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Judy's first newfoundland trip

Here is a tour of my first trip to Harbour Main, Holyrood and Chapel's Cove.

Geoff and I flew from Tampa to Toronto and Toronto to St. John's. We left on August 26th, 1997 and arrived in the wee hours on the 27th of August in St. John's. Drove out to the Beach Cottage in Holyrood. 

On the 27th, we had lunch at the Beach Cottage Restaurant and headed off to see the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. "Click" on Harbour Main 

"Click" on Sts Peter and Paul Church 

Outside of the Church, we met Luke Dalton. Luke said he has lived in the house across the street since the 1950s. He said he got his first job at age 17 with my Great Uncle Jim Corbett. He told me that Jim had the nickname of Jim the Sparrow.

I went into the Church with Geoff and we took pictures and also copied all of the dedications on the plaques on the wall.

These are: 1.Constance Costigan imo(in memory of) Frank and Bill 2. Kevin and Bride Costigan imo Vincent and Ellen Costigan and Pierce and Sarah Murphy 3. Cyril and Mary Costigan imo Patrick and Elizabeth Costigan and Patrick and Rachael Hawco. 4. The Corbett Family imo Corey Doran. 5. Edith Corbett imo John A. and John and Mary Corbett. 6. Phonse and Mary Hawco imo James and Mary Hawco 7. Devin and Isabel imo Thomas and Lucy Hawco and John and Catherine Fewer. 8. Sam and Margaret Costigan imo Peter and Ellen Hannon. I only mentioned the names that are related to my family.

Next we went down into Chapel's Cove and met the Corbetts, Mary and Jack, Sharon, Toots (mother of Corey Doran) and Ann, wife of Terry Corbett.

I saw the rubble where the house my grandpa Thomas Corbett was born in used to be. This house was only torn down in the last year (1997). Click here to see a picture of the house.
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We went to dinner with Frank and Yvonne Corbett and their son, William. Frank has done most of my research at the Archives in St. John's.

The last folks to live in the CORBETT house were Annie Mary CORBETT HAWCOand her husband, Stephen. They passed away in the early 1990s. Annie Mary and Stephen adopted Harold who now lives in British Columbia with his wife, Genevieve near their son Aubrey and wife, Lori Costello and grandson, Stephen.

Annie Mary raised several foster children. They were Stella Sullivan (deceased), Loretta and Yvonne Young, Patrick Morgan, Joan Oliver, Carl and Al Sims, Linda Kennedy, who is married to Max Toopeand living in Come By Chance.

Annie Mary was the daughter of James and Nellie. James was Jim the Sparrow and brother to my grandpa, Thomas Corbett. "Click" on Uncle Jim (the Sparrow) Corbett. 

Since my trip, I have found that my grandfather had another sibling, Johanna who was born in 1877. Johanna died at the age of 43 in 1920. She married Thomas Craig and had five children. They wereThomas, William, Frank, Stanley and Elizabeth (Bessie). They used to come from Bell Island every summer to visit Annie Mary. Uncle Jim was quite fond of them, especially Frank. Johanna is buried inKilligrews. 

Visited various cousins whom I had never met. One was Cyril Costigan and his wife, Mary. While we were in Newfoundland, Cyril's last remaining sibling, Sam, passed away. He was in his 90s.

We took a ride to visit Brigus. Very lovely place.

Brigus had burned in 1932 but is very beautiful today. 

Visited Isabel Healey on the Ridge Road. She remembers my great grandma, Johanna Costigan.

Geoff 
and I went to the Archives in St. John's where we met Roberta and Dick SULLIVAN from Massachusetts. Roberta and I have been online for over a year on the Sunday night Newfoundland chat onAmerica Online. We shared a pizza for lunch and off we went to further explore. "Click" on picture of Roberta and Judy 

Came back to Holyrood and had a meal at Wongs.

Geoff had to leave to go back to Florida and Emily arrived. Emily's great grandpa John Costigan and my great grandma, Johanna Costigan were brother and sister.

We combed the graveyards and took pictures of each other. Very nice five days with Emily.

Met over 60 people while on this trip and I'll mention a few.

Joe, Sharon (nee Corbett) and Kayla Wall, John and Mary Corbett, Carol Ann, Derm, Anne, Terry Corbett and Toots (Mary Corbett) Doran, Mom of Corey who died of Cystic Fibrosis two years ago. They live in Labrador City. Also met Sharon Wall's sister, Carol. Kathleen Dwyer and Eddie, Mike and Nina Cahill; Mike's parents, Rita and Harold Cahill. Rita was a Corbett. Met their daughters, Nicole and Yolanda. Constance LaCour, Isabel Healey and her daughter, Mary, Joe and Shirley Furey, Jack and Ann Dunphy, Harry and Pat Hamlyn, Violet Tubrett, Rose and John Mason, Edith, Jim and Linda, Doug and Betty, Sarah and Jason Corbett who live next door to where my family lived. Joe and Debbie Costigan and their three little girls, Patricia Dalton who works at the rectory at Sts. Peter and Paul and who has been a great help to me. Sheila Nolan who copied the cemetery records from Avondale for me.Dick and Roberta Sullivan from the Sunday night forum on America Online who were visiting from Massachusetts, Ann Myers (nee Corbett and goddaughter of my great Uncle Jim) and her daughter Theresa Morrissey, (Ann was born Anastasia Corbett and was with Annie Mary on her deathbed), Terry Alexander who was the first one to find my grandpa, Thomas Corbett's baptismal certificate. Met Barbara Woodford in the new Harbour Main Cemetery. On my last day, I went back to Gallows Cove, Harbour Main to have one last look at the house where my great grandma was born and I met Paddy Kennedy. He showed me the oldest gravestone in Harbour Main in the old cemetery across the road from Gorman's Fishery. It was my great great great grandpa, Vincent Costigan from County Tipperary. My trip was complete. I'd found one of my immigrant ancestors. Guess I'll be off to Tipperary in 1998.

Didn't have a chance to see everyone. Talked to Violet's brother, John Healey from Holyrood on the phone. Also talked with Cathy Corbett Gushue. The 21 days went very quickly and I didn't get everything done. But, I'm not done with visiting Newfoundland either. Must go back. It was the most wonderful trip of my lifetime.


NOTE!!! I have gone back to Newfoundland every year since 1997. In 2003 my husband and I bought a little house on Butterpot Road in Holyrood where we spend our summers. You see, that first trip drew us back to the land of my roots. I really love it! 

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