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Bay Bulls/Witless Bay Parish Marriages
1876 - 1880

Ferryland District


During this era, Bay Bulls Parish, with its church center at Witless Bay, ministered to all settlements in the northern region of Ferryland District.
The parish included the settlements of Lamanche (La Monche, etc.), Bauline (Baleen), Seals Cove (Soils Cove), Ship Island/Cove, St. Michael's
(Caplin Cove), Burnt Cove (Burn Cove), Tors Cove (Toads Cove), Mobile, Witless Bay, Bay Bulls, and other areas along the road to St. John's.

NOTE: Information contained in   [square brackets]   has been provided by the transcriber. Spelling of surnames, names etc.
tends to vary greatly in the parish registers, but they have been recorded here as they appear to be spelled in the originals.
Be aware that some surnames were recorded under their variant spellings eg. Carew/Carey, Carney/Kearney, even by the same priest.

In January 1876, it appears that a second marriage register was started for Bay Bulls/Witless Bay parish. This register, with entries recorded on preprinted Latin forms, is part of the surviving marriage records for this area. The Rooms Archives Finding Aids indicate that this document was copied from the holdings of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish at Bay Bulls. Although the old parish register at Witless Bay was still being used from 1876 - 1880 (inclusive), there were a number of unique marriage entries recorded only in the new marriage register. Likewise, the new marriage register recorded some marriage entries that were already entered in the old parish register.

The reason for the creation of this second register may be explained by information gleaned from the Diary of the Rev. M. P. O'Driscoll, who was the junior curate in the parish at that time. By 1876, the Rt. Rev. Dean Patrick Cleary, the long-time parish priest, was 80 years old and in failing physical and mental health. Father O'Driscoll's diary notes that he and the senior curate, Father Nicholas Roche, usually had to assist Dean Cleary with most of his priestly duties. However, his diary also indicated that Father Roche was single handedly administering to the parish region north of the Holyrood Line (today's Witless Bay Line). We don't know if Father Roche actually moved to Bay Bulls, but there is mention in the diary of a house being constructed for him at Bay Bulls. It is quite possible that the new register was initially created and maintained by Father Roche for the recording of marriages in his region of the parish. However, it appears that eventually it was used as the ongoing record for the entire parish.

The entries in this new marriage register are unique after 1880, the old Witless Bay marriage register appears to have been discontinued after that year. This observation may be incorrect, but no other parish registers have been found to date.

Based on the handwriting, it appears that Father Roche was the main scribe for most of the new records. His spellings for many common surnames of the area were often different than those used by Father Cleary and Father O'Driscoll. For example, the surname Carew, recorded almost exclusively as such by Father Cleary, was generally recorded as Carey or Cary by Fathers Roche and O'Driscoll. Another odd thing noted was that Father O'Driscoll surname appears to be spelled as O'Driscole, even though his relatives were usually being recorded just as Driscoll.
 
