The Willow Tree Museum:
Relive the history of the vibrant fishing community of Hants Harbour, Trinity Bay, NL
From the traditional schoolroom to the old store, historic artifacts and lore, to a restored fishing stage and the Willow Tree burial ground... revisit
traditional Newfoundland life as it once was. Step back in time and relive the experience of a traditional fishing community; the tools of the fishery, methods and lifestyle, along with a vast selection of memorabilia, antiques, WWI & II artifacts, plus a gift shop with local handmade crafts. Acquired in July 2001, The Willow Tree Museum now occupies what was once the Salvation Army Citadel - built in the 1880’s, and paid entirely with fundraising from a recycling project created by the Heritage Society’s members. This moving prayer can be viewed
in the museum. It worked... the community’s prayers were answered! The original settlers in Hants Harbour came from England. The first over-wintering residents settled here in the mid-1600’s, persevering through cold, damp, Newfoundland winters, with little provisions, and staking out a cod fishery upon which Newfoundland’s economy was built. One of the shorelines few fish plants was located in Hants Harbour. Janes and Sons Fish and Crab Plant was the main employer of the harbour’s residents plus surrounding communities since 1929. History of the Willow Tree Heritage Society:
Founded in 1994, the roots of the Society is based upon a marine disaster that happened near Hants Harbour in 1835 that, to this day, remains a strong thread in the history of the community. In December 1835, a sloop named the F***y, owned by the Kelsons of Trinity, arrived in Catalina to discharge provisions brought from St. John’s. Upon departure, weather conditions deteriorated with a blinding snowstorm and gale force northerly winds, blowing the sailing vessel off course. The F***y wrecked near Caplin Cove, Hants Harbour, at a place know as “The Arches”, resulting in the loss of all seven aboard -
Skipper Ben Breddy, owner William Kelson Jr., and crew: John Heyter, Jonathon Miller, John Sheppard, John Stevenson and James Swyers. The next morning, the people of Caplin Cove discovered packages floating near the beach. The wreckage was discovered below a high rugged cliff, with bodies in the cliff crevices. The high seas made it impossible to recover the bodies by boat. Local resident Richard
Pelley volunteered to be lowered by ropes in a leather casing to retrieve the bodies, one by one, wrapped in the casing and pulled up to the top by men up above. The bodies of all seven were taken by slide to Caplin Cove, where caskets were made and brought to the Fisherman’s Lodge for burial. Paper in the sloop owners’ pocket revealed that it was from Trinity. In those days, communication was limited to boat travel. Therefore, seven fires were lit from the top of the hill in Caplin Cove, to let the people of Trinity know about the sloops’ misfortune and the seven men found. Residents of Trinity signaled back, with fires that they had received the message. Kelson and his six shipmates were buried in the Methodist Cemetery in Hants Harbour. In the spring of 1837, Mr. Kelsons wife, Elizabeth Kelson (Ash), sent a Willow Tree from Trinity to be planted on the graves. The offshoots of this tree still stand over the graves to this day. In 1994, The Willow Tree Heritage Society acquired a grant for ground restoration of the cemetery and the burial ground of the seven lost crew became known as The Willow Tree Heritage Site. On August 16, 2014, the society held a ceremony in the Willow Tree Cemetery and unveiled a large bronze plaque commemorating the wreck and the lost crew of the F***y. Custard Head Fishing Premises:
A short walk from the Museum, the Custard Head Fishing Premises was built in 1905 by Simeon Green and Joseph Francis. Donated by Mr. Freeman Francis and Mr. Melvin Green, this building is now a registered Heritage Structure. The stage head is the only remaining structure of its kind in Hants Harbour. Restored in the 1990’s, this building reveals the process of the traditional in-shore fishery of Newfoundland. Used for cleaning, salting, storing and curing cod fish… the stage is built on a slope for unloading fish at high and low tide. Visit and see the gutting tables and drying flakes, to get a real sense of how the fishery was conducted back in the day. The Great Wall of Hants Harbour:
The Society has identified several sites within the Town of Hants Harbour which, according to available information, could have been constructed and used by the Beothuk Indians during their visits to the area. One site in particular had been designated as “The Great Wall of Hants Harbour”. Visitors are encouraged to visit this site and to form their own opinion as to why and how it was built, and by whom. (Enter trail across the road from Custards Head Fishing Premises). Pick up a Self-Guided Tour Map in the Museum to enjoy a walking tour of Hants Harbour and visit these nearby sites:
Custard Head Fishing Premises, The Willow Tree Cemetery, Custard Head Lighthouse and The Great Wall of Hants Harbour. Genealogy Records:
The Willow Tree Heritage Society has acquired Vital Statistic Records transcribed from The Newfoundland Provincial Archives. Records include:
Birth Records from 1819 to 1925
Marriage Records from 1821 to 1901
Death Records from 1861 to 1945
Also held by the Society is a collection of photos and headstone inscriptions from the seven cemeteries in Hants Harbour. These records can be used as a source for those searching their family trees and heritage. Copies of the records can be purchased from the Society. For those who chose to donate to the Museum in a loved ones memory, names are added to a Memoriam Board in the Museum. Contact Info:
The Willow Tree Heritage Society
P.O. Box 202, Hants Harbour, NL A0B 1Y0
Email: [email protected]
Museum Hours:
Summertime only: July until September
Open seven days a week: 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. FREE admission. Donations welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Off-Season Museum Tours and Fishing Stage visits available. How to get here:
The Museum is located on the main road in Hants Harbour, Trinity Bay on the Baccalieu Trail Route 80, 20 km from Hearts Content. An approximate 2 hour drive from St. John’s, NL.
