Biographies

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Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Slaunwhite ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Alice Caroline Jollimore Thomas

Alice Caroline Jollimore Thomas of Sandy Cove, Terence Bay was born in 1908, daughter of Zachariah Jollimore (1867-1950) a carpenter, and Alethea Maybee (1874-1935), a teacher. In all there were eleven children in her family. She has aunts and uncles who married into the many families of Terence Bay, Lower Prospect and Sandy Cove. They have names such as Brophy, Slaunwhite, Innis, Yeadon and Marriott. She tells us the Jollimore family came to Nova Scotia in 1752 aboard the ship Betty. In 1753 ancestor Pierre Antoine Jollimois from Montbeliard settled the town of Lunenburg along with 1,400 other Foreign Protestants.

She remembers going to the one-room Crossroads School where the boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. She enjoyed the Christmas concerts and her best friend Laura Drew's company. Laura was the daughter of shopkeeper Richard Drew in Sandy Cove where he sold molasses, oil and a little of everything. Alice's brothers were musicians who played at the dances. Her mother taught music and her father played the violin, playing for the family almost every evening.

She remembers the mailman's name as "Daddy Wheels" who came from Terence Bay. Her first trip to Halifax when 13 years old was with her brothers who were driving the horse and wagon with a load of mackerel to sell on the streets. She says, "Every hill we came to, we had to walk up the hill because the horse had too much of a load and.........I thought Halifax was right around the corner. Well, what a surprise!" It took six hours to get to town and a bit less than six to come back because the load was lighter. But Alice didn't come back, she stayed in Halifax with her second oldest sister Pearl, who lived on Davison Street off Charles and West Streets.

She met her future husband in Halifax. He was working with Pearl's husband at Ben's Ltd. as a wagon driver, delivering bread. In 1926 Alice married Amos William Thomas from Hammonds Plains, the son of Clarke Thomas (1881-1924) and Bertha Burchell (1881-1976). In 1927, Alice got married in Spryfield at the church on the Herring Cove Road, then spent the next thirty years in Halifax. Alice and Amos had 8 children, the first one born in 1928. The couple also got their first radio in 1928. For a while they lived on Windsor Street and Amos drove a milk truck. When they moved to Terence Bay in the late 1950s, Amos drove the school bus from Lower Prospect, Upper Prospect and Shad Bay taking students to Atlantic Memorial School until he retired in 1965.

Alice has seen many changes: the coming of the automobile, electric power, road improvements and television. She also remembers the trawlers and the fish plant which was owned by a group of Portuguese. It operated for a while but was never a big success. She comments, "Things have changed so much. I think all the improvements have been for the better."

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Connie Slaunwhite

Constance "Connie" Jollimore Slaunwhite was born in 1929. Her parents are Stella Slaunwhite and Stanley Jollimore. Connie had 5 sisters and 4 brothers. She started going to school around age 8 or 9 and had to go across the ice to get there in winter or in a boat in other seasons. Her father raised cows, oxen, horses, chickens and pigs. She remembers always having something good to eat while growing up, either meat they raised or vegetables grown in their garden.

They grew grass for animal feed. She recalls that her father would mow it when it was high enough and the youngsters would have to spread it all around in the morning and turn it all over at noon.

When she went to school her teachers were Marian Graham and Sister Veronica Marie. A fond memory for Connie is when her father bought her a pretty green coat when she was 10 or 11 years old. Most of the time her mother made the clothes for the family.

She had a big wedding in the month of October 1944 to Edmond Slaunwhite of Terence Bay, son of Dennis and Mathilda Slaunwhite. Edmond fished for most of his life and then got into carpentry. He also built boats. Edmond is 9 years older than Connie and they had 9 children. She recalls that everybody was poor. Bread was only 5 cents a loaf but getting 5 cents was not easy. Connie enjoyed sitting and talking to friends at Carl's canteen before television came in.

At the age of 45, Connie got her driver's license and went to work in Halifax at the Sear's cafeteria, where she was employed for 17 years. She remembers people fishing in their boats which could be dories, sailboats, or schooners, setting traps and using nets. Some would go as far as Sambro Banks 40 miles away to fish. Her husband Edmond did so and she recalls how they were caught in a big storm one time and were forced to stay in Halifax until it passed. Edmond's brothers Frank and Basil went out in the boat one time but never came back.

