New Britain (Canada) facts for kids
"New Britain" was an old name for a very large area in North America. It was used a long time ago, when maps weren't very good. This name mostly referred to the lands that are now Nunavik and Labrador in Canada. Later, it grew to include all the mainland shores of Hudson Bay and James Bay. British visitors sometimes divided this huge area into three parts: New South Wales, New North Wales, and Labrador. The name Labrador is much older than the other two.
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Exploring the New Lands
In 1612, a Welsh captain named Thomas Button spent the winter on the shores of Hudson Bay. He was at the mouth of a river he called the Nelson River. Captain Button named his camp Port Nelson. He called the entire western shore "New Wales."
Seven years later, in 1619, a Danish captain named Jens Munk also spent the winter nearby. He was at the mouth of the Churchill River. Captain Munk named these areas Nova Dania, which means "New Denmark" in Latin.
More Explorers Arrive
The region was visited again twelve years later, in 1631. This time, Captains Thomas James and Luke Foxe explored the area. It is believed that Captain Foxe found a cross that Button had put up at Port Nelson. Foxe then named the shore north of the Nelson River New North Wales. He called all the lands to the south New South Wales.
Another story says that Captain James named these areas. It also says that Captain Foxe gave the region a name that is now forgotten: New Yorkshire.
Parts of New Britain
The large area known as "New Britain" was loosely divided into three main parts:
- New North Wales – This area included mainland Kivalliq in Nunavut. It also covered the Northern Region in Manitoba down to Port Nelson.
- New South Wales – This part stretched from Port Nelson south into northern Manitoba. It also included the Kenora District in Ontario.
- Labrador – This covered the eastern coast of Hudson Bay. It included Nord-du-Québec in Québec and the modern Labrador region in Newfoundland and Labrador. During the time of "New Britain," the only European settlements in Labrador were small missions. These were set up by the Moravian Church at Nain (in 1771), Okak (in 1776), and Hopedale (in 1782).
The Name Fades Away
About 139 years later, Captain James Cook used the name New South Wales again. He used it for a new Australian Colony of New South Wales. This colony eventually covered most of New Holland, which is now Australia. By this time, the name "New South Wales" for the North American region had started to be forgotten.
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