1

Lockyer's Homestead
unknown
Isle Valen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada


Credits:
Madonna Drover

2

Frank Lockyer and Gordon Brown
Sept 1957
Isle Valen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada


Credits:
Madonna Drover

3

Phoebe and Susanna Lockyer
Sept 1957
Isle Valen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada


Credits:
Madonna Drover

4

Madonna, Mondella and Viola Lockyer
October 1957
Isle Valen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Canada


Credits:
Madonna Drover

5

My parents Frank and Phoebe Lockyer left Isle Valen around the middle of Oct.1968. I left the year before that, I was working in Bay Roberts the year my parents left Isle Valen, I was nineteen years old at the time. I don't think resettlement was the worse thing that ever happened, but the older people weren't too happy about it. Things were never the same for them. They had to leave their homes,stages,flakes and fish stores,something they worked for all their lives and go to a place they didn't know anything about and start over again. It must of been pretty hard for them.
The people relocated to places as close to home as possible. Some moved to Arnolds Cove, Little Hr.East, P.B. , Placentia and Burin Peninsula. I have not returned back since resettlement,but I am planning on going back this summer for a visit. It is not the same there now,just cabins,no houses left only a couple I think.The group is seeing who might be interested in a reunion for this summer.
Life on Isle Valen was very busy. Everyone had their work to do.The men fished out in the boats and the women did most of the work that was on the land. As the children got old enough to do work, they had to pitch in and work also, bringing water from the well, chopping firewood, spreading fish on the flakes to dry. The fish was all dried back then because there was no way to keep fresh fish.There were about 40 families on the island at that time.There were two religions on the island, Anglican and Roman Catholic. Everyone co-operated with each other, there were never any problems in that concern. Everyone was like one big happy family.
The people provided their own enterainment. Usually Christmas and Easter there would be dances in the schools. When anyone came to your house at Christmas time, the men would sing songs and tell stories.There were no electric lights,the lights were kerosene lamps. In later years there were a few people had a generator and got their lights from that. My parents,Frank and Phoebe Lockyer had a generator which lighted their house and ran their washing machine and t.v. We had the first television on Isle Valen, after that a couple of other families had a t.v.
In earlier days when a woman had a child ,they would get a midwife to deliver their child. In the later years the mother usually went by CN Boat to the Cottage Hospital in Placentia. When I was born my mother had a midwife from Clattice Harbour.
There is a big difference in the way we live now.The major difference is cars to get around in instead of boats, large shopping malls to spend your money in instead of little shops. Now you have to pay property tax on what you own, where as on the island you could own what you like and not have to pay any taxes. Over all resettlement was a good thing and a bad thing. Isle Valen is a beautiful place,but I wouldn't want to return there to live.

Madonna (Lockyer) Drover