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Around 1886 the Government of Newfoundland was looking for new way to encourage the settlers to pursue sustenance farming. Newfoundland soil although unfertile and acidic, was still able to bring forth hardy crops to assist famliesthrough the winter. In Barr'd Islands the area was overcrowded, all the land seemed to be claimed and most of it was just barren. Being close to the fishing grounds and being prominent in the North Atlantic wasn't a plus for farming. Most of its soil was worn away and salt mist would easily destroy crops. Yet it was still possible for the people of Barr'd Island to grow vegetables to help supply themselves. So the government decided to pass an agriculture act to encourage farming by monetary compensation. The people would be paid eight dollars for the first acre of land cleared. For each additional acre they received an extra six dollars. Some of the people of Barr'd Island went in search for new farming ground where land wasn't claimed and where the winters were more bareable.

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Amelia Mews-Pioneer Woman of Birchy Bay
1920-1930
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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Ameilia Diamond was adopted and raised by Levi Witcher in Barr'd Islands. Levi also adopted John Canning who grew up with Ameilia as her brother. Ameilia no doubt heard many stories of Birchy Bay from her adopted brother, who had many memories of the bay. She married James Mews , the son of John and Mary Mews, and even after marriage they kept in close contact with each other. James' parents lived in the bay during the winter months.

Ameilia and James moved to Loo Bay (now called Loon Bay), a community close to Birchy Bay and had a child there. Later, they moved to Birchy Bay. Around the same time John Canning also moved to the bay with his wife Mary Ann Easton of Ragged Harbour.

They all wanted to move away from the congested Barr'd Islands and be close to each other again.

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The Mew's Family
Video done in 2008
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

Credits:
Desmond Canning

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First Ladies of Birchy Bay
1920's
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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James Mews liked a piece of land in an area of the community referred to as the byte. The byte was a level area of land covered in birch. The soil was fertile and soft, and easy to plow to plant crops. James settled here with his wife Amelia and started right away in making a home his young family. He built a studded tilt. While he placed the logs for the walls, his wife `chinked` them with moss as insulation.
John wanted to be closer to the land of his youth, and to the grave of his father. His father was buried on the Island. So John decided to locate himself off the mainland adjacent to where his family had lived. Here with his wife Mary Ann they began to build from the birch and pine forest a humble home of logs, iron nails, and moss.
Birchy Bay would now be the home of these two families. The men who were still employed in the fishery returned to Barr`d Islands to fish. The women stayed in the bays alone by themselves with their children. All of the daily chores had to be done by the women. They tended to the gardens and livestock. She cared for the children and spent many nights by the kerosene lamps knitting or reading longing for their husbands.
These first women of Birchy Bay who were isolated by about a mile as the crow flies (local slang for a straight line) would often visit each other. Amelia and Mary Ann would visit each other each going to Amelia's tilt one week and to Mary Ann's the other. They sometimes met up with each other half way making it easier. The women were lonely and tired but they still strived to go on and make a living as so many of our pioneer settlers done.

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George Quinlan, Joseph Quinlan and Child
20th Century
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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A couple of years after the settlement of Birchy Bay by James Mews and his wife along with John Canning and his wife more people began to settle in Birchy Bay. Birchy Bay was used as a temporary winter settlement. The men came in to cut wharf sticks, firewood and build boats. But with the collapse of the fishery and a new trade the logging business came into sight more people made Birchy Bay their home.
Richard Mews a cousin to James made Birchy Bay his home a few years later. Along with Joseph Quinlan the grandson of an Irishmen who settled in Trinity Bay.
Joseph was the son of a sailor who, while on board a schooner going past Barr`d Islands encountered a fierce storm. All of the men had to go overboard where the people of Barr`d Islands risked their lives to save them. According to tradition Joseph was a Catholic who became a protestant after experiencing the kindness of the Barr`d Island people. He went on to marry a lady there by the name of Martha Cull the daughter of Joseph Cull. John the oldest son of Joseph Quinlan was adventurous and decided to move from Barr`d Island.
A family whose surname was Harnetts was interested as well in making Birchy Bay their home. They had acquired a piece of land through a government grant. However for some reason they did not decide to stay here. After this Joseph Quinlan, the eldest son of John Quinlan of Barr`d Island secured this piece of land. So Joseph Quinlan along with his father and family came to live in Birchy Bay. This piece of Land would become home of the Quinlan`s in the year 1888.
A man by the name of Joseph Cull descendent of one of the earliest settlers of Barr`d Islands moved to Birchy Bay. He had two sons which died in peculiar ways. There are fables told that his sons were never meant to die blaming it upon a witches curse. All the male descendants of Joseph Cull had died in Birchy Bay.

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Samuel Quinlan with Grandson Samuel Jr.
20th Century
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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Lucy Quinlan and Son Allan Quinlan
20th Century
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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The Osmond family began in Birchy Bay with the Arrival of Basil Osmond. According to the local lore Basil was a relative of the Canning Family. His mother may have even been born in Birchy Bay. Basil was given land by his cousin John to live and farm on. Here, on a point of land, Basil built a small studded tilt. Like many of the settlers a small wooden tilt would become home to him and his family.
Basil Osmond`s wife was Martha Ann Peyton. She had a sister by the name of Eliza who married Robert Pope who originally came from Barr`d Islands. Robert Pope lived with Eliza and his family in Northern Arm. At the beginning of the Mill operations the family were quite interested in gaining employment at the Botwood mill. However their father and mother had bigger plans. They wanted to move to Birchy Bay and go work for the Birchy Bay Lumber Company where they would make lower wages but be closer to family. He moved to Birchy Bay during the opening of a saw mill at Botwoodville now present day Botwood. Robert Pope`s sons may not of been happy with this move, but they soon fell in love with the community.

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Basil and Martha Ann Osmond
1920s
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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Mr. William and Edith French with Son-in-Law George Burt
20th Century
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

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Alfred French
20th Century
Birchy Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada