A History of Renews
The following material is extracted from pages 2 and 3 from the NEWFOUNDLAND QUARTERLY IX, July, 1909 Article by W. F. Howley
The extract is a discussion of place names in the Renews area as well as some local history. To my knowledge no extensive history has been written about Renews.
BEAR’S COVE,
…midway between Fermeuse and Renewse, is so called because bears were at one time seen there.
Note: It is understood that until recent times, the only bear on the island of Newfoundland, the Black Bear, was not found on the Avalon. Historical reference to bears in the southeast Avalon such as Bear Cove Point and Bear Cove refer to Polar Bears. Bears hunting seals on ice flows off northeast Newfoundland in early spring were very infrequently carried down into the south Avalon. Abandoning the ice they swam to shore and were presumably eventually shot by locals at places that now bear their names.
SCULPIN COVE,
…just outside the northern head of Renews, got its name because "a peculiar fish was found in it”.
Kettle Bottom, Whale’s Back, White Horse, Shag Rock and Anchor Rock are all within the headlands of Renews Harbour, and are the shoals that are offered as an excuse why "the coastal steamer may not enter in dirty weather”.
The first have their names because they resemble the kettle and whale, the third, because a white breaker is nearly always be seen there.
SHAG ROCK was once the choice resting place of a so-called bird.
ANCHOR ROCK, owing to the water being deep near it, was formerly used in making vessels fast to a peculiar spur that sticks up on it.
RENEWS
…is the harbour next south of Fermeuse. I here adopt the modern official spelling of this name from the Post Office Directory.
I may say, however, with safety that I don't think there is a name on all our coast line which rejoices in such a variety of orthography as this one. It would be quite impossible for me to attempt to collect all the different " declensions" of the word I will here give just a few, so as to present some idea of the variations to which it has been subject. We have then:
1. Renouze ; 2 Rognoso ; 3 Rognouse; 4 Renew*; 5-Renewse ; 6 Rogneuse ; 7 Rognousse ;
8 Rougnoze; 9.Rougnouste; 10 Renowse ; 11. Renowes; 12 Rounouse 13 Rhenus, &c., &c.
This latter spelling, as stated in last Article, is only a fantastic notion of Sir. W. Vaughan s. It is the Latin, and classical name of the Rhine. The similarity of the sounds tickled the ear of the old pedant, and he immediately translated Renews into Rhenns.
The name of this harbour is found upon the oldest of our existing maps Majollo’s ( 1527), &c. It is my belief that this name and those of the surrounding bays and capes are of the time of the Cabots. In a former Article I mentioned how the traditions of the Basques show that somewhere in the middle of the XV Century (about 1448) the Banks of Newfoundland were well known to their fishermen and that they had discovered the shores of Newfoundland and Cape Breton, (see Winsor, Cartier to Frontenac, p.10).
It is certain that as early as 1536. Renewse was a well known port and was inhabited by settlers, for Jacques Cartier tells us that on his return home to France in the year (1536) he entered Renewse, took in water and wood and left one of his boats there in charge of some inhabitants for the winter ...
Note: the digital transcription of the next section is intelligible
Cartier also speaks of the Islands of St. Pierre and Cape Race being well known at that time.
Now as to the meaning and origin of the word I have not the slightest doubt. Bishop Mullock in his Lectures said “Renews the Rocky". I don t know on what authority he give that explanation. It is not however correct except in an indirect and secondary sense. The word Rognouse is an ordinary French
adjective in the feminine gender, and means, itchy, scabby, mangy, as may be seen in any dictionary. The name is applied by sailors, especially the Bretons, to any rough, scraggy looking rock, covered with kelp, shells, corals, dulse and other species of algae, which give the appearance of a rough scruffy sort. There is a rock off the coast of Bretany having the same name and right in the entrance of the harbour of Renews, there is large rock of precisely the same description, so the name naturally and immediately suggested itself to the first Breton explorers who entered this harbour.
This harbour was at one lime of some importance and well fortified. The remains of the old battery still exist.
The year 1623, Lord Falkland, then Lord Deputy of … sent out a number of emigrants to people his New Colony had bought two pieces of territory from John Guy’s representatives. One was situated on the North Shore of Trinity Bay and was called North Falkland. The other, South Falkland, was situated between Aquaforte and Cape Ballard. Its principal settlement or capital was situated at Renewse, but the emigrants were of a lazy and worthless character. They did nothing to colonize the country and soon abandoned it altogether.
The "English Pilot" of 1755, speaking of Renewse says it is "the southernmost harbour the English have in Newfoundland." It is difficult to understand this statement at that period, as I do not think the French possessed any of the southern or western ports after the Treaty of Utrecht. (Note 1713)
There is a range of mountains some few miles inland from Renewse showing a peculiar and very remarkable outline, in the form of rounded hummocks, which are called by the name of....
CAPE BALLARD
…so written on the maps, is called by the people and perhaps more correctly " Bollards. " which is a sort of post or bar placed upright in a boat and used in veering, for fastening ropes, &c..
Though why it should have received the name 1 know not.
CHANCE COVE
…writes Rev. Father Walsh, " was so called because it was sure to pick up all and sundry that scraped round Cape Race." This seems to have a slight flavour of the wrecking instinct.
This place is famous for the number of wrecks which have occurred here, the most fatal of which was that of the S.S. Philadelphia, which took place some 55 years ago (1854). Over 300 persons were drowned in that wreck.
Note: It is understood that Chance Cove was strictly a 19th-century village settled by fishermen from the Renews area. It was suddenly and mysteriously abandoned in the late 19th century. Apparently the population scattered to other southern shore communities but the bulk left for the United States. At least one dug-out basement can still be seen along the coastal trail just south of the grassy area beyond the parking lot.
CLAM COVE
…is of course Clam Cove, so pronounced by the people. The river flowing into it swarms with clams. This is the place where the father of Prophet Brothers settled for a time on his way from Placentia to Fermews.