Presents
William Russell Premises Tickle Cove - For Sale
The last property at the end of Route 235-19 in Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland
This place is remote and private and could be your tranquil personal space where you can enjoy living on the edge of a mystical shoreline on Bonavista Bay.
Watch Fin whales, humpbacks and dolphins frolic and feed on your ocean front property.
Gather the berries that grow wild at your feet, including juniper berries, crow berries, blue berries, and partridge berries.
The home, thought to be built in 1896 was originally part of the William Russell premises. William was born some time between 1841 and 1843. He was baptized at the King’s Cove Anglican Church on Feb 21, 1844 and it is expected that his father may have been Thomas Russell, who resided in Tickle Cove in 1831. He may have emigrated from Devon England in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. It should be noted that the date of construction of the house is anecdotal, and the structure could be much earlier that 1896.
The structure, albeit rustic, has a sense of belonging with the sea, the hillside and the flora and fauna surrounding the house which includes an abundance of many kinds of wild berries.
The property that is for sale is actually comprised of a number of pieces of land that have been acquired over the years by the owner and includes the small white house at the entrance which can be seen in the photos below.
The William Russell house has a living room (12.5 ft by 14 ft). bedroom or den (7.5 ft by 10 ft) and back kitchen (17 ft by 8.5 ft) on the first floor and bedroom (14 ft by 21 ft) on the second floor.
The house has a hip roof, traditional beaded corner boards and wooden clapboard siding.
The Outhouse, not unlike Quoyle’s house in Shipping News, is secured by metal guy wires on all four corners to secure the occupant on brisk stormy winter days.
Speaking of movies, some may recall the movie “Bayo.
In this family drama, Bayo (Stephen McGrath) is a ten-year-old boy who lives with his mother Sharon (Patricia Phillips) in Tickle Cove, a small fishing village near Newfoundland's Bonavista Bay. Bayo's grandfather Philip (Ed McNamara) is the captain of a fishing boat whose exploits have made him something of a local celebrity; after 60 years on the water, Philip has decided to retire and move in with Bayo and Sharon. But Sharon is considering a move to Toronto, while Bayo would prefer to stay in Tickle Cove, and Philip finds that he's once again hearing the call of the sea. Eventually, the small family must learn to compromise with each others wants and needs. Bayo was based on the novel Lightly by Chipman Hall. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The main set for this movie was the William Russell house.
The community of Tickle Cove was put on the map by song writer Mark Walker, who wrote “Tickle Cove Pond”
Mark was a fisherman and song-writer who lived in Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay in during the late 19th century. This song is prized locally for the beauty and wit of the lyrics, which turn a mundane event into an act of heroism. Although most Newfoundland songs are passed on by ear alone, in recent years it has been recorded by Sean Sullivan & Rob Slaney (Our Songs Vol. 2: Favorite Songs of Newfoundland & Labrador) Ron Hynes(Another Time: The Songs Of Newfoundland), and by Great Big Sea who have released an album entitled The Hard and the Easy. They have also released a DVD with a companion CD entitled Courage and Patience and Grit in reference to a verse from Tickle Cove Pond. In addition, this song has been recorded by a St. John's Traditional Folk group called Connemara. It was also recorded by the Vermont-based ensemble Nightingale.
Mark Walker was born at Tickle Cove, Bonavista Bay in 1846. His father was Marcus Walker of County Tipperary, Ireland; his mother - Jane Mackey of Bonavista, Newfoundland. Mark Walker moved to Sweet Bay, BBS, in the 1880s where he worked as post master, as well as in both the fishing and lumber trades. In 1908, he and his family moved to Massachusetts, USA. Walker died in 1928. Aside from "Tickle Cove Pond," Walker wrote other folk classics including "Fanny's Harbour Bawn," "The Antis of Plate Cove," "The Races on Tickle Cove Pond," and a second "Tickle Cove Pond" not long before his death. Captain John Russell, 101, of Bonavista (and a fine poet and singer himself) partied with Walker in the fall of 1927 in MA.
• Although widely misunderstood in the lyrics, the surname "Oldford" never existed in Tickle Cove until relatively recent years. The surname mentioned in the song is "Over" which at one time was "Ovier." The phonetic misunderstanding and subsequent use of both surnames, as well as other lines, in relation to this song is common.
"Tickle Cove Pond" was first recorded by Canadian folksinger Alan Mills in 1953 and released on "Folk Songs of Newfoundland" (Folkways Records FP 831).
Lyrics
In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snow
We're up against troubles that few people know
And it's only by courage and patience and grit
And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit
The hard and the easy we take as it comes
And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs
To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on
Near lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond
Chorus:
Lay hold William Over, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond
I knew that the ice became weaker each day
But still took the risk and kept haulin' away
One evening in April bound home with a load
The mare showed some halting against the ice road
She knew more than I did as matters turned out
And lucky for me had I joined her in doubt
She turned round her head, with tears in her eyes
As if she were sayin', "You're riskin our lives"
All this I ignored with a whip handle blow
For man is too stupid; dumb creatures to know
The very next moment the pond gave a sigh
And down to our necks went poor Kitty and I
Chorus
For if I had taken wise Kitty's advice
I never would take the shortcut on the ice
Poor creature she's dead; poor creature she's gone
I'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond
Chorus
So I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile
And neighbours turned up in a very short while
You can always rely on the Overs and Whites
To render assistance in all your bad plights
To help a poor neighbour is part of their lives
The same I can say for their children and wives
When a bowline was fastened around the mare's breast
William White for a shanty song made a request
There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay
Straight from his head came this song right away
Chorus Final
Lay hold William Over, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And with that we brought Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond
For those interested in viewing Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea sing Tickle Cove Pond, click here on YOUTUBE to see the video
In recent years Tickle Cove Pond has been the site of summer Dory Races, where participants are drawn from around the Bonavista Peninsula. Definitely a fun event for hearty participants and sedentary spectators.
So if you think that you would like to enjoy Tickle Cove, its activities and surroundings and the charm of this cottage on the edge of the ocean,
please contact Chris O’Dea at 685-6559 (area code 709).
The asking price is $79,000.
Enjoy the remaining photos
Click thumbnail below to enlarge image:
