· n E EWFO D OBER EW IIA AN CO PA
78 805
CENTRE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES I
TOTAL OF 10 PAGES 0 LV MAY BE XEROXED
(Without Author's ~ermission)
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ARGARET . CH G...
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TRADE . NEWF'ouN'OLANO IN TRANSiT I ON: . THfl_N.EWFOUNOLANO
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A~~~ RO~~Rf 'NEIIM~~AND . CO~~ANY · ... .
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1180•1805
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by
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. ~r , :
' , 'Margaret. A. Chang· ·
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. IA T-hes
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S•Jbmltt-ed .In Partial Ful·flllment. ·
·, of the Requl renief!J"S :for the 'oegree of·
@r .
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'Dep.•rtment of HI sto ..
r'y ·
. Mamo'rlal ·Unlverslty of Newfoundland . •.
I • ' • t ct" • ' •
/ . ·'
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., August 1.974
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· ABSTRACT'
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. Be~een· 1775. and 1805, .the Newfoundland fishery changed ·from
. . . . . ./ . . . i . . . .
~ing primarily •migratory•. - carried ,on by transient~_. fro11 Britain ..;.
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to ~tng _almost completely •sectentllt:"Y.·-- carr~ed on by permanent
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. '. . . \resident~ ·of the tslia,_d, ... · Suc_ti
a
fundiaien~l. change called for~o · . , _ • ·' , · . •• •' •
· .ext~sh~ adaptatiq~s .on ~~e.par)of the merchant( a~ ~,rad~~~--'-.,··.
.... ·., . . involved, .and 'ndeed.- many· 'of them fa1.1ed
tO suni. ve· . .
~ver, the . ,,. . . " ~ ' . . .,
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. / /
,·
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: •. · ol'de~t establ1$hed .. ·fam11y tn the trade,
ihe.
Nftllnans of Dartmouth.' • ' • ... t '\::t • ' Jl • ' I ' • ' : ,. - • ;_I• ' '\,. , ... • , '
···~ I
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not onl.{ survived· but actuaJly. expandl!d~i ·By' 1806 .t~etr operation. was ' ·
. • . . f' '
• . • ' .• ' ' '~.r.:.:. . . " • . ' . .
lar9er. ~ban it. had been in 1776 and they· contro~-led -a 1arger share of
, . '
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. [ I . . f .
. -~ . the' entire· trade.
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· Before the-outbrea_k of the '-w:-1ean War 1n ·1775 the larger
.,
: 0. .. • : ' • •• • ' l • t• • • .•
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merchan'ts had performed uny functions, supplying .the·local planters,· .. //
· - . . • . .J· • •• : • .•• • • ••
the by9'boat inen,· ~nd
the!'
sinaller '~~erchants; _bUt concentrating iato1y ...;-
I. ... " . . . . /
on the
~pe~at1on of
. . f1.sh1ng '~essels
and creWs on their . ~· awn
.~cco~t·
' ....
. -f!{ ·-.To
a
largede9r~·.
the changing structUre of ttM! .ftshery~n .
be:attr~_~ted to.
the)speei~~~ - cond_tt~ons
of~.: -.r·1~~
.·warfor ~ by
end1.• "' ' I ' • •
th~ tradftfonal d~l-in_ of popul~t1o~. to AMr~ca 'during u~favorible . . . ·.
. '• ... .. , -~ ,·
periods, ttM! popUlation of the-.'island becalle IIIDre.and IIIOre Per-anent~
• J J • • - • ' '
Wt.th the. operations of the migrator fisher,Y ,inteitupted by,.the' ·· ·
·. . . ' . ' . . • ,.,..,., :. . . l . q . . . - . -· ..,,
hostilities. the sedentary ltshery
. · . .
·.·ex .
nded .-
to fflt the 91p../
'· rhe ."
merc'}ants
reacted -byconcen~ra~tng
..~~
. . suppl)ft~ade
tOthe~e
,,.
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•.
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resident ftshennen, and focused mor~ ind
110re
.on· tr~d1ng withthai
for :_.. ' ..
