magdalen Islands, and between the wilds of ^Vnticosti and 
 the dreary shores of Cape (Jaspe,to the mouth of the river, 
 is regarded by our most experienced mariners as pregnant 
 with perils while the wrecks of hundreds of Caniulian traders 
 that .strew the southern coasts of our Island, and the thou- 
 sands of bones tlnst bleach upon its shores, testify to 
 the dangers that must be surmounted before that gulf or 
 
388 
 
 ECri,F,SIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 *;r('!it river cMii he roiiclicd ; while, if the ludre devious route 
 of IliililMx l»e ehoseii, altlioutrh llu^ diniijfiu'.s he searcel}' 
 niitiijiitecl, llie dis(iiii('(^ is ueiniy (h)uhh'd. 
 
 "^^'hell lh(^ dischnrire of uu iuipei'iitive duty, however, is 
 iu(|ues(ion, he woultl Ik? unworthy tlie niune of piiest of th(! 
 livinu: (iod who would siilfcr jiiniself to he? sc:ii'e(l hy the 
 terrors of truvel, he it hy laud or sea. Hut, thcui, Newfound- 
 land, for six mouths of the year fre(]iuMitly, at least its 
 eastern shore, is hound l)v an iuipassahh? haiiier of i<'e iVonj 
 50 to 100 miles wide, which would render it iin|)()ssihl(! to 
 caleidate on leaving; thi.U'or the west ward hefore fluly, . . . 
 as th(? sununer is the only season durin^j: wiiirh we (an have 
 access to the various settlements of the. coiuitry. The tem- 
 porary withdrawal of tin; IJishop from his [x'ople at that 
 season of the year would he attended with the worst eonsc- 
 qnenees." lie hopes that when His Iloliiu'ss is made ac- 
 (luaiiited with the ciremustances he will revoke the decision. 
 For himself, j)ersoually, he says it would he a matter of in- 
 dillerence, for "after lahourinjj; in this ])ortiou of the <:reat 
 vineyard for iicai-ly thirty years, I find my health so 
 weakeiK'd, Jiud my constitution so broken, that it is iiupos- 
 ttihio I could ( ver hope, durinu' the remnant of my earthly 
 career, to avail myself of the happiness of nu'etinuj your 
 Grace, althouuli, from the facilities atl'orded of conunuuieat- 
 wiX \\ith iMU'ope, it is only recently I arrived here from 
 Enirhind. Indeed, under any circumstances, it would he far 
 less iucouv(>uieut, aud attended with far less hazard to the 
 Bishop of Xewfouudlaud at any future time, were his diocese 
 made SullVauau of the Midland District of I'Jiirhind, of the 
 dincese of Duhlin, or of any of tlu^ dioceses of northern 
 Frauc(>." 
 
 No doul)t the difficulties arc stated in a very exair.irorated 
 maimer, even for that time, and whatover portion of them 
 did I'eally exist has l)een jxreatly diminished since tiieu 
 hy the introduction of steanu'rs and railways, aud also hy 
 a notable cliauc:*' in our climate. Vet, the aruuments of the 
 Bishop prevailed, and in his opposition to this arrangement 
 
OF NEWFOUN'ni-ANI). 
 
 389 
 
 ho WMH stroiiirly sccfiiidcd l»y liis (•(cidjiitor, Dr. Mullock, 
 so (1im( lilt' iiiMltcr Itciii^ reconsidered, it \v:is rescinded. Dr. 
 Mullock founded liis opposilion on the ^ii'ounds that at soin<' 
 futun; time the Cliuicli of New roundlaiid slioid<l itselt' he 
 (Mvc'ted into a Province, and a clause to tliJit eU'ect, '/nam 
 priiinnii, was ins(>rte(l in the Iiiills of his successors. 
 
 In tlie al)ove-(nioted letter Dr. Klemin'jf thanks the Areli- 
 l»ishoi) of (^iK'iiec for sendini; a priest to Lahi'ador, and 
 remarks that it woidd \w far more couv(>nient if that ])lace 
 were ntlached (o the Archdiocese of (^uel)ee. That the an- 
 ne.xation of this coast to St. .lohn's diocese was made, not hy 
 the I'ishops of Newfoundland, hut hy reconimendatiou of 
 a predecessor of I lis (Irace in (^iiehec. 
 
 ()n(! otlier matter of imporli'.nce occupied the attention of 
 Dr. I'Memiiiii" before his death, namely, tlie project of 
 forniiuir an eeelesiastii'al semiuaiy in Xova Scotia for the 
 education of students for the service of tin; Mission in all th(^ 
 dioceses of Canada, or at least of the Mai'itinie Provinces. 
 'Phis id(>;i hiid heen conceived hy the lit. IJev. Dr. Walsh, then 
 lately appointed liisho^) of Halifax, and was tirst hroached to 
 l^r. Flemiuij hy Lord Stanley, Secretary for the Colonies. 
 In a letter to the Cardinal Secretary of J'ropa<;anda, Dr. 
 Fleminir expresses his disapproval of this project. lie is 
 surprised that the first knowledire of the scheme should havo 
 coined to him from such a source. He thinks that the 
 colonial l»ishoi)s should have heen consulted in a matter of 
 such a nature before it had been laid before the (Jovern- 
 nient. He objects stronj;ly to that portion of the scheme in 
 which the Government is asked to subsidize this eollei;e, on 
 account of the inlhience and patronair<' it would actjuin* over 
 such a colleu(\ and the nomination of its staff. He points to 
 the exampl(> of Ireland, where the Uishops almost unaiii- 
 mousiy oppos(>(l the establishment by GovcM-nment even of 
 hiy schools. How much more so ou<rht we to object "to the 
 instructors of colonial Catholic ecclesiastics being selected by 
 a lU'itish Minister." Again, he says that his experience of 
 the Mission tauurht him that the missioners best suited to this 
 
 ^] i' 
 
 i 
 
tlK 
 
 390 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 il 
 
 country arc Ihoso who have hilhorto served it, namely, 
 "young men drafted fVoni Irisli eolleges." He thinks that to 
 educate youniT men Ixiloniriui; to the colonies would ho 
 fraught with consecjuences dangerous to peace and concord ; 
 (hat the communities are very small generally, and the 
 people who have ac(juired wealth are "men of very limited 
 education,'' consefjuently inclined to be arrogant; that their 
 children are greatly inclined to a spirit of i)arty and a ten- 
 dency to combination, which they could hardly cscai)e iinl)il)ing 
 at their own firesides. Finally, he thinks that while lliero 
 are so many colleges in Ireland, France, and lionu*, "wo 
 ought not to think of creating an institution calculated to 
 foment divisions between natives and colonists." 
 
 Until very late years a strong impression existed in (ho 
 minds of the inunigrants from tin; Old World that there never 
 could be what they called a " natire ])riest." It would seem 
 as if Dr. Fleming, too, was tainted with this prejudice. The 
 wider and n()l)lcr views, however, of \\\> colossal-minded 
 .successor, Dr. Mullock, soon disi)elled this false notion. 
 One of his first works was the erection of the diocesan 
 seminary of St. IJonaventure's, and it was soon seen that all 
 that was wanted was a channel for the development of voca- 
 tions to the ])riesthood among the children of Newfoundland, 
 and that transportation across the Atlantic had not dried or 
 frozen up the fruitful sources of that grace with which St. 
 Patrick had endowed his faithful pe()i)l(! in the Old Land ; on 
 (he contrary, like the grafting of a new brani'h \\\ww the old 
 stock, it had but ser\> ' U) make it shoot forth with renewed 
 vigor and fecundity. Dr. Mullock soon saw himself sur- 
 rounded by a noble stall' of " native i)riests,"* who, instead of 
 realizing the fears of Dr. Fleming, and "fomenting divisions," 
 worked hand to hand and shoidder to shoulder with the 
 veteran pioneers from Ireland in the missionarv iield. 
 
 This prejudice against a colonial ))riesthood, amounting 
 almost to a superstition, was not peculi.>" to Newfoiuidland, 
 ;hut, it seems, was a general irui)rc,ssio,\ oi'oi jht across the 
 ocean from the Old World to all {)art6 tf Aiiieiicu. It arose. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 391 
 
 .1, 
 10 
 
 prob:il>ly, from tho fiict of there l)oing no means in tlie New 
 World of ediu'iitinj; voutli for so lii<>;li a callini::. But in the 
 cour.se of a few year.s thiti absurd notion was dissi[)ated by 
 the march of events and the growth of eeclesiastical semi- 
 naries in the infant Church of America. No sooner was an 
 opportunity opened up than it was immediately availed of. 
 In Newfoundland, hardly had the dioi-esan seminary of St. 
 Bonaventure's been thrown open to the rising generation, 
 than vocations for the sacred nunistry manifested themselves 
 more numerously than the needs of the Church recpiireu. 
 Hence, at the present time, many of ^he children of New- 
 foundland have chosen foreign missions, and, joining the 
 Jesuits, the Kedemptorists, or some other of the religious 
 Orders, have now places of distinction and honor. Among 
 these may be mentioned the Very Kcv. Thomas lirown, S.»I., 
 lately elected to the high and responsible position of Provin- 
 cial of the Iiish Province of the Jesuits. He is a native of 
 the Harbor of Carbineer.s'. Also the Kev. F. Ryan, S.J., 
 and Ivcv. h, Kavanagh, S.«T., both distinguished members 
 of the Order, — the former a native of Baccalieu ; the latter, 
 of St. John's; the Very Kev. Father Bennett, C.S.S.R., a 
 distinguished preacher of tlu^ Pedcmptorist Order, and 
 lately nominated to tlii' P)isliopri(.' of Dunkeld, in Scotland. 
 During the twelve years of Dr. Mullock's episcopate in 
 which the college of St. l)onaventure was in existence it 
 sent forth about thirty students who were elevated to the 
 ranks of the priesthood. P>ut even before that time some 
 of the sons of Terra Nova had become enrolled in the sacred 
 ministry. The (juestion as to who was the iirst native 
 })rlest is one of considerable interest, and is shrouded in 
 some obscurity. I have made a vei'y close investigation 
 into this n\atter, and the result of the in(|uiry will not be 
 here out of )»Iace. It has been stated that the Ift. Kev. Dr. 
 Kinsella, tbnnerly P)ishop of Kilkenny, was a native of 
 Bonavista, Newfoundland. The IJev. Patrick Meagher, S.J., 
 was born in St. John's, somewhere about 1780. His father, 
 Thomas Meairher, came out about that time from his native 
 
;{92 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOIIY 
 
 Ijlli 
 
 place, CIonnK'l, and was in liuinl)le circuinstiincos, as many 
 others who had l)een phmdered of tlieir ani'estnd estates at 
 home. lie married a weallliy \vi(h>w, a Mrs. Crotty. Two 
 of his children, Thomas and Patrick, were born in Newfound- 
 land, lie afterwards returned to Waterford. Thomas was 
 the father of Thomas Francis ]\Ieai>her, the Youni!; Irelander. 
 Patrick became a i)riest and joined the Jesuit Order. In liat- 
 tersl)y's Irisli l)ire<-tory for 1830 a descriiition of St. Francis 
 Xavier's Cluuvli, Upper (Jardner Street, Dul)lin, is given, 
 after whicli follows a list of the priests attached to it, amoii<>' 
 whom apjH'ars tlu; name of ''P. Mehar," " under which sjx'll- 
 ing," says the "Irish Monthly" (Xov., 18.S1), " is disg-uised 
 the uncle ,of Thomas Francis ^leagher, the Vii-ylinuid of 
 the Young Ireland of "48."' 
 
