From A Force For Good Facebook page.
On this day, 5 August 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed New Found Land as England's first overseas colony under the Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I.
Prior to the province been granted official colony status in 1832, Newfoundland had no elected form of government. In those early days, the Island was divided into colonies, administered by individuals called Proprietary Governors.
The first of these was established on 16 October in 1610 at Cuper's Cove (now called Cupids) at Conception Bay, and was governed by John Guy. It was the first colony settled in Canada, and the second in North America, following Jamestown in Virginia, USA (1607).
John Guy brought 39 settlers and supplies, who were instructed to fortify the settlement, experiment with farming, make salt, potash and glass, collect samples of ore and to fish and trade in cured fish and oil (from whale blubber).
Today, the John Guy Flag Site (pictured) at Cupids, commemorates this historical achievement by often flying a very large Union Jack as a salute to its British heritage.
The Flag of Newfoundland was the Union Jack until 1980, at which point a new stylised flag based on the Union Jack was adopted.
While Newfoundland was our first colony, Bermuda is our oldest remaining colony.
Pic courtesy of https://heritagefoundation.ca/…/john-guy-flag-site-municip…/
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