Harbour Grace
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Harbour Grace was known to John Guy as Havre de Grace. The harbour was used by migratory fishermen from Europe in the 16th century. It was probably named by French fishermen at that time. Most likely it was named after a town in Normandy, France called Havre de Grâce, which today is called Le Havre.
A Pirate's Fort
Harbour Grace. (Image by William Gilbert. Reproduced with permission from the Baccalieu Trail Heritage Corporation.)
In 1612, the pirate Peter Easton built a fort at Harbour Grace. John Guy and his men stopped at Harbour Grace on their way to Trinity Bay that year. They spent ten days there storing away salt from a French fishing ship that the pirates had captured. The settlers at Cupers Cove sent boats to fish at Harbour Grace each summer and salt was used to preserve the fish.
Bristol's Hope Plantation – Harbour Grace, Bristol's Hope, and Carbonear
The Cupers Cove colony was started by merchants from London and Bristol. The London merchants and the Bristol merchants didn't get along. The Bristol merchants decided to set up their own colony and by 1618 they had started the Bristol's Hope plantation.
The location of this settlement is not the same as that of present day Bristol's Hope. Instead, it was centered in Harbour Grace and extended north and south, including what is called Bristol's Hope today, and parts of Carbonear.
Mosquito
The town we call Bristol's Hopetoday was originally named Mosquito. AbbĂ© Jean Baudoin, , the priest who accompanied Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, referred to the community as Mosquit. He said it had 3 planters, 5 boats, and 2500 codfish. He described it as: â??a little harbour between Harbour Grace and Carbonearâ?? It was renamed Bristol's Hope in 1910, in honour of the original colony.
Governor Hayman
Harbour Grace. (Photo ©Gary Gleeson.)
Robert Hayman became the Governor of the Bristol's Hope plantation. His brother-in-law was the master of the Merchant Venturers at the time. That was probably how Robert became Governor.
Robert spent 15 months in Newfoundland during his first visit. He visited Newfoundland a number of other times after that, but never spent another winter on the island. He spent much of his time at Harbour Grace writing and translating poetry. His book Quodlibets is the first book of English poetry written in the New World.
A Prosperous Settlement
Harbour Grace seems to have prospered. In 1622, Richard Whitbourne said that the people there had built “faire houses and done many other good services and live there very pleasantly". According to a census of Newfoundland taken in 1675, there were six planters living at Harbour Grace at that time and they had 95 head of cattle.
Harbour Grace - King William's War
In 1697, a French force led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville attacked Harbour Grace. Abbé Jean Baudoin, the priest who accompanied Pierre, referred to the community as Havre de Grâce, which seems to confirm the town was named after Le Havre in France. The French found 100 men, 14 planters, 15 boats, and 7500 codfish in the settlement.
AbbĂ© Baudoin went on to say: â??M. d'Iberville has burned Harbour Grace, which is a very well-established place. There are many animals, which the settlers did not have time to take to the island [Carbonear Island ].â??
He also believed that Harbour Grace was the first harbour the English used in Newfoundland. He said: â??This harbour is the first established by the English on the island of Newfoundland. Three years ago a settler died here who was born in this place. He was 83 years old when he died.â?? (If this is true, the man must have been born in 1611.)
He went on to say that Harbour Grace and Carbonear supplied the other English settlements in the area with all their needs and the trade there drew â??a great trafficâ??.
Harbour Grace - Queen Anne's War
Harbour Grace was burned by a French force again in 1705. Once more, many of the settlers escaped to Carbonear Island .
Harbour Grace Recovered
Harbour Grace. (©Small Craft Harbours, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Used with permission.)
Harbour Grace soon recovered and over the next hundred years became one of the most important settlements in Newfoundland.