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             Radford House

Joseph Radford 1815-1885 and Isabelle White 1818-1902

Joseph Radford lived in Tadoussac during the 1800's until his death in Tadoussac in 1885. He worked at the saw mill in Anse a L'Eau, and held many positions including, postmaster, Custom's Agent, the first Manager of the Fish Hatchery (1874-85), and Mayor of Tadoussac.

 

His wife was Isabelle White (1818-1902) and they had a daughter Belle (1845-1935). They built a house overlooking the bay at Anse a L'Eau.

 

Joseph Radford habitait à Tadoussac dans les années 1800 jusqu'à sa mort à Tadoussac en 1885, il a travaillé à la scierie de l'Anse à l'Eau, et a occupé de nombreux postes, y compris, maître de poste, agent de mesure, le premier directeur de l'établissement piscicole (1874- 85), et Maire de Tadoussac.

 

Sa femme était Isabelle White (1818-1902) et ils ont eu une fille Belle (1845-1935). Ils ont construit une maison avec vue sur la baie de l'Anse à l'Eau.

Below, the house has scaffolding around it, being enlarged, about 1870's.

 

NB:   Look at the LAKE in these two photos, much smaller than today, probably before the dam was built.

Ci-dessous, la maison est entourée par un échafaudage, étant élargie, environ 1870.

 

NB: Regardez la LAC dans ces deux photos, beaucoup plus petite qu'aujourd'hui, probablement avant la construction du barrage.

Radford House  -  late 1800's

The view from the Radford House.

The paddle-wheeler Thor at the dock in Anse a L'Eau.

 

Le vapeur à aubes Thor au quai de l'Anse à l'Eau.

 

After Mr Radford died, his family continued to live in the house for many years. His unmarried daughter Belle inherited the place and continued to live there until she was too old to manage it, whereupon she sold the house in 1918.

 

The Radford House was used to put up overflow guests from Lady Price's cottage and, as those guests were mainly relatives and friends of her son, the young men home from the war, it became known as "the bachelor house". It was destroyed by fire in a strong Noroit in the winter of 1932.

 

(thanks to Benny Beattie for some of the photos and text)

 

 

 

 

Amazing what the internet will turn up, what follows is some paperwork that mentions Joseph Radford!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Radford House

 

 

Joseph Radford was one of the founders of the Tadoussac Protestant Chapel, and there's a window dedicated to him, as well as a plaque for his wife.

 

Joseph Radford a été l'un des fondateurs de la Chapelle Protestante de Tadoussac, et il ya une fenêtre qui lui est dédié, ainsi que d'une plaque pour sa femme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appointed Municipal Councillor of Tadoussac in 1869                

 Nommé conseiller municipal de Tadoussac en 1869

The letter welcomes Lord Dufferin, the Governor General, to Tadoussac in 1873.

 

Joseph Radford was Mayor of Tadoussac.

 

 

 

 

 

La lettre se félicite Lord Dufferin, Gouverneur Général, à Tadoussac en 1873. 

 

Joseph Radford a été Maire de Tadoussac.

Après que M. Radford est décédé, sa famille a continué à vivre dans la maison pendant de nombreuses années. Sa fille non mariée Belle hérité de la place et a continué à y vivre jusqu'à ce qu'elle était trop vieux pour gérer, après quoi elle a vendu la maison en 1918.

 

La Maison Radford a été utilisé pour mettre en place invités de débordement de la cottage de Lady Prix et, en tant que les clients sont principalement proches et amis de son fils, les jeunes hommes à domicile de la guerre, il est devenu connu comme «la maison de bachelier". Il a été détruit par un incendie dans une forte Noroit à l'hiver 1932.

 

(grâce à Benny Beattie pour certaines des photos et du texte)

 

 

Incroyable ce que l'Internet se retrouvera, ce qui suit est quelques papiers qui mentionne Joseph Radford!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details from the Department of Marine and Fisheries

Radford's allowance for "Conducting Fish Breeding Establishment" for one year was $400 in 1877-1878

 

Détails du Ministère de la Marine et des Pêcheries

L'allocation pour Radford pour "Mener l'établissement de la reproduction des poissons" pour une année était de 400 $ en 1877-1878

 

1881 Census shows Joseph Radford 66, his wife Isabella 62, daughter Bell 35, and his wife's sister Anna White 46. They were the only english family living full time in Tadoussac. (from Ancestry.com)

Recensement de 1881 montre Joseph Radford 66, sa femme Isabella 62, la fille Belle 35, et la sœur de sa femme Anna Blanc 46. Ils étaient la seule famille anglaise vivant à temps plein à Tadoussac.

