History presented here is predominantly from that resource. Because so much is of interest, several long excerpts are included: Benoit's Siding: Even though the origin of the surname Benoit is definitely French, one of the first settlers was Angus MacIsaac who left Scotland in 1844 and arrived in Benoit's Siding three years later after a "stop" in Margaree, Cape Breton and before long, he with other settlers that followed him from Nova Scotia were growing carrots, pumpkins, turnips, cabbage, spinach, swiss chard and a bit of wheat, raising livestock such as oxen, sheep, chickens, geese, pigs and cows; and cutting the local lumber to build houses, barns, fences and boats, as well as for providing fuel for cooking and heating.

Being a Scot, in an area, originally settled by French brought on some unique problems. The history written by the Very Rev. Michael Brosnan's (quoted by Janes, 2002) makes for interesting reading.

.. Thus, about the year 1844, if not earlier, the following names are to be found in the Codroy Valley: McNeil, McIssac, McLean, Murphy, Farrell, Ryan...... As time went on many more families from the same part of Nova Scotia.... As the number of Scotch settlers increased Fr. Belanger [the local priest] who was a French speaking priest, was faced with a very obvious difficulty in his pastoral work, particularly in the confessional....

The settlers... almost without exception used the Gaelic language as the language of the home. Though many of them had a passing knowledge of English they had not sufficient command of it to make their confession with facility and to their own satisfaction....

None was quicker to see this difficulty and none could be more ready than the good priest to take measures to have it remedied: he heartily co-operated with the Gaelic-speaking people in their endeavor to secure at least a Yearly visit from a priest versed in the silver speech of the Gael, the mother tongue of so many of his people....

In the year 1865 a petition drawn up by Fr. Belanger and signed by him and the Gaelic-speaking people was forwarded to Bishop McKinnon. It asked the good Bishop to send them now and again a priest from his diocese who would be able to hear confessions and instruct in Gaelic.

The petition was not answered immediately, but in the next year when Fr. Belanger landed at the Gut at Grand River, the people who always assembled to meet him and escort him to the church, noticed that he was accompanied by another gentleman.
The old missionary, as if to spring a pleasant surprise on the people, made no introductions nor any reference to his companion till the church was reached and then, in the words of one who was privileged to be present I shall describe what happened: "Fr. Belanger bidding the people rejoice at the presence of two priests in their midst introduced to the congregation Fr. Shaw who had been sent... to confess the Gaelic-speaking people.

Fr. Shaw stayed a week and then went to Bay St. George, returning to Grand River he remained for two weeks. At the end of this time, he left for Channel and from there some of the men from the Rivers landed him back to Ingonish.

The visit of Fr. Shaw was repeated in '67 and 8 by Frs. Chisholm and Fraser, respectively. It was the Fall of this year that Fr. Belanger died, and the people of the West Coast were once more left without a sheppard.'

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/BenoitsSiding