William James Emberley
Encyclopedia
William James Emberley of Bay de Verde
, Newfoundland
(now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
). William son of Joseph Emberley and Jane Emberley (Russell) was a fisherman that experienced the hunger and plight of the Newfoundland fisherman during the Great Depression
of the 1930s. The collapse of international markets made it difficult to sell fish at any price, and for years many Newfoundlanders lived on the government dole of six cents a day.
William adapted an older song to describe the plight of Newfoundland fishermen during the great Depression and called it Hard, Hard Times
. Emberley's verses, which passed quickly into tradition, are a local application of a pattern established by an 18th-century English broadside which ridiculed certain trades and later was adapted often to describe hard times.
The Emberley version of Hard, Hard Times has been recorded by Dick Nolan
, and was published in Edith Fowke
's The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs, Harmondsworth, England, 1973).
Bay de Verde, Newfoundland and Labrador
Bay de Verde is an incorporated town in Conception Bay on the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The first recorded inhabitants at Bay de Verde arrived in 1662. Bay de Verde became an incorporated town in 1950.-Geography:Bay de Verde is the northern...
, 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...
(now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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...
). William son of Joseph Emberley and Jane Emberley (Russell) was a fisherman that experienced the hunger and plight of the Newfoundland fisherman during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. The collapse of international markets made it difficult to sell fish at any price, and for years many Newfoundlanders lived on the government dole of six cents a day.
William adapted an older song to describe the plight of Newfoundland fishermen during the great Depression and called it Hard, Hard Times
Hard, Hard Times
Hard, Hard Times is a traditional Newfoundland folk song/ballad. There is an earlier version, from England, called "Rigs of the Times". The latest version written in 1936 at the time of the Great Depression by William Emberley of Bay de Verde and performed by Dick Nolan.Emberley's verses, which...
. Emberley's verses, which passed quickly into tradition, are a local application of a pattern established by an 18th-century English broadside which ridiculed certain trades and later was adapted often to describe hard times.
The Emberley version of Hard, Hard Times has been recorded by Dick Nolan
Dick Nolan (musician)
Richard Francis "Dick" Nolan was a Canadian musician, born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. Nolan was known for performing Newfoundland folk music in Toronto night clubs. During his 50 year career he released more than 40 albums and recorded over 300 tracks...
, and was published in Edith Fowke
Edith Fowke
Edith Fowke, was a Canadian folklorist. Born on April 30, 1913, in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, she was educated at the University of Saskatchewan. She hosted the CBC Radio program Folk Song Time from 1950 to 1963...
's The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs, Harmondsworth, England, 1973).