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Our Coveduck Origins
Next came the Coveducts to Ship Cove in 1760 to occupy a major portion of the Anthony plantation and establish the roots of this Newfoundland family. Family tradition states they came from Ireland. This property passed to the Coveduct name through marriage to a daughter of Matthew Anthony, the original owner. The transaction marked the termination of the very old Anthony name at Port de Grave but it currently remains strong in the Salmon Cove-Clarks Beach area. In the early 1800's the Coveyduct family moved to the South River area where they became engaged in boatbuilding and farming. About 1830, John Coveduct built the now historic homestead of Drogheda which still stands at the head of South River"it is currently owned by Melvin Morgan a direct descendent John Coveduck of Porte De Grave. The
permanent population of Newfoundland remained small and unstable until the
middle years of the 18th century. The population was approximately 20,000 by
the 1790s, and double that by 1815. All this happened in the face of an
official policy which did not encourage settlement. "Newfoundland",
wrote one commentator, "has been settled behind your back." The
immigrants came from two geographical areas. The earliest settlers came from
the southwest of England, but by the 1720s substantial numbers of people were
arriving from the southeast of Ireland. By the end of the 18th century a mixed
English-Irish society was emerging in Newfoundland that was to develop a
distinct character, in part because its existence had never been intended. Aaron Thomas wrote a vivid account of the life and hardships of a Newfoundland fisherman. A "fisherman who works in a banker on the Grand Bank has a most labourous life of it," he wrote in his Newfoundland Journal in 1794 "I have racked my brains for my memory to survey all the occupation London can produce, but I can find none bad enough for comparison. He is exposed to wind and rain, to fogs and frost, to live on
fish
and to be always wet. But what is the "finis" or completion of the
disagreeableness of the employ is the horrible stink which ariseth from the
cod's head and offal which are retained for some time in the ship, it being
improper to throw them overboard as taken off, because if they were the fish
would eat them and thereby an injury would be done to the fishing business.
From the heads offal and the accumulation of fishy, slimy matter, a stench or
smell is diffused over the ship that would give a headach to the most athletic
conststitution. Thomas
accurately described that the southern English countries of Devon and Dorset
supplied the greatest number of hands for the Newfoundland fisheries - more in
fact than everywhere else put together, he wrote "Lads from the plow, men
from the threshing floor and persons of all sizes, trades and ages and from
the manufactories flock annually, in the spring, to Newfoundland. The desire
of seeing a foreign land and the hope of returning with six or ten pounds in
their pockets is the consideration which induceth many to leave their native
country for a few months and visit the land of fish. Included amongst the first migrants who settled in North America which could be considered a kinsman of the surname Coveduck, or a variable spelling of that family name was a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century. The east coast ports were crowded. From the port of entry many settlers trekked their way west, joining the wagon trains to the prairies or lo the west coast. During the American War of Independence, many loyalists made their way north to Canada about 1790, and became known as the United Empire Loyalists. They were granted equivalent lands along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and in the Niagara Peninsula. Contemporary notables of the surname Coveduck, include many distinguished contributors W. Cobbledick who arrived in San Fransisco in 1860. In
1764 IRISH SHIP LISTS show The (Hannah), September 11 1764, from Cork,
Ireland. destination Boston Mass. Passengers. Francis Rien, James Furlog, John
Reding, James Coffe, James Steward, Richard Bourke, James Brien, Benjamin
Davison, Michael Clary In 1784 Al Beagan's "Genealogy Notes" for Ships of England, Channel Islands and Newfoundland lists the ship (Hannah) owners Elizabeth Knight & William COBBEDUCK 80 tons NFLD Harbor Grace Poole Aug. 1784 and it is also listed in the Keith Mathew's Collection as Knight 1784 aug munn bk Eliz/co own hannah bg 80 tom Wm COBBEDUCK reg pool blt nfld hr grace-port 1900 qtl"
In 1783 a deed registered to William Coveduck; Discription: (Plantation) Nature of Deed: (Book) Coveduck William 605 13 101 Cupits. In a 1790 Census in Buchans William Coveduck appears with a wife and four children. (no names are given) William's known children, Stephen, John and a daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth married a Warford and had sons John Warford and Henry Warford.A record of marriage in 1783 Harbour Grace: Angl. (DPHW 45A & P8/A/13) shows John COVEDUCK married Mary Taylor on October 03, 1783 and they had a son Stephen born in 1786 Harbour Grace Anglican Baptism Records, Port de Grave on June 18 1786. Stephen COVEDUCK married Ann Ledrew on Oct. 16, 1785 or 1789 Harbour Grace Angl. (DPHW 45A & P8/A/13)In Port de Grave, Newfoundland on the 19th of January 1808 John Coveduck and his son Stephen Coveduck sold a room to Keligrew Superior Court.In 1820 in Port de Grave; Superior Court: John Coveduck property was sold on July 13, 1820 for a debt to Joseph Furneaux.William
Coveyduck's parcel of land left to William's daughter was passed on to the
Warford family on June 11 1829 Conveyance Coveyduck Vol # 4 page 214, Cubids
William Coveyduck to John and Henry Warford a fishing room and plantation at
Cubits bounded on the east by son's property, Steven Coveyduck, on the
west by John Parker; one half to John Warford and one half to Henry Warford.
