Newsletter # 39 from Robert C. Parsons
October - November 2007
“Preserving Marine History, One Tale at a Time"
Greetings to those on this List:
If my newsletter is later than usual, I have a lame excuse. This summer I was deeply involved with Come Home Year activities, as Vice-Chair of the committee and Chair of the "Events" Committee. In between the organizational work this spring (April to July), I finished writing, laid-out and edited two books. One of which is described below.
- Schoonermen: Victims of their Trade
It has been awhile now since this newsletter has briefed you on "Schooner men - Victims of Their Trade" -- a list of Newfoundland and Labrador mariners lost at sea. If you scroll down on the left of this page, you'll see a button bar.
Click this and the list of names appear; a tribute to our ancestors who perished at sea. When I last presented this list to you, it had a little over 1000 names; now there's 1164.
If you see factual errors in names, dates, etc., let me know (robertparsons@personainternet.com) and it'll be corrected. I note that some of you did e-mail to ask about a certain person, an ancestor, whose name was left off or had some detail incorrectly given.
I recently found a brief article in the newspaper "Courier" dated December 9, 1876, which gave extra details on a Buffett man lost two months previously: The clipping read in part:
"We learn by letter from Grand Bank of the loss of the schooner Idler, owned by Wm. Buffett, the master, and built at Grand Bank last winter. The owner and four hands (all on board) were lost with her, leaving two widows and five orphans.”
Unfortunately and as is so often the case, the names of the other four men were not given. But the brief titbit did provide an update in "Victims of the Sea."
- TIMES, TIDES AND TALES
This month features a unique tale of the sea in the column "Times, Tides and Tales." It's a story originating in Bonavista, ending in Lance Cove and has elements of heroism and tragedy, combined with a strong and determined young lady, ship wrackers and survival.
Some of the surnames prominent in this tale of the sea are BLANDFORD, BUTTON, CHALK, DWYER, MacDONALD, MORISON (note one R), PARDY, PICKARD, PYE, READER and TEMPLEMAN, plus several names from the town of Trinity.
To reach the column directly click on this link:Times, Tides and Tales</a>.
- BOOK LAUNCH
My thanks to all involved -- Over one hundred people attended the launch of Survivors and Lost Heroes on August 7, 2007, and the event was unique. It can be best described as it appeared in the newspaper Southern Gazette.
“The book launch began with music by 'Single Shot.' District of Grand Bank MHA Judy Foote and Mayor Rex Matthews were on hand, and MC Les Stoodley began the event. Mr. Stoodley spoke of Mr. Parsons' fine work and research. He then introduced Fran Muller.
"Ms. Muller is an historical interpreter and researcher for 'L.A. Dunton', a schooner which called Grand Bank home for 29 years before moving and ultimately finding its way south of the border at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut...
“The ceremony of the book launch continued with Mr. Parsons thanking those who came, his family and Ms. Muller. It was a very emotional day for everyone, whether due to the memories of the 'L.A. Dunton' or specifically for Mr. Parsons on the realization that not only did he accomplish a great task in writing 20 books, but also because of the pride he should feel for organizing an epic book launch that gave so much to so many people." (Southern Gazette August 21, 2007)
Survivors and Lost Heroes is published by "Books of the Sea" and the cover price is $22.95; however for anyone ordering from this site, the price is reduced to $20.00 (no tax). Anyone wishing a copy, it can be sent to you (duly autographed) before the Christmas season is upon us.
At the bottom of this page are the chapter headings and in bold, the towns central to the sea story.
- GRAND BANK, WHAT A TOWN!
Recently another fine home in Grand Bank was designated a provincial heritage structure. For town residents and for visitors to the town and to this site who would like to know more about this beautiful home, it can be described thus:
The Buffett House is a late nineteenth-century wooden house with a steeply pitched, multi-gabled roof, a protruding front bay and heavy drip moldings on the overhanging eaves. The building sits on a large green lot with mature trees and is situated in Grand Bank’s heritage district, along a row of historic homes in the downtown area. Located at 1 George Street, this house’s designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value The Buffett House has been designated because it has aesthetic values. The house was built between1895 and 1905 by local builder Harry Camp and exhibits American traits in its architectural style. Grand Bank was once a very prosperous town that served international markets and the house resembles the bracketed villa form that was popular in North America in the mid-nineteenth century.
Camp took this architectural style and made Buffett House the unique structure it is today, enlarging the size and adding the various details that make it stand out. Sheathed in shingles and clapboard, the steeply pitched roof has overhanging eaves with ornate brackets and drip moldings. The one over one windows have multi-paned colored glass and wide moldings with rain caps. Other windows have etched details, particularly in the main entrance. A pointed window can be found in each of the gable peaks, drawing the eye upward.
