Bemisters of Carbonear Reunion 2010

Bemisters Gather

Bemisters from across North America are headed home - to an ancestral home being Carbonear, Newfoundland. Keep posted here for updates on Bemister 2010. By the way this blog post is being written in the airport lounge in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - as we await our flight to St. John's.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Cheers
Ian Scott

Ode To Newfoundland

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2010 Bemister Family Reunion

Come Ye One and All !

to the

2010 Bemister Family Reunion

to be held

August 6th to 8th, 2010

at

The Royal Canadian Legion

Carbonear

Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

In celebration of the 263rd Birthday of John Bemister of Corfe Mullen!

• Meet distant cousins from all over North America and UK
• Explore Bemister genealogy and family history
• Experience traditional Newfoundland hospitality
• Enjoy guided bus tours of Carbonear and nearby communities
• Take guided tour of cemetery to commune with ancestors
• Savour wonderful grand Newfoundland Feast and Kitchen Party
• Marvel at Bemister travelling museum
• Participate in Bemister Music Festival and Choir
• Share Church Service at traditional home of Bemisters
• Tour historic and archeological sites and provincial archives; and enjoy
whale watching, as well as cultural and social events with Bemister
cousins before and after the main celebration if you would like this option

contact bemister2010@gmail.com for more information.

New Image of William Willis Bemister is Discovered

While another image was known, the discovery of  this additional image of  William Willis Bemister was a great thrill.

Born on 7 May 1789 in Corfe Mullen Parish, Dorset England William Willis Bemister came as a young lad age 14 to Carbonear, Conception Bay, Newfoundland to work as a clerk with the firm of George & James Kemp. He married Ann Howell at Carbonear on 25 November 1810 and they had 9 children. He later operated the firm of W. Bemister & Co. at Carbonear. He died at Carbonear on the 30th December 1863.

This is the previous image of him.

New Pictures Surface

It was a real surprise to discover pictures that were previously unknown which have recently surfaced. These include very early images of Bemister relatives as well as letters.

Of the letters:

• The first is from W W Bemister [dated 21 Aug. 1855] to his daughter Maria Shepherd. It's very brittle and is of the type where the full sheet of paper was folded up and addressed on the outside -- no envelope.
• The other letter was written by 6 or 7 year old Mary Lavinia Shepherd to her older brothers, William and Charles. [She wrote to Will on one side of the sheet of paper, and to Charley on the other side] .

Copies will be available at the Carbonear reunion in August.

Bemister Gallery - We Need Your Pictures !!

The Bemister Gallery is our effort to share the visual heritage of the Bemisters of Carbonear with friends and family but we need your pictures - to make it happen.

Due to the fact that families become widely distributed and portraits and other pictures were not easy to copy at one time - we sometime end up without ever seeing a picture of our own ancestors. It thus become a special treat to discover an image of our own ancestors.

William Willis Bemister (1789-1863)

I experienced this when I recently found a picture in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, of my GGG grandfather - William Willis Bemister (1789-1863), who arrived in Newfoundland at the age of 21.

William Willis Bemister (1789-1863)

Next to the picture was one of his son - my GG grandfather - Capt. Willis Bemister (1819-1869). The picture was not new to me but knowing who it was, broke new ground. A copy unidentified had survived within my own family but we never knew who it was.

Capt. Willis Bemister (1819-1869)

These images were part of the Forward family fonds and Forward ledgers 1750-1928 which had been donated to the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University.

The collection also includes many other important photographs, and higher resolution images can be ordered from the site for your own printing.

Ready to Rock -- on the Rock

It will be a grand time - if prior reunions are any indication. So pack your camera, and your dancing shoes because a Bemister reunion is a memory making event.

The registration materials are out in the mail and also on this blog. They are spread out over a few posting so look at the side bar on the left for the last few to get all the details.

And if by chance you have arrived here - with no prior contact with the Bemister descendants who hail from the Newfoundland town of Carbonear -- welcome aboard !!

The dates are August 6 to 8, 2010

2010 Family Reunion Registration Form
(Please return to the address above electronically or by regular post)

I would like to attend the 2010 Bemister Family Reunion in Carbonear, NL from August 6th to 8th 2010 and will be accompanied by family members listed on this sheet (or attached if necessary).

