Article

Henry Wolsey Bayfield

Published Online January 10, 2008

Last Edited October 3, 2014

Henry Wolsey Bayfield, naval officer, hydrographic surveyor (b at Hull, Eng 21 Jan 1795; d at Charlottetown 10 Feb 1885). At age 11, Bayfield joined the Royal Navy. In 1816 he was engaged by Captain W.F. Owen to assist in surveying Lake Ontario.

Henry Wolsey Bayfield, naval officer, hydrographic surveyor (b at Hull, Eng 21 Jan 1795; d at Charlottetown 10 Feb 1885). At age 11, Bayfield joined the Royal Navy. In 1816 he was engaged by Captain W.F. Owen to assist in surveying Lake Ontario. On Owen's recall to England in 1817, the Admiralty instructed Bayfield to survey Lake Erie and then Lakes Huron and Superior. After completing these surveys, Bayfield was appointed surveyor of the St Lawrence.

Working from Québec City 1827-40, he surveyed and charted the Québec shores of the St Lawrence River and Gulf, part of the Labrador coast, also the east coast of NB; and from Charlottetown, 1841-56, the PEI coastline, most of the Nova Scotia coast and part of Newfoundland's coast. His surveys included the main river estuaries; the harbours of Montréal, Québec, Halifax and Charlottetown; and Anticosti, Sable and the Magdalen Islands.

Motivated by a desire to prevent shipwrecks and loss of life, he took pride in the accuracy of his charts. Bayfield was promoted rear-admiral 1856, vice-admiral 1863 and admiral 1867. His sailing directions were published as The St Lawrence Pilot (1860) and The Nova Scotia Pilot (1856, 1860).