Local religious tensions influence plot of Collins’ new work of historical fiction

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One of Newfoundland’s most prolific authors has a new title out this month.
It’s the 14th book for Patrick J. Collins, a retired teacher from Harbour Grace, who mainly writes historical fiction.
His first book, an authorized biography of Dr. Charles Cron, was self-published in 2010. The dozen since then have been published by local publishing houses. His latest, Murder at Goddenville, was released last week. It is inspired by real events that took place in Harbour Grace in the late 19th century.
In the book, 21-year-old Rosamond Barrett, a servant for the Donnellys, a prominent merchant family, disappears. Her body is discovered six months later by a man named Martin Whalen. Whalen is subsequently questioned, which leads others to become suspicious of him.
“It’s such a small community that people will automatically assume you’re guilty,” said Collins.
In real life, the man who discovered the body was never charged with anything, but spent years trying to get out from under rumours and suspicion. In the book, readers will follow a police officer working on the case, trying to determine whether Barrett’s death was a murder and, if so, whether Whalen is the culprit.
The story also focuses on the Donnelly family and their relocation from Spaniard’s Bay to Harbour Grace. The Donnellys owned schooners and a seal oil rendering plant in Spaniard’s Bay that they closed after moving, leaving 250 people out of work. In the book, it is noted that while the Donnellys were a Catholic family, William Donnelly Sr., married an Anglican. His wife insisted they christen their son, William Jr., as Anglican, as well. William Sr. agrees, but eventually converts his son to Catholicism after his wife passes away. Coincidentally, on the body of Barrett, the police find a holy card for those wishing to convert to Catholicism. This prompts them to question why the young Anglican woman was looking into conversion. The story focuses on Barrett’s death, the Donnellys’ relocation, and the connection between the two.
Religion is a big theme in Murder at Goddenville. The story is set at a time when residual effects from the Harbour Grace Affray remained. The ‘Affray’ was a historically true violent conflict be-tween Catholics and Anglicans that took place in the town in 1883. Several people were killed. Collins wrote a book about the conflict in 2011, titled The Harbour Grace Affray. He also explained there was a lot of tension between people in the Harbour Grace area, which was predominantly Catholic, and those in the Spaniard’s Bay area, who were more mixed. In the book, the fact that an Anglican woman’s body is found by a Catholic man adds to the tension between the denominations.
While Collins’ book is inspired by real events, it should be noted that some aspects are fictionalized. For example, the names of some individuals have been changed out of respect for the families involved. Furthermore, the death of the real woman involved was never confirmed to be murder. Collins also fictionalizes the reasons behind the Donnelly’s move to Harbour Grace. These and some other elements of the book are creative liberties of Collins.