Malcolm "Mac" Masters, was born in Harbour Buffet in 1909. He resettled to Arnold's Cove in 1967. Mac went fishing at 13, became a sailor on foreign-going schooners at 17 and was mate and captain of various local boats after that. Many people in Placentia Bay remember him visiting their communities as skipper of the merchant's trading vessel.
This rich full life made him one of our finest singers and storytellers. His house, which he floated down from Harbour Buffet, was a gathering place for many good times. Mac died in 1977.
Mac Masters' Songs
Down By the Riverside. A young man is hanged when he murders his wife to marry his new love.
The Irishman's Lament. A man mourns the death of his wife and baby. A favourite at parties.
Unnamed Ballad. A Scott seeking his fortune in America mistakenly murders his youngest son when they come to find him.
Collected by Wilfred Wareham in 1976 at the National Folk Festival in Washington, DC. Courtesy of the Memorial University Folklore Archives.
The Girl from the West Country. A young maid saves her lover from being hung and discovers he is a rich man.
Collected by Linda Byrne.