Bernard Robert Asphar, known as “Bunny” to his acquaintances, was one of over 500 Maltese men who emigrated to Canada from Malta, on board either the Marine Perch in May 1948 or the Vulcania the following month.
Bunny was on the latter ship and, having disembarked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on June 25, ended up in London, Ontario, for a time before ultimately joining other family members in New York State.
The Vulcania leaving Malta’s Grand Harbour for Halifax and New York on June 17, 1948. Maltese regularly crossed the Atlantic on board this and other ships. Photo: Frank and Yvonne Gatt, original taken by Times of MaltaBunny was born in St Julian’s on January 5, 1930. He was one of at least eight children of Alfred Francis Asphar and the former Violet Pace Bardon.
Alfred Francis was born in 1889, in Calcutta, India, to John Francis Asphar (1864-1935) and Mary Vella.
John Francis was born in Malta, the son of John Joseph Fattulah Hannah Asphar (1831-1897) and Angelica (1838-1873) from Valletta, a daughter of Emanuele Bonavia and Giulia Casolani.
John Joseph was born in Calcutta, India, and started attending St John’s Catholic College in Calcutta in September 1844, but by 1870, he, his wife and family were living in Malta at 10, Strada Seconda, Floriana.
His parents, Fathollah Hannah Asphar, Esq. (c.1771-1852) and Therezia Eyoob (c.1805-1889), were married in 1829, in Calcutta.
Therezia was the eldest daughter of Jacob Eyoob, Esq., of Bombay and his wife, Mary Ann.
With “Esquire” after their names, Fathollah and Jacob were recognised as men of consequence. In fact, they were both merchants.
Maltese migrants on board the Marine crossing the Atlantic in May 1948, some of whom became Bunny’s friends: Freddie Attard (seated), Joe Delia (left), presumably Rosaria Muscat, and an unidentified man. Photo: Frank CauchiIn 1831, F.H. Asphar was listed as a merchant on Moorgyhuttah Street in Calcutta. He was still there in 1841, and his father-in-law was a merchant on Sukeas’ Lane.
In The Bengal and Agra Annual Guide and Gazetteer for that year, both are listed under “Armenian merchants and agents”. This would seem to imply that both F.H. Asphar and Jacob Eyoob were of Armenian blood.
While Eyoob’s birthplace is not presently known, F.H. Asphar is said to have been born in Aleppo, Syria, the son of Hannah Botros Asphar. “Botros” is Arabic for “Peter”, while “Fathollah” is a Muslim male name meaning “Victory granted by Allah” or “Victory of Allah”.
Fathollah Hannah Asphar, who is believed to have been a member of the Armenian or Syrian Catholic rite while living in Aleppo, would appear to have been a Roman Catholic by the time he became a merchant in Calcutta.
In January 1835, both he and Jacob Eyoob were among the Catholics who signed a petition to Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, governor-general of India, requesting that the Most Reverend Robert St Leger, DD, be fully recognised as Vicar Apostolic of Bengal over the claims of the Portuguese clergy attached to Goa.
So much for Bunny Asphar’s paternal ancestry.
My salaries are good and lately I had a raise – so I have nothing to grumble about
John de Dominico in a Canadian Artillery Regiment uniform, 1947. He accommodated Bunny in his family home shortly after the latter’s arrival in London, Ontario, in late June 1948. Photo: Markus De DomenicoUpon arriving in London, Ontario, in late June 1948, Bunny found accommodation at the home of the family of John de Dominico. John, a native of Sliema, had been living in England before coming to Canada with his English bride in 1947.
Also living with the de Dominico family at the time were two other Maltese emigrants, one of these being Frank Cauchi, who had crossed the Atlantic aboard the Marine Perch in May 1948.
Bunny’s first place of employment was with The London Free Press, the city’s only daily newspaper. While there, on October 12, 1948, he was introduced to John J. Cole, Malta’s first minister of emigration, who, along with John Axisa, director of Emigration, was on one of several visits to Canada and the US.
Among the letters Bunny wrote home in Malta the following year were those to his childhood friend Vivienne Critelli. Some years after she moved to Brooklyn, New York, she gave these letters to Bunny’s daughter Stephanie. She, in turn, transcribed the portions that pertained to London and the surrounding area and forwarded them to the present author.
Frank Cauchi (back row, left), who was living with the de Dominico family when Bunny arrived, pictured with Joe Segona (right) and an unidentified man, in London, Ontario, 1948. Photo: Frank CauchiOn July 2, 1949, Bunny wrote: “Here in London, I am working for the Province of Ontario Savings Office, and my position is teller/accountant. My salaries are goo,d and lately I had a raise – so I have nothing to grumble about.”
