THE BECK BULLETIN



Number 18 December 1, 2001

REUNION DETAILS FALLING INTO PLACE

More progress has been made in planning for the Beck Reunion in 2003. We told you in the October letter that it was decided that the event would be held in the Northumberland Arena in Murray River in July, 2003. Eileen Tanner, chair of the Planning Committee, reports that the Arena has been booked from Friday, July 11 through the 13th. And if problems arise, we should have a sympathetic hearing from the manager. Eileen says the Arena is now under the direction of John Bell,(1.4.6.5,3.6,)of Guernsey Cove.
A busy weekend is planned starting with a ceilidh on Friday evening.
There will be a tour of sites of interest on Saturday morning, an afternoon devoted to genealogy, followed by a lobster supper and a more formal concert in the evening. Activities will wrap up on Sunday morning with a church service.
The keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon will be Alan W. Beck of Virginia. Many of you will remember Alan from the 1998 reunion. He was discovering a family that he barely knew existed. Alan,(1.10A.3.2.2.)was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1941. His parents had separated before his birth and he grew up knowing very little about the Beck side of his family. He remembered hearing stories that his grandfather Beck was from P.E.I. but little more. In 1997 he sent an email to the Island Department of Tourism asking where he might do some research on his family history. It turned out that Rory Beck (1.4.3B.7.3.5.) was the deputy minister at that time and he replied suggesting Alan contact his father, Mac. This in turn led to an invitation to attend the 1998 reunion and contact with Jim Beck of Michigan. Alan is expected to have some interesting stories of his first trip "home."

CHALLENGING FOR THE MARITIME TITLE

The Pumpkin King of Prince Edward Island has tightened his grip on the crown. Bill VanIderstine of Victoria Cross, near Montague, turned out a 945 pound monster this year, dwarfing his nearest rival from PEI and coming within 3 pounds of winning the Maritime title. It was enough to leave Bill (1.4.6.5,3.2,) wishing that the frost had held off one more day. "It just might have made the difference," he told Steve Sharratt of The Guardian. "They take on a few extra pounds every day until the plant is killed off."
"It's the second time I've placed second at Windsor, N.S. and now I'm really taking aim at first,'' said Bill. The first time was two years ago when his entry tipped the scales at 862 pounds. "This one is the biggest on P.E.I. and I'm sure I can beat the record next year,'' he said. Alan Aten took first place on P.E.I. for his 691-pound beauty. Bill Van Schuppen of Heatherdale took second and Bill claimed third with his 638 pound entry. That one was the second largest from his patch. Since the weigh off is held on the same day in both provinces, it was decided that Bill should take his 945 pounder to N.S. where there was a good chance of capturing the Maritime crown.
Bill said this year was a particularly difficult one for giant pumpkin growing because of the dry weather. "They're all water really, so this year it took every grower a lot of extra effort to beef up the size." He hauled 1,000 gallons of water every week to his garden from a nearby stream. With so little rain, it was the only way to ensure a shot at the title. Bill raised six of the big pumpkins this year, but because of the amount of work involved he plans to cut back to four next year. That will give him more time to devote to each one as he takes aim at the Maritime crown.

More Pictures

BROOKS FAMILY TREE

The family tree of John Brooks, one of the early settlers of southeastern PEI, has been revised and updated with the latest information available. The work has been done by Anne Nosworthy Brooks, (1.4.2.3.7.2.) and deals with eight generations of the Brooks family. The original John Brooks was born in England in 1776, but it was his son, John, who came out to the Island. Born Jan. 3, 1800, he married Frances Brown in Feb. 1822, and later that year they emigrated to PEI and settled in White Sands. They probably came out on one of John Cambridge's ships. They had seven children, 4 boys and 3 girls.
John was a school teacher and taught at White Sands, and Murray Harbour. He also taught Sunday School at White Sands and was the first lay preacher of the Church of England in that area, delivering sermons prepared and sent to him from England. In 1851, he set up a temperance organization at Murray Harbour.
Anne has built upon the work of two earlier Brooks researchers, adding to and organizing their work. She has adopted Jim Beck's numbering system from the Beck listings to make tracing family connections easier. Surnames in the Brooks tree include: Beck, Brehaut, Horton, Hugh, Machon, Moore, VanIderstine and many others.
While there is a vast array of information in this file, Anne says there is much missing, "especially in the latter generations." If you have knowledge of the Brooks descendants, please contact Anne Brooks. She lives in New Brunswick and can be reached by e-mail at feeb@nbnet.nb.ca

