The History
of
Bamforth Marine
As a result of a terrible accident at a local lumber yard, Coral Bamforth was retrained to "rebuild" automotive batteries,
generators and starters. Consequently, he opened Bamforth's Auto Electric Service in 1924.
About 20 years later, Coral's daughter, Elinor, married Fernand "Fern" Favreau. Fern started working for Coral shortly
after World War II. In 1949 Bamforth's started selling and servicing Evinrude outboards. For the next 30 something
years, Bamforth's sold automotive parts to the local garages and continued expanding on their outboard and small
boat sales.
Coral retired in the late 70s and handed over the business to Fern and the company was incorporated as Bamforth
Automotive, Inc.
Two of Fern's boys, Gary and Scott (current owners), took a keen interest in the company as they grew up.
Eventually, Fern retired around the year 2000 and the sons took the reins. Doing business as (dba) Bamforth Marine,
they phased out the automotive side of the business and concentrated on the outboard and boat sales and service. The
company has continued to prosper under their leadership and show due respect for their grandfathers legacy.
1990 story from a local newspaper, The Times Record, about Coral Bamforth and the
company he started. The entire story is more legible on the following two slides.
Coral Bamforth doesn’t remember exactly how he lost his right hand 66 years ago, but he knows he was on the wrong side of
the planer he was running in the old Douglas lumber yard and it was filling up with shavings and he must have lost his
balance when he reached in to clear it out.
The accident – in a time before workers’ compensation and welfare – left the 23-year-old mechanic with a family to feed,
little money and no job.
“I knew I had to work because three of those four children up there were born at that time,” he said, pointing to photographs
on the mantle above his fireplace. “You don’t know how many times I felt like giving up. But how could you? I had to be
successful.”
Today, two or three times a week, he drives to the business he built single-handedly, so to speak, from that tragedy. He drops
in to chat with some of the 15 or so employees at Bamforth’s Automotive Inc. He likes to run into former customers, people
who helped him survive and thrive in Brunswick.
“When you’ve been in business a long time, you never get tired of meeting customers you used to do business with.” he said.
He is thankful for their patronage, but it is his wife, June, who gets Bamforth’s credit for carrying the family through the
darkest days. His eyes mist at the memory of June, who died in 1977, caring for the children alone when he went to Boston for
six months in 1923 to learn how to build batteries.
“She’s the one who went through it,” he said.
The state paid Bamforth’s tuition. He paid room and board. His wife and kids got by with help from their families. Bamforth’s
parents – his mother Canadian, his father English – had produced 13 children.
Story continues on the next slide
His folks’ house on the Harpswell Road, where he was born in 1899, burned some time ago. A subdivision of five new houses
has replaced it. He lives next to it.
Bamforth’s children didn’t scatter. One daughter lives next door, another nearby, the third in East Brunswick. His son, a top
turret gunner in World War II, was killed in action over France.
Bamforth returned from Boston on March 1924 and opened a shop on Union Street with $400, all the money he had. He
sold batteries and did electrical work on cars, though he didn’t own one himself.
He hefted heavy batteries for years, gradually expanding the business and eventually moving it to Maine Street. Now it is a
warren of rooms where auto parts are stocked, hundreds of boat motors are stored and boats are sold and repaired.
It appears much as it did 11 years ago when Bamforth retired and handed the operation of the business over to a family
corporation. He is welcome every time he drops in, manager Roger Bourgoin said.
“He comes in, puts his two cents worth in and that’s about it,” Bourgoin said. “He’s a real gentleman.”
It gives Bamforth a chance to drive his Chevy. If he couldn’t drive, he said he’d give up.
“I’ve got nowhere else to go,” Bamforth said. “Besides, they like to see my face as much as I like to see theirs. And sometimes
I run into old customers. Occasionally someone comes in and asks if I’m still kicking around.”
By Martin McKenna
Times Record News Editor
The original shop on Union St., one block west
of Maine St.
Maine Street
Brunswick, Maine
1920's.
206 Maine St.
Starting from the left is the Bamforth's youngest daughter, Muriel. Next is her
mom, June Bamforth (wife to Coral Bamforth). And standing is her son-in-law
Fernand "Fern" Favreau. Fern is the father to the current owners, Gary and Scott
Favreau.
Fern started working for his father-in-law shortly after WWII. Fern assumed
ownership in 1983 and operated the company until retiring in 2000.
Elinor and Fern Favreau were married
April 5th, 1944
Right-Leon Bamforth, Coral's son, was
killed in action by shrapnel while
serving as a B-17 top turret gunner on
a mission over France in July 1944.
Distinguished Flying Cross,
which Leon received
posthumously.
Left-During WWII, Fern worked on
planes similar to this Martin B-24
Marauder. Photo taken in 1946 at
Lakeland, Florida. It is thought that
Fern either took the photo, or is one of
the two men in the photo!?
Coral chatting with a customer in 1946
RIGHT - Bamforth's 1935 tow truck .
BELOW - 206 Maine St. on the left
and 200 Maine St. to the right.
Fern is seen on the left shoveling
snow from the sidewalk.
The very first Evinrude outboard
sold by Bamforth's was a 1949
9.7 horsepower. The outboard
pictured to the right is that very
outboard.
It was returned to Bamforth's as
a good will gesture from the
original owner.
The color photo inset featuring
that outboard model was used
for the Evinrude brochure of
that year.
Starting as Bamforth's Auto Electric Service in 1924. This photo is at
200 Maine St. Circa 1950's
Fern's 1955 Service Certificate from Evinrude
Bamforth's Automotive at the Brunswick Armory in 1958 (left) and1959 (right). Showcasing Kenway Boats and Corson boats
with Evinrudes.
