Lassy Days Photo Scanning Party, Spaniard's Bay

Church of the Holy Redeemer, Church of England, Spaniard's Bay, with car leaving church grounds, circa 1947.
The Rooms VA 15D-25.3.

Do you have an old photo album that might include images from Spaniard’s Bay?

During the town’s Lassy Days celebrations, the Spaniard’s Bay Heritage Society is hosting a scanning party, to help save and share old photos for all to see.

The society is looking for old photos of Spaniard’s Bay, from the 1880s to the 1980s, including anything showing old buildings, garden parties, family reunions, or cars decorated for weddings. The event will be hosted in partnership with the intangible cultural heritage office of Heritage NL.

“We want to see those snapshots Nan kept in the old biscuit tin in the closet,” says folklorist Dale Jarvis with the Heritage NL. “Sometimes photos from the 1970s and ‘80s include buildings or structures that have been torn down, so even if they aren’t ancient photographs, they can still help us document changes to the community.”

Jarvis and Spaniard’s Bay Heritage Society workers will be on site to scan the photographs and ask questions about who or what is in the photo. If you bring your own USB flash drive, you can take home a digital copy as well as your original photographs.

The digital copies will be used by the society, shared on Facebook with the owner’s permission, and a copy will be uploaded to Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative, which is indexed and archived for history buffs everywhere to see.

So go ahead and dig out those old photos, and come out Wednesday, August 8th, at 7pm for tea, treats, and a chat. The scanning party will take place at the Wesley Gosse Heritage Museum, located in the former United Church, 6 Church Hill, across from the Harold Gosse Park and Gazebo.

Update from the St. James Anglican Cemetery project, Carbonear

Last year, Heritage NL was asked by one of our Registered Heritage Structures, St. James Anglican in Carbonear, to give some advice on their cemetery cleanup project (see past blog entries here). A year into the project, they've made great strides to cut back invasive bushes and trees, trim rose bushes, and expose some hidden stones and markers.  A big shout out to Judy Symonds who has taken the lead on this project, and to last year's summer students for their excellent and careful work.

Yesterday, I was back in Carbonear to help give some training on this summer's phase of the project. The cemetery has been partially mapped, with the majority of the pre-1900s graves transcribed. Several plots were left unfinished, and there are quite a few 20th century grave markers that have not been recorded at all. So I worked with their current batch of summer students, and taught them how to use the Marker Record Form designed by the Family History Society.  The goal is to finish recording the south half of the cemetery.

One of the intriguing finds made this year was of a First World War Memorial Plaque (sometimes called a Dead Man's Penny) firmly mounted on concrete. The plaques were issued to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war, but it is rare to see one used as a cemetery memorial.

The plaque bears the name William Stephenson, who might possibly be this person:
https://www.therooms.ca/sites/default/files/stephenson_william_3737.pdf

More to come as research and documentation continue!

If you want to learn more about the process of cemetery transcription, we are holding a Cemetery Transcription Bee Thursday, August 9th, 2018 at 9am in partnership with Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum. This combination workshop/documentation project will instruct participants on how to transcribe grave markers. You’ll learn about the DOs and DON’Ts of recording inscriptions, tombstone symbols and stone types, how to fill out cemetery marker forms, and assist the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum in collecting tombstone information at the St. Francis of Assisi RC Cemetery.  Pre-registration required (right here!)

Origin of the word "Bee" (the work party, not the insect)

DID YOU KNOW?

Origin of the word “Bee”

“Because the word describes people working together in a social group, a common false etymology is that the term derives from the insect of the same name and similar social behavior. According to etymological research recorded in dictionaries, the word probably comes from dialectal been or bean (meaning "help given by neighbors"), which came from Middle English bene (meaning "prayer", "boon" and "extra service by a tenant to his lord")”

Source: Wikipedia


We're organizing a work party of our own, part bee, part workshop, on how to transcribe tombstone inscriptions. You can read all about that right here.

