To Our Visitors From Newfoundland ...

Welcome to Poole, the port from which so many of your forefathers sailed to start a new life in Newfoundland and the town which was the unofficial capital of the Province for some 200 years in the heyday of the fishing trade.

There are many sides to Poole and much to see but this guide has been designed to highlight locations of particular interest to you.

The links between us are legendary and many Poole folk still talk proudly of their ancestors' connection with England's oldest colony. The Wessex Newfoundland Society exists to foster and perpetuate this interest. Contact Brian Galpin of 72 Tatnam Road, Poole, BH15 2Ds for details of membership, their current programme and their periodical, "The Link".

We hope you enjoy your visit and will cherish fond memories of the particular warmth of our welcome to you. If so, please tell your friends to put Poole on their "no to be missed" list of places to visit when they plan their itinerary. Have a good stay!

The Newfoundland Trail

-- See map overleaf for details -- [full size (17" x 12" pdf 335kb)] [cropped (11" x 8.5" pdf 270kb)]

1 Poole Quay

From near the Custom House fisherman set sail in the spring to fish off Newfoundland, returning via Portugal, Spain or Italy in the autunm.

Typical cargoes of their ships on the way out would include nets, cordage, ironwork, hooks, barrels and all the provisions needed in the outports, together with apprentices, many only 12 or 13, bound for 5 or 7 years to learn the "art and mystery of the Newfoundland trade" with no reward beyong a new suit of clothes at the end of that time.

On the cambers and slipways of Hamworthy (opposite the Quay) many of the ships of the trade, in which Poole came to have the lead over other ports in England, were built and stone was loaded from here for the fortification of Placentia and of St. John's.

The Quay at "Havenpool" featured in the novels of Thomas Hardy, especially in the Mayor of Casterbridge in which Newson lands here from Newfoundland and To Please his Wife (Jolliffe comes home from sea to set up a grocer's business).

The famous naturalist, Philip Henry Gosse, embarked from here to spend 11 years working as a clerk for Slade, Elson and CO. in St. Mary's and Carbonear.

2 Baiter

A short walk away is a relaimed open space area, Baiter. Approached by Labrador and Catalina Drive, the main road through Baiter is Newfoundland Drive and the other roads leading off commemorate some of the ships' captains who too part in the trade ... Taverner ...Lander ...Colborne ... Furnell ... Vallis and Waldron.

3 St. James Church

The massive pine columns in the church are said to have been brought from Trinity as deck cargo when the Church was built in 1819. The original chandeliers and sconces from the Church were later sold to the Steele family and given to St. Peter's Church, Twillingate.

A Newfoundland flag hangs from one of the columns, it was dedicated in 1990, having been presented by Mr. Calvin Saunders of gander. On the right hand side of the nave is the memorial plaque to John Masters of Scilly Cove. See (12).

4 Mansion House

It is said that the merchant princes - men like Kemp, Jolliffe, Pike and Green, Slade, Lester, Garland and Spurrier - each tried to build a house in Poole which outshone the others. This was home to Benjamin and Issac Lester, and is currently a hotel and select dining club. The interior contains a room with a remarkable fireplace in marble which carved in it a split cod - a symbol of the source of their wealth.

5 Barber's Wharf

On the quayside of this modern housing development is a frieze commemorating our connection with Newfoundland.

6 Waterfront Museum

The maritime history of the town forms a large part of the displays here.

Of particular interest is material on loan from Trinity ... which in 1815 had the same population as Pool (c5000)!

Look out too for Poole mid or snow shoes and Poole musket owned by the Slades. You can also see Benjamin Lester's portrait and many relics of the Lester-Garland family. Many ship portraits are in the town's collection and are often displayed here.

7 Amity Hall

The present home of the Freemason Lodge of Amity (founded 1765).

There are records of many visitors from the New World, including D'Ewes Coke (later Justice Chief) in 1770, Michael Franklin (Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia) in 1769. Warrants for Lodges in Placentai (1784) and Harbour Grace (1785) were taken to Newfoundland in Poole ships. Union Lodge, Trinity (1817) is regarded as a daughter of the Lodge of Amity, Revd. John Clinch having been one of the founders.

Amity Hall is not open to the public.

8 Beechrust

Built for Samuel Rolles in 1789 and representing the great wealth of the White family, the leading Quaker Merchants in Poole. (Not open to the public)

9 Hunger Hall Burial Ground

The resting place of D'Ewes Coke, Chief Justice of Newfoundland 1792-1797, who died in 1801. Unfortunately, his gravestone no longer exists.

10 Poole cemetery

The gift of John Bingley Garland whose coat of arms is on the entrance gates. J B Garland was the first speaker of the House of Assembly in 1833. The Garland Family Mausoleum is here.

11 Upton House and Grounds

Built for the Spurrier Family, whose trade centered on Burin, c1780, where they built their brigs and barquentines. It was referred to as Wyndaway House in Thomas Hardy's The Hand of Ethelberta.

12 Civic Centre

Around the outside of the building at roof level are bas-relief plaques showing the history of the town, including one dated 1780 commemorating the Newfoundland trade. In the Council Chamber (ask to be escorted to it) one of the plaques records the onle native of Newfoundland, John Masters, to have been Mayor of Poole (twice) in 1748 and 1752. He was born in Scilly Cove (now Winterton). Another Mayorm Christopher Farwell, with other Poole sailors, was present at the claiming of the Province for Queen Elizabeth I on 1583 and was fined 㿊 by the Council for being absent from civic duties by "going in a long voyage towards the New Founde Land".

Borough Archives (seen by appointment) show the reference to this incident. The earlist mention of the Newfoundland Trade in the Poole records dates from 1553.

13 Other Places of Interest Near to Poole

Lytchett Minister Upper School was the mansion built by John Jeffery who traded from Trinity, Heart's Content and other outports.

Stone Cottege, a provate house, near Wimborne belonged to the Garland family as did Leeson House at Langton Matravers, near Swanage (now used as a Field Studies Centre).

The Dorset County Museum in Dorchester contains a fine painting of Lester's Plantation at Trinity.

The Dorset Record Office, Dorchester (by appointment) has the diaries and correspondence of the Lester's and the Garland's and microfilm copies are available at Poole Reference Library in the Dolphin Centre (located at No. 13 on the map).

-end quote-

Footnotes:

1. Text is by the late Derek Beamish (Assistant Borough Archivist)and extracted from 'The Newfoundland Trail' brochure published by Poole Tourism 1992, and used with Poole Tourism's permission.
2. For more detailed information, see the book by Derek Beamish and John Hillier, "Mansions and Merchants of Poole and Dorset", HFV Johnstone, Poole Historical Trust, 1976, ISBN 07137 0836 0. Unfortunately, this book is out of print.