Gillams has also been referred to in Census records (1891), the Newfoundland Directory (1936) and local usage as "Farms," or "the Farms," referring to the rolling, farm-like land which had originally been settled as a farm.

Bishop Edward Feild, while sailing up the Humber Arm on a voyage of visitation in 1849, was much struck by the landscape of Gillams Cove.

He wrote, "It is a beautiful little farm, and has quite an imposing appearance from the water.

The house is mean and dirty, and the old patriarch, who lived here nearly seventy years [that is since c. 1779], was in a state of great filth and discomfort.

He is nearly ninety years of age A young man named Lorder was in the house He had been shipped from Dorsetshire a few years ago as servant to Mr. Brake [a planter at the head of the Sound] and had married and settled here" (Edward Feild: 1850, p. 48).

J.B. Jukes (1842, pp. 101-102) on his voyage up the Humber Arm in 1839 also met "an old man [named Blanchard] residing with his family in a small wooden house, with a garden attached.

He had lived in the spot for sixty years, and had seven sons; one of these, a cripple, was with him; the other six he said were away in the woods hunting either for deer, or beavers, otters, martens, and other fur-bearing animals."

Jukes also described the material abundance of the land (early noted by explorers such as Captain James Cook) in his description of the Blanchard home and occupations.

He wrote, "the old man . . . having settled there before the breaking out of the American war... had several sons that were getting married and beginning to settle about him.

His house, though small, was neat and comfortable, and he had two or three small fields under cultivation. They were just getting in the hay from one small meadow, and it appeared of good quality.

They had very good currants, raspberries and gooseberries in the garden hedges."

According to E.R. Seary (1976, cited in the ENL) the name of the town is "presumably named for the English form of the French baptismal name Guillaume", which in English is "William".

Without citing any references, the next sentence states the following: "The English family name Williams has been associated with the settlement".

However, as no documentation could be found to corroborate that statement, it may not that "simple" to determine the provenance of the town's name.

Park (1968) in his lengthy paper that traced the history of the Bay of Islands, with special reference to Gillams does not make any reference to anyone by the name of "William"; he stated also that "it can be stated with certainty that the Blanchards were the first permanent settlers in Gillams and that they came about 1780".

He also mentions a "Mr. Park "who came from Burin and whose wife was "an Indian from Burgeo" and a "Mr. James" who "who acted as sort of guide to a missionary party to Bay of Islands in 1835".

The only Williams he mentioned are a "Mr. William Blanchard" who was eighty-seven years of age (in 1968) and who is a grandson of the Mr. Blanchard reported to be the only man living in Gillams in 1849; and a "Mr. William House" who was the mailman for the north shore in the 1930.

Because of the lack of substantiation, Gillam is placed in the category "Unknown" unless further research "uncovers" a "Williams" connection.

The community of Gillams has a population of just over 400. In 2011 there were 407 residents, and in 2016, there were 410 (a 0.7% increase).

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/Gillams