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JANUARY 1, 1859
New Year's Levee
“The Finest Room in the Colony”
There was a tradition in St. John's that encouraged the leading citizens of the town to host a New Years Day Levee. This levee was a reception that was held early in the afternoon of New Years Day, typically at the residence of the host. Attending these levee’s was an annual ritual in the town.
One of the leading citizens that was expected to host a levee was the Roman Catholic bishop. Typically citizens would call upon the bishop on New Years Day at the Episcopal Library (now the home of the Basilica Museum) to wish him a Happy New Year. Persons attending, dressed in their finest, would upon arrival stand in cue, sign a guest book and would then be introduced to the bishop. The introduction would be followed by refreshments.
In 1859 Bishop John Thomas Mullock of St. John’s hosted his New Years Day Levee in the newly established Episcopal Library. Among the guests invited on this day was Lt-Col. R.B.McCREA, a Battery Commander and later Garrison Commander at Fort Townsend (now the site of The Rooms.)
McCrea was most impressed by the levee and the newly established library. Ten years later in 1869 McCrea wrote a book about his experiences in Newfoundland entitled 'Lost Amid The Fogs: Sketches of Life in Newfoundland, England's Ancient Colony.' He wrote about the New Years Day levee.
“Then to His Lordship (Bishop Mullock) we paid our respects and congratulations as was right and proper. A hearty reciprocation and a glass of champagne were his return for the compliments, to say nothing of taking us around his noble library, the finest room in the Colony.”
McCrea was impressed by the library but he was not so impressed by the living quarters of the bishop and priests. He wrote “This reception room was handsome, adorned with statuary from Italy, but for himself and the priests that lived with him, the little room below with its deal chairs and common delf would have been probably scorned by a layman. So strange is the contrast which presents in the attributes of his daily life and the profession he upholds.”
In 2009 the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of the library, now the home of the Basilica Museum, take some time to visit and enjoyour exhibits and enjoy the” Finest Room in the Colony”.
For more information on this and other related subjects contact the Archives of the R.C. Archdiocese. www.stjohnsarchdiocese.nf.ca
Other “Archival Moments” will be posted at this site on a regular weekly basis. If you have friends or colleagues who would like to receive these "archival moments" please send us their e mail address or forward this moment to them from your desk!!
Larry Dohey
Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s
P.O. Box 1363
St. John’s, NL
A1C 5M3
709-726-3660
E-mail: archives@nf.aibn.com
We hope that you have enjoyed this archival moment.
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