 A 3'oung man of tlu^ name of (Jreene, a nativ»> of Carbi- 
 neers', and brother of the late Kandal (Jreene, Es(j., of the 
 Union Pank, was sent to college in Ireland, alK)ut the vear 
 1830, bv Father Yore. II(> was ordained deacon bv Dr. 
 Fleming in Ireland, but for some reason was never raised 
 to the priesthood. He took this so mui-h to heart that in 
 the course of a year \w. died. Thus, no doubt, u'ivinij: new 
 strength to the popular b(>lief. 
 
 Old Father Cleary, of IMacentia, sent to college to (Quebec 
 a young man named Mulloy, a native of Purin ; I)ut he 
 turned u|) in Carbineers' as a iiit'iltvul doc/or, and })ractised 
 then^ some time. A l)rotlier of his was also sent, to coUeu'e 
 to France. He was in Paris at the time of the thre(! days' 
 h)i('iit(' (183()), and was oliliged, with the other students, 
 to lly. He came home to Newfoundland. Dr. l-'leming 
 refused to ordain him, on the ground that, having carried 
 arms in the defence of lli(> college, he had incurred an irregu- 
 larity. He went to C*anada or the! Unile(l States, wheic he 
 was received and ordained without dillicully, and ollicialed for 
 many years. It would appear that Dr. Fleming's scruples 
 on this [)oiiit extended also to the other sex, as he refused 
 to receive a lady (Miss Tarahan) into the Order of the 
 Sisters of ]Mercy on account solely of the bar sinidcr on 
 
 H 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 393 
 
 her cseutc'lioon of haviiiij^ tlio iiusfortune of being native horn. 
 She ■was, however, iiftei'wurdji received and professed as 
 Sister M. r)a[)tist, being the tirst " native " nun, and became, 
 notwithstanding, an excelUnit rdlfjeuse. She died in 1867 
 ut the early age of thirty-six. 
 
 There was also a young man of the name of Ilogan 
 ordaincul. lie was a native of St. John's, but never ollici- 
 uted in the Island after his ordination. 
 
 The tirst pricL^, tlien, wlio actually remained and officiated 
 in his native country as one of her estal)lished clergy was 
 the Very IJev. James Brown, P.P., of Harbor ISIain. 
 He was l)orn in Carbineers' in 1S2.">, and is a brother of Very 
 Rev. Thomas Prown, Provincial of the Iri-^h Jesuits. Ho 
 studied in the college of Waterford, and was ordained b;/ Dr. 
 Mullock about the year 1850. For the past thirty-six or 
 seven }i'ars he has worked with all the zeal of a Xavier, 
 having charge of the whole north-eastern portion of the 
 coast, from the southernmost point of Green or Notre Dame 
 Pay round by the north to Kirpon and the Straits of 
 Labrador, extending over a distance of a thousand miles of 
 coast. Yearly, without fail, he made the visitation of this 
 vast district, travelling always in small, open l)()ats, rarely 
 seeing a fellow-[)riest exci'[)t on his annual vi^it to St. John's. 
 He has lately been apjjointt-d to the more compact and less 
 laborious parish of Harbor ^lain, in which he may enjoy a 
 moderate share of that repose so vtcll merited by well-nigh 
 half a century of apostolic lal)ors. 
 
 At length llu! career of the saintly Prelate drew near its 
 close. He retired to the monastery at Pelviderc^ lor the 
 last few months of his lilc. He had erected this building 
 with the design of introducing a convent of Franciscans, 
 and of passing tlu; latter years of his life in the strict obsiu'v- 
 ance of that Seraphic Ivule, the spirit of which he had never 
 lost, even during tlie thousand distractions of his busy lit'c. 
 P)ut the years which he may ha\ e counted on wcr(> reduced 
 to months. .Vs soon as the stinudus of activit v was with- 
 
394 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 drawn the physical energies began rapidly to decline, and 
 it Avas soon easily observed that his days were numbered. 
 Like another Aloses, however, he Avas permitted to see the 
 Promised Land ; nay, more, to taste of its first-fruits, by 
 being sjjared to celebrate the first Mass in the new cathedral. 
 It is true it was not then completed, and its beauteous pro- 
 portions were concealed l)y masses of debrln and unsightly 
 scaffolding ; yet could he by imagination i)icture to himself 
 the grand scene to be presented therein some five years after, 
 when adorned with its nine beautiful altars, its rare paint- 
 ings and costly statuary ; when aglow with brilliant lights 
 and sweet flowers, and its massive Avails vibrating to the 
 tones of the majestic organ, its sanctuaiy adorned by a 
 galaxy of distinguished })relates in their rich robes, it was 
 to I)e consecrated bv the ureat Prelate of tlie American 
 Church, the Most Kev. Dr. Hughes, Arclibishop of New 
 York. All this gorgeous scene no doubt passed before the 
 mind's eye of the dying Prelate as he sat tliei-e, wetik and 
 exhausted, at the rude temijorary altar, lie had made a 
 last great effort to go through the ceremony of that day. 
 He arose from his bed of sickness, and when the ceremony 
 was finished, he retired, never again to ajjpear in public. 
 AVell, indeed, could he repeat the ever-I)eautiful words of 
 the Apostle, "The time of my dissolution is at hand. I have 
 fought a good fight. I have kept tiie faith;" and Avith 
 great confidence could he hope for tlie imnerishal)le crown 
 Avhich is pre[)ared for the good and faithful servant. 
 
 He died on the 2Sth of ]May, l.S,")0, supported by all the 
 consolations of Holy Church, and was laid to rest beneath 
 the confessional of the new cathedral.^ 
 
 ' His fuiici'iil was otic of the frreatest clcmonstrations of iiiiivoriial rospcut and 
 Bynipalhy ever witnessed in Newl'oumllaud. Ail classes joined in tlie corteije. The 
 eoflln, euvered willi a imrplc jiall, was lioi-iio on the slinuldeisot' siv men llirou^rh the 
 (Streets of ti:e tnwii. This |)i-o('essi(in forms one of the earlic-f recollections of tlie 
 present wi iter. The faitlil'iil peoiile vied with each other in slriviiij; to be ])erniilted 
 to carry the hier for a short <listance, and to tlie present day it is ouo of llicir proudest 
 boasts that they had " a spell out of him." 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 K i; i; A r a 
 
 I'aHf lilt. si'Vcii lines I'roin liottdiii, for '• L'litli Apvil '" rmd ••;!Otli Ajiril." 
 I':i;4i' ;l(!4, tlirtH' lilies fVinii lidtldiii. fur •' Ivistcr Siiniliiy " rciul •' Fciist (if 
 lllr I'lpiplliinv." 
 
 I'iii;c H!I4. trii lines fnnii iKiitdiii. for •' L'Slli of Miiv " re.iil •• 1 llli of .liiiv." 
 
aamiiUjJUiiWMuw 
 
 PI 
 
 ! 
 
 H 
 
 '.- T'"'T l Jr l rt T"''~ 
 
 i . 
 
APPEND IX. 
 
 NOTE 1. {rarje 70.) 
 
 Mosquito. I am int'liiied to heliove thiiL the oiii;iii:il namo of 
 this harbor or cove was MunJietto, from tin; vmskct, a form of lire- 
 arm just then introduced, as tlie neighboring liarbor was calU;(l 
 Carhhiaers' Harbor (now corrupted into Ciirbotieur) , friiui Curi- 
 bineer, that branch of the military service being probal)ly stationed 
 or employed theie. It is not liicely that the name Mosquito wonhl 
 have been given to any parlieuhir settlement, a;s that troublesome 
 little creature was equally to Ije found in all parts of the country. 
 Whitbourne (IGl'J) thus s[)eaks of them : '"Neither are there any 
 snakes, toads, serpents, or any other venemons wormes, that ener 
 were kuowne, but only a very little nimble lly (the least of all 
 other llyes) whicli is called »(«.s7re(7o. These llyes seeme to iiaue 
 a greate power and authority upon allloyteriug and idle people, for 
 they have tliis property, that wiien they lind any such lying lazily 
 or sleeping in the woods, tliey will i)resently be more nimble to 
 sieze thi'm than any sr.rgeant will be to arrest a man for debt, 
 lu'itlier will tiiey leave styngiug or sucking out the blood of such 
 sluggards, nnlill like a lieadle they firing him io his master, where 
 he should labor, in which tyme of h)ylering those llyes will so 
 brande such iiUe persons in their faces that they may be kuowne 
 from others as the Turkes doe their slaves." The wcM'd ))iosqiiitA) 
 is Si)auisii, and it is stated by Don Fernando C'oluml)Us that his 
 brother Christopher was called " the Admiral of ^lostjuito Land." 
 The land skirting the Istlnnus of Panama is called Mosquito; lint 
 T am still inclined to lielicve our .Muscpiito is derived from niush'i/to. 
 This particular instrument of warl'are was nuicli in usi- in those 
 days. "Whitbourui' (jKige I) desciibes how tlie Indians of Heart's 
 Content " were fiiglitened by the shooting olf of a nniskett." i\\ a 
 map of Concei)tiou Bay, by Cajit. Taverner, of 1747, tiiis harbor 
 is distinctly given as " Musketto or Musket's Cove." Ibit I must 
 also acknowledge that the mosquito was somethnes so called. 
 
 'Ml 
 
 n 
 
 1 : 
 
mmm: 
 
 sssg^^^^sn 
 
 398 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Tims, Sir David Kirke, writing to Cliailes T. (1G29), asking loave 
 to fortify (Quebec, says : "A besieging ami}' cannot stay above 
 three niontlis (in snininer) all in which time the munkettH \\\\\ soe 
 tornientc iiim tiiat noc man is able to b(> abroadc in centry or 
 trenches, day or ni ''<<" ^itiiout loosing their sights at least eight 
 days." In a list articles foniid at (^nebec when captured 
 
 by Kirke from (' in we find mention of "thirteen whole and 
 
 one broken m The word is derived from the name of a 
 
 young hawk. in vogue at the time of the invention ,f (ire- 
 
 arms ; the ne.. .,ea[)on which took down its prey so swiftly was 
 hence called a muskelt. 
 
 NOTE 2. (Page 129.) 
 
 Copy of Brevet of Concession of Point Verde to M. de Coste- 
 belle. Governor of riaceutia, before the Treaty of Utrecht, 
 17Uy : — 
 
 " Brkvet de Conok.sstox FArrK at S" dk Costehelle de la 
 
 PUE.SQIISLE DE LA PoiNTE VeUTE. 
 
