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Gisbourne Electric Telegraph Construction Employee List

While we have endeavored to be as correct as humanly possible, there could be some typographical errors. Transcribed and contributed by Dwayne Pike
Gisbourne Electric Telegraph Construction (1850)


 

List of Employees


 

Section 1-2


 


 

The following is partial list of workers employed during the construction of the 1850 Trans-Newfoundland electric telegraph line from St. John’s to Cape Ray, under the supervisory direction of Chief Engineer Frederick Newton Gisbourne, and principal funding from the Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company. This phase of the construction consisted primarily in laying the telegraph line or cable, erecting connecting poles, clearing, maintaining and/or repairing the line of road or path, and erecting repeater stations at each section junction. Primary emphasis of the employee lists included herein will be limited in focus to sections 1-2 of telegraph line construction from St. John’s to Long Harbour River, the details of each section are outlined as follows:

 


i.) Section 1, from St. John’s to Piper’s Hole, covering a distance of app. 122 ½ miles (Gisbourne 1850:12), with a total of 27 men employed (Gisbourne 1850:181);


 

ii.) Section 2, from Piper’s Hole to Long Harbour River, covering a distance of 34 miles (Gisbourne 1850:12), with a total of 28 men employed (Gisbourne 1850:183)

 


                                                                                                                      
181                         
           

 


    South Line 


 

Section A 


 

Melville Jack Superintendent  

  






Name
Occupation
Wages



 1. M. Jack  
 Superintendent 
  7/6 


 2. Wm Mulloney   Skipper  5/ 

 3. Mic. Brennan      Carpenter "

4. Thos. Phanlon   "  "  

5. Pat. Buckley      Solderer        4/.

6. John Furlong Sr.    Cook      5/. 

7. John Furlong Jr.     Asst. Cook     2/8 

8. Thos. Mills      Labourer    4/.

 9. John Walsh       "  "

 10. Thos. Brine    "  "

 11. John Walsh   "  " 

 12. Abram Adams    "  " 

 13. Ricd Frizzle?    "  " 

 14. Simon Clarke     "  " 

 15. Dan Clarke     "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
181 

 16. Jas. Clarke      
 		 
 

 17. Mic. Doyle     
 		 
 

 18. Thos. Murphy  
 		 
 

 19. John Landrigan     
 		 
 

 20. Richard Frachen?   
 		 
 

 21. 
 		 
 

 22.  
 		 
 

 23.  
 		 
 

 
 		 
 
182 

 24.  
 		 
 

 25.  
 		 
 

 26.  
 		 
 

 27.  
 		 
 





 





 


  Southern Line


Section 2 Station A


Michael Allen Superintendent 


28 men 



183                         
  













Name
Occupation
Wages



 1. Mar. Allen 
 Superintendent 
  12/6 



 2. Phil Jackman	  Skipper	  6/3

 3. Thos. Melville  Carpenter   5/.

 4. Dennis Murphy  "  " 

 5. Jas. Mennions?  Solderer 4/. 

 6. Michl Whelan  Cook 5/.

 7. William Whelan  Assist. Cook  2/16

 8. John Riely  Labourer 4/. 

 9. Dennis Merner?  "  " 

 10. James Dooling  "  " 

 11. Pat. Cummins "  " 

 12. John Donald "  " 

 13. Michl Toop  "  " 

 14. Thos. Cogan?  "  " 

 15. Thos. Barron "  " 

 16. Wm Terry  "  " 

 17. Richd Brophy  "  " 

 
 		 
 
 183 

18. Pat. Hurley	  "  " 

 19. Jas. McMann	 "  "  

20. Jas. White	 "  " 

 21. Thos. Forristal "  " 

 22. Mic. Dillon	  "  " 

23. Anr Dinn "  " 

24. Ed. Knox "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
 

 
 		 
 		 
 

