Deacon Dave Thompson’s Letters
Deacon Dave Thompson was the son of Robert
Thompson and Mabel Belding, the granddaughter of Daniel Belding. Robert
Thompson came from Ireland
in 1846 and was on his way to St Andrews to find work when he stopped off at Chance Harbour
and took a job with the Beldings. That was the year Daniel Belding passed away.
In 1847, Robert Thompson married Mabel Belding and they had a number of
children before Mabel Belding died in 1846.
Deacon Dave Thompson was a deacon in the
church in the village and folks just started calling him Deacon Dave and the
name stuck with him.
In 1930, Deacon Dave maintained a store and
was the village postmaster. He entered correspondence with Prof. W F Ganong in Boston to answer Ganong’s questions about the history of
the Chance Harbour area. Here are two of those
letters from the Ganong papers deposited in the archives of the NB Museum in Saint John.
“I have received yours of Feb 5th and re – place
names along the NB coast between Dipper
Harbour and Point
Lepreau. I have lived here all my life with the exception of about 7 years when
I followed the sea. I am now in my 79th year. My grandfather on my
mother’s side was one of the first settlers in this community. His people came
from New York and were practically the first
to settle in Chance
Harbour. They were of
Loyalist stock – I feel qualified to answer your questions and think the
information can be relied on. The next place east of Chance Harbour
was always called Harbour by Chance. The north easterly cove was always
included in Chance
Harbour. Lobster Cove and
Little Dipper Harbour are one and the same places. Lobster Cove is the outward
southwest point of Little Dipper Harbour.”
“Most of the names along the shore are local. They generally
took their names from the owners or residents and when new owners came new
names arrive with them – Haley’s Cove for instance. The north east arm of Chance Harbour
was known as McLaughlan Cove as the McLaughlans were the first settlers there.
And on the extreme east end was a small salt meadow and two small streams ran
out through it forming a creek called McLaughlans Creek. There places have
changed owners now and consequently the names have changed with them. I trust
these explanations will be satisfactory to you. And if there is any other
information you desire, if I can, I will be pleased to give you.”
“Your letter of February 10th received. Please pardon
delay in reply. Your map or chart enclosed seems to be correct with the
exception of Clear
Lake. The lake marked on
your map that flows out through Moose Brook into Little Dipper Harbour is a
small dark body of water covered in spring and early summer with white and
yellow lilies. While the Clear
Lake which lies about two
miles to the westward is quite a large lake clear as crystal from which it
derives its name. I have marked on your map the Points where Lighthouses are
designated (sic) in red and have added the names of Cranberry Head and Belding
Creek. Also answered questions in the affirmative. I believe James Price was
the first grantee and Thomas the next.”
“I always understood that the Belding Bros D & S were before
Peter McLaughlan and James Boyle last. His property was part of the Price and
Thomas grant. However the Govt records will be correct. Daniel and Samuel
Belding were brothers. Daniel was my great grandfather. My grandfather David
Belding lived in Chance
Harbour all his life. He
was 84 years old when he died. When a young man of 18 he lost his left hand
through the bursting of a shot gun. There were no means of conveyance at that
time except by water and he nearly bleed to death before they reached Saint John in a row boat.
On the water by boat was the only means of travel these early settlers had and
I heard my grandfather say that they had to make two trips to Fredericton in an open boat to process their
grant. I thank you very much for your kind expressions and if this slight
information is any benefit to you it is freely given.”
Deacon Dave was an honest man but his
recollections about his Belding heritage were a little skewed. The Samuel
Belding he remembers as Daniel Belding’s brother is, in fact, his son. Daniel
Belding did have a brother Samuel but he died on Long
Island during the war in December of 1778. His confusion rests on
the original crown grant being given to Daniel Belding and Samuel Belding. It
would be more likely that they were brothers rather than father and son. Daniel
and Mabel had a total of 9 children but Daniel sets out in the 1819 petition
that there are only five at that time. Those five most likely would be Mabel
who married Alexander Hepburn, David who had lost one hand in a shooting
accident, Harriet who was in St John married to Thomas Maywell, Samuel himself,
and one other son. Perhaps Daniel Belding decided for some reason that he
wanted son Samuel to share the ownership and that reason may well have been
Samuel’s abilities and commitment compared to the others. Unfortunately, Samuel
and “the one other son” seem to have met with tragedy in or around the same
time as the grant was obtained. There is nothing more known about them save for
the family lore that they died at sea.
Again, when Deacon Dave sets out his
recollection of the order in which crown grants were taken up, he qualifies his
recollections by saying the Govt records would be correct. In truth, it doesn’t
matter when the actual crown grants were taken out. Daniel and Samuel didn’t
take theirs out until after they had lived on the property for some 14 years.
As to the village of Chance Harbour on Chance Harbour
and Little Dipper Harbour, it seems that the first permanent settlers were the
Belding family when they arrived and made a go of it in 1805.
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Thursday, July 14, 2005
Harry MacDonald
RR 2 Gananoque,
ON
K7G 2V4
Ph 613 382 8607
Fx 613 382 8673
harrymac@kos.net