Bay de Verde ( 2016 population: 392) is an incorporated town in Conception Bay on the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula of

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The first recorded inhabitants at Bay de Verde arrived in 1662. Bay de Verde became an incorporated town in 1950.

Geography

Bay de Verde is the northernmost community in Conception Bay. The central part of this picturesque fishing

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

is nestled between two hills, while on both sides the low-lying area gently slopes towards the ocean. On the southwestern side is the harbour, called the ''foreside'', where fishing boats are

moored A mooring is any permanent structure to which a vessel may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to forestall free movement of the ship on the water. An ''an ...

in the central section away from the land and

wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...

s and at one time away from the fishing stages. The other side of this low-lying area, called the ''backside'', was once also used for

fishing stage A fishing stage is a wooden vernacular building, typical of the rough traditional buildings associated with the cod fishery in Newfoundland, Canada. Stages are located at the water's edge or "landwash", and consist of an elevated platform on the s ...

s, called ''fishing rooms'', where boats were also moored away from the land. Due to its more treacherous rocks and steep slopes and its exposure to the raging sea and winds of the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...

, backside has long been abandoned as an area for fishing rooms. Bay de Verde and surrounding areas are barren of any trees except for a small grove of rugged

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

trees called the minister's grove. This is where the manse of the Minister of the local

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

was built. On the western side of the harbour just below an area called Spring Hill is the section of

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton ...

, which derives its name from an English town by the same name. Bay de Verde is accessible by Route 70 of the provincial road system. The road down to the heart of the town is very steep and can be very dangerous in the winter during snow storms. Split Point, a prolific fishing berth in the community, is also the boundary line between Conception Bay and Cape St. Francis.

Towns and communities nearby

Bay de Verde and surrounding areas are dotted by small fishing communities established to be close to the fishing grounds. Some of the communities within a 15-minute driving distance from Bay de Verde are: * Red Head Cove * Grates Cove * Daniel's Cove * Old Perlican * Low Point *

Caplin Cove Caplin Cove ( ) is a small community on the north shore of Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is surrounded on the north by Low Point near the end of the Bay de Verde Peninsula, and on the south by Lower Island Cove. Capl ...

Climate

The climate of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent land areas is influenced by the temperatures of the surface waters and water currents as well as the winds blowing across the waters. Because of the oceans' great capacity for retaining heat, the climate of Bay de Verde are moderate and free of extreme seasonal variations. Precipitation falls on the area both as snow in the wintertime and moderate rainfall in summer. The Gulf Stream and Labrador Current converge just off the coast of Newfoundland and provide for very dense fog that can linger in the area for days. Snow can accumulate with prolonged periods of snowfall which was the case in the winter of 2000 - 2001. The attached picture shows the height of snow from the road surface

History

According to D. W. Prowse (1895) the earliest documented inhabitant of the 'Bay of Arbs' (today known as Bay de Verde) was Isaac Dethick, an English planter who was expelled from Placentia in 1662 when the French took over that town. There is no doubt that there were settlers such as the Taverners already established at Bay de Verde when he arrived. In 1675 seven families and their servants, numbering close to 150 people, had erected eleven rooms and stages in the harbour. The best record of the period comes from the journal of Abbe Baudoin, dated February 2 to February 6, 1697. Baudoin, who travelled with

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

's raiders, noted that "there were in this harbour fourteen settlers well established and ninety good men." During

King William's War King William's War (also known as the Second Indian War, Father Baudoin's War, Castin's War, or the First Intercolonial War in French) was the North American theater of the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), also known as the War of the Grand All ...