(du Ancestry.com)

Postmaster report by Joseph Radford in 1882

 

Rapport Postmaster par Joseph Radford en 1882

Postmaster report by Joseph Radford in 1882

 

Rapport Postmaster par Joseph Radford en 1882

Jos. Radford was paid $260 to be "Overseer" in 1884.

 

 

Jos. Radford a été payé $ 260 pour être "Overseer" en 1884.

Joseph Radford had many jobs!

He was the Swedish and Norwegian Vice Consul at Tadoussac!?

 

 

Joseph Radford avait de nombreux emplois!

Il était le vice-consul de Suède et de Norvège à Tadoussac !?

Joseph Radford  1815-1885

​

Good morning. I’m Tom Evans and I’m very interested in the history of our community and town, and I love these stories about the people who were here before us. 

We’ve heard about many of our ancestors and who’s related to who. 

    But I’m going to talk about a guy who isn’t related to anybody we know, 

    one of those names that you might see, on a window in this case, and wonder who he was

 

You may have heard of my website of historic Tadoussac photographs, 

    Tides of Tadoussac.com.

I found I had several photographs of a big house in Anse a L’Eau that doesn’t exist anymore. 

It was large and square like Dufferin House, opposite the George Hotel, 

    today there’s a yellow house and the parking lot we use when we go to the lake.

 

It was called the Radford House, 

    and I realized there was also a window in this church to Joseph Radford.

Then I discovered that Benny Beattie had two pages in his book “Sands of Summer”about     Joseph Radford, so that made the research much easier!

 

We don’t know anything about his early life, but we can assume he came from England!

Joseph Radford came to Tadoussac in the 1840’s, and lived in Tadoussac with a wife and daughter for his entire life, the only anglophone full-time residents of the town at that time. 

    So Al and Jane you see you aren’t the first!  

    His wife was Isabella White, and her plaque is there beside the window.

 

He was a significant guy in the early days of the town of Tadoussac and had many many different jobs.

He originally came to work in the Price Sawmill in Anse a L’Eau, 

    and in 1848 William Price closed the mill, and Radford became the Manager,

     in a caretaker role 

    and occasionally to operate the mill when enough wood had been harvested.

In 1874 the old mill was ceded to the Federal Ministry of Marine Fisheries for $1, 

    and Radford directed the renovation of the old building for its new role,

    and managed the fish hatchery for the next 11 years.

In 1878 he was paid $400 for “conducting a Fish Breeding establishment”, and they would raise and release up to a million small salmon a year in the area rivers.

​

He was known as the last Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Post, 

    which was in front of the Hotel Tadoussac when it was first built, 

    until the Post was demolished about 1870.

He was also listed as the Postmaster, Protection Officer, and Custom’s Agent.

He was the Swedish and Norwegian Vice Consul at Tadoussac!? 

    Not sure what that job entailed!

He was part of a group that included names like Rhodes, Russell, and Urquhart that formed a company to build the first Tadoussac Hotel in 1864.

And he was one of the founders of the Tadoussac Protestant Chapel in 1866.

 

In 1863 he bought the land opposite the Hotel Georges from David Price, and demolished the house that was there and build a magnificent white house overlooking the old Salmon Pool and the cove. Early photos of Anse a L’Eau feature two imposing buildings above the wharf and mill, The Georges and the Radford House.

 

In 1873 there was excitement in Tadoussac, Lord Dufferin was coming to build a house 

    and become a summer resident. 

Joseph Radford had been a town councillor and by this time was the Mayor of Tadoussac!

He and the other important people in town at the time wrote a flowery letter of welcome, 

in which they explain that they could not possibly afford to provide a welcoming reception, being such a small community, but “hope that we may have the pleasure during many future seasons of seeing your Excellencies and your amiable family at our beautiful little seaside village”. 

 

Joseph Radford died in Tadoussac in 1885 at the age of 70, and his family continued to live in the house for many years. His unmarried daughter Belle inherited the place and lived there until she was too old to manage it, whereupon she sold the house to Lady Price in 1918, Belle went to live in Montreal but continued to spend her summers in Tadoussac, staying at the Desmeules boarding house across the street, now known as the Hotel Georges. Ainslie Stephen says she remembers going to visit Belle with her mother, Dorsh. Belle died in 1935.      

The Radford house was used to put up overflow guests from Lady Price’s cottage, and as these guests were mainly relatives and friends of her son, young men home from the First World War, it became known as the “bachelor house”. It was destroyed by fire in a strong Noroua storm in the winter of 1932.

 

Anyway the window says “in loving remembrance of Joseph Radford” so it’s nice to have some idea of who he was!

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