Nova Scotia and the Baronets, 1621–25: Scotland's Own Colony
Contents
Nova Scotia means "New Scotland", and the name is no accident. In 1621 King James VI granted a vast area of North America to the poet and courtier Sir William Alexander, to found a Scottish colony to rival New England and New France. To pay for it, Charles I created a new title, Baronet of Nova Scotia, and sold it to Scottish gentlemen. So that the new baronets could take possession of land without crossing the ocean, a patch of ground at Edinburgh Castle was legally declared part of Nova Scotia. The colony lasted only a few years before it was handed to France. This card tells the story of Scotland's first attempt at a colony in America.
TL;DR
- established In 1621 James VI granted Sir William Alexander, later Earl of Stirling, a charter for the territory of "Nova Scotia", covering roughly modern Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and part of Maine.
- established To raise money and settlers, the Order of Baronets of Nova Scotia was created in 1624–25. Baronets paid for their title and were expected to support colonists, receiving a grant of land in return.
- established Because of the difficulty of taking legal possession in America, ground on the Castle Hill in Edinburgh was declared part of Nova Scotia for the purpose of the ceremony of sasine.
- established A small Scottish settlement, Charles Fort, was established at Port Royal in 1629, and another briefly on Cape Breton.
- established In 1632, under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Charles I returned the territory to France, and the Scottish colony was abandoned. The name, the flag and the coat of arms survived.
Key Facts
- Charter
- 1621, to Sir William Alexander
- Territory
- Roughly Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and part of Maine
- Baronets
- Order created 1624–25 under Charles I
- Sasine
- Taken on the Castle Hill, Edinburgh
- Settlement
- Charles Fort, Port Royal, 1629
- Ended
- 1632, Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
- Legacy
- The name Nova Scotia; its flag and arms
A Note on Claims and Evidence
Each major claim carries one of three labels. established means supported by primary records, official bodies or several independent reliable sources. shared means the core fact is sound but sources disagree on details, dates or interpretation. traditional means widely repeated but not traceable to a primary or independent source.
The charter, the creation of the baronetcies and the 1632 treaty are well documented. The number of baronetcies sold and settlers sent varies between sources, so exact figures are avoided.
Timeline
French settlement at Port Royal.
James VI grants the Nova Scotia charter to Sir William Alexander.
James announces the Order of Baronets of Nova Scotia.
Charles I begins creating baronets.
Scottish settlers establish Charles Fort at Port Royal.
Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returns the territory to France.
Britain gains the peninsula of Nova Scotia by the Treaty of Utrecht.
Details
The charter
established Sir William Alexander of Menstrie, a poet and courtier, persuaded James VI that Scotland should have its own colony alongside New England and New France. In September 1621 James granted him a huge territory, named Nova Scotia, covering land already claimed by France, which had a settlement at Port Royal. Alexander's early expeditions in 1622 and 1623 achieved little.
Baronets for sale
established To fund the colony, James proposed and Charles I created the Order of Baronets of Nova Scotia. A baronetcy was a hereditary title ranking below a baron. Purchasers paid a sum to Alexander and undertook to support settlers, and in return received a grant of land in Nova Scotia. Many Scottish families acquired baronetcies, and some still hold them.
Edinburgh Castle as Nova Scotia
established Under Scots law, land was transferred by the ceremony of sasine, which normally took place on the land itself. Because travel to America was impractical, the Castle Hill in Edinburgh was declared part of Nova Scotia, so that baronets could take possession there. A plaque on the Castle Esplanade marks the spot.
Charles Fort
established In 1629 Alexander's son, also William, led settlers who established Charles Fort at Port Royal, on the Annapolis Basin. Another short-lived settlement was founded on Cape Breton. The colonists suffered from disease and hardship.
Handed back
established In 1632, as part of the peace with France under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Charles I returned Acadia, including Nova Scotia, to France, and the Scots were withdrawn. Britain gained the peninsula of Nova Scotia only in 1713. The name survived, and Nova Scotia's flag, a blue saltire on white with the royal arms of Scotland, derives from Alexander's arms.
Did You Know?
- Nova Scotia means "New Scotland" in Latin.
- Baronetcies were sold to pay for the colony.
- Part of Edinburgh Castle Esplanade was declared part of Nova Scotia.
- The Scottish colony lasted only a few years.
- Nova Scotia's flag is a reversed Scottish saltire.
FAQ
1Why is it called Nova Scotia?
It was named in James VI's 1621 charter to Sir William Alexander.
2What were the baronets of Nova Scotia?
Holders of a hereditary title sold to fund the colony.
3Why does Edinburgh Castle come into it?
Baronets took legal possession of their land on the Castle Hill.
4What happened to the colony?
Charles I returned it to France in 1632.
5Does the Scottish link survive?
Yes, in the name, flag and coat of arms.
Sources and Further Reading
Scholarly/Critical
- John G. Reid, Acadia, Maine, and New Scotland: Marginal Colonies in the Seventeenth Century (University of Toronto Press, 1981)
- N. E. S. Griffiths and John G. Reid, "New Evidence on New Scotland, 1629", William and Mary Quarterly 49 (1992)
- Steve Murdoch and Esther Mijers, "Migrant Destinations, 1500–1750", in T. M. Devine and Jenny Wormald (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Scottish History (Oxford University Press, 2012) — further reading on Nova Scotia and early Scottish colonial ventures
Caveats: Myths and Disputed Claims
- Myth: part of Edinburgh Castle's grounds is legally part of Canada. The Castle Hill was declared part of Nova Scotia so that baronets could take possession of their land by sasine without crossing the Atlantic. It was a legal device of the 1620s, and the colony was returned to France in 1632.
- Myth: a large Scottish population settled in Nova Scotia in the 1620s. Alexander's early expeditions of 1622 and 1623 achieved little, and the settlement at Charles Fort in 1629 was small and suffered from disease and hardship.
- Disputed: how many baronetcies were sold and settlers sent. The numbers vary between sources, so no exact figures are given.
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