Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland

From Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland
By E. Seary, William Kirwin
pg 33

BEM(M)ISTER, surnames of England, from the English place name Beaminster (Dorset), so pronounced locally. (Reaney). Traced by Matthews in Poole (Dorset) and Christchurch (Hampshire).

In Newfoundland:

Family traditions: John Banister (1747-1832), probably the first Bemister to winter in Carbonear, started the family which survived there until recently, and was buried at Cork Mullen (Dorset) (MUN Folklore), William Henry, from Brighton (Sussex), settled at St. John's between 1865-1875 (MUN Folklore).

Early instances: George, schoolmaster of Bonavista, 1791 (USPG); William Bemister, from Christchurch (Hampshire), planter of Green Bay, deceased 1814 (Royal Gazette 10 Nov 1814): Thomas Beaminster, of Greenspond, 1815 (DPHW 76): W.W. Bemister, of Harbour Grace, 1817 (D'Alberti 27); Edward, planter of Freshwater (Carbonear), 1823 (DPHW 48); Reuben, of New Perlican. 1859 (DPHW 59A); William, of Hare Bay (Bonavista B.), 1871 (Lovell).

Modern status: At St. John's and Ragged Harbour (Fogo district).

The Devon-Newfoundland Story: A Celebration of Historical and Cultural Connections - 2017

As published by The Devonshire Association For the Advancement of Science,

 Literature and the Arts

In the first two weeks of April 2017 the Devonshire Association (www.devonassoc.org.uk), in collaboration with the Devon Family History Society (www.devonfhs.org.uk), is planning a celebration of nearly 600 years of contact and interaction between Devon and Newfoundland.

The Association, which was founded in 1862 to promote the study, understanding and appreciation of every aspect of Devon, is an active organisation with over 1300 members. It has both historical and existing links with Newfoundland: several of its present members have collaborated with Newfoundlanders in history, archaeology and music, and in the 1970s and 1980s the Association had a Newfoundland Branch, based in St John’s. Developing these connections is one of the aims of the planned celebration; another is to make ordinary Devonians and Newfoundlanders more aware of the importance of each place in the history and development of the other, and of how much culture they share.

Powderham Castle - rose garden

The celebration will be county-wide, but particularly centred in Exeter, the county town, and in Bideford, a North Devon port town with strong historic Newfoundland connections. The core event will be a weekend of talks, workshops and exhibits: starting with a reception on Friday April 7th in Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum, awarded UK Museum of the Year in 2013; and continuing on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th with a symposium in Devon County Hall in Exeter, in which a series of talks by experts from both sides of the Atlantic will explore aspects of shared history and trade, dialect and folklore, music, mumming and dance. Alongside and interspersed with these will be an informal programme of exhibits, short talks and conversation in which family history interests can be shared and discussed. Both before and after this central weekend, there will linked events in other Devon towns, and excursions to these and to other places with particular Newfoundland connections.

These will include a tour on Thursday 6th to Dartmouth, Totnes, and to Compton Castle, the seat of Sir Humphrey Gilbert who first claimed Newfoundland for a British colony, and still owned by the family. Friday 7th will explore Exeter, a walled city founded by the Romans, with fine mediaeval and later buildings; and will visit the pretty adjacent port of Topsham. Monday 10th will visit Plymouth, with its citadel and old harbour. On Tuesday April 11th Bideford and Barnstaple will run a full programme of events, including talks, museum visits, displays and pottery workshops – North Devon pottery was widely used in C17th and C18th Newfoundland, and is still made. Throughout the two weeks several museums in Devon towns are mounting special exhibitions linked to the overall celebration. There will be a concert of folk music involving musicians from both Devon and Newfoundland, which will explore their shared traditions and may tour between several venues in the county.

