An examination of military life in 18th-century Newfoundland using the archaeological remains of an officers' barracks on Bois Island, Ferryland (CgAf-1)

Newcombe, Simon (2017) An examination of military life in 18th-century Newfoundland using the archaeological remains of an officers' barracks on Bois Island, Ferryland (CgAf-1). Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Ferryland’s significance as a major fishing port, coupled with the threat of French aggression, prompted the English Crown to construct a series of fortifications and buildings on Bois Island in 1743. Situated in Ferryland Harbour with a strategic view of the Atlantic Ocean, Bois Island was occupied by members of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, the Royal Marines, and the 45th Regiment of Foot who defended the island and Ferryland from French raids of the mid to late 18th century. In 1975, Dr. Robert Barakat of Memorial University conducted a field school on the island centered around one of the barracks. This investigation produced an assemblage of over 5,000 artifacts that remained in The Rooms Provincial Museum in St. John’s, Newfoundland. A survey of Bois Island conducted in 2015 documented the remains of this excavation as well as the structural remains of the 18th-century fortifications and its risk from erosion. Through the lens of household archaeology, an analysis of the artifacts revealed details of daily life for the commissioned officers who occupied this barracks on and off between 1743 and 1784. These officers interacted with both seasonal and permanent residents of Ferryland and left behind a fascinating variety of 18th-century artifacts including ceramics, glassware, smoking pipes, decorative pewter spoons, and even an ivory die.

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