, the village was destroyed in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign. These French raiding parties destroyed the community and killed a number of inhabitants again during

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

in 1705. One of the early family names of Bay de Verde is Taverner. According to H. F. Shortis (1910) William Taverner was a naval officer and surveyor on a British

man-of-war The man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a Royal Navy expression for a powerful warship or frigate from the 16th to the 19th century. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually reserved for a ship armed wi ...

who later worked on a Newfoundland map of 1745. The main road in Bay de Verde is Masters Road named after John Masters, apprenticed to William Taverner about 1700–1701. The Taverner family of Poole and Bay de Verde – a moderately well-off group which divided its time between Poole and Newfoundland. Abraham, William Taverner's brother, an obscure figure, was the Newfoundland agent for the London merchant,

James Campbell James Campbell may refer to: Academics * James Archibald Campbell (1862–1934), founder of Campbell University in North Carolina * James Marshall Campbell (1895–1977), dean of the college of arts and sciences at the Catholic University of Americ ...

, who had extensive plantations at Bay de Verde. Campbell was financial agent in London for Captain John Moody who had been commander of the Newfoundland garrison during Major Thomas Lloyd's absence in 1704–1705 and who was an avowed adversary of Lloyd. Although many of the Newfoundland planters tried to keep away from both Lloyd and Moody, William Taverner led a group which, early in 1708, complained about Lloyd's exploitation of the colonists.

17th century

* 1612 - October 1612

Bartholomew Pearson Bartholomew Pearson ( fl. 1612 – 1632) yeoman, settler, born in Wollaton, Nottingham, England was one of the group of English settlers of John Guy's colony at Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland who had arrived in 1612, two years after the colony was ...

, yeoman of

Wollaton Wollaton is a suburb and former parish in the western part of Nottingham, England. Wollaton has two Wards in the City of Nottingham (''Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey'' and ''Wollaton West'') with a total population as at the 2011 census of 24,69 ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

, settler in the first English colony in Newfoundland, took part in John Guy's expedition to Trinity Bay and was among those ship-wrecked at Green Bay (Bay de Verde) on the way back. Nine days later, near starvation, they regained

Cuper's Cove Cuper's Cove, on the southwest shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula was an early English settlement in the New World, and the third one after Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (1583) and Jamestown, Virginia (1607) to endure for lo ...

(now Cupids), having walked to Carbonear where they had found a boat. Pearson was one of a group of settlers who went to Cuper's Cove in 1612. His task was to assess the agricultural possibilities of Newfoundland to only condemned both the land and the climate after a few months there. This expedition was financed by Sir

Percival Willoughby Sir Percival Willoughby (died 23 August 1643) of Wollaton Hall, Nottinghamshire was a prominent land owner, businessman, and entrepreneur involved during his lifetime variously in mining, iron smelting, and glass making enterprises in Nottinghamsh ...

, a prominent member of the Merchant Venturers company formed in 1610 for the plantation of Newfoundland. * 1628 - Sir

David Kirke Sir David Kirke ( – 1654), also spelt David Ker, was an adventurer, privateer and colonial governor. He is best known for his successful capture of Québec in 1629 during the Thirty Years' War and his subsequent governorship of lands in Ne ...

Governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as ...

encouraged British settlement in Newfoundland, collected a five per cent tax on all fish and oil taken by foreign fishermen, and fortified the choice spots of

Ferryland Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Avalon Peninsula. According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census, its population is 371. Seventeenth century settlement Ferryland was originally established as a station for migratory fis ...

, St. John's and Bay de Verde. * 1662 – Isaac Dethick settled at Bay de Verde after being deported from Placentia by the newly arrived French garrison. * 1675 – There are seven families and their servants, numbering about 150 people total, occupying 11 rooms and stages in the harbour at this time. * 1677 – Bay de Verde fishery produces 1,700

quintals The quintal or centner is a historical unit of mass in many countries which is usually defined as 100 base units, such as pounds or kilograms. It is a traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain and their former colonies. It is co ...

of fish. * 1693 – Bay de Verde fishery produces 4,450 quintals of fish. * 1697 – The journal of Abbe Baudoin noted that "there were in this harbour fourteen settlers well established and ninety good men".

