an Irish FIsherman, Thomas Nash, who had lived in Calvert
for an number of years before being attracted to Branch by
its good salmon river and the good cod fishing grounds
nearby. Shortly afterward a number of Irishmen who
worked for the Sweetman firm, based in Placentia, moved to
Branch as well and settled there.
quite quickly and by 1857 there were 133 people living
there, marking the largest community on the shore.
Throughout the nineteenth century, but more particularly
before the 1860's, the fertile valley of Branch provided the
means of livelihood for a number of farmers who raised cattle,
sheep, and pigs and grew potatoes, hay, and oats. The rich
fishing grounds close to Branch and the salmon river which
runs through it also made fishing attractive to many in the
community. Following the 1850's agriculture in the
community appears to have decreased, while the importance
of the inshore cod fishery grew. Around the turn of the
century lobster began to be fished as well, and by 1901 there
was one lobster factory which employed two men and one
woman.
Population In Branch
By 1901 the community of Branch had attained a population
of 364. Among its inhabitants were eighty-nine fishermen, a
teacher, four businessmen and two farmers. Along with St.
Bride's, Branch was an important center on the coast, as it
supported a school (which had been established in 1851) and
a Roman Catholic church (which had been built by 1857) and
had four businesses.
The Fishery
Throughout the Twentieth Century Branch remained an
important center and the largest on the Cape Shore. In 1980
the inshore fishery operating out of there supported
forty-seven fishermen, whose major activity was hand-lining
for cod. A fish processing plant, operated by Newfoundland
Quick Freeze Ltd., employed approximately eight people. In
1978 1 078 207 kg (2,377,000 lb) of cod was landed in
Branch.
