The history of Newfoundland, from the earliest times to the year 1860

Front matter

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Preface

-o-ojjgejoorpHE present History of Newfoundland owes its -■- origin to the natural desire I felt, to know something of the people among whom I had come to reside. The result of enquiries in this direction, both in England and in St. John's, was to show that the published materials relating to the growth and character of the colony were very scanty indeed. In the course of a conversation I had with Sir Alexander Banner - man, the present Governor of the island, about two years ago, His Excellency exj)ressed his regret that there was not a good history of the colony. He at the same time stated, that he thought he had discovered an extensive collection of Records, which would furnish authentic matter for such a work.

At a later period I made formal application to the Governor for permission to examine the Records, with the view of preparing (from such memoranda chiefl}^) some historical account of the colony. In answer to my application, I received a letter from Sir Alexander

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Bannermaii, from which the following extracts are taken. His Excellency says : —

On my arrival here I was naturally desirous to obtain statistical and other information relative to the colony, the

Government of which I was sent to administer

In the spring of 1860, I was informed by the Colonial Minister that in all probability the Prince of Wales woukl first set foot in the Western Hemisphere on this, the earliest Colonial Possession of the British Crown, and the Duke of Newcastle desired me to send any recent work, with such local and historical information as mio-ht be interestinoi; to His Royal Highness. I forwarded to him Reeves' history of the Government of Newfoundland, and Anspach's more general history of the country, which the Prince read on his passage out.

My Council readily agree with me in giving you access to the Records, wliich I believe will furnish you with the materials of the history which you propose to write. Containing as they do many thousand pages, I have only been able to take a cursory glance at them, but this has been quite sufficient to convince me of their value, and that they will throw much light on the early history of this ancient possession of the Crown, as they show what Newfoundland was a century ago and even later, when it was recognised as a fishery only and not a colony — when the planters were ruled over by unscrupulous men called Fishing Admirals, these beino; under the control of the West of Entjland merchants, whose influence was all powerful with the Boards of Trade and Plantations — when penal laws existed and were sharply enforced in this colony — laws which happily no longer disgrace our Statute Book.

Subsequently, I forwarded to His Excellency a portion of the MS. of the work, in reference to which

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lie was kind enough to write me a note, in which (after some complimentary allusions to the author, which it is unnecessary to insert here) occur the following paragraphs : — "

It is quite wonderful to think what the colony was, what it now is, and what it may become, if the industry of the people progress at the same ratio as in the past; and especially if they will act upon the sentiment expressed by the Prince of Wales on his visit here in 1860 — ' The Queen will, rejoice to hear that good order and obedience to the laws characterise the population.' His Royal Highness added that it would be his constant prayer that ' the inhabitants of this colony may long live in the possession of an earnest faith, and at the same time in religious peace and harmony.'

You, Sir, are aware that, six or seven months after tliis, in May 1861, very serious riots and disturbances took place here, leading to consequences which all of us had deeply to deplore, and which I most earnestly hope will never again occur. I cordially unite in the feeling expressed by an influential personage in this community, the Right Rev. Dr. Mullock, prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, in a communication addressed to me in the month of November 1861 (six months after the riots) : —

' I beg to assure your Excellency that no man is more anxious than I am that the truly Christian sentiments of Plis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales may be the rule of conduct to the people here, and I beg your Excellency to forward this letter to His Grace the Duke of Newcastle.'

Hoping you Avill be successful in the work you have

undertaken and brought so near to a completion, I am,

yours truly,

A. Bannerman, Gov. N.F.L.

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It was my intention to have enumerated and characterised the various works which have been Avritten in relation to Newfoundland; but, as I have been indebted to only two of these — the volume by Chief- Justice Reeves, published in 1793, and that by Anspach, published about 1820, and as a catalogue of the books on the country is given in Sir Richard Bonnycastle's work, such enumeration is, I think, unnecessary. There is, however, one book which it might have been expected I should have drawn largely upon for the early history of the country — that published by Captain Whitbourne in 1622. My reason for not doing so is that, on reading his interesting volume, I discovered the e\idence of an over-credulousness in the writer, which, notwithstanding all his opportunities, detracts much from the value of his testimony.

In Appendix No. I. several quotations are given from Whitbourne's work, which will enable the reader to form some idea of the character of the oldest book on Newfoundland, written by one who paid frequent visits to the island.

In the compilation of the Aj^pendices I have been indebted to several parties, more especially to my friend A. Scott, Esq., the able Principal of the

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General Protestant Academy in St. John's. To him and to all others who have given me assistance in various ways, I beg to tender my respectful and thankful acknowledgments.

C. P.

London : August 1863.

-oojjijtjoo—

Chapter I. 1497-1583

Early Discoveries in the Western Hemispher Expedition of Cabot ....

Commencement of Cod-fishery Sir Walter Ealeigh ....

Sir Humphrey Gilbert

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CHAPTER n.

1583-1697.

The Pilgrim Fathers .

Early French Enterprise Drake and Baltimore .

Early Irish Settlers Jurisdiction of English Mayors Effect of the Peace of Ryswick

17 19 21 23 29 39

CHAPTER in.

1697-1728.

The local effect of European Wars French Conquests in the Island .

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Contents

CHAPTER III.— continued.

Local bearings of the Treaty of Utrecht Boundary Disputes with tlie French

Statute of William III