"The Crossing"

 The "Gut"

Stephenville Crossing is situated on a barachois at the bottom of Bay St. George on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland. Over time, a barachois composed of river sediments was formed by the interaction of the discharge of three major rivers and the currents in the bay. The combined discharge of these three major rivers finds it's way into Bay St. George through an opening in the barachois . This opening, located near the south side of the bay, is known as the "Gut".

During the rising tide, salt water from Bay St. George flows through the Gut and inside the barachois . The small body of water inside the barachois is approximately seven miles long by one mile wide and is referred to as "the bottom of the bay". The "Gut" is about 500 feet wide and when the tide goes out, the flow through the opening includes the discharge of Harry's River, Bottom Brook, Southwest Brook, as well as several other smaller streams that flow into the "bottom of the bay". On the rising tide, the salt waters of the bay flow into the bottom of the bay. The level of salinity of the water inside the "Gut" is lower than that of the bay.

The First Nations

The hills surrounding the bay is home to many wild animals and birds. The most common of these would the woodland caribou, which provided food for the Beothucks, who inhabited Newfoundland long before the first Europeans. There are also many fur bearing animals including beaver, fox, otter and muskrat. The Beothucks lived in the interior of the island in winter and spent their summers on the coast. The "Gut" was very likely a favourite summer location.

The Atlantic Salmon have been coming to the rivers on the west coast of Newfoundland for eons. The attraction was likely the fast moving clean water over sand and gravel bottoms. A perfect environment for salmon eggs to grow and hatch into a new generation of salmon. In the springtime, large numbers of salmon navigate the coastline of the bay to find the river where they were born. Other fish, like cod, herring, halibut and eels were also plentiful.

There is little doubt that the abundance fish was the main reason to visit the "Gut". All of the salmon that migrated into the rivers at the bottom of the bay had to past through the 500 foot wide waterway called the "Gut". In other words, the "Gut" was an excellent place to catch salmon. The area in the immediate vicinity of the "Gut" was very sandy with minimal vegetation. Basic forms of vegetation had started and in some cases stunted trees were surviving. The tidal flats inside the "Gut" provided a summer home for large numbers of migratory birds. For the first settlers arriving in Bay St. George, the "Gut" may very well have been the most attractive location to set up residence.

Well before the arrival of the Europeans, the first nations peoples of mainland North America visited Newfoundland. The Mi'kmaq people crossed the hundred miles of water (Cabot Strait) between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to visit Western Newfoundland. According to Dorothy Anger, the area was known to the Mi'kmaq as Nogwa'mkisk, which means "where the sand is blown up by the wind".¹ The Mountagnais crossed the Straits of Bell Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador. Eventually, these peoples would take up permanent residence in areas of the island.

The History

What was happening in other parts of the world played a significant role in the history of Bay St. George. From the early 15th century, Europeans fished the waters of Newfoundland. These fishing vessels sailed from France, Spain and Portugal in the spring and returned to Europe in the fall with their catch.²

The 18th century wars between England and France, sometimes called the colonial wars, were fought primarily over the colonies in North America.

The War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713) ended with the Treaty of Utrecht. By this treaty, France ceded to Great Britain it's claims to Newfoundland and Acadia (parts of present day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). France retained Isle St. Jean (Prince Edward Island) and Isle Royale (Cape Breton Island). An important part of this treaty is referred to as the "French Treaty Shore", which gave the French the right to fish the coast of Newfoundland between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche.

"French Shore 1713-1783.
The Treaty of Utrecht provided that the French could fish in season on the Newfoundland coast between Cape Bonavista and Point Riche.
Map by Tanya Saunders. ©2001 Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site."²   http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/french_shore.html

The War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) was fought for the most part in Europe. The French fortress at Louisbourg, on Isle Royale, was captured by the British in 1745, but was returned to the French at the end of the war. It was the end of this war that marked the beginning of the struggle between England and France for control of the colonies in North America. 

