CO 194/14 [Reel B-212]

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1 26 March 1757 W. Sharpe (Court at St. James)   A Commission and Warrant draught for Richard Edwards to be Governor of Newfoundland. It is laid before the council for His Majesty’s signature.
3 26 March 1757 W. Sharpe (Court at St. James )   The set of instructions was not altered by the Lords of Trade and Plantations since Richard Dorrill’s appointment, therefore, the Privy Council approves of the said draught and recommends that it be sent to H.M. Secretary for His Majesty to sign.
5 5 Jan. 1759 Edwards ( Spithead) Board of Trade An account of the arms, ammunition, and stores, in the forts of St John’s and Placentia. Return of the troops in the garrison and the State of the fishery for 1758. Hasn’t done anything to the fort. An "Indian" girl was taken by some fur hunters in the North part of the island of Newfoundland who I have brought home.
7v-8   Edwards   [enclosed with above] State of the fishery for 1758: number of British ships (fishing and sack),ships from America, burthen of, number of men belonging to British & American ships, number of passengers, Quintals of fish carried to foreign market, train oil made by British ships, by boat men, Americans and inhabitants, etc.
9 23 June 1758 Edwards   [enclosed with above] An inventory of Ordnance, arms and ammunition in the garrison at Placentia. Signed by Lemercier and attested by Otho Hamilton (Lt. Gov.)
10 26 Sept. 1758 Edwards   [enclosed with above] A return of Capt. Ross’s Company in garrison at St. John’s. (86 privates). A detachment of Capt. Dover’s Company of the royal artillery at St. John’s, Trinity, Carbonear, Ferryland.
11 26 June 1758 Edwards   [enclosed with above] A return of Capt. John Hamilton’s Company in the majesty’s 40th regiment of foot commanded by Major general Peregrine, Thomas Hopson in garrison at Placentia. (83 privates) Detachment of Capt. Thomas Ord’s Company of the royal regiment of artillery at Placentia (20 in total)
11v-13v 31 May 1758 Edwards   [enclosed with above] State of the ordnance stores at St. John’s. Note: Poor framing, difficult to read, document does not fit within one frame.
14-15v 22 Feb. 1759 Henry Casamajor [?] (Merchant Hall Bristol) Lords The disadvantages facing the fishermen which affects their trade. Being pressed in the Navy and fishermen were taken to prisons (1757) in France where they died. It is a great loss for merchants who have to advance the fishermen with a great part of their wages and fit them with clothes. Better letter-carrying system is needed. Proposes a better system for convoys (one warship to leave on the 10 March at Spithead, another at Spithead on the ? of April, and these ships should be ordered to cruise on the banks, a warship at Waterford by the 10 April for convoy of passengers and provisions and then cruise on the banks. At the end of the season, there should be two convoys back, one on the 1 or 5 of Oct., the second on the 1 or 5 of Nov..) Suggests ways to increase the number of fishermen, the establishment of a packet boat. Ships have gone up the straight of Belle Isle and have found greater numbers of fish there. Encourage settlements there.
16-16v 24 Nov. 1758 Principal merchants (Bideford) Lords of Trade Petition about the hardships they suffered during the war. The impressment of fishermen has been a great disadvantage to the "adventurers". They hope that the French will not be able to "have any footing on the island" (they are in the northernmost parts) and that they (the merchants) be able to supply markets in Spain and Italy which the "French have... been deprived us of". Signed by approximately 20 merchants (Spencer, Stafford, Maine, Sam Pyke, John Ford, etc.)
18-19 16 Nov. 1758 Merchants of Dartmouth Lords of Trade Petition about the hardships the trade has suffered during the war and demand better convoys and not to impress fishermen in the Navy. Signed by approx. 15 merchants (Sparke, Holdsworth, Leigh, Hine, Cooper, French, Newman, etc.)
20-20v 26 Dec. 1758 Merchants of Poole Lords of Trade Petition asking that the men employed in the fishery both from England and Ireland be offered protection. Suggests how, when and where to set up convoys, both to Newfoundland and back). Signed by approx. 35 merchants ( Hyde, Olive, Walker, Thomson, Nickelson, Paine, etc.)
22-22v   Merchants and traders from Exon, Topsham, Teignmouth Lords of Trade Petition about convoys, issues relating to fishermen. Signed by approx. 50 merchants. ( Stafford, Tucker, Claude Cassavan, John Goss, Hubert, Blight, Dacie, etc.)Note: the same issues as previously discussed in the above petitions.
23 20 Dec. 1755 Merchants from Barnstaple Lords of Trade Petition. They usually send 20 sails and employ 1 000 men, but this year will not send one sail. The French have greatly encroached on the island in the NE and NW. They have caught great quantities of fish at a lesser cost than ours. They undersold us at the markets. They have not had the benefit of convoys of late and they wish for the convoys to start again. Forestalling and engrossing should be banned. Signed by approx. 75 merchants ( Pyke, Gribble, Dyer, Strange, Shepard, Velley, Hooper, Hogg, etc.)
24-25       Endorsements for clerical purposes. Identifies the petition
26 25 Jan. 1760 Edwards (Gosport at Spithead) Lords of Trade Sending Arms, Ammunition, and stores accounts (St. John’s and Placentia) and a return of the troops in garrisons and the State of the fishery.
28 20 Oct. 1759 Edwards   [enclosed with above] Return of Capt. Walter Ross’s Company 4th Regiment of foot and the artillery at St. John’s, Ferryland, Carbonear and Trinity.
29 21/23 July 1759 Edwards   [enclosed with above] Return of Capt. Jn Hamilton’s Company 4th regiment and Capt, John Dover’s artillery at Placentia.
30-38 25 Jan. 1760 Edwards   [enclosed with above] Return of the ordnance stores at St. John’s and Placentia.
40v-41   Edwards   [enclosed with above] State of the fishery and inhabitants for 1759.
42 1 May 1760 W. Pitt (Whitehall) Lords of Trade Capt. James Webb should be appointed Governor of Newfoundland. He will be in command of the ships employed in the protection of the fishery.

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