Remembering the old days, she says "life wasn't easy.....when you think on the life you did have and what you went through.....you believe it was just for the better......"

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Keith and Eva Coolen

Eva Christian Coolen was born in 1924 in Upper Prospect, daughter of Hilton Christian and Muriel Duggan. Eva's grandparents are Nathan Duggan and Monetta Mason who grew up in Prospect. Her Grandfather Christian was the first lighthouse keeper on Betty's Island starting in 1904. She had three brothers and one sister. She attended school in the village where the Sisters of Charity taught. Her family kept hens and pigs, and a garden. She remembers her mother in front of the stove singing to the children. Recalling it, Eva says, "She would sing to.......us and we would sing."

Keith Coolen was born in 1922 and brought up in East Dover. His parents are Richard Coolen and Mabel Beck. Keith's grandparents are Martin Beck and Jessie Redmond. He had three brothers and four sisters. Keith went to a one-room school in the village with between 35 to 40 students, all being taught by one teacher. He finished grade 8 and started grade 9 before he left to go on the fishing boat with his father. His favorite subjects in school were English, and geography. He didn't like math.

Growing up, Keith weeded the garden, looked after the hens and cow, and made splits for the stove to help get the fires started, and cut firewood. He remembers skating in the winter whenever possible or coasting on the hills, and playing ball in the summer. He says, "We made our own fun, fishing off the wharf, making little boats and sailing them." His first job was working on the highway, smashing rocks with a hammer. Later in Halifax he was employed digging ditches and putting cement in them for which he was paid 30 cents an hour. He also worked on an extension of the Simpson building in Halifax and at the shipyards.

Keith and Eva married in 1944. They met at a church picnic. The wedding took place in Upper Prospect and it is remembered as quite a party because afterward he was headed for the Army. He had taken his physical and was ready to go when the shipyard he worked for refused to release him because he was considered too valuable to the yard. They raised four children, all boys.

Both Eva and Keith grew up during the Depression and learned to be frugal and to realize the value of the things that they owned. Both say it was "good times." Keith says, "Before radio or television there was a lot more compatibility between neighbors and people...were all pretty much in the same circumstances. Nobody was well-to-do......." They recalled how things changed with World War II, changing for the better with fish bringing in higher prices.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Edith Jollimore

Edith Marie Jollimore was born in 1916 in Terence Bay right on the rocks by the fish plant. She's one of nine children and is deathly afraid of water and boats. She married Harvey Jollimore when she was 19 and they had five children. They met at a dance when he was living on Creighton Street in Halifax. Together they lived there on Yale Street for 39 years.

Edith lived across from the Crossroads School and would just wait till the bell rang and run right on to school. She remembers teachers Ian Furlong, and Helen Quiggly. She also recalls times she and a bunch of friends went to Back Bay to make a bonfire, singing together to the tune of the harmonica, telling jokes. She also would go to dances in Sambro travelling by boat to Pennant and then walking on to Herring Cove area.

When she was 15, she went to Halifax to live with her Aunt Kathleen on Uniacke Street and got a job housekeeping.

Upon reflection, Edith blames the lack of social occasions in the 20th century on television and the car which she says started people moving away.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Fred Slaunwhite

Fred Slaunwhite of Sandy Cove, Terence Bay, a former fisherman, has always lived by the government wharf in a house that was moved from Ryan's Island owned by Edmond Ryan. Fred says, "We tore it down then carried it up in the boat and rebuilt it." There is a mast from the old ship, the Joseph Earl under a sill, placed there by Fred's grandfather when he built the house. His great grandmother was Isabel Marion Beck.

Fred got married in 1928 on Christmas eve and has 13 grandchildren. He remembers the fishery and fish factory that existed in olden times when people came to the village to buy fish, "boneless fish, that's what they used to call them," he says. He also remembers packing up to go to Halifax in the wintertime to work as a stevedore where he paid $15 a month for three rooms. He recalls the Halifax fire stations and the big white horses they used. When there was a fire, bells would ring and they would harness the horses to haul water in big tanks.

Fred went to school at the Crossroads and some of the teachers he had were Mrs. Barkhouse, Mrs. Timblock and Mrs. Cunningham, but he didn't like school. He recalls, "It had a big old pot bellied stove in it and we would cut the wood to keep the fire burning. All the boys would have to do that to keep it going....we had to go across the marsh for wood."

