Description of Historic Place

Bamford Rock is a large rock situated on the right limit of Mitchell Pond, partially submerged in the Southwest Miramichi River within the Village of Doaktown.

Heritage Value

The value of Bamford Rock rests in its historic association with the Great Miramichi Fire of October 7, 1825. This rock served as a place of refuge for a mother and young child during the ravaging conflagration of that day which, fuelled by hurricane force winds, spread at the rate of one-and-a-half kilometres per minute. Within 10 hours, fire had skipped and jumped down the Nashwaak and Miramichi valleys, consuming hundreds of thousands of hectares of timberland and communities in its path. Mrs. Mitchell escaped the choking smoke by fleeing her homestead to the water's edge and wading out to the river rock with her child in clutch. Today the Bamford Rock is a natural landmark and a reminder of the tragic natural occurrence of gigantic proportion that ravaged the lives of the early Loyalist settlers whose perseverance influenced the settlement and economy of the area. It is a visual reminder of the extent taken by a settler to ensure survival under horrific conditions.

Source: Village of Doaktown, Village Office, Historic Places site file #08-12

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the Bamford Rock include:
- its placement in the river in relation to the Mitchell lands adjacent;
- its placement in accessible shallow waters;
- its proportion and size to accommodate a person;
- its continued association with the tragic events of the Great Miramichi Fire of 1825.