White Head Island

Its economy is based largely around aquaculture and fishing, historically through herring weirs.^[9][7] There is a series of very small islands marked on charts but typically not appearing on maps, west of White Head Island and north of Three Islands.^[10]

The island has a two-classroom elementary school, and older students take a ferry to Grand Manan Community School. From 1976-2012, the island was serviced by the MV Lady White Head, until it was replaced by Coastal Transport Limited's William Frankland car ferry between White Head and Grand Manan.^[11][12]

Until 2022 the community had a small general store.

There is a Baptist church on the island that was completed in 1981. However, there are records of a religious house in use until 1928, when the second of three churches was dedicated.^[13]

There are 5km of paved roads circling the northern half of the island, while the southern portion has only gravel roads that are less accessible.^[14]

The island has been identified as one of those written about in the 1604 writings of Samuel Champlain and Sieur de Monts.^[15]

The son of François Gravé Du Pont abandoned the ship left to his care and went to live among the indigenous tribes, adopting their customs for himself.^[16] He was arrested by Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt in 1610 but escaped captivity.^[16] The following year Jesuit priest Pierre Biard found the younger DuPont and brought him out on White Head Island to take public Confession, participate in Holy Mass and receive Communion reconciling himself to Poutrincourt.^[16] The younger DuPont asked Poutrincourt to dine with him as he reclaimed the ship left to his care, but during the meal Potrincourt lost his temper and seized the ship requiring Biard to come out again to make peace between the pair.^[16]

In October 1741, the brigantine Martha and Eliza wrecked in a storm and drifted to what is believed to be White Head Island, with approximately 200 passengers. Dozens of survivors were picked up in at least three separate rescues over the next six months, scattered across nearby islands.^[17]

The island was granted to Captain William Frankland who was for years its sole resident,^[18][19] Frankland invited J. J. Audubon to visit the island May 22 1833 to study the Herring Gulls, whose eggs were harvested on the island.^[18] Frankland's journal later went to auction and was purchased by the New Brunswick Museum who created a copy to display at White Head.^[20]

Edward Cheney died January 23, 1835 alongside Nathaniel Bancroft, when their small boat spent an hour crashing upon a rock between Cheney Island and White Head Island.^[21] In 1845, the Lighthouse approved £200 for a fog bell on White Head.^[22]

In 1912, the lighthouse keeper Patrick Conway was dismissed leading to years of Parliamentary inquiry.^[23]

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  White Head elementary school August, 2016
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  White Head Post Office
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  The car ferry William Frankland at Ingalls Head