Conception Bay, Newfoundland
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Conception Bay, Newfoundland
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History Tidbits1497 -- John Cabot, in the ship Matthew, of 50 tons, with sixteen English seamen, and one Burgundian, first sighted land at early morn, June 24th. Tradition points to Cape Bonavista as the land seen, but this landfall is disputed by some historians. 1500 -- Gaspard de Cortereal, a religious and brave Portuguese, discovered the northeast coast of Newfoundland and named all the principal bays and head lands, as may be seen from the chart made after his discoveries. He discovered Trinity Harbour the same year, and entered it on Trinity Sunday, and on that account gave it its name. 1502 -- Rev. Phillip Tocque, deceased local historian, said that in this year the Portuguese established the first regular fishery in Newfoundland. Capt. John Rut who visited St. John's in 1527, in a letter which he wrote to King Henry VIII, said that he had found 11 sail of Norman, 1 Breton and 2 Portuguese barques but not English. Judge Prowse says in his history that the English fished here in 1498, and that the records show their continuous operations from that date. 1527 -- Prowse's History says: "The first official voyage that we know of -- actually made under the direct orders of King Henry VIII -- took place. He sent out two ships, at the instigation of Mr. Thorne of Bristol. As a voyage of discovery the expedition was a failure." 1536 -- Master Hoare, of London, had charge. It consisted of five score of persons in two ships. Thirty persons of the expedition were gentlemen. "They appear to have been so badly victualled," says Prowse in his History, "that they were guilty of cannibalism. They had no pilot, and but for the timely arrival of a French ship in some part of South-Western coast of Newfoundland, they would all have perished.
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