Sir William Alexander (c. 1602 – 18 May 1638) was the founder, in 1629, of the Scottish colony of Nova Scotia with the establishment of Charles Fort, now the site of modern Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada. His expedition partner, James Stewart, 4th Lord Ochiltree established a short-lived settlement at Baleine on Cape Breton Island, some 600 km (373 mi) northeast.
Career
Alexander was the son of colonizer and Scottish courtier William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, but predeceased his father. He was a courtier to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, and then a Gentleman Usher to Charles I of England. Alexander published An Encouragement to colonies in 1624.
Charles Fort
It was on the site of Charles Fort that the returning French in 1632 built their second settlement known by the name of Port-Royal.
For many years the site of Alexander's settlement, known as Charles Fort or Scots Fort, was thought to be on the hillside overlooking the Habitation. This site, marked by a stone monument and brass plaque, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1951. The plaque has been removed and relocated as the actual site of Charles Fort has been established through archaeological evidence at Annapolis Royal; lying beneath Fort Anne.
References
- Lauren Working, The Making of an Imperial Polity: Civility and America in the Jacobean Metropolis (Cambridge, 2020), p. 38. doi:10.1017/9781108625227
- Lauren Working, The Making of an Imperial Polity: Civility and America in the Jacobean Metropolis (Cambridge, 2020), p. 39.
- Charles Fort. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- "Charles Fort National Historical Site of Canada". National Historic Sites. Parks Canada.
- Charles Fort National Historic Site of Canada. Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Parks Canada.
External links
- Harvey, D. C. (1979) . "Alexander, Sir William". In Brown, George Williams (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. I (1000–1700) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
 Governors of Acadia | |
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