Marjorie Poole - Consumed

Marjorie Poole c. 1919

I have often thought how horrible the feeling must be in losing a child; not miscarriage or still-birth although painful in their own right, but having a beautiful person in your life - 2, 4, 6 yrs and beyond. What feeling could be worse than outliving your child?

My grandfather had two older siblings who had died of diphtheria but the family seemed to survive other maladies of the time. Pop, who had become the eldest, moved onto life at sea finally settling down in Forteau, Labrador in 1918. His younger siblings included four sisters and one brother who was the youngest. His "little sister", Marjorie, was a real joy; a beautiful young woman full of life.

Back on the island of Newfoundland as was happening in Labrador and around the globe, tuberculosis was gripping communities. This disease had been documented in the province for centuries and while the rest of the world seemed to be comabtting it successfully by the 1920's, the same was not true for Newfoundland. Several reasons have been cited for this but the largest contributing factor was the lack of information and medical help to the rural communities.

It was December 1920 and consumption, the latter stage of TB, had taken hold of young Marjorie now 20 years old. Her death must have been one of true suffering as the certificate states not only did she die of consumption but as a result of the disease, it had infected her bowels. What a terrible death indeed; to waste away.

As a teen when I visited, my grandfather would sometimes quietly retreat to his room sobbing. My grandmother explained that I reminded him of Marjorie and it made him sad thinking of that time so long ago. For him I brought back the memories of what he had lost. She never faded; his heart still ached.

Marjorie and sister Annie Poole

Joseph Blackler - Sawyer of Springdale

Joseph H. Blackler 1859-1935

Twillingate - historic fishing and merchant island off of the north east coast of Newfoundland is the birthplace to the first of my 52 ancestors on my paternal side.

Joseph H. Blackler was born in November 1859. The second oldest child of nine for his parents James and Eliza House, he married Elizabeth Cox also of Twillingate.  They soon started their family and had three daughters; the oldest Louisa was my great-grandmother.

Like his grandfather, father and brothers, Joseph was involved in the fishery but found himself in a different line of work not long after his marriage.

During the years 1877-78, a sawmill was constructed by Nicholas Peters on an island in Hall's Bay. The owner was a merchant and shipbuilder from Harbour Grace by the name of Udle. This mill employed a number of men who worked at the mill itself or supplied raw materials to it. Of these men, Joseph Blackler was hired as the first sawyer. What a change from fishing this must have been.

He and Elizabeth moved to Wolf Cove where he built a tilt house as a temporary home. Not living on Mill Island, he depended on his rowboat daily for getting him to and from his place of employ. Wolf Cove later became Springdale and Joseph was the first person to build a home there.

The sawmill came close to destruction as a forest fire raged through Hall's Bay as reported in the Twillingate Sun of June 16, 1881:

Fire in Hall's Bay.- For some days past a fire has been raging in the vicinity of Hall's Bay, destroying much of the valuable forests in that part. When the steamer left Little Bay Mines on Tuesday, the fire was advancing with great rapidity towards that place, and great consternation was manifested by the inhabitants, fearing that the destructive element would soon reach them, the fire then being not more than twenty miles from the settlement. We regret to hear that a new house and premises belonging to Mr. John CURTIS have been completely destroyed. The saw-mill works have escaped damage. It is said that the fire originated at Indian Brook, being caused by sparks which flew among the bushes from the funnel of a dwelling there.

John Curtis and his brother Francis purchased the enterprisel but their future dimmed by 1890 as the mill finally met its fate and fell victim to a raging fire. The Mill Island community closed down as families moved to Wolf Cove and a new era began. Joseph H. Blackler, my second great-grandfather and pioneer of Springdale, saw his community become the hub of Hall's Bay.

Joseph H. Blackler, c. 1930

Joseph Maidment H.H.

As kids, some of our most cherished memories are of time spent with our grandparents. I loved going to my grandmother Poole's house when I was young. I loved looking through her special drawer in her bureau where all these neat things were kept. I would spend hours playing putting on old jewellery; just having fun. Every time my mother would arrive to pick me up she would walk in the bedroom and find me with little mounds of things, little treasures I had found. I was immediately told to stop and put it all away but my grandmother would say "That's fine Marjorie. Leave her alone. She's having fun." and I was left to continue my exploration.

