A Christmas Treat!

Courtesy of The Rooms provincial Archives.
Circa 1948

In 1924 W.R.Goobie purchased what was Woods West End Candy Store located on 350-348 Water Street, and started Purity Factories Limited. Some of the first items Purity made were peppermint knobs, candy kisses and flavoured syrups. In the 1930s they began production of a line of hard bread, sweet bread, cookies and biscuits. From 1948 until the 1970s they even bottled Canada Dry Products. By the late 1960s Purity was the only company in the province producing hard bread. Now 88 years later Purity products are a Newfoundland tradition, especially during the holiday season.

Courtesy of Crystal Braye; via The Downhomer

Earlier this week I asked for some of your Purity memories. Here are some of the lovely stories I received:

Being raised by Newfoundlanders in Ontario gave Purity products an extra special place, especially around Christmastime. Purity Syrup was a Christmas staple, along with a variety of Purity candies and treats. One Christmas, when I was about nine or ten years old, we had some of our neighbours over for a visit - including eleven-year-old Patrick, who I had a huge crush on at the time. Wanting to share my special Newfoundland Christmas treats, I offered Patrick a "Newfie Kiss," [I don't remember exactly what they were, but my parents called them "Newfie Kisses"]. Unfortunately, Patrick didn't realize I was referring to a candy and got a look of disgust on his face when he thought I was going to kiss him. He refused a Newfie Kiss and kept his distance for the rest of the night.- Crystal Braye

Courtesy of Crystal Braye; via The Downhomer

I was a crew chief on the series Road To Avonlea and Wind At My Back, both Sullivan productions on CBC about 16 years ago. It was not part of my job but the set decorators used Purity products on the shelves in any shots of the stores in these series. They were used because of there dated labels. -Frank Noseworthy 

I remember going to my Nan's house and there were always some peppermint knobs, in a little glass dish, tucked away in the kitchen cupboard. I loved it when she took that dish down and gave me one. Little did I know, these peppermint knobs were often there quite a while and would get pretty soft. I actually didn't know until I was much older that peppermint knobs were a hard candy! I liked them better Nan's way anyway.-Nicole Penney

If you'd like to read more about Purity Factories Limited check out this great little piece from The Collegian, 1933 (pp.25-27) that describes a tour of the factory. 

The Daily News, Jan.1, 1956

Thank you so much to everyone who sent me their Purity memories and ephemera.

Merry Christmas and have a happy and prosperous New Year! 

It wouldn't be Christmas without Purity

A few days ago I set my mind to writing a Christmas blog entry and it was suggested that I write about Purity Factories products. I thought this a fantastic idea! Purity products like syrup, peppermint knobs and Jam Jams are a big part of the Christmas tradition in Newfoundland and Labrador. If you doubt the importance of Purity at Christmas time all you need to do is think back to the Christmas of 2010, when the factory was on strike. People nearly went frantic at the thought of not having their hard tack for Christmas Eve fish and brews. And what would the poor ol' mummers drink? Why it's a well known fact that Purity syrup is the preferred refreshment of mummers province wide. And a Christmas without peppermint knobs? I shudder to think of it!

 The Daily News. Dec.11, 1948

I went to work looking for some old Purity archival images or old Purity ephemera, such as ads, posters, or even old product packages. I surprisingly found very little besides old newspaper ads. Considering Purity was first started in 1924, I figured I'd have no trouble finding some things. But alas! I found very little and feared my blog entry would be near impossible to write.

Burke's popular songs. St. John's: Long Brothers, 1929.

The Evening Telegram, 1936.

But then, just as my hopes were fading I thought to myself, "this is the season for giving after all!"
So I'm asking for your help with this one. If you have any old Purity stuff tucked away take it out, dust it off, snap a few pictures and send them my way. Help make Christmas come early at the ICH office!

The Daily News.  Dec.11, 1948

I would also love to hear your memories of Purity products at Christmas time. What Purity items make Christmas for you?