The Seven Years' War (1754-1763) ended French dominance in the new world. France gets the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland. During this war, more than 10,000 Acadians were expelled by the British. In 1764, the Acadians were officially given permission to return to Nova Scotia.

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was also known as the American War of Independence. In 1783, England and France signed the Treaty of Versailles. The Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon remain with France. Significant to Newfoundland were the changes in the "French Shore". The boundaries of the "French Shore" were changed to the coastline between Cape St. John to Cape Ray. France would sent fishing fleets to the "French Shore" until 1904. It is important to note that Bay St. George is now included in the new "French Shore".

In 1783, there is very little documentation of settlement in Bay St. George, although it is believed that there were some "livyers" in the bay at that time.

In the Treaty of Versailles (1783) between Britain and France, the boundaries of the Treaty Shore were changed to Cape St. John and Cape Ray. As a result, the French fishing fleet fished in the bay during most summers.

"French Shore 1783-1904.

Map by Tanya Saunders. ©2001 Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site."²

For most of the 19th century, settlers on the French Shore lived in a constant state of uncertainty. They felt threatened by both the French and the English. The sight of navel vessels in the bay, French or English, caused much fear in the community. The French Fishery on the west coast of Newfoundland ended in 1904.

The  First Livyers

It is not known exactly when the first Europeans settled in Bay St. George, but most researchers agree that it was during the latter part of the eighteenth century. The following is quoted from the Red Island Heritage Website.

"Charles de la Morandiere, working with French naval documents, informs us that in 1821, there were thirteen families at St. George's harbour and five at 'Grand Barachois' (present area of Stephenville Crossing). The officer's report consulted by de la Morandiere tells us further that some forty years earlier, in about 1780, only two families were in the area, one at each location." ³

It would appear that the bracketed (present area of Stephenville Crossing) is an insert and based on the assumption that the "Grand Barachois" is a reference to area at the "Gut". Although St. Georges Harbour is well defined geographically, there is some doubt as to the exact location of the "Grand Barachois". According to de la Monrandiere, there was one family living at the "Grand Barachois" in 1780, with four families joining them by 1821.

The Reverend Michael Brosman wrote;

“About the first part or midd1e of the last century (i.e., 18th century) one Henry L'Official, a Frenchman, arrived in Quebec. After a short sojourn in that Province he became acquainted with a young French-Canadian, whose Christian name was Nannette, this young lady he subsequently married and shortly after, for some reason or other which I cannot understand, sailed down the St. Lawrence in a small craft of his own, taking with him his wife. Making for the Straits of Belle Isle he met with adverse weather and was wrecked and driven ashore some miles north of Bay St. George. At this point he managed to spend the winter somehow and the summer following made his way to Sandy Point, the chief settlement of this same Bay. He settled here among a few Jersey families that were already in possession of the place. Of his union with Nannette there was two daughters and one son. The career of the latter is lost, but one of the daughters it is known to have married in Cape Breton, the other formed an alliance with a Frenchman born on the passage from France, this man's name was Benoit. From this union sprang a long lineage. The name Benoit is common in all parts of Bay St. George: in most cases in the original French spelling and in many instances in the English translation or adaptation Bennett. By intermarriage with their French neighbours or with compatriots of France or Canada their numbers rapidly increased.”  ⁴

According to the Roman Catholic church records of St. Pierre, the marriage of Jean Camus and Marie L'Official was revalidated in 1791. The records also indicate that the couple were first married at Bay St. George on July 20, 1790.

