Edward Cornwallis

Cornwallis, Edward
Edward Cornwallis, soldier, administrator (b at London, Eng 22 Feb 1712/13; d at Gibraltar 14 Jan 1776). He served 17 years in the British army until retiring (1748) with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1749 he was appointed governor of Nova Scotia. Arriving in the summer of that year with about 2500 English settlers, Cornwallis founded the new townsite of Chebucto (later renamed HALIFAX). Despite the British government's determination to combat the French presence at LOUISBOURG and to exploit the area's cod fishery, the settlers' lot was a difficult one and many soon became discouraged by the continued Micmac raids. When Cornwallis returned to England in 1752, the future of the settlement was far from secure. After resuming his military career, he was eventually given the governorship of Gibraltar in 1762, and held this post until his death.

Author DAVID EVANS

Links to Other Sites
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
A searchable collection of detailed biographies of prominent figures in Canadian history. Produced by the University of Toronto, the Université Laval and the National Archives of Canada.

The "conquest" of Acadia, 1710
This site offers online excerpts from "The 'conquest' of Acadia, 1710," a book about the conquest of Port-Royal by British forces in 1710. Relates to Acadian history, native studies, native rights histories, and the socio-political history of the eighteenth century.