You can reach Nicole with your Purity pictures and memories at:
nicole@heritagefoundaiton.ca
or call: 1-888-739-1892 ex.6

Mummers Parade Saturday in St. John's, Sunday in Clarenville

Well, the Mummers Festival is banging to a crescendo this weekend!

On Saturday, Dec 15th, we have the Rig Up, the Parade itself, the Mummers Jam, and new this year, Mummeroke!

Remember, we want you to be IN the parade! This is a participatory event, and anyone can dress up and join in.

Also new this year, the Clarenville Mummers Parade and Jam, happening Sunday, Dec 16th.

If you are curious, you can look at the St. John's parade route on Google Maps, or listen to the CBC Radio Noon Crosstalk on mummering.

www.mummersfestival.ca

Call for papers - Practicing Folklore

Practicing Folklore

The theme of practice suggests an underlying impulse within our sometimes disparate folklore and ethnographic projects. The theme acknowledges culture as enacted and admits the idea of rehearsal as a significant aspect to signifying actions and texts. Practice also informs the pragmatic element of our discipline, highlighting researchers, writers and teachers as workers and labourers. Finally, the theme suggests an open-ended view of culture, texts and research that underpins some of our best scholarship.

We encourage paper submissions that work within the conference theme or address the ongoing UNESCO 2003 convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. As usual, proposals dealing with other topics are welcomed. Applications for panels and workshops are strongly encouraged. The Folklore Studies Association of Canada welcomes scholars and practitioners from all disciplines with projects of interest to folklorists and ethnologists to apply.

Corner Brook, NL June 17-19, 2013


PLEASE NOTE, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED:
• All applicants must email their abstracts to John Bodner (jbodner@grenfell.mun.ca). Please indicate any AV needs. Be sure to include your title and your strict maximum 100-word abstract for your formal presentation (in English and French if possible, or simply in your first language) along with your name, department, institutional affiliation, and contact information by February 28, 2013. Abstracts longer than 100 words will be returned for review.

• Hard copy/surface mail submissions of abstracts will not be accepted.

• Only members paid up for the calendar year 2013 and preregistered for the conference may have their submission considered (http://www.acef-fsac.ulaval.ca/en/joining-fsac/). Students and unwaged: $30 membership plus $75 conference registration; regular members: $60 plus $150 conference registration. Membership fees can be sent through PayPal on the ACEF/FSAC website. Cheques for conference registration are to be made out to ACEF/FSAC and sent to:

Richard MacKinnon
P.O.Box 5300, 1250 Grand Lake Road,
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
B1P 6L2

Did you know? A Little Tidbit About Heritage Animals

 "The Newfoundland Pony has long been a proud part of Newfoundland's culture and history. These ponies interbred for over three centuries until the Newfoundland Pony that developed was perfectly suited to the rough Newfoundland environment." 

Did you know?

The Newfoundland Pony was the first and only animal to be given status as a heritage animal by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. In December of 1996, the province passed new legislation that calls for the protection of heritage animal such as the pony.This protection is seen through the support and breeding of animals that have been an important part of the province's history. For more information on the designation of the Newfoundland Pony please see the Heritage Animals site hosted by the Department of Natural Resources. 
-Lisa

Cemetery Workshop: post mortem

This past Tuesday the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office put off a workshop focused on cemeteries in Newfoundland and Labrador. The workshop was held at the Johnson's Geo Centre and looked at the art, archaeology, history and heritage of graveyards in this province. The workshop was a great success and very well attended by members of the community who had varying interests on the topic, from the restoration of headstones to municipal heritage designations for cemeteries. 

The workshop was broken down into two sessions. During the first session Gerald Pocius discussed the origins of Newfoundland headstones and the symbols and epitaphs used on them. Martha Drake discussed archaeology and the Portugal Cove Cemetery and Melanie Tucker gave an overview of Stonepics, a database of over 30,000 photographs of headstones collected from cemeteries across the province. Dale Jarvis also gave a presentation on lych-gates which are elaborate roofed gates that traditionally were the sheltered point at which the coffin was set down at a funeral to await the clergyman's arrival. 

The second session focused on the conservation and heritage of cemeteries.  Andrea O'Brien discussed municipal heritage designation for cemeteries, followed by Annie McEwen who discussed her experience making headstone rubbings in Port Royal, Long Island, Placentia Bay. Lastly, Lisa Wilson described the conservation project which took place at that same cemetery in Port Royal during the summer of 2012. 

After the workshop we asked participants to fill out a form and give us feedback on the workshop. Here are some of the comments we received:

I really enjoyed learning about the databases that exist, in addition to the slide presentation by Gerald Pocius. 

The grave stone rubbings and the restoration of the Port Royal Cemetery was amazing. I would love to do this myself!

I find cemeteries to be fascinating windows into history, and NL seems to have some wonderful sites. 

I enjoyed the variety of topics addressed and the different presentations.

Enjoyed all aspects of it. Really enjoyed the graveyard rubbing session and the Stonepic presentation. Lisa's presentation of restoration was awesome! 

This was a well thought out and amazing workshop on cemeteries!!!

Loved it!!

We'd like to thank all those who attended our workshop and give a big thank you to our speakers for their interesting and informative presentations. 

Check out the ICH page for updates on upcoming workshops and please feel free to get in touch and let us know what kind of heritage workshops you would like to see us put off in the future. 

Lloyd and Pat: Heart's Content Heritage

Lloyd and Pat Smith live within the Heart's Content Heritage District. They also happen to be on the local heritage committee and have knowledge on the history of this region. I was lucky enough to spend the day with them and learn about their life experiences here. Lloyd was born and raised in Heart's Content while Pat is initially from Carbonear, yet both of them consider Heart's Content home. Lloyd showed me a photo of the house he grew up in. His family home, which is no longer standing, was built in the 1920s. It was a duplex that functioned not just as their home, but as a boarding house as well. Lloyd told stories of his mother feeding the 10-child family as well as multiple boarders at the same time. She would make sure that the people living under her roof always had something to eat--including a packed lunch for the boarders who would go off to work during the daytime. Lloyd and Pat recalled just how busy she was, and how she never seemed to need to take any naps. She worked very hard in her life and lived to be over 90 years old. "Hard work doesn't kill anyone," is a phase that came to mind for all of us.

A framed photo of Lloyd's family home, brought down in the late-1980s.

Two more images of Lloyd's family home--same house, two different eras, particularly noticeable from the vehicles parked alongside the building.

After living and working away, Pat and Lloyd came back to Heart's Content to settle down. They built a house across from the cable company staff houses in a spot that has a view of the harbuor. Right where their house is now, there used to be a car garage that people would have their cars serviced in. This is not the only building that is now gone: also gone is the Anglican church that was once in behind where they live, the hospital in the corner lot, and the Parish Hall across the way. Lloyd and Pat were able to tell me many stories about the people and places in their community. They added some of this information to a map--a collection of important memories that I will using while doing a few different Heart's Content community mapping projects this winter/spring.

Memory aids for/from my interview with Pat and Lloyd.

Pat and Lloyd allow me to photograph them (in front of Lloyd's giant record collection).

Thank you for inviting me into your home to share so many lovely photos and stories. And to everyone else in Heart's Content that I've visited, thanks for welcoming me into your community. I hope to speak with many more people over the next few months, so please stay tuned.

-Lisa

New Perlican Thinks About Cemetery Restoration

As we come up to next week's Cemetery Workshop (Dec. 4th, 1-5pm), I am going to post about a cemetery visit I recently had that really made me think about best practices for cemetery restoration work. Yesterday I traveled to New Perlican to have a visit with three members of the town's Heritage Society.  There is a cemetery in their community that has been neglected for a very long time. The residents have been keeping an eye on it, but they would like to do some conservation and restoration work in the near future. The cemetery is likely from the early-to-mid-1800s and as far as this group knows, there is no living resident who can remember a church once being up on that hill. All of the people who would have seen it in their youth have now passed away. The cemetery itself is very interesting. There are 8-10 headstones (some broken, others still standing) that clearly show where there are graves. It is thought that there are many more headstones that have fallen and been buried by layers of moss. On other parts of this large hill, there are clear examples of stone makers which suggest grave locations. These are scattered over a large area, but it is quite easy to pick them out. They look different than natural rocks-- they were buried in an intentional way with portions of the rock rising above the ground, much like headstones. Eileen, Max and Lorraine gave me a tour of this space and explained some of their restoration plans. They have some hurdles ahead, but with the dedication they have, there will surely be some successes.

