Tilting, Newfoundland and Labrador facts for kids
Tilting is a small community on the eastern side of Fogo Island. Fogo Island is off the coast of Newfoundland. It used to be its own town. In 2011, it joined with other communities to form the Town of Fogo Island.
Tilting is special because it's a National Historic Site of Canada. It's also a Registered Heritage District. This means its history and culture are very important. Many old fishing buildings and houses are in Tilting. Many of these have been fixed up recently. Tilting is also known for keeping its Irish culture and way of speaking alive for a long time. People first settled here in the 1720s. But French fishers used Tilting as a summer fishing spot from the 1500s until the early 1700s.
Quick facts for kids
Tilting
Tilton Harbor, Tilting Harbour
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Community
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 Tilting, Newfoundland and Labrador
Location in Newfoundland
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
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| Settled | 1720s | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 17.63 km2 (6.80 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2006)
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| • Total | 248 | |
| • Density | 14.1/km2 (42.0/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC-3:30 (Newfoundland Time) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-2:30 (Newfoundland Daylight) | |
| Postal code span |
A0G 4H0
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| Area code(s) | 709 | |
| Highways |  Route 334 |
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| Website | Community of Tilting | |
| Official name: Tlting National Historic Site of Canada | ||
| Designated: | 2003 | |
Contents
History of Tilting
Tilting is one of the most important historical places in Eastern Canada. It is on Fogo Island. This island was one of the first places where people fished for Atlantic cod. Early Basque, Portuguese, and French fishers knew Fogo Island well. French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed near Fogo Island in 1534.
Tilting was in an area of Newfoundland called the "French Shore". French fishing crews likely visited Tilting in the early 1500s. But there is no proof that the French ever lived there permanently. French fishers did not need permanent bases on land. They used temporary spots on the shore to prepare their fish. They also came ashore to get wood and water, wait out storms, and fix their boats.
Local stories say that Tilting was a French harbour before Irish people settled there. This makes sense because southern Irish and northern French fishing ports often traded and shared culture. French papers from the 1700s called Tilting "Tilken".
Around the 1720s, English fishing crews started exploring north from Trinity and Bonavista. This is when the first settlers probably stayed through the winter in places like Tilting. By the 1780s, Tilting became a place mainly for Irish settlers. The first Irish visitors arrived around 1752. More Irish families came through the end of the 1700s.
In 1787, Michael Lane mapped Notre Dame Bay. He had worked with the famous Captain James Cook. Lane's map clearly shows that Tilting was a large and important fishing spot and settlement by the 1780s.
The name "Tilting" has unknown origins. Since French ship fishers first used Notre Dame Bay, the word "Tilting" might be French. For example, nearby Twillingate was first called "Toulinguet" by the French. For a while, government officials in St. John's mistakenly called Tilting "Tilton Harbor". By the early 1900s, it was known as "Tilting Harbour" again.
The first settlers in Tilting were probably English fishermen. Many important places in Tilting have English names. These include Henning's Hill, Dominey's Brook, Chalk's Hill, and Trugard's. Eventually, the Irish settled mainly in Tilting, and the English moved away. This might be because a large merchant, Lester's of Trinity, sent an Irish agent named Ryan to Tilting. Ryan was there to help the Irish and manage their business with Lester.
Lester's first interest in Tilting was the seal fishery in late winter. Lester sent many Irish passengers and workers to Tilting in the 1760s and 1770s. He jokingly called the settlers of Tilting "villains". This was probably because they were good at bargaining. Thomas Burke was likely the first Irish settler in Tilting, around 1752. He had a big fishing business in Tilting. He took his fish and seals directly to St. John's. He did not sell them to merchants on Fogo Island. Burke was a strong Catholic. He allowed Mass to be held in his large fishing stage. This was technically against the rules set by British officials at the time. The Catholic faith was outlawed in England and its colonies. But Irish priests sometimes visited small outports like Tilting.
Other early Irish settlers in Tilting had names like Foley, Dwyer, McGrath, Broders, Mahoney, Lane, Reardon, Keefe, Sexton, and Greene. These family names are still found among people living in Tilting today.
The oldest house in Tilting is the Lane House. It is now used as a museum. It might have been built in the late 1700s. Another very old house is "Ryan's House". It might have belonged to Lester's agent Ryan. It is on the Keefe property.
The Irish Cemetery in Tilting might be the oldest cemetery in North America used only by Irish people. France's Cove is just inside Tilting Harbour. This was probably where the early French summer fishing happened. Kelly's Island is next to France's Cove. It is likely where the first Europeans settled in the Tilting area.
Tilting has many original and restored Newfoundland Irish structures. These include houses, fishing stages, and other buildings. There are also traditional gardens outside and throughout the community. You can find old root cellars, slide paths, and wells. This large and rare collection of traditional buildings and items helped Tilting become a Registered Heritage District in 2003.
In 1940, Tilting had 393 people. In 1956, it had 401 people. On March 1, 2011, the Town of Tilting joined with other communities. It became part of the Town of Fogo Island.
Tilting National Historic Site
In 2003, Tilting was named a National Historic Site. This was suggested by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It was approved by the Minister of the Environment.
The official description says: Tilting Cultural Landscape Irish settlers started to shape this land around the 1730s. They built houses and fishing rooms around the harbour. These helped with fishing close to shore. Families in Tilting divided their land lots. This was like the customs in their homeland. This created groups of family neighbourhoods. They also used the Irish tradition of having gardens. Gardens near home were used more. Those farther away were mainly for hay or crops for winter. Like other Newfoundlanders, they fenced their fields with wood. They also let livestock graze on shared land. Many parts of Tilting's landscape are still used today. This includes the harbour, the large gardens near Sandy Cove and Oliver's Cove, and the summer and winter paths. This community still has many types of old buildings. The way traditional buildings and spaces are arranged has stayed mostly the same. Tilting is still home to the families who first settled there. It is a rare example of an old Irish-Newfoundland cultural landscape.
Tilting Registered Heritage District
In 2003, Tilting was also named a Registered Heritage District. This was done by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was the first time the Foundation recognized a whole community. It was important for Newfoundland and Labrador's heritage.
The official description says: Tilting The French first founded Tilting in the 1600s. It was a base for their fishing trips across the Atlantic. After 1713, it became a station for English and Irish migratory fishing. People started living there permanently in the 1720s. By the 1770s, it was mostly an Irish community. Soon after, it became only Irish. The culture of these early Irish settlers is still seen today. This is true in the old buildings and the strong oral traditions Tilting is known for. Tilting is one of the few rural Newfoundland communities. You can still see all the buildings linked to the traditional family-based fishing close to shore.
Images for kids
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Sheep grazing alongside the Turpin's Trail interpretive trail in Tilting.
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Fogo Island is one of the oldest named features in the New World, as indicated by its inclusion in the Pierre Bertius map of 1606 ("I. de Fogo").
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Tilting detail from Michael Lane's survey map of Fogo Island, 1787. Look closely to see the key features of the map: Flakes in the outer harbour, sunken rocks (small x-marks) and Dominey's Brook in the northwest part of the Harbour. National Archives of the U.K., WO78/721
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Tilting has an exceptional collection of traditional Newfoundland Irish structures, both original and restored.