Residents were required to remove snow from the roads in wintertime. "We would have to go out on the road every snowstorm and if you didn't, you had to pay three dollars," says Fred. They shovelled all day as far as White's Lake, at least five miles from home, and then walked back in the night. This was at a time when travel was by horse and buggy. He thinks the first car in the village was owned by Herb Little.

When asked what he did for fun in the old days, he replies, "No one had fun in those times." He also talks about using up all the wood in the village for buildings and burning in the winter, saying "Everybody kept on cutting the trees down....soon there was no wood...then we had to go across the harbour and get more wood." Still, Fred believes the old days were better than today even with easier living. "It's not what it used to be," he laments, saying people are not as honest, and too many young people are getting into trouble.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Glenna Slaunwhite

Glenna Sanford Slaunwhite of Terence Bay was born in 1931 in Providence, Rhode Island. Her father is Ralph Lockhart Sanford who was born in Falmouth, Hants County and in the 1940s he was construction superintendent for work on Prospect Road. Her mother is Gladys Emma Canning from Diligent River, Cumberland County. Her father is related to two Sanford brothers who came from the west coast of England in 1761. Her grandfather on her mother's side died from pneumonia at a young age leaving her grandmother with 4 children. Her grandfather on her father's side was Ralph Sanford. He built roads, wharfs and bridges and lived in Digby.

At one time Glenna lived in White's Lake in a little cabin with three small rooms. She married Gerald Slaunwhite in 1950 when he was also working on the Prospect Road. Gerald's father was Ephraim Rufus Slaunwhite born in 1895 in Terence Bay and his mother was Sarah "Sadie" Spares from Enfield, a teacher in Terence Bay. Rufus' father was George William born in 1866 in Terence Bay. Glenna's husband's family came to Terence Bay after arriving in Nova Scotia in 1752 on the Sally and settling first in Lunenburg.

Glenna had five daughters: Heather, Wanda, Leeann, Sherri and Andrea. She has 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. The changes to the village she has witnessed include the fishplant, the new school, paved roads, the demise of the volunteer fire department, and new homes. She used to love to play baseball and still enjoys watching ballgames on television.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Marion Slaunwhite

Marion Pauline Slaunwhite was born in 1926 in Terence Bay. Her parents were Corella, called Quilla, and Isaiah and they had 16 children. Fishing supported the family but they also had oxen, pigs, chickens, and cows and a big garden of carrots, turnips, and potatoes which were stored in a root cellar for winter. Marion, the youngest child in the family, married Charles Leslie Slaunwhite, a man she grew up with in the village. He was seven years older than she was.

They had four children and shared a love of the woods. Marion also loved deer and rabbit hunting with her husband. She's a good shot, too, with her shotgun. She fondly recalls all the dances in Terence Bay and the dance halls, saying, "We had a barrel of fun." There was a band with a violin and banjo that played nights until 1 a.m. She also went to dances in Sambro.

Recalling school days, Marion says," You couldn't walk to school with the ice on the road, half frozen and half not. Sometimes we had to take a ladder to get off the shore to get over and walk down. There were no buses..we had to go over and walk down leaving 8 o'clock in the morning..." She went to the Crossroads School. She remembers teachers Florence Myit, Miriam Gram and Mrs. Scott.

Marion found many changes coming to the village after the roads got paved.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Muriel Bartlett

Muriel Elizabeth Condgon Bartlett, born in Great Village on the Cobequid Bay in 1914 moved to Terence Bay and married Harry Eldon Bartlett in 1947. His grandfather was the first Bartlett to settle in Terence Bay. Eldon left school in grade 7 when his father died and he was left to support his mother and eight children.

Muriel's father James was a farmer in Great Village and her mother Elizabeth came from Truro to teach in Great Village. There were six children in Muriel's family. She remembers her mother making clothes on an old treadle sewing machine and laundry being done in an old tin tub and a scrubbing board. She and her sister did the laundry, taking turns.

Muriel became a teacher like her mother and her sister became a nurse. Her first teaching job was at the age of 16 in Bass River, not far away from Great Village. Later on, she arrived in Terence Bay to teach. When she got the position, she didn't know where Terence Bay was. Her first impression comparing it to Great Village, a kind of boom town from shipbuilding and trade, she noticed there were not many houses and thought "oh, my!" She boarded with her future husband's mother, Mrs. Bartlett on Bartlett's Road. There were 113 students registered at the school in her first year as teacher in Terence Bay.

