Hant's Harbour:

Located on the east side of Trinity Bay, about 20 km (12 mi) north of Heart's Content one would think that a simple name like Hant's Harbour would be easy to determine its origin, but in fact there are several, very different possibilities, hence it is in the "undeterminable" category.

While it is thought that the harbour was used by the Beothuk, its original Beothuk name is unknown.

According to information in presented in the ENL, there is a very strong possibility that Hant's Harbour was the site of a slaughter of these Indigenous persons:

One account states that a "massacre" at Hant's Harbour resulted in "about four hundred" Beothuk being driven into the sea and killed by "a group of fishermen" (Harold Horwood: 1969, p. 76).

Elsewhere the number killed is put at two hundred (Newfoundland Historical Society: Hant's Harbour).

But since research, conducted in the 1970s, indicates that the number of Beothuk on the Island did not exceed 600... neither account of a slaughter of such proportions in an area that was never one of the Beothuk's chief haunts appears to be correct".

Settled relatively early on, there are several theories where the name originated: The first suggestion, from Seary (cited in the ENL) is that since many of the earliest settlers were from England, the name could have derived from the "common abbreviation" for the county of Hampshire, i.e., "Hants";

however, Hamilton (1996) made it clear, in his opinion that this theory "held no water" when he stated: "There is no connection with Hants, the abbreviated form of 'Hampshire".

He suggested that it appears as L'Ance Arbe or Ance Arbre on early French Records (which, if that is the case, translates to "Tree Cove") and Hans Harbour in Taverner Survey of 1714-15.

This possibility seems to be consistent with material included in the ENL, where it was reported that "Abbe Jean Baudoin, chaplain with Le Moyne d'Iberville's French army, wrote in his Journal in 1697 that a settlement between Old Perlican and "Havre-Content" (Heart's Content) taken by the French on January 7, 1697 was called "Lance Arbre" or "Anse Arbre".

However, in the ENL entry, the suggestion is given that Seary believed that "Baudoin was attempting to give a phonetic equivalent in French of an English name already attached to the settlement".

In addition, Seary also suggest that the name could have been a "variant" of the English family, Hand or Hands.

But, confusion abounds, as at the Wikitree.com site, it is stated that Hant's Harbour was originally called L'Anse Havre. From that site comes the following written description of the community's history:

Originally called L'Anse Havre, or Cove Haven in French, Hant's Harbour is one of the oldest European settlements in Newfoundland.

Capt. Richard Whitbourn was using it as a harbour as early as 1615, and continued to use it for 40 for years fishing.

The earliest tombstones date from the very early 1800s, and suggest that people were permanently living there from the late 1700s. The names on those tombstones, Short, and Adey, were still common in the town 50 years later!!

In 1871, Hant's Harbour was an important fishing settlement on south side of Trinity Bay, district of Trinity.

Agriculture and ship building are carried on here to some extent. It was a post town and port of entry. Distant from Old Perlican by road 16 miles and from Heart's Content by road 12 miles. Mail weekly. Population 730

Edgar C. Janes (1953) also suggested that the original name was actually "Anse Havre" and that it had been a "rendezvous for Portuguese pirates".

He wrote: Certainly, there is some justification for the pirate legend in the fact that in comparatively recent years "buried treasure" consisting of Spanish "doubloons" were unearthed here.

There is still in existence an old cannon that was used in those thrilling days of long ago and there are some round shots of the kind that were used in those days.

Who knows, perhaps they were left by one of the early marauders in a hasty exit. Janes also gives more detail of the early settlers of the community:

In the oldest cemetery, still preserved, I have taken the following dates from headstones, but there are many made from slate from which the lettering has completely disappeared. No doubt some of these were earlier than those listed here:

From this source then, we gather that "Catherine Adey, wife of Martin Adey, died July 1st, 1811, aged 19 years," which places her birth at 1792.

John Soper, who died May 11th, 1851, also of his son John, who died March 11th, 1811; the age of the son was not given but the father must have been in his twenties at the latter date (1811) which would place his birth in the late 1700's.

Another tombstone gave barely the names "T. E. Pelley and Mary Pelley, 1813." John Janes, aged 66 years placing his birth at 1792.

(This tombstone has the name of the manufacturer "John Smith, St. John's"). The oldest decipherable record would appear to be "To the Memory of Richard Pelley who departed this life Dec. 4th, 1836 aged 72 years," thus placing his birth at 1764.

The quaint verse on the stone reads: "Here let my slumb'ring atoms rest Till the last rising morn, When in immortal vigour drest

From the church records which go back to 1824, we gathered the following: "Maria Short, wife of Samuel Short was buried today, April 3rd, 1825." Signed Simeon Noale.

Under marriages appears "William Janes and Anne Pelley, Dec. 5th, 1848." Signed "James England, Wesleyan Minister." Witnesses: "John Husson and John Pawley."

The population in 2016 of Hant's Harbour according to the most recent census, included 329 residents, a 4.9% decrease from the 346 reported in 2011.

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/HantsHarbour