Sunday, November 11, 2012

Charlotte Wicks of Fair Island

I found this picture on the wall of a friend (Domino Howse) on Facebook  which had more than 31 comments under it. History is quite alive for the people of Hare Bay to be sure. If anyone in the comments section needs any info on the residents of Hare Bay for the past 200 years I'm sure I can help you. And now for a short story. Charlotte Wicks (1878 - 1957) of Fair Isalnd was born to Samuel and Eliza Boland (not to be confused with Charlotte Collins of 1845). She married George Collins (1870 -1918) in Dec of 1893 at Fair Island. Together they bore 4 sons and 3 daughters. When George died of inflamation in Jan of 1918 at Hare Bay, Bonavista Bay Charlotte married Tobias Goulding of Gambo at Grand Falls in June of 1920.

Like Charlotte, Tobias had also been widowed from Margaret Collins (a 4th generation Collins lady going all the way back to Samuel and Hannah Bundle Collins and 2 of the earliest residents of Newport) on May 6, 1919 at Gambo.

Margarets Death
Goulding, Margaret Jane died May 6, 1919 aged 38 years (Wife of Tobias)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cannf/bbnor_gambosacem.htm


Charlotte Wicks 
As the story goes Tobias married Charlotte in 1920 at Grand Falls. Most of Charlotte's and George's children lived at the same residence as their Mom and stepdad in at least 1921 as did the only son of Tobias and Margaret lovingly called Domino Goulding. There may have been a daughter Susie Goulding but the name does not appear on this census.

Tobias Goulding died in Aug of 1923 of Tuberculosis only 3 years after his marriage to Charlotte. No info on the actual date that Charlotte married for the 3rd time to James Cooze is readily available at this time but it is known that the newlyweds did not have children.

Angus 1920 and Dolly 1925 were the children of James and Alice Parsons Cooze. Alice died in 1930.

To end the story of Charlotte and George and Charlotte and Tobias and Margaret and Charlotte and Alice and James Cooze I must say I found their story to be a wonderful and unique life of honour failure bad luck good luck hard times and a pinch of humanity in people and how survival can create a picture of people through words. Her strengh and tenacity is something we don't often see in the world of today. Charlotte and her marriages and families are something worthy of an O.B.E. Another piece of great Newfoundland history. Fascinating!

John James Brentnall: A family in triumphant times:
http://freshwaterbay.blogspot.ca/2011/11/story-of-john-james-brentnall.html

2 comments:

Necro said...

Interesting post! I love reading stories of the old days here in Newfoundland.

Unknown said...

hi. my mom's father was john collins .john and his josephine sutherland were living in conne river nfld in 1945 .with his wife 8 children .my mom was maryanne. that same year i believe my grandfather drowned crossing the river to see a movie about a saint .this is what my mom told me .she was 11 at the time . Shortly after the children were given up and his wife remarried .I figured he was born around 1901 give or take. would you have any info on him or his parents? thank you. sincerely alice .