BEAVER ISLAND 51°50’20”S 61°16’40”W
Beaver Island lies off the steep and high west coast of West Falkland, west of Weddell and south of New Island. Beaver is named for the Beaver, an American whaling vessel. Sealers, particularly American and British, frequented the Falkands from around 1774 on. They favoured the Weddell, Beaver and New Island area where there were sheltered harbours and they were distanced from the Spanish then at Puerto Soledad (Port Louis) who were hostile to sealers. Sealers released wild pigs and rabbits on islands as a source of food when they were working in the area as they spent some time ashore.
In July 1987 Estate John Hamilton Ltd leased Beaver Island to Sally Poncet and Tony Felton. Sally Poncet bought Beaver Island from Estate John Hamilton Ltd in March 1987. The island covers an area of 48.56 square km (18.75 square miles). In 2002/2003 Jerome Poncet collected 31 young reindeer from Husvik, South Georgia and brought them to Beaver Island on his yacht Golden Fleece to be successfully resettled on Beaver Island.
Beaver Island, Staats Island, Tea Island, Governor Island and Split Island are the Beaver Island Group and are on the Important Bird Area (Birdlife International).
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Dean’s notes say Beaver was first leased by E Nilsson but soon passed to Henry Waldron. Henry Waldron after four of five years on Beaver would go ‘home’ to the UK and would be forced to return after spending all of his money. He enjoyed life on Beaver with his devoted Manager Jimmy Duncan and family. (Falkland Rural Heritage- Joan Spruce/ Natalie Smith).
Henry Waldron left for England in March 1918. Beaver passed to Richard Waldron after Henry’s death in 1919. Richard did not move to live on Beaver but appointed James Duncan manager (£10 per month plus 5% of net profits) and employed Jack, George and Howard Duncan on £8 a month plus 2.5% of profits.
In 1922 John Hamilton bought Beaver Island and shortly afterwards Weddell the Passage Islands, and in the 1930’s, Saunders. The exotic animals he introduced in the hope of selling pelts to overseas markets left Weddell and Beaver with a plague of Patagonian foxes which besides eating the geese they were intended to control, enjoyed lambs as well. |
Can you add/ correct any information or supply photographs or information , past or present/ life/ people/ buildings? Contact: falklands.southatlantic@gmail.com
Sources include: Wikipedia, bostonteapartyship.com, Falkland Rural Heritage- Joan Spruce with Natalie Smith, nationalarchives.gov.fk/Jane Cameron National Archives /Buildings/ Land/General/Early leases of land post 1842,nationalarchives.gov.fk /Jane Cameron National Archives /People/19century families, The Dictionary of Falklands Biography (including South Georgia) - Edited by David Tatham, nationalarchives.gov.fk /Jane Cameron National Archives /Land/ Islands/ Beaver
Photographic credits: Photographs - Bill Pole-Evans |
    
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