" Discover the Heritage of the Baccalieu Trail "
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Carbonear Island is located in Conception Bay between Carbonear and Freshwater. There isn’t any indication that the island was ever settled, however, Carbonear Island played an important role in the past with the development of communities in Conception Bay. The strategic location and geographic characteristics of Carbonear Island made it a safe place for British settlers against the repeated attacks by the French in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Once in 1762 for four months, the French succeeded in securing the island. The first reference document of Carbonear Island was in a proposal in 1679 by William Downing and Thomas Oxford requesting the government of Great Britain to generate a fortress on the island for the protection of the people of Conception Bay. This proposal was probably never acted upon. In 1696, under Pierre Le Moyne D’Iberville, the French attacked the settlements on the Avalon Peninsula and it was the local people who built a fortification on Carbonear Island. D’Iberville arrived in Carbonear on January 24, 1697 after capturing and burning St. John’s and most of the communities in and around Conception Bay and the Southern Shore. The residents of Carbonear and neighboring communities (about 200 total), had retreated to the island. They fired upon the French and refused D’Iberville’s appeal that they surrender. A Recollett monk who accompanied D’Iberville during the battle, Abbe Baudoin, described Carbonear Island as he saw it that day: It is scarped with high cliffs, except one landing at the west point, a pistol shot from a boom made of sloops. On the isle are four cannon, six pounders, besides which, only two sloops at a time can land, and then only in a calm, which is not frequent in the winter. On January 31 D’Iberville and ninety of his men in nine boats attempted a landing on the island but were driven off by inhabitants. On February 1 he circled the island and left, returning overland from Heart’s Content on February 10. An arrangement was made for an exchange of prisoners, but nothing materialized. Eventually the French were forced to return to Plaisance, leaving Carbonear Island as they had found it. |
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1697 - The Peace of Ryswick put a brief halt to French and English quarrels. 1705 – The French had renewed their campaign to wipe out English settlements in Newfoundland. 1709 – John Pynn, who proved to be one of the several courageous leaders to emerge on the side of the British settlers, was rewarded for his bravery by being assigned the commander of the garrison on Carbonear Island. 1709 (December 21) – Residents of Carbonear sent a petition to Queen Anne telling of the capture of St. John’s by the French and pledged their defiance of the French until such time as assistance would be sent. 1713 – Treaty of Utrecht brought a period of peace to Newfoundland that lasted almost fifty years. 1745 – British authorities began putting the fortifications into order because of the Jacobite rebellion. 1750 – Carbonear Island was a regular military outpost with an artillery officer and 18 – 20 men and an officer of foot with 30 men. 1756 – With the beginning of the Seven Years War, England and France were again in conflict. 1762 (June) – The French (Count D’Haussonville with four warships and 700 troops) attacked the island fortress and were successful without a battle since by this time the fortifications on Carbonear Island had fallen into decay. 1981 (May 31) – Carbonear Island was dedicated as a national historic site. |
