Where land and sea collide

Twillingate is one of the oldest seaports in Newfoundland. The French fishing fleet used the waters around the island between 1650 and 1690 and it was these fishermen who gave the islands the name “Toulinquet” because of their similarity to a group of islands off the French coast near Brest. The name became anglicized to Twillingate with the first formal settlement of a town was around 1700. The first livyers, or permanent settlers, were English fishermen and their families from Devonshire.

In the early 1700s a few English fishermen began to settle at Twillingate Harbour, as the French fishery began to concentrate on the area north of Cape S. John (referred to locally as Cape John). In about 1750 John Slade of Poole, England settled on the harbour as his Newfoundland headquarters. By 1760, records show that two main merchants were bringing in over a thousand pounds worth of business a year.

Over the next 25 years the Slade business grew, employing Twillingate as a base to exploit the resources of the northern Newfoundland (cod, furs, salmon and seals).

A second period of growth began during the Napoleonic Wars (1798-1815). As the French were unable to journey to their accustomed fishing grounds on the “Petit Nord,” Twillingate people moved in to fish there. Further, the dangers of transatlantic travel during wartime convinced many who had formerly returned to England after each season to settle year-round and further explore and exploit the resources “up the bays” during the winter. Twillingate’s status as “Metropolis of the North” was confirmed and the town developed around the harbour.

With the growth of a seal fishery in the 18th century, settlers became more enterprising and were engaged almost year round with fishing and farming in the summer and autumn and the seal fishery the spring.

A strong resident merchant class developed a local fishery and in the 19th century Twillingate became one of Newfoundland’s largest centres for the Labrador cod and seal fisheries. The modern town, now linked by causeway to insular Newfoundland, is a regional centre for smaller communities in the area.

 

The Sou’wester hat was developed in the 1800’s. Originally coated with linseed oil and lampblack, the design provided superior protection against foul weather when fishing in the North Atlantic. In fact, it is still preferred by many fishermen today. The turned up front and long back keep water away from the face and neck without hindering visibility. Now made with a more modern coating, the Sou’wester still gives the same traditional look, flexibility and rugged comfort demanded by those who challenge the elements.