Captain Thomas Trenholm T11 [Tape Eleven]

Interview

Thompson, Reg "Dutch"

Trenholm, Captain Thomas and Mary

2006-12-14

01:35:33

This is the eleventh tape of several interviews with Captain Thomas Trenholm of Murray Harbour, P.E.I. This interview begins with a discussion about eating different seabirds. Tom then begins a story about his father's muzzle-loader, but changes to the topic of cod and haddock fishing before finishing his original story. He then goes on to tell about trips to Barbados, Boston, and Sydney, driving motorcycles on board the Marine, and the purchase of the Nellie Dixon. Mary tells of her life on board before Tom continues with stories of trips to New York. Tom talks in great detail about navigation and the proper use of sextants, mentions Captains Slocum, Dunn, and Chapman, and tells of towing ammunition ships in the Halifax Basin during WWII. The interview concludes with Tom telling about tugboats, a trip to Newfoundland during WWII, and how me first met his wife Mary.

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Held by Reg "Dutch" Thompson

***Disclaimer - This interview contains language some may find inappropriate. ***The overall quality of the audio is fair, but there are occasional drops in the sound and the conversation becomes inaudible. SIDE A 00:00:04 -- 00:03:03 Discussion about eating different species of birds, specifically guillemots, loons, and gulls; guillemots, turrs, loons, gulls, bullbirds, Jack Reid, Newfoundland, birds. | SIDE A 00:03:03 -- 00:05:01 A story about his father's muzzle-loader; M. M. Gardner, Captain William Trenholm, muzzle-loader, Newfoundland, 1922, flint-lock, St. Pierre and Miquelon. | SIDE A 00:05:01 -- 00:07:02 Discussion about fishing haddock off of St. Pierre and Miquelon; jigging, salt, fishing, haddock, St. Pierre and Miquelon. | SIDE A 00:07:02 -- 00:16:30 Discussion about fishing for cod, with mention of the biggest codfish he ever caught; Louisbourg, salt cod, codfish, cod, cod prices, bait, cod fishing, Lewis and Co., fish buyers, market cod, steak cod, scrod, trading, Marine, Barbados, Maritime Fish Co., fish prices. | SIDE A 00:16:30 -- 00:20:40 A story about his father's muzzle-loader continues, with mention of the Sarah A. Townsend; Captain William Trenholm, muzzle-loader, hagdon, gulls, shooting, Sarah A. Townsend, topsail schooner, sails. | SIDE A 00:20:40 -- 00:28:24 A story about loading molasses in Barbados with his father; navigation, donkey engine, storytelling, Marine, bulldog engine, songs, sea shanties, niggerhead, puncheon, port charges, Gaspe, wages, Captain William Trenholm, 1924. | SIDE A 00:28:24 -- 00:34:13 Discussion about Dan Roberts and trips to Boston on the Marine; Dan Roberts, River John, crewman, 1925, Boston, Marine, Jim Trenholm, Harry Trenholm, Evalynne Trenholm, Gaspe, schooner. | SIDE A 00:34:14 -- 00:38:58 A story about a trip from Barbados to Sydney when his father made him first mate, with mention of having motorcycles on board; Ner-A-Car, Kingsley Carter, Barbados. | SIDE A 00:38:58 -- 00:40:45 Discussion about when he had his own ship, the Nellie Dixon, and how his father bought her; 1926, Louisbourg, Marine, Lunenburg, Nellie Dixon, auction. | SIDE A 00:40:45 -- 00:47:40 Discussion about Mary being on the Nellie Dixon as part of the crew; coal, cooking, crew, Nellie Dixon, WWII, swordfish, navy. | SIDE A ends at 00:47:40. SIDE B 00:47:49 -- 00:49:57 Discussion about coal ships catching fire; Burchell, Bras D'Or, coal ships, fire. | SIDE B 00:49:57 -- 00:52:12 Discussion about taking lumber to New York; New York, Manhattan, Newtown Creek, lumber, shipping, Astoria, New York, New Jersey, Hoboken, Newark, 1920s, 1930s, Marine. | SIDE B 00:52:12 -- 00:57:17 Discussion about rough areas in New York, with mention of thieves and pickpockets; watchman, New York, thieves, pickpockets, Captain Killson, revolver, gun, watches, pickpockets, binnacle hole, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan. | SIDE B 00:57:17 -- 01:00:00 Discussion about Tom's uncle who lived in New York and a trip to New York in 1923; New York, 1923, gas lights, Captain Bouton, Marine, SIDE B 01:00:00 -- 01:15:05 Discussion about navigation and how to use a sextant; Brown's Nautical Almanac, Greenwich mean time, celestial navigation, time zones, daylight savings time, meridian altitude, standard time, trade winds, North Star, sextant, navigation, SIDE B 01:15:06 -- 01:17:00 Discussion about Captain Slocum and the Bay of Fundy; Captain Slocum, Bay of Fundy, fog. | SIDE B 01:17:00 -- 01:25:37 Discussion about Captain George Dunn and Captain Milton Chapman, with mention of towing ammunition barges in Halifax during WWII; Captain George Dunn, Captain Milton Chapman, ammunition barges, Halifax, WWII, tugboats, Halifax Basin, magnetic mines, U-boats, submarines, wages. | SIDE B 01:25:37 -- 01:26:37 Discussion about tugboats; tugboats, wages. | SIDE B 01:26:37 -- 01:31:29 Discussion about the Surf, a U. S. steam yacht, and a story about a trip to Newfoundland during WWII; W. M. MacDonald, Surf, steam yacht, Margaree Steamship Co., Newfoundland, WWII, coal, SIDE B 01:31:29 -- 01:35:33 Discussion about Mary and Tom's 75th anniversary, the time the first met, and Mary's life at sea; Mary Trenholm, school, Louisbourg, Christmas. | Tape ends at 01:35:33. ***Tape ends mid-sentence.