The Chronicles of Uncle Mose

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta. He is co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities:
British Views of Canada, 1880–1914, author of The Salvation Army and
the Public, and editor of “Improved by Cult

Welcome to Pigeon Inlet, a fictional (but typical) Newfoundland fishing
community of the 1950s. Meet Grampa Walcott, village sage, homespun
philosopher, and canny as a crow. Meet Aunt Sophy who’s got the best
boarding house on the coast and is privy to all the latest gossip. Meet
Jethro Noddy, a bit of an angishore, and his old billy goat, King David,
who is the bane of the village.

These characters, along with Grandma Walcott, Skipper Joe, Levi Bartle,
Paddy Muldoon, and, of course, Uncle Mose himself, delighted thousands
of Newfoundlanders who listened to the CBC Radio’s Fisherman’s
Broadcast from 1953 to 1961. Every week, all across the island, those
listeners kept their ears tuned as Ted Russell (1904–1977) recounted,
in his inimitable style and Conception Bay accent, the often-hilarious,
always-intriguing exploits of his Pigeon Inlet inhabitants, who did not
shy away from poking fun at up-alongers or criticizing the government.
Would Aunt Sophy make a match with Uncle Mose? Would the crinoline
fashion catch on? Would Hartley’s Harbour get the fish plant? Who
stole the birch billets? What kind of shenanigans is Levi Bartle up to?
How would they ever control King David’s larcenous habits? It was
addictive radio and Uncle Mose became a Newfoundland icon, now so fondly
remembered by Newfoundlanders scattered throughout the world.

In this collection, Elizabeth Miller (Russell’s daughter), a former
professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, brings together about
75 of the best chronicles and introduces them with charming clarity. The
stories themselves are not only intrinsically delightful and as much fun
to read as they were to hear, they also provide a fascinating look at
Newfoundland outport life. This is a book well worth reading.