(Transcribed from the original which appeared in the Courier)
The Courier is pleased to publish a series of articles on local history in order to keep readers informed of the diverse and important undertakings of the Charlotte County Historical Society.
Any persons wishing to donate funds, artifacts or support the society and the museum [former Murchie House in Milltown Heights] in any way, are asked to contact Bob Shreve in St. Stephen, George Smith in Pomeroy Ridge, Rose Haughn in St. Andrews or any other society member.
History of Beaver Harbour and Some of the First Families
Compiled by Mrs. A.W. Hawkins
Presented March, 1967
To get a clear understanding of the history of Beaver Harbour, also called Penn's Field Colony, Pennfield Colony and Bellevu (or Belleview), one should go back to earlier days and find why and how people came to settle there.
During the Monmouth Rebellion in England, there was a group called the Society of Friends of Quakers, who refused to take up arms against Catholic King James II and for this they were branded as rebels and many were thrown into prison and suffered great persecution. This led to many of them leaving England and coming to the colony of Pennsylvania.
Years later, for almost the same reason 'Loyalist' descendents of these same people were leaving Pennsylvania and migrating to Canada because they would not swear allegiance to the United States of America against England. In 1783 one group under the leadership of Joshua Knight made arrangements to go to the colony of Nova Scotia of which New Brunswick was then a part.
Early in 1773 Joshua Knight had sought British protection in New York and he and many of his followers went there. Joshua was a man of prominence from Arlington, Penn. He was descended from Elizabeth Shorter, wife of John Rush, Sr., captain of the horse under Cromwell.
In June 1783 a group of people met at Joshua's New York home and a month later the following advertisement appeared:
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given to those of the people called Quakers who have entered into an agreement to settle together in Nova Scotia that they are requested to meet at the house of Joshua Knight No. 30 Chatham Street a little above the Sea Water Pump on the seventh day next of the 5th of July at four o'clock in the afternoon in order to conclude upon some matters of importance to them and those who mean to join the above mentioned body.
They are requested to call No. 188 Water Street between the Coffee House Bridge and the Fly Market and have their names entered as soon as possible. No slave master admitted.
It is interesting to note that the Quakers were antagonists of slavery 80 years before Lincoln's emancipation proclamation.
Forty‑nine names were signed to this agreement.
The Settlement
The place chosen for settlement through John Parr of Halifax and Governor Carleton was Beaver Harbour or Bellevu. The settlers were brought to Saint John, N.B., by ship under convoy. One ship was the Camel, 293 tons, Capt. William Tinker, and arrived 18 September, 1783. A list of the people she carried includes James Reed, Pilot, wife and two children; 30 children over the age of 10 years found as super numeraries for victuals and victualles at two‑thirds of all provisions (spirits except) by order of Rear Admiral Digby; also Loyalists and refugees, consisting of 104 men, 50 women, 20 servants as well as 47 children who received half rations.
Nearly all the passengers of the Camel belonged to two special companies of Quakers and Anabaptists. They were immediately sent down the shore by ship to Beaver Harbour where they settled what was to have been a large town by the name of Bellevu. They suffered many hardships during the first winter.
One hundred and forty‑nine lots were laid out as first grants, and these were soon followed, by 950 more. There were 15 streets and 800 residents when the town was incorporated June 4th, 1785. Three agents were appointed, Samuel Fairlamb, John Rankin and George Brown.
Original Grantees of Beaver Harbour town plots: John Rankin, Isaac Woodward, Peter Walton, Samuel Fairlamb, Samuel Stilwell, Daniel Registar, John Knight, Nimrod Woodward, Thomas Buckley Sr., Joshua Knight Sr., Caleb Paul, Caleb Paul, Jesse Lawrence, Elias Wright Sr., Moses Foulk, Benjamin Brown, Joshua Knight, John Gill, John Horner, John Horner, John Dennis, John Loufbourron, William Holmes, John Harris, Joseph Harris, Joseph Parker, John Horner, Elias Wright, Joshua Knight.. John Horner, Elias Wright Sr., Elias Wright, Abraham Woodward, Jeremiah Fills, Richard Mead, Anthony Woodward, Jacob Buffington, Freeman Smith, John Strickland, Joseph Tomlinson, George Bennison, Jesse Woodward, Richard Matthews, Amos Strickland, Samuel Woodward.