Yr/Mth/Day Married at Groom's Name From Bride's Name From Witnesses Priest Remarks
1876/01/09   Driscole, John Tors Cove Brothers, Mary Tors Cove Michl Ronayne
Ellen Nagle
M. P. O'Driscole [Duplicate record. Surnames recorded as Driscoll and Broaders and Neagle in old parish register.]
1876/01/10   Glynn, William Bay Bulls Drew, Mary Bay Bulls Matthew Dea
Mary Furlong
N. Roche  
1876/02/13   Gordon, John Witless Bay Skain, Ellen Kilbride John Norris
Margaret Gorden
  [Duplicate record. Priest's name given as N. Roche in old register.]
1876/05/13   Tobin, Michael Witless Bay Moloney, Mary Witless Bay Henery Tobin
? Madigan
P. Cleary [Duplicate record. Bride recorded as May Mullowney in old register.]
1876/05/21   O' Donnell, Richard n/g Maher, Johanna Mobile John Maher
Anastia Maher
N. Roche  
1876/10/08   Carey, George Witless Bay Armstrong, Mary Witless Bay John Murphy
Elizabeth Norris
P. Cleary [Duplicate record. Groom's surname recorded as Carew and priest's name given as N. Roche in old register.]
1876/10/12   Scott, Martin Bay Bulls Dea, Ann Bay Bulls Richard Williams
Jane Furlong
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record.]
1876/10/25   Roche, Stephen Branche Carey, Mary Witless Bay Peter Tobin
Catherine Tobin
N. Roche [Duplicate record. Bride's name recorded as Carew in old register.]
1876/10/26   Williams, George Bay Bulls Getheral, Mary Bay Bulls Cornelius Brien
Teresa Getheral
N. Roche [Duplicate record]
1876/10/29   French, Stephen St. John's Fortune, Joanna Tors Cove William Ronayne
Mary Heartwell
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Stephen given as being from Mobile, Joanna as being from Toads Cove, and Heartwell spelled Hartwell in old register. ]
1876/11/05   Carey, Michael St. John's Shine, Mary St. John's Patrick Calligan
Bridget Egan
P. Cleary  
1876/11/10   Power, James Tors Cove Driscoll, Ann Bay Bulls Ambrose Ronayne
Esther Driscoll
N. Roche [Duplicate record. Tors Cove spelled Toads Cove, Ronayne spelled Ronan in old register.]
1876/11/12   Mokeler, Michael Bay Bulls Coady, Esther Bay Bulls John D. Lacey
Alice Moloney
N. Roche  
1876/11/12   Carey, David Witless Bay Yard, Ann Witless Bay Philip Carey
Bridget Conners
N. Roche  
1876/11/13   Shelly, William Big Pond Dinn, Mary Big Pond James Dinn
Mary Jane Butler
N. Roche  
1876/11/13   Ryan, John Bay Bulls Mokeler, Margaret Bay Bulls Matthew Dea
Mary Mokeler
N. Roche  
1876/11/21   Walshe, James Bay Bulls Jordan, Mary Bay Bulls Joseph Burke
Elizabeth Jordan
N. Roche  
1876/11/28   Drew, Laurence Bay Bulls Power, Mary Ann Harbor Main John Furlong
Johanna Drew
N. Roche  
1876/11/28   Delaney, Andrew Witless Bay Norris, Mary J Witless Bay Philip Madigan
Mary Butler
N. Roche  
1876/11/28   Neill, Michael Fermeuse Tobin, Elizabeth Witless Bay Owen Neill
Bridget Egan
N. Roche  
1876/12/2   Yard, John Witless Bay Carey, Esther Witless Bay Thomas Delaney
Margaret Yard
N. Roche  
1877/01/07   Carey, Andrew Witless Bay Yard, Ann Witless Bay Thomas Carter
Margaret Carey
N. Roche  
1877/05/19   Glynn, Cornelius Bay Bulls Hyde, Ann Bay Bulls Thomas Williams
Agnes Hyde
N. Roche  
1877/06/03   Donavan, William Petty Harbor Brien, Bridget Bay Bulls Richard Howlet
Jane Brien
N. Roche  
1877/11/25   Maher, John Mobile Blackler, Elizabeth Mobile Patrick Maher
Ellen Murphy
N. Roche  
1877/11/26   Madigan, Charles Witless Bay Carey, Mary Witless Bay Michael Carey
n/g
N. Roche  
1877/11/27   Tobin, Benjamin Witless Bay Carey, Ann Witless Bay Philip Tobin
Mary A. Tobin
N. Roche  
1878/01/07   De Lacy, John Little Placentia Mokeler, Margaret Bay Bulls Joseph Colbert
Margaret Moloney
N. Roche  
1878/01/09   Delaney, Thomas Witless Bay Carey, Margaret Witless Bay Henery Carey
Mary Murphy
N. Roche  
1878/01/12   Cotton, James Witless Bay Butler, Mary Witless Bay Joseph Norris
