Ferryland
Encyclopedia
Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador
on the Avalon Peninsula
. According to the 2006 Statistics Canada
census
, its population is 529. Addresses in Ferryland use the alphanumerically lowest postal codes
in Canada, starting with A0A.
The Historic Ferryland Museum (c. 1916) is a Municipal Heritage Site on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
, Spanish
, and Portuguese
. By the 1590s it was one of the most popular fishing harbours in Newfoundland and acclaimed by Sir Walter Raleigh
. Ferryland was called "Farilham" by the Portuguese fishermen and "Forillon" by the French—it later became anglicized to its current name "Ferryland." (This should not be confused with the Forillon National Park
in Quebec
, which still keeps its French name.)
The land was granted by charter
to the London and Bristol Company
in the 1610s and the vicinity became the location of a number of short-lived English colonies
at Cuper's Cove
, Bristol's Hope
, and Renews and adjoined the colony of South Falkland
. In 1620 the territory was granted to George Calvert
, 1st Baron Baltimore
who had obtained the holdings from William Vaughan.
Calvert appointed Edward Wynne
to establish a colony
which became the first successful permanent colony in Newfoundland growing to a population of 100 by 1625. In 1623, Calvert's grant was confirmed and expanded. The Charter of Avalon was granted to Lord Baltimore
by James I. Dated 7 April 1623 it created the Province of Avalon
on the island of Newfoundland and gave Baltimore complete authority over all matters in the territory. That same year Baltimore chose Ferryland as the principal area of settlement.
The town was destroyed by New France in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign
(1696). Virtually forgotten for centuries, excavations of the original settlement began in earnest in the late 1980s and continue to this day.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
on the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
. According to the 2006 Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, its population is 529. Addresses in Ferryland use the alphanumerically lowest postal codes
Canadian postal code
A Canadian postal code is a six-character string that forms part of a postal address in Canada. Like British and Dutch postcodes, Canada's postal codes are alphanumeric. They are in the format A0A 0A0, where A is a letter and 0 is a digit, with a space separating the third and fourth characters...
in Canada, starting with A0A.
The Historic Ferryland Museum (c. 1916) is a Municipal Heritage Site on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Seventeenth century settlement
Ferryland was originally established as a station for migratory fishermen in the late 16th century but had earlier been used by the FrenchFrance
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...
, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. By the 1590s it was one of the most popular fishing harbours in Newfoundland and acclaimed by Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
. Ferryland was called "Farilham" by the Portuguese fishermen and "Forillon" by the French—it later became anglicized to its current name "Ferryland." (This should not be confused with the Forillon National Park
Forillon National Park
Forillon National Park, one of 43 national parks and park reserves across Canada, is located at the outer tip of the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec and covers 244 km². Created in 1970, Forillon was the first national park in Quebec. The park includes forests, sea coast, salt marshes, sand dunes,...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, which still keeps its French name.)
The land was granted by charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
to the London and Bristol Company
London and Bristol Company
The London and Bristol Company came about in the early 17th century when English merchants had begun to express an interest in the Newfoundland fishery. Financed by a syndicate of investors John Guy, himself a Bristol merchant, visited Newfoundland in 1608 to locate a favourable site for a colony...
in the 1610s and the vicinity became the location of a number of short-lived English colonies
English colonial empire
The English colonial empire consisted of a variety of overseas territories colonized, conquered, or otherwise acquired by the former Kingdom of England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries....
at Cuper's Cove
Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cuper's Cove, on the southwest shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula was an early English settlement in the New World, and the second one after the Jamestown Settlement to endure for longer than a year...
, Bristol's Hope
Bristol's Hope, Newfoundland and Labrador
Bristol's Hope is the modern name of a community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on Conception Bay between Carbonear and Harbour Grace....
, and Renews and adjoined the colony of South Falkland
South Falkland
South Falkland was an English colony in Newfoundland established by Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland, in 1623 on territory in the Avalon Peninsula including the former colony of Renews. Cary appointed Sir Francis Tanfield, his wife's cousin, to be the colony's first Proprietary Governor. Tanfield...
. In 1620 the territory was granted to George Calvert
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore
Sir George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, 8th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland was an English politician and colonizer. He achieved domestic political success as a Member of Parliament and later Secretary of State under King James I...
, 1st Baron Baltimore
Baron Baltimore
Baron Baltimore, of Baltimore Manor in County Longford, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1625 for George Calvert and became extinct on the death of the sixth Baron in 1771. The title was held by several members of the Calvert family who were proprietors of the palatinates...
who had obtained the holdings from William Vaughan.
Edward Wynne
Edward Wynne was Proprietary Governor of Ferryland colony from 1621 to 1626. Born in Wales, he was appointed by George Calvert to establish the colony, and in August 1621, he landed at Ferryland with 12 men. By November of that same year, the colonists had completed a large dwelling, and then by...
to establish a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
which became the first successful permanent colony in Newfoundland growing to a population of 100 by 1625. In 1623, Calvert's grant was confirmed and expanded. The Charter of Avalon was granted to Lord Baltimore
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore
Sir George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, 8th Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland was an English politician and colonizer. He achieved domestic political success as a Member of Parliament and later Secretary of State under King James I...
by James I. Dated 7 April 1623 it created the Province of Avalon
Province of Avalon
Province of Avalon was the area around the settlement of Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the 17th century, which upon the success of the colony grew to include the land held by Sir William Vaughan and all the land that lay between Ferryland and Petty Harbour.Sir George Calvert had acquired...
on the island of Newfoundland and gave Baltimore complete authority over all matters in the territory. That same year Baltimore chose Ferryland as the principal area of settlement.
The town was destroyed by New France in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign
Avalon Peninsula Campaign
The Avalon Peninsula Campaign occurred during King Williams War when forces of New France, led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, destroyed 23 English settlements along the coast of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland in the span of three months...
(1696). Virtually forgotten for centuries, excavations of the original settlement began in earnest in the late 1980s and continue to this day.
See also
- British colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
- List of cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Sara KirkeSara KirkeLady Sara Kirke was the wife of Sir David Kirke , the governor of Newfoundland between 1638 and 1651. She is considered to be North America's "first and foremost entrepreneur".- History :...
- Erasmus StourtonErasmus StourtonErasmus Stourton was a clergyman and early settler to the Colony of Avalon, Newfoundland in 1627...
- Ron HynesRon HynesRon Hynes is a popular folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland. He is especially known for his composition "Sonny's Dream," which has been recorded worldwide by many artists and was named the 41st greatest Canadian song of all time on the 2005 CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian...
- James Tuck (archaeologist)James Tuck (archaeologist)James A. Tuck, ONL, FRSC is an archaeologist born in New York State. With a doctoral degree from Syracuse University, he began teaching and doing archaeology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada. From the late 1960s to the present he has been instrumental in clarifying the...