.
-..
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'f1sh - ~ather than fishing for
-tht!lnselves.~ ·
· .~
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·.·•
.. · •... The boom
. that. ·oc~~rred afte~ . ~he e~ ~f the ~rican war
. helped .... '
~ . . . .
-
' . . . . .. . ' .- • • ' • G) •
·
revive both
·branches of the fishery•
anct tothe casual .
on-looker~the
·~:
:m' tgrato~ ffs~~ry ~~
' " • "1 t()~v~.agat.n ~
tt, , 'dom1Mnt •0 .:Th~ c~ash
, •·:and
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depres$1on of the late 1780's and early 1790•s, however, made tt clear
. .' ..._;-- . . .
.
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. . .. - . . ..· - ~that
those
whoresided on the 1s1and.
(th~sedentan'
_fish!~n)were
QflWI •
-~
•a,
.·pennanent"fe4ture -·~f ~h~ N~undl~nd ff~h~~y· •
. If~-~~re wis
to.be ~·;- . : . ~
,. • ' • . . • "' • .c
. .
.
: . . ·. . ' \ : ...lilY _
reduction tn . Production, it had io
beat the
·expense
.. _of the
4'l • • • • < • 0 •
m1gritory ft'shery. ·. for
·therewere ' enough fis. hennetrres1dent
.on ·t'h~.: ~.'· .Island
to.Catci.W..:.~ could i.e S . old •'J! atcied ~rtllilr f..;UI~ iher ~e.
:' . . \.· -~ble_ to produc~ · ft ~re c.~ea~ly.
-Any ·fn~f·t ~evtvaf of ._~he
. : .. : ..· · <·
migratory f~~~~- at the
end·of ·'the~depressfon was . nip~ in
thebu~ ·~_y· .· . : _ ..
. •• • • (1... . . , • . ' • • ' .. ' . ' •· . • ' • ,· .. • •
...
·
the
ou~reak,fr:t
1793.of
·war w1th ·.france. By .1800the. structural
•· . · ..• • • ' • ; • ~ • • • • , • • , • J •
.
... changes 1n .t~
ftshe!'Y .~d
· ~unto solidify,
~nd th.e
•fgr~~ry_ fishery~.. . .. . . ... .. . ' . .
. .
. ' .. ;IS it _had
existedfOr centuries,
.had allnOSt tOtally disappeared.
.. · o .. . : :· . These ~un~t{c~'u In
theStril:ture of th~
British . · . ..·
--~·'
·. ·
.• .~
.· ·~t~hery 1~ :Newfouftd~~~ waters:_~re_· ·~nd. ~ . co1t~o1 of . the ~~~h,nt
·. ·
·. /firms, which were the· ujor organizing forces
for~ yelrl.Y
.execution/-, . . ' . ,· . ·. . . . ·~ . ,, . .
: ·_ . ./ ·
of tlle. ft shery.
RObert. ~na.nct cOiipany had
· ..for. any
year~·operated
· . . .- ' .
the'lw:o f_ tsh at
·•rket
tttthe end: of
rthe season, before r turning to · _' . . .~ ' .
.
.. . .. / '• . . ' ·~. . ~ . . '. . ... " _,. .. ·
,
·. _Eng land.
Dur~ngthe
~rican Mar.
_the
111111·.found 1
ts11tgratory •
~ • • ( • •• • ' • .. '. • • • \ ' • • • ... : 4 • • • t ~ • • - ••
opera~t~!:'s _
4
~ered b~ ·thehostfl 1t1es._
•-~. ~~Y .. ~urned_ ~re .heav1~y ·tO · \tra!i1ng .rlth :~hO~e ~hhel'lle~ · who, ~re -~tf·ll· on the_ .island~
.At. tt.e-- ~.,i ; ~·
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were put
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usage~ The·.range of Ports.betWeen .
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tf.e·~ear$·
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ftnn sought neMi" ·and cheaPer .sQurc~ -of supplt~ for their
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Hetdoundlal)d .operat1~n·s. :,
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·. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..