 " Anjourdhny I'nzieme du mois d'aust mil sept cent neuf Le Koy 
 estant a Versailles. Le S'' de Costebelle gouverncurdu fort Louis 
 de riaisance dans I'isle de Terre Neuve a fait remontrer a Sa Ma** 
 qu'il a fait oonstruire sur le terrain de la prescpiisle de la I'ointe 
 Verte Ksloigiu'e d'une petite lieue du fort Louis de Plaisance dans 
 I'isle de Terre Neuve des logemens avec une depense considerable 
 pour y placer une famille de laboureurs qui y est actuellem' 
 avec une nombre de toute sortes de bestieaux ; et qu'il en fait 
 depuis deux ans defricher les bois dans I'esperance que la d. terre 
 ponrra produire des grains. Et en nieme terns 11 a fait sui)[)lier Sa 
 Ma'" de luy concoder le d'terrain a litre do fief etSeigneurie, haute 
 moyenne et basse justice a quoy Sa ]\Li"' ayant egard en consider- 
 aon des services du d'S' de Costel)elle et des depenses cy dessus. 
 Sa Ma''' luy a accorde la presqu'isle de la Pointe Verte Kloign<''e 
 d'une petite lieue du fort de Plaisance, Nord et sud de Tentrc^'e 
 de la rade, borntl-e au sud par une langue de grave appelee le Birge- 
 ron. Sc|)aree par u'l grand estang des graves des habitants, regard- 
 ant a Test I'entree du goulit et I'ouest du coste de la grande mer. 
 Pour en jouir par luy, ses heritiers, et ayant cause a perpetuit6 
 comme de leur propre a la charge de foy et lioinmageau fort Louis 
 de Plaisance et aux droits et redevauces ordiuaires sans que po ce 
 
 »-"9^- 
 
w 
 
 QF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 399 
 
 11 soit tenu ny ses heritiors et aj-ant cause, do payor a Sa JVIa'" uy 
 a ses successeurs Roys, aiieune finance ny iiKloniiiit6 do la quelle 
 a quoUf sommo qu'ello i)iiisso monter Sa IMa'" lour a fait don et re- 
 mise par le put Brovit. Kt on oas quo dans la suite Sa ^NFa"' out 
 hesoin do qiiolq'' partie dii d'Torralu po y fairo construire des 
 forts, batteries, phicos d'arnies, niagazins Kglisos ou autres 
 ouvrages publics Sa Ma" ponrra la prendre anssy bien (pie lea 
 arbres qui seront iiocos«"' po lesd. ouvrages publics sans estre 
 tenue d'aucune doffiagoiu'. 
 
 " Et pour tenioinage de sa Volontd Sa Ma'" luy a accorde le 
 d'Brevet quelle a voulu signer do Sa ]\Iaiii et estre controsignd par 
 moi cou"' Secretaire d'estat et de ses comiuandemens et Uuauces. 
 
 [translation.] 
 Beevet of Guant made to Mh. Costkijki.lk, ok the Peninsula 
 
 OF Point \'eute. 
 
 To-day, eleventh of the mouth of August, one thousand seven 
 hundred and nine, the King being at Versailles, IMr. Costobelle, 
 Governor of the Fort Louis of Placontia, in the Island of New- 
 foundland, has roi)roscntod to His ^Majesty that he has caused to 
 be constructed upon the land of the Peninsula of Point Vorte, 
 distant of a small league from the Fort Louis (jf Placontia, in tiio 
 Island of Newfoundland, certain lodgments, at a considerable 
 expense, in order to place there a family of laborers, which is 
 actually there with a number of all sorts of cattle ; and that for 
 the past two years ho has caused the woods there to be cleared, in 
 the hope that the said land might produce some grain crops, and 
 at the same time he has caused His Majesty to be supplicated to 
 
 :l 
 
400 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 griiiit f,o Iiiin the JiforcsMitl Iniid. in lillo of fee niid Idrdsliij), liij^li, 
 iiU'Mii, jiiid low jurisdiction, 'rowliidi Imviiii^ rcuiird His M:ijcsty, 
 ill coiisidcnitioii of tiic sciviccs of tlic s;iid Mv. Costobcllc, niid of 
 tlic ('xpoiiscH iiforcsaid, His !\I;ij('stv li;is ur;iii1(>d to iiiin tiio rciiiii- 
 siiln of I'oiiit Vcrti', distiiiu'C of a siiKiil Icnuiic from tlic Foil of 
 l'l;i('c:itia, iiorlli niid south of the entrance of the roadstead, 
 bounded on the soiitii by a tonjiiie of bi'Mcii called the Dirrjeron, 
 separated by a l:iii:e pond from the beaches of the iiiluibitants, 
 looking on the east towards the entrance of th(^ (Jut, and the 
 west on the side of the (irent Sea. To enjoy the same by him, 
 his licifs and assigns, forever as their own, on the condition of 
 fealty Miid homage to tlie Fort Louis of I'lacentia, and to tiu! 
 ordinary dues and rents, witiiout lieing on that account, held, nor 
 his heirs nor as-sigiis, to pay to His Majesty nor to his Successors 
 Kings any fine or indemnity, of which to whatever sum it might 
 amount. His jMajesty has made to them gift and remission by 
 the |)i'eseiit IJrevet, and in case that herenfter His ^lajesty niigiit 
 have lu'cd of some portion of lh(> said land, to construct thereon 
 any forts, batteries, parade grounds, magazines, churches, or 
 other public works, without being iield for any damages. 
 
 And in testimony of his will His Majesty has granted to him 
 the said lirevet, which lit; has deigned to sign by his hand, and 
 to be countersigned by me counseller (?) Secretary of State and 
 of his ordinances and finances. 
 
 LOUIS. 
 
 PHELYl'KAUX. 
 
 The document has two indorsations in English, as follows : — 
 
 Whereas the witiiin-mcntioned riantation and ground were 
 formerly bounded by a gutt of water, wiiich by a late storm is now 
 entirely filled U[), I do hereby forbid any person or persons to cutt 
 grass therefrom, or by feeding of Ueasts of any sort on the said 
 ground where the water formerly fiowed, to damage the af' planta- 
 tion or grounds, or in any other manner to molest the same, (iudiiig 
 that the id'oresaid flutt was the itroperty to the af premises. 
 Given under my hand at I'lacentia, SepL'. ye G"', 1718, 
 
■«i 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 401 
 
 rr.A( KNTiA, Miiy 20'", 1803. 
 Wo do hereby tranHfcr nnd nmkc over our solo rijflit aiul titlo 
 of tli(! williiii I'.ivvi't to M\ W (iri'ciic, only rtwMTiiig the ri^ht of 
 (lr!iwiii;j; Nutts it Scyiics on the said fort, and tlio privilci^o of a 
 fl!i<j;st!in' for tlic piirjiosc of iiiakitij:; or rc'iK'atiui.^ signals thereon, 
 as speclllt'd hy a deed of sales ))earing date as above. 
 
 
 NOTE tl. (Page 215.) 
 ELEdY ON I'lIE KKiirr 1!KV. DIl. O'DONEL. 
 
 Now, closed liW course of labor and of years, 
 The fioodly, ureal O'Doiiel rests in peace; 
 
 lie asks not now our wailinv; n<n' our tears, — 
 
 Hnt shall his |>raise with Death's procession cease? 
 
 Forbid it, I'oesy I Thy sister mourns, 
 
 Tiiy sister, Eloquence! Ueliijion, see ! 
 Holds hiifli his roll of service. Erin turns 
 
 With pensive look, with heaven-toned harp to thee. 
 
 I'oor Erin I 'twas no wonder tliat each strain 
 Flowed plaintive I'nnn her harp, attuned in f;ricf ; 
 
 Ah! many an " Aul)urn " wept, for o'er the main, 
 Year after year, her cliildren sought relief. 
 
 Heyond the western world of waters still 
 The e\irse of penal coiU;, attendant foimd 
 
 In youth, forbade the lore that tamos the will; 
 They grew as wild as desert woods around. 
 
 Witli i)ain < )T)onel saw tlie darkness si)read ; 
 
 Ueligion's sigli he heard: and, strong witli zeal. 
 Loft friends and country distant shores to tread, 
 
 Where heart of man was hardening into steel. 
 
 With words of lire incessant as he prea(;Iie(l, 
 And all the woes of savage life deplored. 
 
 Mis voice the inmost breast's recesses reached, 
 .\n(l awe-struck sinners tremblingly adored. 
 
402 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 |ji 
 
 lliH life alone would win to virtue's side; 
 
 Ills sociiil <'luirms would Imppiin'ss impart; 
 Ills iiianiicrs, plain and free. \cl di^initlcd, 
 
 WiTo not too liij^U for laiiKhttr of the lieurt. 
 
 In hini tiie f;')sp('l cliaritli's were scon; 
 
 True to Ids own. indulgent unto all. 
 Till! ciM'diid welcome of the Isle of (Jreen 
 
 Was e\i'r felt witliln his lowly hall. 
 
 Tholr elieerfnl olVerlnsfs proved how fond his (lock; 
 
 Nor Hi'ilain could withhold her ^rnaefui ndle; 
 But think not henec she over dared to mock, 
 
 With au.ijld like "■ veio-pay." his work so l)rii;hl. 
 
 His day of partinj; for dear Krin's sliadi> 
 
 Was, throui^h St. John's, a sorrowing; day, indeed; 
 
 Their splendid «''' ""•' warm address disi)layed 
 How loved, revered, hy all of every creed! 
 
 There may \\w writin;; of these lines renew 
 Heart-felt emotion for ids cherished nanu- ; 
 
 And there, wliile Heaven has i)aid the homayc! due, 
 May Christians bless his labors and his name I 
 
 Ballyvallock, Co. Kilke.nny. 
 
 J. !•: 
 
 NOTE 4. {Page 287.) 
 
 In the 3'ofii' 1770-9, nn Kiiglisli triivoUer named Artluir Young 
 made a tour in Irclaiul, and in his journal ha.s .some interesting 
 items toufliing on tlie early intercour.se between Newfoundland 
 and Ireland. "The staple trade of Wuteiford," he says, "is the 
 Newfoundland trade. . . . The number of people who go as 
 passengers in the Newfoundland ships is simply amazing, from 
 sixty to eighty ships and from three to live tliousand persons an- 
 nually. Tliey come from most parts of Ireland, from Cork, Kerry, 
 etc. Experienced men will get eighteen to twenty-live pomids for 
 the season, from March to November. A man who never went 
 will have from five to seven poinids, and < ers rise to twenty 
 jiounds ; the passage out they get, but pay home two pounds. An 
 industrious man, in a year, will bring home from twelve to sixteen 
 pounds with him, and some more. A great point for them is to 
 be able to carry out all their slops, for everything there is exceed- 
 ingly dear, one or two hundred per cent, dearer than they get at 
 
OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 403 
 
 lumio. Thoy fire not allowed to tako out any woollen poods but 
 for their own use. Tlie whips go loaded wiiii pork, bi'cf, butler, 
 .•ind some Halt; and bri..g home passeniiors, or got freights wliero 
 tlifv can — PoiiiPtiines rum. 'I'he Wati'rford pork fomes priiK^i- 
 pally from tlie liarony of Ivcrk, in Kilkenny, wiiere they fatten 
 great numbers of large hogs ; for many weeks together the}' kill 
 liere tinve to four thousand a week ; tiu! price, fifty HJiiHings to 
 four pounds cjicli ; goes ciiielly to Newfouiidlant' One was killed 
 in ^Ir. Penrose's celhir that weighed live hundred and a (piarter, 
 and measured, from the nose to the end of tlie tail, idne feet lour 
 inches." 
 
 The "Annual Ilegistor and C'iu-oniele " of ISl,") contains tho 
 following inti'icsting extract: "Some idea of th(! extent of emi- 
 gration from Ireland may be formed from the following extract 
 of a private letter dated at St. John's, Newfoundland, 2;iil of this 
 niontli (.Tune) : 'The arrivals from Ireland, whicii have exceeded 
 any in tiie CustoM)-house book, exclusive of these vessels which 
 iiave made no return, are three liionsand and twenty-six men and 
 tiiree hundred and seventy-three women to this hari)or alone, but 
 the numbers far exceed the returns. The ca[)tains have l)r()Ught 
 out so many that they are ashamed to return thenj. The wretched 
 creatures are most dreadfully treated on tlie passage. One man 
 declared to me he was but three nigiits below decks the whole of 
 the voyage, nor couhl he get down. Strange complaints have 
 been made by a set of wretches who came yesterday of the very 
 nearly starving condition they were in. Indeed, (lovernmeut must 
 put a stop to such jjroeeedings, or really a contagion will be bred 
 in our streets ; and what will become of them in winter God oidy 
 knows.' " 
 
 NOTE r*. {Page 280.) 
 