NAME -----------------------------------
TELEPHONE ---------------------------- FEE -------------------

ADDRESS-------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
E –MAIL --------------------------------- $100

Names of other family members who wish to attend
Relationship to you (and age of children)
2.------------------------------ $ ----------------

3.------------------------------ $ ----------------

4.------------------------------ $ ----------------

5.------------------------------ $ ----------------
TOTAL
Which of the following activities & workshops (W/S) & stuff really interest you? $____

Walking tour of Carbonear, local museums, Bemister’s Hill ___
Guided tour of cemetery, stories behind the gravestones ___
Bus tour of Carbonear, Hr. Grace, Freshwater (half day) ___
Bus tour to Heart’s Content & North Shore (full day) ___
Bus tour to Brigus, Cupids, archaeological site (full day) ___
Boat ride to Carbonear Island, whale watching (2 hr) ___
W/S on history of the Bemisters and the Carbonear fishery ___
W/S on history of the West Country Migration to NFLD ___
W/S on Genealogy and Family History ___
W/S on Traditional NF Music (bring voice and instrument) ___
Other? Child care? Youth program? ___
Bemister baseball hats and T-shirts? (give quantity and sizes) ___

As in times of old, we are proposing to provide our own entertainment by showcasing Bemister talent and offering opportunities to sing, play instruments and generally take an active part in a traditional Kitchen Party on Friday evening at the reception, a Talent Show on Saturday evening at the dinner and on Sunday in a Bemister Church Choir.

Do you sing? ------------ Play an instrument? ------- Which one (s)?--------------



Would you like to take part in the Friday night Kitchen Party? ----------
In the Saturday night Concert? --------------------

In the Bemister Choir on Sunday? ---------------------

In the past several Bemisters have taken part in a Bethany Church service in other ways such as reading the lesson. Would you like to do this? Please indicate how you would like to participate. (Of course, all this is subject to approval by the Worship Committee - but they have been extraordinarily welcoming to our family members in the past as many of you can attest!)
--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------
Many of our cousins will extend their visit to the homeland by several days and we have had some interest expressed in activities that people can take part in before and after the reunion with their new found cousins. Please indicate your interest in any of the following:

Pre-reunion: Wed. Aug 4 St. John’s Regatta, evening meal at the Battery Hotel _ _

Thur. Aug 5 Walking tour of St John’s East, The Rooms, Fish & Chips _ _

Thur. Aug 5 Bus tour of Signal Hill, Old St John’s, Cape Spear _ _

Thur. Aug 5 Afternoon tea and Garden Party at HJB Woods’ Home
(Everton House, see web site) and evening dinner -------

Post Reunion: Mon. Aug 9 Morning tour of General Protestant Cemetery in St. John’s
And, time permitting, other Bemister related sites in St. John’s West ---
Mon. Aug 9 Afternoon and evening whale watching at Bay Bulls
and possibly Ferryland, followed by seafood dinner _ _

I would like to help promote the reunion by (please check):
Forwarding information to my close family members
Supplying genealogical information, pictures, stories _ _
Supplying an address list of family members (e.g. Xmas card list!!!) _ _
Making a donation of $ ________ _ _
Other assistance? -------------------------------------------------------------
I am not able to attend but I would like to receive further information -----------------

Please send your form by post or e-mail. If you are not able to attend, a $10 membership in Bemisters of Carbonear will keep you on the mailing list and help pay our costs of printing, mailing, and so on. Donations are welcome. Please make cheques payable to the Bemisters of Carbonear and send to our St. John’s postal address. For the reunion please calculate the basic fees based on $100 per adult, $50 for youth (8 to 18), younger children (under 8) free. (Tour fees for bus, boat rides, etc. should be paid on site when registering).
$ __________

2010 Family Reunion – Proposed Program of Activities

2010 Family Reunion – Proposed Program of Activities

Most activities are scheduled to start at the Royal Canadian Legion Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador

Friday, August 6, 2010

10:00 am Registration opens

• Committee organizing venue, setting up posters, decorations
• Walking tours available for first arrivals

12:00 noon Registration continues

• Lunch meeting for the organizing committee

2:00 pm Activities begin

• Workshops, short bus tours, boat rides, walking tour of Carbonear

5:00 pm Supper break (on your own for meals on Friday)

