Changing Place Names

Study for Job's Cove, oil on copper, 10" x 14", Steven Rhude


NL GenWeb

Historical information

Conception Bay North - Devil's Cove

Name Change Petition (Devil's Cove to Job's Cove) 1812

The following is from "Place Names of the Avalon Peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland" (1971) by E.R. Seary, which also states that this petition was published in "'The Royal Gazette and Newfoundland Advertiser' on 11 June 1812 and subsequently".

Devil's Cove, 29th May, 1812.
We the undersigned Inhabitants, conceiving the utility and benefits resulting from an early conception and sense of Religion instilled into the tender minds of our Children, and of the rising generation, do unanimously resolve to change and alter the barbarious, execrable, and impious name of "Devil's Cove", into the ancient, venerable, and celebrated name of "Job's Cove"; and that the public News-paper of St. John's will publish these our resolutions three different times, so that every person in the Island may come to this knowledge, and none may plead ignorance, by saying, when they pronounce "Devil's Cove", that it is from want of knowing better how to preclude any tergiversations, or vain excuses. After the publication of this Act we do declare, that our resolution is fixed, and that this Cove, which underwent the appellation of "Devil's Cove" these 50 years and upwards, to the scandal and detriment of God's honour and veneration, be altered and changed, and every one for the time to come, and always, will call it after the names we freely give it, to wit, "Job's Cove". - And that all persons may hereafter take notice of these our resolutions, we sign our names.

Thos. ENGLISH Edw. ENGLISH Jos. MURPHY
Moses SANDY John RILSOM Jas. WALSH
Rich. ENGLISH Thos. ENGLISH John MURPHY
Rich. WOODFINE John JOHNSON J. MURPHY, Jr.
Jas. ENGLISH Ned ENGLISH Geo. JOHNSON
Wm. BEARNS Wm. JOHNSON John ENGLISH
© Barbara Pederson & NL GenWeb



Steven Rhude, Wolfville, NS

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