Jim Ennis, a man well known and respected by all the people of Merasheen was born September 30, 1906, the son of Patrick Ennis and Ellen McHugh. He married Annie Best on April 29, 1946, and together they raised a family of six children. Jim began punt fishing at 18 years of age with his brother Jack. After fishing with Jack for three years, he went with Mike Duke of Fox Harbour in the “Polyanthus”. Following that, Jim was a member of other Cape St. Mary's boats, including the “Iris and Verna” with Skipper Din Pat, after which he went with Pad Houlihan and back with Din Pat again until the bait depot opened in Merasheen in January, 1940. Jim operated the bait store in Merasheen from 1940 until he moved to Long Harbour on September 23, 1959, where he continued to operate a bait depot until 1971, when he was well past the age of retirement.
In 1950, Jim became a Justice of the Peace in Merasheen, a responsibility which he accepted and carried out conscientiously, providing assistance to many in the community who were experiencing problems with birth certificates, marriage certificates, old age pensions, etc. He is still a Justice of the Peace to this very day. Jim was always a natural leader in the community, ready to become involved and play his part in all community affairs. He was one of the principal leaders in the establishment of the Co-op in Merasheen, serving for nineteen years as Secretary-Treasurer of the Ophelia Co-op Credit Society and a director of the Co-op Society for that same period. Jim always had an excellent memory and a genuine interest in people and local events. These talents and interests combined with a great story-telling ability made him a reliable source of information as an amateur historian. This talent is recognized by all his peers in Merasheen who invariably referred us to him when seeking information for our book. He proved to be our main source for information on the older generation, providing us with invaluable assistance and an alibi for our mistakes. Jim, Annie and most of their family now reside in Long Harbour, and there is no better way to spend a day than to visit their home and listen to Jim relate stories about the earlier times in Merasheen being prompted by one or another member of the family if he stops for a snort or a breath. We and any who may enjoy this book are truly indebted to him for his assistance.
