A Beautiful Boat is a Cranky Boat: Wooden Boats and Snowshoes with Edwin Bishop #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Edwin Bishop of Heart's Delight-Islington learned how to build wooden boats from watching his father. Boat building skills were passed down through generations, and he has been building wooden boats since he was a teenager. He estimates he has built around 36 boats to date. Last year, he launched what he swore would be his last boat but he is already building another one for his granddaughter. As he says, "Sometimes I think I'm just crazy about boats."

Boats built by Edwin Bishop. Photo courtesy of Edwin Bishop.

The hardest part about building boats, Edwin says, is choosing the design. Each boat serves a different purpose, so depending on what you want to use your boat for will influence which design you choose. Edwin loves to build boats that can accommodate sails. He and his wife have taken many sailing trips in boats Edwin has built. Listen to Edwin's advice on what makes a good boat below!

Heritage Foundation NL · Edwin Bishop On What Makes A Good Boat

I think what makes a good boat is the design. The shape of it and the design is what makes a good boat for me, right? I got a phrase that I use from my father that you probably heard before, too, "A beautiful boat is a cranky boat." Now, most people don't to have anything to do with a cranky boat because they figure they're not safe and so on, but for me, and I learned from my father, if you're going to build a boat make sure she can wear a set of sails, and make sure she's a little bit cranky because she'll be better as a sailboat. You know, the curves and the lines...I build all kinds of boats, but a round bottom boat for me is a real boat. The round bottom, a nice sheer curve on top, and when you look at her on the water she's round, and she's curved, and she's pretty. 

Edwin credits the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador for working tirelessly to preserve and pass on boat building knowledge, including his own. He said he has learned a lot from them, and is glad of the work they do bringing education about wooden boats to the younger generation.

He also makes traditional wooden snowshoes, steaming and bending the wood by hand and tying intricate knots. He began learning this skill because he needed to repair the snowshoes he owned. Once he got started, he found it was something he enjoyed. He does say that it is a complicated process, especially tying the knots. He recalls the first pair of snowshoes he made and how he woke up his wife and his visiting sister with his celebratory shouts when he successfully figured out how to tie the knots after working on them until the wee hours of the morning.

Moose hide snowshoes by Edwin Bishop. Photo courtesy of Edwin Bishop.

Edwin describes knowing how to build boats and make snowshoes as almost a spiritual experience. He says when he when he sees stuff coming out from his hands, it is like being given a gift, one that he is lucky to have. He also appreciates the way that these skills connect him, and also his grandchildren, to people who were living almost 100 years ago. He says being able to do the same thing that his father, and his grandfather did, is very important to him, and he hopes that others will continue to do the work to celebrate these skills and help future generations connect with them like he has.
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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Cape Broyle Cleanup Project at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery

Last Friday, Andrea O'Brien and I were in Cape Broyle, talking to the Conservation Corps Green Team (pictured above) about their cleanup project for the Immaculate Conception Cemetery Municipal Heritage Site.

I gave a presentation with some basic tips on cemetery conservation work (I call it my "don't be at it" workshop) and Andrea talked about the history of the cemetery itself.

Immaculate Conception Cemetery has historic value as a physical record of Cape Broyle’s history, the cemetery markers serving as both historic records and artifacts on the landscape. It is the first known cemetery in the community, with the earliest headstones dating from the mid 1800s. Cape Broyle did not see year round settlement until the late 1700s, when seasonal fishermen and their families from Ireland’s southeastern counties settled there, including the Alyward, Grant, Kelly, O’Brien, Walsh and Whelan families. Irish immigration continued into the early decades of the 1800s, with the arrival of the Cashin, Coady, Dalton, Furlong, Hartery, Kent and Lahey families. For over a century, this cemetery was used by Cape Broyle and the neighbouring communities of Admiral’s Cove and Brigus South, providing a partial genealogical record for the three outports.

Residents buried there are noted figures in the community’s oral history and folklore. Among them are family members of Michael P. Cashin, who was Prime Minister of the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1919. Men who served in both World Wars from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and Forestry Unit are buried here, along with men who lost their lives working on the sea. Sailor John Yetman of St. Mary’s Bay, who was shot in Cape Broyle Harbour by the captain of an American Banker, is buried here and the well-known story of his death is often recounted in the community. 

