Placentia’s name comes from 'Plazenta' meaning pleasantness in Basque. Basque fishermen used Placentia from the beginning of the 16th century. Fish was salted and dried on Placentia's rocky beach. By 1655, the French (who controlled most of Atlantic Canada) made Placentia their capital and called it Plaisance. In 1713, Placentia became a British possession. Prince (later, King) William IV spent summer 1786 in Placentia as acting judge. He described the town as "a more decent settlement than any we have yet seen in Newfoundland".