Lark Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Lark Harbour is small fishing community on the western coast of Newfoundland
, on the south side of the Bay of Islands and west of the City of Corner Brook.
Combined with neighbouring York Harbour, there is a population of about 1,100. Blow-Me-Down Provincial Park lies on the boundary between the two communities.
named the harbours after two of his ships. However, while it is true that Cook spent the years 1764 to 1767 surveying and charting the coasts of Newfoundland and was working in the Bay of Islands in the summer of 1767, he had charge of only one ship, the schooner Grenville. Not a naval vessel, and built and operated in Massachusetts
under the name Sally, she had been purchased by the Royal Navy
for Cook's use while surveying.
HMS Lark and HMS York, after which the harbours were named, were ships of the Royal Navy's Newfoundland Squadron. To command such ships a naval commission was required, and Cook held no such commission during his years in Newfoundland: he was at that time a sailing master. The title of captain, or commander, was reserved for commissioned officers of the Navy.
Most of the names of natural features, such as Blow-me-down Mountain, Tweed Island, Guernsey Island and Pearl Island, (these last three also named after frigates of the Newfoundland Squadron) had appeared earlier on maps drawn by Joseph Gilbert who was sailing master aboard HMS Guernsey when the British Governor of Newfoundland, Hugh Palliser
, visited the Bay of Islands in 1764. Palliser, newly appointed to his responsibilities as Governor, quickly understood that reliable charts of the waters around Newfoundland would be useful tools in the Navy's defence strategy. Cook was already a capable surveyor, and it was Palliser who assigned him to the task in Newfoundland. Cook would undoubtedly have had copies of any existing charts and log notes, including Gilbert's, when he began his work, and would have incorporated into his own work the names he saw on those documents.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, on the south side of the Bay of Islands and west of the City of Corner Brook.
Combined with neighbouring York Harbour, there is a population of about 1,100. Blow-Me-Down Provincial Park lies on the boundary between the two communities.
Captain James Cook and the naming of Lark Harbour and York Harbour
Local legend has it that James CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
named the harbours after two of his ships. However, while it is true that Cook spent the years 1764 to 1767 surveying and charting the coasts of Newfoundland and was working in the Bay of Islands in the summer of 1767, he had charge of only one ship, the schooner Grenville. Not a naval vessel, and built and operated in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
under the name Sally, she had been purchased by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for Cook's use while surveying.
HMS Lark and HMS York, after which the harbours were named, were ships of the Royal Navy's Newfoundland Squadron. To command such ships a naval commission was required, and Cook held no such commission during his years in Newfoundland: he was at that time a sailing master. The title of captain, or commander, was reserved for commissioned officers of the Navy.
Most of the names of natural features, such as Blow-me-down Mountain, Tweed Island, Guernsey Island and Pearl Island, (these last three also named after frigates of the Newfoundland Squadron) had appeared earlier on maps drawn by Joseph Gilbert who was sailing master aboard HMS Guernsey when the British Governor of Newfoundland, Hugh Palliser
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
, visited the Bay of Islands in 1764. Palliser, newly appointed to his responsibilities as Governor, quickly understood that reliable charts of the waters around Newfoundland would be useful tools in the Navy's defence strategy. Cook was already a capable surveyor, and it was Palliser who assigned him to the task in Newfoundland. Cook would undoubtedly have had copies of any existing charts and log notes, including Gilbert's, when he began his work, and would have incorporated into his own work the names he saw on those documents.