Located in Mortier Bay, northeast of Marystown, how Spanish Room got t its name is not certain, but it is known that it was derived from the fishing industry.

There are two possible explanations: the first is that it was named after the migratory Spanish fishermen that were known to fish in the area; the second being that it is named after the manner in which fish were dried on the shore.

According to the DNLE "Spanish fish" or "shore cured fish" were terms used to describe cod fish that were prepared for market with a light application of salt and an extended drying period on the shore.

This form of preparation resulted in "lightly salted, dried cod-fish of the highest quality or 'cure."

Spanish fish were classified into three groups: the "Spanish" fish or "Merchantable" fish were top grade;

the second grade were called "Madeira" fish, also dried in this manner, but smaller in size (from the DNLE a quote from "The Merchants of Fogo" (edited by Greenleaf in 1933): "For fish they'll give half value, they will sacrifice it sore, / If it's under eleven inches, for Madeira it will go";

and then the lesser of value, were called West Indian, for they were shipped as "refuse fish" as was quoted from Lounsbury (1934) in the DNLE:

These [colonial] vessels brought ladings of bread, peas, flour, beef, pork, butter, tar, boards, brown sugar, and molasses, and received in exchange brandy, clothing, fishing gear, hard money in the form of Spanish pieces of eight, if they were obtainable, French and Spanish wines, as well as 'some red stinking fish' otherwise known as 'refuse' fish which they took to Barbados to serve as food for the negro slaves.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/SpanishRoom