The Cupids Historical Society is trying to find names of all aboard the schooner “AZARAIAH” for a potential exhibit / memorial plaque in Cupids. Seeking information about the schooner “AZARAIAH” that was wrecked on Baccalieu Island on her way out Conception Bay to the seal hunt in the early morning hours of 16 MAR 1831. 4 survivors (only survivor name known is John NEWELL {NOEL}) / 19 victims (only victim name known is the Captain, John BONNELL (BUNNELL). Ship was owned by merchant WILLIAM MUNDEN of BRIGUS. Captain lived at CUPIDS. Survivors were seen and rescued by schooner “JOSEPH”, also out of Cupids.
Newspaper reports of the day hold only information we have of this tragedy (Royal Gazette and The Newfoundlander).
Some oral traditions state schooner was originally the “ACTIVE” and renamed by the Bonnell Family to “BROTHERS”. We suspect the crew were from BRIGUS, CUPIDS, and area, including NORTH RIVER, Conception Bay. Without recovered bodies, there are no area church records giving names of the victims because no funerals were held.
Master/Captain JOHN BONNELL (c1768-1831) drowned in the disaster. He was from Brigus, but he and wife Mary (nee Knight 1772-1841) moved to Cupids about 1827 (exchanged lands with CHARLES COZENS). Bonnell is sometimes spelled “Bunnell”. William Munden was son of AZARIAH MUNDEN (thus the schooner’s name) and his wife, Elizabeth, and the Captain’s wife, Mary, were sisters (daughters of ROBERT KNIGHT & SUSANNA SPRACKLIN). Apparently, many of the orphaned children were shared out to other families for financial reasons – no information if this was for an extended period of time or formalized by adoption.
Does this story ring a bell for any member of this Group? If this shipwreck story is in your Family Tree, please contact us at cupids.historical.society@gmail.com
Thanks in advance for any and all clues!