Located on the northwest side of

Bonavista Bay Bonavista Bay (BB) is a large bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. It opens directly onto the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is demarcated by Ca ...

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 ...

at the mouth of the Indian Bay inlet is a small island named Silver Fox Island that was once inhabited. It is about 3 km in length and about 3 km from Fair Island. The first settling began at Warren's Harbour on the southern side of the island.''

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 ...

History

Warren's Harbour was the first settled, named after an early settler, John Warren, who was living at Salvage, Newfoundland, in 1675. Warren's Harbour appears in the 1836 ''Census'' with a population of eight, of the same family. By 1869 there were five families living there, the Buttons, Felthams, Hunts, Matthews', and Rogers' families. In 1884 the population was 49, there was a slow population growth, and in 1901 there were 82 people living there. Silver Fox Island was not located near any major fishing grounds so they relied heavily on the Labrador fishery and woods work in

Indian Bay Indian Bay (Parsons Point) is located in Newfoundland, Canada. Geography Situated on the northwest arm of Bonavista Bay, Indian Bay was until the late 19th century the only mainland community located between Salvage and Greenspond.''Encyclopedi ...

during the winter. By the mid-1950s most families were relocating to nearby communities such as Indian Bay and Wareham. By 1969 the island was completely abandoned. In the 1980s, descendants of Silver Fox Island inhabitants returned to build seasonal "cabins" on the island. At present, approximately two dozen cabins are on the island, and are in use in the spring and summer each year. There are several original buildings left on the island, including a cabin and fishing stage owned by the Matthews family.

Education History

The islands first school-chapel was built between 1895 and 1896. A new school was built in 1926. Some people who taught on the island were James Rogers, Jesse Oakley (of

Greenspond Greenspond is a community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Greenspond is one of the communities that comprise an area called Bonavista North, in Bonavista Bay, on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland. These ...

), Stephen Hall (of

Pinchard's Island Pinchard's Island was one of the communities that comprise an area on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland, called Bonavista North. These communities have a shared history in that they were settled by people from England, predominantly ...

), and Beatrice Feltham (of Silver Fox Island)Saul Maher 1956 - 1960(of Greenspond), Arthur Feltham (silver fox Island), .

Fishery

Fishing boats and skippers in Silver Fox Island: * ''Silver Steamer'' * ''Silver Jubilee'' , skippered by Adam Matthews * ''Emma'', built on the island by John Hann of

Wesleyville Wesleyville is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,229 at the 2020 census, down from 3,341 in 2010. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Wesleyville is located at (42.137056, ...

, 1883. * ''Freddy II'', skippered by William Wicks of Silver Fox Island * ''Polly B'', first skippered by William Wicks, then Samuel Matthews, and Samuel Wicks. * ''Mildred M. Bill'' and ''Margaret K'' skippered by William Wicks * ''Freddy M'' skippered by Charles Feltham * ''Stewart S'' skippered by David Button * ''Green Leaf'' skippered by Samuel Hunt * ''Merry Go'' built and owned by Joseph Matthews on Silver Fox Island. Ships skippered by the Feltham family of Silver Fox Island: - ''Mayflower'' - ''Grace'' - ''Self'' - ''Foam'', 1885 - ''Paddy'' - ''Beatrice May'' - ''Ada'' - ''Sea Gull'' - ''Ivanhoe'' - ''Henerita Dawton'' - ''Lady Bird'' - ''Mabel'' - ''Clara Hallett''

Census Information

References

External links

Memories of Silver Fox Island

Search directories, census, births, marriages, government records, and much more
* http://www.rootsweb.com/~cannf/bbnor.htm {{coord, 49, 01, 07, N, 53, 40, 58, W, display=title Islands of Newfoundland and Labrador Uninhabited islands of Newfoundland and Labrador Ghost towns in Newfoundland and Labrador Populated places established in 1675 Populated places disestablished in 1969 1675 establishments in the British Empire