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Memories of Home (Isle Valen)

My family moved a few years before resettlement, my mother (Violet Williams Lockyer) had a few close calls with health problems and my dad thought it best if we moved nearer to a hospital. We moved to Arnold's Cove where a lot of the resettled moved a few years later. my heart and my mind conflict on the issue.I think culturally it was bad, education wise it was for the best and for the reason my family left which was for better access to health care it was for the best.
Isle Valen had basically two communities, Catholic and Protestant. The catholic settled the inside harbour while the Protestants lived in the outside area and surrounding coves .Everyone got along for the most part, except for the occasional intermarriage which was a serious issue in those times.
My father (Joe Lockyer) was a fisherman and ran a small sawmill, people would come from surrounding communities to have logs sawed. My Dad also played the accordion, and he was called upon to play at dances and weddings etc. During the winter months dances were fairly regular as well as school concerts. On occasion an impromptu dance would be called and the location would be my dads fish store where he stored his nets and his dry fish during the summer. I remember sitting on a pile of nets with the other kids and watching the dancing, people from both areas of the harbour, having a great time, I don't ever remember anything out of the way ever happening, just pure enjoyment. One night a couple were swinging around so fast they fell out the doors, which resulted in a lot of laughter. Another memory I have is a group of men gathering at our house for a drop of my dads homebrew, which after a while resulted in one or the other being encourage to sing a few songs ,after a while they were all holding hands and singing around the kitchen, to children today it would look odd to see a group of burly men sitting around holding hands while singing, but that's how it was then. I think that part of our life was something to be treasured and not forgotten. People worked hard but they also made their own entertainment. Mummering was popular on Isle Valen as well ,there was one fellow who was 6'6" everyone always knew who he was.
I have been back many times since we left, I love the beautiful sheltered harbour surrounded by high rugged cliffs, There are mostly fishing cabins, as a lot of people went back to fish, but a few people have built cabins for pleasure trips back. Most of the homes are gone now, Micheal Leonards, and Herbert Leonards are still standing. There hasn't been a reunion and I'm not sure if there will be, My generation who were born in the 1950's will be the last who can remember what it was like to live there. I was 11 when we moved, but I have vivid memories of my life there.
My mother who is 85 had six of her nine children on the island delivered by various midwives, who came from places like Merasheen, St.Kyrans, Tack's Beach and I think Isle Valen. The last three children were born at the Cottage Hospital in Placentia.
I can only relate to what life was like for a child on the island, and to me it was a very carefree, unrestricted life. A child could ramble all over without supervision. I remember sitting on a rock at the mouth of the harbour watching the big waves roll in and break on the shore, the thought of my child doing that would be terrifying. My older sisters and I love going back and talking about the place, I think there were times when we would go back with dad he would feel guilt about leaving because we would be so excited to be back there and like sisters do argue about the correct name of a particular rock or hill.
The surnames on the Island were; Lockyer, Williams, Hamilton, Hapgood, Adams, Bennetts, Leonards, Gaultons, Cauls, Powers, Greens, Flynn. Some of these names had only one or two families.The dominant names were Lockyer, Williams, Leonards and Bennetts.

Yours Truly
Jennie(Lockyer)Barrett.

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Isle Valen Children
1950's?
Isle Valen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada


Credits:
Joe Lockyer