 25. John Murphy	Lab.  
 		4/.

 26. Jas. Cannes	 "  " 

 27. Martin Cullins  "  " 














Name
Occupation
Wages



 1. Mr. Allen
 Superintendent 
  * 



 2. John Whiteway  Skipper	  6/3

3. Jas. Furlong	  Carpenter	  5/.

 4. Mic. Wall  "  " 

 5. Ed. Milligan	  Solderer  4/. 

 6. Martin Langden Cook	 5/. 

 7. Thos. Venahly  Asst Cook  2/16.

8. James Walsh	  Labourer 4/. 

 9. Jas. Canaly?	  "  " 

10. Pat. Walsh  "  " 

 11. John Whiteway  "  " 

 12. Richd Whiteway  "  " 

 13. Pat. FitzGibbon Sr.  "  " 

 14. John Purcell  "  " 

 15. Pat. FitzGibbon Jr.  "  " 

 16. Thos. Hunt	  "  "  

 17. Jas. Barron	  "  " 

 18. John Riely	  "  " 

 19. Lawr Power	  "  " 

 20. John Polk? 1   "  " 

 21. Mr. Toop  "  " 

 22. Andr Murphy	  "  " 

23. Jas, Shram?	  "  " 

 24. Jas. Handlan  
 		 
 

 25. John Couddihee?  Labourer 4/. 

 26. Pat. Everrett  "  " 

27. Jas. FitzGibbons  "  " 

 28. Pat. Casey	   "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
 

 14. Pat. Hurley  "  " 

 
 		 
 
 189 

 
 		 
 		 
 

 
 		 
John Walsh Superintendent
  
 
 

 1. John Walsh Superintendent  
 

 2. Pat. Walsh	  Skipper	 
 

3. Pat. Dunphy  "  
 

4. Peter Kehoe  Carpenter	  
 

 5. John McGrath	 "  " 

 6. Jas Neil  "  "  

 7. Francis Mullowney	  "  " 

 8. Thos. Traverse	  Cook  
 

 9. Mic. Power	 "  " 

10. John Buckley		  Black S. & Sr 	  
 

 11. John Armstrong  Labourer 
 

 12. Pat. Fitzgerald  E. Carpenter  
 

 13. Thos. Hickey	  Labourer 4/.

 14. John Toole	  "  " 

 15. Jas. Barrett	  "  " 

16. Jas. Macnamara "  " 

 17. John Cant?	  "  " 

18. Wm Bennett	  "  " 

 19. John Walsh (1) "  " 

 20. John Walsh (2)  "  " 

21. Wm Boyle	 "  " 

 22. John English	 "  "  

23. John Walsh (3)  "  "  

 24. John Macdonald	  "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
 190 

 25. Chrisr Kelly	  Labourer	 " 

 26. Pat. Kavanagh "  " 

 27. Mat. Brine  "  " 

 28. John Gready "  " 

29. Mic. Sullivan	 "  " 

30. Ed. Aid  "  " 

31. Geo. Noseworthy "  "  

 32. John Noseworthy  "  " 

33. John Nowland  "  " 

 34. Mic. Hearn	 "  " 

35. E. Power  "  " 

36. Mat. Power	} Blk. Rvr2 "  " 

 37. John Power	 "  " 

 38. Dy. Cullen	 "  " 

39. Mic. Murphy		 "  " 

40. Wm. Carroll	 "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
 

 2. ___  
 		 
 

 18. John Savage	 "  " 

12. John Moran "  " 

 29. Geo. Roberts	 "  " 

 30. Walr Keating	 "  " 

40. Mic. Keating	 "  " 

P John Walsh	  Boy	  4/0 

 
 		 
 		 
 191

 
 		 
Section 2 Station B 
 
 
 

 1. John Dunn	  Superintendent	  7/6

 2. Jas. Long  Skipper 07	  __

 3. Martin Keough   "  4/6.

 4. Wm Allen  Carpenter 5/.

 5. Geo. Allen	 "  " 

 6. Mic. Mackey	 "  " 

 7. John Smith  "  " 

 
 		 Labourer  4/.

