Schilling was the No. 1 bad boy where the fishermen in Gouyave were concerned. Salva was a distant close behind him. Captain Briggo was the kindest of them all. All three men, Schilling, Salva, and Caltain.Briggo, had three things in common. They were fishermen; but never ventured out to deep seas to do their fishing. Instead, they were active with the Seine Boats that casted their fishing nets in the waters that were less than a quarter mile from the seashore. And, they were captains of the Seine Boats that they had.

Fishing in Gouyave yielded huge profits for the owners, and workers of the Seine Boats. But some of the owners of the Seine Boats did not know howto cast a fishing net into the sea. They hired the men who they thought were capable to do the job of fishing and caring for the boats and t the fishing nets to work for them. There were many Seine Boats in Gouyave, and enough men to work them. Along with Schilling, Salva, and Captain Briggo, Captain Jimbo was on top of the list of the most courageous and efficient fishermen that Gouyave had ever known. Although these four men were in a class by themselves, they spent countless hours together, when things were slow, with fishing, talking and discussing new ways of fishing that was essential to them. In effect, each one was a sort of a mentor to the other. As fishermen, their voices were never a soft one when they were speaking to each other. For many people who didn't understand the speaking ways of a fisherman, would've sworn that their friendly rumblings were meant for a fight among them. But, it wasn't. It was just the way they expressed their thoughts and responded to what was said by another man in the conservations they held among themselves.

Schilling was a feisty fisherman. With his strong body, he often cleared the crowd that gathered aound the fishing net, after it was pulled completely, to the shore. He wanted to give account for every fish, or jacks (big/small), that were caught by him. It appeared to be a sin when it came to giving away a few fishes to those who'd helped to pull the fishing net to shore. His wife was no better than he was. She turned beast, and didn't care to share the catch with a single soul.

Shilling's wife was a nice lady in many ways. She was always present in the places where the fishes were caught, to get her baskets filled with them to sell in St. George's, or in Gouyave itself. She had one daughter, who did not participate much in the business of fishing in Gouyave. She stayed at home mostly, to take care of the house and her down syndrome child who, unfortunately, died at an early age from his sickness.

Briggo's wife was a bit like Schilling's wife. However, she never protrayed her master of ownership, and used her skills to be the best wife that a fisherman could've hoped for. Besides,.she grew up around a man, who'd owned many Seine Boats, and his own grocery store on Upper Depardine Street. But, like Schilling's wife, she saw to it that her baskets were filled up first, with fishes, so that she could've taken the fishes to the city, and sold them there, or stayed in Gouyave, and sold them to the folks that were travelling on the wooden buses via Gouyave to St. Mark's and St. Patrick's.

Briggo was from St. Patrick's. He came to Gouyave from St. Patricks long after Caltain Vea and Captain Burke, and Kiss-co-doo, aka, "Jesus". But, he'd found his rightful place on Southern Edwards Street, where he used to live.

Briggo was a most quiet fisherman. He saw, and read between the lines, like no other fisherman in Gouyave had ever done. He loved to share his catch with everyone who'd helped with the pulling of his fishing net to shore. Besides, he was courteous, and always lived by his convictions.

For one thing, Captain Briggo had hated to see some of the young boys, who should've been in school, hanging out in The Bay. He encouraged them not to be a part of the uneducated young men in Gouyave, just for the sake of a few dollars in their pockets. Briggo had children of his own and, as a concerned father, he saw to it that they went to school every day. Overall, Briggo had some wonderful chikdren, who were decent, by all means, as children of a fisherman. And, he'd loved them dearly, too!

Briggo was quiet, by nature, but not as much as Salva. He'd one of the most thunderous voices in all the fishermen in Gouyave. He argued to the death or, at least, until his points were clearly seen. He was a true fighter, in his own rights, for equal rights and the up keeping of the fishing habits in Gouyave.

Schilling and Sava were down-to-earth fishermen that made fishing in Gouyave what it was.

