MUDDY HOLE, HUNT'S ISLAND

    We now go to the little settlement of Muddy Hole.

    Here we find first, Robert Hatcher, a most genial man; one whom everyone liked. I remember his wife as well as him. Her name was Mary. They were, no doubt, married before coming here from Hermitage Bay. Their family was Philip, Thomas, James, Roben, Charlie, and a daughter, Sarah, recorded in 1840, of whom I know nothing. Thomas married Ann Crewe. They are both dead. Philip married and went to Rose Blanche. James married Mary Hatcher, his cousin, daughter of Benjamin Hatcher. Both are now dead. He was drowned in the eighties in Vinal Passage while hauling his nets. He left a daughter, still living, who married Robert Strickland. Robert [Hatcher junior] is living here still and has been a widower for some years. His wife was an Ingraham of Muddy Hole. The father is long dead as is the mother. She had a brother, George Ingraham who was drowned with John Rose. Charlie married a Lawrence. He died of consumption over ten years ago. His widow is living with a daughter at Muddy Hole. She is the midwife there and I hear has never lost a woman. Sarah, the daughter of the old gent, married Philip Poner. She is now a widow living with John Rose, her son-in-law. The other sister married William Caswell. They moved to Sydney twenty-five years ago. Both are still living. They had a large family of girls.

    Benjamin Hatcher was a brother of Roben. I knew him as a good old man and good fisherman. I know nothing of his wife. His son, James, married there. Both he and his wife died long ago. One daughter married Abraham Wells. They are both dead. There was also a lad, Jim, and a girl, Nellie, who married Morgan Billard living on the SandBankss. Jimmie died thirty years ago.

    William Ingraham, Uncle Billy, also lived there. I do not know much of him. He died many years ago. A daughter of his married Roben Hatcher, who now lives on Furby's Point. She died long ago. A son, George, was also married to a daughter of James Ingraham of Muddy Hole. They are both dead. They left a son, who died here a few years ago. George was lost with John Rose.

    James Ingraham lived here. He, too, was a fine old man. I do not know who his wife was. They have both been long dead. They had one daughter who married Thomas Strickland of Muddy Hole. They are both long dead and left a large family of boys: Philip, John, Thomas, James, William, and Robert. There was also one daughter who married J. R. Porter.

    Thomas Strickland came from Hermitage Bay as a servant and married as stated above. He was a brother of Robert of Hunt's.

    Abraham Willis lived here. His wife was a daughter of Benjamin Hatcher. He came here from Muddy Hole East, where his folks lived. His daughter is living still at West Burgeo. His wife has long been dead and he was sent to St. John's. I think he went to the "Poor House" and died there over fifteen years ago.

    In the fifties, Mr. Wilson of Grand Manan built two large stores at this Muddy Hole and carried on a big fall and winter herring fishery until the herring deserted the coast as they did in 1860. It is only the last fifteen years that we again get herring in some of our small bays.

    This, I think, covers Muddy Hole, with the exception of one Joseph Ingraham who married Ann, a daughter of James Porter. He was a brother of old Uncle Billy mentioned before. This man was drowned at Cul de Sac. His widow married John Billard of Grand Bruit.

    I have now covered Burgeo, Our Harbour, Hunt's, and Muddy Hole and will now take up the families of King's Harbour and Bay de Lieu.