Whitbourne, Sir Richard National Historic Person
Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador
View of HSMBC plaque
(© Parks Canada / Parcs Canada, 1989)
Address :
Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1984-11-23
Life Date:
1579 to 1628
Other Name(s):
-
Whitbourne, Sir Richard
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Newfoundland merchant and promoter of colonization
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador
A Devonshire mariner and merchant, Whitbourne became active in the Newfoundland trade and fishery in 1579. Commissioned by the High Court of Admiralty in 1615 to investigate the conflicts between fishermen and settlers on the island, he became himself a proponent of colonization, and in 1618 was named first governor of William Vaughan's colony at Renews. From his four decades of experience of the island, he published his Discourse and discovery of Newfoundland in 1620. Designed to promote settlement, the Discourse is today one of the most valuable sources for the early history of Newfoundland.