Harbour Main: Located at the bottom of Conception Bay, Harbour Main has been officially amalgamated with two other communities, Chapel Cove and Lakeview since the early 1960s or 1970s (dates appear to differ depending on the source).

Both St. John's and Conception Bay South are nearby - a 40 minute drive and a 30 minute drive, respectively. The "old" community of Harbour Main extended along the east and south shore for a stretch approximately 8 km (5 miles).

There are two theories about the origin of the name: some feel it comes from the Breton name "St. Men" or "St. Mein"; other think it came from the French family, "Maine" which is also a place name in France.

The first time the name "Harbour Maine" (i.e., Main with an "-e") appeared was in the early 1630s or 1640s. According to information on the Grand Banks website, a set English sailing directions show it as Harbour de Main, dated 1680.

At one point it was also referred to as "Rogue's Roost" or "Rogues Roost". The following excerpt describes how that name came about: The name Harbour Main, which is believed to be of French origin, appeared first on a map thought to have been completed in the 1630s or 1640s. Later the town was referred to as "Rogues Roost." It was given this name because it was a safe haven for many Irishmen who escaped harsh service in St. John's.

They made their way to "Runaway Rock" in an area of the town know as Duffs. Duffs is at the bottom of a hill near the water on the route from St. John's. At Duff's, the young men lit signal fires to signal friends. The friends came, took them, and hid them away in Harbour Main.

These young Irishmen were called "Rogues" by the people in whose service they had been in St. John's. The first settler of Harbour Main was Jeremy Fortune, who in 1675 is reported as having 20 servants and 4 boats.

In the later part of the 18th century, immigrants from Ireland are first reported in the community. Eventually it became almost exclusively Irish and it became a Roman Catholic enclave in an area that had been predominantly Protestant English area.

By the time the first census was taken, in 1836, there were 550 residents, and the main occupation was listed as fishing.

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/HarbourMain