 The first convents established in the New "World were of French 
 origin. As early as 1(!.")I) we learn from the History of Ahlx'i 
 lirasseur de Uourbourg the first Freneii convent was establislied in 
 Canada. The Duchess of Aiguillon, niece of Cardinal Ilicholieu, 
 foun<lcd the Hotel Dien at (Quebec. The Augustinienn 'S of tho 
 Hospital of l)iepi)e, of the Congregation <jf the ^lercy of Jesus, 
 accepted with joy the otTer to take charge of it. Tinee of them 
 were sent out. Madame de la Peltrie, a young widow of Alengon, 
 at the same time secured the services of the Ursulines, for the 
 
 I in 
 
 'Vif'l 
 
404 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTOUY 
 
 i' 
 
 education of the young. Slio wont to Toms, aii<l there obtained 
 consent to have sent out the celebrated ^lere Marie de I'liicar- 
 nation (^larie Clnyeit) and Mere dc St. J(>sei)h. She gave np 
 all her wealth to the project and came out Iiersclf with them, and 
 arrived at (Quebec on the 1st of AiignsI, 1 (•.")',», after a h)ng and 
 boisterons passnge, having set sail tlie 4th of May. 
 
 Otlier French establishments were founded in America. In 1697 
 the Ursulines at Quebec, the ni(jther-Iiouse subseipicntly of the 
 Boston connnunity ; in 1727 tlie Ursulines were estaldislicd in New 
 Orleans, which then formed part of New France, and which did 
 not become a portion of the United States till 180,']. 
 
 In 17U0 the Ilev. Father Neale, a descendant of one of the 
 Catholics families bi'ought out by Lord Baltimore, procured from 
 Ireland, with tlie consent of Uisliop Oarroll, a colony of Carmelite 
 nuns. 'I'liese were the first Kuglish-speaking connnunity that 
 crossed tlie water, and were four in numl)er, and we're settled at 
 Fort Toljacco, ^Msiryiaud. 
 
 In 1812 Father Anthony Kohlman, S.J., V.(;.of New York, 
 introduced three Ursulines into that city from lUack lioek, Cork, 
 but not receiving any subjects, liiey returned in 181.'). 
 
 In 1817, at the earnest request of Fatlier Thayer, three young 
 ladies (Misses Hyan) of Limerick came out to found a convent 
 in Hoston. Tliey went to the convent of Ursulines, of Three 
 Rivers, Canada, to complete their novitiate, and fotnided the con- 
 vent at ]\It. St. Benedict, Charlestowu, near I>oston. This con- 
 vent was wrecked and burnt l)y an infuriated mob in l.S.i4, who 
 ■were excited Ity the lying and sensational stories told by a Miss 
 Reed, whom the nuns had admitted out of charity. (See Bishop 
 England's woiks. Vol. IV.) Next in order of time came our 
 nuns of Newfoundland. Tliey wen; the first of the Presentation 
 Order who crossed tlie ocean. The outrage oi\ the .'ouveiit at 
 Charlestowu was but the bursting of over-wrouglit fanaticism, and 
 must not 1 J looked ui)on as the normal state of American feeling. 
 In the following year, 18.'].'), we have an account of tlic arrival of 
 another colony of Ui'suliiies under Miss Mary Iluglies. They 
 were received at Philadelphia in a n-.ost affectionate manner by 
 the people of every persuasion. They were escorted on their way 
 to Charlestowu by Bishop Kngland, and in pas.mig tiirough Wash- 
 ington were presented to President Jackson, wiio received tliem 
 warmly, and rendered them every assistance and protection in their 
 pious undertakings. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 406 
 
 NOTE O. {Page 343.) 
 
 Tlie following correspondence bus never been printed in extenso. 
 It has been litliogniphed, but copies are now rare, if, indeed, any 
 exist at all besides tlie one in my possession ; and even that, as 
 will ])e seen, is slightly imperfect, letter No. 8 bi'ing wanting. 
 Notwithstanding the great length of the corre'^pondenee, T deem it 
 worthy of preservation ; but as ;l would make to-, great a break 
 in the historical narrative, I here place it among the notes. 
 
 [No. 1.] 
 Skcrktauy's Offick', IDth August, 1835. 
 
 Sill, — T am directed by the Governor to inform you that your 
 petition, addressed to His IMajesty, praying that a certain portion 
 of the land named " Tlie Barrens," in the immediate vicinity of 
 the town of St. John's, may be granted to the C'alholic inhabitants 
 of the Island for ecclesiastical purposes, and also tiiat an annual 
 allowance may be made to3'ou for the support of a small vessel, to 
 enable you to communicate with j'our flock, has been received and 
 laid at tiie foot of the tin-one by the I'rincii)al Secretary of State 
 for the Colonies, who had His Majesty's commands to return to 
 it an answer, of which the following is tlie substance: — 
 
 In regard to the iirst part of the memorial, viz., the prayer 
 for a grant of the portion of tiie land called " The Barrens," at 
 present in the possession of the Ordnance Department, His Kxcel- 
 lency has to inform you that until the arrangements at present in 
 progress with the above department, in regard to the delimitation 
 of military works, shall have been finally settled it is impossible to 
 entertain an application for a grant of land reserved for military 
 purposes ; nor could such an ai)plication be, under any circum- 
 stances, decided upon without a previous reference to the Master 
 General and Board of Ordnance. The consideration of this part 
 of your-inemorial is therefore unavoidably def»>rred. Should you, 
 however, wish hereafter to renew it, your representation must b(! 
 transmitted through the GoviMnor, in order that His Majesty's 
 Government may be furnished with Ilis Excellency's report upon it. 
 
 U[)ou the second point, viz., tlie allowance of an annual sum 
 for the su|)port of a vessel. His Excellency is desired to aciiuaint 
 you that Lord Glenelg regrets that it is not possililc to accede to 
 your wishes. Considering that an ap[)liealion is now pending 
 before the Imperial Pailiament for a grant of a large sum iu aid 
 
 (li 
 
406 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 of tlie funds of this Colony, it would bo hopeless to propose that a 
 further sum should be grunted for the serviee indicated by you. 
 The sum for which application is made to Parliament will, if 
 voted, be so entirely consumed in defraying the indispensable 
 charges of Government, that no portion of it will remain applica- 
 ble to such a puri)ose ; and there is no fund witliin the Island at 
 the disposal of His ]Majesty's Government from which the desired 
 assistance could be afforded. His Lordship is therefore under 
 the necessity of referring you to the Colonial Assembly, who, 
 moreover, will be more competent than His ^lajesty's Government 
 to decide upon the urgency of the demand for assistance, and the 
 extent to which it should be allowed. 
 
 Finally, His Kxcclloncy, by his Lordship's order, desires me to 
 observe to you that by the course you adoi»ted in transmitting your 
 memorial, not through the Governor (according to the established 
 riiles of olHcial correspondence), but direct to the Secretary of 
 State, His Majesty's Government have been deprived, in the con- 
 sideration of it, of the advantage of tliat practical information 
 which they could otherwise have received. 
 I have the honor to be, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient humble servant, 
 
 (Signed) JAS. CROWDY. 
 
 [No. 2.] 
 
 Sir, — I have the honor to lay before you, for transmission to 
 His Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, an 
 Address, a copy of wliich I enclose, praying his Loidship to pre- 
 sent to His INLijesty a memorial which I had bad the honor to 
 enclose to the Right Honorable Thomas Sjjriug Rice, two or three 
 days before your Excellency entered the port of St. John's ; as in 
 this Address the principal features of the memorial are portrayed, 
 I would fain recpiest that your Excellency wouUl liave the goodness 
 to support my prayer. 
 
 Your Excellency perceives that the Catholic clergy of Newfound- 
 land stand foremost in tiie improvement of the country ; your 
 Excellency has oltserved the handsome and spacious parochial 
 dwelling-house and C'ltholic chnrcli of Harbor (!race, erected by 
 the late Rev. Mr. Ewer, which form the princii)al embellishment 
 of that town, and also the church of Carboneer, raised by that 
 lamented gentleman's successor, the Rev. C. Dallon. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 407 
 
 In Brigus, yonr ExcelkMiey hns probably observed the residence 
 of the Cutliolic rector, tlie Rev. D. Mackin, raised at his own ex- 
 pense, and tlio church of that town, erected by the saiiie rev. gen- 
 tleman. In the northern district, nnder the Rev. N. Deverenx, 
 several harbors arc cinltt'Uished witii parochial houses and churches, 
 even as far as the distant and sequestered harbor of Tilling Har- 
 bor, in the island of Fogo. In the district of the Bay of Bulls, 
 and of Ferryland, the same s[)irit is evinced there as far as St. 
 Mary's Bay. In Placenlia district, live churches are rising through 
 the activity of the clergymen in tiie district of Burin, and the zeal 
 of the Kev. Mr. Biruie is equally conspicuous in the erection of 
 handsome edifices for the convenience of His Majesty's subjects to 
 assemble in worshii)ping tlieir Creator. 
 
 The churches of Petty Harbor, Portugal Cove, and Torbay, 
 your Excellency has also seen ; and I am convinced you will say 
 that each in a marked degree im|)roves tiie little town in which it 
 has been raised ; and not oidy have they brougiit an improvement 
 in the locale, but as each has cost several hundred pounds, tiie in- 
 troduction of so mucli money, the principal i)art of whicli hati 
 been expended in these places, has diffused considerable comfort 
 amongst the poor. 
 
 Your Excellency is, I believe, aware that tlie principal i)art of 
 the expense of these erections was defrayed out of my own pocket. 
 In fact, the three have cost me nearly two thousand pounds. There 
 were one huuih-ed pounds collected in St. John's and Concei)tion 
 Bay towards the chinch of Portugal Cove, but the people of tliat 
 cove were not al)le to suliscribe one shilling. For the church of 
 Petty Harbor, tlie people of that little town subscribed about £00; 
 and tiie j)eo|)le of Torbay raised amongst themselves about the 
 same amount for the church of Torbay, and about £iu) wore col- 
 lected from the strangers who atteiKUnl at tlie consecration. 
 
 In these harliors I have removed the dead from the doors of the 
 poor people, and given tiieiii ample cemeteries, in some instances 
 by purchasing the ground out of my own pocket, and in Petty 
 Harbor iiv tiie kindness and bonntv of vour Excellen- 'u iiivinir 
 a grant of an excellent site for that |)urpose. 
 
 Your Excellency is probably aware tiiat the Catholic cemetery 
 of this town is filled to an extent calculati'd to endanger the pul)- 
 lic health, and there is no ground suital)le for the purpose within 
 the precincts of the town, save the ground mentioned iii the ac- 
 companying address, and which forms the subject of iiiy memo- '"*! 
 
iOSZi 
 
 408 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 to Ills Majesty ; that is, the vacant ground on "The Barrens," 
 near Fort Townshend, on which tlie old wood yaid stands. 
 
 It is ujider these circumstances that I beg again to request your 
 Excellency will bo pleased to support the im\yer of iny petition to 
 His Majesty for a grant of that vacant patch of ground, bounded 
 on the south by the road from Fort Townshend to Fort William, on 
 the west by another road, and on the north and east by fenced 
 grounds, which piece of ground I understand is at present in the 
 occupancy of the Honorable the Board of Ordnance, an accedance 
 to which will enal)le nie immediately to commence a suite of build- 
 ings of stone, which will prove, I trust, a real and substantial 
 improvement to 8t. John's, and will considerably promote the 
 extension of the town to that healthful though bleak situation. 
 I have the honor to remain. Sir, 
 
 Your Excellency's, etc., 
 
 (Signed) + MICHAEL ANTHONY FLEMING. 
 
 To II. E. Cov. PuKscorr. 
 June 21, 183G. 
 
 [No. 3.] 
 
 To THE Right IIonoraulk His Majesty's Secuetahy oi' State 
 FOK THE Colonies : — 
 
 Mv Loi!i>, — A few days before the arrival in this country of 
 His Excellency (lovenior Prescott, and while Sir Thomas Cochrane 
 was making i)reparations for his dei)arture for England. I had 
 the honor to address a memorial to His Majesty, through His 
 Majesty's then Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Ilonoi'able 
 Thomas S|)ring Kice, setting forth the claims of tiie Catholic 
 population of Newfoundland upon His Majesty, superadding those 
 of the Catholic clergy, and praying for a grant of waste ground 
 called " The Barrens," near Fort Townshend, ikjw in the occupancy 
 of tlie Honorable the Board of Ordnance, for the erection of a 
 cluu'ch, a dwelling house for the ciergynuin, a school-hou.ie, and 
 convenient, also, for a imblic cemetery. 
 
 In that memorial I took care, my Lord, to urge that the Catholics 
 of Newfoundhind had never had from His Majesty's (Government, 
 directly or indirectly, a single mark of favor, notwithstanding that 
 they had exhibited the most marked loyalty in seasons of the 
 greatest dilliculty, and had always distinguished themselves as 
 useful citi/A'iis and good subjects; while the Protestant portion of 
 the population have had, either directly or through The Society 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 409 
 
 for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the most 
 substantial [jioofs of the royal protection. 
 
 1 have shown tiie rrotostant population in the enjoyment of an 
 ami)lo church, witii a spacious cemetery adjoining, a handsome 
 residence, with a garden, etc., for the rector, besides glebe grounds 
 to contribute to his support; and the Catholics obliged to pay an 
 enormous i-ent for the Itare site of their church, in a situation so 
 circumscrilied as not to admit of increase, altliougli the [)resent 
 edifice is so small that frecpiently several hundreds of the congrega- 
 tion are compelled to abide the pelting of the pitiless storm, in all 
 seasons, while assisting in the \vorsliii) of their Creator, in the 
 capital of the Colony of Newfoundland. 
 
 I have shown that, all-insu(licient as this building is in extent for 
 the congregation, it is in a considerably dilapidated state, and that 
 it would not be judicious to erect a new one on the same site, par- 
 ticularly as none but a terminable lease can be had of the ground. 
 
 I have shown that the Protestant rector, the Archdeacon, and I 
 now might add, 1 believe, another clergyman of the Church of 
 England, in St. John's, and all tlie Protestant clergy in the rest of 
 the Island, received large salaries from Governinont, either directly 
 or through tlie same medium, and adverted to the [jrincely [)eiision 
 of the Pishoi) of Xova Scotia ; wiiile tiie duties of chaplains to 
 the jails and the garrisons, and the hospitals, etc., botii military 
 and colonial, in addition to tlie routine duties of tlu.' Mission, have 
 been cheerfully discharged by Catholic clergymen during the last 
 fifty years all over the Island, \vithout the least prospect of re- 
 nnnieration, save the small pittance of £~') aninially doled out to 
 the Rishof) ; and tliat in addition to all those favors before alluded 
 to bestowi'd u[)()n the Protestant po[tiilation, even in the year IS,!! 
 u grant was "iven bv Sir Thomas Cochrane of the site of a second 
 Protest.ant chiu'ch in St. John's. 
 
 ]\Iy Lord, in enumerating some of tlie good things enjoyed by Iho 
 Protestants of Ni'wroundlaud, belii've me, 1 am not actuated by 
 any selfish feelings of envy ; nor do I think His Majesty's (iovern- 
 ment have, in tlic slightest degree, cxceedi-d tlie rigid bounds of 
 duty in according tlicst; favors. No, I have the honor to enjoy 
 the friendship of many of tiiat communion, and jiarticularly the 
 Rev. Rector of St. .lohn's ; and I will say, that they aw iiighly 
 deserving the countenance bestowecl upon tiiem, and that that 
 amiable and reveri'ud gentleman is truly worthy tiie enjoyment of 
 tho comforts of his rectory. But while I make this admission, 1 
 
u umia 
 
 410 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 do lliink that the Catholic popiihxtion are equally, lii the abstract, 
 entitled to the consideration of His Majesty's Government ; and 
 that that claim comes more strengthened in propcn'tion as their 
 number is greater than the others, and the nnml)er of Catholic 
 clerics, as com[)ared with Protestants, in this Island, is fully as 
 three to one. 
 
 I attempted, I\Iy Lord, to prove that inequidity of protection is 
 calculated to induce distrust and dissatisfaction; but that a diffu- 
 sion of religion to all awaken allegiance, which an ecpial participa- 
 tion in the favors of tlie Crown can perhai)S best render durable. 
 
 My Lord, in my present prayer to His Majesty I cannot have a 
 self-interested motive ; my holding is only for life; and when I 
 reflect that in the nifn'e dischnrge of the ordinary duties of my 
 care, I have wasted my strength and impaired my constitution, I 
 feel that temue cannot be expected to be h)ng. It is not, then, 
 for myself I pray, — it is to be enabled to advance the best interests 
 of His Majesty's subjects, and to promote the glory of God. 
 
 JNIy Lord, yoin* Lordship has been pleased to comuuniicate lh:it 
 my memorial, not having been transmitted through His Kxcelh ncy 
 the Governor, has been regarded as informal ; but that inlbrmalily 
 arose j)riuciiially from the circumstance of bir Thonuis Cochrane 
 being about to depart from this country, and my having no idi-a 
 as to whether it was likely a successor would be ai)p()inted spi'cdily ; 
 and as your Lordship has been pleased to say tliat I might at a 
 futin'o time renew that petition, i)ermit me, my Lord, to rcMjuest, as 
 I have the honor to transmit this address to your Lordsiiip, through 
 His Excellency Governor Prescott, reciting as itdoi-s the jn'Incipal 
 arguments or f;icts of that petition, and a coi)y of which I have 
 had the honor to lay before His Kxcelleiicy, tlitit your l.ordshii), re- 
 garding my memorial now as " transmitti'd througii tlu' (iovernor," 
 will graciously please to lay it at the loot of His Majesty's august 
 throne, and by advocating its luuuble prayer, enable me forthwith 
 to commence the erection of a suite of stone buildings that will, I 
 trust, prove a credit to the colony, and will stand forever a monu- 
 ment of the liberality and nuuiiticeiice of our King. 
 I have the honor, 3Iy Lord, to subscribe myself, 
 
 Your Lordshi[)'s most obedient, humble servant, 
 (Signed) MICHAEL ANTHONY FLEMING. 
 
 JuNi:2lst, I8;u>. 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 411 
 
 [No. 4.] 
 To TiiK Kir.iiT IIoNouAULK Sill Gkokgk Grey, Bart. : — 
 
 SiK, — It will 1)0 in your recollection tlmt I took the liberty of 
 trou!)lin<j; you with an :ukhcss,ilati'cl the 'ilstof -June, contJiiniui;; the 
 priuci|)al ai'minionts and facts of a petition which I had the honor of 
 laying before Ilis Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, the 
 Hon. Spring Rice, two years ago, praying for a piece of waste 
 ground, called "The Barrens," outside the town of St. John's, for 
 the erection of a church, a school, a residence for the clergymen, 
 and also for a public cemetery. 
 
 In that address I took leave to state the claims of the Catholic 
 priests and Catholic people of Newfoundland ui)on Ilis Majesty's 
 Government, but I omitted to urge on your consideration the 
 entertainment of my own individual claims, and now beg most 
 respectfully to submit, that for the last twelve yeuis I have made 
 many most severe sacrifices for that country. 
 
 My visitations in that Island are made amid every privation that 
 can render life uncomfortable, obliged to beg a passage in a lisiiing- 
 schooner to an oiit-harbor, and then to cross extensive and turbu- 
 lent bays in open boats, to pass night after niglit sleeping in the 
 woods upon a few boughs or among rocks, for weeks witiiout lying 
 upon a bed or changing a single raiment, to convey the soolhings 
 of religion to His Majesty's Catholic subjects. At my own 
 expense I have established an institution for tlie education of the 
 poor, and from my own pocket maintain that establishment, at 
 which a thousand childi'en are daily receiving a gratuitous educa- 
 tion. I pay sixty pounds per annum, with board and lodging, for 
 an extra clergyman to attend the garrisons, the jail, and military 
 and colonial hospitals. For all these sacrilices which I have 
 made and am daily making fortiie bi'uelit .'ind improvement of Ilis 
 ISIajesty's subjects, unmixed witli any other motive wliutsocver, I 
 nnist beg to say that I feel I have strong claims on Ilis Majesty's 
 Government; and all these claims I willingly add to the claim of 
 the people, praying you, in all humility, to take that address into 
 your kind consideration. 
 
 The piece of ground I pray for is that part of " The Barrens " 
 on which the garrison wood-yard stood, containing about ten acres, 
 perhaps eleven, as described on a map, which I sliould feel 
 anxious to lay before you, if you allow me the honor of an 
 interview. 
 
r 
 
 qna 
 
 412 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 Sir, in acceding? to tlie Ciitliolics of Newfoundland, either b}' a 
 grant or for a small purchasable rent, — because it is the only spot 
 unoceu|)i('d by biiildiiigs, or, in faet, the only spot within the prc- 
 cints of the town that can be held in fee, — would go far to con- 
 vince the people of the paternal solicitude of His Majesty for their 
 general interi'sts. It is a favor that could not fail to bo ever alive 
 in their memory ; it is a boon that we have reason to think ought 
 to be granted, for we are a Catholic i)eo[)le, wiio having maintained, 
 amid occasions of n)ucli dilliculty, and danger, and temptation, a 
 loyalty and attachment to our King and Constitution (witness, my 
 Lord, the Newfoundland Volunteers, princii);dly Catholic, in tl'.e 
 days of trouble), yet nc^ver have we received a siugh; mark of 
 Royal favor, — not a single acre of ground for any public pur- 
 pose whatsoever. 
 