William Willis Bemister (1789-1863)

For those interested in family history: as well as the weekend event it will be possible to visit Tree House in Exeter, the research centre of the Devon Family History Society; and the Society is also planning a family history help desk on April 11th and a talk and display on April 15th, all in Bideford. Devon will be in early Spring, and we hope that many Newfoundlanders will take the opportunity to visit this beautiful, historic, amazingly varied county and take part in this celebration of our common heritage. For those wishing to explore on their own we will provide details of car hire companies and bus and rail timetables. If you may be interested in coming please email devonshireassoc@btinternet.com without commitment, and we will keep you posted with developments. You will be made very welcome.

Devon 2017

Devon 2017
as posted on the website of The Wessex Society of Newfoundland

DEVONSHIRE-NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR CONNECTIONS:
A proposal for a themed excursion to Devon, APRIL 2017

The Devonshire Association (DA), a society founded in 1862 to promote subjects linked to Devon in the science, literature and the arts, is exploring the idea of hosting a two-day symposium in April 2017 in Exeter which would focus on the historic and cultural connections between Devonshire and Newfoundland. The Wessex Society of Newfoundland and others have been invited to participate. A DA steering committee has been up and is currently making plans to develop a program which envisions having presentations on a wide range of subjects including music, history and folklore, and also a half day in which Newfoundlanders & Labradorians could meet Devonians informally to explore family histories and genealogies. There would also be a reception in a historic building, probably St Nicholas’ Priory in Exeter, and a concert of shared music.

The Devonshire Association also plans to seek the interest of the Devon towns historically most involved with fishery, trade and colonization of Newfoundland – Dartmouth, Totnes, Plymouth, Teignmouth, Bideford, Topsham, Newton Abbot – in arranging exhibitions and satellite events, over perhaps a one or two week period. Coach tours could be arranged throughout the county area.

It is hoped that this would be an attractive enough event to tempt visitors from Newfoundland for a themed holiday. At present April 2017 is being considered as a good time, when Devon is already into spring and we are still emerging from winter. Nothing is yet fixed, however, and the Devonshire Association is discussing timing, venues, other participating organisations, probable costs, and sources of funding.

Meanwhile they are asking our views on the proposal. Are we interested? If so, is the timing appropriate?

We will discuss these ideas in more detail later and examine such important issues as costs. It seems possible that a group tour throughout Wessex and the West Country could be feasible which, in addition to the proposed Devonshire Association event in Exeter and South Devon, could include visits to places such as the Salisbury Plains (taking in Stonehenge and Aldershot), the New Forest of Hampshire, Bristol, Poole, Dorset and Somerset with a day or so in London to conclude.

The following is a letter to the Wessex Society received in December 2014 from Robin Wootton, President of the Devonshire Society outlining their proposal.

I am writing to all the people with whom I have already been in contact about a proposed Devonshire Association event exploring historical and cultural links between Devon and Newfoundland. This is an update on progress.

The suggestion originally came from the DA’s Music Section, and preliminary ideas have since been explored by a small informal group comprising Paul Wilson and Marilyn Tucker (musicians, with Newfoundland connections), John Allan (archaeologist, with Newfoundland interests) and myself. Bill Gilbert, who knows Paul, Marilyn and John in both capacities and was visiting them earlier this year, took part in one of our meetings.

The Association’s Executive has now taken on the initiative, and has set up a formal steering group chaired by the Vice Chairman, John Mather, with the same people plus Sadie Green, an authority on North Devon pottery and its transatlantic trade, and Julien Parsons, of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. John himself is a retired Geology professor.

The original idea has grown considerably. We now envisage the event as a longer celebration built around a two day symposium with contributions from experts an a wide range of subjects, history, dialect, folklore, music, artefacts; but also involving a half day in which Newfoundlanders and Devonians could meet more informally to explore family histories, genealogies etc. There would be also be a reception in a historic building, probably St Nicholas’ Priory in Exeter, and a concert of shared music. We hope also to interest the Devon towns historically most involved with fishery, trade and colonization in Newfoundland – Dartmouth, Totnes, Plymouth, Teignmouth, Bideford, Topsham, Newton Abbot – in arranging exhibitions and satellite events, over perhaps a one or two week period. Coach tours could be arranged. The Devonshire Association itself has a historic connection with Newfoundland. We had a Newfoundland Branch in the 1970s and 80s; and it would be nice if the old relationship could be renewed.

