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:

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.