 The receipt of a note from INFr. Sheil informing me of the kind 
 manner in which you have been pleased to express yourself to him 
 and to jNIr. Hall, on the subject of my application, awakens in me 
 an ardent hope that you will advocate our cause, and plead in the 
 j)roper (piarter fov the long-neglected, though loyal, pe(}ple of 
 Newfoundland ; and if, in presuming to call your attention now to 
 a subject so interesting to the i)oor Catholics of tliat country, I 
 have trespassed too far on your time and patience, I beg to offer 
 as an apoloyv that mv limited circumstances would be nuich 
 affected in this ('xpensive place by a huigtlieued (h'hiy, and also 
 the danger to which my life would be ex[)os(Ml by api)ro:iciiing 
 that coast after the middle of September, are the reasons which 
 induce me humbly to beseech you to give it your earliest considera- 
 tion, and you will lay me, and the 7(),U()0 Catholics of that Island, 
 under a deep and lasting obligation to you. 
 I have the honor, Sir, to subscribe myself, 
 
 Your most obedient, humble servant, 
 
 (Signed) MICHAEL ANTHONY FLEMING, 
 
 Catholic Bishop. 
 No. 7 Aiu Stukkt, August ir)tli, 18130. 
 
 [No. 5.] 
 )owNiNG Stukkt, 17tli August, 1830. 
 Sm, — I have received and have laid before Lord Glenelg your 
 letter of the loth inst., on the subject of your apjilication for the 
 grant of a piece of laud in Newfoundland for the purpose of erect- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 413 
 
 iug upon it a i)liice of worship, a school-house, and a rosidenco 
 for a Catholic clcrf^ymaii. In repl}', I am to inform you that a 
 former communication from you on this subject liaviiifj; been re- 
 ceived from Captain Prescott, it was immediately referred for tiio 
 consideration of the IVIaster Gcinernl and IJoard of Ordnance, in 
 whose possession the land at present is. Lord Gcnclg has directed 
 a further comminiication to l)c addressed to that department, I'o- 
 (luesting them to favor him witii an early answer on the (pieslion. 
 
 With respect to your wish for an interview with me at thisOfllce, 
 I must exi)rc?>s my regret that during the session of I'ailiament 
 the mnltii)licity of my duties v.ill hardly admit of my naming a 
 time at which it would be possible for me to receive you. 
 I have the honor to be, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient serv't, 
 
 (Signed) GEO. GREY. 
 
 llcv. Dr. Fi,K.Mix(i, \lv Street, Piccadilly. 
 
 [No. G.] 
 
 DowNixo Stukkt, 31st August, 18;1C. 
 Sir, — With reference to my letter of the 17th iiist., I am 
 directed by Lord Glenelg to acquaint you that the ^Lister General 
 and lioiird of Ordnance have iufoi'ined his Lordsliip tliat witiiout 
 furtlier inforniMtion from their olliccrs in >.'cwfoundland they are 
 unable to decide whether the land for which you have api)lied 
 could without detriment to tlie public service be appropriated to 
 the purposes coiitemi)lat(!d by you. The Governor of the Colony 
 and the Ordnance ollicers on the station will therefore be directed 
 immediately to transmit the necessary information for tiie guidance 
 of the Master General and IJoard, and when that shall have been 
 received no time will be lost in deciding on the application which 
 you have preferred. 
 
 1 have the honor to be. Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient serv't, 
 
 (Signed) JAS. STEPHEN. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Fi.kminc. 
 
 [No. 7.] 
 Downing Stkket, 27th .Lanuary, \8o7. 
 Sir, — In answer to your noteoftlie "illli inst., I am directed l)y 
 Lord Glenelg to inform you that the Master General and IJoard of 
 
on 
 
 *U 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 
 Ordnance have roported to his Lordsliip that hefore decidhig on 
 your api)licatiou for a piece of hind on which to erect a ciiurcli 
 and school-lionso it will be necessary to obtain from the Clovernor 
 of Newfoundland a comprehensive rei)ort on all the public build- 
 ings whieli il is i)roposed to eri'ot on Ordnance lands, in order that 
 some general plan may be adopted with respect to them. Captain 
 IVescott has accordingly been directed to furnish such a rei)ort, 
 on the receipt of which no lime will bu h)sL in coming to a decision 
 ou your application. 
 
 I have the honor to be, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed) GEO. GREY. 
 
 The Rtv. Dr. Flemixo, 5 Conduit Street. 
 
 1 
 
 [No. 8, missing, is from Sir George Grey to Dr. Fleming. It 
 is alluded to by Dr. Fleming in No. 12. It stated that if the con- 
 cession of the land would not interfere with Fort Townshend as a 
 military station, the laud would be granted. It was dated Feb. S>, 
 1837.]" 
 
 [No. 9.] 
 
 Downing Stijickt, 2r)th March, 1837. 
 Sill, — With reference to my letter of the 9th ult., I am directed 
 by Lord Glenelg to enclose herewith for your inlormation the copy 
 of a letter from the Secretary to the Ordnance conveying the de- 
 cision of the Master (ieneial and Hoard on your api;lieution for 
 certain land in the vicinity of Fort Townshend in Newfoundland. 
 I also enclose, in exi)lanation of Mr. IJyham's letter, a copy of the 
 rejwrt from Captain Walker, of the iMigiueers, to which allusion is 
 therein made. 
 
 Lord (iienelg desires me to state, that in conformity with the 
 decision of the Master General and Board of Ordnance, the Gov- 
 ernor of Newfoundland will be instructed to grant to you so imich 
 of the land in question as may 1)e necessary for the ecclesiastical 
 buildings which it is your intention to erect. 
 1 have the honor to be. Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed) GEO. GREY. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Fleming, 5 Conduit Street. 
 
OF NEWFOrXDLAND. 
 
 415 
 
 [No. 10.] 
 Ofkkk of Okdnaxoe, 8th Marcli, 18.17. 
 
 Sir, — Referring to the commuiiiciition, which hy coiniMiviid of 
 Die IMtistor Gcnenil and IJoartl of Ordnance I liad the lni.ior to 
 make to tlie Secretary of State for the Colonies, in my letter to you 
 under date tiie 12lli Dec., 18;U!, on the Huhject of tlie reqnested 
 appropriation of a part of tiie Ordnance ground near Fort Towns- 
 hcnd, Newfoundland, as a site for tlie erection of a IJonian Cath- 
 olic chapel and schools, — 
 
 r have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of Lord 
 filenelg, that in consequence of a further explanation from tlie ap- 
 plicants, by which it ainiears lliat ;ill they desire is a grant of the 
 ground on which to erect their chapel and schools, witiioiit any 
 protection in a military point of view, the blaster Gencrtil and 
 Hoard have resumed the consideration of tiie subject, whether the 
 ground in question, on that understanding, could be given up 
 without injury to the public service, and have decided (as it is not 
 in contemplation to restore Fort Townshend as a work of defence, 
 and that as soon as the new barracks arc constructed on Signal 
 Hill the troops will be removed (roni the foriiier post) to grant such 
 portion of tiie ground, referred to in Capt. Walker's report to the 
 Colonial Secretary of the 13th October Inst, as may be sutlicient 
 for erecting the proposed chapel and schools, — the plots of ground 
 being marked yellow and blue on the sketch to wliieii Ciptain 
 Walker's letter refers, — but the precise quantity the Master (ion- 
 eral and Hoard submit should be fixed by the local Government, 
 and the result reported for their information ; and 1 am to request 
 that you will move the S(>cretary of State to give the necessary 
 directions for this purpose, corresponding instructions having been 
 given to the commanding Koyal l^igineer at the station. 
 
 I have, &c. 
 
 (Signed) R. BYIIAM. 
 
 [No. 11.] 
 
 Engtn'eeu's Offick, Oct. 1.3, 183fi. 
 Sir, — Referring to your letter of the 11th inst., I have the 
 honor to state for the information of the Governor that the ground 
 on the western side of Fort Towiiahend is crossed by a roail lead- 
 ing from the fort, and that part of that ground has, at much labor 
 
410 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 '':| 
 
 and ovponso, been fenced and l)roii<r]it into cultivation as p;ard('nH 
 by tilt' tni'M of tilt! Hoyal V't'tcran C'oinpaiiifH. Tiii; want of tiii'so 
 gardens would bo felt by the men as a very serious privation, 
 besides the loss of the interest antl f)eeupatif)n which the cultiva- 
 tlt)n of (he ffroiMid alTonls and whielt tends so <ijreally ti> tiieir 
 good conduct. Ju tiie accouipaiiyinsf skett!h tlie jfrouiul to wiiieh 
 1 have generally referred is tinteil red ; any location of three or 
 four acres on this ground, reserving the roail aiitl garilens, would 
 be of an inconvenient figure for the intended erections, and would, 
 besides, a|)[)roach much too c)ose to the fort. 
 
 The Governor will, perhaps, permit me to direct his attention 
 to two fields to the north and 8t)uth of tliis ground reH[)ectively, 
 and separated from it by the public roails, iil'lording to them a 
 ready access, either of which i)ossibly may meet Dr. Fleming's 
 views ; the first, tinteil yellow, containing two acres and thirty-six 
 perciies, has been fenced and cultivated by the successive com- 
 mandants of the garrison ; the last, tinted i)bie, containing about 
 four and oue-JKilf acres, is uncultivated, antl. if I may be allowed 
 to ofl'er an oi)iiiion, is well atlapted for the site of the church, etc., 
 which Dr. Fleuiing proposes to erect. 
 
 I have, etc., 
 
 (Signed) A. WALKER, 
 
 Cupt. n. E. 
 
 [No. 12. Plan of Ordnance ground which accompanied Colonel 
 Walker's report.] 
 
 [No. 13. Plan of the ground applied for by Dr. Fleming.] 
 
 [No. 14.] 
 32 Craven Street, March 7th, 18.18. 
 My Lord, — Having been absent from England, I had not the 
 honor to receive your Lordship's letters of Feb. !)th and March 
 2r)th until the month of -Tune. You were good enoiigii to enclose 
 a letter, dated March 8th, from the .Secretary of the Ordnance, 
 " conveying the decision of the Master General and lioard of 
 Ordnance on my application for certain lautls in the vicinity of 
 Fort Townshend, in Newfoundland, together with Lieut. -Col. 
 Walker's report." Permit me, in reply to these communications, 
 respectfully to observe : — 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 417 
 
 Fimt. Tliat I liud had tlm honor to transinit to (lovcnimciit ii> 
 the aiituinii of 1H;M a nicinorial i)i'ayiii.i? for a grant of a ccrtiiiii 
 pk'co of hind to (ho eastward of Fort TownHhcnd, lu'inj; that por- 
 tion of groiMid tlicn occupied by tlie Hoard of Ordnance wliicii la}' 
 nearest to the town of St. .lolni's, and hein<; llie only portion 
 thereof wiiich presented a frontai^e snilahle to tiie purposes for 
 whicli it was asived, viz., the erection of a Catiiolic; clmreh for a 
 congren'atioii of upwards of twelve tiiousand peoph;, a residence 
 for tiie cli'i'jiy, and snlll<'ient parochial ciiarity schools, the rear 
 to be laid ont as a hnrial-nroinid. 
 
 To this Mieinorial tli«( snbstance of yonr ]i()r(lshii)'s rei)ly, dated 
 19th Aiignst, 1 «;>."), was eonimnnicated to ine by His Kxc-ellcncy 
 the (Jovcrnor, whereby I learned tliut until "'the deliniitation of 
 milit:iry works shonld be liiially settled, it was imp()ssil)le to enter- 
 tain an a|)plicati()M for a grant of land reserved for military pur- 
 poses." 
 
 Si'coikJI'/. a short time after the receipt of (his intimation, T 
 learned that tht^ arrangements reiitmling "military worivs " had 
 been completed (see Appendix No. 1). I addressed a letter 
 through the Governor (No. 2) to your Lordship, dated .lune 21st, 
 lS.'5(j (No. .")), renewing my memorial, because I (hen understood 
 that Fort Townshend had been condemned as a military i)ost, and 
 on my arrival in London in August following, by letter to Sir 
 George Grey, of date loth August (No. 1), re[)eated that renewal 
 again, distinctly specifying tlie particular piece of land I was 
 seeking. 
 
