Way before the 17th century, St Helier had no actual and decent harbour, although a map in 1545 says otherwise. It showed two stone piers in the area under Le Mont de la Ville, near where the South Pier is today.
The harbour was recorded to be constructed in the early 19th century where previously ships that came into town had only and small jetty at the site which is now called the English Harbour and the French harbour. The Chamber of Commerce urged the states assembly to build a new harbour however they refused so with the refusal, the Chamber took it into their own hands and paid to upgrade the harbour in 1790.
St Helier Harbour trip:
On Tuesday the 10th of September, we met at the Societe Jersiaise where we had a presentation for nearly 2 hours. In these two hours, we had a speaker talk to us about all the famous jersey photographers especially photographers who photographed the harbour and jersey harbours but specifically St Helier Harbour. The speaker showed us a variety of photos which were all produced by jersey photographers. The speaker also went on to describe how photography spawned in jersey and how jersey became an attraction to those who were in middle class who wanted to take pictures for a more cheaper price. After this we went on a walk around St Helier harbour and took a series of pictures of the harbour, making sure that recaptured different angles and perspectives. After the photography session, we had two speakers meet with us where they spoke about the St Helier harbour in more detail and how it all started.
Newfoundland was discovered during the 15th century by John Cabot during his voyage in 1497, soon after in 1504 small Normal fishing boats visited the coasts of Newfoundland.
1600s:
During 1509-1547 the Spanish and French withdrew from Newfoundland after Henry VIII commenced trading there. By 1530 Jersey men had visited the coasts of Newfoundland and only 6 years later, in 1536 J Hore, and Londoner, established a colony in Newfoundland. Later on in 1562 the Channel Islands boats arrived on the Grand banks, a portion of the North American continental shelf in the Atlantic Ocean, lying southeast of Newfoundland.
During 1583, Newfoundland was taken over by Queen Elizabeth. Under 10 years later Jean Guillaume of Jersey obtained a licence to sail to Newfoundland from the Governor of Jersey. Upon Guillaume’s return he was fined 300 crowns by the Royal Court due to selling his cargo of fish at St Malo rather than Jersey. This is when the fishing industry commenced, as this was when the Governor of Jersey quoted that at the end of the sixteenth century islanders were saved from starvation by the arrival of a cargo of fish from the colony.
1700s:
Jersey’s involvement officially began in the start 17th century when Sir Ralegh obtained a ‘grant of application’ in Newfoundland, seamen from Jersey were then moved to begin a fishery in that area of the colony which Ralegh had been granted. As the Governor he not only motivated trade with Newfoundland but other locations too such as Virginia, New England states and the Caribbean Islands. These seamen battled the ocean to bring back cod fish and oil, skins, furs, sugar, tobacco, and more.
There were three families which are named as the “master traders”, d”Auvergne (St Ouen), Lemprierre (St Helier), Le Breton (Lily Langtry branch).
By 1611 St Brelade and other parishes had fishermen who sailed to Newfoundland, however by 1618, just 6 years later, the Privy Council had to order the Governor not to allow stores from the castles to be sold to the Newfoundland fishers, as the use of these stores was likely to risk the inhabitants in times of emergency. In 1625, on his way to Terre Neuve (Newfoundland), one of the master traders Captain Pierre d’Auvergne was captured by pirates and taken to Salé, where he was sold as a slave along with his shipmates.
1800s:
By the 18th century ships had been registered in Jersey after being built in North America and Newfoundland for the fishing trade. In 1740 a non-native Jerseyman, Captain David (Le Vavasseur dit), was recorded as trading between Newfoundland and Lisbon in his vessel ‘Tito’.
One year later, in 1741, the same vessel was sailed once again from Poole to Newfoundland. In 1744, he was a signatory in a petition to the Government of Newfoundland. His other vessel ‘Sally’ was recorded as sailing annually between Poole and Newfoundland as late as 1766, his fishery was located at Burnin: John Jean, Jersey Ships and Railways. In 1764 the youngest son of Philippe and Anne nee d’Auvergne, Charles Robin aged 21, of Robin Pipon and Co, sailed from Jersey in Seaflower, a 41 ton ship, as their agent. He did this to explore the possibility of establishing a fishery there.
From 1765 onwards the French and Quebec merchants moved away from the Gaspe coast which allowed Jersey firms to move the the more profitable fisheries off the Gaspe coast.
Robin Pipon and co established fishing posts as far north as Baie des Chaleurs, under the auspices of their kinsman, Charles Robin, for later on formed his own company in 1783, named ‘Charles Robin and co’. During 1790-1792 Charles Robin with eight vessels , including the largest one St Peter weighing 210 tons, this with Jerseys leading group of vessels with the Janvarins in second place.
1900s:
However by 1800, David Lee in The Robins in Gaspe, a book, stated that Robin only had four ships, which demonstrates the fluctuations in the fortune experienced in times of war, by those engaged in the fishing trade. Through the years 1766-1842 Jersey had profited by the British conquests in Canada and it almost transformed the Gaspe coast into a Jersey Colony. In the 1950s Clement and co became the last jersey company trading in Newfoundland.
Charles Robin:
Charles Robin is arguably one of the most important people in Jerseys fishing history. He was born in St Brelades during 1743 and by 1763 he was a captain of a ship working in the Newfoundland Cod Trade. In 1765 him and his two brothers and another two formed a firm which developed fishing grounds off Cape Breton Island and the Gaspe region. The company then sold dried cod to Portugal and Spain, and they sold salmon, furs, and timber to Quebec.
John Cabot’s voyage of 1497 – Google
