Holyrood, Newfoundland and Labrador

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Holyrood
other_name = Hollyrode
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settlement_type = Town
motto =


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pushpin_label_position = left
pushpin_map_caption = Location of Holyrood in Newfoundland
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = CAN
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = NL
subdivision_type3 = Census division
subdivision_name3 = 1
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1689
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1961
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area_total_km2 = 125.57
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population_as_of = 2001
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population_total = 1906
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population_density_sq_mi =
population_density_km2 = 15.2
timezone = Newfoundland Time
utc_offset = -3:30
timezone_DST = Newfoundland Daylight
utc_offset_DST = -2:30
latd = 47
latm = 23
lats =
latNS = N
longd = 53
longm = 08
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longEW = W
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area_code = 709
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footnotes = Holyrood is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 1, on Conception Bay.

The town is famous for being at the bottom of the bay and having a large cross on the top of the predominant mountain "George Cove". Holyrood is also highly renound for its squid fishery and caplin "rolling" which happens in late spring, early summer. "Rolling" refers to the mating of the caplin when they beach themselves and can be picked up by hand.

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:
*Population: 1,906
*% Change (1996-2001): -8.7
*Dwellings: 744
*Area (km².): 125.57
*Density (persons per km².): 15.2

History of Holyrood, Newfoundland

There are several accounts as to the origin of the name "Holyrood". In "Fourteenth Century Verse and Prose" edited by Kenneth Sisam, rode is given as meaning cross and is listed as being the old English word for rod. Holyrood was found on John Thornton's map of Newfoundland of 1675 as being spelled Hollyrode. There is no dispute as to the meaning of the rode or rod but there are several theories as to how the name came to be given to Holyrood. According to E.R. Seary (1971) the application of the name was not religious, but rather the name was probably transferred to the area from Holyrood House in Edinburgh in the early 1600s. There are others who feel that since the roots of the settlers were predominantly Irish catholic that the name was in fact religious in origin. One theory that also made the rounds in school children's research was that the landscape itself suggested a cross. However it came about, the name stuck.

The parish eventually adopted the cross as its name and came to be known as the Holy Cross Parish. Recorded settlement in Holyrood began in the late 1700s and early 1800s. However, oral tradition has it that Martin O'Neil was the first settler and that he settled in 1689. We have no evidence as to either substantiate or reject the claim. However, the O'Neil property was located right in the center of the main beach area - certainly a logical location for the first to arrive. A Newfoundland Government registration of property conducted in the early 1800s, records some of the earliest settlers. Some of the names recorded were those of James Walsh, Thomas Curreen, George Witch (Veitch), Aaron Luce (Lewis), Francis Beson (Besso), Cornelius Kennedy and James Healey. These people are recorded as receiving property grants for land in the 1780s and 1790s.

Although some purchased property, most were recorded as "Cut out of the woods." Given that most settlers were of Irish Catholic descent and realizing that their traditions have been so strong in this part of Conception Bay it has always been assumed that most of the early settlers came over directly from Ireland. Also noting that at that particular time there were various waves of immigration that left that country in the 1800s. Certainly, there are a number of families which can trace back their ancestry to specific areas of Ireland. Unfortunately many records were lost in the "Great fire of St. John's" and some families can no longer trace their heritage. It was interesting to note that many of the old established names in Holyrood were also well established names in Harbour Main. Names like Hickey, Healey, Crawley, Walsh, Fewer, O'Neil, Mullowney, Penny, Quinlan and Joy were registered landholders in Harbour Main in the 1700s. Since Harbour Main was settled much earlier it is quite probable that many early settlers in Holyrood had moved further in the bay from Harbour Main.

As with most Newfoundland settlements during the 1800s, the fishery was the focus of economic development. Since Holyrood was so distanced from the fishing grounds, being so far in the bay, this aspect of fishing was not as important. Instead the focus was on the Grand Banks, Western and Labrador fisheries which drew most men from the settlement each summer as well as the seal hunt during the spring. Bait, such as caplin and squid, were plentiful in Holyrood harbour and contributed substantially to the local industry; not only from a procurement aspect but also the for service and supply of fishing vessels which came to Holyrood for bait.

This early involvement with distant fisheries would have a major impact on the lifestyle of the people of Holyrood for well over a hundred years. Men were accustomed to working away for long periods of time, and wives and families were accustomed to maintaining the home front without their men-folk. In later years, when the Newfoundland fishery collapsed on several occasions, men from Holyrood traveled wherever they needed to go to find work, while retaining their homes in Holyrood. This development thus reduced Holyrood's dependence on any single economic development. For example, in the 1890s when the fishery was in chaos, Holyrood men could be found shipping on the Great Lakes, building the subways of Boston, searching for gold in the Klondike, working in shipyards in Philadelphia and Seattle,and a host of other occupations. While many moved away a remarkable number maintained their families and homes in Holyrood.

