William Cooke in Newfoundland

         William2 Cooke's time in Newfoundland is a period that we do not know a lot about. There are two references to William and his family that we do have. The first is the journal of a visiting Anglican missionary. The second source is a diary belonging to an employee of William's.
 
Journal of Reverend Wix
     Edward Wix was an Anglican clergyman from St. John's who, in the spring and summer of 1835, toured much of the coastline of Newfoundland. On Satrday , March 14th of that year, on a wet and windy morning Mr. Wix:
     "..proceeded on foot to the winter-house of Mr. William Cooke
(of Biddestone, England) at Red Cove. As Mrs. Cooke , much to
my regret, had, on the first intimation of my arrival walked
nearly three miles to their summer residence at Adam's Island,
in Paradise Harbour, to receive me there, I accompanied her
husband to this place, where he had been settled eighteen
years, and has a fine establishment. Finding that Mrs. C., who
is the mother of a very interesting family, (if not a native)
was formerly a resident of Liverpool, in Nova scotia, to the
inhabitants of which place I am warmly attached, it was
delightfulto have an opportunity of speaking of scenes
and persons which will ever be dear to my memory"
Mr. Wix stayed only briefly with the Cookes, for the next day he:
"Rose with lassitude; read prayers and a sermon to Mr. Cooke's
family, his neighbours being all Romanists"
Then he continued his journey. Wix had served in Nova Scotia before coming to Newfoundland. His journey entailed great hardship, as ther were no raods and he had to proceed by walking and hitching rides in boats. He published an account of the journey with a view to convincing the church authorities to set up a diocese of Newfoundland. Of course he wanted them to make him the bishop but he didn't get the job woing , it's said, to his fondness for the compnay of light women.

1 Edward Wix,  Six Months of a Newfoundland Missionary's Journal,from February to August, 1835 London, Smith, Elder & Co. 1836
n.b. Note the practice of having a summer and winter residence. The summer home was near the water for fishing. The winter house would have been inland nearer to sources of fuel for heating.
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