The Wadham Islands are a group of islands at the eastern opening to

Hamilton Sound Sir Charles Hamilton Sound, which has been shortened to and is more commonly known as Hamilton Sound, is a body of water on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland, between Fogo Island and the mainland to the south, and including (fro ...

, southeast of Fogo Island off

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

in the province of

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, Canada. The islands are: Offer Wadham Islands (the most northernly and easterly), Copper Island, Duck Island, White Island, Peckford Island (the largest), Coleman Island, Small Island.

History

The Wadham Islands were extremely popular fishing grounds since the early 19th century and were first used by crews from Bonavista. Mostly the Offer Wadhams and Peckford islands were used, as they had ideal drying conditions and some of the best salt cod in the country. Many families who fished off these islands decided to settle in nearby

Doting Cove Doting Cove and Ragged Harbour. Geography Located on the Straight Shore of Newfoundland, Ragged Harbour is to the west of Musgrave Harbour and Doting Cove is to the east. Ragged Harbour got its name from the appearance of its harbour which is ...

and fish off the Wadham Islands in the summer. Such families were the Cuffs, Hickses and Moulands in the 1850s. For more than 100 years Doting Cove men moved to the Wadham Islands in the summer to fish. In 1858, the

Offer Wadham Lighthouse The Offer Wadham Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was lit for the first time on October 4, 1858. It was built after many petitions were sent to the government arguing for a light to be put on the island to ...

was erected on the Offer Wadham islands, the first lighthouse on the northern part of Bonavista Bay. After the lighthouse was constructed, there was a small year-round population of lightkeepers and their families. In 1899, there were post offices established at Peckford's Island and Offer Wadhams. They also had schools, a Methodist church and mercantile premises.''

Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador ''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia was ...

Church history

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

church was erected on the Wadham Islands in the late 19th century. The residents had to collect money in order to buy a Bible for the church. An inscription on the Bible reads: "Wadham Island Methodist Church July 1899. Bought by subscription collected by Mrs. Charles H. Prowse". Church services were held nearly every Sunday in the summer and were conducted by residents on the island. Lay readers and appointed readers were: * Mr. and Mrs. Prowse (lightkeepers) * Joseph Dyke,

- appointed * Charles Abbott, Bonavista, appointed * Lewis Wellon,

Ladle Cove Ladle Cove is a designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is along the Straight Shore on the island of Newfoundland. History The first settlers in Ladle Cove are believed to have been Samuel and Tobias Pinsent who ...

, lay reader * Thomas West, Ladle Cove, lay reader * Samuel Wellon, Ladle Cove, lay reader * Israel Hicks,

Carmanville Carmanville is a Canadian community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. History Carmanville, on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland, was first settled by John Day, from Twillingate, and his family. The Day family trapped otter and f ...

, lay reader * Archibald Way, Newtown, appointed * Rev. Beaton Hicks, Doting Cove, he preached his first sermon on the Wadham Islands.

Popular culture

Between May 1976 and June 1977, historian and explorer

Tim Severin Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder's Medal ...

recreated the seven-year voyage to a new land across the Atlantic Ocean and back described in the medieval Latin text ''Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis'' (The Voyage of

St. Brendan Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Celtic Christianity, Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Br ...

the Abbot). At the end of their passage, Severin and his crew first made landfall at Peckford Island. The project is detailed in Severin's 1978 book ''

The Brendan Voyage ''The Brendan Voyage'' was Shaun Davey's first major orchestral suite, composed for uilleann pipes played by Liam O'Flynn. It depicts Tim Severin’s adventure in reconstructing Saint Brendan’s 6th century Atlantic crossing to America. It featu ...

''.

References

External links

*
Canadiana.ca search results
{{Coord, 49, 33, 14, N, 53, 50, 59, W, display=title Islands of Newfoundland and Labrador

History

Church history

Popular culture

See also

References

External links