O'Donnell's St. Mary's Bay
O'Donnell's is a scenic community on St. Mary's Bay - between St. Joseph's and Admiral's Beach. Mussel Pond is the original name of O'Donnell's, for the community is in front of a mussel pond. Some believe that it was renamed after Bishop J.L. O'Donel. Thomas Evoy (husband of Dorothy Nichols) - father of Mary Evoy Clark was said to be from this town, when he enlisted with the Newfoundland Forestry Overseas Unity with whom he served during WWII.
Some family names in O'Donnell's were Hickey, Hanlon, Comerford and Grace. There are two stores in O'Donnell's. There once was a school and a church, but both are now non-existent. There is, however, a community hall and a small parish center there to this day. There are two graveyards in O'Donnell's.
John Hickey and Sons is a small company in O'Donnell's that has employed most of the community since the 1970s. Hickey and Sons truck frozen fish, which is caught by their own draggers, to the United States. There is a small fish plant to process the fish when it is caught.
History of O’Donnell’s, St Mary’s Bay, NL
Mr. Thomas Butland, from (Devon) England, lived at O'Donnell's. According to Butland family tradition Mr. Thomas Butland was a clerk with the Grouchy firm in St. John’s before moving to O’Donnell’s. According to Lovell’s directory for Newfoundland this Mr. Butland is a fisherman residing in Mussell Pond (1871). The record indicates that he could read and write.
All people listed as residing in Mussell Pond, from the first official numeration down to 1911, were Roman Catholic. This is verified by oral tradition. It seems Mr. Thomas Butland (see above), the first Butland in the community was Church of England but he converted when he married Anastasia Lynch, an Irish Roman Catholic from St. John’s. . . . The first school in O’Donnell’s was held in Stephen Butland’s parlour, in the very early 1900’s.
The first church at O’Donnell’s was built in 1940 on a piece of land donated by Michael Butland, a grandson of the first Butland settler. It was built with free labour and materials provided by the inhabitants of the community under the guidance of Father Enright. The same Irish priest who had changed the community’s name from Mussell Pond to O’Donnell’s. Butland was from Devon, England.
1870 – 80 - Butland family consisting of: Thomas & Anastasia (nee Lynch); Children: Elizabeth, Mary, Jim, Stephen, Joe & Margaret. (Query: - Is this the Mary Butland the one who married into the Evoy line?)
The four families who resettled at O’Donnell’s from 1869 to 1894 were relatively large. Some of the sons and daughters were near marriage age so they attracted others to the community. The reason for family resettlement was due mainly to a shortage of family land at the former site but also a pioneer spirit of adventure. A map showing the land site claimed by each new inhabitant follows. The only family surname not accounted for is Power because Mr. Power married a Butland and they inherited a share of the Butland land.
All those who came to O’Donnell’s from the second half of the nineteenth century onwards came from other parts of Newfoundland, mainly from other settlements in St. Mary’s Bay. To help one visualize these movements the following may help: T. Butland, 1870 - from St. John’s/St. Joseph’s; reason: - Desire to live by sea.
Mr. Mike Butland had a lobster factory – set up for the canning of the lobster meat. He would buy the lobsters from the local fishermen. He also hired several young boys as help in the factory. The lobsters were boiled, meat removed from the shell, packed in special tins and then the tins were sealed with a soldering gun. These tins were then packed in crates and sold to the merchant firms in St. John’s.
The Knight families of Newfoundland - 810 "It appears that Thomas Rex Cook(1810-1879) was the oldest of the children of George and Elizabeth [Cook]. Thomas Rex Cook married Rebecca Earle of Portugal Cove (probably the daughter of John and Grace Earle of Dartmouth, Devon). His sister Jane, born 1826, married Peter Knight Butland in 1846.
1810 ""Thomas Rex Cook (1810-1879) lived on the Golden Ridge Farm. He married Rebecca Earle of Portugal Cove (probably the daughter of John and Grace Earle of Dartmouth Devon England). His sister Charlotte (born 1821) was married at Bally Haly in 1848 to Alex Robertson of Pictou, Nova Scotia (Newspaper report). Caroline (Charlotte's twin) married in 1848 William Martin, widower of St. John's - witnessed by P.K. Butland; Jane married Peter Knight Butland in 1846 - witnessed by Caroline Cook; George Rex (1816-1889) married Susannah Voisey in 1839; Richard was born 1828. When George (1780-1863), the father of these died, he left the bulk of his estate to his son George (married Susannah Voisey), with lesser amounts to go to his wife Elizabeth and son Joseph. No mention was made in his will of his other children. Thomas Cook of lands on Logy Bay Road that had been given to and built on by Thomas (who had it rented in 1863 to Richard Gardiner). It seems obvious that this was George's son Thomas."
McAlpine's 1904 Directory Placentia and St. Mary's District MUSSELL POND
BUTLAND James fisherman
BUTLAND Stephen fisherman
BUTLAND Joseph fisherman
In addition, Newfoundland's 1935 Provincial Census - District of Placentia and St. Mary's - Community of MUSSELL POND (original name for O'Donnell's) has the following:
Burland (sic), Joseph Head M M 33 500 8 Fisherman 250
Butland, Bertha Wife F M 27
Butland, Joseph Father M W 89 Pensioner 50
Butland, Bernard Head M M 36 1000 8 Mail Carrier 150
Butland, Mary E. Wife F M 42
Butland, Norah Dau F S 12
Butland, Etah Dau F S 10
Butland, Annie Dau F S 6
Butland, Mary Dau F S 4 (i.e. - b. ca 1931)
Butland, Stephen Father M W 77Butland, Michael Head M M 44 800 10 Fisherman 250
Butland, Annie Wife F M 42
Butland, Sarah Dau F S 22 Fisherman 100
Butland, Leo Son M S 20
Butland, Catherine Dau F S 18
Butland, Stephen Son M S 16
Butland, Thomas Son M S 10
Butland, Bridget Dau F S 9
Butland, Michael Son M S 8
Butland, Marguerite Dau F S 6
Butland, Laura Dau F S 4
Butland, Dermot Son M S 1
1945 NF Census -
AVALON SOUTH Region St. Mary's Bay District
Butland Stephen Head m m 27
Butland Mildred Wife f m 27
Butland Raymond Son m s 6
Butland Winifred Dau f s 4
Butland Ella Dau f s 2mo
1945 Census Placentia & St. Mary's Mussel Pond
Michael BUTLAND Head M M 54
Annie BUTLAND Wife F M 50
Thomas BUTLAND Son M S 20
Michael BUTLAND Son M S 18
Margaret BUTLAND Daughter F S 16
Loretta BUTLAND Daughter F S 14
Dermot BUTLAND Son M S 11
Bernard BUTLAND Son M S 9Leo BUTLAND Head M M 30
Ada BUTLAND Wife F M 25Joseph BUTLAND Head M M 43
Bertha BUTLAND Wife F M 37Mary E. BUTLAND Head F W 50
Edith BUTLAND Daughter F S 20
Annie BUTLAND Daughter F S 16
Mary BUTLAND Daughter F S 14
Patricia BUTLAND Daughter