Muriel came to Terence Bay during the Depression when people in the fishing village were very, very poor. She found the people to be kind and generous with what they did have. She says, "I have seen the community grow and it's grown for the better. There were hard times...I know, growing up through the Depression as I did, it wasn't easy."

She continued to teach in Terence Bay for six years and then went to Goodwood to teach for the next two years where she boarded with Jesse Drysdale. After that she taught in Spryfield from 1941 to 1947 when she married and moved back to Terence Bay. Eld, her husband-to-be, joined the Forces the day World War II broke out and he was gone for about 5 years.

While married, she and Eld travelled extensively to Nice, France and to Australia where they accidently found a family of named Condgon in Adelaide. It turned out that her great grandfather was brother to the Australian Congdon's great grandfather. One brother came to Nova Scotia and the other settled in Australia.

In her opinion, children spend too much time with television and computers even though she is in favour of both inventions, and that they don't spend enough time with their families. Muriel comments, "I don't know...in how many families in any given area, sit down together to have a meal." A popular teacher, former pupils still visit her.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Bernadine MacMillan

Bernadine Christian MacMillan (born 1930 in Upper Prospect) had two sisters: Florence ("Turkey") and Thelma ("Vinegar"). Thelma was a twin to brother Clarence ("Beans"). She had another brother Herald who did not live to be more than 13 months old. Bernadine's nickname was "Porcupine."

Bernadine's parents were Blanche Mason and Russell Christian who worked on the waterfront in Halifax. Her Grandmother Rhyno was from Herring Cove and her Grandfather Mason was the community blacksmith serving not only the needs in Upper Prospect but also those of the residents in the Dovers and Terence Bay. Residents from outside areas would come by boat and stay all day until everything was finished.

Bernadine's early ambition was to become a nun. She and many others loved going to Mass at 7 a.m., then go back home to grab breakfast before heading off to a two-room schoolhouse which she attended up to grade 11. One room held grades primary to five and the other went to grade eleven. She fondly remembers being taught Irish dancing and music by Sister Ellen Vincent.

Bernadine's mother started a garment club and taught the children how to sew, making aprons and blouses. Bernadine and her sisters won sewing prizes in a local competition. The prize was fifty cents each! Another of her favourite memories is eating bread with corn syrup, a treat considered to be expensive when she was a young girl. The local store would provide a line of credit that wouldn't have to been paid for a week or two. Her family planted a garden with different vegetables.

Her Uncle Tom lived across the way on Kelly's Point and her Dad would put the children in the boat and go over to visit him. She remembers eating Marvin's cookies at her uncle's. She recalls he would say, "Help yourself to the cookies."

Always close to the church, Bernadine has kept her early hymn books. She says, "We didn't have that many hymn books so we had to copy them down by hand in our books." And she fondly remembers all the fun everyone had at church picnics where they had salmon suppers, music and games. She continues to be involved with her church.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Ellen Ryan

Ellen White Ryan of Upper Prospect originally lived on Betty's Island, named for the daughter of Samuel and Joanne White, one of the first families to settle on it. The Whites had come from Newfoundland in the late 1700s and stayed there until about 1840. Ellen speculates that they settled on the island because it was a safe place, harder for hostile raids to take place. Ellen also has found research that shows some Irish Catholic Planters were "planted" in Upper Prospect between 1752 and 1754.

Estimated to be about a mile long and, a mile and a half wide, Ellen's was the only family living on the island at that time. They were descendants of Samuel White. When Ellen's family lived on Betty's Island, she remembers her family plowing lobster into the ground to make it fertile enough to grow potatoes.

Ellen recalls when there were 6 stores and 5 bar rooms and a bowling alley. With the Depression, however, came rampant poverty. She says local friends left in droves for the eastern seaboard of the United States. She says, "Every family has all kinds of cousins in the United States because they sailed out of here." She has a great uncle who now lives in Colorado and left Upper Prospect about that time. She also says that in New England, a lot of the women who went to the New England states became nurses.

Ellen's other memories of the community are expressed here: "My father had a grade four education and that wasn't uncommon because sons took their places on their fathers' boats. There was no real childhood in rural Nova Scotia anywhere, not on farms and not in fishing villages." Her father, though, she reflects, was perfectly content staying home because he was his own boss. He was one of the last self-sufficient men around, cutting his hay, keeping animals, growing vegetables and fishing.

