St. Chad's

Current Population: 57

Location: 5km northwest from Eastport along Route 310.

Historical Overview

Place Name Origin: Named Damnable until the late 1890s. Oral tradition says a pirate ship hiding from British authorities took refuge in the sheltered harbour of St. Chad's. The crew believed it was the perfect hiding spot until the ships cook unknowingly rang the dinner bell, which threatened to give away their position. The captain then yelled, "Damn the bell!"

Named St. Shad's by an Englishman known as "Mr. Wilson". He named it St. Shad's, after his hometown in London, England. It was soon changed again due to a problem with the local mail. All the mail was being sent to another community called St. Shott's. To solve this problem the 's' was changed to a 'c'.

Names and Dates of First Settlers:

• In 1894, three brothers, Thomas, George and William Hunter settled from Salvage.
• In 1921 families such as the Hiscock, Lane, Rogers', and Troke also settled from Salvage as well as the Flat Islands.

First Recorded Populations:

• St. Chad's first appeared in the Census in 1901 with a population of 33.
• The population increased to 87 by 1921.

Major Early Industries:

• Winter woods work
• Ship-building
• "Freezing in" schooners (Because people lacked the technology to ground these bigger ships they were anchored off and left to freeze into the ice until the following spring.)

Significant Facts about St. Chad's

• In May 1912 the community was destroyed with the exception of only two houses. Twenty-three houses and one school chapel just built the previous year burned. Temporary housing was found for the families until they began to rebuild the next fall. The government provided little help so the residents worked with what they had until eventually all houses and even a new school chapel was rebuilt.
• It is said that men from the Flat Islands started the fire. They were shaving wood rinds near Sandringham. One of the men lit their pipe and caught the dry wood on fire. The strong winds blowing at that time carried the fire all the way to St. Chad's in only a couple of days.

Services

Place of Worship:

• St. James Anglican Church: Services vary. Contact the Anglican Rectory at (709) 677-2151 to inquire.

Attractions

Significant Architecture

• Fishing stages