Photo: Digby County, Nova Scotia quilting bee

Grand Falls-Windsor Memories Mug Up - Barbara Smith

Storytellers on stage.

On Friday, July 13, as part of the celebrations for Salmon Festival the Grand Falls-Windsor Heritage Society hosted their second annual Memories Mug Up at the Classic Theatre on High Street. About a hundred audience members came out to listen to the six storytellers share their memories of growing up in Grand Falls-Windsor. The session was moderated by Mary Kelly, a recently retired teacher and member of the heritage society.

There were stories about growing up in during the Second World War, the newspaper industry, memories of High Street and Main Street, and stories about the paper mill. Today's story comes from Barbara Smith:

View of the Classic Theatre.

The Outer Cove Cemetery Transcription Bee! August 9th

Thursday, August 9th, 2018
9am-12pm
Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum
744 Logy Bay Road, Logy Bay

(backup rain date: August 16th, 2018)

This combination workshop/documentation project will instruct participants in how to transcribe grave markers. You’ll learn about the DOs and DON’Ts of recording inscriptions, tombstone symbols and stone types, how to fill out cemetery marker forms, and assist the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum in collecting tombstone information at the St. Francis of Assisi RC Cemetery. Participants will take a walk about the cemetery and then will record contemporary grave markers, as part of the Museum’s ongoing project to maintain a database of cemetery inscriptions.

The workshop component will take place at the LBMCOC Museum, followed by fieldwork at the nearby cemetery. Participants should bring comfortable closed-toe shoes/boots, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring their own bug spray/sunscreen.  This event is a partnership between Heritage NL and the LBMCOC Museum.

Cost: $10 (includes refreshments, instruction, and materials)

Pre-registration required at www.heritagenl.ca

Proposed Audience: heritage and church volunteers, genealogists, researchers

Biography of presenter:
Dale Jarvis is the Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the province of NL, helping communities safeguard traditional culture. Dale holds a BSc in Anthropology/Archaeology (Trent), and a MA in Folklore (Memorial). He has worked for Heritage NL since 1996, and is Adjunct Faculty with the Memorial University Department of Folklore. He regularly teaches on oral history, cultural documentation, and public folklore.


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For more information:

Katie Crane
Museum Coordinator
Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum
lbmcocmuseum@gmail.com

(709) 726-5272

Living Heritage Podcast Ep119 A giant garden party

Chris Neary is President of the 2018 Royal St. John’s Regatta, which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. In the past nine years, Chris has worn many hats with the Regatta. He’s been Vice President and Captain of the Course, Commutations Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. Chris is also an avid rower and has competed in many regattas across the province, including the Placentia and Harbour Grace Regattas, Fogo Island Punt Race, Canadian Henley Regatta, and Atlantic Championships. In this episode, Chris talks about the history of the Regatta, beginning with recreational races in the 1700s and the earliest known document announcing the St. John’s Royal Regatta in 1818. The Regatta isn’t just about sport- Chris also describes how the Regatta came to be the “a giant garden party,” with games of chance, food, and live music. The 2018 Regatta is the largest in history with 156 teams competing in 36 races. To learn more about the Royal St. John’s Regatta, visit the website here.

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.

What to do with those buckets of capelin

This pair found a quiet spot along the beach at Middle Cove, despite the crowds. (Photo on Saturday, July 14, 2018).

As many Newfoundlanders know, July is the time to watch the capelin roll. These small, sardine-like fish swarm the beaches in early summer to spawn. Crowds gather to collect the fish with buckets and nets. As a come-from-away who has been offered capelin from the freezer of more than one friend, I wondered; what’s the best way to cook capelin?

From the looks of it, simple, pan-fried capelin is best. Barbara Noel Drover out of Mount Pearl said:

I like to clean and then dust with flour and fry with a little bit of fat back ... leftovers clean and freeze in small batches.

Another option is to cook them right up over a fire on the beach, or salt them for later. Robin Dooley said:

I cook them fresh on a stick around a campfire with lots of friends of course lol, I also roll in flour, salt and pepper and fry in oil on the stove for a brunch or breakfast.