Salva was known to be one of the most quietest fisherman in Gouyave. He spent his non-working hours mending his broken fishing net. He did not argue stupidly, and went about his business in a professional way. Like Schilling, who lived right on The Bay, Salva lived on Central Depardine Street, where it

HEY DANIEL man I followed your story about SCHILLING,SALVA,AND CAPTAIN BRIGGO,you are so right and your re-collection about these men are true to what you have stated,cause as I grew up on d lance,i saw these men daily and the way they operated,THEY were not vicious men but stern in their work and principle,and nearly every body in gouyave had respect for these men, LOL, (PS if I remember well SHILLING wife name was LASLING well that's what I hear my mum( RIP)called her LOL.

You're a good piece of acknowledgement to many factions of Gouyave. Schilling, Salva, and Briggo were actually the backbone of the fishermen in Gouyave. Sometimes I wonder whether these men are still alive. I've not heard about the passing on them. And, I still like to believe that Schilling's wife was called,.Agnes, who'd a daughter named,.Cynthia,.aka, "Fingernail Eater", and a son called Micheal, RiP.

Hey Melo, Its Agnes not Loslyn. They are both deseased.

Hey Melo, Merle is correct. Agnes was the name of Schilling's wife, not Loslyn. I believe Loslyn was the sister of a guy called John whose mother was Miss Geegit(sp). I may be wrong, though.
Back to Schilling and Agnes. As best as I remember, they didn't have any children, but, before meeting Schilling, Agnes had a son named Pappy whose father I believe, was a man called Leighton, or Litton. I think that man was also Alton's (Gwa-tay) father. I still can vividly recall Gwa-tay, Kiurx, Bascombe, Pilton and I as little boys, waiting for each other to walk together to the Catholic Small School in Teacher Carmen Williams Book Naught class. Yes, she was my beloved all-time favorite teacher.

Man, Pappy and I were the last two survivors in a junior billiards championship that was held in Casaman's Cell Block. He won after I failed to make an easy red ball pot. Agnes had a daughter also. She is the girl Daniel was speaking about. Btw, I once met a young man who told me that his mother was that same girl we are referring to (I can't remember her name) and his father was my old boyhood friend, Pilton, the brother of Sonny, Popo, and Flossie (Hot-Shirt's wife).

Hope that helps. Interesting recollections of times gone by!!

P.S. I can't recall who Cap'n Briggo was. Was he the same person named Black?

HEY tony yes man,i rocked my brains,and yes MERLE was quite right,you see she brains is younger than mines,LOL thanks merle,i was thinking about something different,Yes i recall all that you said,yes pappy and Cynthia dad was mr lethan,And all that tony mention is spot on,

Briggo came to live in Gouyave long after you left Grenada. He befriended Kertora (sp), who is Miss Fathie's daughter. They'd chidren together, but one their daughters,whose name was Janet, passed away a few years ago.

Briggo was a nice man indeed. He was known to live on Edwards Street, next to Miss Melda. He was tall, and dark skinned.

May I comment on your topic of Shilling,Salva and Briggo(Fishermen of Gouyave)I stand corrected, but are you referring to Salva Wilson(Deceased Cebert's Father)If you are referring to that Salva, then I humbly believe you are wrong, Salva Wilson was one of the pioneers in deep sea fishing, not nets.Salva Wilson, his brother Mr.Bertie Wilson and Mr.Savill,were in a class of their own when it came to deep sea fishing, not nets, Briggo and Shilling were net men, if there is a different Salva that worked in nets, then I stand corrected, my mother (Deceased) Sylvia Lewis(AKA DADA) bought most of Salva Wilson's catch of Large snappers,Trevally,common tuna, Earth Bway,etc,not commonly caught in nets.I appreciate your knowledge of a time gone by, never to be replaced,fishing in Gouyave has now evolved into a different topic altogether now(A topic I know only too well, due to my annual visits to Gouyave for the last 25 years):Oh,those halcyon days, preciously and historically depicted by Tony DeCoteau in his latest book"A town called Gouyave"),a man I remember from my childhood.

