Samuel Loveys
The name Samuel Lovey's emerges from the 19th century Regatta history among the most influential and effective builders of the Royal St. John's Regatta. Lovey's contribution to the evolution and endurance of the Regatta was as a boat builder. His innovation and genius in this area changed the course of Regatta history and reignited spectator interest at a period when it was low.
The story of Sam Lovey's is the story of the transition of the type of boats used in our Regatta from those used in the daily commercial life of the colony to a style of boat specifically designed and built for racing.
The type of craft used at Regatta's during the period from 1826 to 1843 was solely the type of boats used in the everyday commercial and mercantile life of the colony of Newfoundland, and included pleasure crafts described as sailing yachts.
These contests were very competitive and only cash prizes were awarded. However, a tradition of heavy betting quickly emerged and large sums of money exchanged hands depending on the outcome. The contests were generally viewed according to the Times of August,1843 as , "...contests of superiority of the models of the boats, and the ability and skilfullness of the rowers." However, emphasis was on the superiority of the boats.
Regatta promoters sought out the fastest and best built boats to compete in the Regattas. During the 1830's they had turned to Halifax boat builders in hopes of getting a boat that could dominate the day of the races at Quidi Vidi. The Halifax boats, manned by local rowers, were generally successful and in time the locals viewed their presence as a challenge to the national pride of Newfoundland.
The Public Ledger, August 22,1839 speculated that interest that year was increased due to the introduction of, "...a couple of crack boats from Halifax which were to dispute the palm with the Native builds." The two boats: Victoria and Maid of the Mist outclassed the Native boats.
The following year with the advent of the Regatta the Public Ledger noted that the lack of competition in 1839 might result in a dwindling of interest in the forthcoming Regatta. Referring to the previous year's Regatta it observed, "The mere racing of the boats did not create a great deal of interest as there was evidently too great a disparity among them."
Sam Loveys had already built several boats for earlier Regatta's and this year hoped to make the Regatta more competitive by constructing a new boat which he called the Ripple. Lovey's was held in high regard and his new boat stirred local enthusiasm.
According to the Times of 1840, it was the success of the Halifax boats which, "...inspired the great builder Sam Lovey's to build the Ripple." The Ripple was built in the style of the traditional whaleboats of the era. Lovey's had a reputation as a boat builder which he gained from building boats for commercial use. Records suggest that Lovey's had built earlier boats for the Regatta but the records did not name them. The Times of August 1840 reflected the notoriety of Loveys's when it described the Ripple as, " A boat that reflects certainly much credit upon our native builder Sam Lovey's who we feel confident has now fully realized his expectations respecting the speed of his boats.
To meet the challenge set by Lovey's effort a new boat was imported from Halifax. The import was named Lalla Rookh, after a popular passenger boat operating across the Atlantic at the time. The builder changed the traditional whaleboat design a little. The Public Ledger of the same month suggested that the Halifax boat was a little different in appearances than the traditional whaleboats used in Regatta competitions. The newspaper described it as, "...a peculiar build boat which gave her an advantage in still waters. "In the Regatta of 1841 the Ripple held its own against the Lalla Rookh. (Public Ledger, August 1841). While the Ripple proved to be a fast racer and credit to her builder, the Lalla Rookh quickly dominated the Regatta. In 1843 she won first prize in every race in which she competed. Lovey's Ripple, won second place in every race competed. However, according to the Public Ledger of August, 1841 the Ripple held her own against the Lalla Rookh that year. The outcome of the races became so certain that interest declined and fans were frustrated. So bitter was the resentment to the Halifax built boats that just prior to the Regatta that year someone cut up the tent that housed the Halifax built Victoria, hammered a hole in its bow and stole its oars. Regatta fans looked to boat builders like Lovey's, Mike Rearney and a Mr. Ould to restore their lost pride.
Such was the background which influenced two local boat builders in 1844 to make drastic changes in the design and construction of their boats. The two, Samuel Lovey's and Mike Rearney individually set out to construct a boat specifically designed for racing. Although, there appears to have been an effort to keep the designs secret, it wasn't long before the public became aware of the projects.
The Newfoundlander of August 15,1844 referred to Rearney's new boat, the Ferryland Lass, as."...an experimental gig built on a novel principle." The same paper described Lovey's boat, the Lucy Long as,"...a sans-pareil," adding that, "the care and pains he has bestowed on her construction make him deserving of success." A third local boat entered that year was the Quiz, a traditionally designed whaleboat built by Mr. Ould, who was also a boat builder of that era.
The entrance of three new local boats combined with the change in design revived public interest in the Regatta of 1844. The outcome changed the style of boats used in the Regatta forever. Newfoundlander's lining the banks of Quidi Vidi for the Races that year enthusiastically hoped to have their pride restored. They were not disappointed. By the conclusion of the two day Regatta, Sam Lovey's Lucy Long emerged as the fastest boat ever seen on the pond.
