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Lifelines: Canada's East Coast Fisheries

The Cod Rush
The European Fishermen, 1497-1763
 
The Fishing Community
The Cod Rush: The European Fishermen, 1497-1763

 

The Shipowner

Wealthy shipowners or merchants provided the funds needed to outfit ships, buy provisions and hire a crew.

Alone or as a company, with a few wealthy merchants or members of their family, they leased or purchased ships, or had them built. The ships used were merchant vessels outfitted for the fishery.

Shipowners wanted their ships to return with a good cargo of fish for sale at the best price on European markets. They corresponded with other merchants or brokers in the principal ports, and directed their ships accordingly, to where they hoped to make the greatest profit.


Translation of a shipping company act:

On this day of March 18, 1732, appearing before the Lieutenant-General and King's Counsel is Sieur Jacques Louis de Maisonneuve, a merchant residing in this city and owner of Le St-Philippe, a ship from Saint-Malo of about 140 tons that is equipped and ready to sail from this port to go participate in the fishery at Gaspé under the command of Sieur Guillaume Bernard. The party appearing today has named the following people as partners:

Sieur de la Chipaudière Magon,
for the sum of nine thousand livres

9000£

Sieur Guillaume Bernard, captain,
for the sum of eight thousand livres

8000£

Sieur Lassieux Jr.,
for the sum of six thousand livres

6000£

Additional expenses will be paid by the party appearing here today, who has agreed not to sell any share to any third party who does not reside in the kingdom, under threat of penalty as specified in the letters patent issued by the king on March 1, 1716. And signed after the present was read to him and paid 6 livres and 10 sols.

Shipping company act, 1732. Excerpt from the register of acts of new companies and statement of interest in ships Archives de l'Amirauté de Saint-Malo, 9 B 170 (May 1731-March 1740), folio 4, recto and verso.


Insurance policy for a ship from Granville - 
Collection: Nelson Cazeils

Insurance policy for Le Jean-Baptiste, a ship from Granville, 1731
Some shipowners insured their vessels and cargoes. In this case, Charles Petit, Sieur de La Baujardière, signed a contract of insurance in Saint-Malo before leaving for the fishery on Newfoundland's Grand Bank. This contract covers the risks involved in ocean travel as well as pirate attacks!
(Collection of Nelson Cazeils, Biarritz, France)


Design


THE SHIPOWNER | THE CAPTAIN AND THE PILOT
THE SURGEON AND THE CHAPLAIN | THE FISHERMEN


 

 
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