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Cuper's Cove)
Cuper's Cove on the southwest shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula was an early English settlement in the New World, and the second one after the Jamestown Settlement to endure for longer than a year. It was established in 1610 by John Guy on behalf of Bristol's Society of Merchant Venturers who had been given a charter by King James I of England to establish a colony on the island of Newfoundland.
Guy and 39 colonists established the settlement and built six buildings in the first year in order to house themselves through the winter. That first winter four colonists died from scurvy. By the summer of 1611 a factory had been established for salting fish and a small fleet of fishing boats was launched.
The colony was harassed by pirates and was not recognised by seasonal English fishermen.
In 1612 Guy encountered the Beothuk aboriginals while on an expedition to Trinity Bay. By 1614 it had become evident that Newfoundland's terrain was ill suited for agriculture and Guy decided to remain in England leaving 60 settlers behind.
Captain John Mason was appointed the new Proprietary Governor of the colony in 1615 but he too grew tired of disputes with fishermen and with the difficulties of the terrain and abandoned the colony in 1621 for New England. There is some evidence that an unorganised settlement remained in Cuper's Cove possibly into the eightenneth century before finally being abandoned though the cove remained a popular location for visiting fishermen.
Today there is a small community at the cove which is now known as Cupids.
See also: Bristol's Hope, British colonization of the Americas
