The Crews of Fishermen Series: Post 1 of 3

Introduction

This is a brief visual caption of Merasheen people and their time from the early 1900’s up to pre-resettlement, a joint effort by John Pitcher and Ernie Walsh was prepared over many chats and scheduled meetings in 2021. All photos and their related captions are those taken or provided by Ernie while some text and poems are arranged and added by John to provide additional related special effects.  The information is subjective but as factual as possible and we hope that it draws added information and discussion. We hope you enjoy the posts!

NOTE: All post material remains the property of the authors and therefore duplication of the original information, poems, photos, and videos must be credited to the owners.

The Crews of Fishermen by John Pitcher 2022

All the fishers dead and gone
Through time they did descend
I knew them when they plundered then
Those crews of fishermen.

Now it seems so simple
In the bounty and their fate
I saw them work, I saw them cry
But never in defeat.

So I offer a sincere tribute
With my admiration of them then
I miss them so, now so long ago
Those crews of fishermen.

The Church in the far background and the caption on the photo identifies a Hall in 1920 which was later used as the Co-op store and the school remained on the second floor. John Louis Ennis’s, Ernie’s grandfather’s house and premises can be seen just to the right and centre. We can also see Canning’s Twine Loft in the foreground while it is Bernard Canning’s flake with fish drying at the bottom right corner; Martin Conner’s stage wharf is off to the left on Soldier’s Point. The two flakes and sheep house are on Mr. Pittman’s premises at the bottom centre of the inlet.

Jack Hann on his Big Fish Flake, Merasheen in 1925 and his son Tom Hann to his right. You can see the family house in the middle of the meadow and it was later moved to the right under the shelter of the hill.

Best’s Dairy Shed 1927, Merasheen. It was a large house with six windows facing south and six windows facing east. There was a large fish flake built over the beach and a huge wharf, stage, and twine loft. Note the fine bridge from the bank to the store loft and wharf. The Best’s premises are to the far right and Bert and Stella Best’s first house above the premises.

A Nap

Fill me pipe now skipper Tom,
it's soon we will be sailin'
Relax now Joe
we'll be movin' slow-
so long's the winds not breathin'.

While the sun shone down
on the beachy bank,
tan traps smelled of tar
The fishermen nap
below the hung trap,
upon driftwood fir.

In these summer days of trap men,
the housewives are aslavin'-
while all along the sunlit beach
there's young seagulls abathin’.

Children shout in distance spout
Water licks the sands
The children want to picnic,
Mom holds out her hands.

Bibbed cap bent, the day just went
The clouds cooled off the bay
Napped away till, evening fell
On aroma smells of hay.

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