After the presentations, we did a walk-through with the summer students, who have started work carefully clearing out brush from one corner of the cemetery. If you are in the area, drop by to see their progress!

One of the more mysterious grave sites is that Reverend Patrick Burke from Tipperary, Ireland. Fr. Burke was an assistant at Holy Trinity Parish in Ferryland and died there on April 27, 1849. His is the only box tomb in the cemetery, as well as the only monument with Latin script. Legend has it that upon hearing of Fr. Burke’s death his distraught family arranged transportation to Newfoundland. Under the cover of darkness, they removed the cleric’s body and brought it back to Ireland.

Other resources:

• Cemetery Do and Do Not Google presentation here
• Cape Broyle Roman Catholic Cemetery tombstone inscription records (from 1990, may not be up to date)

Living Heritage Podcast Ep180: Youth Initiatives with Rev. Anthony Nwoko

Reverend Anthony Nwoko of St. Patrick’s Parish in Carbonear  joins us to talk about his experience moving to Newfoundland, his work with the parish, and his recent youth initiatives. Reverend Anthony moved to Carbonear four years ago as part of a mission with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Falls. He is a priest with the Society of Divine Vocations, a religious congregation founded in Italy in 1920 that works to foster vocations in the priesthood and religious life. Currently, there are six priests from Nigeria working in Newfoundland as part of this mission.

This episode is part of a special series about the Baccalieu Trail region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Join us as we explore the hidden gems of the Baccalieu Trail- from stories of phantom ship sightings to local art and history.

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Living Heritage 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 HeritageNL and CHMR Radio.
Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Can you help identify this old mason-type jar?

I love a random history request. This one comes from Ben, Pilley's Island, who found this old jar:

On the top, cast in the glass, is written 128 fluid ounces. On the bottom of the jar is 1867. I think 1867 is the year of the patent.  See: "Jars marked “PAT NOV 26 67” on the base."

It is likely a GEM brand canning jar, made by the Hero glass company, see page 223 of this pdf:

https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/Hero.pdf

Any bottle/jar collectors out there who might have a bit more information? Comment below!

Living Heritage Economy Case Study - Building on Traditional Knowledge: Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador

The newest Living Heritage Economy Case Study focuses on the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Boat building room at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador was established as a provincial museum in 2008 and has its headquarters in Winterton, NL. Their focus is on connecting wooden boat builders and wooden boat enthusiasts across the province. Their workshops, programs, and exhibits share the knowledge and skills associated with traditional wooden boat building, promoting the use of wooden boats in the province and encouraging a new generation of wooden boat builders.

You can download a pdf version of the case study here.

And you can listen to an interview with museum folklorist Crystal Braye on researching wooden boat building here.

This is part of a series of case studies examining the links between living heritage, traditionality, entrepreneurism, and community economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more information, contact Dale Jarvis at dale@heritagenl.ca. Photo courtesy of Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

It's a Family Tradition: Working with Sealskin with Laurie Pitcher. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Laurie Pitcher of Heart's Content has been sewing ever since she was taught by her grandmother at 12 years old. She was more used to working with silks and satins until her husband asked her to make him a sealskin jacket. She's been hooked on sealskin ever since.

Sealskin mittens. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.

Her company Sealskin Treasures makes everything from keychains to purses to jackets and employs several women in her area. Their work appears at craft shows across the island every fall and winter. Through their online shop, Laurie says they have shipped their sealskin products all over the world, wherever it is legal to do so.

Sealskin purse in the Republic of Newfoundland colours. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.

It is important to Laurie to source whatever materials she can locally. She works with companies within the province to source the pelts she uses, some of which are then tanned by her son, Tyler, a taxidermist in Harbour Grace.

