S2.E6: The Tale of Mildred Baxter feat. Rosemary Lawton and Kyle Callahan
Season 2, Episode 6
Title: The Tale of Mildred Baxter
Time: 68 minutes
Locations: Gaultois, Harbour Breton, The Grand Banks
Story: Mildred Baxter, The Augusta and the Sea Monster
Guests: Rosemary Lawton, Kyle Callahan
Listen:
About The Episode:
Part One: Mildred Baxter
Legend has it that folk-hero Mildred Baxter came to Harbour Breton in the mid-1840s to settle a score with her cheating fiance.
In order to make the trip from her home in England, she adopted a secret identity. She disguised herself as a man and took up life in Harbour Breton alongside her fiance and his new bride.
It’s a fascinating tale of love, lies and revenge that stretches the limits of credibility.
The story formed the basis of the song ‘The Ballad of Mildred Baxter’, recorded by Newfoundland duo Simani.
Part Two: Rosemary Lawton Talks Jackets and Trousers
Rosemary Lawton is an award-winning singer-songwriter with a keen interest in Newfoundland music. She is a classically trained violinist, educator and writer. She has recorded traditional Newfoundland music (Fierce and Untamed), original compositions (Canvas) and published the book, Resilience: A Collection of Empowering Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador Women.
Rosemary joins me on Strange Truths and Tall Tales to discuss Mildred Taylor, the tradition of ‘Jacket and Trouser’ songs, and her own songwriting.
Hear Rosemary Lawton at the following links:
Rosemary Lawton (website)
Resilience, Rosemary Lawton
Part Three: Kyle Callahan’s Monsters
Kyle Callahan is a visual artist from Mount Pearl, NL. He’s sometimes called ‘The Godzilla Guy’ owing to his popular artwork featuring classic movie monsters (like Godzilla) exploring Newfoundland. His artwork has recently been featured in the new Engen publication The Fairies of Foggy Island.
Kyle discusses his work and explains how Godzilla discovered St. John’s harbour.
See Kyle Callahan’s work:
Kyle Callahan (website)
Part Four: Monstrous Things
The season, I’ve been capping off each episode with a segment I call Monstrous Things. It features tales of a Newfoundland sea monster sightings reported in the mainstream media.
This edition takes us back to 1888 on Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, when an enormous sea monster was seen by fisherman aboard the Schooner Augusta. The sighting was described in the Evening Telegram on August 25th, 1888.
Listening Options
You can listen to the episode here or on your favourite platform.
Sources & Further Reading
The Love and Lies of Mildred Baxter and Paul Langstone, Product of Newfoundland
History, Town of Harbour Breton
The Ballad of Mildred Baxter, Simani
Resilience, Rosemary Lawton
Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, Elisabeth Greenleaf
The Fairies of Foggy Island, Melissa Bishop, Nicole Russel, & Kyle Callahan, Engen Books
Sea Monster Attack, Product of Newfoundland
Monster of the Deep, The Evening Telegram, August 25, 1888
In 1912 a deadly avalanche struck Tilt Cove, NL. Housekeeper Emily Day received fatal injuries while saving the life of a 3-year-old child.
A tale from Gaultois, NL of a mother’s daring rescue of her baby from the clutches of an eagle.
Nearly 200 years ago, two young men robbed a bank in England and found themselves hiding out in St. John’s, NL. They staged a daring prison break and left Newfoundland with a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.
Until January 2nd, 1947 Newfoundlanders drove on the left — as they do in the UK and Australia. This is the story of the island’s transition to right-hand traffic.
Gander International Airport has welcomed its share of world leaders… but only one has ever asked to borrow a toboggan.
It’s Christmas and there are mummers throughout Newfoundland, but there’s more to mummering than meets the eye — it’s a surprisingly diverse tradition.