Benjamin SWEETLAND JP ⁷⁰⁹

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Interesting: Matthew Morry and Co. and Benjamin Sweetland and Co. fishing activity, Cir 1780-1820, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³² Both of these companies which were based at the head of the bay utilised Stone Island Shooting Point as a shoreline attachment for fishing gear according to Kevin Reddigan in Courageous Souls

2. Alt. Birth, Bef 28 Feb 1790, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁷⁰⁹

3. Baptism, 28 Feb 1790, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁶⁷

4. Census: Household of Robert and Ann Carter, 1800, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁷⁰⁹ Including daughter, Ann Carter Sweetland (widow) and her son Benjamin Sweetland.

5. 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 from William SWEETLAND JP

6. 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 with Lieut. Henry SWEETLAND R. N. and William SWEETLAND JP.

7. Court: Surrogate Court Records GN-5-1-C-1 34-35 Division of R Carter Plantation, 9 Jan 1816, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³³ Ann Sanders Morry (thourgh her husband Matthew Morry II) and her brother Robert Sanders agreement to division of plantation or fishing room left to their mother Mary Carter Sanders by her father Robert Carter I. This event was shared from Robert SANDERS who also shared it with Anne SANDERS (Party), Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Witness), James Howe CARTER (Witness), and Matthew MORRY II JP (Party).

8. 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 from William SWEETLAND JP

9. Court: GN-5-1-C-1 52-54 Commission on the Case of J Square vs M Morry & Co, 30 Sep 1818, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁴ This is a Commission granted by Supreme Court Justice Francis Forbes to Robert Carter, J. P. to arrange security for the assets of Matthew Morry & Co. in Newfoundland pending the outcome of Matthew Morry's appeal against the judgement granted the month before to John Square This event was shared from Capt. Matthew MORRY who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Party), Matthew MORRY II JP (Party), Robert CARTER JP (Party), and Robert CARTER JP (Party).

10. Residence, Between 1820 and 1835, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

11. Court: Case as Defendants, Second Sitting of the Southern Circuit Court, 4 Nov 1826, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁵ Ennis Grant v. Benjamin Sweetland and Matthew Morry. Judgement by confession. £22.12.0

This was probably a matter of wages owing to Sweetland and Company and Morry and Co. It isn't clear which of the two Matthew Morrys was a defendant but it hardly matters as it was undoubtedly the company that was really the defendant. This event was shared from Matthew MORRY II JP who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Party).

12. Court: Case as Plaintiffs, Second Sitting of the Southern Circuit Court, 6 Nov 1826, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁵ Benjamin Sweetland and Matthew Morry v. Patrick Evoy. Judgement by confession. £10.0.0. Value of bait supplied to Evoy and his servants during season. This event was shared with Matthew MORRY II JP.

13. Court: Cases as Defendant, Second Sitting of the Southern Circuit Court, 8 Nov 1826, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁵ Michael Murphy v. Benjamin Sweetland & Co. Judgement for Plaintiff. £1.1.0 of the amount claimed - £3.3.0.

14. Employment: Served as the attorney and representative of Thomas Prosser of Stratford, Ireland, 1827, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁶ He was mentioned in an indenture between William Goff and Willaim Kydd in the Southern Court records as being the agent who was responsible for lands rented to William Goff on the Northside of Ferryland which actually belonged to Thomas Prosser in Ireland.

SDC Vol 1 Fol 50-54 William Goff to William Kydd 04-12-1827

15. Court: Member of Grand Jury, Third Sitting of the Southern Circuit Court, 2 Oct 1827, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁷ Presiding: The Honourable Richard Alexander Tucker, Esq., Chief Judge of the Supreme Court

B. G. Garrett, Clerk and Registrar, SCC

John Bulger, Deputy Sheriff
William Carter, Magistrate & Custos Rotulorum (Keeper of the Rolls)
Andrew Morrison, Magistrate
John Preston, Magistrate
Richard Sullivan and John McLennan, Constables
Peter Gorman, Gaoler

Grand Jury:
Charles Hutchins (FOreman); Thomas Congdon, G. Brown; James H. Carter; Matthew Morry; John Morry; John Row; W. Richards; N. Stabb; P. Winsor; Thomas Norris; Thomas Norris, Jr.; John W. Saunders; M. Brazil; E. Stabb; A. Clift; B. Sweetland; Phillip Wright; Robert Evans; William Goff

16. Court: Henry Studdy v. John W. Saunders, Third Sitting of the Southern Circuit Court, 3 Oct 1827, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴³⁸ Plaintiff represented by Noah Clift. He wishes to eject Saunders from a store.

