Documents relating to Ferryland: 1597 to 1726

A textbase, including original transcriptions.

Prepared by Peter E. Pope A.B., M.A., M.Litt. (Oxon.), Ph.D.
June, 1993; Past Present - Historic Sites and Material Culture Consulting
(709) 737-2126; 437-6134, Box 17, Site 8, RR 1 Torbay, Newfoundland, A0A 3Z0, Canada

Selections reproduced on this site with permission of Peter E. Pope, 1999.

Selection of documents

The textbase "Documents Relating to Ferryland, 1597 to 1726" was prepared for the use of the Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, in its excavations at Ferryland, under the direction of Dr. James Tuck. Those records included were chosen because they have the potential to shed light on the artifacts or features uncovered by archaeologists. There are many other documents relating to the history of Ferryland and/or the Southern Shore, pertaining to administrative or economic history, that were not included.

Spelling and punctuation

Some documents have been previously published but were revised for inclusion in the textbase by modernizing spelling and punctuation. Many documents were transcribed by P.E. Pope for this textbase, generally from copies in the MUN Maritime History Archive or the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, as noted. The spelling and punctuation of these documents was also modernized. The modernization of punctuation raises some difficulties, particularly with very long sentences containing many clauses, some subordinate, some joined by conjunctions. The editor's practice was to break these up into shorter sentences and to break clauses with commas if this made the text clearer. This means that sentences sometimes begin with a conjunction. This seemed to best way of rendering the original prose accessible to the modern eye.

Correct citation

Published documents revised for this textbase can be cited by the publication reference given, with the comment "spelling and punctuation modernized."

Unpublished documents, transcribed for this textbase, should be cited by the original source given (e.g., Great Britain, PRO, Colonial Office, CO 1/65 (13i), 27-29), with the comment "transcribed by P.E. Pope, spelling and punctuation modernized." The location of the copy used for transcription may also be given (e.g., MHA 16-B-4-075).

©1993, Peter Pope
Flatrock, Newfoundland
June 30, 1993