by Lorraine Hynes
Reprinted from The Packet, June 26, 1980
On July 5, 1885, Arthur William Marsh was born at Deer Harbour, Random Island. He was the oldest of ten children born to the late Benjamin Marsh of Deer Harbour and the former Kaziah Crocker, also of Deer Harbour. There were four brothers and five sisters: Lucy (Mrs. Lucy Martin), Lower Lance Cove; Walter, deceased; Elizabeth (Mrs. Elizabeth Marsh), Sunnyside; Jessie at Little Heart’s Ease; Namoi (Mrs. Jabez King), Hickman’s Harbour; Mary Blanche, deceased; Edith May (Mrs. Edith May Bailey), Hickman’s Harbour; Albert Edward, deceased and Sarah Patience, deceased.
His first teacher was Lucy Pittman who he remembers quite well. The one-classroom schoolhouse was very small and many times he sat near the old “Giant” stove to keep warm. He remained at school until he completed the Number Three Royal Readers, then he went fishing with his father who was a fisherman all his life. When he was thirteen he recalls going fishing with his father and to distinguish his fish from his father’s, he cut off his catch.
It wasn’t very long before he was off to the French Shore with Jim Kelly on his 20-ton schooner. The trip there would take approximately one week which was around the first of July and they would return sometime around the latter part of August. If one could get $5.00 a quintal for fish then it was considered excellent money.
He returned to the French Shore for the three summers with Mr. Kelly. Then he fished on his father’s schooners with his father and his brothers for the next couple of years.
At the age of eighteen he began fishing with Edgar King and Joe Dalton and continued with them until he was twenty-six. Sometime before then he had met Sarah ellen Soper from Hant’s Harbour who had come to Deer Harbour as a housekeeper for her uncle. they were married by a United Church minister at Dick Pelley’s house at Hant’s Harbour in December of 1911 and settled down at Deer Harbour.
The following spring he went to the ice sealing with ‘”young” Wes Kean. This trip wasn’t very successful as some of the crew members became quite ill and when they landed at Trinity, Trinity Bay, the doctor there, Dr. White, diagnosed the sickness as small-pox. They went on to St. John’s where everyone was quarantined for twenty-one days. He was lucky that he didn’t come down with the disease. Altogether he reckons he was gone from home for one and a half months. He didn’t venture the trip again.
After he returned home he once again went fishing with his father and his brothers. They made trips to St. John’s from time to time to pick up supplies and sold fish to Green’s at Thoroughfare which was approximately five miles from Deer Harbour.
Mr. and Mrs. Marsh had six sons: Norman and Brazil are deceased, Hubert resides at Little Heart’s Ease, Benjamin at Hant’s Harbour, Harold at St. John’s [Saint John], N. B. and Maxwell at Little Heart’s Ease with whom Mr. Marsh resides.
It was unfortunate that Mrs. Marsh became ill and passed away in January of 1934. This left Mr. Marsh to care for his children of which the youngest was just four years of age. With the help of his mother and sisters who helped him with meals, caring for the children, etc., he managed as best he could.
He continued fishing until he reached the age of 70 when he decided it was time to retire from the early morning fishing trips. One of his usual tasks was when anyone at Deer Harbour passed away he was called on as the undertaker. He estimates he performed this task about 100 times throughout his life.
However, in 1966 his style of life was about to change. During that year the government had decided the road would not be completed to his community and the 54 families were asked to move elsewhere and start a new life. The centralization had started and what was there for him to do – he had to move as did everyone at Deer Harbour. His son, Hubert, already lived at Little Heart’s Ease and informed him there was a house to rent near him. Mr. Marsh’s son, Maxwell and his family were living with him, so they all discussed the idea and decided to rent the house. So, on Boxing Day 1966 they resettled at Little Heart’s Ease making the two-hour steam in motorboat.
Mr. Marsh recalls, “I didn’t feel very well about moving at first, but I’ve got use to it.” After his arrival to Little Heart”s Ease he spent most of his time visiting other senior citizens and people who were ill.
He joined the Orangemen at Britannia when he was twenty-one and sometime later the organization was formed at Deer Harbour where he served as past deputy master. At the present time he doesn’t attend meetings anywhere.
“Uncle Art” has 21 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren and of all these there are two special grandsons, Kevin and Keith who were raised with him and who kept him going to rise especially when they resettled. There is also a special granddaughter, Melody who spends most of her time living at her great- grandfather’s house.
Other than a little arthritis, Mr. Marsh enjoys good health and always enjoys a good ‘”chat.”
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Transcribed by Wanda Garrett, November 2025
These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.