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Delayed Baptism Registrations for Monica & Mary Magdalen Pike


The following is an extract of delayed civil registration return of birth or baptism for Monica Pike of Sound Island, Placentia Bay, currently housed at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland in the All Newfoundland Births collection. This collection consists of a random series of legal documents in the form of affidavits and testimonies attesting to the particulars of birth and/or baptism submitted to the Department of Vital Statistics, mostly as registration requirements for eligibility to receive essential government services and/or relief. In most cases an affidavit was required to be completed by a parent(s) or guardian(s), to confirm under oath, in presence of a notary or justice of the peace, particulars of birth or baptism, which could not be confirmed otherwise through parish registers that were either lost, missing or destroyed. Note that italicization below denotes elements of the text that were underlined in the original document. Submitted by an anonymous researcher.

Certificate of Baptism

This is to certify that Monica Pike
Child of Clara Power 1
And John Pike 2
Was born on the 30th day of October 1900
and Baptized on the 14th day of November 1900
According to the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
by Rev. William White          Church St. Mary's
at Sound Island Placentia Bay Newfoundland
Sponsors: Philip Brown 3
                Martha Hunt 4
as appears from the Baptismal Register of said Church
signed Sept. 2nd 1924         Rev. Francis aCacciola

Source:
Department of Health-Vital Statistics, All Newfoundland Births
PANL
Box 19, R2-G-3, GN 78/11C

Transcriber Notes:

1 In all probability the Clara Power listed here may be related to the E. [Edward] Power, Mat. [Matthew] Power and John Power listed as labourers, residing at Black River, employed in Section 2 of the1851Gisbourne Electric Telegraph survey of the Piper's Hole, P.B.-Long Harbour, F.B. section line (PANL Frederick Gisbourne Journal Manuscript Collection MG 849, Reel 849, page 190). A distant connection with the John Power (Indian boy) listed in the 1850 JHA Poor Relief returns for Carbonear-Harbour Grace is also possible.

2 John Pike (b. 1877 Tickle Harbour, T.B.) listed here, son of Richard Pike (b. 1828 Tickle Harbour, of Geo or Jas.), may be the same John Pike for which the local toponym or place name John Pikes Mash, located near Pike Pond in the Black River Mountains of the Black River-Piper's Hole watershed area, is named. In all probability, these place names are named after the paternal uncle of John Pike noted here, who is listed variously in the KCRC parish records as John Pyke/Pique/Pike. Note that the death record of John Pike above, with a date of death in 1955, recorded in the Whitbourne RC parish registers (unpublished), gives John Pike as the father, and not Richard Pike as expected, which is somewhat anomalous. It is possible that Richard may have been going by the name of John, perhaps taking his middle name Richard as a first name dropping the first name of John, as if deriving from John Richard Pike. Note that Pike Pond and John Pikes Mash are not recorded on local topographic charts or maps for this area, and are preserved only through community oral traditions, thus emphasizing the importance of recording these local non-written toponyms before extinction. Other examples of place names from this area that have not been recorded on registered Geological Survey maps include Frenchman's Pond & Indian Pond, located ENE of Black River in the Black River Mountains, both of which flow into Black River (Mc Maqtewey Sipu) and Culleton's Pond, located near Shoprock [Huskie Outlook], Indian Scrape [Dirty Scrape], WNW of Piper's Hole River.

