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The Moravian Church Mission Ships were a series of twelve ships (five named ''Harmony'') that made an annual voyage from London to the
Photo: Moravian Mission supply ship SS ''Harmony'' (Harmony #5), Cartwright, Labrador, NL, 1926
{{Moravian Church Navigation Moravian Church Ships of England 1770 establishments in the British Empire Christian missions in North America
The Moravian Church Mission Ships were a series of twelve ships (five named ''Harmony'') that made an annual voyage from London to the Moravian Church
, image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
, main_classification = Proto-Prot ...
mission stations in Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
every summer for the 156 years between 1770 and 1926. The purpose of the voyages was to supply provisions to the church's mission stations in Labrador and to rotate mission personnel. All but one were pure sailing vessel
A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships ...
s; the final ship, ''Harmony'' #5, had an auxiliary steam engine.
Ownership
The ships were owned and operated by the Brethren's Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel among the Heathen, apparently a joint venture between the Moravian Church (the Unity of the Brethren) and the Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel among the Heathen.Destinations
The mission stations during the time of the ships were Nain (established 1770), Okak (1776), Hopedale (1782),Hebron
Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...
at Kauerdluksoak Bay
Kauerdluksoak Bay is a long narrow inlet or bay in Labrador at . From its head to the sea it is about long.
At its mouth is the site of the former Hebron
Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in th ...
(1830–1959) serving also Napartok Bay and Saeglek Bay
Saglek Bay or Saeglek Bay is a long narrow inlet or bay in Labrador. From its head to the sea it is about long.
See also
*CFS Saglek
Canadian Forces Station Saglek is a Royal Canadian Air Force radar base in the former Pinetree Line and curre ...
, Zoar (1864–1889), Ramah Ramah may refer to:
In ancient Israel
* Ramathaim-Zophim, the birthplace of Samuel
* Ramoth-Gilead, a Levite city of refuge
* Ramah in Benjamin, mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah and also in the Gospel of Matthew
* Baalath-Beer, also known as Ramo ...
(1871–1908), Makkovik
Makkovik (Inuit: ''Maggovik'') is a town in Labrador in eastern Canada. It had 365 residents in 2021. The main industry is snow crabbing and there is a fishing cooperative.
Makkovik is only accessible by air or sea.
History
The Makkovik area has ...
(1896), and Killiniq on Cape Chidley
Cape Chidley is a headland located on the eastern shore of Killiniq Island, Canada, at the northeastern tip of the Labrador Peninsula.
Cape Chidley was named by English explorer John Davis on August 1, 1587, after his friend and fellow explorer ...
island (1905–1925). Two further stations were added after this period at Happy Valley near Goose Bay (1957) and North West River
North West River is a small town located in central Labrador. Established in 1743 as a trading post by French Fur Trader Louis Fornel, the community later went on to become a hub for the Hudson's Bay Company and home to a hospital and school s ...
(1960).
The ships
Spanish flu
In the summer of 1919, SS ''Harmony'' #5 carriedSpanish flu
The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case wa ...
from St John's to Hebron and Okak. The resulting deaths cut the population of Hebron and the surrounding area from 220 to 70. In Okak 204 of the 263 residents died, including every adult male Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
; the survivors dismantled the community entirely, burning all houses and furniture before moving to Nain, Hopedale or Hebron.
References
External links
Photo: Moravian Mission supply ship SS ''Harmony'' (Harmony #5), Cartwright, Labrador, NL, 1926
{{Moravian Church Navigation Moravian Church Ships of England 1770 establishments in the British Empire Christian missions in North America