- John Henry Bastide
John Henry Bastide (c. 1700 – 1770) was a career army officer and military engineer whose place of birth is unknown.
Bastide started his military service as an ensign in
Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot and later bought a commission as a lieutenant, a rank he continued in for over 20 years. The military of the time did not recognize the status of engineers in their regular promotions. From 1726 to 1739 he directed the improvement of facilities and fortifications atJersey andGuernsey .In 1740 Bastide came to Canada as chief engineer at
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia and spent almost 30 years involved with Nova Scotia fortifications. The most important of these was the FrenchFort Louisbourg , and he drew a plan of Louisbourg which was accurate enough to be used for the 20th-century reconstruction.Bastide also aided the governor ofMassachusetts,
William Shirley , in the construction of fortifications at Castle William (Boston), Marblehead, Cape Ann, and Falmouth in Casco Bay.External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=1197 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
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