| The History of Our Community |
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| A small fishing communtiy located in Trinity Bay on the Bonavista Peninsula, Melrose has an amazing history that is just waiting to be told. |
| Did you know? Melrose was once known as Ragged Harbour! It probably received this name due to its unique location and structure -- Melrose's shoreline is surrounded by small and numberous rugged islands and shoals. Such shelter makes Melrose only accessible to small boats, in many places of our shoreline no boats at all can enter. However, such a unique structure did offer Melrose a great advantage that many other communities in our area did not have -- it has the closest access to inshore fishing grounds. This characteristic of the Melrose shoreline made it a focal point of activity for the European Mirgratory Fishery during the 1600s. The European Mirgratory Fishery |
| The first Europeans to visit the shores of Newfoundland did not intend on settling the rough lands, but simply came in the spring only to return to their homes of Spain, Portugal and France in the fall. What did they all come looking for? Codfish, of course! For the longest time Spain and Portugal had a strong hold over the slowly developing fishery of Newfoundland. But soon, Spain and Portugal's influence over the cod fishery of Newfoundland faded as England became more and more involved in the fisheries instead. Such rich waters of Newfoundland caused a bitter rivalry between France and England -- both wanted the plentiful bounty of the codfish that was a much needed addition to the European diet. England began to win the wars of the waters during the 1700s -- only allowing the French to fish between the area of Cape Bonavista to Pointe Riche. Soon these English merchants began to settle the shores of Newfoundland more permantly slowly creating the towns and cities we live in today! |
| It is exciting to think that hundreds of years ago these people from Europe fished in our waters, enjoyed the same scenery and walked on the same ground as us! |
| Governor William MacGregor |
| Since 1610 there has been a Reprsentative of the Crown in Newfoundland -- although changing its form as Newfoundland's politics changed over throughout time. These representatives of the Crown and the ones responsible for political and social affairs of Newfoundland were known as Governors. There are many Governors of Newfoundland who did great things for our province, but one very important Governor that is especially important to Melrose's history was a man named William MacGregor -- a Colonial and Dominion Governor from 1904 to 1909. He is responsible for our community's name being changed from Ragged Harbour to Melrose! MacGregor was born in a town in Scotland called Townie, near another Scotish town known as Melrose. Ragged Harbour was to become known as Melrose in honour of Governor MacGregor who grew up near the Scotish Melrose. |
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| Get involved in history -- take a look at the 1921 Census of Melrose. Ask people who these names belong to -- they just may be a long lost relative. If nobody knows who a name belongs to, research it yourself...it can be very exciting to figure out mysteries of the past. |
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![[History]](http://us.yimg.com/i/ligans/cb/smtdih.gif) |