dated June 11 1827. There was a note that the property was later sold to W.
Pinsent and that William Coveyduck died June 1829 without any will.
On February 21, 1833 John Warford of Cupids assigns and conveys to William and Robert John Pinsent of Port de Grave his land which is bounded on the east by the fishing room and plantation left to him and his brother jointly by his deceased grandfather William Coveduck bounded on the east by the fishing room and plantation of the late Stephen Coveduck. There is also a land sale of Jacob Warford for land in Upper Gullies that was witnessed by a William Coveyduck dated 1865. He may have been a descendant of the older William. The fact that he witnessed the document in Upper Gullies could mean that there may have been a continuing family relationship between the Warford's and Coveyducks.Located near Clarke's
Beach, Dragheda (pronounced drog-a-dee) was first settled in the early 1800s
by the Coveyduck family. Today, descendants of that family still live on the
land they cleared and in the house that they built more than 160 years ago.
There is a dispute
over the origins of the word Dragheda. Some argue that early English and Welsh
settlers named it for a mountain in Wales and that it means "Valley of
Hope" in Welsh. Others have argued that it is a Gaelic term referring to
a bridge at a stream, ford or pond. The Coveyduck family
moved to the area in the early 1800s and originally used it as a winter house.
As was the custom at the time, many families moved inland during the winter.
The land at Dragheda was valued because it was sheltered, had a good water
supply from a nearby stream and was surrounded by white spruce and eastern
pine. After spending a few
years living in a tilt, a small cabin made of wood and covered in sods, the
Coveyducks built their house in 1830. The house and the surrounding lands saw
a lot of activity during the next century. Much of the surrounding land was
cleared and used for farming; a sawmill was built and much of the wood was
used for the construction of schooners, a business the family started. While the schooner
business eventually collapsed, Drogheda has continued to be involved in
farming and woodcutting. Currently owned by Melvin Morgan, a descendent of
founder John Coveyduck, the area is remarkably preserved. The original wood
shingles were only recently replaced on the farmhouse, having lasted 160
years. The rest of the house
is similar in style and construction to houses described in Trinity Bay and on
the Southern Shore. It is a salt box built of vertical pine board. There are
no studs in the house, and it features open beams that show the original
square-cut nails. The corner castings and eaves were all sealed with ochre and
seal oil, which makes the family boast that the house has never had a leak.
Considering its age, it is in excellent shape, owing to its constant
maintenance by the family. Melvin Morgan has been working to restore the house
and property to its original glory.
The
name Clarke's Beach was acquired from a fisherman named Clarke who fished Port
de Grave but decided to move inland further to Clarke's Beach. He fished off
the land and dried his fish along the beach and named the beach after himself. In the 1840s a mid nineteenth century house type was constructed for Henry Morgan, by himself and his brothers Abraham and John in the community of Bareneed. MORGAN Abram is mentioned as being well off in the Bareneed Census of 1817 and is the only Morgan listed,. . On July 19th, 1888 the three brothers received a Crown Grant of land in Seal Cove, Conception Bay South, and the house was dragged across the Conception
Bay
ice to Seal Cove. Henry Morgan occupied the northeastern portion of the land,
with Abraham and John sharing the southern portion. Henry's son William James
Morgan originally married Elizabeth Eason, however in 1917, William's second
wife, Esther Butler, gave birth to Minnie, who is now the only living member
who remembers the house. Minnie
grew up in the home built by her grandfather almost two centuries ago. After
Henry's death in 1929, his son, William J. Morgan took possession of the
property, and held it until his own death in 1959. His wife, Esther (Butler)
Morgan, continued to reside on the property until 1971 The house was sold in
1971 to the Simmons family marking the first time since the house was built
that it did not belong to the Morgan family. Isaac
Morgan Sr. (abt.1825-1896) and Isaac Morgan Jr. (1849-1918) first appear in
the INDIAN POND. Harbor Main District - 1894-97 McAlpine's Directory Census
and are my connection to the Morgans of Newfoundland. Annie E. P, Morgan born
in Indian Pond a direct descendant of Isaac Morgan Sr. (abt.1825-1896) married
my Father Harold William Coveduck also born in Indian Pond, Newfoundland and a
direct descendant of James and Francis (Anthony) Coveduck who were married in
Brigus Dec. 19, 1850. Tradition
has it that the earliest settlers came to Seal Cove from the older communities
on the north side of Conception Bay and the community first appears in the
census in 1857, with a population of 61. Charles
Cobbadue son of James and Francis Coveduck resettled in the community of Seal
Cove when it first appeared in the census of 1857. On Sepeember 23, 1876,
Rachel Ann, daughter of Charles and Caroline Coberduck of Seal Cove, was born.
Charles and his brother Henry Coveyduck both appear in the INDIAN POND. Harbor
Main District - 1894-97 McAlpine's Directory Census. Henry (William Henry)
Coveyduck is my Great Grandfather. By 1884 Seal Cove had a population of 117, and this number has continued to grow steadily. Originally a fishing community and by the 1880s there were also some full-time farmers at Seal Cove. Work was also available in the granite quarry that opened in 1882 to supply construction materials to the railway. Quarrying remained important to the local economy; throughout the twentieth century many gravel pits were excavated. Traditionally, Seal Cove has been a Church of England community. A church was built by 1874, but starting in the 1880s most people attended church in Upper Gullies and by the 1930s it seems most of them had converted to Pentecostalism. Seal Cove had its own school from 1884 to 1974. William Coveyduck. fisherman and Thomas Coveyduck. fisherman; are both included in the SEAL COVE; Harbor Main District - 1894-97 McAlpine's Directory Census. There is no doubt in my mind that all the Coveduck Coveyduck and Coveyduc Families of Newfoundland dating back to John Cabbaduck in 1708 are related. My family's confirmed connection begins in the Brigus, Newfoundland Church Records that show James Coveduck is my great great grandfather and he married Frances Anthony on Dec. 19, 1850: Francis (Fanny) Anthony is a direct descendant of the Anthony Plantation that passed to the Coveduck name through marriage to a daughter of Matthew Anthony, the original owner in 1760.
Brigus
Church Records in Newfoundland also show that James and Francis had a son
William Henry Coverduck, my great grandfather. he was born on Sept. 01, 1855
and baptized on Oct. 03, 1855. William Henry was recorded in the 1856 Indian
Point, Newfoundland census as Cobeduck. William Henry known as Uncle Harry had
four sisters Patience, Elizabeth Jane and Mary Anne. He had two brothers
Charles and John. William Henry married Elizabeth Butler and had nine children Annie, Alice Lily, Susannah, Jessie, William John, Joseph Henry, Albert and Henry who lived only eleven days. William Henry had a second marriage to Amy Porter they had no children. Annie married Abraham Dawe and they also had no children although they raised her brother William John's daughter Louise Gertrude known as Trudy. I have not found Alice Lily who married Mr. Green and they had a son Albert. Trudy told me that Alice Lily’s descendants were living in Newfoundland. I have not found Jessie's family as of this date. Susannah married Fred Stead and their children Rick and Carol have become my email buddies. William John married twice, his first marriage was to Louisa Butler and they have many descendents who I am in touch with regularly in USA and Canada. William John's second marriage to Myrtle Peach was in St. Clements Church in Verdun, Quebec. St. Clements Church is the same church most of my family were married and christened in. Some of William and Myrtle's descendents whom I have found have also stayed in touch with me. Albert Coveyduck married twice his first marriage was to Annie Mildred Andrews born 1882 and died in 1910, they had two children. Albert's second marriage in Point Saint Charles, Quebec was to Annie Walsh and they have a large number of descendents who now live in Quebec and Ontario. I have met several of their descendents and with their help I was able to put their branch together.
My grandfather Joseph
Henry Coveyduck first came to Montreal, Quebec in 1910 where he married his
wife Sarah Jane Regular in St Edwards Anglican Church in Montreal. After they
were married they both returned back to Indian Pond, Newfoundland where my
father Harold William COVEDUCK was born in 1911. Hopewell Register of Baptisms
from Nov. 1900 to Dec. 1942 show that he was born January 28, 1911 and
baptized HERBERT William COVEYDUCK on February 12,1911 by E.K.H. Caldwell. and
that his parents were Joseph & Sarah COVEYDUCK, Abode: Indian Pond.
Fathers Occupation: Farmer
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The materials and writings that are used in this website are copyright Coveduck Families Of Newfoundland and/or its respective contributors,
This Site is owned and maintained
by
William Coveduck
Page Created 06 June 2001
Our Family Roots 
