Category Archives: Archival Moments

North West River, Labrador

The Rooms: IGA 14-161 Innu Women at North West River

In 1985 the Provincial Archives acquired the records of the International Grenfell Association (IGA).

The collection consists of 26 photograph albums documenting all aspects of the activities of the International Grenfell Association (IGA) and its predecessor agencies, especially the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.

The albums include 4,731 photographs. Many of the photographs were taken by Mission staff. The overwhelming majority of the photographs are for the years 1892 to 1940. However, there are also a small number of photographs for the 1880s and the late 1940s.

Take some time to look at just one of these photograph albums featuring North West River, Labrador that were recently put on line by The Rooms.

You can now look at these photographs on line: http://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/therooms_permalink.html?key=123201

The Knights of Columbus Hostel Fire of 1942 Presentation

The Knights of Columbus Hostel Fire of 1942

Where: The Rooms Theatre

When: Friday, Dec 8, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Cost: Included With Admission

In 1942, the Knights of Columbus hostel in St. John’s burned to the ground with the loss of 99 people. Less than two weeks later, Justice Brian Dunfield was appointed to investigate the blaze, compiling over a thousand pages of testimony. Now, 75 years on, the testimony which is housed at The Rooms Provincial Archives remains a vital resource for scholarly activity. It is important that researchers in fire safety learn from such events – both from the point of view of the fire growth and spread but also the human behaviours witnessed or reported. Join Josee Ouelette, (R.C.M.P); Steve Gwynne, (Fire Safety); Rob Brown, Ph. D (Marine Institute, Memorial University and Aoife Hunt, Ph.D. (Managing Consultant at Movement Strategies London, United Kingdom) they use a vivid graphical representation of the hostel to present a timeline of the events, showing how the fire spread throughout the building, where people were located at various key moments in the fire and reported behaviors as the fire developed.

Horses, turned into the roads and woods to die of frost and starvation”

Photo Credit: The Rooms Provincial Archives: NA19658: Horses grazing ina field

Archival Moment

November 29,1893

In November 1893 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in the local St. John’s newspaper the Evening Telegram published an article “enlisting the services of supporters throughout the colony.”

The article read: “The SPCA desires to enlist the services of its supporters throughout the colony in detecting and punishing cruelty, and, at this season, the practice of exposing old horses and other animals.” The article stated: “Worn out horses are often turned into the roads and woods to die of frost and starvation.”

The Executive of the SPCA were keen to stop this cruel practice and insisted that “the crime should be effectually stamped out.”

The SPCA which was established in Newfoundland in November 1888 was originally formed to eradicate this practice and other cruel hardships that the horses had to endure such pulling excessively heavy loads.

The Executive of the SPCA wrote to the readers of the Evening Telegram that “Without the watchful assistance of the public, the efforts of our agents must be of little effect.”

Since their founding in 1888 the SPCA had encouraged laws “wide enough to cover all cases that may arise, and the magistrates never fall in their duty when such cases come before them.” They proposed however that “While it is the duty of all Justices of the Peace to execute this law upon offenders, it is no less the duty of every citizen to prosecute cases coming to notice.”

In 1893 it was the hope that “branches of our Society (should be) formed in every outport where a Justice is within reach.”

To assist with establishing societies outside of St. John’s “Either Mr. Greene, Q.C. (Hon. Treasurer) or Mr. Johnson, Q.C. (Hon. Secretary) of the St. John’s Society will be ready at all times to assist in the formation of branch Societies an in instructing as to the method of prosecuting offenders.”

Recommended Archival Collection: At The Rooms Provincial Archives: MG 593 is the SPCA Collection 1912 -1927. It consists of correspondence; complaint books, and investigation reports into complaints of cruelty.

Recommended Song: Tickle Cove Pond. Allan Doyle (Great Big Sea). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SNScBpa4lc

Recommended Web Site: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Please support the SPCA on line auction: http://spcastjohns.org/ Please click on the advertisement line above.

He asked the Queen to help him when he was 11

Donald Hawse of St. Lawrence wrote Queen Elizabeth II when he was 11 years old. He wanted the Queen to know that his father was a First World War veteran but he had no records to prove this. He came to The Rooms sixty years after he wrote that letter. He was determined.

Take some time to watch this story: (follows two short advertisements) http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1093257283945

Recommended Exhibit: The First World War had a profound impact on Newfoundland and Labrador. It involved thousands of our people in world-changing events overseas and dramatically altered life at home. Our “Great War” happened in the trenches and on the ocean, in the legislature and in the shops, by firesides and bedsides. This exhibition at The Rooms shares the thoughts, hopes, fears, and sacrifices of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who experienced those tumultuous years – through their treasured mementoes, their writings and their memories.

