GENUKI Home page upExeter Contents Contents & Search

 
 

Extracts from

Some Evidence of Trade between Exeter and Newfoundland up to 1600

by Professor W.J. Harte, M.A. (read at Paignton, 22nd June 1932)

Provided by Jean Harris

This talk given to the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art was subsequently published in their Vol 24 (1932). His research and the tabulated list he compiled (pps 475-484) were from the Exchequer Miscellaneous Customs and Port Books held in the Record Office.

For clarity I have quoted parts of his talk as published in Vol 24:

"The results of my search are tabulated below, but we must not draw the conclusion that the 65 ships enumerated are the only ones that traded between Newfoundland and the port of Exeter. There were certainly many others that brought back fish, and not train oil, and they would not appear in the Customs or Port Books after 1563, because by 5 Eliz. cap. 5, fish paid no duties on entering English ports."

"The Port books begin with the year 1565 and contain entries made by customers and controllers of all goods carried to and from the port of Exeter and Dartmouth. This port included Ilfracombe, Barnstaple and Teignmouth, but I have dealt only with the port of Exeter itself, i.e the ports in the estuary of the Exe."

"The original spelling of the ship, the port, the master and the owners of the cargo has been retained."

"Tonnage at this time was estimated by the number of casks of Bordeaux wine that could be carried in the ship's hold. A tun contained 252 gallons, and as a cubic foot contained 6¼ gallons this works out at 40.32 cubic feet per tun, but allowing for the shell of the barrel, 42 cubic feet. Roughly speaking we must mutiply by 3 to obtain the equvalent for the tonnage of a modern merchant ship."

Notes:

Rochelle - city in Western France & a sea port of Brittany
Bordeaux - port city in southwest France
Lusborne - Lisbon, Portugal
Obsam, Ophsham     - Topsham, Devon
train oil - oil extracted from blubber of a whale
Devon kerseys
 
 
 
 
 		 - "Kerseys were English Woollens, mostly shipped dyed
    and finished because they were made of cheaper cloth.
    Devon Kerseys were shipped from Exeter and Bristol
    to French and Iberian ports."
    Medieval Clothing & Textiles Vol 3 (page 109)
    - Robin Netherton

Tabulated List of ships of the Port of Exeter trading with Newfoundland from 1563 to 1600.
All these ships except 5 and 6 came from Newfoundland.

  YEAR   DATE SHIP PORT TONNAGE   MASTER OWNERS ADDENDA
              of CARGO  
              & RESIDENCE  
                 
1 1563 Oct.22 Trenite de Opsam   Will. Clear   with Newfoundland fish
2 1563 Oct.28 Harte     Thos. Martyn   do
3 1563 Oct.30 Lyon     John   do
            Whynchester    
4 1563 Oct.30 Trynite     Pers Delei (?)   do
5 1571 Mar.9 Genett Exmouth 40 John Abbott John Periam Sailed for Rochelle &
              of Exeter Newfoundland with
6 1571 Mar.12 B'tholomew Exmouth 50 John Pokmy Thos. Marten Redinge and Devon
            of Exmouth Exeter Kerseys for Rochelle
                and Newfoundland
7 1573 Oct.26 Trynytie Kenton 30 John Knollyng John Waleron  
              Tiverton  
8 1581 Sept.30   Trinte (sic)   Kenton 30 Will Baker "he and his  
              company"  
9 1581 Oct.5 Emanuell Kenton 50 Will.Wichall    
10 1582 Oct.5 Gregorie Kenton 25 Will. Baker John White  
            of Kenton Opsum (sic) &  
              George Drake,  
              Lyttelham  
11 1583 Aug.29 Marie Exmouth 30 Will. Wychehalls Will. Wynton  
      Thomas     of Dawlish Exmouth  
                 
