Thomas Tuffin

GEDCOM Source

Age: 75-76

GEDCOM Note

BIOGRAPHY: Thomas first lived in Herring Neck but had moved to Little Bay Island by 1854. He is listed in the Newfoundland Directory for 1871 as living on Little Bay Island.

BIOGRAPHY: He witnessed the marriage of John Dinney to Patience Langford in Herring Neck in December 1850.

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BIOGRAPHY: Per Little Bay Islands U.C. School Magazine 1942, provided by Don Ryan:

BIOGRAPHY: P. 4 - ". . . but it seems that there was a great migration of people from the outer part of the bay to the inner part (from Twillingate, Herring Neck, Tizzard's Harbour) between [the] 1850's and 60's."

BIOGRAPHY: P. 5 " . . . the following families were here (1854) . . . Thomas Tuffin, . . ." " . . .Thomas Tuffin came here from Herring Neck at the same time as George Mitchell. He settled at Tuffin's point and had two sons, James with no descendants and Edward who is the father of the modern day Tuffins."

BIOGRAPHY: Thomas moved to Little Bay Islands in the early 1850s.

BIOGRAPHY: P.21, Little Bay Islands at present - Douglas Tuffin, grandson of first settler Thomas Tuffin, carpenter, three in family - Ernest Tuffin, grandson of first settler Thomas Tuffin, fisherman, 1 in family

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BIOGRAPHY: I have determined that Thomas must have been Silvester's brother because Dorothy Tuffin Locke's notes refer to him as "Uncle Sylvester", and she said that her mother referred to him as Uncle Sylvester, and that the picture of him in the family album was labeled "Uncle Sylvester". There is no documentary evidence to date of the relationship, however. Jim Tuffin and Barbara Pederson agree as to the relationship.

BIOGRAPHY: William Bennett Tuffin (Silvester's grandson) also visited Dorothy and her family, which is additional cirumstantial evidence that the family relationship was within living memory.

BIOGRAPHY: Dorothy says that her mother Mary cared for her father-in-law Thomas prior to his death in 1894.

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BIOGRAPHY: Thomas Tuffin worked for James Strong in 1876. At one point (July) a Thomas Tuffin is listed as working for James Strong in Twillingate.

BIOGRAPHY: Thomas was an elector in Little Bay Islands in 1889, per voting lists in the Thomas Peyton Collection at PANL.

BIOGRAPHY: A craft owned by Thomas Tuffin of Little Bay Islands arrived from the Straits and French Shore in Agust of 1880 with 500 quintals of fish.

BIOGRAPHY: Thomas and Elizabeth were members of the Methodist Society Class in Little Bay Islands in 1859.

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BIOGRAPHY: Here is the story, copied from the book "Sailors and Their Ships" by The Rev. John Ellis Curry.(call # 910.452-c93-NC) I think you will be pleased with it. It caught my attention because the Skipper Joe Clarke might have been my greatgrandfather, and I also knew that you have helped lots of people with genealogy request so this is my small way of saying thank you. ENJOY!!!! golda

