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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The ultimate meaning of life is to embrace that which compels you to act in spite of fear.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Quirpon and on


I got this picture today from my mom. Apparently this little cove is the first Canadian location anyone in my family tree called home. As you may've guessed, this is a shot of somewhere in Newfoundland. Well, this is Quirpon - where, I'm told, my great-great-grandfather (with perhaps another "great" in there), Henry Pynn, was the first Brit to set down roots. Word also has it that the windows and some of the boards of this house, now a Heritage Site, are from the original home, which dates back to around 1820. English adventurer and mariner Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who claimed Newfoundland as a colony, was reported to have yelled, "We are as near to heaven by sea as by land!" as his ship went down in the North Atlantic. Well, I don't know if Newfoundland is close to heaven, but I do know Quirpon is a long way from Markham, Ontario, where I grew up! And it's probably closer to England than it is to Prince Albert, where other ancestors of mine lie buried next to an old prairie church. I think this warrants a visit east.
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(I apologize for the solid block of text. There's a new Blogger-Google thing going on, and I'm having trouble formatting... I should just switch to Word Press!)

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since Henry Pynn is my great great Grandfather. Sure would like to know how you are rlated...I grew up at Quirpon and live now about 5kl away.

5:36 PM  
Blogger oakwriter said...

Well, hello -

We are related through a family that lived in Glace Bay, Cape Breton. I believe it was through the wife a gentleman named William Metcalfe. His wife, Winnifred had the maiden name of Day (or O'Day), and it was her ancestors that had settled in Newfoundland before leaving for Nova Scotia, and the Pynns were in her tree. Now, let me check. My mother has all the specifics. I'll email you.

4:19 PM  
Blogger Quirpon Pictures said...

I was surfing the net for info on Quirpon and came across your Blog.I know this is a bit late to this post but I had to reply. I am a Pynn from Quirpon. I grew up next door to the house you mentioned and spent many days in it as a child. I was wondering how you may be related to the family. Always doing research on the family tree. I have a copy of it here and it goes back to the mid 1700's. Give me a shout via email
d.pynn@nl.rogers.com

11:50 AM  
Blogger oakwriter said...

Thank you for visiting. I'll send you an email...

5:28 PM  
Blogger Byron said...

Hi Tom
researching my wife's family tree The Pynn family
we have about 22 pages of names
would like to connect with more of the Pynn family
you can contact me at byronnelson@cogeco.ca
thanks Byron and Jean

5:30 PM  

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