It wasn't only the bureau that had neat little treasures. Hanging from the sitting room wall were two very interesting items. One was a gun powder horn that belonged to my gr. gr. grandfather Joseph Maidment. It had his  name and an H.H. carved in it and a date1840. The other item was a very odd looking  thing made of wood. Thankfully, my  grandmother, my family history saviour, told me what it was and from where it came. Bizaare little thing really but once you know what it is it makes perfect sense.

Gun Powder Horn Joseph Maidment

Like so many of my ancestors, Joseph was a fisherman who lived in Hant's Harbour, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. He was the son of Samuel Maidment and Ann (unknown). Born on May 31, 1839 he was one of seven children. I suspect he began fishing at a young age. That was usually the case; attend school until you were a teen (sometimes younger) and then enter the fishing business so to speak.

At the age of 23, Joseph married a girl from another Hant's Harbour family named Esther Critch on September 20, 1862. As had Joseph's parents, he and Esther also had seven children. The second oldest was my gr. grandmother Eliza Jane. The oldest child, Mary Ann was born on February 28, 1863. Oops!

Joseph spent his entire life in Hant's Harbour fishing and raising his family with Esther. He is recorded in both the Hutchinson and McAlpine Directories of 1864 and 1904 respectively. That is where my trace stops for Joseph. I have to be honest, I am somewhat surprised I can't find his death record. At least I know he died before 1921 as he is not listed in the census that year.

Aboriginal Tool Made from Tree Knot

Back to the powder horn. The date of 1840 I believe was added after Joseph's death to commemorate his birth and life but as we know it is incorrect. As for the odd little item that hung  on the wall with the powder horn? As the story goes, it is a tool for grounding gun powder that was made by an old aboriginal man and given to Joseph. He carved it from a single knot of a tree. It is a truly remarkable piece of tangible history.

Lavinia Roberts - A Family Found

There is often a discussion as to the value of sites such as ancestry.ca or My Heritage. For me, I have found some valuable records on Ancestry but most of the records were located through research at my provincial archives now housed at The Rooms here in St. John's, Newfoundland or through familysearch.org. Where web services such as Ancestry really stand out is the connections that you can make. Below is an example of how I found the family of Lavinia Roberts.

I have spent considerable time searching for the birth record of my gr. gr. grandmother Lavinia to no avail. I do know she was born in Brigus, Newfoundland around 1845. She married John Salter on October 10, 1870 in Forteau, Labrador. They had two sons, George and John Jr.

The information I have came from two documents; her death record which stated she was 82 in 1927 and her marriage record which stated she was born in Brigus. Unfortunately it did not list her parents names. That was most common for the time.

My grandmother had told me that Lavinia was a third cousin to Captain Robert Bartlett, the famous 20th century explorer who had accompanied Peary in his search to reach the North Pole. She had also mentioned a sister Emma and brother William. Armed with this information I set out to the provincial archives to find Lavinia's birth record. Boy was I disappointed. I got zilch. It seemed I had nowhere to turn. That was more than 20 years ago.

It wasn't until this year that I came across a fellow family historian who had made a connection with my Chevalier relatives. Upon further investigation, I discovered that she had many Roberts relatives in her tree. This family of Roberts also came from Brigus and settled in Forteau as well. Many of their birth records too were missing but not their death records which recorded their place of birth and their ages. Some of the offspring moved to the other side of the border to the Canadian Labrador - Cote Nord, Quebec. I had found, finally, Lavinia's family. Listed with her relatives were her sister Emma, brother William and four other siblings. Her father was Esau (Evan) and her mother was Ann Medkiff. The information led me to find the dates of birth and death for Lavinia's ancestors back to the 1700's. And yes, just as my grandmother had told me, Captain Bob was indeed her third cousin.

And that is how I found Lavinia Roberts's family - through connections.

Thank you Irene Roberts Richard.

