`Life in Old Bermuda' -- Compiled by John Cox *** When he was only 18, John Cox happened to read the late William E.S. Zuill's `Bermuda Journey', thus piquing an interest in Bermuda's past that has, as he himself admits, absorbed him ever since. Today, he is president of the Bermuda Historical Society and well qualified as the author and editor of `Life in Old Bermuda', published last week.

This fascinating compilation focuses on some of the families who have dominated Bermudian life for much of the past 300 years. Through delving deep into surviving letters, journals and even the occasional family bible, he has produced a remarkable record of the people (some of them his own forebears) who, in spite of often considerable hardships, established a unique -- and lasting -- community on a remote Atlantic island.

Although Mr. Cox has researched and written three of the chapters, he has also included contributions written by his late grandfather Donald Smith, Emily (Hayward) Pugh, Rose Gosling and Ethel Tucker -- the latter two pieces having been originally written for the Bermuda Historical Society -- and lastly, by John Adams who, until recently was the Government Archivist.

Much of the material is divided geographically, parish by parish and, as we read, it becomes immediately apparent that until the advent of the Bermuda Railway in 1931, communication around even this small island remained a problem. Poor roads, little in the way of transportation, meant that families rarely ventured far afield: a trip to Hamilton from St. George's or Somerset would be a big event indeed. Although this was an undoubted hardship, it also meant that families and neighbours were close-knit and many a winter's night would be spent in re-telling old family stories. Electricity apparently did not reach Devonshire until the early years of the 20th century, and as Mr. Cox writes, this meant "no plumbing, no refrigeration, no telephones, open-hearth fires sufficed for cooking and warmth, and on cold, dark nights the soft light of whale-oil lamp and candlelight illuminated the homes. Water was usually dipped from outside tanks.'' There is, however, a surprisingly modern ring to Captain William Cox's letter home, penned in 1813: "...give my best love to our dear children. Tell them I shall bring them all some pretty things when I come home.'' Oddly enough, and as Mr. Cox points out, it is rarely the big events in a country's life that captivate the reader. We have every reason to be grateful to the diarist, for instance or the Captain's letters home written during his seafaring days, which bring alive the minutia of the moment. Bailey's Bay, with its large contingent of hard-working, boat-building Outerbridges, seemed to be a place where the families were fun-loving, often organising their own entertainments. At times, of course, history does impinge for it was in the Bailey's Bay home, `Mount Wyndham', that the burning down of Washington's White House was planned by the British army.

There is a lively portrait of Somerset in the 1870's by Ethel Tucker who, although better known as an artist, was also a writer and, in fact, originally wrote this account for the Bermuda Historical Quarterly in 1957.

One of the most poignant accounts is that written by Emily Pugh who was born in 1888 and spent her childhood on the island of St. David's -- most of which was to be wiped off the face of the earth when the Americans built Kindley Field in the Second World War.

There is also a tinge of sadness to John Cox's survey of the parish of Devonshire which in 1867, had much of its land and beautiful country homes expropriated for use by the British Army. Such an action seems unthinkable today, and as John Cox writes, "this stringent measure had a tragic impact on Devonshire's whole makeup, both physically and socially, for it split the parish, inflicting a crucial blow from which it would never recover''.

John Adams' chapter brings alive the story of the Mussons who, for more than 200 years, held sway in Flatts: William Musson, who was living there in the 1720's was a shoemaker but, gradually, the family rose up the social ladder, eventually owning the famous `Frascati', which later became the Coral Island Hotel before being demolished to make way for the St. James condominiums.

As in most families, there were a fair share of eccentrics, such as the delightful Maria Outerbridge who like to wear several hats at once, a Miss McCallan who would never venture outdoors on a Friday or Augustus Musson who built himself a house so that he could live in total seclusion on Trunk's Island.

Illustrated throughout with rare archival paintings and photographs, and a cover reproduction of a watercolour by the talented Susan (Smith) Frith, this meticulously researched book fills in yet another valuable and fascinating piece that makes up the mosaic of Bermudian history.

`Life in Old Bermuda' is available exclusively this week at the Bermuda Historical Society Museum at Par-la-Ville on Queen Street for $25. On Monday, the book will go on sale throughout Bermuda for $30 ($15 soft cover), proceeds to the Society. The museum is open Mondays to Saturdays from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., and Mr. Cox will be signing copies at the museum tomorrow and each subsequent Friday until Christmas between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

OLD-TIME BERMUDA -- A mail coach, circa 1879 would have traversed scenery similar to that seen here. Encamped in the foreground of James B. Heyl's photograph is a family of gypsies.