Catherine Vickers
N. Roche  
1878/01/13   Norris, Christopher Witless Bay Quirke, Mary Witless Bay Benjamin Carey
Frances Carey
N. Roche  
1878/05/20   Brien, Cornelius Bay Bulls Walsh, Mary Ann Bay Bulls Michael Glynn
Ellen Deign?
N. Roche  
1878/07/11   Butt, George Carbonear Dinn, Elizabeth Witless Bay Joseph Dinn
Emelia Carey
N. Roche Husband Protestant
1878/11/03   Walsh, Patrick Bay Bulls Brien, Jane Bay Bulls Patrick Dea
Mary Mokeler
N. Roche  
1878/11/29   Tobin, Peter Witless Bay Yard, Margaret Witless Bay Laurence Carey
Mary Tobin
N. Roche [Duplicate record. Laurence Carey given as Lawrence Cary in old register]
1878/11/30   Madigan, Ambrose Witless Bay Healy, Sarah Witless Bay Gregory Carey
Bridget Neil
N. Roche [Duplicate record. Gregory Carey given as Gregory Cary in old register.]
1879/01/12   Brien, Patrick Bay Bulls Williams, Susanna Bay Bulls Richard Williams
Teresa Getheral
N. Roche  
1879/01/12   Carter, Thomas Witless Bay Driscoll, Mary Bay Bulls Benjamin Carey
Harriet Driscoll
N. Roche  
1879/01/13   Luby, Patrick Tors Cove Driscole, Margt Tors Cove Michael Hearn
Margaret Aspel
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Driscole recorded as Driscoll and Hearn recorded as Hearne in old register.]
1879/01/26   Brien, Jeremiah Bay Bulls Drew, Johanna Bay Bulls Michael F Williams
Ellen Furlong
N. Roche  
1879/02/02   Glynn, James Bay Bulls Jordan, Elizabeth Bay Bulls Martin Williams
Jane Glynn
N. Roche  
1879/02/23   Denine, Samuel Cape Broyle Howlet, Mary J Tors Cove Martin Furlong
Ann Howlet
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Howlet spelled Howlett in old register.]
1879/02/23   Power, Philip Mobile Reily, Ann Mobile Thomas Fitzgerald
Margaret Fitzgerald
P. Cleary [Duplicate record. Prient given as M. O'Driscoll in old register.]
1879/02/23   Moloney, Gregory Witless Bay Neill, Mary J Witless Bay Martin Moloney
Ann Madigan
N. Roche  
1879/05/18   Maher, Patrick Mobile Power, Anastatia Mobile Gerald Brien
Mary Brien
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Anastatia spelled Anastasia in old register.]
1879/06/02   Chaffe, Edward Petty Harbor Williams, Lucy Bay Bulls Andrew Everett
Mary Sarah Scott
N. Roche  
1879/11/18   Carey, Philip Witless Bay Maders, Mary Tors Cove Philip Carey
Ann Quirke
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Carey spelld Cary, Tors Cove as Toads Cove, Ann Quirk as Anne Quirke in old register.]
1879/11/29   Ronayne, Edward Tors Cove Howlett, Alice Tors Cove James Ronayne
Frances Ronayne
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record.]
1880/01/08   Gatheral, Stephen Tors Cove Howlett, Frances Tors Cove Patrick Burke
Margaret Howlett
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record.]
1880/01/08   Driscoll, John Tors Cove Aspel, Margaret Brigus S. Martin Driscoll
Mary J Driscoll
M. O' Driscole [Duplicate record. Mary J. Driscoll given as Margaret Driscoll in old register.]
1880/01/09   Kehoe, Thomas Bay Bulls Healy, Bridget Witless Bay James Brien
Esther Lundergan
N. Roche  
1880/01/11   Carey, Martin Witless Bay Maloney, Amelia Witless Bay Joseph Carey
Mary Maloney
N. Roche  
1880/01/11   Carey, John Witless Bay Tobin, Mary Ann Witless Bay Henry Carey
Ann Tobin
N. Roche  
1880/10/10   Cuddihy, Thomas St. John's Burke, Ann Bay Bulls William Hearn
Catherine Williams
N. Roche  
1880/11/08   Murphy, William Witless Bay Howlet, Mary Witless Bay Thomas Power
Bridget Power
N. Roche  
1880/11/25   Tobin, Luke Witless Bay Vickers, Ann Witless Bay Michael Vickers
Margaret Norris
N. Roche  
1880/11/25   Brien, John Bay Bulls Mulcahy, Catherine Bay Bulls Samuel Hearn
Mary Murphy
N. Roche  

This page transcribed by Kevin Reddigan ( October 2012)

Page Last Modified: Monday November 25, 2013 (Kevin Reddigan)

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