Included in the church records of the "Paroisse de Notre Dame de Quebec", is the revalidation of the marriage of "Jean Rene Camus, native fisherman of St. Pierre, .... and Marie L'Official native of Bay St. George, Island of Newfoundland". The entry is dated September 23, 1799. This documentation also states that Marie L'Official is the daughter of Henri L'Official and Elizabeth Shegone and that the first celebration of their marriage actually took place at Bay St. George on September 23^rd, 1792. Accompanying Jean Rene and Marie were their children; Jean, Jeanne and Elizabeth. They were also accompanied by George Camus, Jean Rene's brother, Marie's sister Anne and her husband Francois Benoit. It would appear that Henri L'Official was a very real character and that indeed he lived at Bay St. George in the the last half of the 18^th century.

It is safe to say that the L'Official family, the Benoit family and a few Jersey families were resident at Bay St. George before 1792.

What is most interesting about the L'Official family is that they travelled quite extensively for the period. First, Henri L'Official immigrates from France to Quebec, where he meets a young Quebec girl and gets married and has two daughters, Anne and Marie. Sometime in the 1780s, for some unknown reason, Henri L'Official and his wife, with their young daughters, head down the St. Lawrence river in a small boat. They end up living in Bay St. George. Then in 1791, they travel, by boat, to St. Pierre off the south coats of Newfoundland, while the church records at Quebec, record a visit to that City in 1799. While one could rationalize a trip to St. Pierre to see a priest, the purpose of a trip to Quebec City was more than likely to visit family. On the trip to Quebec, Henri L'Official and his wife were accompanied by; their daughter Anne and her husband Francois Benoit, their daughter Marie and her husband Jean Rene Camus and Jean Rene's brother George Camus. Also on the trip were Jean, Jeanne and Elizabeth, the daughters of Jean Rene Camus and Marie L'Official.

It is fair to say that for a family living in Bay St. George in the 1790s, such an undertaking was no easy feat.

This information raises a number of questions, with respect to the wife/wives of Henri L'Official. Is Elizabeth Shegone and Nannette the same person or might Elizabeth be another wife of Henri L'Official? According to Brosman, "Of this union with Nannette, there was two daughters and one son". The church records states that Marie L'Official is the daughter Henri L'Official and Elizabeth Shegone. Could Marie be Henri's third daughter.?

In 1808, when the H. M. sloop "Avenger" visited Western Newfoundland, St. George's Bay had 102 inhabitants.

The 1839-40 Census of Bay St. George

In 1839, British surveyor J. B. Jukes visited the western shore of Newfoundland.⁵ Juke's account of his visit to Bay St. George includes the most comprehensive census of the area to date and included the following comments;

In 1839-40, the Joseph Jukes list included 4 families living at the "Gout" or "Le Belier". It is assumed that this place is the "Gut", later to be known as "Main Gut" and "Main River". It should be noted that "Gout" does translate to "Gut", while "Le Belier" is a noun meaning; "Ram; (battering) ram, Aries,". The conclusion that the "Gut" is the same place as the "Main Gut" is based on the names of residents, which is consistent with later records.

From Juke's List of Inhabitants of the Western Shore, 1839-1840;⁵

All four families are listed as "of French decent".

Francois Benoit and Anne L'Official

Interestingly, F. Bennett is 80 years old and has been living at this location for 50 years. Could this F. Bennett be the same Francois Benoit that was resident in the bay in 1792? Gerald Thomas concludes that the F. Bennett, resident at the "Gut" in 1839-40 is the same Francois Benoit that married Anne L'Official at Sandy Point in 1790.⁶ It is important to note that were two other Bennett families living at Sandy Point in 1839-40. The descendants of the Bennett/Benoit families still live at Stephenville Crossing.

F. Bennett is very likely Francois Benoit, husband of Anne L'Official, daughter of Henri L'Official and Elizabeth "Nanette" Chego\Chegeu\Shegone. In 1839-40, Francois Benoit indicated that he had been resident at the "Gut" for 50 years (arriving about 1790), which would suggest that when he was thirty years old he relocated to this place. It is also possible that Anne's parents, Henri L'Official and family also lived at the "Gut" at some point.

