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These transcriptions may contain human errors.
As always, confirm these, as you would any other source material.
This information was set to me by Judge Gerald Barnable in
1993.
I typed it with the spelling of the names exactly as they appeared from
his researched document……
Roberta Sullivan 2002
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The court document described them as …”the ringleaders and open abettors of the riots caused to the great and manifest danger to the inhabitants of this place, and their property. And the said offenders, having absconded to avoid being brought to their trial in open contempt of the lawful authority, after they had been summoned to appear. We are of the opinion that the threats now made use of, towards the principal inhabitants of this District, will, in the winter, be carried into execution if the same notorious offendeds are permitted to return. We therefore decree the crime with which they stand charged, have been fully proven. That all and each of them forfeit all the wages which may be due to them for their services in the fishery. That they are, all of them, banished from the District as vagabonds, and to receive, if they should be so dearing as to return, 39 lashes on their bare backs with a cat of nine tails. For those not on wages the product of the voyage is to be forfeited.”
The record also noted that Dennis Gorman, Thomas Kerrivan, Lawrence Dwyer, and Michael Rahalay had already been transported for their part in the riots.
A further order, modifying the original decree that those who had fled away were to be whipped, was made at the end of September. Those who turned themselves in would not be whipped after all. Stephen Harper, Phillip Doolin and William Fogarty surrended.
As already illustrated, some were punished and more severely than others. Another decree forbade anyone giving shelter to the escaped rioters. Nicholas Murphy must have done so, and also have been a man of some property. His land was sold to pay the amount of the fine imposed on him 20 pounds. Thomas Norris bougt it.
William Coman was fined this same amount. During one episode he had taken the constatble, William Carter, as if to say “Take him, you’re responsible for this state of affairs” The fines collected were placed in the hands of a Protestant committee so that they could build a court house and jail. A naval ship with marines remained stationed in Ferryland the following winter to insure that there wouldn’t be be a recurrence. (Ref. PANL GN5/4/C1, Ferryland Court Records, 1786-1812)
The court records do not give the cause of these riots. Even the historians have been very circumspect. Pedley, for instance,
“ From a memorial purporting to come from ‘the magistrates principal merchants, traders, and inhabitants of Ferryland’, to which nineteen names are subscribed, His Excellency learnt, that there had been much manifestation of a riotous, lawless, spirit, that the memorialists were in fear of their lives and property, and considered themselves in absolute need of military protection. From the scanty notices which have come down to us of this affair (and though scanty, they represent it as being serious, and calling forth strong effort and severe punishment in the repression of the religious animosity. The Irish Roman Catholics, so long held down, having had their bonds relaxed, were disposed to use their freedom with angry wantonness, and to take vengeance on those who belonged to the side of that Protestant ascendancy by which they had been oppressed. That the riot was of the character and origin ascribed to it, appears, first, from the fact that in the directions of Governor Elliot to the people of Ferryland, to cooperate with the naval force sent for their protection, he advises the formation of a committee from the Protestant inhabitants; and secondly, in a letter from the same authority to the officer who had been successfully employed in the repression of the riots, the writer states that an admonition had been addressed to Father Power and to Father O’Donnel (priest at St John’s), from which he was lead to hope that there would be no more trouble”. (Ref. Pedley, Charles, The history of Newfoundland - London)
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Page Revised: December 2002 (Don Tate)
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