Local time Friday 6:49 PM University The Gaelic College | Province Nova Scotia | |
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Not to be confused with present-day St. Anns, Nova Scotia, which was also the former name of Englishtown.
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Map of Englishtown, NS, Canada
Englishtown (Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Gall; formerly known as Grand Cibou, Saint Anne, Port Dauphin) is a small coastal community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located partially on St. Ann's Harbour as well as St. Ann's Bay in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island. It is predominantly a fishing community.
French Colony (1629-1758)
Englishtown is one of the oldest settlements in North America, having been established as a French fishing port in 1597. In 1629, Charles Daniel constructed the first French fortification in Ile Royale with the Scottish prisoners he obtained from the raid on Baleine, Nova Scotia. Fort Sainte Anne was the site of the first Jesuit mission in North America.
Nicolas Denys was here between 1650 - 1669 and then Cape Breton remained unsettled until the re- establishment of Fort Dauphin (Englishtown) and Saint Peters 1713-1758. Along with St. Peter's, Nova Scotia, Saint Anne/ Port Dauphin was the only settlement on Ile Royale prior to Louisbourg.
Fort Dauphin was established, in part, by Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville (26 October 1668 – 30 June 1722) who was a colonial military officer of New France. During Queen Anne's War he led the French Raid on Deerfield and military operations against the English in Newfoundland. He played a role in the early settlement of both Englishtown (1719-1722) and St. Peter's (1713-1718), Île-Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island), after that war. He died at Fort Dauphin.
As commodore of the fleet, Edward Tyng led 13 armed vessels and about 90 transports in the successful siege of Louisbourg (1745). He then participated in the Capture of the Vigilant and the destruction of Port Dauphin (Englishtown) in June 1745.
Landmarks
The Englishtown Ferry is a cable ferry that carries Route 312 across St. Anns Harbour and is a short cut to access the Cabot Trail when driving from the south.
The Giant MacAskill Museum located in the community has exhibits for Angus MacAskill, who moved to Englishtown at age 6, died, and is buried near the cable ferry in what is known as "The Auld Cemetery".