I will sing you home: Youtube video: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JeuCgA0rFIAn initiative of The Rooms in partnership with The Ennis Sisters, Shallaway Youth Choir and CBC.

The Rooms Will Be Closed On Saturday November 11 In Observance Of Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day Weekend at the Rooms

VIMY FLIGHT PRESENTATION

A replica of a Nieuport 11 French single seater First World War fighter plane has landed at The Rooms. This plane was part of the “Birth of A Nation” tour, spanning the country from coast to coast, commemorating airplane heroes of the past 100 years.

This bi-plane was one of the aircraft that flew as part of a commemorative flight over the Vimy Memorial on the hundredth anniversary of the battle – April 9th, 2017. This aircraft also flew over Beaumont Hamel Memorial Park.

Join us as at The Rooms as members of the team that flew the Nieuport 11 talk about their experience at Vimy and Beaumont Hamel and the place of flight in our First World War history.

Friday, Nov 10, 2017

1:00pm – 1:30 pm Vimy Flight Presentation

6:30pm – 7:00 pm Vimy Flight Presentation

Friday, Nov 10, 2017

2:30 – 3:30

The plane has landed in The Rooms

Vimy Flight: Premier public showing of the documentary “Flight Path of Heroes”.

Flight Path of Heroes: Connecting the Past and Present is the third in a trilogy of documentaries called A Nation Soars: Commemorating Canada’s Great War Flyers.

In this third instalment, narrator Dan Aykroyd tells the incredible story of a present day FWW squadron who travel to Vimy France, during the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, to perform a historic and patriotic flyby over the Vimy Memorial.

Friday, Nov 10, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Songs of the Great War

Level 3 Atrium

Cost: $30.00 (note that this is a ticked event)

At home or at the front, music uplifted spirits, boosted morale, and became an overall important part of life during The Great War. Come join Bill Brennan with vocalists Shelley Neville and Peter Halley as they perform some of the most popular songs that were heard in music halls, pubs, tents, dug outs and trenches.

(Tickets are available on line www.therooms.ca )

The Rooms Will Be Closed On Saturday November 11 in observance of Remembrance Day.

Join us at The National War Memorial

At 10:55 a.m., His Honour (Honourable Frank F. Fagan and Her Honour Patricia Fagan) will attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial where His Honour will lay the first wreath. Her Honour will lay a wreath on behalf of the Women’s Patriotic Association. Following the Service, His Honour will take the Salute in front of the Court House on Water Street. At the conclusion of the parade, Their Honours will host a Reception at Government House for invited guests.

At 2:30 p.m., Their Honours will attend the Annual Service of Remembrance at the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion.

VIMY FLIGHT PRESENTATION

Landed at The Rooms

Join us as at the Rooms as members of the team that flew the Nieuport 11 talk about their experience at Vimy and Beaumont Hamel and the place of flight in our First World War history.

Sunday November 12, 2017

1:00pm – 1:30 pm Vimy Flight Presentation

3:00pm – 3:30 pm Vimy Flight Presentation

Remember those who DIED IN SERVICE

Died In Service

The Memorial Plaque (Death Penney) was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all Newfoundlanders and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war.

The Rooms Provincial Archives is home to the database DIED IN SERVICE.

Consisting of over 1,300 illustrated biographies of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who died in the First World War, information in the database was researched and compiled by researcher Alistair Rice who generously donated the database to The Rooms for public use via the Archives Division. Work to format the data and make it available online was completed by Rooms staff during the summer and fall of 2016.

To discover the stories of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, visit this link : https://www.therooms.ca/died-in-service-database

On November 11 – Remember those who DIED IN SERVICE

On Saturday, 11 November 2016 at 10:55 a.m., Their Honours (Honourable Frank F. Fagan and Her Honour Patricia Fagan) will attend the Remembrance Day War Memorial Service at the National War Memorial, St. John’s where His Honour will lay the first wreath. Her Honour will lay a wreath on behalf of the Women’s Patriotic Association. Following the Service, His Honour will take the Salute in front of the Court House on Water Street. At the conclusion of the parade, Their Honours will host a Reception at Government House for invited guests.

I will sing you home: Youtube video: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JeuCgA0rFIAn initiative of The Rooms in partnership with The Ennis Sisters, Shallaway Youth Choir and CBC.

