Heritage photo: Dedication of the Bauline War Memorial. #Armistice100

This photo (exact date unconfirmed as of yet) shows the dedication of the then-new Great War Memorial in Bauline, Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Photo courtesy Town of Bauline.

The memorial has been moved twice since this photo was taken. It was first moved to a spot just outside the Bauline United Church, and then more recently, it was moved to the Memorial Park at the new Bauline Community Centre.

If you have more information on this photo, or know any of the people or houses depicted in it, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca

The Bells of Peace - the folklore of ringing, blessing, and naming of bells

This Sunday, November 11th, bells in communities across Canada will chime 100 times as the sun slips under the horizon to mark each year since the armistice. You can read more about that initiative here.

The ringing and use of bells has a long heritage here in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of the intriguing parts of our bell history was the naming and christening of bells used in churches.

According to Sheila MacKenzie Brown’s 1981 Folklore MA thesis “The Church Bell Tradition in Newfoundland: A Reflection of Culture Change,”:

...when bells were first placed in the tower they were blessed before being used liturgically, the term 'baptised' also being used for the ceremony in the Christian religion. In his book "Questions Asked by Protestants Briefly Answered" Rev. M. Phillips describes the ceremony in the following manner:

Amid beautiful prayers the bells are washed with holy water, that they may become a pure agency in the worship of God. They are anointed with oil for the sick in the form of a cross, then seven times outwardly with the same oil, and seven times inwardly with holy chrism. The sevenfold unction with oil and chrism signify the fountains of grace flowing through the seven sacraments to which the bells call us. Thymia, incense and myrrh are burned under the bell. This fumigation symbolises the fragrance of prayer to which the bells call us. The gospel of Mary and Martha is read because the bells call us to the one thing necessary: the hearing of God's word. A name is then given to the consecrated bell, because by their respective names the bells are distinguished from one another and are placed under the protection of a patron saint.

In 1984, Cape Broyle resident Alphonsus O'Brien wrote down his remembrances of the local church bell, and gave a copy to the Rev. F. A. Coady. Here it is, as written by Mr. O'Brien:

Cape Broyle Church Bell 

This Bell came to Cape Broyle in August 1907. Its weight was 500 pounds.
It was blessed and baptized on September 25th 1907. The sponsors were James and Bridget Coady my grandfather and grandmother. The bell was named Lawrence in honour of our parish priest Rev Lawrence Vercker. It was blessed by Archbishop Howley. This bell was erected for use in May 1908. It was erected about fifty ft from the church which is now the parish community centre. It was erected on poles 20 ft high set in concrete foundations. The bell at that time gave great sound on a fair day it could be heard for about 4 miles. It remained in this place from 1908 to 1922. Then a new foundation to replace the old one on a concrete foundation only about 10 feet high. The sound of the bell on the new foundation was not as loud as before the movement was issued by Rev Father Maher.

In 1927 the Bell was put in the tower of the church. It was set up by James Rice issued by Fr William Ryan. The bell remained in the old church tower from 1927 to 1947 when the new church was built. Then Rev Fr M Kennedy had it moved in Oct’ 1947. John Hoyles the carpenter who built the new church set it up North of the road to the Priests House. The ringing of the Bell brought Joy to all the People and reminded them to come to mass. 

The bell served Cape Broyle for over 70 years and is no longer in use.
Alphonsus L O’Brien 78 years old

Andrea O'Brien in our office notes that the top photo here shows the "old" church he refers to circa 1950s. (photo courtesy Ronald J O'Brien). The photo below shows the present day church with bell to the right between the Sacred Heart and Blessed Virgin statues.

Do you know of a historic bell still ringing in your community? Let me know a bit about it, or send me a photo, and we'll showcase it in a future post! dale@heritagenl.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep134 Maritime History Archive

Heather Wareham began working as an archivist at the Maritime History Archive in 1977, and has served as the director for many years. Her research interest is Newfoundland Maritime History, especially marine disasters, women in the fishery, and resettled communities. Heather is also a founding member of the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives. In 2013 she received the President’s Award for Exemplary Service. In this episode, Heather talks about the Archive's Digital Exhibits, stories of women in the fishery, and current research projects being done at the Archive.

Download MP3

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Building Heritage Together: Heart’s Content to Hant’s Harbour Heritage Area

Public event in Winterton.

On Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 Dale, Jerry, and I traveled to Winterton to host a workshop on regional corporation.  We also had several students from Memorial University's Folklore Department who came out and took notes for the session. There were over 40 people in attendance from various museums, heritage committees, town councilor, and residents from Heart's Content, New Perlican, Winterton, and Hant's Harbour. The communities are interested in working together to promote their heritage.