Special Jury with Benjamin Sweetland as Foreman. Witness is John Preston who worked for the Plaintiff as clerk for some years and knows his property in Renews well. It is adjacent to that of Nicholas Stabb but also to a flake owned by the Defendant. The locatiton of the store is marked by a boundary stone and it was never shared between the two. Witness John Kelligrew bore out this testimony. The Jury found for the Plaintiff but the award was only one Shilling. This event was shared from John William SAUNDERS JP who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Juror) and Noah CLIFT Esq. (Power of Attorney).

17. Court: Convicted of Raping an Employee, Ellen Delahunty, 3 Nov 1827, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^111,1439 Jury included:
BenjaminSweetland (Foreman); Gregory Brown; William Richard; Nicholas Stabb; Maurice Brazil; Thomas Norris; Matthew Morry; Peter Winsor; Ewen Stabb; Noah Clift; William Goff; John Kelligrew

Witnesses included Eleanor (Ellen) Delahunty, her sister Catherine Kelly, Dr. Andrew Morrison, William Harris, Martin Conway This event was shared from James Howe CARTER who also shared it with Capt. Matthew MORRY (Juror), Capt. Peter WINSER (Juror), Catherine DELAHUNTY (Witness), Catherine DELAHUNTY (Party), Eleanor DELAHUNTY (Witness), Ewen STABB (Juror), Nicholas Sparke STABB (Juror), and Noah CLIFT Esq. (Juror).

18. Occupation: Merchant, 1828-1834, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^54,1440

19. 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), 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), Noah CLIFT Esq. (Witness), and William SWEETLAND JP (Witness).

20. Occupation: Merchant, Caplin Bay, 9 Nov 1828, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁴⁴³

21. Property: Purchase of property from William Shelley, South side, 5 Dec 1828, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴¹ SDC Vol 1 Fol 81-82 Walter Shelley to Benjamin Sweetland 05-12-1828 transcribed by Kevin Reddigan.

It is notable that it was at this time the Sweetland's were still acquiring and accumulating land holdings in Caplin Bay. I had previously assumed that they had acquired their property in Caplin Bay much earlier.

22. Court: Benjamin Sweetland, Esq. v Patrick Congdon at 6th sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 27 Oct 1830, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹⁶ Action to recover £1.6.0. for rent. Defendant admitted claim. Award to Plaintiff.

23. Court: William Carter, Esq. v John Hutchins at 6th sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 27 Oct 1830, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹⁶ Action to recover £7.15.4. Referred to Robert Carter and Benjamin Sweetland, Esq. for arbitration. Found for Plaintiff. This event was shared from Hon. William CARTER Esq. who also shared it with Robert CARTER JP (Arbitrator).

24. Court: Benjamin Sweetland & Co v various at 6th sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 4 Nov 1830, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹⁶ Two cases heard on this day:
Benjamin Sweetland & Co. v Robert Swain, William Wade, Edward Kough & Timothy Brien

Action to recover £5.7.0. Matter left to Ewen Stabb and Noah Clift to arbitrate who decided for the Plaintiff without costs.

Benjamin Sweetland & Co. v Patrick Clancy
Action to recover £9.0.0. Settled This event was shared with Ewen STABB and Noah CLIFT Esq..

25. Court: Benjamin Sweetland v Patrick Congdon at 7th sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 10 Oct 1831, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹⁷ Action to recover £13.4.0 Stg. Settled.

26. Owner: The SNIPEFISH; Returned from St. John's, 28 Aug 1832, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^850,1442 Co-owned by Matthew Morry Jr. and Benjamin Sweetland 1825-1842 according to ACSP This event was shared from Matthew MORRY II JP who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Witness).

27. Appointment: Junior Magistrate, Cir Dec 1832, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴³

28. Occupation: Merchant, Caplin Bay, 15 Dec 1832, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸¹³

29. Appointment: Deputy Sherrif, 1833, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴⁴

30. Court: Bryan, Nicholas a.t.s Benjamin Sweetland at 1833 sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 19 Oct 1833 to 30 Oct 1833, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹¹⁷ Action to recover £9 for non-fulfillment of agreement. Petty Jury determined no cause of action.

31. Court: Member of officials at 1833 sitting of Southern Circuit Court, 19 Oct 1833 to 30 Oct 1833, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴⁴ B. G. Garrett, Clerk & Registrar
Benjamin Sweetland, Deputy Sheriff
Robert Carter, Justice of Peace
Peter Gorman, Gaoler
Richard Sullivan, John Cummins, William Broderick and Michael Jackman, Constables This event was shared from Robert CARTER JP who also shared it with Const. Richard O'SULLIVAN (Constable).

