[Hugh]

Stamp:
Canada: Halifax Bicentenary
The founding of Halifax
Based on a painting by Charles William Jefferys
Issued on June 21, 1949
4c, Purple, engraved
Unitrade 283

Edward Cornwallis ... born on March 5, 1713. One of his grandfathers was First Lord of the Admiralty, the other was Governor of Ireland.

He was a twin. The family's plan was that one of the brothers would enter the church, one the military. But which one? When his brother fell from a horse and paralysed his arm., Edward, at 18, was commissioned into the army.

A career soldier, he fought for Cumberland at the Battle of Culloden in 1745 and was tasked, after the battle, with leading a regiment into the Highlands to 'pacify' Lochabar.

He was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia in 1749 and established the port town and fortifications of Halifax. He ended his career as a Lt. General and as the Governor of Gibraltar. He died in 1776.

His Nephew, Charles Cornwallis, commanded the British troops at Yorktown.

   

[Hugh]

James Wolfe, born in 1707,  was an experienced soldier and major general with extensive experience in Europe and North America. He fought at the Battle of Culloden, the Siege of Louisburg and most famously was the British Commander during the Siege of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham outside the city walls. Both he, and the French commander, General Montcalm, were mortally wounded during the battle. The following year French rule in North America (outside of Louisianna and St. Pierre et Miquelon) came to an end.

Months after the partition of Quebec into the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) the archipelago at the entrance to the St. Lawrence River (where it drains Lake Ontario) was named for the various British generals who led troops in British North America ... Wolfe Island, Amherst Island, Howe Island, Carleton Island and Gage Island (the last is now known as Simcoe Island).

And, I just so happen to live on Wolfe Island.

   

Stamp:
Canada - Series: 300th Anniversary of the founding of Quebec
Generals Montcalm and Wolfe
Issued on July 16, 1908
7c, Olive Green
Unitrade 100

Fun fact: Carleton Island is now part of the United States. The internatonal border runs between Wolfe Island and Carleton Islands. The US border is just a few hundred meters offshore. Gage (now Simcoe) island can be reached via a cable ferry from the west end of Wolfe Island. 

'The Death of General Wolfe' by Benjamin West, Oil on canvas (1770), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.

   

[Carmen]

Thanks Hugh for those interesting stamps AND historical info. Interestingly enough, one of the consequences of me spending 8 years in Europe (as great as that was!) was that French history is mostly what I studied in the French Lycees in England and Belgium, so I remained woefully ignorant of Canadian History, really (but hey, let me tell ya about Louis the 16th... World War 1... ) 

One Canadain TV series I REALLY appreciated (and still have in storage on DVDs), was CBC's Canada - A People's History. What an excellent way for this chick to get caught up on what I missed, LOL! I highly recommend it to everyone!