STAY TUNED

The "3Rs" aren't enough for students at one elementary school near Halifax, N.S. The Grade 4 class at Atlantic View Elementary School in Lawrencetown has added a fourth "R," - Radio - to the curriculum. The teacher, Mrs. Nancy Barkhouse, is producing a one-hour weekly radio show using students in her class. The program is called SURF'S UP - Students Using Radio Facilities for Sharing their Unique Perspectives. They broadcast from CHCN, a community radio station in the nearby Cole Harbour High School.
Nine-year-old Stephanie Munn (1.4.2.2,2.2.1.1) was one of four students selected to take part in the first show. They reviewed activities at the school, interviewed the principal, a local historian and a representative of the school board. They also played some music and read a story. Their choice was Rough Face Girl, a Mi’kmaq Indian version of the fairy tale, Cinderella. It was read by Stephanie and Brittany DeCoffe, the other girl who took part in the broadcast.
CHCN is operated by Cole Harbour High school students. In November the CBC conducted a three-part workshop to teach them some of the finer points of broadcasting. Two spots were reserved for students in the Grade four class. They were invited to write an essay saying why they would like to participate. Stephanie and Brittany were chosen and spent the last three Friday mornings studying broadcasting with a group of high school seniors. They received instruction in writing, interviewing, editing and presenting stories. When asked for her reaction to the broadcast training, Stephanie said, "I liked it a lot." Her foursome is now preparing for their next broadcast in January.

DEATHS

IRVING, Rebecca Ann - Died Nov. 21 at a nursing home in Charlottetown at the age of 99. She was the daughter of William Derby and Margaret Bell and the widow of Nathan Irving (1.11.2,1.). She is survived by four sons, C. Basil (Catherine), Charlottetown; Chessel (Alicia) of Murray Harbour, Axel (Phyllis) of Beach Point, David (Margaret) of Calgary, nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was predeceased by two grandchildren, Linda and Alan. The funeral was held from the Murray Harbour United Church with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.

MacLeod, Edith Catherine - Died at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague on Nov. 13, aged 83. She was the daughter of Fred White and Ida Brehaut and the widow of Marshall MacLeod (1.12,6,2,1.). She is survived by two sons, Bert of Guernsey Cove, and Douglas in Ontario. A private family service was held in the chapel of the Ferguson Funeral home in Montague followed by interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.

NEISH, William James "Jim" - of Arlington, Mass. died at Burlington, Mass., on Nov. 24, 2001, at the age of 79. He was a veteran of the Second World War, and served with the Regina Rifles. He is survived by his wife Hilda (Beck) (1.6B.5.5,) a son, John J. of Pepperell, Mass. and two grandchildren, Heather and Scott Neish. The funeral service was held in the chapel of Ferguson's Funeral Home in Montague on Nov. 30 with interment in the Murray Harbour Cemetery.

REFUGE AT SEA

The old adage for sailors is "any port in a storm." For songbirds, it works the other way. Any ship when you're far from shore. David Munn, (1.4.2.2.2.2.1.) first officer of the Canadian Coast Guard Survey Ship, Hudson, said the ship played host to flocks of birds during the fall migration this year. The ship was carrying out scientific studies on the Scotian shelf, south of Nova Scotia, in an area between Brown's and George's banks from mid-September to October 10th. The work covered an area from 40 to 170 miles offshore.
David said the first birds to arrive were a flock of American Goldfinches. There appeared to be between 12 and 20 of them and they were very happy to set their feet on something solid. They appeared to have strayed from their regular coastal flight path, far to the westward, and were in danger of perishing at sea. The finches were soon joined by an assortment of sparrows, who were also happy to be aboard. Next an Arctic Tern, a sea bird, landed on the forward deck and refused to move. David said if you went near it, it would hop away but refused to fly until it was rested.
However, it was not to be a worry-free cruise for the birds. Next to arrive was a Kestrel, the smallest member of the Falcon family. Sometimes called a "Sparrow Hawk," this a misnomer because the Kestrel prefers insects and rodents. Last to arrive was a Saw-whet Owl, who spent a couple of days on board. The tiny owl also prefers to dine on small mammals, but like the Kestrel, will settle for small birds. The owl relaxed and made itself at home under the life ring rack on the starboard side of the bridge, when it wasn't on the backrest of a seat on the Hudson's Fast Rescue Craft.
Sharing the rigging with predators was not to the liking of the smaller birds and a number of them sought shelter inside the ship.
David said a lot of them ducked into the wheelhouse as people were going in and out. They also got below into the crew's quarters and even into the upper engine room. They were shooed out again where a few of them ended up as victims of the hungry predators.
Despite the danger, most of the birds stayed around until the ship got close to land when they took wing to continue their southern flight.

QUESTIONS

Martha F. Ford?

