William SWEETLAND JP ⁴¹⁹

   Cause of his death was Apoplexy.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Alt. Birth: Caplin Bay (now Calvert), Sep 1778, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁴⁷

2. Alt. Birth, 1779, Dartmouth, Devon, England. ⁴⁷

3. Alt. Birth, Bef 23 Sep 1788, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁰

4. Alt. Birth, Sep 1789, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹¹

5. Baptism: Anglican Cathedral of St. John The Baptist, 23 Sep 1789, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹¹

6. Occupation: Merchant, Between 1813 and 1818, Dartmouth, Devon, England. ⁴⁵⁴

7. Court: Indenture between James Hayly and William Sweetland, 11 Aug 1814, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷¹

8. Property: Purchased house and land in Caplin Bay near Old Woman's Pond from James Hayley [sic], 11 Aug 1814, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷² This event was shared with Benjamin SWEETLAND JP.

9. Property: Occupied by lease from the Holdsworth family a parcel of land near the Old Woman's Pond, Cir 1815-1834, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷³ It is not clear if this is the same land on which the house, parts of which still exist, was constructed. A description of the property they leased from the Holdsworth interests is found amongst other properties listed for sale by the latter in the Public Ledger dated March 7, 1827 (see attached). This event was shared from Benjamin SWEETLAND JP who also shared it with Lieut. Henry SWEETLAND R. N. (Party).

10. Residence: Caplin Bay (now Calvert), 1817, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁴

11. Property: Bill of sale of property in Caplin Bay By Patrick Clancy to Wm. & Benj. Sweetland and Co., 27 Nov 1817, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁵ This sale of property and fishing equipment is between Patrick Clancy and William and Benjamin Sweetland who were brothers and business partners in the firm of William and Benjamin Sweetland and Company.To understand why this document is even found amongst the Morry papers, even though there is no mention of anyone from that family in the text, it must be understood that William Sweetland was not only a sometime business partner of Matthew Morry Jr. but also the husband of his sister, Priscilla Ann. Moreover, Ann [Carter] Hill-Sweetland-Morry was his mother and the second wife of Matthew Morry Senior. So there were many connections. Even so, it is somewhat surprising that this Bill of Sale did not remain with William when he moved to Bonavista to take up his position as Stipendiary Magistrate.Many times, such Bills of Sale are not what they seem on the surface. They are more the offering of property for security on a loan needed to carry on work in the fishery. But in this instance it does appear to be a true sale of premises, lands and equipment, but with the proviso that, for a token amount of money (2 Shillings and 6 pence per annum) Clancy could continue to occupy his residence on these lands. I suspect that Clancy had been selling his fish to William and Benjamin Sweetland and Company but that he was too old or weak now to continue in this arrangement with them and they were effectively paying him £92 toward his retirement for his property but allowing him to stay on in his existing house.

Kevin Reddigan suggests in his book Courageous Souls on page 217 that this property may have included a part of the shoreline of Caplin Bay and hence was likely originally a part of the Nash Plantation taken over by the Holdsworths when Thomas Nash left the area. This event was shared with Benjamin SWEETLAND JP.

12. Will: Will of Rose Steer, formerly of Dartmouth, 20 Jun 1825, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁶ Rose Steer (her married name; she was a widow) was originally from Dartmouth but was living in Caplin Bay when she made out this will. It was witnessed by William Sweetland and Matthew Morry Junior. As far as I can tell, all the heirs named as well as the two executors lived in Dartmouth. Other than these coincident facts, I do not believe that there was any connection between her and the Morrys so I am curious as to why her original will bearing an actual seal and real signatures would have been retained and passed down over the generations in the Morry family. All a bit of a mystery. This event was shared from Matthew MORRY II JP

13. Occupation: Agent for William Vallance, Water St. Merchant, 1826, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁶⁶

14. Court: Member of officials at 4th sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 4 Nov 1828, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁷ B. G. Garrett, Clerk & Registrar
Ewen Stabb, Deputy Sheriff
William Carter, Justice of Peace
John Preston, Justice of Peace
Andrew Morrison, Justice of Peace
Richard Gorman, Gaoler
Richard Sullivan, Constable
John Torr, Constable

Grand Jury:
Benjamin Sweetland, foreman
Robert Carter, R.N.
G. Brown
J. Carter
A. Carter
Thomas Congdon
N. Clift
Robert Evans
William Goff
Mr. Morry [sic]
James Morrison
Thomas Norris
William Richards
J. Rowe
J. Saunders
Peter Winsor
Henry Winsor
Thomas Right
William Sweetland This event was shared from Hon. William CARTER Esq. who also shared it with Arthur Hunt O'Brien CARTER (Witness), Benjamin SWEETLAND JP (Witness), Capt. Hon. Peter Ford WINSOR JP MHA (Witness), Capt. Jacob WINSOR (Witness), Capt. Matthew MORRY (Witness), Const. Richard O'SULLIVAN (Witness), Ewen STABB (Witness), Hon. Lt. Commander Robert CARTER RN, MHA (Witness), James Howe CARTER (Witness), James SANDERS (Witness), and Noah CLIFT Esq. (Witness).