The main façade accentuates this verticalism with a two-storey, peaked protruding bay located in the center of the house. The main door, surrounded by heavy molding and wooden panels, is airy and bright with the addition of a three-paned transom and side-lights. Also unique is the octagonal skylight, constructed with etched glass. Altogether, these features combine to present a fine example of vernacular architecture in the Grand Bank area. (Source: The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador)
Back issues of "Grand Bank! What a Town!" are available by clicking here.
That’s it until November,
In heritage,
Robert P.
Survivors and Lost Heroes:
The Sea from Cape Race to Cape Ray"
by Robert C. Parsons
Table of Contents
1.A Story of Tragedy ‑ locale Otter’s Point
2.Lost Seamen: Their Names Were Never Recorded – Garia, Garia Bay
3.Renconter’s Strange Tale of the Codseeker ‑ Renconter East
4.Ships and Murder ‑ Rose Blanche
5.A Dot on the Map ‑ St. Pierre
6.Oderin and the August Gales
7.The Wrecked Texas and the Gale of June, 1894 ‑ Little Harbour West, Placentia Bay
8.From Lawn to St. Pierre: A Story of the Sea
9.Trying Time for a Grand Bank Captain
10.Crew of Twenty‑Five Reach ‑ St. Bride’s
11.A Pitiful Tale of Hardship and Privation ‑ Garnish, Burin
12.Mute Evidence of Tragedy off at Cape Ray
13.The Rock Called Nancy Cann ‑ St. Mary's Bay
14.H.M.S. Viknor and Arnold’s Cove
15.Overdue – Fortune
16.Ship Sunk, Crew Robbed – Burin
17.A St. Shotts Tragedy
18.Mystery of the Deep at Fox Roost
19.Defender – Crack Gloucesterman ‑ Channel‑Port aux Basques
20.Two Burgeo Ships
21.Unreported for Ninety Days – Gaultois
22.Hunger at Pass Island
23.The Come by Chance End of the Pleiades
24.A Tale of Endurance – Sagona and Red Cove
25.The Cold Hard Facts of Fire at Sea – Boxey
26.Wreck Scenes at Lamaline
27.Oporto, 1928, Age 14 – Fortune
28.The Blinds Were Drawn – Little St. Lawrence
29.Trials of the Rum Runner Whichone ‑ St. Lawrence
30.Smuggling ‑ Burin Peninsula
31.Bound for St. Pierre – and a Missing Schooner – Lories and St. Pierre
32.Fortune Seamen, Safe but Destitute in Big Brook
33.Safe in St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s Bay
34.Survivors of the Wreck of St. Pierraise – Boat Harbour and St. Pierre
35.When a Ship Goes Down – Fortune and Little Bay East
36.How To Survive an August Gale – Trepassey and Creston North
37.Alone at Twelve ‑ English Harbour West
38.Belleoram Seamen: A Battle with the Sea
39.The Last Christmas Dinner on Dazzle ‑ Port Royal
40.James and Stanley: The Garnish Connection
41.Shipwreck at Blue Beach ‑ St. Lawrence
42.Fiery End for James U. Thomas – Pushthrough
43.Hard Luck Ship ‑ Port aux Basques
44.How We Got the News of Marshall Frank – Boxey and Coomb's Cove
45.Hard Times for Burin Peninsula Vessels
46.Howard Cecil: A Wreck off Lamaline ‑ Tack's Beach
47.The Dredge Fundy ‑ Lord's Cove
48.“How We Built the Alberto Wareham” ‑ Creston North
49.Lost on Nova Scotia’s Shores – Burin
50.Sheila Patricia ‑ Hare Harbour and Belleoram
51.Bertha Joyce on the Cliffs of St. Shotts ‑ Spencer's Cove
52.Iceland’s Last Trip ‑ Little Bay East
53.Tale of Two Ships ‑ Tack's Beach
54.Missing Ships, Large and Small – Ramea and Spanish Room
55.Sabotage: East Star in an International Incident ‑ St. Joseph's, Placentia Bay
56.One of the Last of the Splinter Fleet ‑ Mall Bay and St. Alban's
57.The Spirit of Samoset ‑ Baine Harbour and Brookside
Appendix A and B
Index of Newfoundland Labrador Surnames
This page was last updated October 10, 2007
All contents on this page is copyrighted to Robert C. Parsons
And “Books of the Sea” publishing company