St. John's Region ~ St. John's District

Old Properties - Early Residents, 1780 - 1781

Some weeks ago we distributed copies of 1794-95 Census of St. John’s.

Since that time we have been re-examining the Colonial records and find in Vol. 9 for the period 1780 to 1783, a large list of residents of St. John’s in 1780 and 1781.

There is also a description of the properties on the "Upper Road," now Duckworth Street, and the "Lower Road," which later became known as the "Lower Part", and is now well-known as Water Street.

These records not only reveal names of early residents of the city, but, by careful examination and a little ingenuity it is possible to make a chart showing the location and extent of some of the old properties.

The records are available at the Archives where they can be viewed by interested persons.

	F. BURNHAM GILL Provincial Archivist
St. John’s December 15, 1971
	By His Excellency Richard EDWARDS By Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Island of Newfoundland. The Commissioners for surveying and
altering the Roads in and about St. John’s and having represented to me by letter of this days date that the following alterations are necessary to be made viz.

UPPER ROAD

The corner of Richard WAY’s flake next to Mother LEDSTONES well, to be cut down and the lower side flake, so as to admit a path of 12 feet wide; GRAVE’s Flake over the path to come down a path to be opened from the West end of Thomas WEBBERS house, to young GREENSLADES in lieu of a former path where WEBBERS house now stands; The path from Nathaniel GILL’S House to the run of water, next Jane CHOCHRANS House to be cleared 12 feet wide, fences and flakes to be moved backward; a slide path of 12 feet wide to be continued as usual, from Jane COCHRANS house to the barrens, and every obstacle removed, Timothy COLLINS fence to be moved back 4 feet; NOWELS flake, and HOLDSWORTHS upper Flake, over the path to be cut down twelve feet wide; and a bridge laid over the run of warer; the path to be continued 12 feet wide to George WILLIAM’s House, and his Flake to ridge over said path cut down; the slide path leading to the Barren, from the East End of George WILLIAMS House to be opened as usual; Henry RADFORD’s garden fence to be moved back; NOBLES upper flakes, upon ships Room; and now occupied by BULLEY, to come down 12 feet wide, the Hill at the back of CANNONS House to be lowered and the hollow filled up; the Bridge also repaired, the cross path leading from Richard WILLS corner to John WESCOTS corner, to be opened 12 feet, being formerly a leech path; SULLIVAN’s Gallery to come down, part of NEWMAN and ROOPES upper flake to come down, and the corner part of WAKEHAMS fence; also upper side of John ALLEN’s house; Robert BROWN’s fence to be moved back four feet; GOP flake over the upper path to come down 12 feet west end of the path, to the new garrison to be opened 12 feet; for the use of His Majesty’s Troops; the Hill at the Court House to be lowered, FORHAMS, MILVENS and THOMAS's fences to be moved back, the Widow BEVIL's Bridge to be mended. KEEN’s hills in the upper paths to be cut down; and the Bridge mended. The Bank adjoining to James GILL’S yard to be cut down within two feet of his fence, and his front steps taken away; the slide paths leading to the Barren, between John CAHILLS house and James HAYS to be opened as usual, twelve feet; OLIVE and GADENS upper Road stone to be moved back to the corner of Benjamin JENKINS Garden fence; OLIVE and GADENS flake and Bridge on the Path to come down 12 feet wide; the slide path leading from Richard DALTON’s corner to the Barrens, to be opened 12 feet, and the fences in front from his corner to the lower corner of SAWYER’s fence, to be upon a line with DAY’s shop and Morgan MURPHY’s new shop; the slide path leading from the West end of the Custom house, to the Barrens, to be opened and cleared of stones 12 feet; the Bridge at the West End of William BURKE’s house to be mended, and his place for collecting dung to be removed. A Bridge to be made over the run of water near Michael MORRIS’ house and the path opened 12 feet; the slide path leading from Morgan MURPHY’s new house, to the Barrens to be opened 12 feet, and the fences in front moved back, upon a line with his lower house and DODD’s gate; the flake bridges over the path opposite Charles DONNING’s house to be taken down, and the bridge near Mother HOWEL’s house made wider.