Jean Benoit and Judith LeJeune

It is very likely that Jean Benoit, a son of Francois Benoit was residing with his parents at the time of this census. Jean was born about 1804 and was married to Judith LeJeune.

Jean Marie Lucas and Henrietta LeJeune

According the records of the St. George's Mission, a Jean Marie Lucas died on December 7, 1857. It was recorded that Jean Marie Lucas was about 60 years old and was born in France. There is little doubt that this Jean Marie Lucas is the same person listed in Juke's list as J. Lucaw.

Many Descendants of Jean Marie Lucas and Henrietta LeJeune still reside at Stephenville Crossing. It is reasonable to assume that Henriette LeJeune came to Bay St. George from Cape Breton and is a descendant of Germain LeJeune.

  J. Lucaw and J. Paley  arrived at the "Gut" about 1825, while J. Young arrived about 1830, yet de la Morandiere suggests that there were five families living at this location in 1821. We can only assume that someone relocated or passed on.

Jean Pellet and Marie LeJeune

J. Paley indicated that he is 45 years old and that his native place is St. Pierre. He has lived at this place for 15 years, arriving about 1824. According to the records of the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Sandy Point, a Marie LeJeune (b. 1815) died on April 11, 1853. Her husband is listed as Jean Pillet. "Pillet" pronounced with a French accent sounds very much like "Paley". The suggestion is that Jean Pillet is still living in 1853. The parents of Marie LeJeune are listed as Alexis LeJeune. Also included is the record of Jean Pillet's death. He died on October 1, 1863 and his wife is listed as Marie LeJeune. It is reasonable to assume that J. Paley is Jean Pillet.

J. Young

J. Young indicated that he is 38 years old, a native of St. Pierre and has lived at this location for the past 8 years. The records suggest that J. Young was born about 1800 and arrived at this location about 1830.

Some researchers have speculated that this J. Young was James Young of Petit Bras d'Or on Cape Breton Island. At this point, it is important to note that, this same list of inhabitants (1839-40) includes two James Youngs, both living at Sandy Point. Both James Youngs indicate their native place as Cape Breton. It is more than likely that the two James Youngs were father and son. The older James Young being Jacques Christophe LeJeune, born about 1779, who married Catherine Jesseau and moved to Bay St. George in 1826 ( 12 years ago). James and Catherine had a son named James born about 1803 who also moved to Bay St. George.

The fact that the J. Young living at "Le Belier" or the "Gout" indicated his native place as St. Pierre may give some clue as to his identity. The List of Inhabitants in District of Little Bras d'Or for 1818 included a Joseph Young who was born on the island of Miquelon in 1763. Also listed are Joseph's two sons John and Flehaven. Joseph and both his sons list their country as Newfoundland which is a reference to the Island of Miquelon. John Young was born in 1797.

In 1851, when John's son, George Young married Susanne Webb at the St. George's mission, the record included "........George Young, son of John Young and of Catherine Bouthillier of this mission". To date, this is the only suggestion that John Young and his wife Catherine Boutillier may have lived in Bay St. George, but it is valid documentation. If John and Catherine lived in Bay St. George, it would be no surprise if he listed his native place as St. Pierre.

There were six other Young families living in Bay St. George at the time of Juke's visit. They were all resident at Sandy Point and listed their native place as Cape Breton. It is very likely that these Young families were part of the LeJeune families from the Petit Bras d'Or area of Cape Breton.

Did John Young and his brother Flehaven Young relocate to the west coast of Newfoundland in the 1820s? We may never find out for sure. Before the arrival of Father Belanger in 1850, there is very little documentation of the people who lived in Bay St. George. Nonetheless, Forrest's List⁶ of 1858 included a J. Young (Flewen). Also living in Bay St. George at this time is Andre "Flavin" LeJeune. Between 1849 and 1870, Andre "Flavin" Young and his wife Elizabeth raised at least nine children. The family lived in Middle Brook, which, at the time, was known as "Flavin's Gulch".

