Cupids

This is for all us history nerds. If that's not your bag, then I invite you to pour yourself a glass of wine, or take a nap. I won't take long, Promise.

In 1610 a man named John Guy sailed out of Bristol, England armed with a royal charter to set up the first settlement in Newfoundland, and take advantage of what had become a very lucrative cod fishing industry. Competitive too, as Portuguese, Basque, Spanish, French and English fishers raced to Newfoundland to obtain the first batch of cod, dry it and salt it, and bring it back to the old world where it was in high demand.

John Guy reasoned that a permanent settlement on the Island would provide an advantage. He and 39 others came (including one Samuel Butler who is plausibly my ancestor - I'm working on confirmation of that link!), settling in what was then Cuper's Cove, and which is now known as Cupids. More joined them in 1612, including 16 women. 

Those first few years were devilishly hard work. 

They not only had to clear land and build sufficient accommodation but also built fortification to protect them from raiders. They were charged with building a forge, raising livestock, establishing farms, seek resources and collect ore and wood. Oh, and fish, dry, salt full time during the season.

Not easy is an understatement. The weather was harsh, and several died in the first few years, The soil was too poor for farming grain, and scurvy was persistent, until it was discovered that turnips were a good source of vitamin C (much later). 

They built a boat, the first built in Canada, called the Indeavour. Its first voyage was to Trinity Bay for establishing a trading relationship with the Beothuk First Nations people.

The infamous pirate Peter Easton took what little livestock the settlers had. John Guy himself went back to England in a bit of a huff and for good in 1615, taking some of the settlers back to Bristol with him.

The remainers stayed and moved on to nearby harbours, including Port de Grave, expanding England's hold on this, Britain's very first of its many future colonies. 

This original plantation at Cupids, the second oldest still remaining settlement in the new world, beaten by Jamestown Virginia by 3 years, has only fairly recently been located. In the late 1990s, Bill Gilbert found it, and is currently excavating it with a small team. It is he who determined the above engraving was John Guy. It's old school archaeology, with slow, hand sifting bit by bit, as much as can be done each summer season. History is being revealed, layer by layer.

a canon would have been placed on this stone base,
which would have been higher back then

check out that 500 year old 90 degree angle!

cobblestones means this area was for livestock

when the digging gets down to the pale orange colour as on the right, it stops. That soil is sterile, which means it was never disturbed by human activity

an outline of the original building gives perspective

A woman who lives there in her trailer allowed this band of archaeologists to dig up her back garden. In return, when the land was secured from the Province, she has been allowed to stay in her home as long as she needs it. 

surrounded!

When she is gone, the trailer will be removed and what is underground will be revealed. Imagine living above North American history, making a pot of coffee over ancient gun plinths or blacksmith hearths perhaps. 

the entire site on which Canada was founded