Ten Historic Towns Trinity Information
Discovered by the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte Real on trinity Sundas 1500 the town of Trinity has had a long and distinguished history. A magnificent harbour set near good fishing grounds, itwas one of the earliest places frequented by the migratory fishermen. It was the site where Sir Richard Whitbourne held the first Court of the Admiralty in 1615. It appears to have been pemlanently settled by the end of the Seventeenth century and had its first church by 1730.

The principal historical connection is with Poole, Dorset from which most of the merchants came bringing With them their own servants and families. Noted Poole names such as White, Street, Slade,Jeffrey, Lester and Garland all made their Wealth out of Trinity. The Lesters and their in-laws, the Garlands, were the most influential of the mercantile group. Benjamin Lester had a fishery operation as well as a substantial shipbuilding yard in the area of Ryan Garland store in 1761. The story is told that Lester avoided having his premises destroyed by the French under de Terney by persuading the admiral that he was a pleasant friend and no foe. He invited de Terney to dinner and with the assistance of his liquor and ability to speak French persuaded the Admiral not to destroy his premises. When, on the following day the French sent to enquire which were Lester's premises. Lester instructed his man to include in the number to be saved the premises of his friends. He did not, however, include those of his rivals.

Trinity also had some contact with the Beothucks as the last male captured, John August. lived and worked in Trinity, dying there in 1788. The Rev. John Clinch, a friend of Jenner's. made use of smallpox vaccination for the first time in North America at Trinity. He also collected one of the earlicst Beothuck vocabularies from John August.

Throughout the Nineteenth Century Trinity was a thriving and prosperous town with a self-consciousness of' its place in Newfoundlalld's past and present history. Such a self-consciousness is apparent in its designation of one of its streets as High Street -- a name which occurs in no other Newfoundland community.


Return to the Trinity Map