Summer Vacations by Katherine Pym

 

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Ferryland Mansion where the Kirkes lived in the 17th century

I would like to go to Ferryland, Newfoundland/Labrador, and see the archaeological dig there of the manor house and plantation Sir David and Lady Sara lived in for several years. Sir David was recalled to London for crimes against Parliament he did not commit whilst living in Ferryland and never returned but Lady Sara did. She made a very successful go of it and as a result, she is considered the foremost female entrepreneur of Canada.

Archeological dig of the colony of Avalon

There was also litigation against Sir David by the Baltimore family, who said the Kirkes were interlopers when in fact their sire abandoned the colony as too cold and inhospitable. The family sailed to Maryland, where the weather was more temperate and made it a Roman Catholic colony.  

Sir David took over the Colony of Avalon from Lord Baltimore, but the advertisements of Ferryland and its museum say little about  it...

More of the site

...or of David and Sara, the work they did to make a success of this beautiful new land. 

That’s why I want to go there, to see if it is a bias toward Baltimore, and if so, why not mention the Kirkes, who in my mind hold tighter sway on the site.

I’d also like to see Pillars of Avalon in their gift shop. After all, it’s real history of a real place, which should be attended to.

 

But news is coming from that location the museum is not doing well. They are suffering from a lack of funds. They may be gone before I can find my way to the site, which would be an arduous trip, over several airplane hops across the vast territory of our lands. 

And there you have it.

NOTE: Interesting articles below for your perusal. 

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Many thanks to Wikicommons Public Domain

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/historic-ferryland-museum-feeling-financial-squeeze-1.3039491

http://colonyofavalon.ca/

My Story Arc by Katherine Pym

Click here to learn more

  

David and Sarah Kirke live in a time of upheaval under the reign of King Charles I who gives David the nod of approval to privateer French Canadian shores. When Louis XIII of France shouts his outrage, King Charles reneges.

After several years, the king knights David and gives him a grant for the whole of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Soon, David is carried in chains back to England. He entreats Sara to manage the Ferryland plantation. She digs in and prospers, becoming the first entrepreneur of Newfoundland.

I write historical fiction based in London during the 17^th century and try very hard to have the history as correct as possible. Only when sources conflict with each other, do I choose one that seems the most likely. I also hope that source I choose is the most correct.  

At first, when given the honor to write about Newfoundland, I did not think I’d come up with much history in the 17^th century, but as I dug, I was amazed at the plethora of information that surfaced. Gervase Kirke and his wife had several sons and two daughters. They ran a successful wine merchant company. 

The family was litigious, with their papers and letters archived so we can read them. They argued with their peers and superiors. David Kirke (our hero) butted heads with King Charles I over the spoils he’d collected while in Quebec. He wanted to be governor of Newfoundland, and saw his opportunity when Lord Baltimore gave up his Avalon Province in lieu of a warmer climate. 

This is good-story-stuff.  With this, I could write a novel based around Newfoundland’s history. 

The Cutty Sark

I’ve had readers remark how often David and Sara travelled from London to Ferryland NL, but if you look at a map, you’ll see Newfoundland sticks into the Atlantic quite a distance. Google says it is 2345 miles from London to Ferryland, NL. The Cutty Sark once sailed 2163 nautical miles in six days. Data shows ships crossed from the Channel to Northern Canada in as short of a time as 4 weeks. Not bad. 

As merchants, the Kirkes found great opportunity in the new world. In London, they fitted their ships for sail, carrying goods from England and Europe, then traveled to the Americas, spanning that coast from Newfoundland down to Barbados and the West Indies, where they would trade goods, then sail to the Mediterranean or back to England. These trips would take a good deal longer than 4 weeks. 

17th Century Ships of Sail

So, with this historical data and my 30 years study of the 17^th century, the story arced on its own. It grabbed what I unearthed and ran with it. 

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Many thanks to Wikicommons, Public Domain