7:00 pm to 11:00 pm

• Reception at Legion – guests include public officials
• Grand Opening
  
• The Bemister Travelling Museum
• Old Time Kitchen Party

Saturday, August 7, 2010

7:30 am Breakfast served at legion (~ $7.50 pp, young children free)
until 8:30 am, coffee available throughout day

9:00 am

• Registration continues
• Activities continue
• Longer bus tours, boat rides to Carbonear Island, walking tour including cemetery
• Workshops: Bemisters and the Carbonear Fishery, The West Country migration, Family History, Traditional Newfoundland Music

12:00 noon Lunch provided at Legion or box lunch/picnic for tours

2:00 pm More activities as per morning

5:00 pm End of activities – relaxation time

6:00 pm Official pictures of group taken at Legion – a record of history

6:30 pm Cocktails

7:00 pm

• Traditional Newfoundland feast

• Toasts, Newfoundland Songs and Stories, Guest Speakers, Bemister talent providing music and live entertainment, Celebration of 263^rd Birthday of John Bemister

11:00 pm End of evening

Sunday, August 8, 2010

9:00 am Boat ride to Carbonear Island

11:00 am Church Service at Bethany United Church. (Services will be posted for other denominations.) All are invited to the luncheon at the Bethany UC.

12:00 pm Lunch in Church Hall ($10 pp) - Official Closing

2:00 pm “The Quick and the Dead” – Tour of Bethany cemetery with stories both true and slightly exaggerated – pictures at graves of the ancestors.

4:00 pm End of formal activities

Possible Pre-Reunion and Post Reunion Activities in St. John’s

Wed. Aug 4 , 2010

• Regatta day at Quidi Vidi followed by evening dinner at Battery Hotel with the best view in the city;
• Cabot Tower at night

Thur. Aug 5, 2010

• Walking tour of St John’s East including the Colonial Building where Hon. John Bemister served as a Member of the House of Assembly from 1850 - 1870,
• Other Bemister related sites,
• The Rooms containing the Provincial Archives, Museum and Art Gallery,
• Lunch at Ches’s Famous Fish & Chips

Thur. Aug 5 - 2010

• Afternoon tea and Garden Party at Henry JB Woods’ Home (Everton House, see web site) and evening dinner at a fine local restaurant with traditional fare.

Mon. Aug 9

• Morning tour of General Protestant Cemetery in St. John’s where there are more than 120 Bemister graves and
  
• Other sites in St. John’s West including Capt. Edward and Emma (Bemister) White’s house,
  
• VOWR – first radio station in St. John’s – with a memorial to its founder Rev. Joe Joyce (grandson of Juliana B).

• Bus tour of Signal Hill, Old St John’s, Cape Spear – the most easterly point of North America – as well as picturesque nearby outports and lunch at a popular restaurant serving traditional fare pan fried cod, poached salmon, cod tongues, toutons and molasses, and figgy duff)

Mon. Aug 9
Afternoon whale watching cruise out of Bay Bulls followed by dinner at the Captain’s Table (a great sea food restaurant near Witless Bay). We could include the Ferryland archaeological site (1620–1700) – the site of Lord Baltimore’s Colony and a great beauty spot. These towns are about 45 min south of St John’s by car.

Bemister Reunion - Carbonear, NL from August 6 to 8, 2010

Hi Folks,

Attached is the second notice for our grand celebration in Carbonear, NL from August 6 to 8, 2010 - Our 2010 Reunion is less than a half year away! We hope you will forward this notice and its attachments to as many of your Bemister relatives as possible - ASAP!

We got great coverage on our last mailing and we think we will reach over 1000 families this time. Now we are still sending out the notice by Canada Post, but we will be glad to take people off the list and save money, if you will assure us you are reaching them by e-mail. Also if there is anyone you would like use to send the notice to by regular post, please let us know as soon as possible.

We are expecting a grand crowd in Carbonear, and we are getting reports of as many as 6 to 10 in a family group making arrangements to fly to St. John's, booking Bed and Breakfasts or hotels, and of course renting a vehicle. I would recommend that you make all these arrangements fairly quickly. It's going to be a great tourist year in part because of the Cupids 400 celebration, and we are competing with a very large event! However, if you start now you should still be able to find what you are looking for. There are lots of web sites suggested in the package that will be helpful to you on that score.