18th century

* 1714 – William Taverner, born at Bay de Verde, surveys the south coast of Newfoundland for the English crown. * 1729 – Bay de Verde becomes one of the six judicial districts created by Governor Henry Osborn, in order to protect life liberty and property. These districts were responsible for the erection of stocks and the administration of

flogging Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...

for minor crimes. * 1738 - Seventeen ships are engaged in the cod fishery.

19th century

* 1804 - George Garland establishes a trading post. * 1811 - 20+ individuals had disembarked the schooner ''Fanny'' at Bay de Verde due to the deplorable conditions they endured in the voyage from Ireland to Newfoundland. On September 3, 1811 James Lannon, master of the schooner ''Fanny'', appeared in court at St. John's to answer to the charge of not providing water and food for the crew and passengers. They left Waterford, Ireland on April 23, 1811 for St. John's. The schooner was greatly overcrowded with 184 passengers and twelve crew. John Lynch who appeared as a witness paid 6 guineas for his passage told how they only received a quart of water a day during his voyage and for the last week of their voyage only received half pint of water a day. * 1823 – Newfoundland School Society under the direction of Samuel Codner establishes its first free school. * 1832 – John Lynch is teaching school in the cooper shop of Timothy Dineen at Bay de Verde. * 1838 – Northern Bay

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

is established and Father Bernard Duffy begins his ministry covering all of the North Shore including Bay de Verde . * 1839 – First

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

denominational school is established by the Newfoundland School Society and run by William Pippy.. * 1841 - Church of England wardens James Norris and William Barter establish the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Parish. * 1843 – School master John Morrissey begins a Roman Catholic denominational school. * 1846 – Reverend John Roberts is appointed to the Church of England mission of Grates Cove – Bay de Verde. * 1847 – Oliver Rouse arrives to take over the Anglican Parish and its missions. * 1870 – The newly constituted Road Board begins to establish roads. * 1872 – Road completed to Red Head Cove, Grates Cove and Old Perlican. * 1873 - James Ryan of Bonavista, owner of James Ryan and Company establishes a trading operation at Bay de Verde. * 1880 – Roman Catholic Parish of the Assumption established with Reverend Gregory Battcock as priest. * 1881 – First telegraph line from

Carbonear Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It overlooks the west side of Conception Bay and had a history long tied to fishing and shipbuilding. Since the late 20th century, its economy has changed to emphasiz ...

to Bay de Verde. * 1891 – St. Barnabas Anglican Church completed. * 1892 – Construction began on Assumption Parish Roman Catholic Church.

20th century

* 1902 – Thomas Moore begins to operate one of the first lobster canning plants in the community. * 1911 –

Fisherman's Protective Union The Fishermen's Protective Union (sometimes called the Fisherman's Protective Union, the FPU, The Union or the Union Party) was a workers' organisation and political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The development of the FPU mirrored tha ...

store is open. * 1916 –

Railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

Branch Line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

from Carbonear to Bay de Verde is completed. * 1929 – Electricity is turned on for the first time. Power is supplied from the United Township Electric Company. * 1932 – Railway branch line is shut down. * 1942 – First breakwater built at Emberley's Point. * 1943 – Silas "Si" Moores purchases property on the waterfront and begins fish processing. * 1946 – The Fisherman's Co-operative Society is established. * 1947 – Duncan Blundon builds his

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...

for manufacture of trap grapples and other metal works. * 1948 – First cod liver reducing plant built. * 1949 – Liver plant catches on fire and explosions can be heard throughout the night as 50 gallon drums are burned and exploded. * 1950 – Patrick Noonan becomes the first mayor of Bay de Verde's Town Council, which was established in July to provide services, including a municipal water supply system. Council rendered inactive in the next year. * 1953 – Fish processing/cold storage plant built by "Si" Moores, replacing old Moores store. Plant is operated each season until 1965 by North Eastern Fish Industries Limited (Moores's company). * 1954 – Maurice and Patrick Quinlan buy out the business of James F. O'Neill. * 1955 – The Ice house is demolished to give way to

slipway A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...

and

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attache ...

to haul boats onto dry land in fall for winter storage. * 1958 – Ice house dismantled. * 1962 – "Si" Moores dies, leaving the fish plant in the possession of his son,

Frank Moores Frank Duff Moores (February 18, 1933 – July 10, 2005) served as the second premier of Newfoundland. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives from 1972 until his retirement in 1979. Moores was also a successful businessman in bo ...

