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Archiver > NFLD-LAB > 2003-04 > 1050174295


From: Lloyd Rowsell <>
Subject: [NFLD-LAB] Pirates / Privateers... Loyalists and Contra-dictions....
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 12:05:02 -0700 (PDT)


As a follow up to my recent messages concering Loyalists and
American Privateers, here are three quotes from Gerald Andrews'
1997 book "Heritage of a Newfoundland Outport" page 35 (a) ""Out
of the hundreds who came to Port de Grave throughout the 1600's
and 1700's, only a handful remained as permanent
settlers.""....(b) ""Long, cold, and lonely winters had to be
survived. It now seems incredible how any man could contemplate
taking his family from an established English community to such an
arduous lifestyle. It isn't surprising that the turnover of
residents was frequent and the population development protracted.
It also largely explains the reaction of older people when asked,
"Why did your ancestors come here?" They will almost invariably
reply, "They were all pirates," with the inference, they had no
other choice..........""

Prowse quote "their privateersmen, who knew every crack and cove
along the Newfoundland coast."

further down the same page this quote seems to contradict the 'no
other choice' comment, unless he (GA) was referring to 'older
people who were descendants of Loyalists'. Commercial Fishing was
and still is essentially a summer activity, of 4-5 months
duration, in some parts of North America...... (c)""For the
industrious planters, the island offered relatively good returns
from the fishery for cod and train (cod) oil. These were valuable
commodities in Europe at the time. Even the servants could earn
20 to 30 pounds sterling a year in the fishery as compared to 5 to
10 pounds sterling from farm or craft labour back in England.
Salmon, herring, shellfish and other species provided some
currency, but more importantly they added to the variety of the
food supply....."" My English neighbour/friend told me just
yesterday that until WWII, servants could be hired in England for
about 50 pounds sterling per year. Very little currency inflation
between 1700 and 1940??

in response to the 1895 quote from Judge Prowse's book
(("Massachusetts banished by name three hundred and eight of her
people, making death the penalty for a second return.'....These
loyalist exiles peopled Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper
Canada; some few of them came to this Colony;")), this 2003 quote
was received from a fellow lister ..."it is my understanding that
United Empire Loyalists did not come to Newfoundland. I know
that this John Ryan came to Newfoundland from New
Brunswick......a place where the United Empire Loyalists did
settle when they left the United States!"

My questions now #1. Which historical records would give one the
understanding that no Loyalists came to Newfoundland? #2. How
many other family surnames came to Newfoundland from New Brunswick
about the time John Ryan made his move? Did not the famous
Crosbie family move from New Brunswick to Concepton Bay? John Ryan
must have been a fairly influential character with a significant
constituency, Prowse claims that he started Newfoundland's first
newspaper, The Royal Gazette. quote "page 380-381...."...a
newspaper, the Royal Gazette, which still flourishes, was
instituted by Mr. John Ryan, an American loyalist,"

















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