Edward "Ned" Healey

- Abt 1870

• Name	Edward Healey
  Nickname	Ned
  Born	Ireland?
  Gender	Male
  Research Overview	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
  It is not clear from the surviving records where Edward Healey was born. The Healey surname is fairly common throughout Newfoundland, so Edward may have been born in one of the other areas where the surname was prevalent. Blackhead, near St. John's, on the road to Cape Spear, has been suggested as having possible connections with the Ferryland area Healeys. The founding patriarch of the Healeys of Blackhead, also named Edward Healy, died in 1861 at the age of 95. His obituary states that he had lived there 50 years (since about 1811). The surname itself has been in the Ferryland area since the late 1700s. It was usually pronounced as Hay-lee, and hence spelled several different ways, including Hayley, Heyley, Haly, Haley, Hally, Healy, and Healey. One of the earliest mentions of the surname was at Ferryland in the 1791 Supreme Court records. On February 28 of that year James Conolly complained that he was owed money by Edward Hayley. A month later a man named Lenahan complained that he was owed money, for food and lodging, by Oliver Hayley. However, the Ferryland 1800 list of inhabitants, masters, servants, etc. doesn't show either of these names present by that time. The first mention of the surname at Caplin Bay was in 1814. On August 11 of that year, James Haley sold his house and land at the east end of Old Women's Pond to William Sweetland. William Sweetland and his brother, Benjamin, were born at Ferryland, the sons of a Devon merchant, Henry Sweetland, second husband of Anne Carter. She was the daughter of Robert Carter, who was English born but a long-time Ferryland resident and Justice of the Peace. Anne later married Matthew Morry, another Devon merchant with an established business at Caplin Bay. After this marriage, the Sweetland brothers also chose Caplin Bay as the headquarters for their fishing business and purchased, or were granted, several other pieces of land at the head of the bay. The Sweetlands built a large sixteen room house there, probably on, or near, the property purchased from James Haly. In May 1826 the name of a James Healy appeared in the court records stating that he was a prisioner in the jail at Ferryland, but a few days later the records indicate that there was no indictment against him. The name James Halley appears again as a witness to another land transaction at Caplin Bay in 1836. In 1827, the marriage records at St. John's indicate that Edward Haly of Ferryland married Johanna Malone, also of Ferryland. Around this time Edward's name began to surface more often in the court records. The court records at Ferryland indicate that on November 4, 1828, Edward Haley sued Thomas Norris. Thomas Norris was a long-time merchant at Ferryland. In 1833, Edward Haley of Fox Hill was sued by William Carter of Ferryland, and on January 10, 1835, Michael Duggan was accused of giving away his master's wood to Ned Hayley. Unfortunately, none of the records furnish any information on the kinship or connection (if any) between James Healey and Edward Healey. By 1840, James Healey's name had disappeared from the area and the voters lists show Edward Healey living in Ferryland (at Fox Hill) and a Thomas Healey living in Aquaforte (at Wi[t]ch Hazel Hill). Again there is no written evidence to indicate any kinship between these two families. It appears that Edward Healey, by the standards of his times, was considered an educated man. In the Ferryland District Roman Catholic Education report (Journal of the House of Assembly) for 1838/1839 there is an entry showing that in May of 1939, £8 "winter's pay" was allotted to E. Haley for his teaching services. In 1840, Edward Healey was mentioned in the Journal of the House of Assembly as one of the principals in a petition from Ferryland requesting repeal of the Hospital Act. Later journals also indicate that in December 1844, Edmund Healy was advanced the first installment of a contract (£4 15 0) for road construction from LaManche to Cape Broyle. Edward Healey's name also appears on a list at Caplin Bay receivng flour distribution in the winter of 1846/1847. There had been a hurricane (called The September Gale of 1846) which destroyed most fishing crafts and premises in the area, so fisherman were unable to pursue the fall fishery. The government provided flour, distributed under the supervision of the local clergy and magistrates, to those left most destitute by the gale. While the voters lists indicate that Thomas Healey spent the rest of his life at Aquaforte, they indicate that about 1843, Edward Healey left Ferryland and moved to Caplin Bay. In 1844 he is listed as living in the area identified as Gormand(s). This appears to be the property on the the north east side of the Old Woman's Pond, close to the property sold to the Sweetlands by James Haley, thirty years earlier. The reason for the move of the Healey family to Caplin Bay is not known. However another entry in the Journal of the House of Assembly shows that Edward and his wife were providing schooling to the children of their area (i.e. the south side). The report for Caplin Bay states "This school is kept by a man and his wife for £16 between them. The master, Mr. Heyley, I believe, is equal to teaching the usual branches of instruction in these humble Schools. There is no school-room built. Six children were present at the time of my visit (Dec. 6), 4 boys and 2 girls, about six years old.The school list contains the names of 72 scholars." Although Edward had moved to Caplin Bay, it appears he still retained possession of land at Ferryland. An Edward Healey was given a Crown Land grant at Ferryland in 1849. We assume that this was the Edward who was living at Caplin Bay since records do not indicate that there was an Edward Healy Jr. In an update to the 1859 voters list of Caplin Bay, a notation was made that Edward Haly was blind. Strangely, years later, another Crown Land grant was recorded for an Edward Healey at Ferryland in 1870. The name Edward Healey did not appear as the head of a household at Caplin Bay or Ferryland in Lovell's 1871 Directory. Edward's son Andrew was recorded as living at Ferryland, having married there in 1858. It is not known when Edward died; he may still have been alive in 1871. Being blind, and possibly living with one of his children at Ferryland or Caplin Bay, he would not have been listed as the head of the household.
  Died	Abt 1870
  Buried	Abt 1870
  Person ID	I1130	Families of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland
  Last Modified	5 Aug 2023

  
  

  Family	Johanna Malone,   d. 1 May 1848, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
  Married	12 Jan 1827	St. John's, Newfoundland   [1]
  RC Basilica - St John's - Marriage Records: January 12, 1827 - Edward Haly (Ferryland) m. Joanna Malone (Ferryland). Witnesses: Gregory Brown & Margaret Malone.
  Children	+ 1. Mary Healey,   b. Abt 1828, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 24 Jan 1890, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 62 years)   2. Catherine Healey,   b. Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. Abt 1880, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   3. Andrew Healey,   b. Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. Aft 1908, Ferryland, Newfoundland   4. Thomas Healey,   b. Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. Aft 1908, Ferryland, Newfoundland   5. Patrick Healey,   b. Ferryland, Newfoundland   6. Jeffrey Healey,   b. Abt 1835, Ferryland, Newfoundland ,   d. 23 Apr 1922, St. John's, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 87 years)
  Last Modified	3 Aug 2023
  Family ID	F469	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - - Ireland? Research Overview - - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Married - 12 Jan 1827 - St. John's, Newfoundland  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S24] Southern Shore RC Marriages at St. John's 1793 - 1890, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: Selected marriage records transcribed by the late Ray Curran & Cindy (Morrisson) Curran).