Interpretations
The steamship "Antelope", Allison M. Colwell, New Brunswick Provicial Archives P112 #17
This section of the site contains short essays written by historians and other people who have studied Jerome’s story. These essays attempt to answer one or more of the following questions:
- How was Jerome amputated?
- Where did Jerome come from and who was he?
- What place does Jerome have in the lives of Acadians from Clare?
- Why do we still not have all the answers?
These essays are based on the perusal and evaluation of source documents, such as those reproduced on this website and others that may be found in various archives. The authors of the essays are not unanimous in their conclusions, so you will have to decide for yourself which conclusions you subscribe to and why. After reading the source documents on this site, you will find that you agree or disagree with certain interpretations. However, since you have done the preliminary research, you are better prepared to form an opinion on the subject than those who have only read the essays. You will surely find it interesting to test your theories against the following interpretations:
Ian A. Cameron M.D., F.C.F.P., is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Dalhousie University. He explains the technique most likely used to amputate Jerome’s legs.
Caroline-Isabelle Caron, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of History at Queen’s University, co-director of this site and a specialist in popular Quebec and Acadian culture. She reveals how important Jerome is to the population of St. Mary’s Bay.
Lise A. Robichaud, a folklorist and author from St. Mary’s Bay, is an expert on the legends of Clare and co-director of this site. She presents the theories of the website’s authors.
Harold Robicheau, an amateur historian from Clare, offers his theories.
Phil Comeau, a filmmaker originally from Clare and director of the film [[italic]]Jerome’s Secret[[/italic]] (1994), presents his theories.
Caroline-Isabelle Caron, Ph.D. and Lise A. Robichaud, co-directors of this site, explain why the mystery surrounding Jerome has not yet been fully solved.
Teachers can request access to the experts' interpretations of the mysteries that have been created for each site. We have made this section password-protected to encourage students to come up with their own interpretations of primary documents, rather than relying on other people's analyses. To access the Interpretations just fill in our online registration form and await your password.