Richard Vatcher
Richard Vatcher was born in 1780 at Milton Abbas, Dorset, England. He was christened there on 20th of August, 1780. He died between 1840 and 1849. He married Martha Caines on 24 October, 1816, in the United Church, Lamaline, Burin County, Newfoundland. Martha Caines (daughter of George Caines and Deborah Unknown was born in 1795 in Lamaline and died October 1886, Burgeo, Newfoundland (buried 17th October 1886, Church of England, Burgeo). Joseph Small in his Diary of Burgeo refers to her as Granny Vatcher and the Widow Vatcher. She was a dear soul. Granny died, a very old person, about thirty years ago (writing in 1925). She was a midwife for many years and brought 400 children into the world and never lost a mother. Mrs. Vatcher was a Caines. She came to Burgeo with her husband, an Englishman, many years ago from Lamaline. I think her family was all born there except, perhaps, Phoebe and Joseph. Mr. Vatcher was dead many years before the writer came, but his death is not recorded between 1840 and 1849. There was a large family. The sons were Stephen, George, Emmanuel, Richard, and Joseph, who was the youngest son. The daughters were Martha, Phoebe, Deborah, and Mary. The children of Richard Vatcher and Martha Caines were -
The parents of Richard Vatcher were Stephen Vatcher and Mary Huett. From Joseph Small's Diary of Burgeo (re children of Richard Vatcher and Martha Caines) Richard [Vatcher] died, a single man, before 1860. Stephen Vatcher who was, I think, the oldest son, or next to George, I have mentioned as having been drowned in the Long Reach. His wife was Maria, one of Grandfather Matthews many daughters. I do not know where they were married, but it took place before Mr. Blackmore's time, as it was not recorded by him. Stephen's family consisted of Elizabeth, born in 1842; Richard, born in 1844; John, born in 1846; George; James; Stephen; Sarah; Martha; Jemima; and Ellen. Elizabeth, or Betsy as she was called, never married. She died in 1867 of fever. Richard married at Rose Blanche. His wife died and he came back home bringing a child who in later years married John Dominy. She is still living. Richard died three or four years ago and had been living with his brother Joseph. John married Elizabeth Matthews and bought the Joseph Strange property now owned by Ephraim Matthews. George married at Rose Blanche. He lived there for some years and then went to Sydney. They had a family who are now all scattered. James married Elizabeth Taylor. They went to Labrador many years ago; then moved to Quebec. He died there years ago. Joseph married Dinah Taylor and had a family of three daughters and one son. Joseph and Dinah still live in the Reach. Two of the girls married at Red Island, one in Nova Scotia. The son was Captain Joe junior; Stephen [junior], the youngest son of Stephen Vatcher, took over the house and married Elizabeth Hare, of Robert. He died in 1915 of heart failure at Harbour Breton. He was master of one of Robert Moulton's vessels. His wife died in 1916. They had a large family, two of whom were sons. Robert [junior] died of consumption in 1918. The other boy died in France. He had joined a Canadian Regiment. There were six daughters, two are at St. Jacques, two at Louisbourg, two at Halifax. Robert [junior] became the only heir to the property and it was sold to William Webb and Sons. Sarah married Thomas Matthews, Uncle William's son. They sold their home, which was the old Bobbett property on Vatcher's Island, and moved to Channel. Later on they moved to Sydney. Thomas was killed in an accident. I know nothing of this family. Martha married Edward Cluett of Belleoram. They had a family. I know of two sons who were both Master Mariners. Edward has been dead for some time. Mrs. [Martha] Cluett is still living. Jemima married John Collier. John was master of the Duchess of Cornwall. He died in 1919 on a voyage from South America and was buried at sea by Mate Leonard Hare. He had two sons on board as part of the crew. In 1917, a son of this marriage, John, took charge of the Robert Moulton Limited vessel Lizzie M. Stanley, for a voyage from here to Catalina to load fish. The vessel was lost with all hands. How this happened was never known. Stephen was also a Master Mariner. One daughter died some years ago of consumption. One married in Fortune Bay and Archie is at home with Mrs. Cluett. He is the owner of the house. Ellen Collier, known as Nellie, married Henry Dicks, of Christopher senior. They have lived on Boar Island since 1902. Their son, Henry, who was married, was lost with Captain Bert Hann on the schooner Elsie Burdett, in 1918 and left a widow and two boys. This now takes all of Uncle Stephen Vatcher's family. |