3 This may not be the same Philip Brown Sr. as listed in the various historical sources, notably the 1868 Geological Survey and 1875 Reid Company Railroad survey of the Piper's Hole-Black River watershed areas, as merchant-trader of the Sound Island (ca. 1850-1875). Note here that there are two Philip Browns listed in an 1862 Petition of Inhabitants of Barren Island, Sound Island, Brewley, Spencer's Cove, Burgeo, & c. (JHA 1862: 512-513). The PANL Vital Statistics Return of Deaths for Placentia Bay gives a date of death for Philip Brown as May 23, 1891 at 78 years of age, and place of birth and death as Sound Island [Source: Register of Deaths, Placentia & St. Mary's Bay, Book 1, LDS microfilm # 2168727, page 59]. Philip Brown Sr. is presumed to the son of Patrick Brown "native of Kilkenny Ireland, died at Sound Island, P.B., on 10th aged 89 years, here 72 years" Apr. 27/80 [1880] [Source: Crosbie, Gert. 1993. Births, Deaths, and Marriages in Newfoundland Newspapers, 1810-1890. Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's. This would give 1791 as a date of birth for Patrick Brown, who presumably migrated to Newfoundland ca. 1808, perhaps first to Placentia, PB and then migrating later (ca. 1808-1813) to Sound Island and Paradise, P.B. areas. It is assumed that Philip Brown may have acquired rights to a family business as a merchant trader from his father Patrick Brown in the Sound Island area sometime around 1845-1850. Brown's Island (formerly Pike Place) may take its name from either Patrick or Philip Brown who acquired (ca. 1859-1865) it through association, friendship and/or intermarriage with the Pike(also Pique, or Pyke) family from that area.

4 This is presumably Martha Helen Pike (b. 1879 Tickle Harbour, T.B.) sister of John Pike.




The following is an extract of delayed civil registration return of birth or baptism for Mary Magdalen Pike of Sound Island, Placentia Bay, born at Sound Island, P.B. on April 25, 1906, currently housed at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland in the All Newfoundland Births collection. This collection consists of a random series of legal documents in the form of affidavits and testimonies attesting to the particulars of birth and/or baptism submitted to the Department of Vital Statistics, mostly as registration requirements for eligibility to receive essential government services and/or relief. In most cases an affidavit was required to be completed by a parent(s) or guardian(s), to confirm under oath, in presence of a notary or justice of the peace, particulars of birth or baptism, which could not be confirmed otherwise through parish registers that were either lost, missing or destroyed. Note that italicization below denotes elements of the text that were underlined in the original document. Transcribed and Contributed by Dwayne Pike

Certificate of Baptism

Mary Magdalen Pike

Form P. H. 141-10M-2-49-Dic

NEWFOUNDLAND           IN THE MATTER of the Registration of a Birth
St. John's                      which was not recorded with the Registrar General
To Wit.

Name of Child            Mary Magdalen Pike       Sex female
in full
Date of Birth             April 25 1906
Place of Birth            Sound Island P.B.       District Placentia Bay
of Child
Name of Father        John X Pike                 Occupation fisherman
in full
Maiden Name of
Mother

I Clara Pike
of Bellevue, T. Bay in the District of Trinity South
Do SOLEMNLY DECLARE as follows:

(1) That I am the mother of the aforesaid
          (relation to child)

Mary Magdalen Pike

(2) That I have provided knowledge of the matter herein set
         forth, and the information herein is true in substance and in fact;
(3) That my knowledge of the fact of the date of such said
         Birth is based on the following Circumstances:

(4) I Attest the following do certify evidence:

AND I MAKE the declaration conscientiously believe
it to be true and knowing that it is of the same           [Page Break]
force and effect as if I made under oath.

DECLARED Before me at Whitbourne
in the District of Trinity South
this 25th day of August 1952
Signed           W. Clarney? CSC
                     Notary, Public Commissioner, etc.
                     Or Justice of the Peace

Clara Pike
                          (signature of declarant)


6413-

SEP-4-1952

                                                                                                                                    488

Note that there is also a letter attached to this affidavit submitted by Clara Power, mother of Mary Magdalen Pike above, addressed to the Redemptorist Priests of Whitbourne, presumably of the same date.

Redemptorist Fathers
St. Alphonsus Monastery +           Whitbourne, Nfld

To whom it may concern

In answer to (3) the only thing that Mrs Pike can
remember is that her husband's mother [Catherine Lynch]
attended her, there was no doctor.
      It would help matters considerably, if
this attached paper could be expedited.
This woman's husband has died suddenly,
with all her troubles there is no money
coming in to her yet.

Very Sincerely
            G. M. Murphy C. S. S. R.

Source:

PANL
Department of Health-Vital Statistics, All Newfoundland Births
Box 25, R2-G-4, GN 78/1/C

Upper Placentia Bay