1850 - 1899
1852:
Nebuchardnezzar Tucker’s punt capsizes at his favorite fishing spot “Nibiken's Rock” off North Side. He drifts ashore on his bait-tub dying shortly after, because of exposure. He was the father of the first male to be born in the community, Robert Tucker, in 1811.
1853:
Slade and Company provides space for a day school to operate. The teacher is William Minty, and this school is under the jurisdiction of the Catalina Education District.
Robert Tilly, a Bonavista-born teacher, establishes a business using a legacy from his deceased Bird Island Cove grandmother, Mrs. Susannah Cole. He is Bird Island Cove’s first resident supply merchant. At the time of his death in 1872 he had every fisherman in the town as a dealer.
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1854:
A petition by Robert Tilly and others from Bird Island Cove requests that the Government improve road conditions. It is read into the record on May 1st. This petition is significant because it states that community was settled forty-eight years prior, and therefore clearly indicates the community’s date of settlement as 1806.
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1855:
Newfoundland obtains Responsible Government.
Another Methodist revival takes place, which strengthens Methodism in Bird Island Cove.
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1856:
Construction of a replacement Methodist Church begins.
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1857:
Population: There are 523 residents at Bird Island Cove.
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1858 - 1860:
Construction on the Tilly House is underway at Bird Island Cove, and it is used as a retail outlet by Robert Tilly and later by his son Arthur Tilly.
Note: This house later became the home of Arthur's son William Marmaduke Tilley and his wife Emily (nee Pearce).
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1862:
The court case of the Queen vs. Patrick Casey takes place. Casey’s wife Kitty Casey commits suicide and is buried in a droke near Sandy Cove on land which was part of the farm owned by Robert Tilley. Suicide was considered an insult to God and the folks who ended their lives intentionally were not allowed to be buried in the sacred grounds of the Church.
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1863:
The vessel Thomas sinks and the shipwrecked crew makes their way to Bird Island Cove.
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1864:
The community’s second Methodist Church officially opens on January 9th. It contains a gallery on either side and can seat about 400 people.
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1867:
The Hay Pooks fishing ground is discovered off Elliston.
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1868:
The vessel Mary sinks near Bird Island Cove.
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1869:
Population: There are 677 residents at Bird Island Cove. This includes fifteen widowers, seventeen widows, and sixty-one orphans. Northern Bight has four residents.
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1870's:
Robert Tilly establishes a farm near Sandy Cove. Additional Information Tilley Farm
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1872:
Construction of a new Anglican Church, St. Mary’s, is underway and it is still in use. It is built on the site of the previous Anglican Church. Click Here for additional information.
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1874:
Population: There are 722 residents at Bird Island Cove. This includes 113 married couples, eleven widowers, and nineteen widows. Muddy Brook has thirty-two residents, while Northern Bight has three families with a population of ten.
Bird Island Cove has a road board in place.
1877:
Construction of a Methodist school is underway replacing the one then in existence on the Point.
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1878:
The wreck of the sealing vessel Eric occurs during a storm. Several Elliston men are awarded Royal Humane Society Medals for their actions in saving the vessel’s crew. A beam from this wreck is later used in a root cellar and is still visible today.
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1881:
The Newfoundland Railway starts at St. John’s and the line (narrow gauge type of 3' 6") reaches Port-aux-Basques in 1897.
1883 - 1884:
First use of cod traps in the Bird Island Cove area.
1884:
Population: There are 870 residents at Bird Island Cove. There are 138 married couples, eleven widowers, and sixteen widows. 8% of the population is Anglican and 92% is Methodist. Muddy Brook has eight families with seventeen people involved in the fishery using two fishing rooms. Two-thirds of Muddy Brook’s population is Anglican and one-third is Methodist. Northern Bight has two families and nine residents.
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1887:
The Salvation Army holds its first service in the spring with Capt. F. Grey. The old Slade property and a store owned by the Clouter family is utilized for these early meetings.
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1889:
The Brothers disaster occurs and five men from Bird Island Cove drown.
1890's:
James Ryan establishes a branch store in Bird Island Cove during the latter part of the nineteen century.
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1890:
William Pearce survives a stormy night, lost at sea, after a boom knocks him overboard but is rescued by another ship more than seven hours later! For a more comprehensive account Click Here.
A Methodist school chapel is in operation at North Side. The first record of a teacher being appointed to the school is 1896.
The Band of Hope is active at Bird Island Cove.
1891:
Population: There are 951 residents at Bird Island Cove.
Bird Island Cove (proper) - 455
North Side - 292
Northern Cove - 39
Muddy Brook - 65
Neck - 56
Sandy Cove - 36
Northern Bight - 8
Bird Island Cove becomes a separate Methodist mission distinct from Bonavista with Rev. S. J. Russell as its first pastor, with 150 Methodist families in the community. It was allowed as its own Methodist Board of Education at this time. Previously it was under the jurisdiction of the Bonavista Board of Education.
The way station becomes a post office. Since the early 1880's Arthur Tilly had provided postal services from his store with mail couriers dropping mail off there on their way to Bonavista from Catalina and Trinity.
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1894:
The Tilly business becomes insolvent as a result of the bank crash of 1894. Since Robert Tilly’s death in 1872, his son Arthur has operated the business. After 1894, Arthur concentrates on farming.
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1899:
A Methodist congregation makes the decision to build a new church.
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1900's:
J. T. Swyers establishes a branch store near Norder Cove Brook during the early part of the century.
Philip Templeman establishes a store with Arthur Tilly’s brother, Robert, in charge of the branch store, which Arthur had previously used for his own business.