Lavinia Roberts Salter

Trapped in the Frozen Labrador

This past week has been one of the coldest I have seen in years. Our entire winter has been like that except for our typical January thaw which lasted all of a few days. This past weekend has been filled with high winds, low windchills, snow, freezing rain and ice pellets. There was no getting away from it. However, it did remind me of how fortunate we are in 2014 that we can protect ourselves from the elements. It is the reason I have chosen John Salter Sr. for this post.

One of the most unforgiving lands is that of Labrador. Summer is deep in black flies while winter spreads her snowy freeze. Yet there is something so very seductive about the beauty of it all. The Labrador side of the Strait of Belle Isle is dotted with names that pay homage to the french past; L'Anse Amour, L'Anse au Loup, West St. Modeste and Forteau are examples.

The early 1700's saw merchant companies coming to the Straits, as it commonly known, to fish and return to Europe with their catch. Eventually others from the Channel Islands, Newfoundland and Quebec arrived and continued this exploitation. The merchants did not treat these fishers well and many left and settled along the various small communities. One of these livyers was my gr. gr. grandfather, John Salter. While I have been unable to determine his original birthplace, I believe he was one of the Jerseymen that came to fish and trap in the second half of the 1800's.

John met and married Lavinia Roberts on October 10,1870 in Forteau. They had two sons; the oldest, my gr. grandfather George and his younger brother John Jr. John Sr. supported his family as did most of the men on the Straits by selling his fish to various merchants and the furs he trapped to the Hudson Bay Company. It was the latter that would bring John to his untimely death.

The date is February 1881 and the time of year when trappers were eager to get furs for the Hudson Bay Company. A good fur was invaluable to a family. It would help in ensuring a good winter. John went out to set his traps and to check others he set on his last venture out to the land. The day's weather was fine and looked promising but the harsh Labrador environment can have a sudden change at any time. Such was the case for John as a blizzard ensued. Unable to see for the white out conditions he searched for shelter to shield himself from the elements. When he didn't return, a search party set out to find him. Near death, John was brought back to Forteau where he succumbed to exposure. As inscribed in a bible given to Lavinia by Mr. Thomas Wright, a family friend, John Salter passed away at 5 minutes past 3 o'clock in the morning on February 12, 1881.

John Salter Sr. - pioneer, livyer, husband, father - died at the age of 41.

John Salter Death Record Family Bible

Louis Chevalier, Seignior de Riviere-St Paul

As long as I can remember, I have heard about my gr. gr. gr. gr. grandfather Louis Chevalier. Romanticized as a young dashing Frenchman he settled in Riviere-St Paul, Cote-Nord, Quebec.

Louis's beginnings are a mystery and it seems that there is more than one theory floating around as from where he came. For instance, I was told by my grandmother Poole  that Louis was from Trois Riviere, Quebec. To date, I have no evidence of this. Others believe that he is the illegitimate child of Ann Chevalier, a Huguenot from the Channel Islands who worked for Philip and Nathaniel Lloyd. The Lloyd brothers who had come from Wales, bought the rights to the Riviere-St Paul fishing post. As the story goes, Ann Chevalier and Philip Lloyd had a relationship from which Louis was born. I, like so many other of Louis's descendants, hope one day to find out the truth.

It was Christmas 1799 and the merriment along the coast was evident; residents got together for food, cheer and dance during the festive season. Louis traveled to Brador that year when he came upon a young lady, Mary Ann Vane . She had been staying in the fishing village with one of the residents since she had been shipwrecked several months previous. Much of her time had been spent trying to stave off suitors in the area; young men from up and down the coast were so very interested in her; beautiful young ladies were in short supply. By Christmas time she had been convinced that her family must believe she was dead and her affianced officer had found another love. Surely, she was told, they had given up all hope of ever seeing her again.

A young Englishman from across the Strait to Newfoundland had been up the Labrador and had made arrangements to pay for Mary Ann's maintenance for the winter. His intention was to return in the spring and hopefully marry her. But it was not to be.