We are hoping that this would be an attractive enough event to tempt visitors over from Newfoundland for a themed holiday. At present we are considering April 2017 as a good time, when Devon is already into spring and Newfoundland still emerging from winter. Nothing is yet fixed, however, and we are still discussing timing, venues, other participating organisations, probable costs, and sources of funding.

We should be very glad to have your views on the proposal, and particularly on the timing.

With my very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year,
Robin Wootton

For more information and to contact the organizers

Bemisters of Carbonear Video

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).
$ __________

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.

Bemister Reunion 2010 - Planning Committee

Planning for the Bemister Reunion 2010 is coming along well. Recently committee chair, Cameron Hopkins of Prince George, BC announced the membership of the planning committee. They include individuals from across the continent:

• Leslie Forward -- Carbonear, NL
• Bert Parsons -- Carbonear, NL
• Joe Noel -- Carbonear, NL
• Sandra Rowe -- St. John’s, NL
• Mildred Tucker -- St. John’s, NL
• Elaine Butt -- Mount Pearl, NL
• Gerald Hopkins -- Paradise, NL
• Nancy Hickman -- St. John’s, NL
• Kel Marshall -- St. John’s, NL
• Suzanne Fitzpatrick -- St. John’s, NL
• Arch & Christine Curtis -- Hodges Cove, NL
• Ian Scott -- Charlottetown, PE
• Lillian Salmon -- Toronto, ON
• Mary Moloney -- Markham, ON
• Eileen Wilson -- Uxebridge, ON
• Jim & Karen Carruthers -- Brampton, ON
• Ken Bemister -- Vancouver, BC
• Caroline Bedford -- Fraser Lake, BC
• Cameron Hopkins -- Prince George, BC

As the event is being planned to ensure that all participants have a chance to explore Newfoundland, learn more about the history of the Bemisters of Carbonear family, and have a chance to get to know family members from other areas, it is important to get feedback from those considering attending. Please feel free to contact any member of the committee with your ideas. Volunteers are also welcome !!

Here is the address bemister2010@gmail.com

2010 Bemister Family Reunion

Now just 8 months away - the 2010 Bemister Family Reunion looks like it will be the largest gathering yet. It is being held, August 6th to 8th, 2010, at the Royal Canadian Legion in Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador.

The event will be in celebration of the 263rd birthday of John Bemister of Lambsgreen Farm, Corfe Mullen, Dorset, England - the founder, along with his wife Mary Willis of the Bemisters of Carbonear family. The reunion will also be an opportunity to:

• 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 choose this option

Correspondence, interest forms, genealogical information, and cheques should be mailed to:

Bemisters of Carbonear,
Suite 185, 38 Pearson Street,
St. John’s, NL A1A 3R1

If cheques are not involved you could reach us by e-mail at: bemister2010@gmail.com

Please contact us as well for more information or to make suggestions,
and don’t forget to follow this blog for more up to the minute information: bemister.blogspot.com

2010 Bemister Family Reunion

To be held August 6th to 8th, 2010

at The Royal Canadian Legion

Carbonear, Newfoundland, 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, cultural and social events with Bemister cousins both
before and after the main celebration if you choose this option

Bemister Reunion in Newfoundland

In exactly one year from this week, family will gather in Carbonear as the Bemisters of Carbonear hold a reunion in the community that connects all descendants of the two pioneer brothers (William Willis Bemister and his younger brother Edward) who moved there in the early 1800's.

The Steering Committee have been working on plans which are well underway, and will be distributed within weeks.

We will also post updated plans on this Bemister Blog so stay tuned for more news.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Carbonear in August 2010.

