A Military Man - Sir Frank Walter Messervy

MORGAN MESSERVEY OF SANDY POINT by his son, David Messervey 

 It is a pleasure for me to introduce my guest blogger David Messervey, who contacted me due to the One-Name website and has generously shared with me genealogical information and this wonderful biography of his Dad. Enjoy. 

Being born the son of a fisherman in a community that made its living from the sea, it is not surprising that Morgan took up the occupation and became an independent fisher person. Prior to marriage and raising a family, he joined the merchant marines and sailed the seas on cargo ships operating along the Eastern seaboard. One trip took him to the Island of New Zealand, a large piece of sea shell he picked up on this trip is still in the family possession. His record of sailing is contained in a Record book number 6612 Department Of Marine & Fisheries Canada: "Continuous Certificate Of Discharge for Seamen" issued to Morgan Messervey at Halifax NS, First record engagement 11.8.1927 St Georges Newfoundland, with discharge at Halifax NS 29.12 1927, rating A.B., voyage Coast wise, Report of Character For Ability "Very Good". Report of Character for General Conduct "Very Good". Three other voyages recorded, the last being 25.11.1928. One voyage Halifax, one Montreal and another Foreign. All Character reports were classed "Very Good". The foreign voyage began 24.3.1928 and ended 11.7.1928. This was aboard the SS Canadian Transporter OFF. N. 150--8 Registered Vancouver BC. 

Jean Messervey, wife of Morgan, said he had sailed to New Zealand, this was probably the ship he made that trip on. Morgan and Charlie Seaward sailed on Capt. Victor Campbell's yacht the Marit from Bay St Georges to Bonne Bay. Morgan piloted the Marit into Bonne Bay in the dark to a safe anchorage. A picture of the schooner Marit, is in the possession of David Messervey. 

Victor Campbell traveled with Scott on his trip to the South Pole, his journal, written up in a book, "The Wicked Mate" is also in the possession of David Messervey. After his marriage to Jean Ellen Butler 11 Nov.1933 he engaged in the inshore fishery around St Georges Bay Newfoundland. Early spring lobster fishing with traps set on a location called "The Rock", located half way between Sandy Point and Stephenville Crossing. Lobsters were held in crates called "cars", until buyers came into the bay in small schooners and bought them for shipment to the Boston and Halifax market. Herring were pursued when they came into the Bay, salted in barrels and sold to buyers for shipment to the West Indies. Herring would also be used for baiting lobster traps. Codfish although being abundant in St Georges Bay were caught, salted, and used mostly for personal consumption, there was little sale for fresh cod as refrigeration was not readily available. Next came Salmon, this species being the main cash crop of the season, they were packed in hand made wooden boxes, iced, and shipped by rail to Nova Scotia. 

Sandy point, NFL about 1899

During the fall and early winter smelt fishing,by means of gill nets, fished in open water and under the ice was pursued. Smelts were packed in barrels with ice and shipped to markets in Nova Scotia. His main boat being an open thirty foot Bay St George punt, equipped with a 5 HP Acadia make and break engine. This boat was built by Samuel Swyer of Sandy Point, (father of Gwen who married Temple Butler, Morgan's brother in law). His second boat was a dory, equipped with a 4 H.P. Acadia make and break engine, this boat would be used in the spring and fall when ice was present in the harbour, another row dory was kept and used for hauling nets and lobster pots. The dory would be towed behind the big boat, it also was used for transport out to the big boat when it was anchored in deeper water. Often the engine would break down while in transit, carburetors, jump sparks would be dismantled and fixed while on the water. Salmon nets would be made during the winter months, most family members would take a turn at knitting the net. Wood for lobster pots would be cut, shaped, bent and made into new pots. Smelt nets would require tanning to preserve them, Morgan would boil a large tank of bark, dip the nets into it and hang on the side of his store to dry. 

Morgan kept two large dogs that were used during winter months to haul smelt nets over the ice to place of setting and for carrying the catch home. Firewood for winter heat and cooking was cut on the mainland around Barachiois Brook and Flat Bay, hauled home over the ice by horse and dog team. Ice used for packing salmon would be cut from the salt water in front of his fishing store, the ice often being two feet thick was cut using a large saw, it was then hauled ashore on hand slide, stored in an "Ice House" and covered with sawdust, this ice would last all summer. 

 Work started with an early rise at four thirty AM., salmon would be removed from the nets and brought back to his fishing stage around nine to ten AM. Often the nets would have to be cleaned of seaweed by beating with long slender sticks, this could delay the trip home by an hour or more. David recalls helping his father beat the nets, at times his fingers became the casualty of the sticks end, when he complained of being hit, his father would say, hold the dam net tight and you won't get hit. Salmon were cleaned and put on ice. Home for breakfast, then back to the fish store and make wooden boxes to pack the salmon in for shipping. This exercise would take until dinner time, after dinner the boxes of salmon would be loaded aboard his boat and taken to St Georges for shipment by CN Rail to Nova Scotia. 

Wharf. Sandy Point, Newfoundland 

Gasoline for his boats would be purchased at St Georges in forty five gallon steel casks, these would be rolled from the place of purchase down to the Government Wharf and lowered into the boat by a rope sling, a drop of eight to ten feet. Maintenance of his boats consisted of a new paint job each spring or early summer, rotten planks would be replaced and re caulked. Engines sometimes required an overhaul, bearings on the main cranks half would have to be rebuilt, he would make his own bearings using Babbitt, shape them and reinstall in the engine. His early fishing partners were brothers Walter and John Guy Messervey. Jack Guy as he was called, died of a heart attack in the boat with Morgan while they were smelt fishing. The date was 14 October 1959, one day before his 55th birthday. When Walter gave up fishing, Morgan partnered with several different men from the community,some of whom were Micheal Lasaga & Bernard Berry . One year his son David fished with him during school summer holidays. His last fishing partner was George White of Shallop Cove. He quit fishing around 1971-72, in his seventies, a few years before his death. 

 

Being an independent fisherman all his life, he had little desire to work on a job for wages. One year he did work for awhile on a tug called "The Rosalie Marge". Money that he earned was never kept in a bank but would be stuffed in his wallet, at the height of the fishing season his wallet bulged, by the following spring it would be practically empty. Probably never filed an income tax return in his life, guess that's why the banking system was not used. When Sandy Point was resettled in the late 1950's, Morgan purchased the Orange Lodge, tore it down and hauled the lumber to Black Bank where it was used to build a new house for his family. Morgan was a quiet unassuming man, very seldom asked for help, if he couldn't do it, it didn't need to be done. Loved to play the game of pool, was very good at it, when playing for beer, very seldom had to buy one. He became known for not leaving a shot if he couldn't make it, this became known in the pool hall as "Playing a Morgan". Morgan developed stomach cancer, was operated on in Toronto, September 1974, died in his home at Barachois Brook on 13 March 1975.