Bill Crant

Early Instances: Burgeo - LaPoile

Cited from Small's Diary of Burgeo:

Now we come to Uncle John Matthews, son of the first man to settle here, with the exception of Mr. Currie [Note: Edward Wix baptized John age 2, Francis age 5, Marianne age 3 and James age 5 months Oct. 3, 1830 at Burgeo to William and Sarah Curry]. Old father Matthews came here with his family in about 1795 as near as can be ascertained, and settled on Small's Island, known up to 1860 as Slade's Island. The wife of this man was a [Sarah *Wix 1830] Bagg, a daughter of old Mr. Bagg. How many of his family were born here no one knows, but probably one or two. The sons were Thomas, Hugh, John, and William [Oct. 3, 1830 Wix baptized Anne 23, Sarah 19, Elizabeth 14, John 26, Joseph 5, John? 3 William 15 and Henry 7 months to John and Sarah Matthews]. I know of no others. There was in 1860 another family of Matthews but they do not seem to be of this family. Their [this other Matthews family] names were Samuel, Edward, and John. The daughters of the old man [the first Matthews] were; Ann, Frances, Maria, Elizabeth, Susan, Ellen, and one other who married and went to Bonne Bay long before 1860. The surname of her husband [the one who went to Bonne Bay] was Organ. She [or he] died in 1866.