' '
. L t ST OF. TABLES ·.
... ;'
. . l I S T ~ Qf. . MAPS . . ·' =
•-"..:'--;---
. GRAPH-~ :.
INTRODUCTION
• I
CHAPTER . .,1
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i-AEiL£ q · F · cow(ENTs ·· . ·
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THE 'NEWFOUNDLAND .TRADE
·ro
THE END.· .. ~ ·OF THE E 1-GHTEENTH CE~TURY "
. . .
THE MERCHA~T COM~UNITY .
'•
THE NEWMANS·
OF
DAR.. Page.·
l.f
"'II
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vl vl vii_
. 1
' 35 . 67 . ' ·. 85
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. ... "NEWMAN '-S
TRADE
OUR:NG
THE LATE '.~::_:·_;
·, 06· , I·. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ~·
.
' .. . ,
' .
H.OW )&afMAH'.S HA~DLED THEIR TRADE·
· CONC .. LUS I ON
.~ '
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l~~ ' : ··~~,) ·.' ~;'
Q • - ... -... •• • - -- - ( .. ~·::·::
1971 .1' '· .. ·,' \
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. : . APPEND I X > 1,. . ' - . . NE.WM,AN_ 'M~TER I Al. {)N M I_CRO'F
I
LM .• . • . I
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o·217 ,. \:. ,..., .· . . . . ·.·~ .
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APPEND I X · 11
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. 'B tBL I OGRAPHY
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'MEASURING .UNrTS USED BY.-.NEWMAN'.S
'. . 1780-1800 ' . .
£1..'
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. 223 ~ . . ~. ,,
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!1, A£KHOWLEDGEMEHTS. .
,
..: • • • • ,_ • • • • • • 0
:, ~ ·- - . : · I wou.ld like. to .aclcnowledge w1 th deep grat1tud&-II\Y debt. to 1ftY ·.
· ·
_-sUPe~1~or,
,. . Dr. .Kei~. Matthews~ . wt~ut
his~ss~~e . ~~d ~nstant
.~.
· ~ ... : · encouragement;at .-a11; stages,_._this study'
wo61_'d
never havebMn · ·
' ·. o1 \ ' • • "' • • • ~-. •
. : -. ! ·. .' ·· ·._ COIIPleted •. I
would
also .like
to,regtster 11\Y, thanks :to the. staff of; · ' -' · . · . p . a . . •· .•.• ·· ·
-... , .\,. • • • • ... - : : : . . . --· • j.
;,:(._.- ~ l:::· . - · :- ~ri.a1 U~h~rsity
Library,~-·f4ts_s ~-s
O'.Dea. andother ~taff:~.·
·.• -::-1 · lqf!lllbers· -at the Centre
for
Newfoundland· s
ies, the staff at Inter--r.' ,... ..::. ~ ~. . . ~ ' . t • • • '
. _ _.-_, ._:~,_ · Library ·Loans:·
and
to MfssEIIIM
Brown of ecataloguing -Deplrtlient
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.· : ~-gave • s~~h cheerful assistanc.e 1n construct_ing Appendix Two~ I
.. • . . l. . '• . • .. ' ' •
. . ' . • . . l._ . ( '· . . • . . . \ '
~u~d .11ke tO think ·the staff ·at the. Provincial Archives·, Ra ..
ttcularly
·..:,.~
.Johri. Green and Mr.Da~1d
·Divis, who· hive.bee~ ~~~generous wit~··
··• thefr
ossfsta;;u li..; p~fded.Appendtx ~< 'IliOUld . ~lso ~keto tt.\n~
I , ' , • I ,, • ' ' , , ' ' ~ • ' , • • •
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·-.-. . . \ . the following: MT • . Shannon' Ryan, Jor his suppc)rt and 1nteres -Mr~ · '.
. . ·. . . ' . .·
...