Further, she says, "I remember when the people from White's Lake or Shad Bay used to bring their animals down and let them go wild on Kelly's Point .... to forage in the summer and then they would come back and get them in the fall." This included horses, cattle and oxen.

Ellen, one of the area's many local historians, has heard stories of buried gold or pirate's treasure on Betty's Island but says she is "the only treasure from Betty's Island." It is her opinion that history is a matter of personal perspective. The same story told as oral history by different people will often result in a different meaning. "It's in the eye of the beholder," is the way she puts it.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Joanne Noonan

Joanne Noonan, the widow of East Dover's Charlie Noonan, adopted the village as her home. Born in 1924 in Arlington, Massachusetts, her parents were Edmond Joseph Fitzmyris and Helen O'Connor. She met Charlie in Boston. She was 51 when they married, and he was 62.

She told us that Charlie Noonan's family bartered fish and eggs for flour, apples and such in Lunenburg. They grew their own vegetables and had domestic animals like pigs and chickens, and they fished. His parents were James Brenton Noonan from East Dover and Loretta Redmond from Shad Bay. His grandparents were James Henry Noonan and Margaret Coolen. A Great grandfather was George Noonan who married Liza Morash.

As a youth Charlie played many different sports and also enjoyed entertaining with his, playing together with fiddle his father. He attended Ocean Glen School, a one-room schoolhouse. Charlie, an only child, was about 10 years old when his family moved to Boston. Joanne notes the strong ties between Nova Scotia and Boston. Lots of people couldn't get jobs in Nova Scotia and went to Boston for work, she recalled.

When asked about changes over the years to the village, she said, "People are not going to let this village change if they can help it.......There's a very strong community spirit here....What happens to one, happens to all."

Charlie was just 3 years old at the time of the Halifax Explosion and was living for the winter in Halifax where his father and grandfather were working at the sugar refinery. She said he told her that when the explosion hit he had just stooped down to tie his shoe getting just a little cut on his head, but his grandmother lost the sight in one eye.

Joanne is keenly interested in local history and family trees. She has albums filled with pictures and a great collection of documents relating to the area's history. She says East Dover started in the early 1800s. The oldest house is the Burke house, still standing. She has researched and found out that Charlie's ancestors came in the 1700s from Ireland to St. John's, Newfoundland at a time when the English and French were at war. The men had been conscripted into military service and desertion was a common occurrence. They were known as the Irish Brigade. She continues to research the family's history.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Ron Slaunwhite

Born in 1941 in Terence Bay, Ron Slaunwhite is the son of Fred and Annie. One Grandfather was Robert S. Slaunwhite. His father was a fisherman. There were four children in the family, two boys and two girls. Ron went to the Crossroads School where there were 22 in his class taught by Sister Joseph Bernadette at one time and by Muriel Bartlett. His friends were Joe Slaunwhite and Sam Ryan. They hung out together.

His grandfather kept a notebook and recorded many of the local events and momentous happenings in the world and his mother continued to record events in the same book. Contributions from it are included throughout this website.

Since Ron was two years old, his family travelled to Halifax in the winter to work, living around Market and Brunswick Streets. His grandfather worked as a stevedore on the docks of the city.

He recalls his school days, "We'd work when the boats would come in. We'd go down and help the guys load their trucks and they'd pay maybe two dollars or two fifty....we'd help load the trucks and then they'd transport them to Halifax....Mr. Jollimore and Mr. Little ......used to buy the fishermen's fish and take them to town." He also remembers big Portuguese freighters coming into the bay to buy salted fish from the fish plant.

Graduating in 1958 from high school, he recalls using an ice rink at Sandy Cove where they played hockey and skated. And, he talks about dances at the Star of the Sea Hall when the boys from the area competed with guys from Prospect for girls. He says, "There always used to be a little rivalry, the same with White's Lake........" Spryfield guys were not welcome at Terence Bay dances, and Ron and his friends were not welcome at Spryfield's dances. When 17 years old, Ron joined the Army where he served for 3 years.

For at least 20 years Ron has enjoyed his Valley getaway in the summer. It started as a tent and is now a travel trailer. Ron is a professional painter and drywall installer, working locally and in Halifax.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Lloyd Marshall

Lloyd J. Marshall was born in Boston in 1920. His parents' names are Albert J. and Lenore Burke Marshall. His fraternal grandparents names are John and Mary Doharty Marshall and on his mother's side they are David "Kenny" and Valina Coolen Burke. His grandparents are from Shad Bay and East Dover.