However, if you are having trouble finding what you are looking for, call me or one of our other committee members and we will try to help you. John and Mary Bemister could not have imagined what their progeny are up to this year - and John's 263 rd birthday will be the greatest birthday party Carbonear is likely to see this whole summer!

IF you can help in other ways we would be very pleased. Sending genealogical information and family stories would be really helpful, bringing artifacts for the Bemister traveling museum would be a wonderful addition, and just coming with your immediate family will be a thrill of a lifetime for all of you. If you can take part in our committee that would be fantastic too. You need to tell us on the registration form what your interests are so we can plan the event to maximize participation in activities people would most like.

When else do you think your granddaughter will see her 7th cousin? When else will you meet descendants of Maria Bemister Shepherd born 2000 years ago - the first Bemister born in the new world? This is a great opportunity that is not likely to be repeated any time soon, so you need to be there. And all of us on the organizing committee will be excited to meet you - right where it all started on 207 years ago when William Willis Bemister came to Newfoundland.

Please get your registrations in the mail and we'll hold your berth on the Bemister Brigantine, just down the gangway from Capt Willis Bemister himself. I can almost see Aunt Stella waving from the deck. The ghosts are everywhere, trust me! It's all going to be lots of fun, and you will be glad you came. Also we have to pay the bills, so your registration cheques will be a big help as will donations which are very welcome.

With our kindest regards

Cameron Hopkins - for the organizing committee

Edward Bemister's capture by American Privateer in the War of 1812

We are still finding new Bemisters, both the quick and the dead. The live ones seem to be delighted to be found - like the descendants of Mary Shepherd and James Howell Shepherd, not to mention Willard Bemister Wiltse who was the grandson of Bart and Emma Bemister's brother Lad.

As for the ancestors, well, I guess they are happy too. The latest is more new info on Edward Bemister's unfortunate capture by an American Privateer in the war of 1812. Upsetting as it was, it turned out to be his ticket to Carbonear (after a year and a day on a prison ship in Salem). Edward is no more happy about that than he was 150 years ago - but it all adds to the story and that we are happy about that for sure. Next time you are having delays at an airport, remember Edward!!! Nowadays you can be pretty sure you will fly to Newfoundland without being captured by American privateers!!! In 1813 it was no sure thing at all.

- by Cameron Hopkins

Friends of St Hubert's Church - Host Bemister Descendants

Just discovered this article from The Daily Echo, in Bournemouth, Dorset which tells of our 2004 visit as part of the Bemister family reunion in England to the churchyard grave at St Hubert's Church where my Bemister ancestors are buried - GGGG grandparents John Bemister (1747-1832) and Mary (Willis) Bemister (1749-1838).

A very special site, we also held a small memorial service within St Hubert's Church to honour their memory as well as gratitude for the special opportunity of sharing a moment of reflection in the church which had held such great importance for family members over the years.

-- The Daily Echo article --

A village graveyard provided the unlikely setting for a family reunion when 28 descendants of a Corfe Mullen couple joined to pay homage to their ancestors.

The group had travelled from Canada and America to visit the graves of Mary and John Bemister at St Hubert’s church, Corfe Mullen.

Two of the couple’s sons emigrated to Newfoundland in the early 1800s. Between them, William and Edward fathered 18 children who were to continue the Bemister family’s links with Canada for the next two centuries.

Poole’s links with Newfoundland date back to when fishermen from the Dorset town sailed west to catch the cod.

In 1802 the Poole fleet numbered 350 ships whose mariners braved mountainous seas and bloody clashes with privateers.

But the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 signalled the end to the lucrative cod trade.

William Bemister came to Carbonear in 1803, where he earned a reputation as a respected businessman and community leader.

His brother Edward left England in 1812 and it is likely that he was on the high seas in June, unaware a war was raging.

His vessel was captured by the Americans and he was imprisoned on a ship in Boston for a year and a day.

On his release Edward was given a suit and enough money to find his way to Newfoundland.

The family reunion was organised by local historian Dr Alan Perry, who has just returned from his 47th visit to Newfoundland and Cameron Hopkins, Mary and John’s great- great- great- great-grandson who now lives in Ontario.

“Various people including my sister helped trace the family tree,” recalled Cameron.

“I came here nine years ago but for many it was their first visit to England.

“They were very excited about seeing the places where their direct ancestors lived and died all those years ago.”