McCLURES Gallery to be taken down next Spring and removed to the East End of His House his garden fence opposite John PHILLIPS to be moved back, the Corner Post of William BENNITS Gallery to be moved back one foot, the Corner of Andrew BARNET’S Flake to come down; the cross path from Bagwells corner to James GILL’s house to be opened 12 feet; A bridge to be laid over Keen’s lower brook; Wm. AUSTAN’s space to be moved backward; OLIVE and GADENS lower brook stone to be removed to the Corner of Ben JENKINS garden fence, the former of GADENS flake next to KEEN’s Hill to be taken down, and the upper side of the path lowered, the hollow between Mother HESTER and PEAGUM to be filled up; The Hill on the King’s Beach to be cut down on the upper side of the path; Joseph POUNDSFORD’s fence to be moved back three feet; The Bond stone at the lower end of LIVINGSTON’s house to be moved back, and POUNDFORD’s lower flake; the fences on each side of the little bridge, moved back even with the end of the COOK Room, the said little bridge to be raised and made new, the Gallery adjoining to Richard DEN’s house to be taken away, PERRYMAN’s lower flake opposite the Old Kings Wharf, the Hill of Chips to be lowered 12 feet wide, and the hollow filled up, the bridge raised and made new, Kennas Hill at the lower side of said Bridge, to be cut down; Henry HELMES flake and fence to come down even with the end of His House; so as to admit a path of 12 feet, William PADDON, five hutts under his flake, and the flake over the Path to come down 12 feet wide; the widow WELCH’s chimney which runs thro’ the flake, and the flake over it with her whole house to come down, being a very great nuisance; so as to admit a path of 12 feet.

John MARTIN’s pileing place, and the gallery adjoining to Maurice EDWARDS Mother’s house, to come down being over the path; Jeffery JUDDS’ flake, John DAVIS’s flake and steps and LOCKINGS and FARLEY’s flakes, over the path to come down 12 feet wide, William PENNY’s flake over the path to come down, if he will not build a bridge in the usual place for the Path; from PENYS’ Room to the Rock at the lower side of the STUDY’s Room, to be cleared 12 feet wide and the flake over the path cut down, the Road between BULLEYs Ground and WHITES Ground, at the back of the old Garrison, to be opened as usual 12 feet wide, and continued to Quiddy Viddy Hills, and Pond, for the benefit of cattle; William BURKE and Dominick KING appointed as overseen of the Labourers, for the lower District, and Garret QUIGLEY and Thomas WAKEHAM, for the upper District.

The following utensils will be wanted, for repairing the Road; to be delivered to the Overseers; they warranting their return.

The road from McCLURES House to GOP’s Cook Room, to be made twelve feet wide, where houses will admit a new Road to be made on the South side of KEEF’s House, and a bridge laid over the run of water upon line to the corner of BULLEY’s new stage; the road to be continued 12 feet wide to the hollow between RADFORD’s Room and FRENCHES, where a bridge is wanted, and the hill above it reduced, RADFORD’s flake on the upper side to be cut down two feet back, a bridge wanted between FRENCH and HOLDSWORTHS plantations, and the hill above it cut down, with the corner of the garden fence from HOLDSWORTH’s Hill, to the Lady’s Room the path made wider, and a bridge laid over the run of water, the Bridge on Captain R. HUTCHING’s plantation to be made wider, and the upper side of the path lowered, the hollow filled up four feet of HUTCHING’s flake to come down, and the Hill on the upper side lowered to the ship’s room next to GRAVES room Richard WAYS Shed to come down; George HUTCHING’s flake and Garden fence also; and the Bridge between GERARD and NEWMAN & Co. to be made new and wider than before; William MULLOY’s Gallery to be taken down, WAKEHAM’S Hill and flake 12 feet wide; to be taken down and the Hollow filled up. His Excellency the Governor to continue the Road from Wakehams hill to the Hospital and make bridges where they are necessary.

And that the following rates are necessary to be made in order to accomplish the same. Viz.

I do hereby authorize and direct you the said Commissioners, to make the said alterations and regulations as soon as possible and to cause the Inhabitants to furnish labourers for that purpose agreeable to the aforegoing rates. 

And I do further authorize you to nominate and appoint surveyors to superintend and see the same completely executed, For which this shall be your sufficient warrant.

                                                                                        By virtue of His Majesty’s Commission made letters patent bearing date at Westminister the first day of April in the nineteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign. Lord George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth, whereby is given and granted unto me, full power and authority to constitute and appoint, Judges and in case requisite, commissioners of Dyer and Terminer, for the hearing and determining all Criminal (Treason only excepted) according to Law and Justice and proceed to sentence on acquited as the case shall require, I do thereby constitute you Edward LANGMAN, Clerk; Nicholas GILL, Thomas DODD, Wm. BULLEY, William GADEN, John LIVINGSTONE and Wm. THOMAS Esquires Commissioners, with full power and authority to hear and determine all criminal causes (Treason only excepted) according to Law and Justice, and proceed to sentence or acquitance as the case shall require and I do further appoint you Edward LANGMAN, Clerk; Nicholas GILL, Thomas DODD, Robert BULLE, Wm. GADEN, John LIVINGSTONE and Wm. THOMAS Esquires to be Commissioners or any five or more of you in which you the Reverend Edward LANGMAN and Nicholas GILL shall be included and to make a report to me of all your proceedings had and done, in the causes which shall be brought before you, or any of you which shall be nominated, authorized and appointed as aforesaid. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at St. John’s in the Island of Newfoundland, this second day of September one thousand, seven hundred and eighty and in the Twentiety year of His Majesty’s Reign.

By Command of the Governor

                                                                R. EDWARDS