16th - 17th Century

The town of Bay Bulls is located on the Southern Shore of the Avalon Peninsula. It is
approximately 30 km from St. John's, and is one of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland.

Bay Bulls first appeared on a map drawn by Thomas Hood in 1592. The origin of the town's 
name is somewhat a mystery. Some Historians believe it originated from the French 
"Baie de Bois," meaning "Wooded Bay," while others believe the name came from the 
"Bull Bird" or Dovekie which nested in and around the settlement.

European fishermen and merchants from countries like France, Spain, and Portugal first 
used the harbor. By 1635, a small group of English stayed the entire winter to protect their 
masters' fishing stages. During the summer, there would be many other people who stayed to 
fish but would return in the fall.

In 1665, Bay Bulls was captured by Dutch sailors under the command of Admiral De Ryter. 
They proceeded to raid the entire community, but left soon afterwards. This would not be the 
last time the community would be taken under siege by foreign forces; the French and English 
would capture and recapture the bay during a long war between the two mother countries. 
In 1675, the town had a permanent settlement of 83 people; 64 of whom were male servants!

On September 11, 1696, Bay Bulls was attacked and captured by a French fleet led by 
Monsieur De Broiullon, the Governor of Placentia. Broiullon was returning from a failed attempt 
to capture St. John's when this occurred. At the time, the town of Bay Bulls was only guarded 
by a lone 32 gun British vessel (the H.M.S Sapphire). In the process of the capture, the 
Captain of H.M.S. Sapphire, Tomas Cleasby, ordered the crew to abandon ship and take refuge 
in Bay Bulls - the ship was burnt and the remains lie under the sea near Gatheralls Boat 
Company, which is now a protected historical site.

18th Century

The French invaders remained in Bay Bulls until 1705, burning the community before they 
returned to Placentia. Nevertheless, the town's people rebuilt again, but were recaptured by 
the French only two years later! The French left the town again, and did not return until 55 
years later in 1761. Forces led by Admiral De Terri invaded the town, unleashing 700 men 
upon the shores (at the time, Bay Bulls still had a small number of residents - 47 families). 
Once they completed their mission in Bay Bulls, they continued on towards St. John's, 
overtaking the British fleet that were stationed there. Soon afterwards, the British sent strong reinforcements, and the French quickly retreated from both St. John's and Bay Bulls. Once 
again, the town was re-stabilized, and Bay Bulls continued to grow after this tumultuous 
period.

On October 28th, 1784, the Roman Catholics of Newfoundland were granted freedom to public 
practice of their religion. This was a day of great celebration and fanfare for the Catholics of 
Bay Bulls. The small town became part of St. John's parish that was served by Father O'Donel. O'Donel built the first Catholic chapel in Bay Bulls (now the site of St. Peter and Paul's). Unfortunately, the French returned to loot the village in 1796 and proceeded to burn the chapel 
down. Soon afterwards, another chapel was built.

19th Century

In 1833, Bishop Fleming separated the parish of St. John's into several smaller parishes. 
Bay Bulls gained the status of a parish and it served the Catholics from the Goulds to 
La Manche. A priest from Wexford, Ireland was appointed Minister of Bay Bulls Parish. 
Father Patrick Cleary chose Witless Bay as the parish center, once again making Bay 
Bulls a mission. A new church building was needed due to the rapidly growing population, 
and the third Roman Catholic church was completed in 1890; consecrated to St. Peter and 
Paul, the same church that remains today.

20th Century

In the early years of the 20th Century, Bay Bulls continued to have a prosperous fishery. The 
offshore fishery decreased shortly after the onset of WWI, therefore, most of the fishing took 
place inshore at this time. During WWI, men from Bay Bulls served with the Newfoundland 
Regiment and fought throughout Europe. Bay Bulls played a more active role in WWI, as a 
dock and barracks were built in the community for protection of boats in the and around Bay 
Bulls.

Today, Bay Bulls has a population of 1065 (1994 stats) and has a promising future in the 
growing Oil and Gas Industry. Additionally, Bay Bulls continues to provide many exciting 
attractions as a great tourist destination.