This involvement with the Labrador and Grand Banks fisheries created a fleet of "bankers" which were the large vessels that sailed to the various fishing grounds. It has been said that at one time one could walk across North Arm harbour on the decks of bankers sheltering from weather. This proliferation of banking schooners also spawned a host of banking captains.

In the early 1800s agriculture also became an important undertaking. Because of the vagaries of the Newfoundland fishery early settlers began to become more self-sufficient in foodstuffs to reduce their dependency on the fishing income. By the mid 1800s farming had become so important to the local economy that "area residents petitioned the government to improve roads so that markets would be more accessible." According to a Census at the time the common crops of Newfoundland were grown as well as oats. Sheep, poultry, horses, swine and cattle were raised.

The early to mid 1800s saw the development of a community in Holyrood. In the 1830s a road was developed which followed the shoreline around the bay and connected the area to St. John's. The Census of 1836 reports Holyrood as having a school and in 1839 yet another was established and taught by a Mr. Woodford. Although it wouldn't become a full-fledged parish until some 50 years later, a mission church was established as early as 1830 and was serviced by a traveling priest who was established initially in Harbour Grace and later in Harbour Main. A cemetery was adjacent to this Mission Church, the use of which was discontinued in the 1870s. Many of the early headstones, carved from Kelly's Island stone, still remain today in the old cemetery garden on the north side.

By the latter half of the 1800s Holyrood began to mature. Property as we know it today had all been settled. Immigration of new families slowed, while the population grew with children and grandchildren of settlers marrying and remaining within the community. The development of the railway in the 1880s had a tremendous impact on the socioeconomic conditions of the community. The railway suddenly made St. John's and Carbonear an hour away by a comfortable coach. Port aux Basques became less than two days away and Boston could be reached overland (except for Gulf Crossing) in less than a week. Coincident with the railway was the development of telegraph communications, and changes in mail delivery. Mail from St. John's and other rail points became destined to Holyrood to be relayed to Harbour Main, Chapel's Cove, and St. Mary's Bay via the Salmonier Line. In addition to the men who became employed directly with the railway, telegraph and posts, a service industry was created to accommodate the people traveling. Holyrood's beautiful scenery provided the backdrop for a tourist industry. Suddenly, workers in St. John's could take holidays and picnics alongside their favorite rivers and fishing holes in little more than an hour from home. Small hotels and boarding houses developed all over the community. This tourist industry flourished in Holyrood until the 1960s when the availability of motor cars and the construction of the Trans Canada Highway across the island opened up new opportunities to the traveling public.

The availability of the railway to Holyrood had an impact on the fishing industry in the community. Because people were suddenly able to travel and communicate with the rest of the country in relative ease, they were not isolated to the same degree that many other communities in Newfoundland were. (Most of coastal Newfoundland was completely dependent on water for travel and communication.) Consequently, when the fishery went into its various declines in the late 1800s and early 1900s people had relatively easy access to new employment opportunities. The mine on Bell Island in the 1890s, the pulp and paper at Grand Falls in 1909, and later the mines at Sydney, N.S. and the development of Corner Brook in the 1920s all provided alternatives to the fishing industry.

The Labrador and Grand Banks fishery gradually began to decline during the first decades of the 20th century. The bait fishery was sustained with visiting banking schooners. In 1932 John J. Carroll built the first mechanically refrigerated "cold storage" plant in Newfoundland and could now provide bait for longer periods, as well as developing a cottage industry of freezing and shipping blueberries.

The decline in the fishery and the opening of new opportunities elsewhere took its toll of Holyrood's population. In 1921 there were 1050 people in Holyrood; by 1935 there were 951, and by 1945, 707 people. The Depression Years of the 1930s were also felt in Holyrood. However, the diversity of occupations now reduced the severity that haunted other communities completely dependent on the fishery. The depression with the fishery followed by the creation of the U.S. and Canadian Military Bases in St. John's and Argentia all but eliminated the fishing industry in Holyrood. By the 1950s and 60s only a handful of people fished and the bait fishery was reduced to a seasonal operation.

The post-war period and Confederation saw yet another socioeconomic change in Holyrood. From a population low of 707 in 1945, growth increased almost 3-fold over the next 30 years. This was due to the postwar baby boom and the fact that many children of this boom remained in Holyrood and established families. In addition, the community once again saw an immigration of people to the area. The development of industries such as the Golden Eagle (Ultramar) Oil Refinery and the Newfoundland Hydro Electric Generating Station as well as the increased government services sector all added employment to the area. However, it is probably Holyrood's proximity to St. John's that transformed it into a "Dormer Community." Today, by far the majority of working residents are employed in St. John's and have chosen to live in Holyrood and commute on a daily basis. Consequently, the core of business in the community is in light services to the residents.