Lorraine, Eileen, and Max showing me the St. Mark's Cemetery.

Buried and broken headstone in the cemetery. Date of stone unknown.

Two rocks thought to show the 'head' and 'foot' of a grave.

Some of the questions that came up included: how should headstones be fixed and protected without causing more damage? How can we tell if there is a grave if the headstone is now gone? How can we record what is still here? It is great that the New Perlican heritage group is asking such questions. They understand how important it is to document and protect what we have from the past, while we still have it. Overall, it was a fantastic visit and I hope to provide them support in the spring and summer as they embark on this restoration journey.

A final photo before signing off: here is a broken headstone that is now under the careful watch of the this New Perlican Heritage Society. This was pulled from the local garden of Percy Critch. It is thought to be a headstone from 1758 for a woman named Jane London-- a fascinating find to say the least!

-Lisa

Harbour Breton tombstones, and moving graves in Argentia

I've a couple cemetery-related gems today. HFNL board member Doug Wells sent me a few snaps of historic tombstones from the oldest cemetery in Harbour Breton (Church of England). I've posted them below. One of the oldest markers is the slate gravestone of Sarah Chapman (1769-1831), the final photo posted here.

Also, new on Memorial's Digital Archives Initiative is this intriguing map of the new cemetery built to house remains exhumed as part of the construction of the United States Air Force Base at Argentia during World War II.  I don't know much about that story, but it sounds intriguing! If you know more about it, send me an email at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.  The list of names includes some fascinating entries, including "Young Man from the Plot of Richard Healy" and "Teresa Sampson (Mistaken for another person by relatives)" and "Michael Smith - Age 80 & Another Body out of same Plot under Big Rose Bush." I'd love to know the story of Teresa!

Are you ready for the 2012 Mummers Festival?

We sure are! This year promises to be the biggest and best Festival to date. We’ve got some exciting new events lined up and our much loved Hobby Horse and Ugly Stick Workshops are set to go!

Expect to see more oversized bras and long underwear than ever before! The Mummers Parade is growing each year, and the energy levels keep rising! There will be a few new surprises along the Parade route this year too!

This year marks the 150th year of the ban on mummering (which was later overturned). On Sunday, December 5th, Folklorist Joy Fraser will be discussing the alleged murder of fisherman Isaac Mercer by a group of men disguised as mummers in Bay Roberts in 1860. It is one of the most notorious episodes in Newfoundland’s history, prompting a legislative ban on mummering that remained in force for over a century. Joy’s lecture, Mummers and Murder, reveals a remarkable collection of archival discoveries that shed new light on the circumstances surrounding Mercer’s death.

Also new this year: Mummer-oke! If you’ve ever felt the slightest bit shy about singing in front of a crowd, fret no more! When you’re in disguise, who cares?! Mummer karaoke at the Georgestown pub will challenge you to sing your favorite tunes in your best mummer voice. It’s gonna be ugly, so bring an ugly stick.

If you don’t know much about mummering come out to our event “How Do You Mummer Anyway” and meet two of the most vivacious mummers out there! Direct from the Southern Shore, these two will give you the lowdown. We’ll ask all the vital questions: Which houses have the best food and drink?; What are the best ways to disguise yourself?; To knock or not to knock?; And how do you go to the bathroom in a disguise like that?

Of course we’ll also be hosting the Province’s largest dress-up party just prior to the Parade. So if you don’t have a disguise, come to the Rig Up an hour before the Parade and sort through the endless supply of ridiculous clothing on hand.

