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.
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Journal of Reverend Wix
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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:
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"..proceeded on foot
to the winter-house of Mr. William Cooke
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(of Biddestone, England) at Red Cove. As Mrs.
Cooke , much to
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my regret, had, on the first intimation of
my arrival walked
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nearly three miles to their summer residence
at Adam's Island,
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in Paradise Harbour, to receive me there,
I accompanied her
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husband to this place, where he had been settled
eighteen
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years, and has a fine establishment. Finding
that Mrs. C., who
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is the mother of a very interesting family,
(if not a native)
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was formerly a resident of Liverpool, in Nova
scotia, to the
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inhabitants of which place I am warmly attached,
it was
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delightfulto have an opportunity of speaking
of scenes
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and persons which will ever be dear to my
memory"
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Mr. Wix stayed only briefly with the Cookes,
for the next day he:
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"Rose with lassitude; read prayers and a sermon
to Mr. Cooke's
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family, his neighbours being all Romanists"
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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.
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1 Edward Wix, Six Months
of a Newfoundland Missionary's Journal,from February to August, 1835
London, Smith, Elder & Co. 1836
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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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