 The ground laid down for deferring the consideration of my 
 memorial, viz., the necessity of lirst satisfying the Board of 
 Ordnance that the grant of that piece of laud would not inteifere 
 with the arrangements rendered necessary for (lie military works 
 of tluit coinitry, formed (he subject of Sir CJeorge (Jrey's reply of 
 the 17th of the same month (No. o), and on the 31st Mr. 
 Steiihen's letter (No. G) reiterates i(, if jjossible, more strongly, 
 stating that the Hoard of Ordnance, until (hey had finificr \i\- 
 fornuition from Newfoundland, were '* unable (o decide whether 
 the land f>r vhich. yon have applied could, without detriment to 
 the public service, be ai>i)ropriated to the purposes eontenii)lated 
 by you." 
 
 Jn this manner, my Lord, during the years l-So") and 183G, all 
 the communications from your Lordship, Sir George Grey, Mr. 
 Stephen, and Capt. I'rescott, led me to consider that the only 
 
418 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 obstncle standing in the way of the Catliolie people of Newfonn-'l- 
 liiiid on this ootasion was fonndcd on tlie contingency wlictiu'r or 
 not Fort Townshend slionld continne a military station. Such was 
 the only ground of objection adverted to by 3'our Lordship in your 
 despatch to Governor Prescott in IH',]') ; such was the only objec- 
 tion mooted by Sir George Grey and ]\Ir. Stephen, and 1 naturally 
 expected that if the Hoard should at any time decide that tiiis 
 piece of land was not wanted for " military purposes," no new 
 ground of ol)jection could arise. 
 
 ThinVij. My Lord, the letter last alluded to of Sir George 
 Grey (Aug. 31st, 1836) coulil leave no doubt on my mind tiiat my 
 application must be successful, founded as it was upon strict 
 justice. I was aware that Fort Townshend had been comlenmed 
 as a military station, and as this letter acquainted me that the 
 Colonial Odlce needed more information tiian the}' had had in the 
 original report of the Ordnance officers, of which report I have not 
 been honored with a copy, and that tiie Governor had been com- 
 municated with on the subject, notwithstanding that tlio delay 
 sniijected me to great personal inconveniei: c, notwithstanding 
 that it must necessarily induce the abandonment of my poor but 
 numerous congregation for the entire winter, I detei'mined to await 
 the result in patience. 
 
 Fimrllihj. Li January, 1837, at length I once more respectfully 
 called your Lordship's attention to my claim, convinced that, after 
 a lapse of live months since the da';e of your Lordship's last com- 
 munication, the requisite information must have been iiad ; but I 
 own my astonishment was great to .indliy Sir George (Jrey's reply, 
 Jan. 27, 1837 (No. 7), nearly tii ee years from the date of my 
 first ai)plication, that before Ihc Board of Ordnance could now 
 report, a new reference nnist be made to the authorities in New- 
 foundland for a comprehensive rei)ort <jn all the puiilic buildings 
 which it was proi)osed to erect on the Ordnance lands. 
 
 FifJibj. 'Jiuis, my Lord, a new and most nnexpected dela^' was 
 created to any decision in favor of acconnnodation for religious 
 worship and for the education of at least tln'ee-l'ourtiis of Her 
 Majesty's faithful subjects, the inhal)itants of tiie town of St. 
 John's. These most important and interesting objects were to be 
 postponed nntil the discretion of the local antiiorities .should bo 
 satisfied upon matters of certainly trivial comparative value, — local 
 authorities, too, of whom I may be permitted to say, I had reason 
 to know I could not expect from thera the same iujparlial con- 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 419 
 
 siileration wlilcli I was sure I slioiild meet from your Lordship. It 
 was then fore that I felt the greatest satisfaction at the honor of 
 receiving the coininiinications of the 9tl) February and 25th of 
 March, 1837 (Nos. 8 and «). 
 
 Sixthly. Tlie letter of the 9th February closes in these words : 
 " Lord Glenelg did not feel at liberty to come to a decision on 
 your application without the further information required by the 
 Master General and Hoard of Ordnance respecting the effect which 
 the building to be erected near Fort Townshend would have on 
 that post an a miUtary station." 
 
 The perusal of tiiis letter, my Lord, I confess proved to me a 
 source of great gratification, because it convinced me that, in the 
 consideration of my claim upon the Government, and of the 
 Catholic inhabitants of Newfoundland, the bickerings of party in 
 that country, and the veiled slantlers of the enemies of every- 
 thing liberal and charitable, the stumbling-blocks in the way of 
 the imi)rovemeut of the country, would be totally disregarded ; 
 and your Lordship's letter of March 2oth (No. !)) served still 
 further to convince me that you had determined that your adminis- 
 tration of tiie Colonial Department should be distinguished by the 
 first act of kindness, the first favor, ever bestowed upon the 
 Catholics of Newfoundland by the British Government. 
 
 It was impossible I could entertain aiiv doubt on the subject when 
 I found that the letter of the 25th of March concluded with these 
 emi)hatic words, which I res[)ectfully l)eg leave to copy : " Lord 
 Glenelg desires me to state that, in conformity with the decision of 
 the Master General and Board of Ordnance, the Governor of New- 
 foundland will be instructed to grant to you so much of the land in 
 question as may be necessary for the ecclesiastical buildings which 
 it is your intention U> erect." 
 
 I, of course, communicated the gratifying intelligence to my 
 flock, of the paternal protection they were sure to experience from 
 Her Majesty's Government, as evinced by this most consolatory 
 though somewhat tardy concession, and I immediately hastened to 
 Newfoundland to make the necessary arrangements for erecting, 
 as rapidly as possible, buildings so all-important to the Catholics 
 of Newioundhuid. 
 
 I waited on the Governor shortly after my arrival. I called liia 
 attention to this subject, or rather, indeed, His Excellency even 
 anticipated me. He observed that I must choose either a piece of 
 ground denominated the " Commandant's field," or an unenclosed 
 
■WN 
 
 mmm 
 
 420 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 piece to tlie north of the fort. I remonstrated, I explained, I 
 pointed out tliat tiie Commandant's field was at a great distance 
 from the town, that it was cut off tovvnward, by private property, 
 from every possible approacli, and that if in other respects de- 
 sirable, it was quite insulllcicnt in point of extent, inaccessible in 
 winter, and inconvenient from its shape, being an irregular quad- 
 rangle, having two of its angles extremely acute. He then poi ted 
 to the piece of unenclosed land before mentioned ; but I made His 
 Excellency admit that this place was unfit, from its remoteness and 
 its marshy character, and that otherwise, both in its distance from 
 the town, its backwardness, and utter ineligibilit\-, as a site for 
 public buildings. 
 
 I showed him that when I undertook to build churches I made 
 t'";se churches in every harbor arise in such beauty as to attract 
 the eye of every visitor, and even to invite His Excellency iiim- 
 self minutely to examine their structure ; and that as the contem- 
 plated edifices were to be constructed of durable materials, I was 
 determined they should not derogate from tiiat character, for the 
 promotion of the improvement and embellishment of the country 
 acquired by the Catholic priesthood of the Island through the 
 means of personal sacrifices unexampled. 
 
 My Lord, the Secretary of the Colony was present during this 
 conversation, and both he and the (lovernor at length concurred 
 with me that both places mentioned were perfectly unfit for the 
 purpose of raising edifices that ought to be accessible to the public 
 at all times and seasons, as well to the child as to the graiulsire. 
 In fact, that they wore two {)laces upon which no private gentle- 
 man would engage to expend in building the sum of ou' hundred 
 pounds. And finally, my Lord, before I withdrew, k' ,,i did the 
 Governor appear to coincide with me that he assured me if I put 
 my objections to these places in writing he would transmit them to 
 your Lordship with his recommendation to accede to my prayer 
 for the only piece of Oidnancc ground available for my purpose, 
 viz., that which I originally solicited. 
 
 My Lord, I was not a little surprised, on the nt!xt day, to find 
 the Governor's orderly come to my bouse to request I would 
 again call upon the Governor. I, however, instantly com- 
 plied, when, what was my astonishment, upon Captain Prescott's 
 opening the conversation, at his telling me that he sent for me to 
 say that, on rpjledion, he could not recommend the CJovernment to 
 grant me the ground I asked for ; that 1 must take one or other 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 421 
 
 of the pieces he had before offered, and make an immediate elec- 
 tion. 
 
 Under those circumstances, m}' Lord, it occurred to met o see 
 the matter out, and I said tliat in that case I should make a choice, 
 wiu!U His Excellency at once asked me would I build on the piece 
 I should so choose? I replied that I would not deceive him, that 
 r certainly would not build on cither, but that I would take it that 
 instant, and try to turn it to advantage for the promotion of my 
 undertaking ; but His Excellency ch)sed by insisting, that if he gave 
 a grant of the ground it should contain a proviso (although he ad- 
 mitted it was i)erfectl3' inadequate to the purposes intended, and 
 every way unfit) — a proviso that I should expend thereon such a 
 sum annually on buildings as, in" a given number of years, sliould 
 amount to the sinn of twenty thousand i)()unds ! 
 
 I need not tell your Lordsliip that I declined the acceptance of 
 His Excellency's terms ; I need not say I withdrew upon this 
 declaration, \wv need I mention that hero closed all connnunication 
 with Captain Prescott on the subject ; but, my Lord, these singular 
 circumstances induced me again to refer to your Lordshii)'s letters 
 of Feb. 9, and particularly again to that of March 2"), and I feel 
 that this latter could only be construed as having referc to the 
 ground mentioned in my memorial, again mentioned in my renewal 
 thereof, and all along ke[)t cli'arly in view in all my connnunica- 
 tions to your Lordship, and never departed from in a single instance 
 b}' your Lordship in your replies. 
 
 However, I naturally referred to the letter of the .Secretary to 
 tiie Ordnance before mentioned, conveying the decision of the 
 Board on the subject of my api)lication, and here for the first time 
 I saw that in reality your Lordship may possibly have intended, in 
 your letter of jNLireh 2."), to r"fer to the '• kifid in (incstion" in this 
 single letter of the Secretary to Ihe Ordnance, and not at all to 
 bear reference to tiie "• onhj land'' which had ever l)een " in (jkcs- 
 fion" between your Lordslii[) and inc to that hour. 
 
 In this letter of the Secretary (see No. 10), my Lord, tiijre is a 
 reference to Colonel Walker's report ; autl, certaiidy, a more ex- 
 traordinar}' document I never liefore perused as coming from a 
 Government ollicer, approved of by a body so high and so intelli- 
 gent as the Board of Ordnance, and appearing to bear the sanction 
 of the Colonial Otllce, as this rei)ort of the head of the Engineer 
 Department in Newfoundland. (See No. II.) 
 
 T am to suppose, my Lord, for I liave not been favored witii a 
 
L 
 
 I 
 
 422 
 
 ECCLKSIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 •id 
 
 Hi 
 
 copy of it, Umt the instruction coiniuunicated by Ciiptain Prescott 
 to Col. WalivGi', in the first instance, must liave been not to seek to 
 discover lands the least valuable to the Government, the most 
 worthless to the people ; not to look out for lands the least suitable 
 for the uses intended, the most unfit for the erections required. I 
 am to suppose thnt his instructions were ho mX fide to report, as it 
 is mentioned in Mr. Stephen's letter of August 31, 183(), " ivhether 
 the land for which you have applied could, without detriment to the 
 public service, be appropriated to the purposes contemplated by 
 you," — to report whether, as it is described in Sir George Grey's 
 letter of Feb. 9, 1837, "the ground near F'ort Townshend, /-»• 
 which 1/ou have apjdicd, could be conveniently i):u'ted with." 
 