Louis, the charismatic and charming Frenchman stole her heart. The young impressionable Mary Ann accepted his hand in marriage and with little haste their nuptials were performed in Brador. They travelled back to Riviere-St Paul to start their new life. Louis the salmon fisherman and the future Seignior of Riviere- St. Paul was returning with his new bride.

Powderham Castle it was not.

Powderham Castle, Devon, east front. The wing projecting forwards at the right contains the second library, built 1766-9. The central tower and flanking single-height bow-windows date from 1710-27. The tower in the corner-angle to the right and the main full-height range behind date from 1390-1450

 Powderham Castle - Music Room

The devastation that Mary Ann must have felt upon seeing her new surroundings was surely immense. The grand room where she had learned to play her violin and the music of the great composers was not to be found, nor was the intricate design and architecture. Everything she had known was gone.

Powderham Castle - Heraldic fireplace in the Dining Hall

It is said that after her three children, Philip David, Mary Sophia and Mary Ann had grown, she became so disenchanted with this pioneer life that she gradually became a recluse. True or not, she ensured that her children were schooled by her in reading, writing and proper speech. As for her precious violin, she spent much time teaching her grandson Louis David the beautiful instrument. She relished this time with him and ensured that he became the well spoken gentleman that he was renowned for being. Louis David continued to play the classics on his grandmother's violin well into his senior years. She would have been pleased.

Louis died in 1848 and Mary Ann between 1847 and 1860. I like to think that she found some purpose to her life and that the sweet sound of her violin helped her find peace in the Canadian Labrador.

Mary Ann Vane, Lady of the Canadian Labrador

Of all the family history passed down to me, none is more romantic yet melancholy than that of Mary Ann Vane.

Born on February 26, 1784 at Powderham Castle, Devon, England, Lady Mary Ann Vane was the 'natural' (illegitimate) daughter of William, 2nd Viscount Courtenay of Powderham, 8th Earl de jure of Devon. Her mother was a Vane and is said to have been akin to Sir Henry Vane the Younger. That being said, we are unsure who this mother was. The greatest possibility is that she was Lady Frances Anne Vane, daughter of Sir Henry Vane and Frances Tempest. If that is true then eyebrows surely would have been raised. You see William, a 42 year old widower with 14 children, would have had a relationship with a young 15 year old Frances. Even for the time this would have been scandalous.

Powderham Castle, Devon, 1745 engraving by Samuel & Nathaniel Buck, inscribed below: "To Sr. William Courtenay, Bart., Knight of the Shire for the County of Devon, this south east view of Powderham Castle near Exeter is most humbly inscrib'd by his very obedient Serv:ts Sam:l & Nath:l Buck". Underneath in small print: "Sam.l & Nath.l Buck del. et sculp." Published according to Act of Parliam.t April 15.th 1745. Garden Court N.o 1 Middle Temple, London"

Mary Ann's mother seems to have disappeared from her daughter's life. Perhaps it was agreed with the young woman's family that William would take care of the child. But unfortunately he died when Mary Ann was just four years of age. This left her to the care of her older siblings and other family members who I am sure felt she was a stain on their nobility.

Fast forward to 1799 when The Seven Years War had been long over and the British had conquered the French.  Mary Ann, although only 15, was educated and trained in the violin. She found herself betrothed to a British Army officer in Quebec. This most certainly would have been pleasing for her older siblings.

She boarded a British vessel bound for Lower Canada and travelled across the North Atlantic. For certain this must have been quite a journey for the young woman. The seas, cruel and unrelenting, proved to all  on board that the crashing waves and hurricane force winds would determine their fate. The ship heading towards the St. Lawrence found itself journeying through the Strait of Belle Isle when it was beaten up against the rocks not far from Brador, Cote - Nord on the Canadian Labrador.  Mary Ann and 5 men were the only survivors.

I imagine that Mary Ann was soaked, frozen and in shock when she was found by her local rescuers as it was late in the year when she set sail.  She was brought to the home of a woman, a resident of Brador.  There she remained hoping somehow to reach word to her family and her British officer.

What was to become of the young English lady?  The conclusion to her story can be found here .