Time To 'UP Anchor And Sail Away There was a fisherman of Green bay, Newfoundland,named Tommy Tuffin, who passed away over 100 years ago, but who passed out of this world in a manner that is rare today. The account is given in Reverend George Bond's book,"Three Newfoundland Stories", edited by the late Reverend Naboth Windsor of Harbour Grace, Past President of The United Church of Canada. His good wife Mildred is a fine writer in her own right, with articles in the gander Beacon' and other publications. He relates what happened as follows. There had been a religous crusade in the local fishing community, led by the minister, Rev.Fairbalm, and Tommy Tuffin's son Richard had been one of those converted. A short time later , Tommy took ill,and it was plain to see that he didn't have much longer in this world. The minister went to visit him, one bright morning. As Rev Fairbairn entered the bedroom, the sun was streaming in through the window, and shining on 'uncle" Tommy's silvery hair, and on his gnarled and wrinkled hands of honest toil. "Here I be ,sir," said Tommy,"out in the stream, all ready for the vi'age, thank \\\god, and only waiting for the word to "Anchor!' and be off. God have been good to me,sir. I've had a long time on this airth,and heaps o"blessins. Bless his name, since I seen the state I was livin' in,and gave him my heart, I binled along like a little child. An" now that my dearb'y has begun to serve Him, my last care is gone. Not but what I'd have been glad to live a little longer, but then too, i'm glad to go.......I'll see JESUS.....praise his name. I'll know Him by the wounds in His hands...And I'll see my little girls that died when they were babies, over 40 years ago...two of 'em. Will they be babies,still,do 'ee think sir, or growed up out of my knowledge? "I'm sure that we will know our loved ones in heaven, uncle Tommy, although we cannot tell how they may have been altered." (The minister obviously meant, "They may well be in angel form.") "yis,sir, I believe it. Since I bin lyin' here , I bin thinkin',thinkin' turnin' over in my mind the past o' my life. 'Tis wonderful, too ti think how, after 73 years of knockin' about afloat and ashore, hard put on ,an wi' terrible narry 'scapes many times, here I be, dyin' so quiet an' comfortable like. I told 'ee once sir, how I was brought to God. I didn't tell 'ee,did I, o'the time I was carried overboard wi' an anchor? No, I thought not. 'Twas near 50 year ago. I I was shipped wi' a man named Clarke in a small schooner. We'd bin to Twillingate for salt, I mind, an' we was comin' home. It was blowin' heavy,an'we couldn't make the run,an' had to go into a bight,a few miles down the shore, for the night. In beatin' in, we misstayed in a terrible ugly spot. An' to keep 'er from going' ashore,Skipper shouted,"Let go the anchor!" Somehow it fouled,an' wouldn't start, an' I got leanin' over the rail to try an' clear it, when all of a sudden, it shipped around, the fluke hitched in my sleeve,an' I was jerked overboard wi' it, and went down to the bottom wi' it. By God's mercy, when it struck bottom, the fluke was unhitched from my sleeve, an' I rose to the top agin', an' climbed on board. I'll never forget the look on Skipper's face , or the words he said to me, Tuffin,'says he,"there's no man livin' has had a narrier 'scape then ye. If ye sin agin God after this, ye're an ungrateful chap. Tis a warnin' Lad, tis a warnin'" Poor ol' Skipper Joe Clarke put me in mindo' that many a time afterward. ButI carried on much as afore for a long time. But thank the Lord. I DID TURN TO 'IM, afore it was too late, an' He saved me. He didn't cast me away, he saved me. Will 'ee sing a verse o' Happy Day' sir, if ye please?" The minister at once started the familiar words, the weak quivering of the old man, joining in, fervently. As the singing proceeded, Uncle Tommy's voice grew louder and louder, and his whole frame seemed to dilate with the consciousness of his acceptance by God. His countenance lost the haggard look of illness, and his eyes lit up, with inward fire. Raising himself suddenly to a sitting position, he clapped his hands together, as the chorus of the last verse was finished, and raising his face to heaven, he began to ecststically praise and glorify God for his goodness to him. "I kin re'jice in Him, I kin re'jice in His salvation," he cried out. " I feel Him with me, He fills me with His love. Glory be His holy name forever. Glory! Glory! Glory! Judging the excitement to be too much for tommy's aged frame, the Minister took up the Bible from the table beside the bed, and began to read Psalm 103. As the quiet tones of his voice, reading the beautiful words, fell upon the old man's ear he lay back on his pillow, and, turning his radiant face to the Minister, repeated the Psalm, verse by verse after him. "Thank'ee sir," he said, "now pray with me." Kneeling by the bedside, Rev fairbalm gave thanks to god for his goodness to His aged servant, and asked for grace and strength for him in his hours of weakness and the approaching death. The old man responded feebly, yet fervently all the way through, with "Amens!," and as the Minister took his leave, he looked at him with a look of affection and gratitude. "What do you think of father ,sir?" said Tommy's son, Richard, as he shook hands with the Minister, as he left the house. "Well Richard,", was the reply, "I don't think he can last much longer" "That's just my thinkin, sir, said Richard. He's been so happy this past week, prayin' and singin' and axhortin' every body that comes to see him that I don't think he can stand it much longer, for he's failing very fast, as you can see" "Let me know if there is any change. Good Morning, Richard. " Good Morning ,sir, I will indeed, and thank you, too" Toward the close of the day, a messanger came to see the Minister. The message was that Mr. Tuffin had had a change for the worse, and Richard would be glad if the Reverend Fairbain would come down. In a few minutes, the Minister was in the sick room A wonderful change had taken place in the interval. it seemed no longer the familiar face, full of good nature and quaint fun, but a refined and sublime countenance, purified from earthliness of contour of expression, and glowing with a radiance that awed you as you gazed. The old man was unconscious. The sun was settingin glorious purple and golden clouds, and the room was flooded with light. Quietly, the circle around the bed watched the calm face that was already growing grey in death. Suddenly, startingly, and with wonderful clarity, came the sudden words. "HEAVE UP THE ANCHOR, BY"S, WE"RE ALL READY!" And then "STARBOARD, THERE,B'Y, STEADY, NOW WE'RE OFF" The watcher's looked at one another, and Rev Fairbairn, seeing Tommy's altering rapidly, said "Beloved let us commend our dear friend to God." Kneelingdown, amid many a sob, the Minister prayed for the joyful welcome for tommy's soul into heaven, the haven of rest, and as he prayed, the change came. One glance around, one quiver of the lip, one soft, childlike breath, and then, the stillness with the soul having departed. Uncle Tommy had weighed anchor, and sailed away, behond the sunset'

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