. * 1965 –

Birds Eye Birds Eye is an American international brand of frozen foods owned by Conagra Brands in the United States, by Nomad Foods in Europe, and Simplot in Australia. The former Birds Eye Company Ltd., originally named "Birdseye Seafood, Inc." had b ...

Foods Limited purchases 51% share of North Eastern Fish Industries Limited from the Moores family. * 1967 – St. Joseph's Central High School opens. * 1968 – Birds Eye/North Eastern Fish Industries Limited cease operations and the Moores family sells the plant to Quinlan Brothers when

decides to enter federal politics. At that time the plant employed over 300 people from Bay de Verde and surrounding communities. Quinlan Brothers continue cod and turbot processing at the plant with a fleet consisting of six of the twelve longliners fishing from the community. * 1972 – Tricon Elementary School opens. * 1975 – Town Council reactivated after twenty-five years of dormancy. * 1992 – Cod fishery is closed down by the Federal Government of Canada. Crab and shrimp fishery continues to be successful at Bay de Verde. * 1999 – Bay de Verde Heritage House and

Baccalieu Island Baccalieu Island or Bacalhoo Island () is a 5 km2 uninhabited island at the northern extremities of Conception Bay in Subdivision 1G, near the community of Red Head Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is separated from the island ...

Exhibit officially opened.

21st century

* 2002 - St. Joseph's Central High School closes. * 2004 - Bay de Verde wins 'TIDY TOWNS AWARD' * 2016 - Quinlan's Fish Plant burned down April 11, leaving about 700 unemployed. * 2017 - Quinlan Brothers Seafood Processing Plant re-opens.

Shipwrecks

* the longliner ''Mainlander'' owned by Gordon Tweed, uncle of

Shannon Tweed Shannon Lee Tweed Simmons (born March 10, 1957) is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller. Tweed has appeared in more than 60 films and in ...

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Bay de Verde had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Economy

Bay de Verde today is a prominent fishing community located on the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula of Conception Bay near

Tourist attractions

* Heritage Premises (Blundon House) and Baccalieu Island Exhibit * The Bay de Verde Heritage House is a merchant-class Victorian house built in 1896 which features many exhibits, including one on the Baccalieu Island Bird Sanctuary. * Active Fishing Community with a major crab plant * Two Historic Churches, Roman Catholic and Anglican (Over 100 years old) * Baccalieu Island Ecological Reserve. Seabird Colony *Scenic view of beautiful Conception Bay * Iceberg viewing and Whale Watching (humpbacks, minkes, etc.) *Lazy Rock Hiking Trail. Groomed and maintained hiking trail. 3k *Boat Tour *Crab Plant Tour (in season) *Many picnic tables

Notable people

D'Arcy Broderick D'Arcy Broderick is a Newfoundland musician who plays Musical styles (violin)#Fiddle, fiddle, guitar, mandola, banjo, accordion and mandolin. He is best known as a former member of the popular Irish-Newfoundland bands The Irish Descendants and Th ...

Singer and musician (born Bay de Verde) * William James Emberley fisherman and songwriter (born Bay de Verde) * Paul O'Neill C.M. Order of Canada, writer, producer (born St. John's, lived in Bay de Verde) * William Taverner Planter, trader, surveyor (born Bay de Verde)

References

External links

Town of Bay de Verde
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bay De Verde Populated places established in 1662 Populated coastal places in Canada Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador Fishing communities in Canada 1662 establishments in the British Empire