place

Siege of St. John's

1705 in North America1705 in the British EmpireBattles of the War of the Spanish SuccessionConflicts in 1705History of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Military history of NewfoundlandNew FrancePre-Confederation NewfoundlandQueen Anne's WarSieges involving EnglandSieges involving France
Newfoundland1744Annotated
Newfoundland1744Annotated

The siege of St. John's was a failed attempt by French forces led by Daniel d'Auger de Subercase to take the fort at St. John's, Newfoundland during the winter months of 1705, in Queen Anne's War. Leading a mixed force of regulars, militia, and Indians, Subercase burned much of the town and laid an ineffectual siege against the fort for five weeks between late January and early March 1705. Subercase lifted the siege after running out of provisions and gunpowder. The siege was part of a larger-scale expedition that was an attempt to repeat the highly destructive expedition led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1696. Many outlying English communities were destroyed by Subercase's men, leading to reprisal raids by the English. Fishing activities on both sides suffered for the duration of the war, which ended with the French cession of its claims to Newfoundland.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Siege of St. John's (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Siege of St. John's
Duckworth Street, St. John's

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Siege of St. John'sContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 47.5708 ° E -52.6991 °
placeShow on map

Address

Duckworth Street 55
A1C 1K4 St. John's
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
mapOpen on Google Maps

Newfoundland1744Annotated
Newfoundland1744Annotated
Share experience

Nearby Places

Government House (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Government House (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Government House is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. Government House was a by-product of the wave of administrative initiatives that took place during the 1820s. The royal charter of 1825 bestowed official colonial status for Newfoundland. The first governors of Newfoundland were naval officers who resided on their flagship, anchored in St. John's harbour. However, Admiral Richard Edwards decided it would be more apt for the Governor to live ashore, and thenceforth the governor resided at Fort Townshend, where the first Government House was constructed. Completed in 1781, it was intended to be a summer house for the governors, but remained in constant use until the present structure was finished in 1831. Never intended for winter use, the inhabitants complained of the cold, and Francis Pickmore even died there in the winter of 1818. The building plans for Government House were drawn up in England. The Ordinance had told the Treasury that workmen's wages were too high in Newfoundland, and subsequently, workmen in Scotland were engaged and arrived in St. John's to begin construction in April 1827. The original plan as conceived by Governor Cochrane was for a Palladian style two-storey house, plus basement. When completed in 1831, Government House cost £38,175, which was five times the original estimate; equal to £3491958.09 today. The two-storey building consists of a centre block flanked by slightly lower wings on the east and on the west. The exterior is of rough, red sandstone quarried at Signal Hill, trimmed with English Portland stone. The construction of the new Government House was meant to reflect the proper status of the governor of a province that was now a proper British colony, and a key part of the Empire. The principal rooms for entertaining—a salon, dining room, and ballroom—along with the main entrance hall were laid out in such a manner as to allow for ceremonial processions, and pomp befitting a governor.The Lieutenant-Governor's residence is where the Canadian Royal Family and visiting foreign dignitaries are greeted. Inside are also reception rooms, offices and support facilities; the Lieutenant-Governor's office is the site of swearing-in ceremonies for Cabinet ministers, where Royal Assent is granted, and where the Lieutenant-Governor receives the Premier. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.