Teignmouth&Shaldon Museum

Sir Humphrey Gilbert landed at what later became St. Johns in Newfoundland in the year 1583 and claimed 600 miles in any direction for the crown. This, the oldest of Britain’s colonies and the seafaring men from Devon were to become closely linked because of the rich cod-banks to be found off the coast of Newfoundland.

Teignmouth, Shaldon and Ringmore have a rich maritime history and were well placed to take advantage of this rich abundance of fish. The fishermen would spend six months of the year braving the storms of the North Atlantic to fish the protein-rich cod banks off Newfoundland. They left Devon in spring, often carrying passengers or cargoes of goods, and returned home in either October or November with their dried and salted cod, for sale either at the home markets or to trade at European ports. It was not unusual for these fishermen to have second homes and families in Newfoundland. The close links forged between these Devon villages and Newfoundland are there to see in records from these times in such names as Codner, Warren, Bartlett, Bulley and Squarey to name but a few.

The cod fishing trade continued until the end of the nineteenth century. By the early 1800s there were about 20,000 settlers living in Newfoundland, and much of the cod fishing was carried out, and consumed, by them. But there was still plenty for the local shipowners in Teignmouth and Shaldon. While elsewhere interest in the cod industry was in decline by the time of the Napoleonic wars, Teignmouth’s actually increased. In 1820 there were 35 ships engaged in the trade compared to 20 in 1775.

The work was hard but reward-rich - for some. The drying and salting of the cod in Newfoundland was seasonal work relying mostly on a transient workforce. Responsibility for families left behind fell to the women. Ships and their crew suffered. They not only had to brave the vagaries of the North Atlantic but also of waters closer to home. The Maria with its consignment of salt was driven onto rocks when leaving Teignmouth harbour. Its owners were Thomas Bulley & Sons of Shaldon.

If you want to know more about this lucrative connection between the villages of the Teign and Newfoundland, come and visit us at the Museum.