Sincerely
Cameron Hopkins

Welcome To Cameron Hopkins

Anyone involved with Bemister of Carbonear research and events will know Cameron Hopkins as he has been a driving force behind the organizing of family events across North America, and the UK over the last decade.

I had the opportunity to attend the first major event organized in Toronto in 1998 - which was totally by accident as I was in town on business and had decided to stay over for the weekend and visit with my sister and her family. We all ended up going to the reunion - and that followed with attending the 1999 reunion in Carbonear, Newfoundland and the trip to Corfe Mullen, in Dorset, UK in 2004.

Thanks to Cameron's efforts plans are well underway for 2010 in Carbonear once again (see below) -- but we need your ideas and input.

I was honoured to have Cameron recently join the Bemister Blog as contributing editor.

Welcome Aboard Cameron !!

Bemisters of Carbonear - New Email Contact Point

With mobility these days, web based email has become increasingly helpful.

As well, easy to remember addresses come in handy - thus a new address is now in place to assist with reunion planning for the Bemisters of Carbonear Family Reunion 2010. And what more appropriate address than bemister2010@gmail.com, as a point of contact. All mail sent to the address will go directly to Cameron Hopkins, the chair of the organizing committee.

Hope everyone is making their plans for 2010.

Cheers
Ian

Bemisters of Carbonear 2010 Family Reunion

William Willis Bemister (1789-1863)

Planning is well underway for the Bemisters of Carbonear 2010 Family Reunion, to ensure that it will be a grand opportunity to discover family roots and meet family members from across the North American continent. Bemisters of Carbonear because of a pair of brothers by the name of Bemister who headed out from Corfe Mullen in Dorset, England. Like many Newfoundlanders since - opportunities took them to many other locations but as the family became established and prospered in Carbonear area first it remains an ancestral home for all descendants.

Beginning with genealogical research in the 1990's, a few family members established new connections with relatives they didn't know. Once people had a chance to meet fellow descendants they began organizing reunions in Toronto, Newfoundland and Vancouver and quickly realized the value of holding larger events in ancestral home lands, as well as local events across the country. Local reunions and the major gatherings have become important events for family members with organizing committees working several years in advance. In 1999 an international reunion was held in Carbonear, Newfoundland and in 2004 the family returned to Corfe Mullen, England, for a reunion there. In all of these reunions local travel has been arranged so that sites of family significance can be visited.

The first member of the Bemister family arrived in Carbonear from Corfe Mullen Parish, Dorset. William Willis Bemister (1789-1863) was fourteen years old, and arrived as an apprentice clerk for a local export firm. His younger brother Edward joined him in 1812, and they eventually went into business on their own as they became young men.

The major family lines were established by the 18 children of these two brothers and their wives.
William Willis Bemister (1789-1863) m. Ann Howell (1789-1851)

1. Maria Ann m. Richard K. Shepherd (9 Children)
2. John G. m. Jane Taylor (5 children)
3. Louisa -
4. Willis m. Mary Elizabeth Bartlett (7 children)
5. Mary m. Mark William Forward (8 children)
6. William m. Dorcas Charlotte Bartlett (3 children)
7. Frederick Thomas m. Emily Louisa Taylor (5 children)
8. Reuben James m. Emily Jane Pike (3 children)
9. Sarah Jane m. Stephen B. Pike (5 children)

Edward Smith Bemister (1796-1878) m. Susannah Grant (1803-1859)

1. Thomas Grant -
2. Mary Amelia 1m. Joseph Drover (1 child) 2m. James Forward
3. Emma m. James Drover (6 children)
4. Julianna m. Robert Joyce (9 children)
5. John Ridout m. Mary Anne Cannon (10 children)
6. Elizabeth Susannah m. William S. Parsons (2 children)
7. Stella Jane -
8. Caroline m. James Hutchings (1 child)
9. Edward Fredric m. Elizabeth Clarke (5 children)