. ', . ' ' . ' ' .· · Ralph 'Hopk1nsor\, ·for proeP.rtn9
_ Mips
Nos.- l ,~ 4, 5 and 6i Dr. Mat.,
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for Maps·
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2 and ~; ~ I_,sut'ance ASsoCiation~ of Newfoundland for.,. · ', .·.
~
use.Qf_-the~~
Libraey;Mts~· Ma~a~·t·Rose, for
._hl!r
excellentJob' .
of:·,~
.. . OL.. typing~ .~ . ~ ~ gOcMt., fri~.
Mrs:·· ..,ris P1k~. fo~· - the .~tenets.,·: . ,\ .
1·
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cons.-ed 1n doing the prel,•t~ry typing. ·.
Wttttout
theftnanctar·
supPort·.f. · ·
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. providect'by tl)e Head of •. the. Htstoey;Depart.n·t, Mr~ Panting,· ~nd t~· · · · ·
• - . ' • . . •. ' . . . •. 1
.
'pro~i~cial ·. ~v~~t~
:thiss:~d,y would'
...Ot
aha_ve'~ possi~Je. ·~ ~ .
·. :·. '• - .·.w1s.h.
to express
·lt.Y gratitude--~to~. tha. · . · . /· . · · · . ~ · ..j . I • · • · ·
Fin~lly~ · . I wu1a
like J ·lthai.k. -.y~sN~. for --~ patience
' and·: I • • · . • .. . ,
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for
doing.wtthou~ h8r '-.other: ·~
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nigh~•Rei
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· ,.· ·_.Table Page ' ,-
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f . I , . . . .• • .
0 1. ·· P~uction of tbe Newfoundland Fishery 1771-1783
' / I ~
2 • ..
it \ ~ /::~ . . • ri~ .. ~f.
the....found1~nd Fishery ~·lnl-1710
·.
~~
,·.. . ' ..3. · .The· Ret1dent Po.,Ulition of Newfoundland 177.1-1783
I . ,ft· ,' . , "' . ' , . ., , . . .
~,. ·The Ht.gratory Population pf Neffo~land 1771-1783
· · ~r · 1~ tate~
.of the ...: ~is~ry_
..~~ ~1ntals l771~17s3
· ... 7 .
"'
. \8 . . ,·• I
lO.
" lJ
. 1.•. . I . . . . •. . . . •
. · 6. ManpoWer Expans.ion in the !teWfoUndlancl Fishery ·1781-
. I 17~ · . ·. ·. •c . :
. . '12 17'• .
". / /7.· P~uctio~' · of ~ - F~shery
tn· ..Qu~n~ls
1783-1788·.8.· . . Total. tatch ~of the .F1s~ery 1~84-~7~
. . I ·. . . . .
9:) · The By-Boat F1she~4 1770.1810.
' .
· 10. Thet"£uropean Bankers ·178Q-1~3
.
' .11. Migritory. and Sedentary ·Percentages of·
the
Total .. . tatch 1801-1810
· .
1 r · ·
12:· Inhabitants 1790-1810
·13.
14~
The •Most Powerful Traders tn HWfoimclllnd• 1785 ·
West ~untry' ~hanb - ·Date~ of.
Entry·~~~ ~e . ,
• '18' .· .
• o
21 . 26 • . ;r..
'\.o.. 28 • .
'. 32, .. ':
" ": .. 33 . .
~6 ' . fMwfound1anct(Trade . · . · .
· Sclittt~h Expo~ \t..llarf~t~nd
17$S.:180T~ "
.~·
15. '·51.-. .·
• (' ' • I
_.16~ Public
Jtouse· s
tn . st. John's .1797/98 and 1807/08 · ·~ . '
-59 . ·.·
17 ~ · )¥h8n.
•Th8
t.ost PoWerful Tra~ers.in
Newfoundla~··· · · (1785)' Withdrew froa the Trade . · 61
-18.
Harke.~ .
for'Fts~ ~ported
by-~s ~ .7ao-f799 .
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19. . Profit/loss .on Total i0perat1ons "'' ' I
• 99
106
• • • 1
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.
.·. 111
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