It is interesting to note that of the four families living at the "Gut" in 1839-40, three of them included a member of the LeJeune family. There is little doubt that the pioneer families of today's Stephenville Crossing include the Benoit, Lucas, Pillet and LeJeune families.

The 1840s

The 1840s brought significant numbers of settlers to Bay St. George, with many of them coming from the Cape Breton area of Nova Scotia. Also contributing the population were the many "deserters" from the French fishing fleet, which fished the "French Shore" during the summer months. These fishermen from France settled primarily near Cape St. George, but mixed quite comfortably with Acadians from Cape Breton.

Sometime, during this period, Andre Alexander arrived at the Main Gut. Andre was born in Cape Breton and was married to Sophie LeJeune. Although, it is difficult to ascertain the the date of their union, it was likely before the census of 1839-40 and consequently before their arrival at Main Gut. The LeJeune connection likely played a part in their decision to reside at Main Gut.

Andre Alexander died at the age of 45 years on 29 November 1857. Andre's wife, Sophie LeJeune died at Mattis Point on 30 November 1915 at the age of 105 years. Interestingly, Andre's father, Jean Marie Alexander of Petit bra d'Or was also married to a LeJeune girl (Julie Marie).

It was during this period that March family, also with the Petit bras d'Or connection, arrived in Bay St. George. The Marche family also had many connections with the LeJeune/Young family of Petit bras d'Or. The "1818 List of Inhabitants of Petit bras d'Or" includes a Jean Joseph Marsh. Jean was born in France and came to Cape Breton via St. Pierre and Miquelon. Several of Jean's sons and daughters would find their way to Bay St. George.

Jean Joseph Marche had a son John Joseph who married a sister of Catherine Boutilier, the wife of Jean LeJeune, who could very well have been the J. Young living at the Gut in 1839.

Francois Marche, also a son of Jean Joseph, married Charlotte LeJeune, while another son John Marche married a Marie Martha LeJeune and lived on Isle Rouge for a while. A daughter, Ursule married Benjamin LeJeune.

The 1850s

On the 7th of September, 1850, the Rev. Father Alexis Belanger, the first resident priest assigned to the west coast of Newfoundland, arrived at Sandy Point. By this time, Sandy Point was the most significant community on the West Coast of Newfoundland. The need for a priest in the bay becomes evident when you review the records of the Church of the Immaculate Conception which were maintained by Father Belanger. The first marriage recorded on September 20th, 1850 was that of the daughter of Jean Alexander and Julie LeJeune, Sophie, who married Eustache Batari of Grandville, France. Many couples who had been married by a lay person in the community, were re-validating their unions.

During the 1850's, the following families lived in the vicinity of Main Gut;

Forrest's List - 1858

The 1850's were not the easiest of times for the residents of Bay St. George. In October of1858, Henry H. Forrest, a Sandy Point merchant, made an appeal to the government of Newfoundland for relief for the distressed people of the St. George's area. At the time, the Treaty Shore was patrolled by both English and French warships, both competing for control over the territory. The French had recently proclaimed their right to the fishery on the coast, which threatened the livelihood of all residents. Forrest's list of destitute families included four hundred and forty four persons. Included in the list were the residents at Main Gut. Based on the Juke's List of Inhabitants of the Western Shore, 1839-1840, I believe that some of these families can be identified.

The 1860s, 1870s and 1880s

Documentation from this period is limited with the exception of the Immaculate Conception RC church records at Sandy Point.