0nly two families are now living their original grants, J.L. Wright (a direct descendent of Elias Wright, Loyalist) and Alvah Eldridge(a direct descendent of William Eldridge, Loyalist).
Early Records
Among the records of the Pennfield Colony we find the following which is taken from pages of record books found in an old trunk at Pennfield but since believed destroyed.
‘Agreed by the said Company that they do meet on the seventh day of the week and the 16th of the seventh month to build a meetinghouse.'
This house was to be used by Quakers. In 1875 record shows that land was cleared for a burying ground. This land is now the property of the Baptist Church, Beaver Harbour. There are no stones to mark it as a burying ground because the Quakers did not believe in markers. Members of the Knight and Cross families are buried there. The last known burial was of Asa Best, son of John and Ann Best, about 75 years ago. This grave was marked until recent years.
The last entry in the old Records, written by an unknown hand, reads
'At a meeting of Friends at the Meeting‑House, Beaver Harbour, for settling the business of the Society on the 10th day 3 m 1789, Jacob Buffington, John Dennis, Daniel Registar and Richard Mead were appointed a committee to examine the accounts and proceedings of the committee who distributed the provisions which were received from friends from England for this place and to report thereon'
Little by little, it became evident they could not make a living here and in 1789 the Affairs of the Association were closed up.
The Great Fire
In 1790 Bellevu was destroyed by a forest fire. Elias Wright's was the only house saved. The meeting house and all records were lost. Elias Wright, Loyalist from New York, Magistrate and grantee of Saint John‑, married (first name not known) Kline. Elias Wright was also a grantee of Bellevu, and died in 1825, age 76, at Beaver Harbour. His son, Elias Wright, 1784‑1854, married Mary Walton, daughter of Jesse Walton. Both are buried in Pennfield Baptist Churchyard.
In 1794 we have the record of a Quaker wedding at Pennfield. Joshua Knight Jr., married Jane Vernon, daughter of Moses Vernon.
Scattering of Settlement
After the fire many of the settlers moved to Pennfield Ridge, Pocologan, New River and Mace's Bay. In fact, Mace's Bay was first settled by five loyalist families from Beaver Harbour. Joshua Knight's dream of a large colony with Bellevu as its city was now crushed. Only a few struggling settlers remained to rebuild the little village of Beaver Harbour.
The following appears in the Winslow papers, 1803.
'Parish of Pennfield, population 54'.
Rebuilding
Gradually more families began moving into Beaver Harbour. They were excellent farmers and lived quite comfortably. There was plenty of land for all as the first settlers had abandoned their grants. The new-comers settled on small farms and fished and farmed for a living. They were Anabaptists and Anglican and a few Quakers. There were two saw mills which cut about 400,000 feet of lumber annually. Two Vessels were built at Beaver Harbour – About 250 tons.
There appears to be a missing section here, but I do not have it.
him of 10 lbs. of sugar, seven pieces of broadcloth, six pieces of cotton and all his wife and children's clothing. They also took Capt. Cross' boat and fishing lines, etc. After loading Capt. Cross' boat and their own with plunder they said they were sorry that they had no more boats to load.
The sturdy men of Charlotte County were not the kind to be overawed and stand idly by while their friends and neighbours were being robbed. A number of them collected and manning three boats went after the buccaneers, put them to rout and drove them ashore.
There is a traditional story that on another occasion, the marauders sailed into the Harbour under cover of darkness and stole nearly all of George Wright's flock of geese. One of the group made a bag with a piece of sail‑cloth put a penny in t e bag for each goose stolen and tied it around the gander's neck with the following note:
Mr. Wright: We bid you goodnight. We stole your geese at a penny apiece and left the pay with the Gander.
This petty plundering was carried on under the plea of legitimate warfare for although these small boats could not in any manner be described as sea‑going vessels yet they all acted under a commission of the President of the United States of America which entitled them to treatment as prisoners of war if captured.
