Which English explorer claimed Newfoundland for England in 1583?

Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland for England in 1583.

Gilbert reached St. John’s on 5 August 1583 with a small fleet authorized by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I. There, he formally took possession of Newfoundland for the English Crown, using the period’s customary ceremony of cutting and lifting a piece of turf. He also asserted authority over nearby fishing stations.

The voyage was part of England’s wider effort to challenge Spanish and Portuguese dominance in the Atlantic and establish overseas colonies. Gilbert had received his exploration patent in 1578, but years of financial and logistical difficulties delayed the expedition.

The claim did not immediately produce a permanent English settlement; its practical importance developed later. Gilbert died on the return voyage in September 1583 when his ship Squirrel was lost near the Azores. His half-brother Walter Raleigh is often confused with him, but Raleigh did not make the 1583 Newfoundland claim.