VATCHER'S ISLAND

    Old Mr. Parsons, with his family, settled on Vatcher's Island before the writer came. He died a long time before 1860, but I cannot find any record of his burial after 1842. His wife died sometime about 1862. The youngest son, Richard, was left in charge. He married Ellen Matthews, daughter of Thomas, one of the sons of the first settler. Other members of the Parsons family, who came from Jersey Harbour with the old man, were John; Henry; and a daughter, May, whose death is recorded. There were also two other boys, William, who died in 1844, at 18 years of age; and George, who died in 1846, one month old. One other daughter was married to George James at Harbour Breton before coming here. John [Parsons] had left with his family, if he was married, for the Bay of Islands before 1860. Richard [Parsons] also went to Bay of Islands in or about 1866. Henry [Parsons] married Rosanna Maddock, a widow. They both lived up to about 1900. Mrs. Rosanna Parsons, by her first husband [Maddock], had 3 children: Samuel; John, my old and faithful servant; and Elizabeth. Mrs. Parsons was, no doubt, married to Maddock before coming to Burgeo. By this second marriage [Henry and Rosanna (Maddock) Parsons] there were two sons, William and Thomas. Thomas is the only one now left. William died fourteen years ago, leaving a widow and four boys. He [William Parsons] married three times. Thomas was also remarried and still lives at the old home. This house is the only fisherman's house standing today that was here when the writer came in 1860.

    James and Michael Carrol were in Burgeo in 1845 and lived and died on this island. They married sisters, Matilda and Catherine Wells. There is no record of their marriage in the Burgeo Parish Registers, so they must have been married before they came here. The Wells at one time lived in Muddy Hole East. The children of James were: James, John, Thomas, Mary, and Sarah. All left Burgeo after they grew up. James, the father, died of cancer in or about 1875. Mrs. Carrol died at the insane asylum at St. John's in the eighties. Michael died sometime in the seventies. His widow [Catherine Wells/Carrol] married Thomas Porter, of Hunt's. The Porters later moved to Deer Island, where they died about fifteen years ago. The children of Michael Carrol were; James, John, and Mary. John was lost at the ice with Captain Colley. James moved, with his family, to Sydney in 1921. Mary went to Halifax in or about 1880 and married there.

    George James was here in 1840. He came from England to Jersey Harbour and married Susannah [(Parsons)] James. They had as family: George, who was born in 1842, but dead before the writer came; Betsy, who married John Grimes, and died about 1900; Thomas, who is still living, age 81; Sophie, who went to the States in 1870 with the writer's sister and later married W. H. Matthews, but she is now a widow, living here; and Edward, living on the Island now. He married Rachel Green, of Hunt's.

    William Bobbett came here from Hermitage Bay, date unknown. He was a single man when he arrived but married twice. He first married Charlotte Matthews, in 1845. By this marriage there was one child, John, who married Grace Matthews of West Burgeo. They lived here at first but in the eighties moved to Harrington, Labrador. The second marriage of William [Bobbett] was in 1852, to Jane Hann, who came to Burgeo from Pushthrough, with her stepfather, old James Payne. By this marriage there were two boys, Robert and Charles. This family went to Harrington Harbour in the seventies. Mrs. Jane Bobbett died only a year or two ago but Mr. William Bobbett passed away many years ago. Their sons are still alive and making a good living in Labrador.

    Emmanuel Vatcher married Susan Matthews in 1850. They had a large family of girls and boys but many of them are now dead. Mr. [Emmanuel] Vatcher died in or about 1890 and Mrs. [Susan] Vatcher in or about 1913. She was a daughter of old Uncle John [Matthews]. Their family [Emmanuel and Susan] consisted of Richard, long dead; John, who lived here with his family, all of whom are now gone [out] into the world except one, Leonard, a widower; Manuel, who married Rebecca Hare, but has long been dead; and Rachel Vatcher [who] left Burgeo and went to live in Nova Scotia. Others of Emmanuel and Susan Vatcher's family were Frances, who married William Stewart, but has long been dead; (William died some years after the wife); Deborah, who married Henry Dicks, (she, too, has been long dead). Deborah and Henry Dicks had one son, [Henry junior], who was drowned on the Bankss with Captain John Vatcher in 1900. The final members of this large family were Martha, who married Robert Foote of Red Island; Joseph, who died some years ago; and Harriet, who married George Caines.

    Walter Ford was a Englishman. I do not know when he came to this country or to whom. He married, first, Harriet, daughter of Uncle John Matthews. Harriet was dead by 1860. They [Walter and Harriet (Matthews) Ford] had one child, Maria, who was "adopted" by the Grand Mother Matthews. Maria married our old friend Thomas Dicks. Mr. Ford's second marriage was to Susannah Dicks of West Burgeo. Walter sold his house on this Island to William Ford, moved to the SandBankss, and started farming. By this [second] marriage he had two daughters: Deborah, who married James Evans; and another, who married a Jersey man. They went to live in Prince Edward Island. At one time, before Walter Ford sold his house, he rented the property to George Cox, who had come from St. John's with his family. He [George Cox] opened a business but in 1868 moved, with his family to Sydney, where he is still living but over 80 years old. His wife was Amelia Skinner, born at Richard's Harbour, but who came here to live with her Aunt, Mrs. Caswell.