Portugal Cove-St. Philip's: Located on the "mainland" next to Bell Island, Portugal Cove (now amalgamated with the community of St. Philip's and a number of other "unorganized areas, such as Hogan's Pond) the community now goes by the name of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's.

Considered to be one of the oldest communities in Newfoundland, the area was used by Portuguese fishermen during the migratory fishery who were looking for a port where they could take shelter. It is probably pretty obvious that it was the Portuguese who named the cove after their home country - Portugal.

It is believed that the Portuguese explorer, Gaspar Corte-Real actually gave community its name, however, according to the town's website there is some confusion as to whether or not he ever set foot on the land in that area, or just sailed by.

Oral history has suggested that two of Corte Real's sailors are buried atop the 'Geeze', the land to the north of the ferry dock in Portugal Cove. Portugal Cove, however, was not actually settled by Portuguese fishermen, rather, it was visited by Portuguese fishermen, however, by the 1600s it was settled by fishermen from the west Country of England and Ireland.

It was also is known to have a small settlement of fishermen from the Channel Islands, specifically Jersey. It was burnt by the French in 1696 but with grit and determination, like the settlers in other communities that suffered at the hands of the French, it was rebuilt.

Fishery remained prominent until the moratorium, and with its amalgamation with nearby St. Philips in 1992, the population continues to grow (almost an anomaly in Newfoundland). In 2016, there were 8,147 residents (an 10.6% increase over the 7,366 recorded in 2011). Most of the residents work in the St. John's area (approximately a 15-minute commute) - the fishery is no longer is the main employer.

It is believed that St. Philip's was settled in the late 18th century by John Squires and Robin Tucker who arrived in 1790. Squires settled the east side of Broad Cove and Tucker the west side. An interesting bit of history is that it is reported that as Squires "was more interested in farming than fishing" and Tucker "more interested in fishing than farming", at some point the two men exchanged properties, the west side of the cove being more conducive to farming.

Why it was named St. Philip's, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, was is unknown, neither is it known (at least to the research team) who chose the name.)

For an interesting "snap-shot" of life in PCSP, one should turn to the website that is devoted to stories of the area, recorded by students at MUN, entitled "Stories from the Portugal Cove St. Philip's Memory Mug Up" published in 2017. A "Mug Up" is defined as "an informal story sharing session for seniors, where people gather, have a cup of tea, and share memories" with the "goal [being] to help participants share and preserve their stories".

Over time, in a few communities, the Irish became the predominant ethnic group, surpassing the English. They include the towns of Ferryland and Trepassey, which have been already included in the section on "The English Coast" as well Bay Roberts, Port- de-Grave, Harbour Main, and Placentia (also discussed in the section on "The English Shore")

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/PortugalCoveStPhilips