A Man in Overalls: The Legacy of a Cape Breton Bard

Many of Patrick “Paddy” Nicholson’s descendants may be surprised to learn that he had once been a respected writer and reporter. They knew him as the custodian of a Catholic church in Worcester, Massachusetts. His kindness and humility were legendary, as was his devotion to his family and faith. Yet his writings, and the stories behind his work, could have been lost forever if not for the discoveries made by his granddaughter, Judy Roy. In his youth, Paddy was influenced by the Gaelic culture and folklore of his grandparents, Alexander and Catherine Nicholson, who arrived on the shores of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia from the Scottish Isle of Barra in 1837. The thriving community they established at Rear Beaver Cove sustained Paddy and many others but collapsed by the time Paddy reached adulthood. Moving to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, he was thrust into the turbulence of a nascent labor movement at the coal mines. There he found his voice as a labor newspaper editor and reporter, adopting the pen name, A Man in Overalls. Writing became his calling—his way of preserving the mystical folktales of his ancestors. This book shares the story of the life of Paddy Nicholson and celebrates his roots from the Isle of Barra to Cape Breton. It is a chronicle of his life journey from Cape Breton to Baldwinville and Worcester, Massachusetts. His collection of folktales and poetry, published here in his honor, forms an integral part of his legacy. Read more