The Rooms Will Be Closed On Saturday November 11 In Observance Of Remembrance Day.

The turnip or pumpkin, Halloween tradition.

Archival Moment

October 28, 2017

Why a Jack O’Lantern?

In Newfoundland and Labrador the humble turnip that was long associated with Halloween has been replaced by the pumpkin.

Today, folklorist and historians would argue that our Irish and Scottish ancestors carrying the traditions that they grew up with would have carried those same traditions to the new world. One such tradition would have been to carve a turnip during Halloween in keeping with the story of ‘Jack of the Lantern.’

As the Irish tale goes, a man called Stingy Jack, a lazy and shrewd blacksmith, invited the devil for a drink and a little gambling.

During the evening Jack convinced the devil to change his form into a coin to pay his debts, if he should lose. The devil who off course never lost was quick to agree to change form. When the devil agreed, Stingy Jack decided he wanted the coin for other purposes, and kept the coin in his pocket beside a small, silver cross to prevent the devil from turning back into his old self.

When Jack died, God was not amused that Jack was playing with the temptations of the devil and refused to allow him into heaven. The devil, still furious with Jack wouldn’t allow him into hell. Jack was dispatched and was instead sent into the eternal night, with a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip to light his way. Poor Jack as a result has been roaming the earth ever since. In the Irish tradition this poor wandering soul is known as “Jack of the Lantern,” it has since become “Jack O’Lantern.”

With Jack of the Lantern wandering about our ancestors in in Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lantern by carving scary faces into turnips, placing them by their homes to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits and travelers.

When the Irish and Scots immigrated to North America, it was only natural that they should bring along the tradition of turnip carving during the Halloween season. In Newfoundland turnips were readily available and the turnip carving tradition continued for hundreds of years.

In the United States pumpkins were native and could be carved with much greater ease. The lowly turnip,Jack-o-Lanterns have been gradually displaced with the pumpkin Jack-o-Lanterns which have become an integral part of Halloween festivities ever since.

In some counties in Ireland there has been a movement to bring the lowly turnip back an uphill battle to displace the American pumpkin.

In Newfoundland the pumpkin is a relatively new addition, it was the glorious turnip that shone in the window of homes even into the 1970’s. The tradition of carving the pumpkin was likely originally introduced by American soldiers living on bases throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Recommended Reading: The Dublin Penny Journal, July 1835. Page 229 – 231. ‘The Tradition of the Jack O’Lantern.’ Read More: https://books.google.ca/books?id=9gLSAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA230&dq=history+of+jack+o+lanterns&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qFtSVLSrIYflsATa2IHABw#v=onepage&q&f=false

A fisherman for a lifetime, he has left this harbour

Clem Dohey

1927-2017

My father, a fisherman for a lifetime has left this harbor. Clem and Larry Dohey off Cape St, Mary’s.

Clem Dohey, age 89, of St. Bride’s, Placentia Bay, a fisherman for a lifetime, left this harbour on October 18, 2017, in the presence of his loving family.

He was predeceased by his wife, Loretta, son Billy, his parents William & Bridget Dohey, his sister Lettie Murphy and her spouse, Lar, and by his brothers John, Frank, and Jim and his spouse, Rose.

Always a high liner to his family, he leaves to mourn in sadness, his children: Eta (Anthony Nash), George (Patricia Walsh), Eric, Frances (Fred Mills), Pat (Pauline Broderick), Larry (Ian Martin), Doreen (Dominic Traverse), Father Wayne, Jean, Sandra (Fabian Manning), Orinda (Jerry Careen), Marie (Lloyd MacKenzie) and his brother, Charlie of St. Bride’s.

His great love and joy were his 23 grandchildren: Janice, Ian, Kim, Tracey, Elizabeth, Freddie, Sandra, Carrie, Justin, Pat Jr., Ashley, Peter, Christopher, Jordan, Fabian Jr., Mark, Heather, Amy, Marcus, Kindra, Evhan, Joshua and Grayson and his 10 great-grandchildren: Logan, Lavina, Emma, Kate, Addyson, Chase, Maxim, Nash, Fabian Jr. and Leah.

Clem also leaves behind a large circle of other relatives and friends, especially the residents of Beachside Manor and the Lions Manor Nursing Home in Placentia where he resided at the time of his passing.

Mass of Christian Burial took place on Tuesday, October 24 at 2:00 pm.

“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

The first Thanksgiving service was in Newfoundland?

The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland and Labrador, the English explorer Martin Frobisher landed here in 1578 in his quest for the Northwest Passage. The Thanksgiving service was held to give thanks for his safe arrival in the New World.

