Remembering The Petty Harbour Bait Skiff
Petty Harbour, NL. Image: J. Chafe, all rights reserved.
“But at last they sank to rise no more,
All on the eighth of June.”
170 years ago in early June, a voyage from Conception Bay to Petty Harbour lead to a tragedy and a tale that lives on to this day in the form of a poetic and haunting folk song — “Petty Harbour Bait Skiff”.
The Story in The Song
Petty Harbour, NL. Image by J. Chafe, all rights reserved.
‘Petty Harbour Bait Skiff’ tells the story of a boat and its 7 man crew captained by French, that left Petty Harbour late one Saturday evening bound for Conception Bay. They were, as the title of the song suggests, delivering a supply of bait fish. The trip to Conception Bay was good. The weather was fine, but Newfoundland weather being Newfoundland weather, things couldn’t stay that way for long.
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Good people all, both great and small, I hope you will attend
And listen to these verses few that I have lately penned.
I'll relate the hardships great that fishermen must stand
While fighting for a livelihood on the coast of Newfoundland.
It happened to be in the summertime, in the lovely month of June,
When fields were green, fair to be seen, and valleys were in bloom.
When silent fountains do run clear, caressed by Heaven's rain,
And the dewy showers that fall at night to fertilize the plain.
We bid adieu unto our friends, and those we hold most dear,
Being bound from Petty Harbour, in the springtime of the year.
The little birds, as we sailed on, sung o'er the hills and dales,
Whilst Flora from her sportive groves sent forth her pleasant gales.
On Saturday we sailed away, being in the evening late,
Bound into Conception Bay all for a load of bait.
The seagulls flying in the air and pitching on the shore;
But little we thought 'twould be our lot to see our friends no more.
The weather being fine we lost no time until we were homeward bound;
The whales were sporting in the deep and the swordfish swimming 'round;
And Luna bright shone forth that night to illuminate the "say",
And the stars shone bright to guide us right upon our rude pathway.
We shook our reefs and trimmed our sails, across the bay did stand;
The sun did rise, all circlized, like streamers o'er the land.
The clouds lay in the atmosphere for our destruction met.
Boreas blew a heavy squall, our boat was overset.
When we came to the "Nor'ad" head, a rainbow did appear,
There was every indication that a storm was drawing near,
Old Neptune, riding on the ways, to windward of us lay,
You'd think the ocean was on fire in Petty Harbour Bay.
John French was our commander, Mick Sullivan second-hand,
And all the rest were brave young men reared up in Newfoundland.
Six brave youths, to tell the truth, were buried in the sea,
But the Lord preserved young Menshon's life for to live a longer day.
Your heart would ache all for their sake if you were standing by,
To see them drowning one by one, and no relief being nigh;
Struggling with the boisterous waves, all in their youth and bloom,
But at last they sank to rise no more, all on the eighth of June.
Jacob Chafe, that hero brave, and champion on that day,
They boldly launched their boat with speed and quickly put to sea.
They saved young Menshon from the wreck by their united skill;
Their efforts would be all in vain but for kind Heaven's will.
Out of that fine young crew, you know, there was one escaped being drowned.
He was brought to Petty Harbour where good comforts there he found.
He is now on shore, and safe once more, with no cause to complain.
He fought old Neptune up and down whilst on the stormy main.
When the sad news arrived next day in dear old St John's town,
There was crying and lamenting on the streets both up and down.
Their mothers were lamenting, crying for those they bore.
On the boisterous waves, they found their graves where they ne'er shall see more.
Now to conclude and finish these few lines I write in pain:
Never depend out of your strength whilst sailing on the main.
But put your trust in Providence, observe the Lord's command,
And He'll guard you right, both day and night, upon the sea and land.
Written by John Grace, 1852
The return trip to Petty Harbour began under moonlit skies but bad weather was approaching and they could see it coming — bad weather omens played out before the men.
The crew spotted an early morning rainbow. Next, the light of dawn turned red enough that the waves on Petty Harbour Bay looked like flames. Finally, the sun had a ring around it.
The men knew things were getting dangerous.
They adjusted their sails but it wasn’t enough. Within sight of shore the skiff overturned and the crew were thrown into the ocean.
On shore the people of Petty Harbour could see the skiff. A rescue was mounted. A man named Jacob Chafe took his boat out into the storm but by the time he arrived he was only able to save one man (named as Menshon, Menchington or Menchenton depending on where the lyrics are reproduced). The remaining crew drowned.
According to the song it happened “all on the eighth of June.”
The Song and Background
‘Petty Harbour Bait Skiff’ was written by John Grace in 1852 — the same year as the disaster. It appeared in James Murphy’s Sealers Song Book in 1905 under the title ‘St. John’s Bait Skiff’. That’s the only reference under that title I’ve found, and even Murphy abandoned St. John’s for Petty Harbour seven years later when he published Old Songs of Newfoundland. It has since been published in Gerald S. Doyle’s song books and in many other places.
The St. John’s newspaper The Morning Courier reported on the events in their June 16, 1852 edition.
Excerpt from The Morning Courier, June 16, 1852
While the song says the disaster happened on June 8th. History records at least in the Book of Newfoundland, that the sinking may have actually occurred on June 7th, 1852. The Morning Courier says it happened on a Monday, in 1852 June 7th was a Monday. Other than that, the reports square nicely with the description in the song — so it’s a fairly accurate commemoration of tragic event, served with a haunting melody and a side-dish of local weather lore.
Final Query
When I dive into the past, I always end with as many questions as answers. I read that a brig Lima sank in Petty Harbour in 1852, killing 5 crew members. In some places the Petty Harbour Bait Skiff deaths are reported as only 5… Is that the bait skiff in the song or a different disaster altogether? — if you know, feel free to chime in in the comments.
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“Petty Harbour Bait Skiff”, lyrics
“Petty Harbour Bait Skiff,” GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador
