Englishtown, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with present-day St. Anns, Nova Scotia, which was also the former name of Englishtown.
Englishtown (formerly known as Grand Cibou, Saint Anne, Port Dauphin) is a small coastal community in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
, located on St. Anne's Bay in Victoria County
on Cape Breton Island
. It is predominantly a fishing
community.
, having been established as a French
fishing port in 1597. In 1629, Charles Daniel
constructed the first French fortification
in Ile Royale with the Scottish prisoners he obtained from the raid on Baleine, Nova Scotia
. Fort Sainte Anne
was the site of the first Jesuit mission
in North America.
Nicolas Denys
was here between 1650 - 1669 and then Cape Breton remained unsettled until the re- establishment of Fort Dauphin (Englishtown) and Saint Peters 1713-1758. Along with St. Peter's, Nova Scotia
, Saint Anne/ Port Dauphin was the only settlement on Ile Royale prior to Louisbourg.
Fort Dauphin was established, in part, by Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville
(26 October 1668 – 30 June 1722) who was a colonial military officer of New France
. During Queen Anne's War
he led the French Raid on Deerfield and military operations against the English in Newfoundland. He played a role in the early settlement of both Englishtown (1719-1722) and St. Peter's
(1713-1718), Île-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island
), after that war. He died at Fort Dauphin.
The Englishtown Ferry, which traverses St. Anns Bay, is a well known local landmark.
Englishtown (formerly known as Grand Cibou, Saint Anne, Port Dauphin) is a small coastal community in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, located on St. Anne's Bay in Victoria County
Victoria County, Nova Scotia
Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.-History:Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851...
on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
. It is predominantly a fishing
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
community.
French Colony (1629-1758)
Englishtown is one of the oldest settlements in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, having been established as a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fishing port in 1597. In 1629, Charles Daniel
Charles Daniel (sea captain)
Charles Daniel was an early contributor to the advancement of the settlement of the New World. One of his documented accomplishments was the founding of Fort Sainte Anne on Cape Breton Island. This took place in 1629 after the captain's ship had been involved in a gale which separated this ship...
constructed the first French fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
in Ile Royale with the Scottish prisoners he obtained from the raid on Baleine, Nova Scotia
Baleine, Nova Scotia
Baleine is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality on Cape Breton Island...
. Fort Sainte Anne
Fort Sainte Anne (Nova Scotia)
Fort Ste. Anne was a former French military fort located in the Canadian province of Cape Breton.It was situated in Englishtown, Victoria County on Cape Breton Island.The fort was built by Captain Charles Daniel after raiding Baleine...
was the site of the first Jesuit mission
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in North America.
Nicolas Denys
Nicolas Denys
.Nicolas Denys was a French aristocrat who became an explorer, colonizer, soldier and leader in New France. Today, he is perhaps best known for founding settlements at St. Pierre , Ste...
was here between 1650 - 1669 and then Cape Breton remained unsettled until the re- establishment of Fort Dauphin (Englishtown) and Saint Peters 1713-1758. Along with St. Peter's, Nova Scotia
St. Peter's, Nova Scotia
St. Peter's is a small incorporated village located on Cape Breton Island in Richmond County, Nova Scotia, Canada....
, Saint Anne/ Port Dauphin was the only settlement on Ile Royale prior to Louisbourg.
Fort Dauphin was established, in part, by Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville
Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville
Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville was a colonial military officer of New France. He is best known in North America for leading the raid on Deerfield, Province of Massachusetts Bay against English settlers on 29 February 1704...
(26 October 1668 – 30 June 1722) who was a colonial military officer of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. During Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
he led the French Raid on Deerfield and military operations against the English in Newfoundland. He played a role in the early settlement of both Englishtown (1719-1722) and St. Peter's
St. Peter's, Nova Scotia
St. Peter's is a small incorporated village located on Cape Breton Island in Richmond County, Nova Scotia, Canada....
(1713-1718), Île-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
), after that war. He died at Fort Dauphin.
The Englishtown Ferry, which traverses St. Anns Bay, is a well known local landmark.