Captain John Thorne

One of the individuals about whom we asked our Newfoundland friends was a man mentioned by R.C. Grey.  His name was Captain John Thorne.  Initially, this remained a mystery until Jason Snow, a descendant of the good Captain, contacted us and provided this picture.  Armed with this powerful image, we are now offering a synopsis of R.C. Grey's words:

"A small powerboat brought us a friendly hand, that of Capt. John Thorne… He told us the river was in fine condition, full of salmon and with each high tide came new runs of fish… We engaged Capt. Thorne to guide us to our salmon river aboard his launch… A thick fog rose our first day of fishing, and a wind blew from icebergs off St. Johns.  We were bundled in sweaters, coats and rubber boots.  They shut out the cold and shed the icy water that showered us when the spray broke over the bow.  After a long run, we entered a bay into which the brook poured.  A brook they called it.  It was a roaring river with many falls and long stretches of rapids. There were no birds; evergreens that topped the rocky banks were barren of nests.  The land of long winter was no place for blithe songsters."