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British Pensacola

797 bytes added, 18:43, 20 March 2009
City plan
In [[1764]], British civil engineer [[Elias Durnford]] surveyed the town and laid out a street grid which remains mostly preserved to the present day. British Pensacola centered on a large public space which included modern-day [[Plaza Ferdinand VII]], [[Seville Square]] and the space between the two (the area which today lies between [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Alcaniz Street]]s and south of [[Intendencia Street]]). The water line at that time was located approximately where [[Main Street]] lies today. Within the public space was a large fort.
==Administration==
During the course of the British occupation, the five successive Crown-appointed governors of West Florida took up residence in Pensacola:
*[[George Johnstone]] (1763-1767)
*[[Elias Durnford]] (1769-1770)
*[[Peter Chester]] (1770-1781)
 
Johnston, Pensacola's first British governor, became unpopular with settlers due to his faithful enforcement of unpopular British policies such as the [[Wikipedia:Stamp Act 1765|Stamp Act]]. He caused further discord with his policy of aggression toward Indians, and under pressure either resigned or was recalled in late [[1766]] or early [[1767]]. The lieutenant governor, [[Montfort Browne]], served as governor until his replacement, [[John Eliot]], arrived. Eliot was delayed in England and did not arrive in Pensacola until [[1769]]. However, Eliot was affected by a strange malady, possibly a brain tumor, and committed suicide shortly after arriving in Pensacola. [[Elias Durnford]] served as governor until Eliot's replacement, [[Peter Chester]], arrived in [[1770]].
===British placenames===

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