LOCATION:
The community of Herring Cove is located southwest
of Halifax on Route #349.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
The Mi'kmaq originally called the area "Moolipchugechk"
meaning 'a deep chasm or gorge." Its present name, Herring
Cove, more likely came from the abundance of herring often found in
the cove. Some believe, though, that Tom herring and his brother
John settled here sometime around 1792 and may have given the cove
its name. It is even listed on one of Governor Charles Lawrences'
surveyor's maps as "Dunk Cove," a reference to George
Dunk, Earl of Halifax.
SETTLEMENT HISTORY:
Most of the early residents earned their living from
the sea, the first families arriving in the early 1800s with the
names of Sullivan, Reyno, Pelham, Dempsey and Brown. While a grant
may have been given to John Salusburg sometime earlier, it was the
Lather family who petitioned for title to the land in 1821,
suggesting that Salusburg never lived on his grant - not an uncommon
practice.
COMMUNITY HEROES:
Herring Cove has had its share of famous
individuals, especially those known for their skill in rowing
competitions. George Brown was a champion singles sculler and for
five years in a row he won the coveted $150 belt offered by the
Halifax Yacht Club. He is buried in St. John's Cemetery where there
is a plague in recognition of his rowing accomplishments.
Another young man, Harold Johnson, a member of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was a talented member of a team that
won the rowing championships. He was known to win titles in both the
Middle- and Light-Weight boxing classes within the same night, which
can be considered to be a rather unusual achievement for a boxer.
Henry Pelham, a member of the 1932 Olympic rowing team, rowed for
the Halifax Rowing club and won numerous medals and trophies.
Another Herring Cove hero was young Joe Cracker. As
a very young child he lost his parents after they drowned in
Portuguese Cove and he became a ward of the community. He was 13
years old when the HMS Tribune ran into trouble just off the coast.
It was Joe who urged the community to come to the rescue of the
ship's passengers and crew. At first the captain would not accept
help, believing he could handle the situation. But when it became
obvious that the ship was doomed, Joe jumped into a small rowboat
and was the first to row through the rough waters to rescue two
survivors. Unfortunately, the captain had delayed too long as only
twelve of the 250 passengers on board survived.
"one City...Many Communities" co -
published BY Halifax Regional Municipality AND Nimbus, funded BY
the HRM Millennium Committee.Author : Alfreda Withrow
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©
1999-2004 by Halifax County NS Canada GenWeb and/or it's contributors
RETURN
TO NOVA SCOTIA GENWEB
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Halifax County Genweb Project
gratefully acknowledges the following sources:
Historical Information on many
community pages is from : One
City...Many Communities" co - published by Halifax Regional
Municipality and Nimbus, funded By the HRM Millennium
Committee.Author : Alfreda Withrow.
Mapeeze: Free map linking on
Destination Nova Scotia.
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