Heritage Foundation NL · Laurie Pitcher On Seals As Newfoundland Heritage

Well, I think the most important thing that people should know about it is that, 'cause you know, you hear so much with Greenpeace and all that kind of thing. And, you know, we've been, like I said, this is 7 years now we've been going across the island with our stuff, and we've had very little people say anything to us. But I know I've had people who have gone on the mainland and stuff and, you know, people say things to them. I mean, years ago people used to throw paint on people that had sealskin. So, I think the biggest thing to know is that our seals are harvested humanely. It's a beautiful product, is a very durable product, and it's truly Newfoundland. It's a part of our heritage. The seal hunt has been going on here for a long, long time, and I'm just proud to be able to do that and to continue it.

Laurie is carrying on a family tradition of working with seals. Her father and grandfather, as well as her husband's family were seal hunters. Working with sealskin allows Laurie to participate in this family tradition, and help educate people on the importance of the seal hunt in the history of the province.

Sealskin hat. Photo courtesy of Sealskin Treasures.

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Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!

Living Heritage Ep 179: Phantom Ships Along the Baccalieu Trail

Image courtesy of Karin Murray-Berquist.

In this episode, PhD candidate Karin Murray-Berquist shares her research on phantom ship sightings in Newfoundland and Labrador. Karin is a PhD Candidate in the Folklore Department at Memorial University. After working in Memorial University's Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA), she became fascinated by stories of shipwrecks and ghost ships. Karin created an online map that shows the location of all the ghost or phantom ship stories she’s found in the archive so far.

Photo courtesy of Karin Murray-Berquist.

In this episode, we talk about Karin’s research and dive into a few phantom ship stories from the Baccalieu Trail region.

This episode is part of a special series about the Baccalieu Trail region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Join us as we explore the hidden gems of the Baccalieu Trail- from stories of phantom ship sightings to local art and history.

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Living Heritage 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 HeritageNL and CHMR Radio.
Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.

Bark Pots and Bark Tanning - Heritage NL releases new paper on the history of a local tradition

Bark Pot, Cape Broyle, c 1950s, from the slide collection of Mr. Ronald O'Brien.

As part of our work on safeguarding skills at risk, we've been doing some research on the various traditions in Newfoundland and Labrador related to the use of bark pots for tanning, preserving fishing gear, and colouring canvas. 

You can read the report "The History and Practice of Bark Tanning in Newfoundland and Labrador" online, right here. 

If you have a memory of bark pots, email dale@heritagenl.ca, or comment below. 

What Will Happen to the Storytellers?: Storytelling, Painting, and Newfoundland Ponies with Clifford George. #MakerMonday

For #MakerMonday we'll be profiling some of the people practicing traditional skills on the Baccalieu Trail.
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Clifford George of Whiteway wears many hats. He is a storyteller, an artist, and has been rescuing Newfoundland ponies for decades.

Storytelling comes naturally to Clifford. He says that growing up without electric lights and without television, stories were all around him. He was inspired by the stories of his father, Esau George, and others, and has been remembering and writing them down to safeguard them for future generations. His favourite stories to tell are about Newfoundland fairies. These stories about ghosts and fairies were told to him by older family members to encourage him to be home before dark.

He has also always been a painter, and credits his isolation growing up in a small town in Newfoundland with training his eye to see the shapes and colours of the land. He practices plein air painting, capturing the vivid colours of Newfoundland and Labrador outports. He says you can probably hear his palette knives clicking all over the harbour as he lays on the paint. He plans to continue painting this summer, and you may see him on the side of a road with his easel surrounded by yellow caution tape.

Clifford George and one of his paintings. Photo by Jackie Evans.

Clifford has also worked hard to save the Newfoundland pony from extinction. With his own money, he would buy ponies that were destined for meat trucks, and established a sanctuary for retired Newfoundland ponies to spend their days. While the generation of Newfoundland ponies that he saved in the 1980s and 1990s are mostly gone now, their legacy lives on.

To hear more stories from Clifford George, check out the Living Heritage Podcast Hidden Gems episode.

This episode is part of a special series about the Baccalieu Trail region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Join us as we explore the hidden gems of the Baccalieu Trail- from stories of phantom ship sightings to local art and history.
____________________________________________________________________________

Do you live on the Baccalieu Trail and practice a traditional skill or know someone who does? Fill out our survey!