Much of our knowledge of daily life in outport Newfoundland in the late 18th and early 19th century comes from the pens of visitors. They were typically missionaries, explorers, naturalists, and geologists whose work brought them to outlying communities not often visited by outsiders or even the local government.

An outline of the efforts of William Keen to establish a judicial system in Newfoundland in the early 18th century.

A brief overview of the history of the migratory fishery on the east coast of Newfoundland. Ferryland is highlighted as a port.

Considerable uncertainty surrounds our understanding of daily life in Newfoundland during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.