The Great Seal of Newfoundland is a seal used to authenticate documents issued by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador that are released in the name of the King in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, including the appointment of the Executive Council and Ministers (the Cabinet).
The fisherman kneeling before Britannia, a colonial image, was replaced by the coat of arms, with "Newfoundland" written near the bottom curve on a scroll. Encircling the top are the words "Elizabeth II D.G. Canadæ Regina".
The earliest documented Great Seal of Newfoundland received royal approval from King George IV on 1 September 1827. It depicts Mercury, the classical god of commerce and merchandise, presenting to Britannia a fisherman who, kneeling, offers her his catch. Below are the words Hæc Tibi Dona Fero (Latin: These gifts I bring thee) and written around the circumference of the seal is Sigillum Terræ Novæ Insulæ – "Seal of the Island of Terra Nova".
In 1837, when Queen Victoria took the throne of England, she approved a new seal for Newfoundland. Britannia, Mercury and the Newfoundland fisherman occupy the bottom two thirds and are contained within an elaborate frame. Above sit the royal arms, with a lion and unicorn on either side. Written around the top edge of the circular seal are the words Victoria Dei Gratia Britanniæ Reg F D (Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith), and the bottom edge reads Sigillum Terræ Novæ Insulæ (Seal of the Island of Terra Nova). [1]
The keeper of the Great Seal is the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of 405,212 km2 (156,453 sq mi) As of January 1, 2024, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated to be 541,391. The island of Newfoundland is home to around 94 per cent of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador shares a land border with both the province of Quebec and the territory of Nunavut on Killiniq Island. The French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about 20 km (12 mi) west of the Burin Peninsula.
Britannia is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin Britannia was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great Britain, and the Roman province of Britain during the Roman Empire. Typically depicted reclining or seated with spear and shield since appearing thus on Roman coins of the 2nd century AD, the classical national allegory was revived in the early modern period. On coins of the pound sterling issued by Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Britannia appears with her shield bearing the Union Flag. To symbolise the Royal Navy's victories, Britannia's spear became the characteristic trident in 1797, and a helmet was added to the coinage in 1825.
The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced in 1980 and was designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. The flag design was approved by the House of Assembly of the province of Newfoundland, Canada, on May 28, 1980. It was flown for the first time on Discovery Day, June 24, 1980. The name of the province was changed to Newfoundland and Labrador by an amendment to the constitution of Canada in December 2001 at the request of the provincial legislature.
The British farthing abbreviated qua., was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1/960 of one pound, 1/48 of one shilling, or 1/4 of one penny; initially minted in copper and then in bronze, which replaced the earlier English farthings. Before Decimal Day in 1971, Britain used the Carolingian monetary system, wherein the largest unit was a pound sterling of 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. Each penny was divided into 4 farthings, thus, a pound sterling contained 960 farthings, and a shilling contained 48 farthings. From 1860 to 1971, the purchasing power of a farthing ranged between 12p and 0.2p in 2017 values.
The coat of arms of the United Kingdom are the arms of dominion of the British monarch. They are the personal arms of the monarch, currently King Charles III, and are used as the arms of the state. In addition to the monarch, the arms are used by state institutions, including the UK Government, Parliament, and judiciary. Differenced versions of the arms are used by members of the British royal family. The monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard, is the coat of arms in flag form.
The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem.
Events from the year 1770 in Canada.
Sir David Kirke, also spelled David Ker, was an adventurer, privateer and colonial governor. He is best known for his successful capture of Québec in 1629 during the Anglo-French War and his subsequent governorship of lands in Newfoundland. A favourite of Charles I, Kirke's downfall came with that of the Crown during the English Civil War and it is believed he died in prison.
The coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador was originally granted by Garter King of Arms, during the reign of King Charles I, on 1 January 1637/8.
The Great Seal of Canada is a governmental seal used for purposes of state in Canada, being set on letters patent, proclamations and commissions, both to representatives of the monarch and for the appointment of cabinet ministers, senators, and judges. Many other officials, such as officers in the Canadian Armed Forces, receive commissions affixed with the Privy Seal, not the great seal. It is not for sealing up a document as letters close. As a de facto symbol of Canada the seal is one of the oldest and most honoured instruments of the Canadian government.
Terra Nova may refer to:
Terra Nova was a whaler and polar expedition ship. The ship is best known for carrying the 1910 British Antarctic Expedition, Robert Falcon Scott's last expedition.
The Great Seal of the State of Connecticut has been the coat of arms of the U.S. state of Connecticut since May 1784. It depicts three grapevines and a ribbon below with the Latin motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet, with SIGILLUM REIPUBLICÆ CONNECTICUTENSIS in the border.
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Newfoundland and Labrador as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Newfoundland and Labrador's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, His Majesty in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the King in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.
Brookfield is a Canadian community located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Flowers Island was one of the communities in an area on the northeast coast of the Island of Newfoundland called Bonavista North. These communities have a shared history in that they were settled by people from England, predominantly from the West Country—Dorset, Devon Somerset and Hampshire.
Salvage is a town located on the Eastport Peninsula of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The town had a population of 108 in the Canada 2021 Census.
Newfoundland is a large island within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated off the eastern coast of the North American mainland and the geographical region of Labrador.
Simon Gibbons was Canada's first Inuit priest. The Anglican missionary constructed a number of churches in Nova Scotia.
The Great Seal of Australia is one of Australia's national symbols. It is used on some important documents to demonstrate the approval of the Commonwealth. As the imprint of the seal could not be easily reproduced by government printers, its presence is shown by the initials "L.S" for locus sigilli on copies of sealed documents. The current design was authorised by royal warrant on 19 October 1973. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet currently holds custody of the seal.
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