Some people salt or smoke and dry for preservation, and I especially like these on a stick over the campfire. I don’t know the exact method but I’ve been told the gist of it; you add fresh water to a big bucket, add fisherman’s salt until a potato floats in the briny, buoyant liquid and then add your capelin until the eyes turn white. Then arrange on a flake, in a good breeze to keep the flies away. They are ready when they are dry but still pliable. We store these in the freezer in bags to keep fresh, but some leave in the cupboard! *eww, I’m a wuss for botulism*

In these photos, shared by Scott Sparks, you can see that not much has changed since the 1950s down at Middle Cove during the capelin run. Sparks’ father, William Sparks (pictured below), was the school principal at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base from 1957 to 1960.

William Sparks and friends at Middle Cove Beach in the 1950s. (Photo courtesy of Scott Sparks).

William Sparks collecting capelin at Middle Cove Beach. (Photo Courtesy of Scott Sparks).

Tuesday's #FolklorePhoto: Handmade Quilts and Guitars

Marie and Oliver Reid pose for a photo in their livingroom, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Today's Folklore Photos come from the Roddickton collection on Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative. Roddickton is a community located between Main Brook and Englee on the eastern side of Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula.

This community got its start with help from the Grenfell Mission when in 1906, when they built a sawmill operation in the region. Setting up this land-based industry was a direct attempt to address the uncertainties of the fishing industry. Previous to this development, the Main Brook area was known as Easter Brook and was mostly used by residents of Englee as hunting and fishing grounds. The name Roddickton was given to the new settlement in honor of a Grenfell Mission supporter named Thomas G. Roddick. The town was officially incorporated under the name of Roddickton in 1953.

The sawmill history of Roddickton is one riddled with contrasting times of growth and decline. The original sawmill only lasted until the early 1920s-a closure that saw most of the residents evacuated. This economic slump was temporary, however, as within four years, the Bowater Company moved into Roddickton to establish new mill operations. This industry motivated consistent growth for the community until the 1970s when Bowater too, was forced to shut down. Roddickton now operates as a service center for the greater region, helping to sustain the local population.

The Roddickton inventory is part of a founding collection for the Great Northern Peninsula Textiles Archive and Learning Center. This project, based in Conche, NL, is an on-going initiative to document and preserve the textile-based crafts that are being created on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. The items in this collection were gathered between May and July of 2010 and include photographs of textile craft objects such as the Newfoundland Quilt, patch work quilts, and knitted items. This inventory also includes audio clips of craftspeople discussing their particular textile-based skills and practices.

If you want to learn more about this collection click here and if you want to listen to an interview with Marie and Oliver Reid about knitting, quilting, taxidermy, and homemade guitars click here.

A painted Newfoundland quilt made by Marie Reid, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

A guitar made by Oliver Reid, Roddickton. Photo by Lisa Wilson. 2010

Mount Pearl Memory Mug Up at Admiralty House

Memory Mug Up participants at Admiralty House Communications Museum.

On Wednesday, July 18th, Dale, Natalie, and I were out in Mount Pearl at Admiralty House Communications Museum for their first Memory Mug Up. The Mug Up was hosted by several staff members at Admiralty House and it focused on Mount Pearl memories.

A dozen people showed up to tell stories about climbing haystacks and stealing turnips from farmers' fields, swimming at Twin Falls, and flattening pennies on the railway track. The main memories people shared were about the sense of community and the strong relationships which developed in Mount Pearl.

There were several residents who moved to the community in the 1960s through the 1980s and discussed the development over the years. Another common memory which was shared was of time spent volunteering with different organizations. Several people mentioned the sport alliance, and the Frosty Festival and how volunteering for these events helped build the community spirit of Mount Pearl.

If you want to learn more about how to run a Memory Mug Up in your community check out our easy how-to-guide or contact Dale Jarvis at 739-1892 ex. 2 or dale@heritagenl.ca

Sharing stories and memories of Mount Pearl.