Free Silk Sails by Calvin Evans Page A

active fishery. Among the adults at Ferryland at the time of the census were Lady Kirke’s four sons: George (and wife), Philip, David II, and Jarvase (or Jarvis).They were all separate plantation owners. In Renooze (Renews) there was a cousin, John Kirke, and in Caplin Bay a Jer. Kirke, possibly Jarvis, with a second plantation. The Kirkes were a durable family, due probably in no small part to the Lady.
    Their fortunes continued to be beset with troubles. Lady Kirke was replaced as first lady by Mrs. John Treworgie when the latter’s husband was appointed governor in 1653. Lord Baltimore then contested the charter given to the Kirkes in 1637, though his counter claim was not recognized until 1660. Lady Hopkins went to England in that same year to present a petition to King Charles II concerning affairs in the island with specific reference to encroachments by the French and their continual military threat to English plantations. Lady Kirke took advantage of her sister’s visit to the king to present a petition, signed by the principal inhabitants of the area, “praying” that her son George be made governor of Newfoundland. Coincidentally, Governor John Treworgie had just completed his term. No action was taken on the latter recommendation. Finally, in 1661, Lady Kirke was forced to surrender title to all property claimed by Lord Baltimore. Though she continued to live in the house that her husband had built, she was required to pay rent for it to Baltimore’s agents. Lady Hopkins returned once more to England to protest against the treatment of the Kirkes by the government of the day, but without success.
    From this historical record it may be determined both that these were strong-willed, determined women who thrived in adversity and that the fishing and supply venture they were pursuing was a very lucrative business.
    Sir John Berry’s census of 1675 covered the east coast of Newfoundland, from Trepassey in the south to Bonavista in the north. The census records for Ferryland indicate that Lady Kirke had sixteen male servants, one female servant, one dwelling house, one lodgings house, four boats, one stage (for “making”/curing fish), one storehouse, four rooms (i.e., four large separate spaces on or near the shore for fishery work), one train vat (fish oil), and that she caught the allowable quota for the year, 150 quintals offish (a quintal is 112 pounds). Her sister, Lady Hopkins, employed thirteen male servants, one female servant, had one dwelling house, two lodgings houses, three boats, one stage, two storehouses, one train vat, three rooms, and had also caught 150 quintals of fish. George and David Kirke II had plantations that were slightly larger than their mother’s and aunt’s.
    It can be concluded from census evidence and other historical data that Lady Kirke operated her fishing business for approximately 40 years and that Lady Hopkins had operated hers for 30-plus years. From the Berry census it can be concluded that women in several communities were boat-owners from at least the mid-1600s. Boats would have been used to carry on an inshore fishery. Boats are generally distinguished from ships in that the latter are “of considerable size,” and boats are generally open vessels, i.e., undecked. If the Kirkes owned ships (as seems likely from the number of servants they employed), these would have been registered in a British port since there was no registration of ships in Newfoundland at this early period. Ships built by English planters or merchants in Newfoundland during the seventeenth century would have been registered in a British port. In any event, if the Kirkes owned ships, these would have been anchored in the Ferryland harbour or tied to a wharf and not used to pursue an inshore fishery. Since the Kirkes were now established settlers they probably sold their fish and oil to collector ships operating out of England.
    Other women were arriving in