St. George's
Town

Phone : (709) 647-3283
Your Host(s) : Municipality


P.O. Box 250
Saint George's, A0N 1Z0


Newfoundland Tourism Region : Western


St. George's: Located in the bay by the same name on the west coast of the Great Northern Peninsula, the town was previously known as South Side and Little Bay, both common names on the island.

The community of St George's, incorporated in 1965, now includes South Side (or St. George's proper), Seal Rocks (to the northeast, towards St. George's River) and Shallop Cove (to the southwest). The component parts of the town do not appear separately in the Census until 1884, when it was recorded that there were 165 at South Side, 185 at Seal Rocks, and 37 at Shallop Cove.

It remained as South Side until the turn of the 20th century, when in 1904, Bishop Neil McNeil is said to have moved the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. George's to area and the town was officially renamed St. George's.

According to an article in the Bristol Post, St. George was a solider in the Roman army at the time of the emperor Diocletian. It is believed that he was executed in 303 AD for refusing to renounce his Christian faith and refused to comply with the Roman Emperor's orders that soldiers make sacrifices to pagan gods.

He spent seven years being tortured in the worst ways imaginable, but during that time he refused to give up his religion.

Some legends even suggest that St George died three times during his tortuous ordeal and was brought back to life each time. He was eventually beheaded in 303 AD.

He was canonized as a Saint by Pope Gelasius 1 almost 200 years later, in 494 AD. He was chosen as England's patron Saint in 1350, by King Edward III, as he was admired for his bravery in the face of terrible suffering, particularly by European Knights and military men.

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

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