As well as paying their respects at Mary and John’s graves, the party visited Wimborne’s historic Minster where the couple were married in 1785 and were guests of Lord and Lady Digby at their home in Minterne near Dorchester.

Dr Perry, who is chairman of the Wessex Newfoundland Society and was awarded an OBE in 1997 for his work there, said: ”It was quite emotional. Family members had travelled a long way and they weren’t disappointed.

“We had a wonderful farewell dinner in the Blue Boar in Poole, surrounded by letters and deeds on the walls from Newfoundland. It was the perfect ending to a very successful trip.”

Dr Perry is planning another trip to Newfoundland next month.

(By Julie Magee, published in the Daily Echo, Thursday August 12, 2004. Courtesy of The Daily Echo, Bournemouth)

2010 Bemister Family Reunion - History

Since we first began this Bemister voyage of discovery in the spring of 1997, we have had picnics, dinners, lunches, reunions and fun from coast to coast in Canada – and a wonderful 1995 reunion on the old sod at the home of John and Mary Bemister in Corfe Mullen, Dorset. More than 500 Bemisters have gotten involved for activities in Carbonear, Vancouver, Toronto area (twice), St John’s and Dorset. Our cousins have not only enjoyed the events, the genealogy, the history and the artifacts – they have enjoyed each other! Many who come to our 2010 event in Carbonear will be meeting lots of old friends; some will be discovering distant cousins with a common heritage for the first time. But ALL will say they are glad they came! You will be too

Sincerely,
Cameron Hopkins
on behalf of the Organizing Committee

2010 Bemister Family Reunion - Transportation and Accommodations

You can easily fly into St. John’s International airport by major airlines and from there it will take just over an hour to drive to Carbonear. West Jet and Air Canada have been running seat sales with discount fares right up to the period of our reunion. Currently you can fly return from Toronto for under $500. For our American cousins it may be worth making a connection through Vancouver or Toronto or a border city to take advantage of Canadian air line discounts. However you can easily drive from Ontario or the Boston States in 3 days, including a ferry ride from North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The East Coast ferry to Argentia takes about 14 hours overnight (ask for dormitory accommodation) followed by a 2 hour run to Carbonear. Check with Marine Atlantic for schedules and fares. Also you will need to book a rental vehicle – and book early! Several of the chains have kiosks at the airport and for security you should book well in advance.

Accommodations in the Carbonear area are somewhat limited and we advise you to book early because this will be a very active tourist season. The Carbonear web site and the provincial tourist sites have links to the web sites for motels and bed and breakfast establishments. There are at least three inexpensive motels and several excellent B & B’s in the Carbonear – Harbour Grace – Brigus area. Don’t be shy about staying a bit out of town; it’s only a 20 or 30 minute run from Heart’s Content or Cupids to Carbonear, and even St. John’s is only an hour away. If you book a St. John’s hotel ask for a view of the harbour and Signal Hill if such a room is available. But again, we urge you to book early. And check the web sites for information up-dates on travel and tourist information, not to mention the Bemister Blog for the latest information.

Getting out the word!

At this point the most helpful thing any of you can do – besides sending in your registration form and cheque – is to get the reunion information to others in your immediate family, to your adult children, first and second cousins and anyone else you think is related through your Bemister line. Forwarding our e-mails to all these folk would be a big help. We are mailing by Canada Post to some 400 households, and we think our e-mail coverage is much greater than that. If you send us contact information on your relatives we will be glad to send out hard copies of the notice. This may well be the LAST MAJOR REUNION of our generation in Carbonear, a last great opportunity to meet your cousins from near and far in the town that was the birthplace of Maria 200 years ago, the town that nurtured your Bemister ancestors and welcomes you back this summer with open hearts and unparalleled hospitality. You will never forget it and neither will they! We look forward to seeing you in August.

Sincerely,
Cameron Hopkins
on behalf of the Organizing Committee

2010 Bemister Family Reunion - Activities

Our program of activities will be fleshed out in more detail closer to the event. But following on the pattern of past events and your feedback we have produced a tentative agenda which is on the attached sheet. When your send in your registration form it would be helpful if you would also let us know what your preferences are from the list supplied for tours, workshops and other activities , and for that matter, to make other suggestions and we will try our best to accommodate you in every way.

