English family - Thomastown, Kilkenny - emigrated to Newfoundland

Hi to this community,  

I am searching for the line of ancestors with the English name who emigrated from Thomastown, County Kilkenny likely in the mid-to-late 1700s.  Several of the English family moved to the eastern end of the island of Newfoundland.  Several of them appear in a May 1812 petition to change the name of their fishing vilage from Devil's Cove to Job's Cove.  The petition lists the names of those supporting the change, which was eventually made.  Family knowledge - to date - says they came from Kilenney, likely from Thomastown, but this specific origin could be wrong.  Mooncoin and Piltown have also been suggested.  Some may have been born in Newfoundland, but likely some of those listed were born in Kilkenny, between 1750 and 1790.

I would love to hear from anyone with information on this.  I plan to visit the Thomastown area this fall and do some investigation on the ground.  

- Bill English   

Here is the petition:    

Devil's Cove, 29th May, 1812. 

We the undersigned Inhabitants, conceiving the utility and benefits resulting from an early conception and sense of Religion instilled into the tender minds of our Children, and of the rising generation, do unanimously resolve to change and alter the barbarious, execrable, and impious name of "Devil's Cove", into the ancient, venerable, and celebrated name of "Job's Cove"; and that the public Newspaper of St. John's will publish these our resolutions three different times, so that every person in the Island may come to this knowledge, and none may plead ignorance, by saying, when they pronounce "Devil's Cove", that it is from want of knowing better how to preclude any tergiversations, or vain excuses. After the publication of this Act we do declare, that our resolution is fixed, and that this Cove, which underwent the appellation of "Devil's Cove" these 50 years and upwards, to the scandal and detriment of God's honour and veneration, be altered and changed, and every one for the time to come, and always, will call it after the names we freely give it, to wit, "Job's Cove". - And that all persons may hereafter take notice of these our resolutions, we sign our names. 

Thos. ENGLISH

Edw. ENGLISH

Jos. MURPHY

Moses SANDY

John RILSOM

Jas. WALSH

Rich. ENGLISH

Thos. ENGLISH

John MURPHY

Rich. WOODFINE

John JOHNSON

J. MURPHY, Jr.

Jas. ENGLISH

Ned ENGLISH

Geo. JOHNSON

Wm. BEARNS

Wm. JOHNSON

John ENGLISH