15. Residence: Indenture shows he was living here at the time, 8 Sep 1832, Barren Island, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁷⁸

16. Property: Bankruptcy Sale of business articles, The Public Ledger, 22 Apr 1834 to 1 May 1834, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^879,880 According to Robert Carter's diaries, as reported by Kevin Reddigan in his book, Courageous Souls, on page 211-212 the sale was not very successful. The same was covered in the Law Society book "A Merchant Magistrate..." Vol. 1, Pg 86:

Thursday, 1 May 1834
" Was at Caplin Bay at sale of B. Sweetland & Co. effects, few purchases." This sets down for the first time the timeline of the closure of Sweetland business operations in Caplin Bay prior to Benjamin' s departure for Trinity and William' s to Bonavista as Magistrates in those towns.


This event was shared from Benjamin SWEETLAND JP who also shared it with Lieut. Henry SWEETLAND R. N. (Party).

17. Appointment: Clerk of the Peace, 24 Nov 1834, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^866,881

18. Court: Member of officials at 1835 sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 29 Oct 1835 to 4 Nov 1835, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸² William Lilly, Esq., Acting Clerk & Registrar
Benjamin Sweetland, Deputy Sheriff
Robert Carter, Justice of Peace
Thomas Congdon, Justice of Peace
Thomas Wright, Justice of Peace
William Sweetland, Justice of Peace
Peter Gorman, Gaoler
John (McGlynn) and Michael Sullivan, Constables This event was shared from Robert CARTER JP who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND JP (Deputy Sheriff).

19. Property: Purchase of Thompson's Room from William Pendergast, 14 May 1836, Cape Broyle, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸³ SDC Vol 1 Fol 443 William Pendergast to William Sweetland 14-05-1836

20. Probate: Application for probate of his estate by sons William and Benjamin, 3 Aug 1836, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁴ This event was shared from Capt. Henry J. SWEETLAND JP who also shared it with Anne CARTER (Witness) and Benjamin SWEETLAND JP (Witness).

21. Residence: From Deed to Margaret Pendergast in Southern District Court Vol. 3, Fol 10-13, 21 Oct 1836, Little Placentia, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁵

22. Occupation: Stipendiary Magistrate Bonavista Bay, 15 Dec 1836, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹¹

23. Court: Coulman, William v William & Benjamin Sweetland at 1837 sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 3 Nov 1837 to 10 Nov 1837, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁶ Trespass & Ejectment. Settled.. This event was shared from William COULMAN who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Party) and Benjamin SWEETLAND JP (Party).

24. Occupation: Magistrate earning £25 per quarter, 1839, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁷ Note that his brother, Benjamin, earned £5 more per quarter in Trinity.

25. Court: Appointment of Justices of the Peace in the Northern District, 1843, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁸

26. Documentation: Letter from William Sweetland to Justices of Supreme Court, 12 Oct 1852, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁹ Interceding to the benefit of William Keel, now in the insane asylum in St; John's to ensure that the rent owed on his fishing room by the current tenant is collected and invested for his future use. Found by Edward Chafe and posted on Newfoundlanders and Genealogy, 20 Jan 2020

William married Priscilla Ann MORRY, daughter of Capt. Matthew MORRY and Mary GRAHAM, on 15 Feb 1810 in Dartmouth, Devon, England ^{47,111,125,609,698,699}.^,861 (Priscilla Ann MORRY was born on 28 Mar 1783 in Dartmouth, Devon, England ⁷⁵², christened on 2 Apr 1783 in Dartmouth, Devon, England,^47,863,864 died on 19 Dec 1820 in Dartmouth, Devon, England ^111,131,865 and was buried on 24 Dec 1820 in Dartmouth, Devon, England ^111,609,697.). The cause of her death was Possibly aftereffects of childbirth; she had just borne a child a few months prior.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Witnesses: Matthew Morry & Mary Graham, 15 Feb 1810, Dartmouth, Devon, England. ^607,698 The Mary Graham to which this refers is not the spouse of Matthew Morry but rather a cousin of Priscilla's

William next married Elizabeth NEWELL, daughter of Thomas NEWELL and Christian WADMAN, circa 1838 in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.⁸⁶⁹ (Elizabeth NEWELL was born circa 1796 in New Perlican, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ^219,890 and died on 24 Jun 1869 in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ²¹⁹.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Alt. Marriage, Cir 1839, Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁶⁶