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  The Colony of Avalon

George Calvert was Lord Baltimore. He was the promoter of the colonies of Avalon and Baltimore. Calvert resided in Avalon in 1628.

    The Colony of Avalon was situated at a place called Ferryland, on the south east coast of Newfoundland's Avalon peninsula.

    The first recorded settlers of Ferryland were  followers of the "Pirate Admiral" Peter Easton who plied Newfoundland waters (circa 1600-1620).

    In 1612, Peter Easton moved to from Harbour Grace to Ferryland, Newfoundland. The built the  "Great House" and settled on "Fox Hill". However, these pirates were highly mobile and remained at Ferryland for only a few years.

    In 1616 William Vaughan (1575-1641) purchased a large portion of the Avalon peninsula. In 1617 Vaughan had established a small settlement south of Ferryland at Renews. The settlement was comprised, almost exclusively, of gaelic speaking settlers. The colony was named Cambriola. Cambriola was abandoned in 1619.

    In 1620 Vaughan gave Sir George Calvert (1580?-1632), First Baron of Baltimore, a tract of land on the Avalon peninsula. In 1621 Calvert founded The Colony of Avalon. Despite settling the colony in 1621, Calvert did not receive a Royal Charter for the land until 1623.

    Despite the harsh climate of Newfoundland,the reepidations of pirates and buccaneers and the ill preperation of English colonists for the Newfoundland environment, the Colony of Avalon was successful.

    Masons were imported to Avalon to build a stone town based on English designs, experimental gardens were planted and people worked in the lucrative salt cod industry.

    In 1632 Cecil Calvert (1606-1675) the Second Lord of Baltimore,was granted a Royal Charter for the Colony of Maryland. At this time, he appointed Governors to both the Colony of Maryland and the Colony of Avalon. At this time, The Colony of Avalon went into a recession. Many of it's settlers moved on to Maryland and  John Hill was left as  Acting Governor.

    In 1637 David Kirke (1597-1654) was named co-proprietor of Newfoundland. He was Newfoundland's  first Governor under a charter granted to the "Company of Adventurers".

    In 1639, Kirke took possession of Avalon. He unceremoniously ousted John Hill from Lord Calvert's Mansion House. Hill moved a short distance away, to Caplin Cove (today it is called Calvert).

    In 1651, a Parliamentarian committee led by one Mr.  Treworgie arrived at Avalon. They arrested Kirke  and returned him to England. This was because of his Royalist sympathies during the English Civil War. Kirke died in an English prison three years later. While Treworgie remained in Newfoundland for several years as acting Governor for the Cromwell Parliament.

    In 1660, the legal title of the colony of Avalon reverted back to Cecil Calvert. However he did not attempt to regain actual control of the colony and it remained in the possession of the Kirke family until it's destruction in 1696.

    In 1673, Pirates returned. Dutch buccaneers under Captain Jacob Everson laid seige to the Colony of Avalon at Ferryland. There is evidence that the Dutch pirates sacked the settlement.

    The Dutch continued toward St. John's. However, the pirates were destroyed by the residents of St. John's who  were organized by a man named Captain Christopher Martin.

    The Colony of Avalon was burned destroyed by French and Indian soldiers serving under the French naval officer, Captain Pierre Le Moyne sieur de'Iberville,  in 1696.
 
 
 
 
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More information on the Colony of Avalon
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