With the creation of the oil refinery and the general growth and development in the late 1950s steps were taken to formalize the community into a town. In 1961 Holyrood was first incorporated and shortly thereafter a Board of Trustees was appointed to run the municipality. Eight years later the Town of Holyrood was created and the first Town Council elected. By 1982 town services included a water and sewer system, recreational facilities, a fire hall, garbage collection and street lighting. In 1967 the Royal Canadian Mounted Police established a detachment.

Over the years a number of various industries have existed in Holyrood. Besides the fishing in the 1800s an attempt to develop a copper mining operation was started in the mid 1800s. This attempt was apparently unsuccessful and the remnants of this excavation can be seen on the seashore of the North Arm hills.

Employment was gained in service industries even as early as the mid 1800s. A ferry service was operated between Duffs on the south side to Chapol's Cove as a short cut to carry mail and passengers from St. John's to Harbour Main and outlying communities. The development of an overland mail service to St. Mary's Bay and Placentia created the Salmonier Line and the host of service houses along the way. The development of the railway only served to enhance these existing services. The taxiing and lodging of travellers from St. Mary's Bay to connect with the trains substantially increased the number of people employed in these areas. In the late 1800s several popular hotels were in operation: Veitch's, Butler's, Lewis', O'Rourke's and others. In later years Frank Bennett and Jim Crawley and others operated motor taxis from St. John's to St. Mary's. The development of the Argentia Naval Base in the 1940s greatly increased the traffic through Holyrood. The Salmonier Line was upgraded for heavy vehicular traffic. The movement of peopleat the time wassuch that anyone with a motor car got into the taxi business.

Restaurants and snack bars opened up. Hickey's, Crawley's, Dunphy's, Furey's, Davis', Godson's all established businesses to serve the traveling public. Furey's in particular grew into the thriving 'Flectline BusCo. Ltd." with their fleet of buses operating between St. John's, Bell Island, Carbonear and Argentia. This service industry flourished until the 1960s when the Trans Canada Highway permitted travellers to by-pass Holyrood to and from St. John's, coincident with the phasing out of the Argentia Naval Station and the rail passenger service. During this same period the tourist industry also flourished. Holyrood's scenic setting together with the availability of an adequate service industry made it a natural choice for weekenders and holiday-goers. During those days anyone with a bedroom to spare took in "boarders" during the summer months.

Servicing the fishery was also an industry. Perhaps the most notable in this field was the Carroll Cold Storage. Initially, James Carroll and later his son Jack operated a fresh and frozen bait supply for the Labrador and Bank fisheries. In the beginning ice was cut from ponds in the winter to keep bait chilled in summer. Later, the first mechanical refrigeration unit in Newfoundland was installed to improve methods. Numerous people over the years were employed with the Carrolls', either directly or through selling fish, bait or berries to them. In recent years the "Cold, Storage," has been utilized more for the landing of fish and bait for transport to centralized processing plants.

During the 1950s, the new "provincial" government of Joseph Smallwood began a program of establishing manufacturing industries at various places around Newfoundland. One of these was a plant manufacturing rubber products. The "SuperiorRubberCo. Ltd." was begun in the early 1950s but only lasted about a year before closing.

In the late 1950s, Golden Eagle Oil Refinery Ltd., was created on the shores of the south side. This facility covered an area of about 80 acres and took over two years to construct. When completed it employed about 75 full-time workers as well as many part-time and seasonal workers. Over the years the refinery flourished and expanded from its initial capacity of 70(X) barrels a day to over 15000 barrels a day by the mid 1970s. The refinery's workforce brought many new residents and families to the community. Alas, the refinery became one of the casualties of the economic downturn in the oil industry in the early 1980s. The refinery capability was discontinued at that time and the facility used for storage of products refined elsewhere.

In the late 1960s Holyrood was chosen as the site of an oil fired electric generating station. Once again it was boom times with the influx of workers and their families during the construction period. To date this industry still flourishes.

Aside from the refinery and the generating station, the next largest industry in Holyrood in recent years is once again in the service industry. In the early 1970s, a number of people developed facilities for the care of senior citizens and patients requiring special care. Today 7 facilities: Woodford's, Quinlan's, Kennedy's, Kirby's, Condon's and Crawley's all provide care and services to over 100 people and employ over 35 people directly.

Today the majority of residents are engaged in a diversity of occupations. Residents include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, architects and engineers, money managers, nurses, social workers, teachers,artists,police officers and numerous others in varied walks of life. In addition, Holyrood has exported as much talent again. Holyrood continues to grow and change, yet still maintains the peaceful flavour and rural charm that makes it a nice place to live.

"HISTORY OF HOLYROOD - FOOTNOTES 1.Sisam, Kenneth, Fourteenth Century Verse and Prose, Oxford University Press, London 1967, Glossary."

"This History of Holyrood came from the book "Come Ashore to Holyrood" by Mary Veitch"

ee also

* List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
* Holyrood weather radar
* Monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador

	North: Conception Bay South
West: Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview, Division No. 1, Subd. O	Holyrood	East: Division No. 1, Subd. D
	South: Division No. 1, Subd. W