The Parade ends at The Rooms for a hard-stepping mummers dance to some high energy live music. We’ve got some tasty baked goods and enough Purity syrup to make yourself sick! So pace yourself! And, as always, you can strike your best pose at our “Mummeries Forever” Photobooth.

And remember...the Mummers Parade needs YOU!! Yes you! YOU! People love this event because they get to participate! Talk to anyone who’s been in the Parade and they’ll tell you how something funny happens to them...something odd, wondrous, magical. This is the effect of dressing in disguise. You get a bit more freedom to be foolish. We all want that, yes? And bring your friends! Bring your family! It will make your experience all the richer!

There are lots of tips for new mummers and some colourful photos on our website if you need a little guidance and inspiration.

Cemetery Workshop Update and Special Student Rate

We've had a good response so far to our Cemetery Workshop, which will be held at the Johnson GEO Centre on Tuesday, December 4th, starting at 1pm. Cost to participants is $40 for the day, includes snacks and coffee/tea. A number of students have expressed interest in attending, so we've added a special $20 student rate for the workshop.

To register, contact Lisa at:
1-888-739-1892 ext 3
lisa@heritagefoundation.ca

The day will be broken into two sessions. The first is on Art and Archaeology, the second is on Conservation and Heritage.

Presenters to date include:

Gerald Pocius - Reading Newfoundland Gravestones
This presentation will discuss the origins of Newfoundland gravestones, and the symbols and epitaphs used on them. Gravestones in Newfoundland were imported as well as made locally. They contained symbols both sacred and secular. The epitaphs used on the stones could be brief or poetic and lengthy. Examples shown will be mainly from eastern Newfoundland.

Martha Drake - Archaeology and the Portugal Cove Cemetery
Several years ago, graves were excavated from an unmarked cemetery during a proposed housing development in Portugual Cove. Martha Drake will talk about how a stop work order was put in place, and how the graves were professionally investigated and the human remains brought to MUN. The Town has created a small park where the graves were uncovered and the remains will be reburied in the newly developed park setting.

Melanie Tucker - Stonepics Database
Stonepics, a database of over 300, 000 headstone and cemetery photographs from all around Newfoundland, is owned and created by Mr. Kimsey Fowler who lives in Seattle, Washington. Melanie will speak about this fabulous database, and illustrate how it can be used for research.

Andrea O’Brien - Cemeteries and Municipal Heritage Designation
Andrea will explain the process through which towns designate cemeteries and detail services offered to towns by HFNL, including historical research, writing a Statement of Significance for the cemetery and placing the designation on the Provincial Register of Historic Places.

Lisa Wilson - The Port Royal Cemetery Restoration Project
This presentation will be photographic journey detailing the graveyard restoration project that took place in the summer of 2012 in the resettled community of Port Royal. Aside from the discussing the challenges of working in isolated conditions, Lisa will be going over some of the conservation dilemmas the team encountered, while offering ideas for best practices for those who are embarking on similar projects.

Annie McEwen - From the Field: Headstone Rubbings and Maker’s Marks
Annie's talk will be informed by her most recent field experience at the Port Royal Cemetery on Long Island, Placentia Bay. She will discuss the stories behind grave signatures or maker’s marks as well as the importance of headstone rubbings and their practical application. Rubbings can be an excellent way to record headstone information as well as capturing the beauty and uniqueness of the stone. Examples of rubbings done this summer at the Port Royal Cemetery will be shown.

