The Ramea Islands are a small archipelago off the southwest coast, southeast of Burgeo. The town of Ramea is located on the Northwest Island. (Big Island, Southwest Island, Harbour Island, Middle Island and Grepe Island were uninhabited in 1992). Numerous coves and islets provide secure anchorage for both small and large vessels near what have historically been rich fishing grounds. The islands themselves are flat and boggy, with low hills and gulches. Only Big Island has significant woodland, the other islands having been largely deforested since the nineteenth century.
The most commonly accepted explanation for the name Ramea is that it is an anglicized version of rameau (branches) and refers to the area's many islets and waterways. Another explantation is that the name derives from the French for vetch, and refers to vegetation on the islands. In the nineteenth century census returns Ramea is also spelled Rameaux, Rameau and Rameo. The islands were known to Europeans as early as the 1500's. Portuguese fisherman called them Ilos Santa Anna, suggesting that they were first sighted around the feast of Saint Anne (July 26). French fisherman also frequented the area until they were expelled from the south coast by the Treaty of Utrecht, which concluded Queen Anne's War in 1713. Captain James Cook charted the islands in 1766. "In this Harbour and about these Islands," he noted, " are many convenient places for erecting of Stages and Drying of fish and are well situated for the Cod Fishery" (cited in Head). These features would encourage settlement in the nineteenth century. In 1818 American fisherman were given fishing privileges in the waters surrounding Ramea.
The first recorded settlers on the islands were two unnamed families noted by William Epps Cormack in 1822. Four years later, Judge J.W. Molloy sent a letter to W.C. Kippen at Ramea. Based on this evidence and the existence of early grave makers, Kendall and Kendall (1991) suggest the first families were Keepings (Kippen being a local pronunciation of the name) and the Moores. Harbour Island with its fine harbour and beach, seems to have been settled before the other islands. Twenty-nine people were living on the islands in 1836, engaged in the fishery and subsistence agriculture and supplied by either American ships or the south coast firm of Newman and Company. John Kendall, originally from Dorsetsire, and his wife Sarah moved to Ramea c.1846. By 1857 the population had reached 111. All of these settlers belonged to the Church of England. Many had come from White Bear Bay which continued to be a "winter house" for many Ramea fishing families. Others were from Hermitage Bay or were employees of Newman and Company at Burgeo or Harbour Breton. Among the two merchants, Thomas Jeans and another man possibly Henry McDonald. Northwest, Southwest and Harbour islands were soon occupied but there was no permanent settlement at Big Island, which lacked a suitable harbour. Supplies could be obtained from the French colonies of St. Pierre and Miquelon or from the Nova Scotia vessels prosecuting the herring fishery. After 1862 the firm of Clement and Company of LaPoile was the major supplier for Ramea. People had relatively easy access to medical care in Burgeo, where a doctor was resident as early as 1860. The first school was opened only when a teacher was available. By 1873 there were no resident merchants in Ramea. Fisherman experienced several poor years in the fishery, and the population dropped from 185 to 141 in 1874.
The firm Penny and Sons, which was to become the economic mainstay of Ramea, was established in 1874 by John and George Penny . Pennys quickly acquired a fleet of schooners to exploit the fishery of the St. Pierre, Rose Blance and Burgeo banks. By 1890 the firm was ready to expand into the export business, trading to Europe, the West Indies and Brazil. Sawmills were established at Ramea and Grey River to facilitate local shipbuilding, and a forge at Ship Cove, Northwest Island provided metal fittings. The Pennys had been the first Roman Catholic family in Ramea, but they brought others from the area of Great Jervais, where the family business had originally headquartered. As the number of Catholics grew a second school was opened. By the turn of the century a few Methodist families moved to the area. However until 1910 there was only one church, built for the Church of England congregation before 1884. St. Patrick's Roman Catholic church was completed in 1910, and construction on a larger Church of England building, St. Boniface. From 1916 to 1923 the Ramea parish was separated from the church of England parish in Burgeo, but they were reunited until 1975 when Ramea again had its own parish.
In the early 1920's, when European demand for Newfoundland salt fish dropped, Ramea fisherman concentrated on the inshore fishery. A tidal wave which hit the south coast in 1929 further disrupted the fishery. By the 1930's some residents were leaving the islands, while others who remained were concentrated on the Northwest Island where the stores, churches, post office and nursing station were located. For some years thereafter Bob and Mary Rossiter maintained a house on Southwest Island. During this down turn in the fisheries and proabition in the United States the residents and merchants relied on "rum running" to Texas and Louisiana. By 1943 Penny and Sons had decided to convert their salt fish plant to fresh fish processing, catering to the American market, under the name of Caribou Fisheries Limited. The company expanded and purchased the Clement premises and operated the first dragger on the south coast. The processing plant attracted new families to the area, and Ramea became a designated growth centre. During the 1960's and 70's the community prospered and basic municipal services such as water and electricity were improved. In 1968 a ferry began operating regularly between Ramea and Burgeo. Within a decade, however, catches of commercially important redfish and cod declined considerably. The Penny firm ran into financial difficulty and was taken over by Fishery Products International in 1983. The processing plant reduced operations to six months a year, and once again some residents were obligated to leave. The fish plant was closed in the early 1990's and in 1992 residents of Ramea continued to rely on the cod fishery, despite the fact that stocks had become greatly reduced. Ramea maintained its own churches and schools as well as a resident doctor, while most other services could be found in Burgeo.
