Coastal Women in Newfoundland & Labrador

Donald Smith (later Lord Strathcona), emigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1838 and joined the HBC. In 1852, he was appointed chief trader at Rigolet and married Isabella Hardistry, whose mother was of Scottish/Aboriginal origin. Isabella had been previously married and borne a son, but the relationship had been terminated by mutual consent. Although these relationships were not uncommon in HBC territory, the new marriage caused much gossip within Canadian society. Smith remained devoted to his wife, writing or telegraphing her every day when they were apart.

"Two nurses and the boss of the house": Mission volunteers Edith and Louise Hegan and S.M. Carr-Harris, Battle Harbour, Labrador, 1909. In the summer of 1909 Louise Hegan, then age 30, and her sister Edith, 28 years, volunteered at Battle Harbour. The Hegans left Saint John on 10 June, arriving in Battle Harbour ten days later. The nurses attended to more than 100 in-patients, as well as many minor injuries and illnesses. The Hegans were assisted by Miss S.M. Carr-Harris, a fellow Canadian from Kingston. The Hegans left Battle Harbour on 11 October and reached home two weeks later. They were interviewed by the Saint John Sun (25 Oct. 1909) and the article was later reprinted in the Mission periodical, Among the Deep Sea Fishers (Jan. 1910, p. 16-24). The interview noted that "the lady missionaries brought home many valuable snap-shots, which include a number of striking groups and some peculiarly interesting scenes."

"Two girls roll barrels down the wharf" in Hopedale, Labrador, Aug. 1914.

Grenfell Mission workers were interested in introducing girls' organizations in northern Newfoundland and Labrador. Branches of the Girl Guides were organized in St. Anthony, Flowers Cove, St. Mary's River (now Mary's Harbour) and North West River. Dr. Wilfred Grenfell (right); The Rev. John Thomas Richards, Church of England clergyman (left).

Isabel Warne travelled with her aunt Annie Warne on several occasions to visit the Grenfell Mission stations. Annie Warne, a paid employee of the Canadian branch, (Grenfell Labrador Medical Mission), promoted the work of the Mission through illustrated lectures and essays as well as sophisticated fund-raising campaigns.

Lord Strathcona's bedroom and bunk at Rigolet, Labrador.

The caption on the photo reads "All our young are "well-favoured Moravialings". At the age of six years, Moravian children were sent from Labrador to be educated in Europe until the age of 16 or 18. They were never reunited with their families.

Woman is holding an uncompleted piece of knitting. There is a detailed account of the weaving and craft work by the Sami women in Jessie Luther's journal. Jessie Luther, a Massachusetts volunteer, started the Industrial Works Department at the Grenfell Mission.

George Ford (1857-1918), interpreter, postmaster and clerk, was employed at the Hudson Bay Company post in Nachvak, approximately 100 miles south of Fort Burwell, Ungava from 1876 to 1906. He resided at the post with his wife and three children. In 1909 he settled in St. Anthony where he was initially employed by the Grenfell Mission as a reindeer herder. He returned to the service of the HBC in 1916 but died in the Spanish influenza of 1918.

"Agriculture" : Inuit women with baskets in Moravian Mission garden, Labrador.

Mrs. Charles Bird was a former Mission nurse at Cartwright (Grenfell gives her name as Ashall but this requires verification). She married Labrador resident Charles Bird. She was the assistant director of the Grenfell industrial centre at Cartwright and Sandwich Bay for many years.

James Wilson, wife, and three daughters are shown in front of the veranda of a house at Rigolet, Labrador. Wilson was the commissioner, or clerk-in-charge, of the Hudson Bay Company "District of Esquimaux Bay", 1892-1901. Dr. Eliot Curwen wrote, '[They] are very nice English people and seemed really glad to see us, and together with their three little girls live in what is I suppose the best house in Labrador...Mrs. W. & children went out for an 8 or 9 mile on snowshoes everyday last winter. We saw geranium, mignonette, fushia [sic], pansy, and the blue meadow cranesbill or geranium so common in the English Lake District'

Caption on the image reads, " Mr. Wilson's house, Rigoulette, the finest house in Labrador. No brick or stone is used in any house on the coast." Wilson was the commissioner, or clerk-in-charge, of the Hudson Bay Company "District of Esquimaux Bay", 1892-1901.

Caption on the image reads, "The chapel servants, Hopedale, standing in front of Daniel's house, a warm wood building with turf roof. The kyak is kept on roof to keep it away from the dogs." [Standing l-r:] Josephine [wife of Daniel], Daniel, Eugenia, Thomas. [Seated l-r:] Zacharias, Salome.

Eliot Curwen noted that the Moravians all "live in one large house, each family having two private rooms only, with a common room for meals & a kitchen...all are very nice but Mr. & Mrs. Hansen strike me most. One kitchen maid is the only servant - besides the nursemaids - so the missny's wives do all the housework and take weeks in turns to take charge of the cooking".

At the Mission, Hopedale, 16-23 Aug. 1913.

In Hopedale, 16-23 Aug. 1913

The caption that came with the image reads, "In the Pasture, Doucets [?], Tompkins"