His favourite pastimes growing up were fishing, sailing, guitar, reading and skiing or skating in the winter. He dreamed of a life on the sea. He remembers having a pet pig, a pet ox and a Scottie that howled at the moon. He remains close friends with Keith Coolen of East Dover and they have been friends since he was 7 years of age. His favourite good times were the summers spent in East Dover.

His mother died when he was just 3 years old. She had been the oldest of nine children and lived with her grandparents Louisa McGrath Coolen and William Coolen and their children. When the only son in the family and the father died, the women left for Boston taking his mother Lenore with them. There she married Lloyd's father, a fisherman who helped with "making fish" (processing). Lloyd says, "Mackerel and herring were mostly salted as well as cod and other offshore ground fish."

He recalls the dirt roads were impassable at times especially in the spring when the frost came out and were not improved until after World War II. He recalls it was difficult travelling from East Dover at night especially to another cove without a power boat. Walking a path at night was almost impossible.

Called into active service with the 5th Fleet Division (Destroyer) UN Naval Reserve in time of World War II, he didn't see East Dover again for six years. In the states he married Alice Laura Wesson who he met while his father was a patient in the Boston City Hospital. They married at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Boston when he took a short leave during the war. His wife continued to live in Boston with her parents. They had five children, the first one born in 1944.

The major changes he has seen in the community are transportation, communication and the selling of property at an inflated price to wealthy Europeans and that, he says, is forcing taxes up for fishing families. "It is changing the shoreside communities;" he says, "Until about 1940, families on the seashore were quite self-sustaining. People kept cows and cows kept the grass cut and bushes in control. Most houses sat on grassy hills. Now, bushes and woods are replacing the open grass."

Landmarks he has seen disappear with the passing years are fish stores and wharfs that dotted the coves and bays everywhere. He remains keenly interested in local history.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

Vivian and Ruth Slaunwhite

Vivian and Ruth Slaunwhite were both born in the big white house located just before St. Paul's church on the Sandy Cove Road in Terence Bay. Vivian was born in 1918. Ruth (Mary Ruth) in 1921 and their brother Kevin in 1937, to Hattie Elizabeth Drew & George Hilton Slaunwhite.

Both sisters remember the old house, which is now divided into two separate homes. When Viv, Ruth and Kevin grew up the house was all one dwelling, but they shared it with George Drew, his wife Laura and their many children.

Growing up Viv and Ruth remember that most of their neighbours were part of their extended family. People like Anne Slaunwhite, who knew everyone and kept meticulous records, would always remember birthdays and special occasions fostered a real sense of community. The close family bonds are still strong between the sisters and their offspring, all of who have remained in Terence Bay.

There were not as many houses in the village years ago and most families relied on Fishing to provide a living. At one time their Uncle Jim had a fish factory, the sisters remember the big bins of ice. There was a busy cannery that employed local people to boil lobster on the wharf for processing in the cannery.

As time passed several fish processing plants opened and closed providing employment to many in times of plenty and more recently standing empty and derelict with the decline in the fisheries.

The largest of the fishplants in Terence Bay is located along the river, or gut. This establishment became a major employee in its heyday and had fishermen coming from many neighbouring communities to have their catch processed.

Viv and Ruth both attended school at the crossroads in the village. Ruth was a sickly child and missed a lot of school due to illness.

In the winter the family often packed up and moved into town, where their father would work as a Stevedore on the waterfront until the spring when they would return to set the nets.

The sisters remember bad snowstorms when the roads were closed for up to 4 days. Local men would have to clear the roads with shovels. The village became totally isolated.

There were a variety of small stores around the village. Aunt Mary Little had a busy general store and Ruth worked there for a while.

Meg Umlahs store was always busy, the sisters remember her selling nails and bolts from barrels. Alice Brophey's store used to carry hardware, items like mops, brooms, stoves and cleaning supplies.

The post office has moved around the village over the years, at times it was hosted in different stores before finding it's present location on Sandy Cove Road.

Most shopping was done locally, but their Mother, Hattie used to go to town to buy clothing. Ruth's daughters, Faye Walker and Ada Power recall their mother sewing most of their clothing as they grew up.

Delivery men by the name of Daddy Wheels and Flash Crowe are remembered for providing essentials such as milk and mail.