On another occasion an American naval ship, or man‑o‑war as they were then called, fired at the rock in the middle of Beaver Harbour. This rock was called Rams Head by the settlers as it resembled the head of a ram, the cannon balls knocked out' great pieces of the rock so we now have one ram's head minus his horns.
On some early maps, Ram's Head is called Jail Rock. It has also been known as Sailors Rock. This hards back to times when naval ships landed sailors there whom they wished to punish. They were left with little to eat and tied to a ball and chain for such time as their superior officers saw fit to leave them, depending on the nature of their crime which in those day's need be very minor.
There is a traditional story that a man by the name of Antonio escaped and swam ashore. His true last name was not known but is spelled Wadlin today. He was hidden by the people in the ‑ village, lived and married there. Thus began the present Wadlin families of Beaver Harbour.
The Paul Family
Caleb and Jonathan Pal, sons of James Paul of Warminster, Penn., were among the early settlers of Beaver Harbour. They were members of the Horsham Quaker Meeting, Penn. Caleb Paul married Joshua Knight’s sister, Priscilla. He had had the first crown grant to the Eastern Wolves Island (500 acres), 20 acres on the west side of Beaver Harbour and a town lot. Jonathan Paul, a ship builder, owned the land on the east side of the harbour. We have no record of his marriage which took place in Penn. He had several children, Eliza Ann married William Melony of St. Andrews; Jacob married Lydia Thompson of St. Andrews, and Joshua married Elizabeth Stinson of St. Andrews. Jonathan Paul was burned to death in his home in Woodlands.
Yes, they kindly placed me here,
You see the pains they took,
To give to my poor self alone
This quiet little nook.
They were a youthful laughing band
With spirits high and free,
They were united by true friendship
And lived in harmony.
They bade me as their trusty friend
Their names thus safe to keep
That future ones might think of them
As neath the sod they sleep.
The poem was signed by: Mr. Joshua Paul Sr., Mrs. Elizabeth (Stinson) Paul, Thomas Paul, Joshua Paul Jr., Walter Warnock, Julia Ann Paul, Agnes Kennedy, Elizabeth Kennedy (cousins), Harriott Paul, Isadora Margaret Paul, and Emily Euphemia Paul. The poem had been written by Julia Ann Paul one evening while the family was gathered in the old homestead on the Island. The poem was signed by each of the company and placed, with a lock of hair of each, in a bottle which was hidden in the bottom of the kitchen chimney.
Julia Ann Paul was the wife of George Wright of Beaver Harbour. She was the daughter of Joshua Paul and Elizabeth Stinson Paul of St. Andrews. They made their home for many years at Paul's Cove, Wolves Island, Charlotte County, N.B.
Industry and Modem Times
Lewis Holmes of Beaver Harbour was the first person to pack sardines in New Brunswick. At this time Patrick and Lewis Connors became interested in the sardine industry. They took over Lewis Holmes' business, moving it to Black's Harbour in 1882. This was the beginning of Connors Bros. Limited, and the famous 'Brunswick Brand Sardines'. At that time women packed the fish and put the covers on by hand with a metal hand tool called a header.
Today Beaver Harbour is a prosperous community of about 400 citizens. It consists of two general stores, a post office, new breakwater and government wharf, a small restaurant, community hall, Baptist Church, Anglican Church Hall, Connors Bros. No. 4 Sardine Factory, filleting plant and cold storage, new school and many fine homes.
Time & Change in Beaver Harbour
From the days of log cabins, candle light, open fireplaces and brick ovens to the days of electricity, street lights, electric stoves and eating.
From the days when men women were called home to meals by the dinner or supper horn to the days of the shriek of factory whistles, the swish of rubber tires on hard‑surfaced roads, diesel engines in boats bringing the fish into the plants to be processed or perhaps even a jet plane breaking the sound barrier.
From the Days when ladies wore hoop skirts, bustles and Quaker bonnets to the days of shorts and mini-skirts.
From 1783 to 1967, Canada’s centennial, we have come a long way. Who Knows what the future holds? We are proud of the part our forefathers played in building Canada. Proud of our sons and daughters who defended its freedom in two world wars and glad to be alive and be Canadians in Canada’s Centennial Year.