Brunette Island

"Brunette: A Community of the Past"

This web site was constructed by Justin Fitzpatrick, a Grade 7 student attending Lake Academy in Fortune, Newfoundland for the Burin Peninsula "Heritage Fair 2000."   The history of the community of Brunette was obtained from a variety of sources, including the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland.  The various maps were obtained from the Newfoundland Government.  The photographs for the site were borrowed from local residents including Margeurite Hillier, Marion Harris, and Kim Price. I thank them for providing me with some of the history and the photographs of Brunette, and also to Mr. Reid for his technical assistance.

The map below shows the location of Brunette Island at the entrance of Fortune Bay, just northwest of the Burin Peninsula.

Below is a topographic map Brunette Island. 

Below is an aerial photograph of Brunette Island on a scale of 1:50000.  Notice the triangular shape of the island and the location of the community of Brunette, later renamed Mercer's Cove.

An Introduction
to the Community

Brunette Island is a 20km long triangular-shaped island situated at the entrance to Fortune Bay, Newfoundland. It is covered with scrub and small trees with masses of protruding, dark brown rocks.  Running from Northward Friar to Northwest Head along the northwestern side of the island is a ridge averaging 76 m (250 feet) in height.  In this ridge is the island's highest point, a small hill rising to 172 m (525 feet).  Except for several small rises, the rest of the island consists of low, rolling barrens and coastal beaches.

Brunette Island's eight square miles consists primarily of barrens and shallow bogs, similar to the landscape of most areas of southern Newfoundland. Scattered patches of forests, usually on hillsides, small black spruce and over thirty fresh-water ponds exist on the island. High cliffs characterize the majority of the shoreline, while there are only two beaches suitable for landing a boat. These beaches , on the east and west sides of Mercer's Cove, provided space for the fishermen's premises.

The definite source of the island's name is not known but a Captain Brunet of the French fishing vessel la Rencontre was in the Fortune Bay area collecting fish from, and selling goods to fishermen in 1672. On a French map by Nicolas Visscher, c1680, it appears under the name Brunette I. While on an English map for the same period by Inigo Friend, it is called Brunt. It has also appeared on maps as Bruet and Brunet, but by 1800 the name Brunette was firmly established.

In 1763, following the Treaty of Paris, Brunette Island became an English possession, and sometime after 1763, an English fishing settlement began there and was quite prosperous for about 200 years. Over the years, the community grew and prospered, and was once the home to nearly three hundred people.  In 1935, the name of the community was changed from Brunette to Mercer's Cove.  After Confederation, this community was one of the first to be affected by the Newfoundland government's resettlement program, mainly because of its island location.  The population steadily declined and the community was vacated between 1955 and 1957.  At present,  the island's only inhabitants are those species of animals introduced by wildlife officials.

A lighthouse existed on Brunette as early as 1860. It was erected on the private dwelling of the lighthouse keeper who, at the time, was George Scott. Over the years other lighthouse keepers included the Sparrows and the Canes.