Jackie Ebsary of Newfoundland is searching for information on James Ellis who married Martha F. Ford, a younger sister of Jane Ford, wife of Samuel Beck (1.7)
Martha was born in 1847 and died in 1931. James may have been a seaman on the South Side of Newfoundland and perhaps went by the name, William. Their children were:

Jackie has a picture of James and Martha with their 4 daughters and their unnamed husbands. She would like to have any additional information for the EBSARY IN NEWFOUNDLAND web page. Reply to:

Jackie Ebsary aband@sympatico.ca

Searching for information on the original Moore's at Murray Harbour

Anne Brooks (1.4.2.3.7,2.) would like information on Richard Moore and Sarah Wake, ancestors of the Moore family in Lot 64. Information handed down through the Brooks family indicates that Richard Moore, a widower with a large family, married Sarah Wake in England.
He and Sarah came out to Murray Harbour, possibly bringing some of his children. They then had 12 more children, and their last daughter, Mary Anne, was born in 1844. She married John Machon, a widower, and they had one daughter, Lauretta Machon, who married David Brooks. They were the grandparents of Everett Brooks, Anne's husband.
If anyone knows anything about this family, they can reach Anne at

feeb@nbnet.nb.ca

New Assistant Coach

The Northumberland Sharks Hockey Team has a new assistant coach. Zack Bell of Guernsey Cove, (1.4.6.5,3.6,2) signed on about the first of November. Zack played defence for the University of Toronto Blues and later for the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks of the East Coast Hockey League.
He said he's really looking forward to the challenge of working with the players on and off the ice in Murray River. Zack is the older brother of Thatcher Bell, now with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

BUSINESS SUFFERS FROM TRADE PROBLEMS

Recent tariff increases on Canadian lumber sales to the United States are being felt in eastern PEI. Georgetown Timber Ltd. says 13 of 17 employees were laid off due to a drop in sales. Over 80 per cent of the company's business is with the east coast of the U.S.
George Beck, co-owner of Stewart & Beck Ltd in Montague, says the lost jobs hit the entire community. He told the Eastern Graphic that, "It makes me feel bad when any business isn't able to keep going."
The terrorist attacks in September have added to the economic problems, but George says he hopes markets will open up again soon so people can get back to work.

MORE CLASSES IN MONTAGUE

Montague Computer is expanding its Academy of Learning course load. From now on students will be able to take all of their classes in Montague, rather than going to Charlottetown for 60% of them.
The president of Montague Computer, Debby Beck, (1.6B.5.1.1A.2) says the change will make a big difference to the students, saving them time and money. They will be able to log onto a computer server and participate in the training offered in Charlottetown. Students work individually at their own pace, and an instructor is available in the Montague classroom to help if they have problems.
Debbie told the Eastern Graphic that this allows everyone to progress at their own pace. There were eight students enrolled in October. "We reasonably think that by the end of the year we could have 20," Debby added. The Academy of Learning offers diplomas in business and computer related courses.

HIGH PRAISE, INDEED!

Jock Beck gets singled out for praise in the Oct. 31st edition of the Eastern Graphic. Jean Kenny of the West Prince Graphic writes of Jock's thoughtfulness in the "Our Space" column.
Ms. Kenny's daughter was injured while playing soccer in Montague and was taken to hospital by ambulance. After checking her over, it was determined she had not broken any bones but she was in a lot of pain and the doctor felt she should not travel with her team on the school bus. Since it was a four-day holiday weekend for students, she had planned to spend it with her cousin in Charlottetown.
Jock had been at the game to watch his daughter play and witnessed the collision. Later he checked at the hospital to make sure the visiting player was OK. When he heard of her predicament he offered to drive her to Charlottetown.
Ms. Kenny writes, "Catherine was very thankful for his kindness, and I'm sure it has made a lasting impression on her. It's nice to know there are still people like Mr. Beck who will take the time to look after someone else's kids when their own parents aren't around."

CEMETERY RECORDS

Some questions have been raised about cemeteries in Lot 64 and where they are located. The best answer comes perhaps from the P.E.I. Genealogical Society. It recently completed the task of transcribing the records of all but the oldest and most obscure burial grounds. They offer for sale records of about 300 cemeteries in all parts of the Island. They list six by name and number in Lot 64.
1. Murray River; ($5.00) 2. Gladstone or Wilmot Pioneer; ($4.00) 3. & 6. Murray Harbour; ($7.00 for the two of them) 4. Beach Point;($4.00) and 5. Little Sands. ($5.00)
The Society also produces and sells census records and various other material of interest to genealogists.
If you would like to join the Society, the fee is $20.00 a year and you receive four newsletters a year. Americans pay in U.S.funds.

The address is:

The P.E.I. Genealogical Society,
P.O. Box 2744,
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
C1A 8C4.

The Vere Beck Family Home Page

The Marfleet Home Page

Ivan Munn's Home Page

We're always looking for news of Beck family members. If you know of any significant events drop me a line with the information.

imunn@accesswave.ca

That's it for this edition .. please share it with relatives who aren't on line. The next edition will be out on February 1st.