Electricity first came to the village in 1937 or 38; the sisters remember one snowstorm soon after that when the Power workers had to come into Sandy Cove on snowshoes to restore service.

Viv married Kenneth Aston Slaunwhite from Terence Bay in 1947 and had a daughter, Joan. Kenneth was in the Air Force before turning to fishing for a living. Ruth married Cecil Slaunwhite from Terence Bay in 1946 and had two daughters Faye & Ada. Cecil was a Civil Servant for a few years; he later became a fisherman and eventually ended up working as a carpenter. Their younger brother Kevin, married Mary Mitchell from Newfoundland in 1959 , they had two children Kevin and Ruth. Kevin was a truck driver until the mid 80's when he too became a full-time fisherman his family's livelihood from fishing.

The Nuns, the Sisters of Charity were very active in the village. They taught girls nursing skills and how to weave and they taught the men woodworking.

Ruth and Viv's nephew Kevin clearly remembers looking through the windows of the building that housed the looms. He would watch in fascination as rows of women, including his Aunts, worked at the looms. Over time many of the women took the looms home to work. Ruth's daughters Faye and Ada both recall their Mom bringing her loom home when their father fell ill.

Although the women did not fish as a rule, Viv like many local fishingwives would help her husband by repairing the nets.

The sisters remember boating up the river to picnic on the river bridge in the summer or going berry picking on Strawberry Head and the islands. There were large community picnics hosted by the church.

The summers were happy times for their children, made more special by the annual arrival of visiting kids. Faye, Kevin and Ada all remember beachcombing along the shore, rowing across the harbour and swimming in the lakes with city kids, down for their holidays. As they got older the Terence Bay passion for baseball and hockey took many of the youngster to other communities to play or watch ball in the summer or skate on the lakes in winter.

Faye's husband Terry (Darrell) used to spend his summers in Terence Bay staying with his Grandparents in the village. He remembers well hanging out at Buddies Canteen, with a bottle of coke and an order of fries, for a dollar.

Dances were held regularly in Harold hall at the bottom of back hill and at the crossroads. Nephew Kevin jokes that the dances were commonly known as "Hug & Slugs" because of the ruckus caused by visiting boys coming to check out the Terence Bay girls.

Ruth and Viv have witnessed a number of fires in the village. In 1942 they watched as St. Paul's Church burned to the ground after being struck by lightening. In 1964 the government wharf burnt in a huge blaze, the heat from the fire could be felt in the big White family house across the cove.

Firefighters were local men, armed with few tools. They would use wet potato bags in an attempt to battle fires. In the 1950's a community garage, large enough to house one truck was the site of the first official Fire Department. The first truck was an old Dodge Fargo. Local men rallied to join the volunteer Fire Department. In the late 60's a new purpose built structure was erected to serve the area. The Fire Department in Terence Bay was the first and for a long-time the only one in the area. For many years the Terence Bay Fire Department had enormous volunteer support, both from Fire Fighters and from the Women's Auxiliary.

Over time Viv and Ruth have seen many changes in the village, some for the better, some for the worse. They would both like to see more stores in the village, but with today's lifestyles and everyone having a car you have to go to Halifax for most of your needs. Even though their nephew Kevin and his son still have an active fishing license the decline in the fish stocks has had the most dramatic effect on the village of Terence Bay. Life here has slowed down, people don't get together as a community as often, but with family all around them there is no place Viv or Ruth would rather be.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

William Brophy and Katherine Ryan

Growing up on the rocky shores of Lower Prospect families were close, and none more so than the Brophy's. William Brophy and Katherine Ryan had six children, one boy, William, and five girls, Margaret, Mary, Lyla, Dorothy and Janet. As the Brophy family grew up life in Lower Prospect was simple, most families fished and the residents were content. There were only a few other houses in the cove, owned by either Norris', Ryan's or Brophy's, most of whom were related.

These families had migrated over the years from Mars Island, to Ryan Island and finally onto the mainland to settle the village of Lower Prospect. Ancestors of the Brophy's were living on Mars Head in 1893 when the S.S. Atlantic went down on its shores. The original family homestead of their mothers family was at one time the village school- house, close by had been the location of the original church in the area, although that had long gone by the time the Brophy children arrived. They all remember their parents lovingly. Their Father fished up until 1950, while their Mother kept a simple, but perfect home.