 9. Tim Sleeson?	  Cook	  5/.

10. Jas. Sullivan	  "  " 

11. Robt Mercer	  Solderer	  4/.

 13. Alphons Squiers  "  " 

 14. L. Murphy	  "  " 

 15. Pat. Redman		 "  " 

 16. Wm. Bayley	 "  " 

17. Robt. Walsh (1) "  " 

 18. Robt. Walsh (2) "  " 

 19. Ric. Sheehan	  "  " 

 20. Jas. Heffernan	  "  " 

 21. Thos. Callenan?  "  " 

 22. John Brine	  "  "  

 23. Mic. Roach "  " 

 24. Pat. Dennis  "  " 

 
 		 
 		 
 192

 25. Thos. MurphyLabourer  4/.

 26. Mic. Dennis	 "  " 

 27. Geo. Allen "  " 

28. Gregory Griffen	 "  " 

 29. John Masey "  " 

 30. John Murphy  "  " 

 31. W. McCarthy	 "  " 

 32. Jas. Conan "  " 

33. Jas. Ryan  "  " 

 34. Thos. Cloony "  " 

35. Ric. Gain	  "  "  

36. Pat. Hennessy	 "  " 

37. John Keough "  " 

38. Jas. Brine "  " 

 39. L. Longrans?	 "  " 

 40. Geo. Smith	 "  " 

 2. __	 
 		 
 

 8. Ed. Allen	  "  " 

 9. Pat. Brown3 "  " 

 12. E. Hynes  "  " 

 Transcriber Notes:

1 This may be a variant of the family name Pack, Poke, or even Pike.


2 There is a curled bracket next to these names. The abbreviation Blk. Rvr  suggests the place name Black River, Placentia Bay, near Piper's Hole, as denoting that these said employees were residing here in this region at the time. This group of presumably related Powers may be related to the Power family of Chapel Arm, T.B. with known connections to the Upper Placentia Bay area, notably Long Island, Red Island, and Merasheen areas. Note Clara Power, b. 1879 at Chapel Arm, Trinity Bay, wife of John or James Pike (b. 1877, Bellevue, T.B.), both residing at Bollard's Town (Muddy Hole) Sound Island, Baker's Cove (near Garden Cove & North Harbour), and Culletons Strait (near St. Kyrans),  Placentia Bay, listed variously in parish registers, and censuses. Other names in this group of employees such as Barron, Brine, Carroll, Connolly, Hunt, Murphy, McCarthy, Power, Rielly, and Walsh suggest that these families are associated with the Upper Placentia Bay areas, notably Red Island and Merasheen, and the Placentia Bay East area, notably Placentia and Argentia.    

3 This Pat. (Patrick) Brown may be the father of Philip Brown Sr., listed in numerous historical sources as a merchant-trader of Sound Island, P.B... Brown's Island (formerly Pike Place) is presumably named after this said merchant, after acquiring it from this family ca. 1859-1865. Also note the purchase of a Crown Land grant (No. 1106) for a tract of land at Betty's Hole, Sound Island, by this said person on Oct. 6, 1857 [Source: Land Grants, PANL GN 3/2/0 , #1-#13,162 (1831-1912), Reel # 2, B-6-4].     


Endnote:

For list of other employees such as engineers and commissioners, as well as noted NL Mi'kmaw guides (Joseph Paul, John Brazil, Benjamin-[Gabriel], Frank Paul and M. Brazil] the reader is directed to JHA (1852:166), in JHA 1852 (153-167), PANL. Also posted on NL Gen Web on-line. 


Source:   

Record of Frederic Gisbourne

March 1st 1850

Chief Eng.r

Newfoundland & London Telegraph Company

PANL-The Rooms 

Frederic Gosbourne Manuscript Collection

MG 849

Reel 62
















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