August 8, 1949: “As a whole, Canada is wonderful and lots of entertainment, except for Sunday, just in Ontario – all places are closed, dance halls, movies, swimming pools, etc.”
This was “Protestant” Ontario with its “blue laws”. Every Sunday in Ontario was like Good Friday back then in Malta! The Lord’s Day Act, which came into existence in 1906, was finally declared unconstitutional in 1985.
September 7, 1949: “Sorry I haven’t written in a while. Last Thursday, I got a letter from the Ontario Scout HQ in Ottawa inviting me to represent Malta in an international camp in a place called Orangevill,e about 180 miles north of London.
“They also invited Tony Pons (do you know him?). So both of us left here by car and girl![?] Did we ever have a grand time – the place was lovely – I did a lot of swimming and won many small prizes in swimming competitions. I had a lot of photos taken at camp. I’ll send some good ones next time I write because they are not yet developed.”
Tony Pons had come to Canada on board the Marine Perch in May 1948.
Tony Pons, another of Bunny’s friends who also emigrated from Malta, in London, Ontario, April 1949. Photo: Frank CauchiSeptember 18, 1949: “You asked me if I go to any dances here. To tell you the truth, I do go, but not very often. Only when big bands come – like Les Brown, Guy Lombardo, Tex Benek, etc. – the dances are generally on Saturday and we stay out till about 2am. But I always remain Bunny. I don’t feel like I am making any progress in dancing. I intend on taking some lessons soon.”
Les Brown and his Band of Renown, featuring Buddy Rich, appeared at the London Arena, on the southeast corner of Bathurst and Ridout streets, on the evening of Friday, August 12. Dancing was from 9pm to 1am.
Guy Lombardo, his brothers and many of the other band members were natives of London. As well as being a bandleader, Gordon Lee “Tex” Beneke, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, was a saxophonist and singer.
“Last week over here in London, we had a grand stage show with Kathleen DeHaven – she is real nice and a very good singer – and next week Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra are coming up here again. I’ll see him again. We have some very good Hollywood stars and I get a big kick out of seeing their performances.”
Kathryn De Haven was in the Skelton Amos Players’ summer stock, Stepping Sisters, “A musical comedy laff riot”, which was performed at the Grand Theatre on Richmond Street.
Whether Vaughn Monroe, the American baritone singer, trumpeter, big band leader and actor, did play in London in late September 1949 is not presently known. Artie Shaw, the American clarinettist, composer and bandleader, and his orchestra, however, did play at the London Arena on the evening of Friday, September 23.
Canada is wonderful and lots of entertainment, except for Sunday, just in Ontario – all places are closed
October 25, 1949: “Yesterday, Fred and myself went to see two shows at the Odeon Theatre, which were Anna Lucasta, starring Paulette Goddard (very good) and also Sword in the Sand, with Dana Andrews, also very good. Then we had a very good Chinese supper and ended our evening very happy at 1.30am.”
“Fred” is believed to have been Freddie Attard, who also crossed over with Tony Pons on the Marine Perch. Like Bunny and Tony, Freddie was also young and single.
In fact, Bunny and Fred did not see two shows at the Odeon Theatre on the evening of Monday, October 24. Rather, they saw Anna Lucasta, starring Paulette Goodard, at the Capital, and then Sword in the Desert, starring Dan Andres, Marta Toren and Stephen McNally, at Loew’s. It’s almost certain that they had their “very good Chinese supper” at Wong’s Café on the east side on Richmond Street, immediately north of the Free Press building.
Sometime after this, Bunny migrated to New York State where his older brother – Francis Xavier “Frank” Asphar (1924-2005) – had been living since emigrating in 1947. In 1953, in Mount Vernon, NY, Frank married Pauline A. Scicluna (b. 1933), who had emigrated from Malta in 1950 with her older sister, Louisa M. Scicluna (1926-2017).
Louisa, who was born in Senglea, married Bunny Asphar in Mount Vernon, NY, on January 25, 1958. They were to have three children. Bunny died on April 27, 2009, in Eastchester, NY.
Meanwhile, Frank and Bunny’s sister, Theresa M. “Terry” Asphar (1918-2020), had emigrated to New York State in 1955. It was probably after this that their brother, John Maurus Asphar (1916-1997), also joined them.
As for Terry Asphar, it was she who translated Alfie Guillaumier’s Bliet u Rħula Maltin (1972) from Maltese into English. This work appeared as Malta’s Towns and Villages in 2003.
Front cover of Malta’s Towns and Villages, by Alfie Guillaumier, translated into English by Bunny’s sister, Terry Asphar.
Dan Brock is an 85-year-old Canadian of Polish, Irish and English ancestry. He is also the editor of The Maltese Presence in North America, a monthly newsletter read by thousands.