Thanksgiving day was not declared a national holiday in Canada until 1879.

From 1921 to 1931, Armistice Day (later renamed Remembrance Day) and Thanksgiving were marked on November 11.

In 1957, the second Monday of October was set as the consistent date for Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

What about the Turkey “Wishbone”?

The ancient Romans used to pull apart chicken bones hoping for good fortune. The English picked it up in the 16th century, where it was referred to as “merrythought.” In the New World, Pilgrims played tug-of-war with the bones of wild turkeys. The term “wishbone” didn’t emerge until the 1800′s. Each person grabs an end and pulls it apart. It is believed that if you get the bigger piece, your wish will be granted.

Talking Turkey

The term ‘cold turkey’ is now predominantly used as the name of the drug withdrawal process. It is also used to refer to any abrupt termination of something we are accustomed to.

The turkey looms large in North American culture and is the centrepiece of the annual Thanksgiving meal. In the USA, ‘plain speaking/getting down to business’ is called ‘talking cold turkey’, which has been shortened in present day speech to just ‘talking turkey’.

Eating turkey and feeling sleepy

Contrary to popular belief, eating turkey isn’t the main reason you feel sleepy after a Thanksgiving feast.

The oft-repeated turkey myth stems from the fact that turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan, which forms the basis of brain chemicals that make people tired. But turkey isn’t any more sleep-inducing than other foods. In fact, consuming large amounts of carbohydrates and alcohol may be the real cause of a post-Thanksgiving-meal snooze.

Happy Thanksgiving

“Women and children first”

ARCHIVAL MOMENT

September 27, 1854

“THIS SMALL CITY (ST. JOHN’S) IS FULL OF WRECKED CREWS AND PASSENGERS.”

Photo Credit: “Wreck of the U.S.M. Steam Ship ‘Arctic’ Cape Race, Newfoundland. September 27th 1854. (Source: N. Currier lithograph.

On (September 27, 1854) two ships collided of Cape Race, Newfoundland because of a heavy fog, killing approximately 350. For the next several weeks the eyes of the world were fixed on Newfoundland as news reporters were scrambling to find any shred of news about the passengers and crews. Lifeboats with the few survivors began to arrive in towns along the Southern Shore the following day.

The Arctic, a four year old luxury ship, piloted by Captain James Luce sailing out of Liverpool, England slammed into the steamer Vesta, an iron-hulled ship piloted by Captain Alphonse Puchesne, transporting French fishermen from St. Peter’s (now St. Pierre) to France at the end of the summer’s fishing season.

Immediately upon impact, the Arctic released lifeboats, but many capsized in the choppy waters. Lurid tales of panic aboard the sinking ship were widely publicized in newspapers. Members of the crew had seized the lifeboats and saved themselves, leaving helpless passengers, including 80 women and children, to perish in the icy North Atlantic. It is believed 24 male passengers and about 60 crew members survived.

The captain of the Arctic, James Luce, heroically tried to save the ship and get the panicking and rebellious crew under control. Upon his return to the United States he was treated as a hero, however, other crew members of the Arctic were disgraced, and some never returned to the United States.

“WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST”

The first of the survivors made their way to Broad Cove, near Cape Race from there they proceeded to Renews where they began to mount a search for the wreck of the their ship. The search was headed by the local merchant Mr. Alan Goodridge of Renews. No sign was found. Some survivors and the crew of the Vesta limped into St. John’s. The newspapers of the day were reporting that “this small city (St. John’s) is full of wrecked crews and passengers.”

The New York Times reported:

“many small vessels which were immediately undertaken in search of the steamer or of any of her boats, had returned from unsuccessful cruises, and that very little hope is entertained for the safety of any…”

The public outrage over the treatment of the women and children aboard the ship resonated for decades, and led to the familiar tradition of saving “women and children first” being enforced in other maritime disasters.

Recommended Archival Collection: Explore the online collection held at The Rooms. Search the Archives from the comforts of your home:: https://www.therooms.ca/collections-research/our-collections

Recommended Archival Collection: The Maritime History Archives, (MHA) Memorial University of Newfoundland holds a beautiful hand colored lithograph of the Arctic. It shows the ship broke up on the rocks with passengers and crew struggling in the cold Atlantic.

Recommended Publication: Baehre, Rainer K. (ed.) (1999) Outrageous Seas: Shipwreck and Survival in the Waters Off Newfoundland, 1583-1893. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1999, ISBN:0886293588