 Now if, in reality, the instruction of the Governor to IJeut. -Col. 
 "Walker were to make his report on tlie utility for Government pur- 
 poses of the ground I solicited, surely then his report is most 
 extraordinary. I asked for a certain patch of i)erfectly waste 
 land to the east of the fort. He reports upon all the lands to the 
 north, to the south, and to the west, but not one word of the land 
 to the eastward. I asked for particular ground, and it ai)pears 
 that it is the only land in the hands of Government on tiiat 
 side of the town that would iuiswer for the purpose, and he reporls 
 of all other lands except that, — and reports especially of the two 
 patches Avhich are. of the whole lot, the most unfit for the purposes 
 for wliich it is re([uired. In fact, there is not the most distant alhi- 
 sion to the ground he is asked to re[)ort on, while he says every- 
 thing about lands of which no (piestion was offered, but modestly 
 closes by constituting himself the very best judge of what would 
 be most suitable for the Catholic congregation of St. John's as a 
 site for the erection of a church, schools, etc., and sele(!ts ground 
 for <iie purpose of the acconnnodation of infant children to which 
 their fathers could scarce reaeii during seven UKJUths of the year, 
 and these, too, in the onlj' season at which the schools are full. 
 
 True, my Lord, I also spoke in my memorial of tlie cidtivated 
 lands to the south-east of the fort, tliat is, l)etween the fort and 
 the town, which were formerly cultivated by the military, and 
 left it optional with tlie Government to choose that or the waste 
 piece adverted to so often before ; and Captain, now Col. Walker 
 does not omit to make mention of a portion of the cultivated 
 ground in his report, but it appears to be mentioned only because 
 there appear some plausible pretexts connected with it, on which 
 to ground a reconunendation to refuse it to the people. His report 
 
 t( 
 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 423 
 
 states that this ground was, *•' at much hibor and expense, fenced 
 and brought into cultivation, as gardens, l)y the men of tlie Royal 
 Veteran Companies. Tiie want of tliese gardens would be felt by 
 the men as a very serious privation, besides the loss of the interest 
 and occupation whicii the cultivation of the ground affords, and 
 which tends so greatly to their good conduct." 
 
 Tiiese latter observations, ni}' Lord, would appear to throw 
 upon me an imputation of being actuated by feelings of exceed- 
 ing hostility to the gratilication and comfort of the men of the 
 Royal Veteran Conri)anies ; that I must strongly repudiate, for I 
 was always of opinion that ngricultural or horticultural persuils 
 ougiit t') be strenuously promoted amongst liie military, particu- 
 larly at Newfoundland, wliere they have but one station on the 
 whole Island, and where, in that one, tlie duties are so exceedingly 
 light as to leave uuich leisure to the soldiers, which I think of the 
 utmost importance, in a moral point of view, to 1111 up ity some 
 recrt'ative occupation ; and I assure you, that 1 never saw tiie 
 soldiers engaged in their gardens without being filled with senti- 
 ments truly ])leasiug. 
 
 liut my memorial, your Lordship will rememl)er, was preferred 
 in is;')-!, renewed in 18;;r», and at tliat time tiie \'eterans lunl been 
 deprived of these gardens by order of tiie tlien liead of tiie 
 Engineer Dei)artuieut, iiud it was during tlie time they were so 
 unoccuiiied tliat I looked for their ai)propriatioii to the purposes 
 of tlie Catliolics of St. .John's, for a cliurch, poor schools, a resi- 
 dence for tlie clergy, as also for a cemetery. Nay, 1 have every 
 reason to believe tliat, even at the period at which Col. Walker's 
 report bears date, tliat even tiieu tliese grounds were not ajipnj- 
 priated to the uses of the Veterans, and 1 even doubt if tliey have 
 been up to this hour, whereas the withdrawal of the troops to 
 Signal Hill, a great distance from the fort, must, of course, 
 show that the gallant Colonel's oiijection is given on mere spec- 
 ulation. 
 
 My Lord, I have now undertaken a perilous wintry voviige 
 across the Atlantic, being my second voyage to London for tlu' 
 puriiose of urging theclaimsof tlie Catholicsof that ill-used country, 
 — and for wliat? for a patch of ground that by the report, tlie 
 tardy, long-delayed, and reluctant report, of the Uoard of Ord- 
 nance, is tleclared unnecessary- for not only the " military," but 
 for all jmrposes of the Government. 
 
 This report, my Lord, must be so construed, for it is conse- 
 
KP 
 
 .:| 
 
 424 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 
 
 t '?! 
 
 quoiit not only upon tlie " niilitjvry " report of the Officer of 
 En<j;ineers at St. John's, Juit also on the civil report of the Gov- 
 ernor ; and yet this piece of groniul, thus proved of so little value 
 as not to be esteemed by Col. Walker as worthy of notice in his 
 report, even though he is asked especially to report upon it, is still 
 withheld from Iler ^Majesty's faithful Catholic subjects. 
 
 There is one circumstance, however, connected with this part of 
 the subject, which, though trivial in itself, I must not omit to 
 notice to your Lordshii), and I only do so because it has excited 
 great astonishment among the people of St. .John's, and because 
 it aiipears to me as extremely difficult, from its coincidence 
 with other concurrent circumstances, to admit of a satisfactory 
 explanation. 
 
 If your Lordsliip would take the trouble to refer •(, my memorial, 
 or to my letter of renewal, you would at once perceive that I not 
 only mention that the groimd I ask for is situated to the east of 
 the fort, but that also I described it as that piece of ground on 
 which the " old wood-yard " of the garrison stood. No sooner 
 had the report of Col. Walker been transmitted, referring, as I 
 before had remarked, only to the land lying west, north, and south 
 of the fort, than orders were given, and quickly execuicd too, to 
 transfer the wooden walls of the " old Avood-yard," which, for 
 time iunnemorial, stood on the eastern side of the road which leads 
 into the country north-eastward of the fort, to the side opposite, 
 so that now the " site of the wood-yard" would be as objection- 
 able a place as any. 
 
 1 have already mentioned the conversations I had had on two 
 consecutive days last autunm with Governor Prescott on this 
 subject, his agreeing with me on one day and promising to use 
 his inlluence with your Lordshi[) in favor of my api)lication for 
 that particular si)ot which formed the subject of my memorial ; 
 his, on the next day, withdrawing from his promised support, and 
 insisting on my taking land that would not answer the purjjose for 
 which I wanted ground, and which unfitness he at the same 
 moment admitted ; lait I regret much that, instead of the ordinary 
 courtesy of a written answer, he gave no other than a verb:il reply. 
 
 My Lord, I had alrea.^y been compelled to spend upon this 
 subject more money than would three times purchase the fee- 
 simple of the entire place, and 1 entered upon that expenditure 
 well knowing that the ground 1 asked for was intrinsically value- 
 less as compared with the expenditure I nuist incur; but, my 
 
1 
 
 OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 425 
 
 % 
 
 Lord, I have been actuated by higlier than pecuniary motives, — 
 I have ever been solicitous tliat the Catliolics of that country 
 sliould at Icngtii be led to consider tliemselves as not under a 
 political ban ; tliat tiiey should not regard themselves as political 
 parias, cut oif from all connection with the Government of their 
 country, excluded from the participation of the protective powers 
 of that Government ; that they siiould cease to esteem themselves 
 only in the relation of sufferers under severe task-masters, and 
 not subjects of a benelicent moiiarcii ; in (ine, that, excluded as 
 they have been, and still studiously are, from every otlice of honor 
 or emolument in that country, excluded as they universully are 
 from the slightest countenance or consideration from tlie local 
 Government, they shoidd at length be made to feel, by the ex- 
 tension to them of some mark of favor or kindness, that in the 
 Government of England there were individuals ruling over their 
 destinies who, sccjrning to be swayed by motives of bigotry or 
 prejudice, entertained for tiiem tliose feelings wiiich become the 
 great and enlightened statesman. 
 
 My Lord, I have proved the sincerity of my profession by the 
 great sacrifices I have made of my own personal comforts, of my 
 health and my income to promote tlie interests and huppinenH of 
 tliat class of Iler ^Majesty's subjects in Newfoundland. I liave 
 purchased many sites for public churches in other harbors ; I have 
 purchased sites for public charity schools ; and in the town of St. 
 flolni's alone I have expended ui)wards of fifteen hundred i)ounds 
 towards the support of one school within the last live years for 
 tlie ciiildren of the poor of Newfoundland, without distinction 
 of creed or country, on which the Government never expended a 
 single shilling, and I ask, I'lidei" such circumstances would it, or 
 could it, l)e for a moment exiiected that I could lie induced to run 
 the hazard and subject myself to the annoyance of voyages across 
 the Atlantic which, liy the time of my return to Newfoundland 
 now, will amount to nearly twelve thousand miles, merely tt) save 
 the amount of the iiurciiase of tliis piece of ground? 
 
 I now freeh' leave the matter in your Lordshiii's hands. You 
 have all the information liefore your Lordship which the Engineer 
 and the Ordnance Department and the (iovernor of Newfoundland 
 can convey, and surely your Lordship may tiien estimate the 
 propriety' of granting or withholding, not grounds I have never 
 asked for, but the lands I have been live years soliciting. I trust, 
 therefore, that your Lordship will please take these circumstances 
 
420 
 
 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 
 
 uiider your Lordship's considcriitiou, luul tliat, if your Lordship 
 Ciiii, consistently with your duty to your Soverei<i;n and the true 
 interests of tiie Government, you will bestow u[)on the Ctitholies 
 of that country the piece of ground I have prayed for, or allow 
 them to purchase it at its full value, which, under the circum- 
 stances, will be considered as great a favor as a gift. 
 
 I, however, beg to mention to your Lordship before I close 
 that I have l)een given to understand that as the barracks on 
 Signal Hill are now nearly completed Fort William is about to 
 be abandoned, the soldiers being to be withdrawn to the Hill, and 
 the ground, etc., sold. I mention this, my Lord, to show that 
 here is more ground coming into the hands of Government than 
 which a better sight could not offer for the purposes for which the 
 Governor desires the part I sought. 
 
 Earnestly requesting your Lordship will favor me with as early 
 a reply as shall be consistent with your Lordshi|)'s convenience, 
 I have the honor to remain. 
 Your Lordshii)'8 most obedient, humble servant, 
 
 (Signed) IMICHL. ANTHONY FLEMING. 
 
 lliKllt Hon. L()UI> (il.KNKI.C. 
 
 P.S. — Your Lordship will find annexed to this a copy of the 
 plan of the Ordnance ground which accompanied Col. AValker's 
 report (No. 12), together with a plan of the same ground (No. KJ), 
 exhibiting somewiiat more clearly the ground I prayed for ; annexed 
 to which 1 also send your Lordship a third plan, exhibiting the 
 elevation, whereby your Lcrdshii) may yourself be able to form a 
 tolerable conception of the utter ineligibility of the grounds 
 offered by Mr. Prescott. 
 
 MICHL. ANTHONY FLEMING.