Pays Cove (sometimes spelled Peys Cove) is an abandoned town in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada that had a peak population of 11 in 1935.[1]
History
Located directly between the communities of English Harbour East and Grand le Pierre in Fortune Bay, Pays Cove was first settled in the late 1800s[2] by the family of Cyrus White who were recorded in the 1904 Business Directory for the town that year.[3] Its name is presumed to have originated as 'Peas Cove.'[1]
At about 1914, the families of William and Alfred Barnes moved to Pays Cove to settle from Harbour Mille.[1] Their primary occupation was fishing for cod and lobster.[1] With very limited space in the cove for settlement, the community never rose above two or three families throughout its entire occupation.[1] Pays Cove's last resident was Jacob Barnes who lived in the community up until 1980.[1]
Demographics
Pays Cove was first recorded in the 1901 census with a population of two,[4] later identified as the family of Cyrus and Elizabeth White.[3]
In 1921, the families of William and Esther Barnes as well as Alfred and Rebecca Barnes were recorded in Pays Cove for a total population of 9.[1]
In 1936, Newfoundland Directories released a business directory that listed the head of each household with their occupation in the town of Pays Cove.[5] It is adapted below:
