Destruction by the French in 1696 of the Planter's House on the Downs
The planter's house on the Downs was destroyed during the French attack in the fall of 1696. The settlement was entirely destroyed and the settlers either imprisoned or transported to Appledore, England. Many returned the following spring to resume their lives in the New World. The winter of 1696/97 was the only period following 1621 when Ferryland was not occupied by European settlers.

Reproduced by permission of the Colony of Avalon Foundation, Ferryland, Newfoundland, © 2001.