Peyton Family

This fonds consists of a variety of records concerning the Peyton family which date from 1806-1908 and which include unique historical documents concerning the history of Newfoundland, the Peyton family, and the early settlement of Notre Dame Bay in the 19th Century. John Peyton Senior (1747-1827), the progenitor of the family, played a prominent role in Newfoundland history. His son, John Peyton, Junior (1793-1879), and his grandson, Thomas Peyton were magistrates and residents of Exploits Island and Twillingate. Included are a number of legal journals; wills, notary work for shipping wrecks, and writs issued for the Supreme Court. There are two voters lists for Twillingate district (1882 and 1889); the 1836 nominal census for Twillingate and Fogo area; and a register of fishing rooms (1806-1828) which is a rare treasure. Also included are memorials of indentures generated through the Deputy Surveyor's Office, Twillingate, from 1851 to 1908; and, navigational aids for sailing from Newfoundland to Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and the West Indies. Later additions consist of several hundred original, hand-drawn, surveys of land in the Twillingate area, as well as a large number of government forms; and two manuscript files (formerly MF-194 and MF-118) with excerpts from Thomas Peyton's diary; and photographs of a letter to John Peyton from William Epps Cormack concerning Shawnadithit, respectively