32. 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 with Lieut. Henry SWEETLAND R. N. and William SWEETLAND JP.

33. Occupation: Merchant, Caplin Bay, 29 Aug 1834, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁵¹⁷

34. Appointment: Magistrate for the Southern District, 24 Sep 1834, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^118,1445

35. 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 William SWEETLAND JP (Justice of Peace).

36. Property: Indenture to sell two parcels of land on south side to Matthew Whelan, 24 Jun 1836, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴⁶ A curious transaction in which Matthew Morry is selling these bits of property to Matthew Whelan but in fact Father Timothy Browne and Benjamin Sweetland are paying the purchase price of £10. Mentioned also in Kevin Reddigan's book Courageous Souls on page 241 This event was shared from Matthew MORRY II JP who also shared it with Benjamin SWEETLAND J. P. (Trustee).

37. 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 William SWEETLAND JP (Witness).

38. 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 William SWEETLAND JP (Party).

39. Occupation: Magistrate earning £30 per quarter, 1839, Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁷

40. Occupation: Clerk and Storekeeper for James Howe Carter, 1842, Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴⁷

41. Court: Appointment of Justices of the Peace in the Northern District, 1843, Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ⁸⁸⁸

42. Court: NDC Vol 9 Fol 465 Benjamin Sweetland et al from Patrick Fowlow 05-10-1843, 5 Oct 1843, Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁴⁸ Patrick Fowlow donates land for a school to the local ministers and the members of the Board of Education, including Benjamin Sweetland

43. Occupation: Stipendiary Magistrate and Judge for Labrador Coast, Between 1862 and 1865, Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^{780,1449,1450}

44. Occupation: Lawyer, Commissioner of Subpoenas, Stipendiary Magistrate, JP, Coroner, 1871. ¹⁴⁵¹

45. Emigration: From Trinity, Newfoundland, Between 1872 and 1880, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America. ¹²⁵

46. Property: Sale of Sweetland house and property near Old Woman's Pond, 1872, Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ¹⁴⁵² Property sold by Thomas Graham Morry to John "Kough" (Keough) whose heirs still occupy a vestige of the old house.

Kevin Reddigan believes that this house was purpose built for Benjamin and William Sweetland ca 1820 (Courgeous Souls, Page 134).

47. Census: 1537 Pacific Street, 1880, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America. ¹⁴⁵³ Household of Ben Sweetland 89 with daughter Marie Hall 49 and grandniece Elenor Sweetland 17 This event was shared with Eleanor SWEETLAND and Maria Selina SWEETLAND.

48. Residence: 1537 Pacific St, 2 Jun 1880, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America. ¹⁴⁵⁴ Ben [sic] Sweetland a widower, 89, living with his daughter, Marie Hall (a widow), 49, and one "grandniece" (granddaughter?), Elenor [sic] Sweetland, 17, and a servant. This event was shared with Maria Selina SWEETLAND.

49. Alt. Death, 22 Dec 1883, New York, New York, New York, United States Of America. ⁸⁶⁹

50. Alt. Death, 22 May 1884, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America. ¹³⁹

51. Alt. Burial, After 27 May 1884, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America. ⁴⁹ 060318 from Find A Grave

Benjamin Sweetland
BIRTH13 Feb 1790
DEATH27 May 1884 (aged 94)
BURIAL
Green-Wood Cemetery
Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA
PLOTLot 6006, Section 66
MEMORIAL ID58044172 · View Sour

Benjamin married Tryphena GADEN, daughter of Lieut. George GADEN RNR and Emma THISTLE, on 4 Dec 1827 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ^{419,420,452,1429}.^,1430 (Tryphena GADEN was born on 8 Jul 1805 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ^1455,1456, christened on 11 Aug 1813 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada,^1455,1456 died on 15 Aug 1879 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America ^219,869 and was buried on 17 Aug 1879 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States of America ¹⁴³¹.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. Alt. Marriage, May 1827, Dartmouth, Devon, England. ⁸⁶⁹

2. Minister/Priest: Rev. Frederic Hamilton Carrington, Rector, 4 Dec 1827, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^419,420,1429

3. Witnesses: Thos. Bannister [?], Jane B Blaikie, J. M. Mortimer [?], Geo. T. Gaden, Joanna Keating, William Sweetland, J. W. Benly [?] and Sarah W. Blaikie, 4 Dec 1827, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. ^419,420,1430