Lovell's Directory - 1871

The "Gut", "Main Gut" or "Main River" are not listed in the Lovell's Directory for 1871. It would appear that some of the residents at this location show up in the listing for other communities in the bay. Included in the listing for Indian Head are an Alexander Luckoo and a John Luckoo, which are very likely Alexander Lucas and John Lucas, mis-spelled. In the French pronunciation of Lucas, the "s" is silent. The list also includes a John Alexander and several fisherman with the name Benoit.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, many new family names showed up in the area known today as Stephenville Crossing. The following events are documented in the Sandy Point Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church Records;

The 1890s

Although, telegraph services in Newfoundland began on the east side of Newfoundland in the early 1850s, the lines were not completed into the Bay St. George area until 1876. By this time surveys for a railway across the Island of Newfoundland were well underway. Early in the process, St. Georges Harbour was being proposed as the western terminus of the railway. The fact that Bay St. George was located on the French Shore caused some concern for the British Government and eventually, these plans would change and Port Aux Basques would become the western terminus of the Newfoundland Railway. St. Georges would become a important stop. It is important to note that at this point in Newfoundland's history, St. George's harbour was the most significant community on the island's West Coast.

McAlpine's Directory - 1894-95

The 1890s would bring unprecedented change the people living at the "Main River". In 1894-95, McAlpine listed 38 fisherman  living at Main River. By this time, railway surveyors had already been working in the area. It is very likely that most, if not all the residents were very much aware that the railway was coming.

"The Coming of the Railway"

The Reid Newfoundland Company signed a contract to build and equip the section of railway between the Exploits River and Port Aux Basques in May of 1893. In 1896, the railway came to "Main River". Many of the residents were hired by the Reid Company. For most, if not all, this was their first job.  Up until now, the people living on this shore were fisherman, who depended on the their catch to feed their their families. In addition to laying tracks, the "Gut" would need to be bridged.

The first bridge had a drawbridge on the east side of the river, to allow the passage of vessels into the inner bay.

Since the lift facility was seldom used, the lift service was discontinued and following ice damage in 1898, the lift bridge was replaced with a permanent structure.

The Gut Bridge as it looks today.

By the end of the nineteenth century and after the completion of the railway, the residents of the Main River area were no longer confined to living in the immediate area of the "Gut".

McAlpine's Directory for 1898 included a Victor Young living in Seal cove and 38 families living at Main River.

McAlpine's directory for 1904 included 4 fisherman living at Seal Cove, the Prairie listed 2 Benoit families, 1 Hawkins family and  4 Lucas families and while Main River has a listing of 24 families. It is most likely that a large number of the families listed for Main River actually were living at various locations, including Matt's Point. The new railway station was built in the vicinity of the Prairie.

On an old map of Newfoundland, likely published around 1900, the location of the new railway station was called "Benoit". Interestingly, several Benoit families lived the immediate vicinity of the new Railway Station. It would appear that the name "Benoit" was short lived. Within a very short period the location of the railway station was appropriately renamed to Stephenville Crossing.

The 1911 census was the first detailed census of the area and included the following place names;

According to the 1911 census, there were 341 people living in the Stephenville Crossing area. People were migrating to Stephenville Crossing from around Bay St. George and other parts of the west coast.

Harry's Brook aka "Up the Brook"

Giles Corneau and his family relocated from the Codroy Valley to Harry's Brook. The Bishop family arrived in Harry's Brook from Bay Roberts.

(to be continued)

¹ 1988 ANGER - Anger, Dorothy, !954 - , NOgWA'MKISK (Where the sand blows...) (Bay St. George Regional Indian Band Council)

²http://www.heritage.nf.ca/

³http://collections.ic.gc.ca/red_island/english/02history/02history03.htm

⁴1948 BROSNAN – Very Rev. Michael Brosnan, 1894-1943, Pioneer History of St. George’s Diocese Newfoundland (Toronto Mission Press, 1948)

⁵ Jukes List of Inhabitants of the Western Shore - J. B. Jukes 1839-40

⁶ Thomas, Gerald. "French Family Names of Newfoundland and Labrador" Harry Cuff Publications Limited St. John's 1999.

⁷ List of Destitute Families of St. George's Bay - H. H. Forrest, 28 Oct 1858

⁸ Bay St. George District Census Records

⁹ Sandy Point Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church Records