St. John's is the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It has experienced a long and colourful history.

Settlement History

Europeans began visiting our sheltered harbour at the beginning of the sixteenth century - during the latter part of the Italian renaissance. With its proximity to fishing grounds, St. John's gained prominence as a commercial trading outpost. The Basques, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English all fished along the western side of the North Atlantic.

In the late sixteenth century Britain rose as a significant world naval power. They had a dominant presence in the Newfoundland fishery. St. John's recorded the first permanent settlers in the early 1600s. The Oxford family established a plantation, probably in the area west of Beck's Cove.

Wharves, fish stores, and warehouses were constructed on the north side of the harbour to accommodate the fish trade. A path connecting these premises was the beginning of what today is Water Street, making it the oldest commercial street in North America.

In the 1600s and 1700s, St. John's was the primary commercial and service centre for the Newfoundland fishery. The population increased slowly during this time as the fishery was a seasonal commercial operation. This was not a permanent residence.

During this time St. John's was a prime military target for any nation wishing to gain control over the important food supply.

History of our Name

A popular theory is that John Cabot named St. John’s as a result of visiting the port on St. Jean the Baptist Day - June 24th. But given the notion that Cabot made landfall in Bonavista that day, it seems unlikely.

The most likely theory gives credit to Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real. Corte-Real first visited Newfoundland in 1500. There is some validity to this theory. The earliest record of the place name appears on a Portuguese map by Rienel, 1519, as Rio de San Johem. Corte-Real, or one of his contemporaries, paid a brief visit to the harbour, saw the distant Waterford River, and named it St. John’s River. Hence the apostrophe “s” in the name.

It appears that Parkhurst was the first person to record the common spelling. He was an English Merchant who made four voyages to Newfoundland in the 1570s. 

There is also the possibility that the place was given its name by one of the early English mariners. Not far from where Cabot sailed from in England is the Church of St. John the Baptist, known as St. John’s- on- the-Wall. Many of the sailors on those early vessels must have come from the British parish of St. John’s and they may have named the popular port in honour of it.

Another theory comes from Judge G.R.F. Prowse, a noted historian. Prowse theorized that Cabot called his landfall the Isle of St. John’s to commemorate the feast day. Based on his study, he concluded that the name St. John’s Isle became associated with an indefinite part of the east coast of Newfoundland. He says the name could have been short lived, but may have also been associated with the harbour. Sailors used the harbour as their first and last port of call. Prowse maintains that it would have been known as the "harbour of St. John’s Island" which could account for the possessive form, St. John’s, instead of St. John.

Extracted from the book: O’Neill, Paul. (1975). The Oldest City, The Story of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Erin, Ontario: Press Porcepic.

Sixteenth Century Nomenclature