12 1583 Sept.3 Mathewe Dawlsih 25 Edward Kenwood "the master" On 5 Oct., 1582, she
      Wynekeley     of Dawlish   had cleared for Roch-
                elle under Edward
                Bennett with cargo
                belonging to Phyllip
                Yearde of Exeter
13 1583 Sept.3 Whitt Beare Exmouth 40 Andreas Rule "the master" On 1 Oct. 1582, she
            of Lympston   cleared for St Lucas (sic)
                under the same master
                with a cargo belonging to
                John Morris, Thos. Spicer
                & John Sampforde of
                Exeter.
14 1583 Sept.4 Savior Exmouth 40 Thomas Bolter "the master" On 26 Oct. 1582, she
            of Exmouth   cleared for Rochelle
                under John Style of
                Kenton with goods of
                Thomas Gibbons of
                Taunton and Richard
                Knight of Silverton.
15 1583 Sept.11 Elizabeth Teignmouth   20 Thomas Porke "the master"  
16 1583 Sept.11 John Teignmouth 20 Elizens Zevye "the master"  
              but his name  
              spelt this time  
              Servye  
17 1584 Oct.5 Lion Exmouth 30 Richard Crosse George Rawleigh On the previous 17 April
            of Exmouth   the Lion under Richard
                Crosse had cleared for
                Lusborne (sic)
18 1584 Oct.7 Mathewe Dawlyche 25 John Blaxstone Thos. Spiver  
      Wynckley     of Kenton Exeter  
19 1584 Oct.21 Jonas Exon 60 Thomas Babbe John Sampforde  
              Exeter  
20 1585 Sept.17 Gregorie Opsham 25 William Baker Thos. White  
              Opsham  
21 1586 Aug.25 Penticose (sic) Topsam 24 Peter Langford   The entries this year
                are in English, except
                the tonnage and date
                and after each item
                there follow the words
                not to any port pro-
                hibited'. But the in-
                formation is otherwise
                more meagre.
22   1586 Aug.26 Primrose Exmouth 25 Thomas Porke    
23 1586 Aug.26 B'tholmewe Exmouth 90 Robert Langford    
24 1586 Aug.30 Angell Topsame 32 Will. Braddon    
25 1588 Sept.26 Godspede Topsham 36 John Brandon    
26 1588 Sept.26 Primerose Exmouth 25 Thos. Porke    
27 1588 Sept.26 Penticoaste Topsham 24 Peter Langeford    
28 1588 Oct.2 Good Kenton 40 George Gerringe John Tuckett  
      Tidinges          
29 1589 Aug.18 Mary Grace* Teignmouth 40 Mighell Rowe Will. Rowe The MaryGrace under
                Robert Bilford had
                cleared for Rochelle
                10 Feb. last.
30 1589 Aug.26 Gifte* Exmouthe 50 William Witchells The master and  
              company  
31 1589 Aug.28 Good Kenton 40 John Lackington Will. Savory *These ships all appear
      Tidings*         also in another book
                as Having within them
                wines and prohibited
                goods.
                It looks as if fishing
                was bad this year.
32 1589 Aug.28 John* Tingmouthe 30 the master and    
            company    
33 1589 Aug.28 Lyon* Exmouthe 40 Richard Crosse George Rawleye on 13 Dec., 1588, the
                Lyon, under Robert
                Vinton, had cleared
                for Rochelle.
34 1589 Aug.28 Pentecost* Topsam 25 George Hevye Gilbert Peppitt on 10 Oct., 1588, the
                Pentecost under
                Peeter Perrye had
                cleared for Bordeaux.
35 1589 Aug.29 Swifte- Topsam 40 Peeter Langford William Fforde on 8 Jan. 1589, the
      shewer*         Swiftsuer, under Jesse
                Vasu had cleared for
                Rochelle.
36 1589 Sept.1 Pleasure* Topsham 26 Richard Elsdon   The Pleasure under
                Richard Elsdon had
                cleared for Jersey 25 Feb.
37 1589 Sept.5 Godspeede* Topsam 36 Robert Langford Nicholas Tanner (?)   The Godspeed under
                John Brandon had
                cleared for Rochelle
                2 Oct., 1588
38 1589 Sept.11 Seabright* Exon 30 Bennett Jacob Thomas Spicer  
39 1589 Sept.12 Primrose* Exmouth 30 John Drewe Henry Wade A Primrose of Exmouth
                of 40 tons, under John
                Sweete had cleared for
                Bordeaux on 29 Oct. 1588
40 1590 Sept.15 Seabright Topsham 28 Mic. Moule (?) Thos. Elsdon  
              of Topsham  
41 1592 Oct. 6 Raigne Bowe Exmouth 50 John Banefilde Henricus Wade  
            of Exmouth Exmouth  
42 1592 Oct. 6 Revenge Exmouth 80 John Underhill    
43 1592 Oct.17 Joane Drake Topshame 28 Richard   with train oil for
            Woodcocke   Phillip Drake of Topsham
            of Topsham    
44 1592 Oct.21 Goodtidings Exmouth 40 Roberte Langforde   John Tusse (?)  
            of Exmouth of Exeter  
45 1593 Aug.24 Dieu Grace Exmouth 26 George Peron    
            of Exmouth    
46 1593 Aug.30 Jesus Teignmouth 30 William Wichalls    
            of Teignmouth    
47 1593 Aug.31 William & Exmouth 30 John Drake    
      John     of Exmouth    
48 1593 Sept.12 Swiftsure Topsham 40 Peter Perry Peter Perry &  
            of Topsham company  
              with train oil  
49 1593 Sept.12 Mayflower Exmouth 50 John Whitborne John Whitborne &  
            of Exmouth company with  
              train oil.  
50 1593 Sept.14 Paul Teignmouth 45 Thomas ffoxe Thomas ffoxe &  
              company with  
              train oil.  
51 1594 Aug.24 Dieu Grace Exmouth 26 George Peron George Pearon &  
              company  
52 1594 Aug.30 John Teignmouth 30 Mighell Rowe Mighell Rowe &  
              company  
53 1594 Aug.30 Jesus Teignmouth 30 William Michalls John Gye &  
              company  
54 1594 Aug.31 William & Exmouth 30 John Drake    
      John          
55 1594 Sept.12 Swifte Topsham 40 Peter Perry    
      Shewer          
56 1594 Sept.12 Mayflower Exmouth 50 John Whitborne    
57 1594 Sept.17 Paule Teignmouth 45 Thomas ffox Thomas ffox &  
              company  
58 1595 Oct.6 Grace Exmouthe 25 John Drew   with train oil
59 1599 Oct.7 Endeavour Topsham 100 Robert Langford George Geake &  
              Edward Osborne  
              of Clist St George  
60 1600 Sept.10 Heart's Desire   Exmouth 30 George Pearon master & company train oil
61 1600 Sept.17 Charity Sidmouth 35 Edward Cannon master  
62 1600 Sept.17 Mayflower Exmouth 50 William Underhill the said master &  
              company  
63 1600 Sept.19 Swiftshewer Exmouth 40 Thomas Russell    
64 1600 Sept.19 Deiu (sic) Exmouth 30 Christopher the said master &  
      Grace     Langford company  
65 1600 Sept.26 John Tingmouth 30 William Braddon said master & train oil
              company  
Return to top

Last updated: 15 Dec 2008 - Brian Randell

Note: The information provided by GENUKI must not be used for commercial purposes, and all specific restrictions concerning usage, copyright notices, etc., that are to be found on individual information pages within GENUKI must be strictly adhered to. Violation of these rules could gravely harm the cooperation that GENUKI is obtaining from many information providers, and hence threaten its whole future.