Old Perlican is a

fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 ...

on the

Avalon Peninsula The Avalon Peninsula () is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. It is in size. The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of the province's population, according to the 2016 Ca ...

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Incorporated in 1791, it is one of the oldest fishing communities in Newfoundland; it served as the major fishing station in Trinity Bay for migratory

fisherman A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million Commercial fishing, commercial and Artisan fishing, subsistence fishers and Fish farming, fi ...

from England in the 17th century.

History

Its name was recorded as "Parlican" as early as 1597. "Old" was added sometime later to distinguish it from New Perlican; the latter is located further up the bay. It was settled by at least 1640. A "planter" (an early settler or colonist) named John Barrett (1654-1714) lived there after arriving from Poole, England in 1711. One of, if not, the oldest recorded English land transaction in Newfoundland archives is between John Barrett and John Carter in 1711 in Old Perlican. The original is in the St. John's archives and a photocopy hangs in the Old Perlican Town Hall.

Timeline

* 1597 - Old Perlican was first mentioned as "Parlican". At this time, Old Perlican is a summer fishery station for migratory fishermen. * 1675 - First Newfoundland Census lists fourteen planters. * 1697 - (February) - French under D'Iberville capture Old Perlican. They report that there are "19 houses, several stores, more than thirty head of horned cattle, and a number of sheep and pigs". 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 Allian ...

, the village was destroyed in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign. * 1729 - Old Perlican is one of 11 harbors in Newfoundland to warrant the appointment of justice of the peace. * 1856 - Way Office established. * 1883 - First Postmaster was George Tuff.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Old Perlican 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.

Attractions

* Old Perlican Harbour Authority * Beckett Heritage Property * Historical Graves * "The Captains Inn" bed and breakfast * Trinity South D'Iberville Trail (Northern Terminus)

Notable people

* Marilyn Churley, former Ontario MPP * William James Herder, founder of Newfoundland's first daily newspaper

References

External links

The Ballad Of George Alfred BecketOld Perlican - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, vol. 4, p. 164-165.
{{fishing history, expanded=villages Populated coastal places in Canada Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador Fishing communities Fishing communities in Canada