(photo: St. Matthew's Cemetery, St. Lawrence)

The Cappahayden Pony Refuge

The Newfoundland Pony is an important part of Newfoundland's history and some people even refer to them as a "heritage animal." It is thought that without their labor, it wouldn't have been possible for settlers to stay on this island. Ponies did a great deal of our brunt work for many decades--they are hearty animals that could withstand difficult conditions, such as poor weather, bad grazing, and food scarcity. Traditionally ponies would be used for hauling fish, pulling lumber from the woods, turning soil in the fields, pulling stumps from the ground, and of course, for transportation. They helped the people of Newfoundland subsist on this land up until the 1960s and 70s when they were almost completely replaced with motorized vehicles. During that transitional era pony populations saw a major decline. When once there were 10,000 ponies, the population fell to around 50. Nowadays, some people recognize all of the work that the pony did to help us, and are working to protect the ponies we still have. This is done through breeding programs and by ensuring that ponies have good homes.

Liz Chafe of The Goulds has been working with ponies since she was a young girl. She now owns and operates a pony refuge in Cappahayden with her husband Peter. It is a great deal of work for them to house these animals. Right now they have 11 ponies, 1 cow, and a dog. This past weekend, myself along with HFNL staff member Dale Jarvis and volunteer Joelle Carey went to see Liz at the pony refuge to see how we could help with the workload. Joelle was particularly interested in visiting the farm because she will be working as an intern with the Newfoundland Pony Society starting in January. It was a good albeit rainy day, and we got a sense of what kind of work it takes to care for these animals. We hope to go back again soon with as many volunteers as we can wrangle.
-Lisa

Joelle (L) and Dale (R) hanging out at the pony refuge.

Liz Chafe talking to Dale and Joelle about her Newfoundland ponies (while she prepares pony feed).

From cemeteries to Deadman's Cove - November's ICH Update

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage update for Newfoundland and Labrador: we announce a half-day workshop on the art, archaeology, history and heritage of cemeteries; Dan Rubin brings us a report from the Pouch Cove Heritage Day; Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) board member Doug Wells recounts the history of Deadman's Cove, Harbour Breton; and HFNL's Lisa Wilson updates us on her work in the proposed Heart's Content Heritage District.

Contributors: Dale Jarvis, Dan Rubin, Doug Wells, Lisa Wilson

Download the newsletter in pdf

A Cable Staff House in Heart's Content

This past Thursday I had the chance to visit with Ed and Minnie--long-time residents of Heart's Content. They reside in a historic home in the heritage district where they have lived since 1968. They purchased this two storey Anglo-American style home to have more space for their family.  It was in this same year that the cable company began shutting down its operation and the employees started leaving the community. Ed and Minnie have been the only owners of this house that have not been affiliated with Western Union. The house was originally built in 1882 as a staff house for company workers and previous to Ed and Minnie's ownership, it was the company superintendent who resided here. Ed and Minnie have kept many of its original features, such as the mantels for the two fireplaces, and the wooden banister that takes you to the spacious second level. The ceilings also have lovely moldings that are only ever in historic homes. Ed showed me other houses around town that once resembled their home, but have seen drastic alterations, such as the top story being removed. Indeed it is a community that has seen a great deal of change over the years, which is something that Ed and Minnie both talked about with me.

Ed and Minnie in their lovely home.

Ed and Minnie's place in Heart's Content--an Anglo-American style house built 1882, with a large beech tree in the front yard.

On a tour of the house, Ed showed me a very old icebox that he found in the shed out back when they moved in. He explained that these types of boxes were used to keep food cold before there was refrigeration. While restoring and adapting it to make this china cabinet, he found that the heavy wooden doors were insulated with horse hair. This piece was made in New York and brought to Newfoundland. Minnie mentioned that it is Ed's favorite piece of furniture in the house.

Ed shows me his refurbished icebox. Note the thick, insulating door where the horse hair is. 

Another shot of Ed during our oral history interview (along with Minnie's hand as she views a map of Heart's Content.)

Ed and Minnie were wonderful people to visit--they both had many thoughts and memories to share. I learned about some of the buildings in the district, what community life was like in the past compared to now, and what they believe the community will be like in the future. The information they provided will be of great importance when we do some district mapping to highlight what makes this place unique. As they age, the house is getting to be a lot of work to maintain. They suspect that they will eventually have to move on, a reality for so many older people living in rural Newfoundland. We all hope that this heritage building continues to be cared for as the future unfolds.

