Heart's Content

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Heart's Content was well known to the settlers of Cupers Cove.

Beothuk Territory

The first references to Heart's Content come from the writings of the colonists who settled Cupers Cove (Cupids) in Conception Bay in 1610. At that time this part of Trinity Bay was part of the Beothuk's territory. On September 8, 1612, Henry Crout wrote that 14 Beothuk houses had been seen recently about eight miles from Heart's Content. This was the only time this camp was mentioned.

Visitors from Cupers Cove

During John Guy's voyage into Trinity Bay in the fall of 1612, the crew of the shallop spent several nights in Heart's Content. The crews of both the shallop and the Indeavour spent three nights there on their way out the bay in November of that year.

Sir Percival Willoughby and Early Settlement

Heart's Content. (Baccalieu Trail Tourism Association. Used with permission.)

Early in the 17th century, the London and Bristol Company granted Sir Percival Willoughby all the land north of a line running from Heart's Content in Trinity Bay to Carbonear in Conception Bay. Sir Percival made a number of attempts to settle people on his land. In 1619, Thomas Rowley was making plans to settle on Sir Percival's land in New Perlican just north of Heart's Content. We don't know if Thomas actually settled there but he clearly had spent time there and probably had fished there as well. The trail leading from Carbonear to Heart's Content probably dates to about this time. Heart's Content is not mentioned in the first Newfoundland census conducted in 1675 but there were settlers living there by the 1680s.

French Attack

Heart's Content. (� Albert Legge. Used with permission)

Heart's Content was attacked by French forces led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville on February 9, 1697. Abbé Baudoin, who accompanied d'Iberville during the attack, called the place Havre Content and reported there were four planters living there and that they employed 20 male servants, owned four boats, and had 2400 cods. Carbonear was well established. The French made a number of trips overland to Carbonear from Heart's Content to harass the English planters on Carbonear Island.

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Quick Recovery

Despite the French attack, Heart's Content was quick to recover. A list of inhabitants written in 1698 states there were five planters living there. Two of them were married and had children. Between them, the planters employed 13 servants and owned five boats. A list of the people living in Trinity Bay that was written in 1753 says that there were 14 families living at Heart's Content by that time.

Modern History

Heart's Content became world famous when Cyrus Field chose the town as the landing site for the first Transatlantic Cable. In July 1866, the Great Eastern landed the cable, which marked the beginning of almost instant communication between the Old World of Europe and the New World of North America.

Baccalieu: Crossroads for Cultures | Carrefour pour des cultures

Heart's Content

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