The first settlement was founded in 1538, when a group of French
Huguenots refugees, that came from
Dieppe, a
normand fishing port, found safe haven on
Saint Kitts island. It is the oldest town founded by
Europeans in the whole of the
Eastern Caribbean. The original town only survived two weeks before it was destroyed by the Spanish, but it was re-founded in 1625 by French settlers led by
Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Dieppe Bay Town is the co-capital of St. John Capisterre Parish along with
Saddlers. Originally the northern part of the parish was ruled by
France, in the region of "
Capisterre de St. Christophe", of which Dieppe was the capital. The southern part of the parish was ruled by the
United Kingdom, in "British Saint Christopher", which had its parish capital in Saddlers. When Britain took full control of the island in 1713, both capitals remained. The town was once home to a busy port, situated along the harbour at Dieppe. The harbour was renowned on the island due to the large
coral reef formations offshore which gave it strong protection against the heavy waves which tended to prevent
Atlantic coast development elsewhere. The port however, saw its functions cease after all business was shifted to
Basseterre after Basseterre was made the
capital of St. Kitts in 1723. Dieppe Bay is currently a very small settlement with a very small population, however its historical significance to St. Kitts, and its former status as capital of the Capisterre region has allowed it to earn the status of "town". It is the fifth town of Saint Kitts after Basseterre,
Sandy Point,
Cayon, and
Old Road. Its current population is estimated at 592 persons and it is ranked 20th in population of all settlements in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Many of the inhabitants are ethnically French and are descended from fishermen who migrated from
St. Barts. They were attracted to the area by the reef. == Geography ==