-Lisa

Diamonds are for weavers

A few weeks ago the ICH office, in partnership with MUN's Folklore 6740 class, put off a craft workshop called Weaving in the Woods. Participants had the opportunity to make their own pillow top, an item traditionally made by men in the lumber camps to gift to wives or girlfriends, and mothers. Since the workshop I have been contacted by people who wish to share their pillow top memories and pictures. 

Loretta Weeks got in touch and shared some pictures of her pillow top, which she also knew as a cushion cover. Her father, John Weeks, of Broad Cove (now Duntara) made the pillow top while working for the American army.  

Weeks notes, "my father worked on the pillow top in Fort Chimo in northern Quebec, this was when Fort Chimo was just a small settlement.  He was working on communications towers for the American army. I was told that he finished the top when he came home for a break in the winter." 

 John Weeks worked on American army transport ships at various times during the Second World War as a master carpenter and also as an able seaman.  He was 21 years old when this picture was taken in Boston at the British Embassy. Circa 1944

According to Weeks' description, the pillow top was mostly likely made between 1941 and 1945, when Fort Chimo (now Kuujjuaq) was used by the American military as an air force base. 

This was not a common craft  in Duntatra and the only pillow tops Weeks knows of are the few her father made. But her father was a very creative man and tried his hand at many activities such as furniture making, boat building, upholstery and carpentry (he built his own home in Duntara). He also made wheelbarrows and truckleys. 

"Dad could also knit and no woman could darn a vamp like him! He could upholster anything and could sew covers for the old daybeds and chesterfields better than anyone could ever buy." 

Weeks' father loved diamond patterns, "there are diamonds on the front door lintel and frame on our house in Duntara. I have a table back home with a marquetry top that has inlaid diamond patterns on it and there is also a wooden box he made with diamonds inlaid in the design."

Weeks' father passed away May 2, 2011 after a brief illness, at the age of 88. Today Weeks holds on to her father's pillow top, with its unique diamond pattern, as a reminder of him and his handiwork.

"He was quite the character in a quiet, soft-spoken way. This pillow top is the only one we have from him adventures of working away all those years."

Memories of Lych Gates in Newfoundland - gateways for the dead

This undated photograph shows an unidentified woman standing in front of the lych gate, the entranceway to the grounds of the Alexander Chapel of All Souls, located on Coster Street in Bonavista.

The elaborately beamed lych gate is a feature typical of Anglican churchyards. Traditionally, it was the sheltered point at which the coffin was set down at a funeral to await the clergyman's arrival. In some instances, a portion of the burial service was performed while the coffin rested inside the gate. A common feature in English churchyards, the concept of the lych gate was transplanted to North America. "Lych" is a form of the Anglo-Saxon word "līc" meaning body or corpse.

Once common, the only surviving Newfoundland example I know of is in Bonavista. The original lych gate was constructed circa 1899 and was financed by the Church of England Women's Association of Bonavista (1).

One S. Rees of Bonavista, in a letter dated Dec. 7, 1893 to the St. John's Evening Telegram, noted,

Dear Sir, - on Monday the 4th inst., there was no small stir here among the members of the C.E. Sewing Class, and one would naturally ask the cause. But a poster would apprise of the fact that a “sale of work,” under the auspices of the above ladies, was about about to take place; its object, to provide funds to provide a lych gate for the new cemetery. At about 6.40 p.m. the doors were open to purchasers, and when I arrived a few minutes later - considering inclemency of weather - quite A Crowd Had Gathered.

According to the author, the amount raised, $76, "was far above expectation" (2).

The Anglican Cemetery on Forest Road in St. John's also had a lych gate, which was torn down at some point in the second half of the 20th century. It is shown on aerial photographs from 1961, but was removed afterwards. According to HNFL Executive Director George Chalker, it was removed possibly to allow motorized hearses access to the cemetery.