Growing up the closest store would have been Miss Umlah's or Miss Little's in Terence Bay. Whatever was needed the children would be sent to the store. Around 1946 Aunt Alice Brophy opened a small general store in Lower Prospect.

Young William, Billy, used to help Dad out with the fishing and chores around the fish store. The girls were kept busy with chores to help Mom run the house. Margaret, affectionately called Babe, recalls scrubbing the clothes on the washboard under the cold water from the original well at the bottom of the hill. There used to be a flat rock right under where the water came out of the ground she remembers.

Their Mother was a true homemaker. With very limited income she always provided for her young family. Working long hours to clean cook and care for everyone, Katherine still found time to teach each of her daughters to sew, knit, crochet and cook. The children loved the outdoors, but would never stray too far. They spent all of their free time in the summer swimming, playing games and making camps along the shore. Favourite winter activities included skating and sleigh coasting.

Their parents knew the importance of education. Everyday the children would walk the 2 kilometres to the school at the crossroads in Terence Bay, and then walk home for lunch and back for the afternoon. Most of the Teachers at that time were Nuns belonging to the Sisters of Charity from the Star of the Sea Convent. Dorothy, affectionately known as Chook, remembers being taught by Sister Veronica Marie from grade primary to grade 6. School would be cancelled in really severe storms, although the Brophy children remember going in all weathers.

Growing up, the closest store would have been Miss Umlah's or Miss Little's in Terence Bay. Whatever was needed, the children would be sent to the store. Around 1946 Aunt Alice Brophy opened a small general store in Lower Prospect. Chook and Babe both recall their Mother regularly making arrangements to pay one of the few car owners in Terence Bay for a drive into Halifax, which is where she would buy most of the supplies the family needed. Mr. Rhuda and his son used to make door-to-door deliveries at one time, as did Carl Crowe. The children would get milk from Miss Little's although at one point in time their Aunt Alice Ryan used to own a cow on the far side of the cove. Chook recalls vividly being scared to death of the cow.

The family regularly attended services at Star of the Sea and the church played a big part in their family life. At that time there were about ten Nuns living at the convent and they were extremely active in the community. Several halls accompanied the convent, situated next to the church. One large one that was used for community gatherings and functions and two smaller ones used as training facilities flanked the road. On one side was the men's woodworking hall and on the other the women's craft hall, where the Nuns taught weaving and nursing. As teenagers the Brophy girls remember dances at Harries Hall at the bottom of Back Bay Hill, and in the Star of the Sea Hall -which is where Chook met her husband Reg Knight. They also recall fondly "Buddies Canteen" as a great place to meet friends, listen to the jukebox and share an order of fish and chips and a bottle of coke.

Billy started fishing with his Father when he was about 14 years old. One by one the girls started working too. Mary, Babe and Chook all got jobs at Moirs chocolate factory. At the time there were a lot of people from the area working at Moirs, so it was never a problem for the girls to get a drive to work from someone in Terence Bay. In 1950 their father gave up fishing and went to work in Halifax for National Sea Products. Transportation finally lead the family to make some changes, which resulted in them packing up and moving into Halifax to live.

At first the younger Brophy's found it exciting to live in the city, but it Lower Prospect was always their home and they returned often. The family returned to Lower Prospect upon the death of their father. They moved back to the family home, although by this time they were each forming relationships of their own. As the Brophy children married most of them stayed close to Lower Prospect, except for Lyla, who made her home in Cape Breton until her death in 2002.

Over time the Brophy's have seen Lower Prospect grow and change. Today they reveal that it often feels as if the village has been invaded by tourists, who flock into the area to enjoy the natural splendour, that used to be enjoyed only by the people who lived there. Residents sometimes feel as if the village is on display. The constant stream of traffic is proof that the original settlers who chose the location, chose wisely.

The Brophy family has remained very close over the years. The sisters enjoy each others company and share the special bonds of raising their families in such a unique community.

Alice Thomas ~ William Brophy and Katherine Ryan ~ Connie Slaunwhite ~ Keith and Eva Coolen ~ Edith Jollimore ~ Fred Slaunwhite ~ Glenna Slaunwhite ~ Viv and Ruth Slaunwhite ~ Marion Jollimore ~ Muriel Bartlett ~ Bernadine MacMillan ~ Ellen Ryan ~ Joanne Noonan ~ Ron Slaunwhite ~ Lloyd Marshall ~ Top of Page

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