Castle Hill

By 1600, France and England dominated the European migratory fisheries to Newfoundland. Small-scale English settlements began in 1610, and in 1662 France established the royal colony of Plaisance to secure its fisheries and check English expansion along the south coast. For the first three decades of the colony’s existence, its defences received little attention, but war between England and France led to the construction of newer and better defences. In 1692, defence works on Castle Hill were instrumental in repelling an English naval attack. Between 1696 and 1709, forces from Plaisance conducted destructive raids on English fishing settlements. By the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, France recognized British sovereignty over Newfoundland, and most of the residents of Plaisance moved to Louisbourg on Ile Royale (Cape Breton Island) or returned to France. After Britain took possession of Plaisance it was renamed Placentia. During the long peace after Utrecht, Placentia’s defences were generally neglected and the works on Castle Hill went to ruin. In the summer of 1762, when French forces temporarily occupied St. John’s, Fort Royal was upgraded. After 1763, Placentia’s status declined in favor of St. John’s, and in 1811 the few remaining troops in the Placentia garrison were removed to St. John’s.

Newfoundland and Labrador · Canada