Our pre and post reunion activity schedule will only be activated if we get enough expressions of interest. But don’t come all that way to Carbonear and miss some of exciting attractions that are available in the area at that time of the year – from whales and icebergs, bird colonies and nature parks, historic sites and museums, folk festivals and live theatre – it’s all there to be discovered on the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism web site. The Cupids 400 celebration is of particular interest because of its focus on the West Country Migration and the birth place of Capt. Bob Bartlett at Brigus is well worth a visit.

On Friday, August 6, we will be conducting registration all day, and early arrivals will be able to take in walking tours, a bus tour around the Carbonear – Harbour Grace area, a boat ride to Carbonear Island, and of course meet your cousins and view the family pictures and memorabilia as well as the family tree which well be an impressive display connecting all of the participants up to seventh cousins or even 4th cousins three times removed! We will have an excellent souvenir package that will include a souvenir book with new information about our family and about the reunion itself including schedules, tour details and so on. At the end of the reunion we will ensure you get a souvenir CD recording your participation for posterity and containing lots of pictures and information.

2010 Bemister Family Reunion - Registration

2010 Bemister Family Reunion
REGISTRATION

Now is the time to reserve your berth on the Brigantine Bemister, time to let us know you will be taking part in this grand celebration of the 263rd birthday of John Bemister of Corfe Mullen, time to commit to take part in a celebration of our whole family – all eight generations! A registration form is attached and you should fill it out and submit fees based on the actual number of close family members who will be coming; please pay by cheque payable to the Bemisters of Carbonear. The basic fees will be:

Adults: $100 Youth (8 to 18): $50 Children (7 and under): FREE

Additionally there will be charges of ~ $7.50 per adult (and less for younger family members) for bus tours, and ~ $20 pp for 1½ to 2 hour boat rides to Carbonear Island and vicinity. This is all subject to review as we approach the event. The budget has to ensure we break even. No red ink! In 1999 the fees only covered about half the total costs and we were heavily dependent on donations. We need to cover more of the costs from fees this time. But at this point, please pay only the basic fees and tell us your preferences for tours and other activities; we can assess any additional charges when you get to the Legion in Carbonear based on current information at that time. These will not be excessive for sure.

Even if you are not attending, you might like to make a $10 contribution for membership in the Bemisters of Carbonear which would help to pay for some of our overheads and keep you in touch with a post reunion newsletter. If you would like to make a larger donation that would be appreciated too, and for any donation of $50 or more we will send a beautiful 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador calendar or the reunion souvenir package (your choice) and for $100 or more we will send both. Family members with businesses, professional services or arts and crafts may like to post advertisements in our souvenir booklet (anything from business card size to full page); contact us to talk about rates and copy.

2010 Bemister Family Reunion

2010 Bemister Family Reunion
August 6th to 8th, 2010
Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada

We are now within six months of our exciting 2010 Reunion to be held at the Royal Canadian Legion, in Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada from August 6 to 8, 2010. Carbonear became the ancestral home of the present day Bemisters after William and Edward left Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1803 and 1812 respectively. For 200 years our Bemister family has been in the New World – but is now scattered far and wide across Canada and the United States leaving only a much smaller contingent in Carbonear and other parts of what is now the proud Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our Bemister cousins who still live in Carbonear and environs are very enthusiastic about greeting their family members from up along, and our coast to coast organizing committee has been planning an exciting weekend including tours of historic venues and beauty spots, musical celebrations of our family heritage, and expressions of traditional Newfoundland and Labrador culture and hospitality.

We will have plenty of opportunities to honour our ancestors and greet our quite lively and energetic relatives from near and far, acquire a new appreciation of our history and genealogy, and generally enjoy a weekend of fun and fellowship you will never forget. You will marvel at the artifacts from the Bemister travelling museum – which we hope you will contribute to – containing pictures, bibles and prayer books, watches and jewellery, and lasting mementos of a family that has literally spread its wings like the eagles and flown to the far corners of North America, where our cousins have made a huge contribution to community and business and public life as they have in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our ancestors have left their footprints for all to see, and present day generations are making their own history which they – and you – will want to share at our August reunion. Do fill out the family group record sheets so we have the most up to date information on your immediate family for our fantastic Bemister Family Tree. We will ensure that everybody at the reunion will know everybody else – including how they are related to one another.