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| Photo Title: | Merasheen, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Parish List |
| Description: | List prepared by Rev. Greene showing communities in the Merasheen parish. Lists number of families in each community. |
| Image No.: | PF-317.163 |
| Image Location: | Resettlement/pf317_163.jpg |
| Date of Creation: | Digitized 2004 (originally created 1957) |
| Physical Description: | 1 digital document : b&w |
| Biography/Admin History: | Merasheen, located on the southwestern tip of Merasheen Island in Placentia Bay, was one of the larger and more prosperous communities resettled. Settled by English, Irish and Scottish in the late 18th century, the community eventually became predominantly Roman Catholic with families of Irish descent. In an ideal location to prosecute the inshore cod fishery along with the herring and lobster fisheries in the ice-free harbour during winter and spring, it appeared that Merasheen would not succumb to the same fate as other small resettled communities. After the Great Depression, the community experienced a resurgence: a fisheries co-operative established in 1939 to operate a small herring factory and a liver factory, a new fish merchant set up shop in the 1950s. By 1957 the Newfoundland government had constructed a community salting and drying plant to replace individual stages and flakes. By 1963 Merasheen had formed a community council and acquired an electric power plant, the school was expanded, and Fishery Products began processing herring there. Nevertheless, the population fell from about 350 in 1953 to 290 in 1961, and, as was the case for all of the Placentia Bay island communities, residents petitioned to be resettled under the provincial government's centralization program. By 1965, people had begun to move to Freshwater, Jerseyside, Placentia, Point Verde and St. John's. In 1980 Merasheen was the first of the resettled Placentia Bay communities to organize a reunion; they have since held reunions on several occasions. The images capture life in Merasheen prior to resettlement and follow it through the resettlement and post-resettlement periods. |
| Collector: | MHA |
| Source Donor: | CNS Archives, Stacey Collection, Box 1, Folder 1.01.002 |
| Collection Title: | Resettlement Digital Photograph Collection |
| Associated Material: | Craig Leonard Photograph Collection, PF-328 |
| Restrictions on Access: | Copyright held by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. |
| Copyright: | c |
| Physical Condition: | Good |
| Notes: | Title based on contents of image. Copied from the Alec Stacey Collection, Archives and Special Collections Division, QE II Library, Memorial University |
| Subjects: | Newfoundland and Labrador Household Resettlement Program. |
