| Summary: | The imposition of names on Cape Breton Island between 1758 and 1820 reflects the influences from two distinct historical movements. From 1758 to 1784 England tried to claim the island as a new colonial possession, but without allowing permanent settlement. To lay claim to the island, English surveyors and map makers changed many of the names given both before and during the French regime. These new names were predominantly English commemorative names, many of which did not survive. During the second stage, from 1784 to 1820, England made Cape Breton a separate colony to encourage settlement. First Loyalists and later Scottish immigrants settled in Cape Breton, but surprisingly few new names resulted from this immigration, primarily because these early settlers sought land in rural areas along the coast and did not immediately create new communities. As a result, the toponymy of the colonial period was characterized, not by an influx of new names, but by a blending of older French names with the newer English commemorative names. In addition, the location of the features named reflects a view from the sea (Story 1990) and is influenced by the offshore fishery and the island’s geography. L'imposition de toponymes au Cap Breton entre 1758 et 1820 traduit l'influence de deux courants historiques distincts. De 1758 à 1784, l'Angleterre a tenté de s'approprier l'île comme nouvelle possession coloniale sans pourtant y permettre la colonisation. Pour s'approprier l'île, les arpenteurs et cartographes anglais ont changé plusieurs toponymes remontant au Régime français et antérieurement. Ces nouveaux toponymes étaient surtout des noms commémoratifs anglais dont plusieurs n'ont pas survécu. Durant la deuxième étape, de 1784 à 1820, l'Angleterre fit du Cap Breton une colonie afin d'en encourager le peuplement. En premier lieu des Loyalistes puis des immigrants écossais se sont établis au Cap Breton mais, fait étonnant, peu de toponymes remontent à ce peuplement en raison surtout du fait que les colons s’établirent dans ...
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