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 all this organizational work, this spring (April to June) I finished writing, laid-out and edited two books. One of which is described below.

If my newsletter is later than usual, you'll know why.

- 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. 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 undate 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 severalnames from the town of Trinity.

To reach the column directly click on this link: Times, Tides and Tales.

- 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 intoduced 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 untimately finding its way south of the border at Mystic Seaport, Connecticutt..."

"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 organzing 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 will be around $22.95; however for anyone ordering from this site, the price is reduced to $20.00 (no tax).

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 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 found at GRAND BANK, WHAT A TOWN.

In heritage,

Robert P.

1. A Story of Tragedy 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. Nina Lee: Odd Beginning, Common Ending Grand Bank

20. Defender – Crack Gloucesterman Channel-Port aux Basques

21. Two Burgeo Ships

22. Unreported for Ninety Days Gaultois

23. Hunger at Pass Island

24. The Come by Chance End of the Pleiades

25. A Tale of Endurance Sagona/Red Cove

26. The Cold Hard Facts of Fire at Sea Boxey

27. Wreck Scenes at Lamaline

28. Oporto, 1928, Age 14 Fortune

29.The Blinds Were Drawn Little St. Lawrence

30. Trials of the Rum Runner Whichone St. Lawrence

31. Smuggling Burin Peninsula

32. Fortune Seamen, Safe but Destitute in Big Brook

33. Safe in St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s Bay

34. When a Ship Goes Down Fortune, Little Bay East

35. How To Survive an August Gale Trepassey/Creston North

36. Alone at Twelve English Harbour West

37. Belleoram Seamen: A Battle with the Sea

38. The Last Christmas Dinner on Dazzle Port Royal

39. James and Stanley: The Garnish Connection

40. The Loss of the Nellie J. King Boat Harbour

41. Shipwreck at Blue Beach St. Lawrence

42. Fiery End for James U. Thomas Pushthrough

43. Hard Luck Ship Port aux Basques

44. Home Thoughts on the Marshall Frank Boxey/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/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/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/St. Alban's

57. The Spirit of Samoset Baine Harbour/Brookside

Appendix

Index of People, Towns and Ships