I appreciate your take on the topic, "Schilling, Salva, and Captain Briggo." And, for telling me exactly who you are. I must admit that I've never met you, but Miss Sylvia Lewis (RIP), was a well known fish vendor in Gouyave. I don't know any of Sylvia's children, but I remember Carol, whom I think wasn't Sylvia's daughter, that used to live with her on Edwards Street.

Having said that, let me assure you that I am unable to correct you, if you were wrong about Salva. What I wrote about Salva was what I knew about him. Salva was a much, much older man than I was, when I'd known him. I didn't know that he was a brother to Savill, and quite frankly, I don't recall who Bertie Wilson was. I didn't know that Cebert was Salva's son, because I did not know Cebert before 1987, when I'd returned to Grenada from, Venezuela, South America.

My post was based on the knowledge I have on the three men, Schilling, Salva, and Briggo.

I would like to think that Salva was too old then to do deep sea fishing, so he resorted to the Seine Boat, and fishing net, to keep himself going strong. I didn't know him to be a deep sea fisherman.

Some time ago, I wrote: "one man alone cannot tell all the stories about Gouyave". Your take on the topic was a true indication that Gouyave is more than one man could ever imagine her to be. There were/are many wonderful moments that made/makes Gouyave what it was/is, and the people of the past has a great part to play in the shaping of the way She's been for all these years. We must keep Gouyave alive, for the sake of the young generation. We'll always lose our people through the process of living and dying, but their contributions should be with us forever!

Little do you might know. I've learned some new things from your post. It was very interesting to read it!

Thanks for the correction, and the enlightenment on the topic. I appreciate it!

How well do I remember the little boy who went boasting to Bulla, Dunstan and his other Edward Street friends that "Dada buy ah iron-shirt for me."

Of course that little boy was you, Clive Lewis, and Dada was your mom, the one and only Mrs Sylvia Lewis. Many, many memorable and joyful thoughts are still with me when I think of her, her butcher husband "Katch," your grand-mother, Ms. Irenie, and the rest of the Lewis family on Edward Street. Would you believe that your dad's real name has slipped my mind, which only goes to show that in Gouyave we remember people far better and longer, by their nicknames than by their real names. As an example, I will sooner forget the name Collins than I would his nickname "Ball-o." Please say hi to him and the rest of the family for me.

Hey guy (here in America we don't say "bloke"(lol)), I'm glad you added the name "Dada" by which your mother was equally well known in Gouyave, as she was by Ms Sylvia or Katch wife. Dada was that other name by which many of us still fondly recall who she was!!

I hope I am not mistaken in correcting your "catch of Large snappers,Trevally,common tuna, Earth Bway,etc." Don't you mean "Couvalli" instead of Trevally?
For all I know you may be right about Salva's deep-sea fishing, but I can't confirm your correction. Oh yes, Salva was indeed Mr Bertie Wilson's brother, and as best as I know, Savill was a friend, not a brother as Daniel wrote, of the Wilsons. Btw, I think Savill was the brother of Mrs. Winifred John whose children were Rita, Darryl, Joslyn and Cecil my old elementary schoolmate.

Finally thanks for that flattering comment >>Oh,those halcyon days, preciously and historically depicted by Tony DeCoteau in his latest book"A town called Gouyave"),a man I remember from my childhood.<<
That description makes you sound so much like a poet/author. Are you?

"A PLACE CALLED GOUYAVE" was written intentionally to rekindle the fond memories of those of us who were around, and to teach our next generation(s) wherever they call home today, about their remarkable grand-parents whose homes during the 1950's were in Gouyave on the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada.
Kirani James is just the more renowned Gouyave man that they'll probably hear about, but there are so many, many others too.


Best regards again.