If you have memories, or photographs, of lych gates in Newfoundland, I'd love to hear from you. You can call me at 1-888-739-1892 ext 2, or email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

- Dale Jarvis

(1) Simms, Gavin. "Gateway to yesterday: Anglican Chapel recreates long lost entranceway." The Packet, November 20, 2008.

(2)  Rees, S. "Pleasant Social Event At Bonavista. Sale of Work by the Church of England Sewing Class - Object: a Lych Gate for the New Cemetery." Evening Telegram (St. John’s, NL) 1893-12-16

UPDATE - 17 March 2014:

You can read or download the final version of this research at Lych Gates in Newfoundland

The Art, Archaeology, History and Heritage of Graveyards

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
1pm - 5pm
Johnson Geo Centre Celestial Gallery
175 Signal Hill Road, St. John’s

Cemeteries throughout Newfoundland and Labrador are revered as special, sacred places.They occupy both emotional and physical space in our communities. Cemeteries are also expressions of our spiritual beliefs and cultural values, as well as rich repositories of genealogical and community history. This half-day workshop offered by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador looks at the history, folklore and conservation of historic graveyards in the province, and will give opportunities for participants to ask questions of the experts.

Moderator: Dale Jarvis, ICH Development Officer, Heritage Foundation of NL

Art and Archaeology Session
Gerald Pocius, MUN Folklore - Reading Newfoundland Gravestones
Martha Drake, Provincial Archaeology - Archaeology and the Portugal Cove Cemetery
Melanie Tucker, The Rooms Archive - Stone Pics Database

Conservation and Heritage Session
Andrea O’Brien, Heritage Foundation of NL - Cemeteries and Municipal Heritage Designation
Lisa Wilson, Heritage Foundation of NL - Port Royal Restoration Project
Annie McEwen, Folklorist - Headstone Rubbings and Maker’s Marks

Cost to participants:
$40.00 for the day, includes break

To register, contact Lisa at:
1-888-739-1892 ext 3
lisa@heritagefoundation.ca

Making Memory Maps

On Saturday November 10th, the ICH team at the Heritage Foundation put on a Memory Map Workshop facilitated by visual artist Marlene Creates. We had a good turnout with around 20 participants ranging from Memorial University students and faculty to community organization representatives and other people who have an interest in mapping projects.

Marlene first talked about some of her previous mapping work, including an excursion to Labrador to make memory maps with elders, as well as projects which involved asking community members to give awards to special places in their towns. After setting a foundation for how memory maps are made and how they can be useful tools in learning more about a community, she asked the participants to make a map of their own. We all sat down with paper, pencils and pencil crayons to draw a map from memory of a place that we feel closely connected to. One of Marlene's techniques that I found quite useful is to put tracing paper over a foundation map in order to create layers with specific themes. For example, on tracing paper above my memory map, I indicated where all of the vanished buildings once stood in my Mother's hometown. Other layers that I could have chosen to add include green spaces/trees, waterways and footpaths. Doing such layers asks the map maker to think about the space and visualize what it looks like (or looked like in the past) and how it makes use of space. My map, along with all the others made on that day, became a celebration of our special places, both past and present, from very personal perspectives.

Marlene Creates giving a talk on making memory maps.

Workshop participant working on the foundational layer of her memory map. 

Workshop participants working on their personal memory maps. 

A second layer is added to the map using tracing paper and colored pencils. This participant marks off the social spaces of her hometown, with indications of gender and frequency through the size and color of her dots. 

Workshop participant showing the map that she created for the workshop. After this we added a third and final layer which involved writing down information about the places marked off on our maps. We were encouraged to be as creative as we wanted to be!

One of the last things we did together during the workshop was share the contents of our maps with the other participants. It was very interesting to see how diverse the range in topic and style was. Some maps were very traditional with streets and buildings, others with more innovative with only one building and it's associated memories, plants, animals, and other unexpected features showing up. It was clear to us how mapping from memory can be used in many ways for all kinds of different personal and/or community building activities. More documentation and information regarding Marlene Creates' mapping projects can be seen on her website: http://www.marlenecreates.ca/ .
-Lisa