Folklorist Dale Jarvis listening to the conversation at one of the tables.

We discussed the success factors which come from working together and listed some of the resources the differing groups would be able to share. The different groups also listed some of the heritage assets in their communities which ranged from museums to fishing stages, from cemeteries to trails. It also included traditional skills such as rug hooking, dancing, knitting, blacksmithing, fishing, sawmilling, etc. The towns decided to form a regional committee and will meet before Christmas. Stay tuned for a report from the meeting. 

Katie presents her table's thoughts on how the communities should move forward.

If you are interested to in setting up a heritage workshop in your community reach out to Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca or call 1-888-739-1892 ex. 2.

Digital Storytelling: Grandfather's House by Palma Mercer

Digital storytelling is a short form of digital media production that allows everyday people to share aspects of their own family and community history. Many people have stories about family members and local places that often go untold. Digital storytelling helps interpret and make community history accessible.

Palma Mercer tells the story of her grandfather's house.

Or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Photos and audio courtesy of Palma Mercer. Photos collected as part of the Digital Storytelling workshop held Tuesday, October 16th, 2018 in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s. If this video elicits memories for you, or if you'd like to arrange a digital storytelling workshop for your community, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca

The Harbour Grace People, Places & Culture Workshop - Nov 10th

Saturday, 10 November 2018
9:30-12:30

Multipurpose Room,
Danny Cleary Harbour Grace Community Centre,
Harbour Grace

Every community in Newfoundland & Labrador has its own heritage resources, stories that make it unique. So what are Harbour Grace's cultural assets, how can they be developed for the town's benefit, and what needs protection for future generations? This free workshop consists of a heritage "asset mapping" exercise and creating the preliminary steps for a development road map moving forward. Facilitated by Heritage NL, this session is open to anyone with an interest in Harbour Grace's history, heritage, and its future.

Facebook event listing here.

Snowed in, Thule, Greenland, 1950s. #FolklorePhoto

Cecil Clarke, working as an airplane mechanic, standing in a bunker under ice, in Thule, Greenland at an airforce base in the 1950s. Thule Air Base is the US Armed Forces' northernmost installation and was started in 1940s.

Photo courtesy Graham Clarke. Photo collected as part of the "Lassy Days Photo Scanning Pary" held Wednesday, August 8th, 2018 at the Wesley Gosse Heritage Museum. If this photo elicits memories for you, or if you'd like to arrange a photo scanning party for your community, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca

Armistice 100 On Air: A Living Heritage Podcast Live Recording

"Armistice 100" On Air:
A “Living Heritage Podcast” Live Recording

On Tuesday, November 13th, 2018, join Heritage NL folklorist Dale Jarvis and special guests Darlene Redmond and Michael Pretty at the Annex, beside Admiralty House Communications Museum, for a live audience recording of the Living Heritage radio show and podcast to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. 

Darlene Redmond is an artist who has always had a keen interest in history and war. She admires the care and dedication given by the people of this province in preserving the history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and created the series to contribute to a proud legacy. She lives with her husband and children in Mount Pearl. Darlene's work will be featured in Admiralty House's new exhibit "Armistice 100."

Michael Pretty is the founder of The Trail of the Caribou Research Group Inc. (TCRG). TCRG is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and a registered charity. Their mission is to raise awareness of the accomplishments and sacrifices of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in military conflicts and peacekeeping missions over the past 100 years. All TCRG initiatives are founded on values of fellowship, inclusion and respect.

This event is included in the cost of admission to the Annex.

Admiralty House Museum Annex
365 Old Placentia Rd, 

Mount Pearl, 

NL A1N 0G7

Tuesday, November 13th, 2018

7pm

Link for tickets: https://squareup.com/store/admiralty-house/item/armistice-on-air-1

Living Heritage Podcast Ep133 Kevin Massey of the Old Dublin Bakery

Kevin Massey, owner of The Old Dublin Bakery, moved to St. John's in 2004 and has been delighting our province with incredible pastry ever since. A graduate of the world's first ever BA degree program for Culinary Arts in Dublin, his professional pedigree still barely keeps up with his unrelenting talent to turn butter, sugar and flour into a life changing experience. Three kids and a few cats later, he took on the challenge of starting his own business. The Old Dublin Bakery might be traditional in name, but there is nothing old school about his flavours. The Bakery has since become a favorite at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market. In this episode, Kevin talks about experimenting in the kitchen with local ingredients and the key to great cinnamon buns. You can find The Old Dublin Bakery every Saturday the St. John's Farmer's Market, or on Facebook and Instagram.

This episode is part of a series showcasing the people and stories of the St. John’s Farmer’s Market, from farmers, to craft and food vendors, and more.

Download MP3

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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HFNL and CHMR Radio. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.