Following a successful first day on the pond, the second day of the Regatta brought even more glory to the Lucy Long and Samuel Lovey's. The Stewards for the Regatta decided to put a special race on the program to test the speed of the best boats of the Regatta. Five of the fastest boats of the racing fleet were chosen for the race. The outcome was as follows: 1st: Lucy Long; 2nd: Lalla Rookh; 3rd: Gem; (Halifax built); 4th:Ferryland Lass; 5th: Repeal(Halifax).
The same boats had a chance to compete again at the end of the day in the Sweepstakes Race. In this race, the fastest boats were compelled to participate or pay a fine to the Committee. The 36 foot long Lucy Long outperformed all others once again. Lovey's race boat emerged as the model which local and Halifax boat builders emulated thereafter. Boats constructed by Lovey's were among the top performers of the 19th century at our Regatta.
The Times observed, "...the Lucy Long, built by Mr. Lovey's of this town, has proved herself to be by far the best boat on the lake. Too much praise cannot be given to Mr. Lovey's for the taste he has displayed in building her."
Another paper the Public Ledger also praised Lovey's work. It reported that Halifax had sent the crack boats here to compete with the native build boats and pointed out that Lovey's proved, that we are not to be outdone in boat building by the architects of our sister colony."
The following year newspapers again lavished praise upon Sam Lovey's. The Times reported after the two day Regatta, "The Lucy Long we understand took the lead again yesterday. (Aug.8,1845). She certainly walks the water like a thing of life, and well may the native builder (Lovey's) be proud of the admirable symmetry of her proportions. This boat which we may now set down as A-l may lead to a creditable spirit of emulation and is likely to test the skill and ingenuity of persons in a neighbouring colony."
Ten years later, improving his design, Lovey's built another winner, the Undeen which according to the Public Ledger, August 1854, "....was the top boat in all the principle races." Lovey's followed this success in 1855 with another boat which he called the Darling. Following that year's Regatta the Public Ledger wrote, "...the Undine and Darling built by Sam Lovey's are the best on the pond. We cannot forbear to state that these two beautiful boats were built in this town by Mr. Samuel Lovey's and they certainly do place him in an advantageous position with regard the 'crack boats' which have been imported." ( The 'Fly' had been sent from Halifax expressly to compete against the Darling.) That same year Lovey's built two new pilot boats which competed in the Pilot Boat Races.
The Public Ledger, July 27,1855 commended Lovey's on his fine work. It stated. "This is creditable to him, and we hope will, as we think it certainly should, establish his reputation as a first class boat builder and consideration be tended to him accordingly." The innovative racers initiated by Lovey's amused some people at the time, who resented the change in race boat styles. The Public Ledger, July 26,1855 described the Regatta boats practicing on the Harbour, "The Harbour for some evenings past has been dotted with these variously painted fairy like things."
The race style boats were not universally popular. An article in the Patriot of 1854 (Strokes of Champions, Creative Publishers,Jack Fitzgerald, pll) stated, "We like the amusement, particularly when coupled with something practical to be gained. But we cannot see what good can be attained by the exhibition of racing qualities of boats such as those generally run on the lake.
"For any practical purposes in the business of the colony they are perfectly useless...they are good for nothing except displaying a good deal of ingenuity in the manufacture. If we are to have aquatic sports in the shape of boat racing, let the boats be those used in the stable trade of the colony - a race between good whaleboats or punts used in the fishery, rowed by the hands who usually row them , or a race between our swift sailing Fishing Jacks or Western Boats would be practical and exciting and tend to the promotion of good fishing boat building."
When race boats first went on the pond in 1844 they competed in the category of whaleboats. All references up to 1896 referred to these race boats as whaleboats as a matter of tradition. The Regatta Committee changed this approach in 1897. In the Telegram, July 27,1897 the paper noted, "The word 'whaleboats' will not be used in the programme, race boats will be substituted."
Sam Lovey's initiated the change to race boats and influenced builders of the 19th century up until 1897, when Rendell and Sexton produced the Glance, improved on the Lovey's design and started a new era for a faster boat on Quidi Vidi.
Lovey's Boats
1840: Ripple
1844: Lucy Long
1854: Undine
1855: Darling
1855: Two Pilot Boat's - for the Pilot Boat races.
1856: Eugenie
These boats were among the best on the pond during the early history of the Regatta. It was in the Undine, that the Quidi Vidi Ladies made history by becoming the first women to row in a Regatta.
Records show that Lovey's constructed other Regatta boat~ in the 1830's, however they were not named. He constructed his boats in his workshop at the head of Playhouse Hill (Queen's Road).