Census reports are a great source of information for historians and those interested in genealogy. Though there are census reports of Newfoundland’s population prior to the 1900’s which one can find online these days they do not provide information on all communities in the country. The south coast of Newfoundland, particularly Fortune Bay, doesn’t show up in great detail in many of these reports.
McAlpine’s Directory
Published between 1870 and the outbreak of World War I, the McAlpine’s Directories were a series of books published by the McAlpine Publishing Company of Halifax, Nova Scotia, which included lists of businesses and heads of households for communities on the island. They were also published for the Maritime Provinces and Canada. These directories were heavily laced with advertising throughout. They were used to locate businesses and to find names of people to contact in various communities when conducting business or correspondence. They also had the appeal of seeing who lived in the many small communities scattered around the island. Our telephone books of today are similar directories.
Cover 1904 McAlpine’s Directory, Newfoundland
St. Jacques Entry, 1904 McAlpine’s Directory
Below is an excerpt from the 1904 McAlpine’s Directory for Newfoundland with corrections for misspelled names in the original. This wasn’t a census, therefore only the ‘heads of households’ were listed. Spouses and children were not included. As a result we cannot get a clear indication of the total population of St. Jacques in that year.
McAlpine’s 1904 Directory – St. Jacques
Burke D J and T , Dennis J Burke, Thomas Burke General Dealers
Burke Denis Speculator
Burke Michael Jr. General Dealer
Burke Patrick O Sea Captain
Burke Isaac Sea Captain
Burke Michael J General Dealer
Burke William T General Dealer
Burke Patrick J Carpenter
Burke William Clerk
Burke Ambrose Laborer
Burke Patrick D Sea Captain
Burke Thomas of D J & T Burke
Burke Denis J of D J & T Burke
Clinton Charles Sub-Collector H.M. Customs
Clinton Henry Tidewaiter
Cluett John W Fisherman
Cluett Archibald Fisherman
Dyett Samuel Fisherman
Dyett James Fisherman
Dinham Isaac Sea Captain
Dinham Isaac Fisherman
Drake John Fisherman
Evans Thomas Fisherman
Evans Isaac Fisherman
Noseworthy John C Fisherman
Evans Herbert Fisherman
Evans William Fisherman
Fiander John Fisherman
Fiander John T Fisherman
Fiander James Fisherman
Fiander William Fisherman
Gould George Laborer
Oakey James Fisherman
Hunt Matthew Fisherman
Kassip Isaac General Dealer
Kiddle Philip Fisherman
Lee William Fisherman
Lee Robert Carpenter
Lee Edwin Fisherman
McCarthy Patrick Fisherman
McCarthy Robert Fisherman
McCarthy Michael Fisherman
McCarthy Joseph Fisherman
McEvoy Patrick General Dealer and Telegraph Operator
Murphy Denis Fisherman
Murphy John Fisherman
Penny Joseph Sea Captain
Penny Patrick Seaman
Piercey Benjamin Fisherman
Skinner William Farmer
Skinner James Fisherman
Skinner Abraham Fisherman
Staple John Shoemaker
Tibbo —- Widow of Henry
Tibbo George Fisherman
Tibbo Alexander Fisherman
Tuck William Mail Carrier
Whelan James Fisherman
Young John H General Dealer
Young James Seaman
Young William Fisherman
Young Hubert H.M. storekeeper
Young Samuel Sea Captain
Young Randall Sea Captain
Young John Sea Captain
The complete McAlpine’s Director of Newfoundland for the Year 1904 is available online at Memorial University`s Digital Collections. You can download a PDF version of the document by clicking here.
All Things St. Jacques, NL 
Wow! Never thought that there were that many in St.Jacques. John
By: John Burke on April 13, 2014
at 8:43 pm
What a gaggle of Burkes!
By: John Burke on April 13, 2014
at 8:46 pm
Yes John Burke, lots of Burkes but also lots of Youngs!!
By: Debbie Rough on April 16, 2014
at 12:33 am
my grandfather was Patrick Burke b. 1888. Brothers included Alphonse and Leo. Sister Helena married a Bates. Any relatives out there?
By: Kathy Murray on June 27, 2014
at 11:09 am
Kathy
There are Burkes out there; many of them. There are no Burkes or their descendants currently living in St. Jacques. The last family moved out during the mid-1950’s. Several follow this blog and may get in touch with you through postings here. I can give you contact information through a private e-mail.
Alex
By: alexhickey on June 27, 2014
at 11:57 am
I remember my mother speaking about the Burkes; one family moved to the
Bay St. George area and I do believe lived on the Port-Au-Port peninsula. One family lived in Stephenville…Gordon & Kathleen (Burke) Young, very nice people. My mother was Blanche McCarthy, who married John James Hynes.
By: Sheila Hynes on July 16, 2014
at 6:08 pm
My Dad, John M. Burke, moved to Port au Port East in the 50s. His sister Kathleen, was married to Gordon Young, one of the first Newfoundlanders hired by the Americans in Stephenville. He ran the power plant at the Harmon Air Force base in Stephenville. By the way, Kathy Murray, I married the daughter of Isobel (Bates) White.
By: John Burke on August 21, 2014
at 11:21 pm
Nice collection of info here…
I am interested in info on James Dyett and his business, circa 1903-1905. Namely his schooner “D.M. Owen”, which he purchased from someone at St-Pierre. A later owner of the schooner was my Grandfather, Eldon Bishop of Wesleyville.
Any info would be appreciated
Thanks
By: Barry Gallant on November 1, 2015
at 3:33 pm
Barry:
The Dyett family moved to St. Jacques in the mid to late 1800’s from a community named Blanchette – Blanchard on some maps, which was also in Fortune Bay. They operated a fish harvesting/brokering business along with a retail operation. They owned several schooners including the D.M. Owen. James, “Jimmy” Dyett died on July 13 1938 at age 73. The business continued in the family line until the late 1970’s. There are no Dyett family members currently living in St. Jacques.
By: Alex Hickey on June 7, 2019
at 8:25 am
Very interesting! I see some of my ancestors in that group…
I’m the granddaughter of Effie Belle Fairweather (nee Fiander), the daughter of Blanche Fiander (Noseworthy), daughter of Ida Noseworthy (Young) 😉
By: Raine Fairweather on January 14, 2017
at 7:56 am