The History of Grates Cove
Even though there may be a dispute as to whether the history of Grates Cove started in 1497 or 1498, it is fact that John Cabot was shipwrecked in Grates Cove in 1498 and that he did die there. The history of the name of the community is also the subject of speculation. Local residents tell a tale of two fishermen from Bay de Verde, by the names of Janes and Cooper, who decided to take a stroll over the barrens one Sunday afternoon. They came across a cove that was teeming with fish and said "This is a great cove". They returned the following spring, set up fishing premises and built houses there.
The name "Grates Cove" was used by John Guy in 1612, who referred to it as de Grates. On early historical maps, it is referred to as "degrats". which is a French term meaning " a large boat anchored from which smaller boats go out to the fishing grounds".
There may be some truth to the story of the men coming to this community because in 1705, there was a merchant in Grates Cove by the name of Charles Cooper and both Janes and Cooper were common surnames of the community. It is said that when these men came here they divided the cove between them drawing a line through the center of the cove as the boundary line for the property. To this day this lane is known as "Janes' Drung, although today it forms part of a driveway.
The fishery formed the backbone of Grates Cove since its inception. Crews have fished the cod for centuries and today the fishery is centered around the snow crab. In 1800-1801, there were fifteen families living here and a total population of 112. All the houses had frontage on the water, with the stages for the fishery built on stilts on the tops of the cliffs and along the sides of the bank. Because of the cliffs the fishermen could not have their fishing premises close to the cliffs. They built their wharves as close as possible to the stages and the boats were moored off in the cove.
At one time there were a lot of trees in Grates Cove, but a large forest fire destroyed the trees leaving the land rocky and bare. All the wood for building houses, boats, stages and flakes had to be brought from other areas by boat. Most of the men obtained their wood in the bottom of Trinity Bay in places such as Random Island, Hodges Cove and others. This accounted for many women from this area marrying men from Grates Cove and settling here.