The 1805 Return of Possession held in Conception Bay also known as the 1805 Plantation Book list one property in Bareneed occupied by Elias Picco and another two properties linked to Preautx [Priaulx, Picco].
| 22 | William | Preautx (Priaulx/Picco) | 1785 | Bought from Anthony |
| 23 | John Jr. or William | Batton (Batten) | 1782 | Originally Anthony> Picco>Lately occupied by Batton |
| 27 | Elias | Piccott (Picco) | 1784 | Bought from LeViscounte |
The following links Preautx to Picco:
An indenture made 22 Sept 1783 between William Anthony Senior & Henry Anthony, boatkeepers of Port de Grave, on the one part, and William Pico & Elias Pico, originally of Jersey but now of Port de Grave, on the other part (now entered into the records in Aug 1784). The Picos acquire permission to use certain fishing rooms. ( 8 Aug 1784 from CO letterbook GN2-1-A-10 : See D’Alberti transcript, Vol. 2, pp. 123-125)
An article in Decks Awash states that William and Elias Picco, two brothers from Jersey. moved from Port de Grave to Bareneed in 1783 and Gerald Andrews in his history of Port de Grave states that the small settlement of Pick Eyes (or Pickey’s) [in Port de Grave] was first mentioned in 1784 and may have come from the original spelling of the names of William and Elias Picco who owned land in the area.
An Elias Picko with a wife and five children is listed in An Account of Inhabitants Residing in the Harbor & District of St. John’s 1794-1795.
In 1783 an Elias Pico married Elizabeth Bradbury at Harbour Grace and in 1784 an Elias Pico married Elizabeth Smith at Harbour Grace. I found the following comment about the first of these marriages on the Internet: Elias Picco of that place who married Elizabeth Bradbury of Bay Roberts at St Pauls Hr Grace 1783. They were parents of Frances Bartlett Picco Grandmother of John Henry Ebsary. The following references from the Keith Matthews files at MUN links the latter marriage to Elias at Portugal Cove.
The Picco families of Bareneed are likely related to the Picco family in Portugal Cove in Conception Bay South. Around 1780 four Picco brothers, Abraham, Elias, John and Roger moved to Portugal Cove. They were of French descent from the Island of Jersey. Elias (Elie) Roger (Rogert)Elais was born in 1755. When he died in 1818 he left three dwelling houses, substantial fishing property with a value of over 1000 british pounds a substantial sum at that time.
The Picot family of Bareneed may also be related to the John Picot (1820-1860) who lived and died at Sandy Point, Newfoundland, and married Amelia Amy Haynes (1822-1875) from Somerset, was almost certainly a Jersey emigrant. John and Amelia had six children between 1848 and 1860.
Elias Picco (Piccott) Bareneed
Elias Picco lived in the area at the top of this hill in the eastern end of Bareneed known as Jorsey. This was likely a reference to Jersey since many of the settlers in this area (Batten, Snow, Preautx /Picco, LeViscounte, Norman) had roots in the Channel Islands.
| No. | Name and Description of the Room or Other Erections, with Its Exact Boundaries | In what Harbour, Cove, etc., Situated | Name-and-Residence of the Party Claiming Right to the Same |
| 443 | Elias Picco 97 yds. form East to W. bounded on the E. by John Snow on the West by Thomas Snow 176 yds. from H.W.M. to the Northward bounded on the N. by the woods 1 Stage 1 Flake 1 House 2 Gardens | Port de Grave | Elias Piccott |
| The Nature of that Claim | Name and Residence of the Present Occupier | Whether-Built, Sold or Leased at the Time of this Entry | Date of this Entry | To Whom Sold or Leased or otherwise Transferred |
| Purchased form Capt. LeViscounte in Jersey for £50 | Elias Piccott | No buildings | 1784 | Not leased or sold |
In the 1817 Census of Bareneed there is an Elias Picco listed with no children and no servants but described as Well off.
| 24 | Elias Picco | Well off |
Preautx [Priaulx, Priaux, Picco] in 1805 Plantation Book
In 1805 the properties in Bareneed immediately east of the Boones was owned by William Preautx & Co.
| # 438: William Preautx & Co. 43 yds. from E. to W. by —- side bounded on the E. by Wm. Batten on the W. by John Boone 30 yds. from E. to — the Path 195 yds. from H.W.M. to the Northward bounded on the N. by Bay Roberts, 1 Stage 3 Flakes 1 Mose 4 Houses 2 Gardens 2 Mose | Purchased from Wm. Anthony for £20 | Wm Preautx & Co. | 1785 |
Another source references this as Priaulx
The Preautx (Pico) property was purchased from William Anthony in 1783 (see below) and at that time was occupied by William Batton (possibly tenant). William Preautx & Co was connected to William and Elias Picco (Elias later moved to Portugal Cove) .
Elias and William Picco owned another property further east in Bareneed (see later sections).
Apparently William Batton challenged the transfer:
89-90 1784 William Priaux, Conception Bay John Campbell : Priaux complains that he is unable to develop a property in Bamhead, Conception Bay for which he has papers; William Batten on his mother’s advice claims the land and every time Priaux stakes the property out for building, Batten & family pull the stakes out. Justice Gill subsequently informed Mr. (Aaron) GRaham that the matter had been settled to mutual satisfaction. 91 15 Oct. 1784 Graham for Gov John Campbell : He hereby orders that the fishing room mentioned above, near Port de Grave in Conception Bay, must be occupied as agreed upon by the parties concerned.
The William Batton occupying the Preautx property in 1782 could be the William Batton living in Salmon Cove (Southern Gut) in 1798 and a property in the same area in 1817 (see below).
| #635 Wm.Batton: 185 yds. from E. to W. bounded on the E. by Thos.Bussey on the W. by Richd. Wells 200 yds. from H.W.M. to the S. bounded on the S. by the woods. 1 Stage 1 Flake 1House 1Garden 1 Meadow. | Salmon Cove Port de Grave | 1798 |
William Piercey of Bearneed appears, praying that Administration with Will annexed may be granted him of the effects of George Picot late of Bearneed, which was done accordingly, he having given the usual security. Signed, Lewis Amad. Anspach. Surrogate. Dec 8, 1807. Page 34.
Post 1817
The surname Picco or its variants does not occur in the 1835 Voters list for Bareneed.