Hant's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
The community of Hant's Harbour (48°00′55"N 53°15′45"W NST
Newfoundland Standard Time Zone
Newfoundland Standard Time ' is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3½ hours from Coordinated Universal Time , resulting in UTC−3:30, or 2½ hours during daylight saving time...

) is an incorporated town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 having a population of 401 (2006 Census) located on the east side of Trinity Bay
Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Trinity Bay is a large bay on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Major fishing communities include Trinity and Heart's Content.-Industry:...

 on the Bay de Verde Peninsula
Bay de Verde Peninsula
The Bay de Verde Peninsula is the largest peninsula that makes up part of the Avalon Peninsula, of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...

, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

Geography

Hant's Harbour is a small fishing village built around a small harbour which opens on the north to Trinity Bay. The harbour waters are able to accommodate vessels up to 100 tons, the landscapes which surround it are low hills which are rocky and barren.

Towns and communities nearby

  • New Chelsea
  • New Melbourne
  • Brownsdale
    Brownsdale, Newfoundland and Labrador
    New Chelsea-New Melbourne-Brownsdale-Sibley's Cove-Lead Cove is a designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of five unincorporated fishing villages on the Trinity Bay side of the northern tip of the Bay de Verde Peninsula.The area had a population of 541 in...

  • Winterton
    Winterton, Newfoundland and Labrador
    Winterton is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was originally named Sille Cove or Scilly Cove. In 1912 the town was named Winterton for Sir James Spearman Winter, former Prime Minister of Newfoundland....

  • Turks Cove
    Turks Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
    Turks Cove was a settlement in Trinity District. The first postmistress was Bridget Moore.Other Post Mistrisses include Anastasia Antle and Alice Ryan who was postmaster for 30 years up until 1972There are Antles, Ryans, Conways and Moores in the cove...

  • New Perlican

History

During King William's War
King William's War
The first of the French and Indian Wars, King William's War was the name used in the English colonies in America to refer to the North American theater of the Nine Years' War...

, the village was destroyed in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign
Avalon Peninsula Campaign
The Avalon Peninsula Campaign occurred during King Williams War when forces of New France, led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, destroyed 23 English settlements along the coast of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland in the span of three months...

. Like most of the early settlements around the coast of Newfoundland, the population grew very slowly during the eighteenth century.

Hant's Harbour early residents were mostly of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

, during the eighteenth century they depended upon the services of clergy on the irregular visits of the missionaries for the Society of the Propagation of the Gospel, stationed at Trinity
Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador
Trinity is a small town located on Trinity Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador.The harbour at Trinity was first used by fishing ships around the 16th century. The Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real is said to have named this place because he arrived here on Trinity Sunday in 1501. It was settled by...

.

The rise and rapid growth of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

 in Hant's Harbour caused the Church of England community to remain small, its members being served the clergy stationed at nearby parishes. In the early twentieth century the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

 came to Hant's Harbour and gradually built up a substantial membership, and constructed a citadel there.

Timeline

  • 1697 - Abbe Baudoin reports that there are four houses at Hant's Harbour.
  • 1801 - Five families are listed as living in Hant's Harbour.
  • 1813 - T.E. and Mary Pelley die. The gravestone recording this still stands.
  • 1820’s – The first known church is built in the community.
  • 1830’s – The population consists of 400 people.
  • 1847 – Ten vessels carrying 271 men are engaged in the seal hunt.
  • 1853 – Eight vessels totalling 767 tons carry 294 men to the seal hunt.
  • 1868 – 1870 – A second and much larger church is built, serving the circuit until 1907 when it is destroyed to build a new one.
  • 1871 – Lovell’s Newfoundland Dictionary lists 81 of the 104 householders in Hant’s Harbour as fisherman. Two others are listed as farmers.
  • 1880’s – The population grows to its peak of about 750 residents.
  • 1961 – Fire destroys the vegetation which formerly covered the low hills which surround the harbour.

Climate

Relatively mild winters with considerable variation in snow cover. Heavy rainfalls from October through December. Summers cooled by low clouds and fogs near coasts, considerably brighter and warmer inland.

Economy

From the beginning the economy of Hant's Harbour was based mainly on the fisheries, until the nineteenth century when it was the inshore cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...

 fishery and the Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...

fishery during the latter half of the century. This was also an important source of seasonal income during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Attractions

  • Willow Tree Museum
  • Hant’s Harbour Lighthouse
  • Willow Tree Fishing Stage
  • Willow Tree Site
  • Little Islands Hiking Trail

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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