Early History:

Fox Harbour, home for some 200 plus years to families bearing names such as Spurvey, Kelly, Dreaddy, Healey and Duke is a tiny harbour about one mile in  length. Size, however, has little to do with the warm spot Fox Harbour holds in the minds and hearts of those who chose to leave and seek their fortune elsewhere.

What and where is Fox Harbour?  Where did the name originate?  Who first called it home? According to Newfoundland and Labrador Pilot, Fourth Edition, published in 1907, "Fox Harbour, a mile eastward of Isaac Heads, by which it is sheltered, is a shallow basin with houses on the surrounding shores; there are depths of 2 to 2 3\4 fathoms inside, but the entrance, between shoals stretching from both shores, has only five feet of water in it at low tide."  Isaac Heads referred to here are two very remarkable cone shaped hills, 320 and 427 feet high respectively, which lie at the entrance to the harbour. The community name is not so well explained. There is a scarcity of documented evidence to prove how Fox Harbour came by its name. E.R. Seary, 1971, says that the community is most likely named for an animal rather than a family name.  Tradition has it that foxes were so plentiful here at one time that they stole and ate fish spread on flakes to dry.  Another claim ... in Home of Wooden Boats and Iron Men, 1970, is that the name Fox Harbour is relatively new, that the community was, at one time, known as, "Little Glocester... because of Yankee traders from Glocester [sic], New England. In the more recent past, suggestions have been put forth as suitable replacements for the name, Fox Harbour, without success. So the name remains, another proud part of our history.

Whatever its origin, we do know that census records show the name Fox Harbour, as far back as 1834. Two now deceased   residents, Bridget King and Pat Duke claimed that Fox Harbour may have been settled as early as late 1700's to early 1800's.

Despite the lack of documented evidence, it has long been held that the first inhabitants of Fox Harbour bore the name Spurrier,  (Sporier or Spurrvey), better known today as Spurvey. These early Spurveys identified in E.R. Seary, 1971, Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, were George, Martin and Matthew, who made their way here from England.

In addition to the Spurvey's, the Dreaddy (Draddy) name is found in Fox Harbour history around 1806, possibly having come from County Cork, Ireland (MUN History).  Two Healey families and a Kelly family settled here around 1806.  It is believed these families came from either, Ireland, where the name was Hely, or England, where they were called Healy.  The Healey and Dreaddy families stayed in Fox Harbour while the Spurveys, with the exception of Matthew, are thought to have returned to England in 1820's.

The Foleys (better known in Fox Harbour as Fowlou), James, William and Michael, came from Ireland and settled here around 1815.

Other familiar Fox Harbour names found in historical records of the period from 1830's to 1901 include:

* Duke; Thomas, Michael, Martin 1836-1851.

* King; Peter and William;

* O'Leary; Patrick, Michael, Matthew;

* O'Reilly; (Riley), around 1838 John Rielly was given land at Little Placentia, now Argentia,

(Newfoundland Archives Registry, Crown Lands

* McCue; Michael, Patrick, Henry

*Murray; John

* Davis        * Kelly     * Lane       * Stephenson * Sampson   * Nolan    * Whiffen  * McCarthy

According to the census records of 1834, Fox Harbour, at that time, had six dwellings with a population of 46 people, 4 of whom were listed as servants.   Historical records of 1830-1857 show that a large number of young unmarried men settled here during that period, causing the population to increase to 147 by 1857.  New houses were erected; so, by 1921, the population I reached a total of 471 people in 89 families.

By the 1935 census, the population had begun to decline with 432 people registered.  Once again there was a movement of young single men who left Fox Harbour seeking a livelihood in the United States, especially the Boston, New Bedford area.

Another question that comes to mind as we seek information about the early history of our community is, why did people first settle here?  Many theories abound.  One such theory suggests that people came because of nearby fishing grounds and the availability of cheap land with plenty of room around the horseshoe shaped harbour to establish fishing rooms.  Since most land around Big and Little Placentia was already occupied, many fishermen chose to come to Placentia Sound, a deep, sheltered, uninhabited harbour to the south of Fox Harbour.  Another popular theory, is, that the harbour, with its rock strewn entrance and sheltering hills, was a good place to hide from English Naval Officers and harsh laws.  These laws required that any man coming to Newfoundland for the spring and summer fishery had to return home in the fall, because habitation of Newfoundland was strictly forbidden. A fisherman choosing to stay here, then, had to look out for hidden harbours and coves, such as Fox Harbour.  Boats unfamiliar with its entrance, could not gain access, thus adding to the safety of the settlers.

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