According to the Priest family, founders of Kenway, Bamforth's was their first dealer. Ironically, thirty something years later,
Bamforth's would become Maritime Skiff's first dealer.
Maritime Skiffs were built by the Kenway Corp. on behalf of the founders/owners, Paul Hureau and Bev Brown of Duxbury,
Massachusetts. When the Paul and Bev retired, Kenway purchased the company and continued building Maritimes at their
Augusta facility.
1960 Evinrude Meeting
Second from the left is Fern Favreau.
The gentleman on the far left is Howard Kirkpatrick Sr. of Bath Fuel Co. (BFC)
1960 era
Corsons
Some of the signs that have been used over the years
Walker's Barber
Shop on left of
Bamforth's at the
200 Maine St.
location. While
Mike's Hotdog
place is seen on the
right.
This 1965 postcard from Evinrude promoted their new line
of boats matched to their outboards.
Scott, Fern and Gary
with a 20 ft. Corson.
Fern's 1937 Packard 120
Coupe with rumble seat.
Bamforth Automotive, Inc. dba Bamforth Marine
became Maritime Skiff's
first dealer in 1992.
Sold by Bamforth Marine, this is one of the first 20 foot hulls ever launched
for Maritime Skiff. Location: Mackerel Cove on Bailey Island, Maine
Gary out for a boat ride.....
.....hanging tough
during a February
water test on
behalf of
Maritime Skiff.
Scott Favreau has been working on
boats and motors since he was a kid,
and continues to do so.....
Gary Favreau (Owner, President and Manager), his wife Cindy, Kris and
her husband Scott Favreau (Owner, Vice President and Service Manager).
Gary Favreau with his late daughter, Lisa, and his son, Christian, aboard his
SeaRay.
Christian has a regular full-time job but works part-time at Bamforth's
during the spring rush launching season and the autumn haul-out.
The store front, in the year 2000, when
Bamforth's was a Hydra-Sports dealer.
In 2005, Bamforth's became a full line
Suzuki Marine Outboard dealer.
Thanks to a local boy, Greg Tobey, onetime Director of Fleet Maintenance
at Community Boating, Inc., we have been fortunate to provide them with
new outboards since 2006. Community Boating, Inc. is located on the river
bank of the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts.
Scott's sons, Jesse (L) and Ryan (R), are both employed as mechanics
at Bamforth's. Jesse started right out of high school and Ryan started
working after two tours in Iraq for the Marine Corp.
Jesse, Josh & Ryan (1990s)
The Freeport Harbor
Master's boat was
launched in 2008.
The Brunswick Police Marine Patrol bought
this boat from us in
2009.
In 2009 Evinrude celebrated it's 100th Anniversary
To the upper left is a 2009 25' Patriot from Maritime built by the Kenway Corp. in Augusta,
Maine. To the bottom right is the last original fiberglass Kenway Boat built in 1966.
Inset - 1950s wooden Kenway Boat with an Evinrude outboard.
As mentioned in previous slides, Bamforth's was Kenway's first dealer and Maritime's first dealer.
Photos courtesy of the Kenway Corp.
Gary demonstrating the ease of
using an Echo rowing shell
during the boat show in
Rockland Harbor.
Bamforth's became
an Echo dealer in
2004.
Scott Favreau and Kris were
married aboard a 20' Defiant
Maritime Skiff with 115 H.O.
Evinrude E-TEC outboard.
John Marsh of Paul's Marina
performed the ceremony August
2009 on Long Lake in Bridgton,
Maine.
Christmas 2009
Many along the Harpswell Road have come to expect Scott's
Christmas display at his home each holiday season. In 2009, Santa
was at the helm of a 20 foot Maritime with his trusty reindeer at the
ready.
Scott Favreau's granddaughter,
Madison, Jesse's daughter, is the fifth
generation of the Favreaus.
She is seated aboard a Maritime
(bottom right) at the 2010 Maine
Boats, Homes and Harbor Show in
Rockland, Maine.
Three generations of Favreaus
Kris, Madison, Scott, Megan and Jesse
The Favreau Family
Standing: Scott, Gary, Robin (sister), & Terry (brother)
Seated: Elinor (Mom) and Fern (Dad)
Gary and Scott
Fall 2010
N
W
E
S
Happy Bamforth Marine Customers
Jim D
ily
m
a
F
hs
ay & S
ug
o
r
r
u
eB
Th
ons
"Alibelle"
John
Ehren
feld
&
Ruth
Budd
t
et
w
o
J
oug
D
.
t
p
a
C
erle in
ich
S
o
i
r
Vitto razil
B
Brian & Betty Anne Jones of New Brunswick, Canada
Jay Pinkham
Freeport Harbor Master
Peter
Bramsen
...More Bamforth Marine Customers
vine
De
anda
Am
Cheryl
Chapin
in
California
Andre Saab
of
New Foundland
Don
McC
rann
well
rps
f Ha
no
Tow
Larry Grimard
Photo courtesy of Barry Gibson
Guide
Doug Lepage
....to be continued
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gary and Scott Favreau
for the privilege of creating this historical presentation on their behalf
and I look forward to adding more to this remembrance in the future.
During the slow winter months, this project kept me busy and boosted
morale for the family and employees that carry on with Coral's legacy.
Please feel free to offer criticism, suggestions, corrections, photos, etc.. to
help make this representation better.
Respectfully,
Steve Thibodeau Jr.