Toslow, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Toslow is a resettled fishing community in Placentia Bay
on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
. The village was located in a natural harbour called Presque Harbour. According to Howley
, the name is believed to be a corruption of the French
for silver cup (tasse de l'argent) because "the little harbour is cup-like, and the quartz
in the rocky cliffs give it a silver-like appearance".
In the 1836 census there were 21 people and in 1845 it had a population of 26. It was a prosperous community where all of the residents made a living in the fishing industry. By 1901 there were three lobster
factories in the community.
The community has gained notoriety from the very familiar Newfoundland
ballad
of The Ryans and the Pittmans
. The song mentions many of the surrounding communities such as Isle Valen, Oderin and Little Bona amongst many others.
Toslow is also the subject of another popular Newfoundland ballad, Out from St. Leonard's where it graphically describes the plight of the residents as they were forced into resettlement
. The chorus
verse of the song is as follows:
Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first European fishermen arrived in the 16th century. For a time, the...
on the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The village was located in a natural harbour called Presque Harbour. According to Howley
James Patrick Howley
James Patrick Howley was a naturalists and geologists, one of the first Europeans to visit the interior of the Island of Newfoundland at Bay du Nord River system....
, the name is believed to be a corruption of the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for silver cup (tasse de l'argent) because "the little harbour is cup-like, and the quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
in the rocky cliffs give it a silver-like appearance".
In the 1836 census there were 21 people and in 1845 it had a population of 26. It was a prosperous community where all of the residents made a living in the fishing industry. By 1901 there were three lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
factories in the community.
The community has gained notoriety from the very familiar Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
of The Ryans and the Pittmans
The Ryans and the Pittmans
"The Ryans and The Pittmans" is a popular Newfoundland folk song. It tells of the romantic entanglements of a sailor named Bob Pittman, and his desire to sail home to finally marry his "sweet Biddy"...
. The song mentions many of the surrounding communities such as Isle Valen, Oderin and Little Bona amongst many others.
Toslow is also the subject of another popular Newfoundland ballad, Out from St. Leonard's where it graphically describes the plight of the residents as they were forced into resettlement
Resettlement (Newfoundland)
Resettlement in Newfoundland and Labrador terms was an organized approach to centralize the population into growth areas. Three attempts of resettlement were thrust upon outport residents and whole communities between 1954 and 1975 which resulted in the abandonment of 300 communities and nearly...
. The chorus
Strophic form
Strophic form is the simplest and most durable of musical forms, elaborating a piece of music by repetition of a single formal section. This may be analyzed as "A A A..."...
verse of the song is as follows: