Plaque to Richard Whitbourne in Trinity. (with Descendant of Sir Richard)

Richard Whitbourne was born in Exmouth in Devon, England. He became a sailor when he was 15 and his first trip to Newfoundland was in 1579. That year his ship was bound for the Strait of Belle Isle to trade with the Native people and hunt whales, but when they arrived in Newfoundland, they decided to go to Trinity instead to catch cod and hunt. Richard continued to work in the Newfoundland salt fish trade for more than forty years.

Kidnapped by a Pirate

In 1612, while in Newfoundland, Richard was kidnapped by the Pirate Peter Easton. He spent 11 weeks on the pirate's ship. Peter wanted Richard to become a pirate. Richard refused but was let go after he said that he would go to England to seek a Royal Pardon for Peter Easton. There were many pirates around the coast of the island in the early 1600s. Richard saw the damage pirates could do when Henry Mainwaring destroyed the boats and property of fishermen in 1614.

Court of Justice

The migratory fishermen and settlers in Newfoundland were having trouble getting along. Pirates were making the ocean a scary place to be. Richard was sent to set up a Court of Admiralty to find out how to solve these problems. This Court was the first of its kind ever held in the North America. The court was first held in Trinity in 1615 and then traveled to other harbours hearing complaints from the settlers and migratory fishermen. Richard spoke to a lot of people and learned a great deal about the problems on the island. He had some ideas about what could help, but the problems were worse than he could solve. One idea he had was that it would be safer if more people lived in Newfoundland all year. Some of the migratory fishermen didn't agree with this. They thought that all the settlers should leave and go back to England.

In Favour of Settlement

In 1616, the Welshman, William Vaughan, decided to set up a colony at Renews and the next year he sent out some settlers. In 1618, William appointed Richard as Governor of the colony, but when Richard arrived he found that the colonists were in a bad state. They hadn't even built houses and were living in the shacks left behind by visiting fishermen. He sent most of the settlers home but six of them spent the next winter there. By 1619, it seems that the settlement was abandoned.

Richard the Writer

Richard wrote about the people and places he saw during his travels. In 1583, he had seen Sir Humphrey Gilbert claim Newfoundland for England. In letters to people he knew in England he wrote funny stories about the number of mosquitoes he saw on the island. He even wrote about seeing a mermaid in St. John's Harbour. In 1620, his first book was published. The book, Discourse and Discovery of New-Found-land, was written to encourage more people to settle in Newfoundland. The book sold quite well and was printed seven more times over the next 20 years to keep up with the demand. Copies of Richard's book were sent to every parish in England and money was collected to reward him for his work. His book also influenced the English Government and they decided that settlers should be allowed to stay in Newfoundland.

Sir Richard

In 1620, Henry Cary, who later became Lord Falkland, was granted property in Newfoundland on both the north side of Trinity Bay and the Southern Shore. Henry consulted with Richard about where to set up a colony and Richard suggested that he settle at Renews. Colonists arrived at Renews in 1623, and the colony continued until at least 1626. Richard was involved in planning the colony and visited there at least twice. For his help, Richard was knighted by Lord Falkland in 1625, and became Sir Richard Whitbourne.

An Historian's Resource

Richard Whitbourne wanted people to live in Newfoundland. In his books and letters he wrote about the geography, climate, and resources of the island. He also gave advice about living on the island and how to fish. Today, a lot of what we know about early life in Newfoundland comes from the writing of Sir Richard Whitbourne and other early settlers.

Text from Plaque in Trinity

SIR RICHARD WHITBOURNE
1579 - 1628

A Devonshire mariner and merchant, Whitbourne became active in the Newfoundland trade and fishery in 1579. Commissioned by the High Court of Admiralty in 1615 to investigate the conflicts between fishermen and settlers on the island, he became himself a proponent of colonization and in 1618 was named first governor of William Vaughan's colony at Renews. From his four decades of experience on the Island, he published his Discourse and Discovery of Newfoundland in 1620. Designed to promote settlement, the Discourse is today one of the most valuable sources for early history of Newfoundland.

Sir Richard-Taken Hostage

Excerpts From Whitbourne's " A Brief Discourse and Discovery of New-Found-Land"