![Falkland Islands - Port Louis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Falkland_Islands_-_Port_Louis.png)
Port Louis is a settlement on northeastern
East Falkland
East Falkland ( es, Isla Soledad) is the largest island of the Falklands in the South Atlantic, having an area of or 54% of the total area of the Falklands. The island consists of two main land masses, of which the more southerly is known as La ...
. It was established by
Louis de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (, , ; 12 November 1729 – August 1811) was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of the British explorer James Cook, he took part in the Seven Years' War in North America and the American Revoluti ...
on 5 April 1764 as the first
French settlement on the islands, but was then transferred to
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in 1767 and renamed ''
Puerto Soledad
Puerto Soledad (''Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'', en, Port Solitude) was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound (french: ,Dom Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. ''Journ ...
'' (In Spanish, East Falkland is known as ''Isla Soledad'').
History
The settlement has seen several name changes. The original French settlers named the settlement Port Saint Louis, which was changed to
Puerto Soledad
Puerto Soledad (''Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'', en, Port Solitude) was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound (french: ,Dom Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. ''Journ ...
after capture by Spain. Vernet reverted to a Spanish version of the original name when he formed his settlement, Puerto Luis. The British renamed the settlement Anson's Harbour for a while before reverting once more to the original French name, Port Louis.
For a time, the town became the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
capital of the islands, which were claimed by Spain and administered from
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
as a naval outpost (
Presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...
). The Spanish removed the governor in 1806 abandoned the settlement in 1811.
In October 1820, following damage to his ship ''
Heroína'' in a storm, Colonel
David Jewett was forced to put into the islands to shelter in
Puerto Soledad
Puerto Soledad (''Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'', en, Port Solitude) was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound (french: ,Dom Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. ''Journ ...
. This was the culmination of a disastrous eight-month voyage that saw a
mutiny
Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...
and most of his crew disabled by
scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...
and other diseases. While in harbour, there was another attempt at
mutiny
Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...
by the crew who wished to return to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
. With many of his crew disabled by scurvy, Jewett sought the assistance of the British Antarctic explorer
James Weddell
James Weddell (24 August 1787 – 9 September 1834) was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in February 1823 sailed to latitude of 74° 15′ S—a record 7.69 degrees or 532 statute miles south of the Antarct ...
in preparing his ship for sea once more.
On 6 November 1820, Jewett raised the flag of the
United Provinces of the River Plate
United may refer to:
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* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
(now
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
) at Port Louis. Weddell witnessed the ceremony.
[Weddell, James]
''A Voyage Towards the South Pole''
London, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, 1827
After resting in the islands and repairing his ship, Jewett returned to Buenos Aires.
Luis Vernet
In 1823, the United Provinces of the River Plate granted fishing rights to Jorge Pacheco and the Hamburg-born merchant
Luis Vernet
Luis Vernet (born Louis Vernet; March 6, 1791 – January 17, 1871) was a merchant from Hamburg of Huguenot descent. Vernet established a settlement on East Falkland in 1828, after first seeking approval from both the British and Argentine autho ...
. The partnership of Pacheco and Vernet did not last, with Vernet forming a new company in 1825. An expedition in 1826 proved to be a failure; sailings to the Islands were disrupted by a Brazilian blockade and the boggy terrain of the Islands prevented the
Gauchos
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
catching wild cattle in their traditional way.
In 1828, the United Provinces of the River Plate granted Vernet all of East Falkland together with exclusive fishing and sealing rights. Included in the grant was a clause that provided a colony was established within three years, it would be exempt from taxes. Settling in the former Spanish capital of Puerto Soledad, Vernet reverted to the use of its original name Puerto Luis. By 1831, the colony was well established and advertising for new colonists, although the ''Lexingtons report (see below) suggests that the conditions on the islands were quite miserable. The colony was largely archaic, and the Argentine government hoped that Vernet's appointment would bolster the economic and political status of the colony, given his extensive business operations.
Vernet was well aware of British claims to the islands. Prior to both the 1826 and 1828 expedition, he approached the British consulate with the grant of the United Provinces of the River Plate and obtained their stamp. While visiting the consulate, he expressed the wish that if the British returned they would take his colony under their protection. Vernet also provided written reports on the suitability of the Islands for the British Government.
A brief history of the Falkland Islands, Part 3 - Louis Vernet: The Great Entrepreneur.
Vernet used Puerto Soledad/Puerto Luis as a seal hunting base. The United Provinces of the River Plate granted him a monopoly in the islands and he curbed sealing by others. Vernet later seized the American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
ship ''Harriet'' for breaking the restrictions on seal hunting. Property on board the ship was seized and the captain was returned to Buenos Aires to stand trial. Vernet also returned for the trial. The American Consul in the United Provinces of the River Plate protested the actions by Vernet, stating that the United States did not recognise its sovereignty in the Falklands. The consul dispatched the warship USS ''Lexington'' to Puerto Luis to retake the confiscated property, as well as the ''Superior'' and ''Breakwater'' which had also been seized. The ''Lexington'' destroyed the guns and powder of Puerto Luis in 1832, an act later condoned by the American ambassador in Buenos Aires, who declared the Falkland Islands to be ''res nullius
''Res nullius'' is a doctrine.Johnston. The International Law of Fisheries. 1987p 309 The expression "res nullius" (lit: ''nobody's thing'') is a Latin term derived from private Roman law whereby ''res'' (an object in the legal sense, anything ...
'' ("free from any power"). Forty settlers took the opportunity to leave on board the ''Lexington'', leaving twenty-four behind.
Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands
Amid the turmoil, the British took over the settlement in 1833. In March/April that year, Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
visited from HMS ''Beagle''. He commented that:
Admiral George Grey conducted a survey of the islands in 1836, and his view was a little more positive. In November 1846 he wrote:
After they transferred the administration to Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
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* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
in 1845, it became the quiet sheep farm
Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin an ...
ing settlement it is today, known for its nineteenth century houses, waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...
and wading bird
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
s.
See also
* Origins of Falkland Islanders
Falkland Islanders (also called '' Kelpers''Chater, Tony. ''The Falklands''. St. Albans: The Penna Press, 1996. p. 137. or ''Falklanders'') derive from various origins. Earliest among these are the numerically small but internationally dive ...
* Puerto Soledad
Puerto Soledad (''Puerto de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad'', en, Port Solitude) was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound (french: ,Dom Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. ''Journ ...
* Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands (1833)
In December 1832, two naval vessels were sent by the United Kingdom to re-assert British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands ( es, Islas Malvinas), after the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata (part of which later became Argentina) ign ...
References
* Ewen Southby-Tailyour, ''Falkland Island Shores''.
{{Authority control
Populated places on East Falkland
Populated places established in 1764
History of the Falkland Islands
1764 establishments in the French colonial empire
es:Puerto Soledad