Fortune: Located north of Point May, Fortune's name is believed to have come from either the Basque or the Portuguese word fortuna, however there is some dispute regarding the "type" of fortune.

The historian M.F. Howley has suggested that it refers to "misfortune", whereas W. B. Hamilton differs and believes it referred to as "good fortune" (ENL). Regardless of the type of fortune, early maps show that the location was known as far back as the early 1500s.

According to ENL sources in a census taken in 1687 "a place listed as Baie de Fortune but believed to be Fortune itself is listed as having a population of seventy- two people.

The population consisted of one family and sixty-three servants. There were three houses, one church, thirty-seven muskets and six homed cattle. It seems likely that Fortune at this time was a temporary fishing station occupied mainly during the summer months, with the majority of the people returning to France after the fishing season".

Today Fortune is a very important seaport as it is there that one can take the ferry to the French island of St.-Pierre, a distance of 25 kilometres (16 mi) off- shore.

The sign over the ferry terminal reads "France-Canada border crossing" - certainly makes for a different photo op! The 2016 census showed that there were 1,401 residents (a decrease of 2.8% from the 1,442 recorded in 2011).

The town of Fortune should not be confused with Fortune Harbour. Fortune Harbour is on the northern side of the island, looking out to Notre Dame Bay, in the Twillingate area, and it is a much smaller village.

In 2016 it was recorded as having 78 residents, down 7.1% from 2011 when there were 84 townsfolk. Hikers visiting the area enjoy the Fairy Hill Trail which connects to roads that lead to some abandoned communities.

FORTUNE BAY:
Fortune Bay is not one of the biggest bays on the island, but it has a long history due to its proximity to excellent fishing grounds.

As mentioned earlier, the town of Fortune and the Bay are believed to come from the Portuguese word fortuna meaning either "good fortune" or "bad fortune".

It stretches from Point Crewe on the southeast side (on the Burin Peninsula) to Pass Island to the northwest, a distance of 56 km (35 mi). From the entrance to the head, it extends approximately 105 km (65 mi) and there are a number of smaller bays (known for their ability to shelter fishermen in bay weather, from west to east including Connaigre Bay, Deadman Bight, Great Bay de L'eau, and Belle Bay.

There are a number of islands, both big and small that can be hazardous to small ships - the biggest is Brunette Island that is in the centre of the entrance.

According to information contained in the ENL, the name "Fortune Bay" is thought to be one of the "oldest surviving names" on the island, possibly as far back as Pedro Reinel's map dated 1505.

Reinel was a Portuguese cartographer who lived from circa 1462 to 1542.

Fishermen from the Basque region, from France, Spain, Portugal and England were known to have used various coves and inlets in which to dry their fish, and names such Cap Negre (Connaigre), Havre Bertrand (Harbour Breton), Bande de Laurier (Belleoram), Bay L'Argent and Point Enragee, all are of French origin, and according to a French census completed in 1687, there were people of French origin in Cap Negre (72), Havre Bertrand (36), Grand Banc (45) and Baie de Fortune, later known as Fortune (72).

After the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, the French were forced to leave and the English dominated the area. Captain Cook surveyed the area in the 1760s and noted English fishing stations at Grand Bank, Fortune, St. Jacques, Harbour Breton, Boxey, Dawson's Cove, Pass Island, and Belleoram among others who had decidedly "English" names.

By 1775 there were twenty settlements in the bay and many of the newer settlers were from the west of England, particularly Devonshire, Dorsetshire and Somersetshire.

Some of the earlier settlers, and perhaps the earliest were Basque fishermen from the Channel Islands.

H.W. Le Messurier (1916), mentioned earlier in connection with early history of Basque fishermen, has tied the Jersey fishermen to the town of Rencontre East, which is located at the bottom of Fortune Bay.

From the French word for "encounter" or "meeting place", he stated that the two hills on either side of the small bay the town is on are a direct reference to two towns in Jersey, St. Aubin and St. Helier.

The population of Rencontre East is small; in 2016 there were only 139 residents, a 1.4% decrease from the 141 recorded 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/FortuneNL