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William Kent arrived at Lance
Cove about the same time as James Pitts, and theirs are the only two
Lance Cove names listed in the census of Bell Island for 1794-95.
He married Jane Hiscock, daughter of James and Ann Peyton Hiscock;
George Hiscock's sister. Kent was a fisherman and was born in
Newfoundland.
He built his home on the flat, beneath the cliff, on the eastern
side of the cove, adjacent to the shipyard.
There is no stone marking his resting place, but a magnificent
stone records the passing of his two sons: John, who died in 1811 at the
age of 22 years; and George, who died in 1825, aged 17 years. One of
those young men drowned by the overturning of a boat in Lance Cove.
I regret that in the short time available, I was not able to find
out much more about this great Irish family, though I suspect that
because of the prominence of this name in early Newfoundland history,
there is a good deal of information to be found elsewhere. Lance Cove
tradition is that the
Kents were big, strong, active men who cleared much land and were
great farmers.
George
Hiscock was a contemporary of John, William and James Pitts and was
probably their step brother.
Mrs. Sarah Pretty, a great granddaughter of George Hiscock, left
a record which stated that Ann Hiscock (Eastcock) had three children by
her first marriage: one, a son, George, the person in question, and two
daughters.
It is interesting to note that in the 1794-95 census there are
four children listed in the James Pitts household
(three sons and one daughter), whereas in his epitaph he bids
farewell to his "children three".
The whole of the west side of Lance Cove was
occupied by George Hiscock. He married a Miss Mary Clarke of
Carbonear;
she died in 1825 at the early age of forty years, leaving him with the
upbringing of a large family.12 One of his daughters
went to Twillingate, and later to Fogo, where she became well known and
greatly respected as a school teacher.
When she died in 1883 at the age of sixty five years, the
Twillingate Sun paid her a glowing tribute.13 Another of his
descendants was James (master Hiscock), the great old school teacher
who taught school in Lance Cove from 1870 to 1912.
Both Roman Catholic and Church of England students attended his
school, in which he set for them an example of manliness and
service in keeping with the best of both their traditions.
During the summer holidays he worked hard on his farm to
supplement his meagre salary of fifty dollars a year.
One year he sold one hundred fifty barrels of potatoes.
His two sons, William and George, continued to live in Lance Cove
until the end of their lives.
12. Mrs.
Hiscock is buried in the old cemetery.
13.
Twillingate Sun. April 20, 1883
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