1. Those Who Settled
NL Studies 2205

2. Questions to Ponder
What countries of origin are represented in your community or region?
What is your family ancestry?

3. Introduction: Population Growth
Newfoundland and Labrador have a different history than the rest of North America in terms of how it was populated.
Up until very recently virtually all citizens of this province originated from South West England or South East Ireland, plus a few from Scotland, the Channel Islands and France.

4. Population Growth: Those Who Settled
Settlement here was also unique compared to other areas for it was encouraged by merchants
Initially, shiploads of families did not arrive but rather young, single men brought by merchants on their ships to work for them
There were few women or children to arrive here in the early years of permanent settlement

7. Population Growth: Those Who Settled
Settlement here was also unique compared to other areas for it was encouraged by merchants
Initially, shiploads of families did not arrive but rather young, single men brought by merchants on their ships to work for them
There were few women or children to arrive here in the early years of permanent settlement

8. Push & Pull Factors
When dealing with permanent settlement it is important to distinguish between push factors & pull factors
Push factors encourage people to leave their points of origin and settle elsewhere. (e.g; low wages, boredom, poverty)
Pull factors attract migrants to new areas. (e.g; freedom, good wages, adventure)

9. English Immigration
Key reasons for migration were population increases and few economic opportunities in S.W. England (West Country)
Mostly young men and teens
They were chiefly Protestants (Church of England or Anglicans, Methodists and Congregationalists).
Britain’s wars with France led to the need for even more fish from Newfoundland.

11. English Immigration
To meet the need for more fish, merchants recruited men willing to go to Newfoundland as servants and planters.
New recruits had to sign up or agree to move for several years in their Terms of Employment contracts.
Not surprisingly most men came from the same communities as the West Country merchants and they moved to communities where the merchants conducted their business in Newfoundland.

13. Irish Immigration
Poverty, hardship, hunger due to poor harvests in the mid-1700’s and a lack of land to farm created conditions in Ireland which made emigration attractive.
Many Irish came to NL with the migratory fishery due to working for less money than English labourers.
West Country ships would often stop in S.E. Irish ports to take on supplies and men.

14. Irish Immigration
Due to good increased prices and good catches Irish immigrants began to settle in the 1760s and 1770s in NL (approximately 4000).
By 1836 the Irish immigrants made up about 50% of NLs permanent population.
As Roman Catholics, Irish immigrants were discriminated against by British authorities and there were tensions at times between Protestants and Catholics. Roman Catholics were not given religious freedom in NL until 1783.

15. Irish Immigration
The Irish that came to NL did not come as a result of the Irish Potato famine of the 1840’s.
They came before, particularly during Britain's many wars from to 1815.
They came due to much high wages here and due to greater opportunities.
Irish immigrants to this province warned their relatives not to come here due to poor economic conditions compared to the rest of North America after 1815.

17. Scottish Immigration
Most Scottish immigrants arrived later than the English and Irish.
Most Scottish were merchants or artisans, not labourers, servants or fisherman.
Baine, Johnston Company and John Munn Company were firms of Scottish migrants.
They were lowland Protestant Scots, mainly from Glasgow and Greenock.
Most settled in St. John’s, Harbour Grace and Eastern Newfoundland.

19. Scottish Immigration
A second group of Scottish immigrants arrived between 1840 to the 1860.
Theses were Highland Scots who had had originally settled on Cape Breton Island but came to Newfoundland's west coast in search of land to farm.
There are still many descendents of these Scots in the Codroy Valley and St. Georges Bay.
By 1857 only 416 Scots were in NL but the exact total is unknown today.

21. French Immigration
The first French permanent settlements was established in 1662 in Plaisance (Placentia).
Permanent settlement ended in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht. Most settlers relocated to Cape Breton Island.
France retained the right to fish on “Le petit Nord” from 1713 to 1783 and the “French Treaty Shore from (see next slide)

23. French Immigration
Eventually some migratory fisherman and some residents of St.-Pierre-et Miquelon (given to France in 1763) settled on the Port au Port Peninsula on the West coast.
The St. Georges Bay are was settled by Cape Breton Acadiens in the 19th century.
Mostly fishermen and farmers, many Acadiens married local Mi’kmaq.
As the migratory fishery declined in the late 1800s, so did the French presence in NL.
The descendents of the French settlers still remain on the west coast.

24. The Last Waves Review: Late 1700s – English Protestants
& – Irish Catholics
After 1835 – Very little immigration
Growth since 1835 primarily due to natural increase.
By % of residents were born in NL
Developing a sense of national identity and Representative government granted in 1932
Further settlement in NL was based in internal migration.

25. The Last Waves
As the population of communities increased, residents moved to nearby harbours, bays and inlets along the coast.
Other migrations involved relocation to areas much farther away.
After 1845 growth in St. John’s Conception Bay and the Southern Shore slowed down.
Growth in Bonavista, Trinity, Placentia and Burin slowed by the 1850’s.
Growth of other areas continued until the 1870s.
Due to an economic slowdown, some Irish Newfoundlanders migrated to the USA in the 1880s