Canada’s tribute to Bristol Merchant who helped found their Nation
The Master of the Society of Merchant Venturers, Trevor Smallwood, will be attending a plaque unveiling ceremony in Canada tomorrow (Tuesday, 3 November) to mark the 400th anniversary of the country’s first English settlement established by a Bristol Merchant. Trevor will be visiting a new legacy centre in the village of Cupids in Newfoundland, close to the secluded cove where Bristol merchant John Guy, a Merchant Venturer, and a party of 38 intrepid colonists landed in August 1610.
Trevor has been invited by Cupids 400, a group set up in Newfoundland to celebrate the quadricentennial of the founding of the colony.
John Guy, who later became Master of the Merchant Venturers and also MP for Bristol, was the first governor of the settlement.
The determined colonists set sail from Bristol in July 1610 with the intention of starting a fishing and farming community and also trading with Newfoundland’s indigenous Beothuk people.
Their inspirational story – they endured harsh winters, crop failures, scurvy and pirates – will be commemorated at the centre, which will also house 140,000 artifacts uncovered in archaeological digs at the site of the settlement.
Trevor Smallwood said: “John Guy and his fellow brave settlers embody Bristol’s proud maritime and mercantile heritage and its pioneering spirit.
“Their struggle to survive thousands of miles from their home city in often terrible conditions is among the most inspiring stories to come out of the city’s long and colourful history.
“So it is a great honour to be invited to Cupids to what is in effect the start its 400th anniversary celebrations.
"The legacy centre will demonstrate for generations to come the important roles of the city of Bristol and the Merchant Venturers in the foundation of Canada and the British Empire.”
The plaque unveiling ceremony takes place on November 3 and will also be attended by a number of Canadian dignitaries.
Celebrations during August next year will include arts and music festivals, historical re-enactments featuring professional performers, an educational programme for students throughout Canada and a genealogy program to help local families trace their roots.
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