Newfoundland War Brides

Upon arrival in Newfoundland Mary and Joe traveled by train to Gambo and then by boat to Wareham, Bonavista Bay.
Mary's first experience was to bring water from the well. She could not used the hoop ( a device for carrying buckets which kept the full buckets from soaking the clothes) she would, however, arrived back at the house wet almost up to he arm pits.
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Mary G. S. Tucker

Born: N/A
Maiden Name: Balfour
From: Scotland
Occupation: Weaver
Husband: Josiah (Joe) Tucker
Married: July 22, 1944
Date of Departure: July 15, 1946
Ships Name: SS Cavina
Port of Arrival in Canada:
Port of Arrival: St. John's, July 19, 1946
Settled in: Wareham, Bonavista Bay / Mount Pearl
Children: David, James, Robert, George, Maria

Comment: On 8/7/09 2:07 PM
Thanks for putting it (their 65 Wedding Anniversary) on the web site we appreshiate it very much.
I dont think Mary will remember very much about it.. We were married 65 years today, and I must say we spent our honey moon in a hotel in Dundee,Scotland.When we got up the next morning here I was with a beautiful Bride beside me, no money to pay the hotel bill, the only thing I had was an Airforce Uniform and that belong to the King ofEngland. 65 yearslater I awoke with my beautiful Bride near me, I got up and counter my change and I had $11.10, in change so I said to Mary we have come a long way since then.
We are still very much in Love may be more than ever. I hope this don't bore you I had to tell you, that we did not marry for money I was as poor as a church mouse as the saying goes.
Joe Mary Tucker.
Thanks again for putting it on the web site.

Another experience Mary had was chopping ice off the barrel in the back porch to fill the tea kettle, that alone was quite an experience for a Scottish lassie who was waited on hand and foot at home and everything at her finger tips.

With two holes, the walls covered with Eaton’s catalogues and paper for other uses I won’t mention was her introduction to the w.c. (outdoor toilet)

We then moved to Middle Brook, Gambo for the winter and I was working in Gander and only got home on weekends, the house was built on stilts and the sheep and goats would be in under the floors banging their antlers against the floor, Mary would get up at 3am and drive them away.

Another startling time in Mary's life came when I had to show her how to use a bucksaw to cut firewood for the stove, bring it in and pack it in the wood box. This all had to be done before the first snow storm.

We Moved to Gander where we had a house with hot and cold running water. She was in seventh heaven and best of all the rent was free. The late Steve Pond, told me every time he went down the road he would see Mary’s ghost with the Bucksaw cutting wood and bringing water from the well.

She came a long way overtime, since her arrival in Newfoundland, from a lady that couldn’t boil water without burning on the kettle to a person seasoned to the Newfoundland way of life.