MATTHEW MORRY’S CAREER AT SEA

Introduction

The facts disclosed below come initially from Keith Matthew’s “Name File” for the Morry name, specifically that of Matthew. While Matthews recorded every incidence of this name, from church records, Colonial Office Records, court records and many forms of maritime related records, I have focussed here specifically on the reports that pertain to his time at sea, starting as an ordinary seaman, graduating to mate and then captain, and finally owner (or occasionally co-owner) of the vessels on which he sailed back and forth to Newfoundland and to other destinations he visited to sell and buy. Most of these records Keith Matthews found in Lloyd’s List, Board of Trade Muster Rolls, Admiralty & Secretariat Registers of Letters of Marque or Passes, the Public Ledger and Newfoundland General Advertiser, and later, when he was an owner, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. Collectively they tell a fascinating story and add much information and a greater dimension to our knowledge of this man.

The Records

1. MORRY1770 22 mar – 25 dec bt 98/3 Mat age 21 dtmth on prussian king Harvey dis brstl

Deciphering Keith Matthew’s short form, this means that, according to the Board of Trade Muster Rolls, 98/3 (Folio 211, as I learned from further research), Matthew was employed by a Captain named Harvey (William, it turns out later) on his vessel, the PRUSSIAN KING from March 22, 1770 to Dec 23, 1770 and was discharged at Bristol. The reference to Dartmouth refers to Matthew’s home port and may or may not be the home port of the vessel in question. This is the earliest known record of Matthew serving on a vessel at sea but it is highly likely he was employed in that trade earlier, as it was not uncommon in those days for boys to go to sea at ages as early as 14 or even younger in some cases. There is no suggestion in any other records I have seen that Matthew was employed in any other trade onshore.

2. MORRY1771 27 mar – 21 dec bt 98/3 Mat age 23 dtmth SEAMAN on Nolly Harvey ex pruss king harvey

Here we see another Board of Trade Muster Roll entry (later found to be Folio 117) in which Matthew is now employed on Capt. Harvey’s vessel, the Molly (mistakenly referred to as the

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Nolly in Keith Matthew’s transcript) and is now listed as a Seaman, which may imply a slight upgrade in his condition. Young sailors were referred to as “Boys” or “ Youngsters” before they were considered full-fledged seamen. He worked on the Molly pretty well for the whole year from 27 March, 1771 to December 21, 1771. The Muster Roll shows the name of his previous Captain (same man), and vessel, the PRUSSIAN KING. This method of connecting one term of employment to the next is important in determining if a gap exists in the records.

3. MORRY1772 1 apr – 10 oct bt 98/3 mat age 23 mate molly wm Harvey ex same dis nfld

Here we see an interesting Board of Trade Muster Roll (Folio 36 found on further research in the MHA index of the Dartmouth Muster Rolls) record because it shows that, while Matthew was reemployed on the same vessel as the previous year, captained by William Harvey. After his term on board from 1 April, 1772 to 10 October, 1772 he was discharged in Newfoundland. As we will see in the next entry, there is a reason for this.

4. MORRY1772 10 oct – 11 feb 1773 bt 98/3 Mat age 23 mate port mcht wm Harvey ex molly Harvey AT NFLD

What happened was that Matthew was promoted to Mate and transferred with Capt. William Harvey to another vessel, the Port Merchant, stationed over winter in Newfoundland. That is unusual, as most vessels returned to their home port to overwinter. Matthew may have seized this opportunity, even given the discomfort he would have to endure, in order to advance his career or he and Harvey may have just been good friends and wished to continue working together. He returned to Dartmouth in time to marry Mary Graham on March 1, 1773. (Folio 43)

5. MORRY1773 jun-aug bt 98/3 Mat age 25 of dtmth mate lyon jn burgoyn dtmth fm lond/milfd

Matthew evidently chose to stay close to home on his next assignment from June to August 1773, soon after he was married. He was Mate on the Lyon (sometimes seen as Lion elsewhere) captained by John Burgoyn (seen as Burgin and various other spellings elsewhere). The vessel was out of Dartmouth and the voyage in this case took him from London to Milford, Wales. This is one of few examples of Matthew Morry taking coasting assignments, though he may have done so in his unrecorded early career. Keith Matthews made an error in the designation of the Muster Roll; it is actually Volume 98/4, Folio 2).

6. MORRY1773? must r rolls Mat on crew of “Lion” jn burginAs noted above, the spelling of the name of the vessel and its Captain differ in these records. A check of Lloyd’s Register of shipping would set this straight. I don’t know why this refers to a

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muster roll but without the usual reference to the Board of Trade volume. I suspect that there may be other unofficial (?) muster rolls compiled that Keith Matthews came upon in his research, possibly among the papers of the vessel owner. Curious also that the date is so indefinite on this one.

7. MOREY1774 13 apr lloyd list mary dtmth-nfld

This is a Lloyd List record. They are not as detailed as the Muster Roll records unfortunately. All it tells us is that on April 13, 1774 Matthew was Captain on board the MARY sailing from Dartmouth to Newfoundland. It is interesting to see he has returned to the Newfoundland trade again, but more important is his capacity on this vessel. Lloyd’s List entries only include the name of the Captain, not the crew. Later it is made abundantly clear that he became the captain and then the owner of the MARY. But at this stage we can assume that he was more likely the Captain, as he is found as the Captain on another record soon afterwards.

8. MORRY1774 may adm 7/139 MAT “Mary” 40/9 DTMTH AT B/B – S/P

Keith Matthew’s unique short form records can be very confusing until you access The “Keith Matthews Name File Abbreviation Guide” assembled by staff at the Maritime History Archive. With the assistance of the guide we learn that this entry is an Admiralty & Secretariat record of Letters of Marque or Passes. It shows that Matthew was indeed Captain on the MARY (only Captains are mentioned on this type of record as well), that it was a vessel of 40 tons with a draft of 9 feet, sailing out of Dartmouth and that she was stationed in Bonavista Bay and at St. Pierre.

9. MORRY1774 muster rolls Mat of dtmth capt “Mary” 14 apr dtmth 4 jul / 10 Oct BAY BULLS

I am not sure why Keith Matthews did not give a full reference to the Board of Trade Muster Roll volume in which he found this record. It is actually Volume 98/4, Folio 127. In any event, we learn that Matthew has indeed been promoted to Captain on the Mary. I assume that the Admiralty had to approve (provide a pass) for the Mary to fish off St. Pierre as at that time it was an area of contention between the French and the English and skirmishes between vessels of the two nations were not uncommon. From this latest record, we see that the MARY left Dartmouth that year on the 14th of April and at the end of this voyage from the 4th of July 1774 until the 10th of October 1774 the MARY spent time in Bay Bulls, presumably fishing there.

10. 1775 muster rolls Mat age 24 of dtmth capt “mary” 14 jan CAMINHA 2 mar dtmth

This muster roll tells us that Matthew was not idle during the winter months, when they were

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away from Newfoundland. He sailed the Mary as Captain once again and went to Caminha, Portugal, on January 14 1775, returning to Dartmouth on March 2, 1775. There can be little doubt that she was trading her season’s catch of salt fish for other commodities like port wine.

11. MORRY1775 mar pub ad mary dtmth – nfld 30

This is an advertisement in the Public Ledger and Newfoundland General Advertiser indicating that Capt. Matthew Morry was taking the Mary to Newfoundland from Dartmouth on March 30th, 1775. The purpose of the ad was to attract “Bye-Boat Keepers” who would pay for their passage and that of their crew in order to be able to take part in the fishery in their own right, rather than be employed on salary, which was much less lucrative for them and could, in a bad season, result in their not even breaking even after paying the ship’s owner for their kit and food. Bye-Boat Keepers were also vulnerable to poor fishing, as they might not be able to afford their passage home at the end of the season and would either have to go into debt to the vessel owner or stay over winter in Newfoundland without any funds to support themselves.

12. MORRY1775 bt 98/6 Mat age 26 dtmth CAPT MARY ship ex same fm caminha 30 mar dtmth 8 sep-10 oct – 2 nov nfld

1776 7 feb dtmth fm Lisbon

This Board of Trade Muster Roll for the same year and the following year shows Matthew as Captain of the Mary again sailing from Caminha to Dartmouth early in the year with whatever cargo he purchased there and then turning around and sailing back to Newfoundland. Finally it shows another sailing to Dartmouth from Lisbon on February 7th 1776. This shows that he left Newfoundland and most likely sailed directly to Lisbon to trade his cargo before returning home to Dartmouth. The dates are confusing however. Though it does not say so, I believe that it may have been at this time that Matthew became either the owner of the MARY, as we see him as such in one of the next records covering this period. This is a pivotal moment in his career and it is unfortunate that the record is ambiguous at this crucial time.

13. MOREY1775-6 lloyds mat/co late own/cap mary bg 909 blt newb 65 dtmth-nfld

This is a new kind of record, from Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, compiled for insurance purposes and therefore more detailed. As I read it, using the Abbreviations Guide, in 1775-76, the same time period as the records above, Matthew Morey and Company (the first reference to this company) became Owner and Captain of the Brig MARY, capable of a cargo of 90 tons with 9 feet of draught, built in Newbury in 1765 and employed in the Dartmouth-Newfoundland trade. The word “late” is confusing. It generally refers to previous ownership or service. In this case, it

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may imply that he was formerly only the Captain and is now the Owner as well. By checking the actual Lloyd’s Register for 1776 (the one for 1775 was missing at the MHA), for which Keith Matthew’s notes are an abbreviation, we do learn some answers and more details, but we again have to learn a new language to do so. Lloyd’s Register entries are extremely abbreviated, using arcane short forms for names, places, numbers, etc. The entry for this event looks something like this:

M. 183. Bg Mat Morey 90 Nwbury 65 Capt. & Co. 9 Da N’flnd E. I. F. I. F. Graham Cr Graham C. 3 3

Near as I can figure it, the reason that the strike outs are present is because it is indicating a change from the previous year’s entry in which Matthew Morry was both owner and Captain while this year he remains owner but has turned over the captaincy to his brother-in-law, Francis Graham. Other things we can take from this entry. The tiny “c” under the ports serviced (Dartmouth – Newfoundland) means that this is a “constant trader”, that is the vessel plies this route all the time rather than serving multiple ports. Because there is no small abbreviation under the tonnage (90), this means that the Mary has two decks. The small numbers under the last two columns give the month in which the last survey was conducted

14. MOREY1776 7 feb Lloyd list mary dtmth fm Lisbon

This Lloyd’s List entry simply confirms the BOT Muster Roll above that Matthew was Captain on the MARY sailing to Dartmouth from Lisbon on 7 Feb 1776. The actual entry in Lloyd’s List which Keith Matthews copied this from would not have contained any more information than that. They were extremely brief and not very informative, so there is no reference at all to ownership in this type of record. But the register entry above makes it clear that Matthew has now become the ship’s owner as well as its Captain.

15. MOREY1779 dec pub ad Mor? dtmth fm nfld 25

This entry is curious for two reasons. First, it is the next record chronologically that we find after the ones in 1776, three years prior. Second, it refers to a vessel, the name obscured evidently, that Matthew had not served on or owned previously. In regard to the first point, I have a working theory yet to be proven that Matthew and his wife Mary spent time in Newfoundland during this hiatus in the records. I base this on records at the Anglican Cathedral of the birth and burial of a child, Honour: “Honour Moory/Moary?, Mark & Mary, bap. Dec 29 1778”; “Honour, Dr. of Mary MOARY Sep 26 1779”. I firmly believe that the name Mark in this entry should be Matt. This must be a transcription error in my estimation. The misspelling of the surname is of no consequence. The name was frequently misspelled in those days. If I am right, this record would show that, not just Matthew, but also his wife Mary, stayed in Newfoundland for a period

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of time covering at least part of 1778 and 1779. If the gap in the shipping record is anything to go by, they may have been there as early as 1777. I suspect that the reason for their stay was to endeavour to set themselves up in business there. After the death of Honour, they may have given up on the venture, at least until after the later death of Mary herself. According to Dartmouth records at St. Saviour’s parish, Matthew and Mary’s first child, John, was christened Jan 1 1776. They could have departed for Newfoundland soon afterwards. The next record of a christening at St. Saviours was not until Priscilla Ann came along on 2 April 1783. Such a gap between births would have been unheard of in those days and it is more circumstantial evidence that Matthew and Mary were not in Dartmouth during much of that period. The second point of confusion, the name of the vessel, is resolved with the next entry. It was the MURR.

16. MORREY1780 4 may Lloyd list murr dtmth-nfld

Here we have Matthew sailing as Captain on the MURR from Dartmouth to Newfoundland on May 4 1780. We are not told whether or not he is the owner as this type of record does not provide that kind of information, but that becomes clear in the next entry.

17. MOREY1780 lloyds reg M new capt murr 40/8 own R. Bulley. nfld-lpool

Morey1781 ship M? murr 40/8 own r Bulley dtmth-nfld

The Lloyd’s Register shows both owner (Matthew Morey) and the Captain (R. Bulley) of the vessel, the MURR, a ship of 40 tons and a draught of 8 feet, which on this particular voyage in 1780 was sailing from Newfoundland to Liverpool. Matthew had a long history of working with R. Bulley, as will be seen later. It is curious that the port of landing in Britain was Liverpool and not Dartmouth. This suggests that prices for salt cod may have been better there that year. Matthew returned to Newfoundland the following season on the same vessel.

18. MORRAY1782 adm 1/472 and co own “friendship” 60/7 nfld – Waterford ballst/F/O

This is another Admiralty record relating to Matthew Morry and Company as Captain and once again owner of another vessel, the FRIENDSHIP, 60 tons with a draught of 7 feet, so somewhat larger than vessels he had sailed and/or owned previously. This time it was heading from Newfoundland to Waterford, but rather than selling or trading its cargo there it may simply have been dropping off its fishing crew of “Irish boys”. The latter cryptic notation cannot be deciphered with the Abbreviations Guide but I suspect that it means it was carrying ballast fish and oil. The fact that a returning vessel was carrying ballast implies that it was a bad season and

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they could not fill their hold with sufficient product to safely sail across the ocean.

19. MORRY1783 apr cust 65/2 Mat “Eliz” plant cert at dtmth

This is a Customs record showing that Matthew was now the Captain (Owner as well?) of the ELIZABETH in Dartmouth in April 1783 and that he obtained a Plantation Certificate. I have not been able to determine what benefit that bestowed, but I presume it had something to do with setting up a fishing room in Newfoundland. We are left in the dark as to what happened to the FRIENDSHIP as it is never mentioned again.

20. MORRY?1783 jun lond pkt eliz news nfld fm dtmth

Here we have a newspaper report in the London Packet of the sailing of the ELIZABETH from Dartmouth to Newfoundland in June 1783. That was a very late start to be taking part in the fishery. This suggests to me, along with the previous entry concerning the Plantation Certificate, that Matthew was in fact foregoing the fishing season and instead employing his time to set up a plantation in Newfoundland, where we do not know, but most likely in Caplin Bay. The next year he applied for and was granted a fishing room there. So this is another turning point in his career, as it is the first time that we have solid evidence that he was beginning to arrange for a permanent business and later domicile in Newfoundland.

21. MORRY1784 ship and co-own tom bg w efford 80/10 berm 76 dtmth-nfld

Now, according to Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (“ship” in Keith Matthew’s shortform) Matthew Morry and Company has bought the Brig TOM, 80 tons and a draught of 10 feet. It was built in Bermuda in 1776, so quite new. This time Matthew has hired a captain (W. Efford) rather than acting as Captain himself. She is employed as usual in the Dartmouth-Newfoundland trade. We see that his expectations are growing as he keeps acquiring larger and larger vessels.

22. MORRY1784 ship and co own mayflower bg j cawley 50/9 bdfd 67 dtmth-nfld

That same year he also obtained ownership of a Brig the Mayflower, 50 tons and a draught of 9 feet, built in Bideford in 1767, to also be captained by someone else (J. Cawley) and to be employed in the Dartmouth/Newfoundland trade. At this point it is obvious that Matthew could not be the Captain of the several vessels he has acquired and may not have captained any of them, instead employing others to do so. There were at least two other Morrys involved in the Newfoundland trade at this time: his nephew John and his second cousin George, both of whom show up as Captains of various vessels in the Muster Rolls, but not as owners in the Lloyd’s

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Register of Shipping. But neither of them worked on board vessels owned by Matthew apparently, and he had no sons old enough to do so.

23. MOREY1786 lloyds and co own sincerity sp f graham 60/6 blt roch 64 dtmth-nfld

Now we see Matthew taking ownership of a Sloop the SINCERITY, 60 tons and a draught of only 6 feet, and appointing as Captain once again his brother-in-law, Francis Graham. The place where it was built in 1764 is unclear; roch does not appear in Keith Matthew’s Abbreviation Guide. It might be La Rochelle, a port in France, or it might be transcribed incorrectly and actually be Ross or a short form for Rotterdam. It was also employed in the Dartmouth-Newfoundland trade so this was his entire focus by that time.

24. MOREY1786 lloyds and co own eliz bg late t gibbs/burgin 100/10 blt brit 1760 dtmth-nfld

mayflower bg late j cawley/Knowles 50/9 blt bdfd 67 dtmth-nfld

priscilla bg c Downing 80/10 blt am 70 dtmth-nfld

Tom bg w efford 80/10 blt berm 76 dtmth-nfld

Here we have a summary of the changing captaincy of several vessels which Matthew Morry and Company owned: the ELIZABETH, MAYFLOWER and TOM, which we already knew about, and now the PRISCILLA, which was undoubtedly named after Matthew’s daughter, born three years earlier. The Priscilla was built in America in 1770 and was 80 tons with a draught of 10 feet. The Captain was C. Downing. The captaincy of the MAYFLOWER was transferring from J. Cawley to Knowles and of the ELIZABETH from Thomas Gibbs (an employee of Matthew’s in Newfoundland) to Burgin. We had not previously been informed of the captain of the latter.

25. MOREY1787 lloyd ship and co own Priscilla bg downing 80/10 blt am 70 dtmth-nfld

A repeat of the entry above the following year. There must have been a change in registration of some kind or other, but it isn’t clear if it was a change of use, insurance coverage or whatever.

26. MOREY1787 Lloyd ship and co own caplin bay bg downing 100/9 blt neath 77 dtmth-nfld

late own eliz bg burgoin 100/10 blt brit 60 dtmth-nfld (sold gibbs)

The first entry above shows where Matthew’s priorities lay. He clearly was the one who chose

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the name of this vessel upon acquiring it to correspond with the place he intended to set up shop in Newfoundland. Built in Neath, Wales in 1777, this 100 ton 10 foot draught vessel would have borne another name for the first decade of its life before Matthew acquired and rechristened it. The second entry shows that when it suited his convenience Matthew was not averse to dumping some of his stock of vessels, in this case selling his interest in the ELIZABETH to his partner sometime employee/partner Thomas Gibbs.

27. MORRY1787 lloyd ship and co own mayflower bg (late knowles) now betty smith 50/9 blt bdfd 67 dtmth-nfld

This entry in the Lloyd’s Register is curious to say the least. It pertains in part to a change in the captaincy of the MAYFLOWER from Knowles. But surely the name mentioned afterwards (Betty Smith) could not be the new captain. There were no female captains in those days. Perhaps she is mentioned as a co-owner with Morry and Company. It seems unusual that a woman would purchase a share in a vessel directly rather than through her husband. Perhaps she was a widow investing her inheritance. Or this may simply be the vessel to which Knowles transferred, though is not a usual fact to include in the Lloyd’s Register.

28. MORRY1788 jan cust 65/3 Mat mcht “resident in dtmth” fishery on ISLAND/BANKS. I returned in “PRISCILLA”with others 2 jan.

This is an interesting entry in the Customs record. It shows that Matthew still resided in Dartmouth in 1788 (we suspected this but were not positive) and that he was still owner (also Captain?) of the PRISCILLA. Their return from Newfoundland on 2 January was taking an awful chance, as the seas would have been very hazardous at that time of the year.

29. MORRY1788 lloyds reg and co own “Ann” 24/7 dtmth – nfld trade J Abrahams (blt dtmth 1786)

“Caplin Bay” 100/9 CHOWN DOWNING blt 1777.

Here again are two entries in the Lloyds Register, one pertaining to a new purchase, the ANN, under Captain J. Abrahams, and the other pertaining to change in captain, the CAPLIN BAY now under Chown Downing (a frequent Captain on vessels owned by Newman and Company). The ANN was only a tiny vessel, 24 tons and 7 feet of draught. It is surprising to see that it was not used for coasting but rather for active use on the Newfoundland trade. It was built in Dartmouth in 1786, quite possibly commissioned by Matthew Morry.

30. Morey1789 lloyds and co own cumbs bg 60/9 f graham blt river dtmth-nfld

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Here is another ownership of a vessel by Matthew Morry and Company employing his brother-in-law Francis Graham as Captain. The CUMBS was a medium sized brig at 60 tons and 9 feet of draught. Where it was built is not clear; “river” is not shortform for anything in the Abbreviations Guide but online it is mentioned that this is the Lloyd’s shortform for Southwark (on the Thames River).

31. MOREY1791 under and co own ann sp j brahams 24/7 blt dtmth 86 dtmth-nfld

This is a Lloyd’s Register Underwriters entry. It essentially repeats the same information as the one in 1788 so I suspect that this had to do with a change in the conditions of the insurance coverage and nothing more than that.

32. MOREY1791 lloyd reg and co own caplin bay bg Knowles 95/9 blt neath 77 dtmth-nfld

cumbs bg MOREY capt 60/8 blt river dtmth/nfld

havant sp W capt 51/9 blt ems 73 watfd-nfld

Priscilla bg late head 61/10 blt am 70 dtmth-nfld

sisters bg head 35/7 blt am dtmth-nfld

Now we see a whole series of Lloyd’s Registry entries of vessels previously known to be owned by Matthew Morry and Company plus one new one, the SISTERS. Again, the reason for their being listed in 1791 may have been a change in purposing or insurance. It is interesting to note that Matthew is shown as acting as Captain on the CUMBS. The Captain of the HAVANT is shown only as W but we know from other entries that William Morry, most likely Matthew’s brother, was the Captain of this vessel. Apparently the PRISCILLA is now no longer under Captain Head, but the new captain’s name is not given. On the other hand, Head is shown as Captain of the latest vessel, the SISTERS, a Brig of 35 tons and 7 feet of draught, built in America.

33. MORRY1792 Hunt/Roope. MAT/CO. his ship “Caplin bay” Capt Knowles arr safe NOVEMBER at Oporto. To take 132 pipes wine to Waterfd.

Hunt/Roope actually refers to the company of Newman, Hunt and Company in this context. Matthew Morry and Company was known to do almost all of its business with Robert Newman and Company. In this report we find out that Matthew Morry and Company has been informed that the CAPLIN BAY under Capt. Knowles has arrived safely in Oporto to take on a load of wine

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destined for Waterford. Another case of commerce in Europe during the off months for the Newfoundland fishery.

34. Morey1792 ship and co own ann sp j abrams 24/7 dtmth 86 dtmth

own caplin bay bg Knowles 95/9 neath 87 dtmth-nfld

own cumbs bg late morey/watts 60/8 river dtmth-nfld

Another series of Lloyds Register records that presumably all pertain to one detail or the other of the registration. In one case, the CUMBS, we see Matthew turning over Captaincy to Watts. It seems that buying and selling shares in vessels was a useful way to spread out your risks and probably paid better than simply banking profits.

35. morey1793 ship and co own caplin bay bg Knowles 95/9 neath 77 dtmth-nfld

and co own cumbs bg watts 60/8 lond dtmth-nfld

and co own Priscilla bg head 61/10 am 70 dtmth-nfld

Not much new here. These registrations in Lloyds Register do not seem to indicate a change of captaincy so more likely reflect a change in insurance or use patterns.

36. MORRY1993 jan H/R let bk MAT his “Priscilla” Capt head at Viana 31 dec fm nfld 200 qtl thorn overboard

This entry in the Hunt/Roope Letter Book seems to make no sense until you read the next entry. Apparently, having left their return from Newfoundland until too late in the sailing season, Capt. Head ran into problems on the crossing back to Europe. He made it into port at Viana, Spain, probably having been blown off course, and apparently had to throw 200 quintals of salt fish overboard to save the vessel.

37. MORRY 1793 jan H/R let bk MAT his “Priscilla” badly damaged. Mr. Morry at Vigo to go to Viana to see her. SHE CONDEMNED AND SOLD.

So we learn the sad fate of the PRISCILLA. Matthew travelled to Spain, realised she was unsalvageable, and sold her. Interestingly, the name Priscilla, which was his daughter’s name and the name of many other Morrys down through the generations, was believed to be cursed.

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Almost every person who bore that name died young.

38. MORRY1793 H/R let bk MR at Vigo. Goes to Viana to inspect MAT Morry’s damaged “Priscilla”.

Seems to be pretty much a repeat of the previous Hunt/Roope Letter Book entry in other words.

39. MORRY1793 jun N/Roope MAT DTMTH. state of markets

1793 jul N/Roope Mat/Co. Caplin Bay – state of markets

1793 sep hunt let bk MAR/CO of Caplin Bay get state of port market

1793 oct hunt let bk MAT of DTMTH state of port mkt.

Here we see that there is a close working relationship between Matthew Morry and Company and Newman and Roope and Company. Matthew reports or enquires about the state of the markets both before he leaves Dartmouth in June that year (presumably someone else is managing his fisheries if he is leaving that late) and after he arrives in Caplin Bay in July. Again, before shipping in September he consults with them on the state of the market at home and once again on his return in October.

40. MORRY1794 jan N/H let bk MAT/CO had sent fish to Oporto per “Cumberland” – A3cnow sent by N/Halso had sent on “Caplin Bay” (full cargo)and “Priscilla” – full cargo?total for the two net 2102/17/2

This Newman Hunt Letter Book entry is somewhat confusing. It isn’t clear why Matthew would be shipping his product on someone else’s vessel (the CUMBERLAND, quite probably a Newman vessel). Also the reference to the PRISCILLA taking cargo to Oporto, Portugal a year after she was condemned and sold in Spain is perplexing. Perhaps it is an accounting of the previous year’s activity. The net profit is huge for the day – over 2100 pounds Sterling. It was profits like these that permitted Matthew to strike out on his own a few years later and set up his business in Newfoundland. My guess is that, after the loss of the Priscilla, he had insufficient cargo space in his other vessels to get his entire product to market.

41. MORRY1794 mar cust 65/6 MAT and walt Prideaux mchts on 27 feb bought hull of a wrecked sloop for L26. want to use her in nfld

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This is a new twist. Matthew and his sometime business partner Walter Prideaux, with whom he later had a falling out over misappropriated funds, buy a salvageable hull of a wrecked sloop to refit and send to Newfoundland. Obviously the price is right at only 26 pounds Sterling, but it does seem like a bit of a gamble. Prideaux was a lawyer and worked for the Holdsworths. This may have been how Matthew and his company began their association with the Holdsworth interests. His grandson John Henry Morry, along with his partner Peter Paint Le Messurier, would later buy the Holdsworth properties on the Ferryland north side. Correspondence between the two companies seems to imply a master-servant relationship with Matthew Morry and Company being considered the junior partner by the Holdsworth interests.

42. MOREY1794 ship and co own caplin bay bg e knowles 95/9 neath 77 dtmth-nfldown cumbs bg watts 60/8 lond dtmth-nfld(SEE ALSO PRIDEAUX – own mermaid cloud) and MARY Hodge)own prisicilla bg head 61/10 am 70 dtmth-nfld

There are a number of perplexing notations here in reference to these Lloyd’s Register of Shipping records. There is nothing new in the record of the CAPLIN BAY or the CUMBS (ownership and captaincy the same as previously). But the reference put in by Keith Matthews to examine the records for Prideaux is unclear. The MERMAID CLOUD may be the new name of the hull they bought to re-commission and send to Newfoundland and it may be registered first and foremost under the name of Walter Prideaux rather than Matthew Morry. In any event, we learn nothing more about it here. Similarly the person (or vessel?) named Mary Hodge is formerly unknown, though another woman’s name has shown up as a possible co-owner previously, so obviously this was not out of the ordinary. But the most confusing of all is the continuing reference to the PRSCILLA, which was supposed to have been written off after being rendered unserviceable in Spain the previous year. This is not a new vessel by the same name because all of the particulars of its size and place and date of construction are identical. It is possible that that Lloyd’s Register record is simply out of date.

43. MORRY1795 muster rolls MR employed jos emery broadhempson in boats

It’s not really clear what the relevance of this particular muster roll record is. The person in question, Joseph Emery of Broadhempston, Devon, has no special significance we know of, and surely Matthew’s muster rolls for his various vessels must have included the names of many other seamen who are not mentioned above. Curious.

44. MOREY1798 lloyds and co own capeling bay bg knowles 95/9 neath 77 dtmth-nfldown cumbs by watts 60/8 river dtmth-nfld

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own dolphin bg liscombe 58/8 berm dtmth-nfldown mary bg j taylor 38/7 nfld 95 dtmth-nfldown unity bg morey capt 90/9 fr dtmth-nfld

First, it is important to note the gap in the records between 1795 and 1798. There were other records during this time pertaining to purchases and sales etc. but none pertaining to ship registration or movements. One possible reason for this is that Matthew Morry’s wife, Mary Graham, died in 1796. This may have put a damper on his business activities for a while, as he was left with a family of small children to care for. Alternatively, this may have been the time, after Mary’s death, that Matthew began to actively relocate his enterprises in Caplin Bay. There is no evidence to support either theory, but both are plausible and both could have been working in concert to cause the apparent, but not real, reduction in activity. By 1798, however, we see that Matthew has now ownership of 5 vessels (at least), the new ones were: the DOLPHIN, a Brig of 58 tons and a draught of 8 feet made in Bermuda, captained by Lismore; the MARY, which was a Brig of only 38 tons and 7 feet of draught made in Newfoundland in 1795 and captained by J. Taylor; and the UNITY, a Brig of 90 tons and 9 feet of draught built in France, year not specified. In fact Matthew acts as the Captain of the latter vessel. The MARY is a second vessel by that name with which Matthew has been associated. He was first commissioned as a Captain on a vessel named the MARY in 1774, and later purchased it as his first vessel. He almost certainly named this vessel after his wife Mary. It was commissioned the year before she died. It remains unclear if he had any say at all in the naming of the first vessel by that name as he joined it as a Mate initially. Most likely just a coincidence.

45. MORRY1798 adm 1/474 Mat dtmth convoys

This brief reference from the Admiralty records is actually quite revealing, as the next reference will clarify. This was a period of increased hostility between the British and French. One technique they both used to harass the other nation was to intercept and take possession of fishing vessels en route back home with a full load. To try and minimise the risk, the Royal Navy would lead convoys of fishing vessels back to England and Matthew was a part of one of these convoys in 1798, according to this note.

46. MORRY1800 feb H/N let bk MR taken prisoner on “Jersey” 18 days fm nfld

As we now see, by 1800 the French/English hostility took on a very personal nature for Matthew, as he himself was taken prisoner 18 days out of Newfoundland on board the JERSEY, not one of his vessels, but possibly one belonging to the Newman’s, since this notation appears in the Hunt/Newman letter book. Unfortunately this brief reference gives no indication of the outcome, though obviously he did secure his freedom, most likely by paying with his cargo.

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Usually the Captain and crew were unmolested in this form of economic warfare.

47. MOREY1800 under and co own dolphin bg liscombe 58/8 berm dtmth-nfldand co own dorsetshire bg taylor 68/8 wales 81 dtmth-nfld

This Lloyd’s Underwriters reference to two of Matthew’s vessels mentions one we had previously seen, the DOLPHIN, and a new one, the DORSETSHIRE, a Brig of 68 tons and a draught of 8 feet, made in Wales in 1781 and captained by TAYLOR.

48. Morey1800 under and co own mary bg j taylor 38/7 nfld 95 dtmth-nfld

Nothing new to report here except that the MARY is still active and owned by Matthew Morry and captained by J. Taylor, who was previously Captain of the DORSETSHIRE.

49. MORRY1801 29 jul newman genl l/b mat caplin bay. Newman wrote re markets

Matthew Morry was almost certainly resident in Caplin Bay by this date though there is no hard evidence to demonstrate when the move took place. This reference in the Newman General Letter Book is not referring to Matthew’s presence in Caplin Bay, but rather that he is continuing his communication with the Newman Company concerning market conditions while en route (most likely to Newfoundland) on the vessel CAPLIN BAY. Ships passing always exchanged messages for one another in this manner.

50. MORRY1801 5 sep newman l/b mat had sent fish to Oporto on little sisters loveys a/c sales now sent.

Again in this Newman Letter Book record Matthew is shown as having shipped some cargo to Oporto on the LITTLE SISTERS (most likely a Newman vessel) and the accounting for this is in train. The LITTLE SISTERS has never been mentioned in association with Matthew’s name and is almost certainly not a vessel in which he has ownership. The date of this record (Sept 5) suggests that Matthew is now firmly planted in Newfoundland and rather than waiting until the end of the fishing season to transport his catch on one of his own vessels, he has entered into a commercial relationship with the Newman Company to do this for him, at least in some instances.

51. MORRY1801 CO 194/43 “and Lee. St. jns mchts – routh.

This is a reference from the Colonial Papers by a person named Routh (possibly an assistant to

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the governor) which mentions Matthew in the same breath with a person named Lee as being St. John’s merchants. While this is somewhat misleading, since there is little likelihood that Matthew ever had either a residence or business premises in St. John’s per se, what it does tell us is that as far as the Colonial Office is concerned at least, Matthew is now a full-fledged resident and merchant in Newfoundland.

52. MORRY1802 20 feb n/h lb Mat had 300 qtl on Betsey jas roach at Oporto fm dtmth and more on the amity.

Once again, the Newman/Hunt Letter Book shows that Matthew is now shipping product to Oporto on the BETSEY (Capt. James Roach) and the AMITY, neither one of which is his own vessel. In fact, in the absence of Lloyd’s Register references during this period, it would appear that Matthew is focussing his investments and interests in the fishery in Newfoundland per se and not the purchase and ownership of vessels. He no longer requires so many vessels, as he can conduct his business from his new home port using the services of vessels owned by others, especially the Newman/Hunt group of companies.

53. MORRY1803 27 nov bt 98/10 mat before this employed geo martin in caplin bay

While this Keith Matthew’s abbreviated report is worded somewhat confusingly, this does appear to be a Board of Trade Muster Roll indicating that Matthew had, prior to 27 November 1803, employed George Martin of Brixham on the vessel CAPLIN BAY, not in the village of Caplin Bay as it seems to read. Of what relevance George Martin is to the story is not explained. But at least this does tell us that the vessel, the CAPLIN BAY is still in service with Matthew Morry.

54. MORRY/MOREY1804 lloyd reg and co own dorsetshire late taylor/J blondett 68/10 blt wales 81 dtmth-nfldlloyd reg and co own mary bg williams 38/7 blt nfld 95 dtmth-nfldLloyd reg own Priscilla bg late Taylor/Blondett 112/12 blt brit 94 dtmth-nfld

Somewhat surprisingly, these entries in the Lloyd’s Register indicate that, rather than decreasing his ownership of vessels, Matthew is instead simply changing Captains on some (the DORSETSHIRE and the MARY) that he already owned and acquiring a new vessel under Captain Blondett, a second vessel under the name PRISCILLA replacing the one lost in 1794. This vessel was the largest owned by Matthew to date at 112 tons with an unusually deep draught of 12 feet (meaning much more cargo space). It was built in Britain in 1794 but no doubt would have been rechristened when Matthew acquired it. Again, this vessel would have been named after his eldest living daughter, who would soon marry one of his business associates, William Sweetland. Interestingly, it appears that Priscilla Anne refused to live in Newfoundland and was content to stay in Dartmouth, though her husband was born and raised in Newfoundland and

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conducted his business there. It may have been this reticence to move that led William eventually to essentially abandoning his Dartmouth based family of 6 children after Priscilla died and then take a posting as Magistrate in Central Newfoundland, where he remarried and had a second family.

55. MOREY1807 lloyds reg and co own dorsetshire J Pickle 68/10 blt wales 1781 dtmth-nfld

Another change in captaincy, this time of the DORSETSHIRE, with Matthew’s new Captain being J. Pickle.

56. MORRY1809 9 dec duckworth and co of dtmth own mary pete winsor 69/5 reg dtmth 1809. Ferryland – dtmth fish/misc

This and the next two entries were discovered by Keith Matthews in what is known as the Duckworth Papers, a specific set of files in the British Admiralty records (Adm 1, Vol#) that pertain to shipping related to the Newfoundland trade. In this one we see that Matthew Morry and Company are still being referred to as “of Dartmouth” so they have not yet relinquished their dual bases. This record pertains to the registration of the MARY in Dartmouth in 1809. This is a new vessel by that name, much larger than the old one (69 tons and a draught of only 5 feet). It is purposed for trade between Ferryland and Dartmouth specifically, the first time we have seen Matthew operating from Ferryland, whether he yet lived there or not. Curiously, the marriage record of Matthew to his second wife Anne Carter (previously married to Capt. Sam Hill and Capt. Henry Sweetland) has never been located. It is believed his move from Caplin Bay to Ferryland was precipitated by that marriage, as Anne had a house and extensive land holdings in Ferryland. The other interesting thing about this record is that Peter Winsor (later to change his surname to Windsor) was the Captain of the MARY. Peter was the sire of a large and illustrious family of fisherman, seamen and merchants in Aquaforte and the Windsor and Morry families soon became connected via several marriages, as well as through business dealings. Peter, like Matthew, had also been captured by the French, but unlike Matthew, he had spent 11 years in a French prison at Arras before being ransomed out.

57. MORRY1810 21 apr duckworth and co their mary winser feryland fm dtmth

Just another Duckworth record of the beginning of another season of commerce between Ferryland and Dartmouth on the MARY, this time sailing from Dartmouth to Ferryland with Capt. Peter Winsor at the helm on April 21, 2012. The spelling shown for Winser was quite common in Newfoundland at the time. This spelling was also abandoned later on for either Winsor or Windsor.

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58. MORRY1810 3 may duckworth their mary winser 69/5 ferlyand 0 lpool.

On this voyage on May 3, 2012, Matthew chose to have Capt. Peter Winsor land his cargo in Liverpool rather than Dartmouth. This was undoubtedly due to better market prices there. But this was too soon a return for the cargo to be fish from that year. So by this time it seems obvious that Matthew had the capacity to store dried cod over winter in Newfoundland and hit the market with it in Europe before his competitors, who only sailed to Newfoundland for the fishing season and did not over winter there. This was the secret to the success of Matthew Morry and Company.

59. MOREY1810 lloyd ship and co own mary bg winser 70/9 blt nfld 07 dtmth-port/Dublin-cadiz

?Mary bg P WINTER 38/7 blt nfld 95 dtmth-nfld

This is a curious entry in Lloyd’s Registry. It seems to indicate that Matthew retained the old, smaller MARY at the same time he was operating the newer, larger one, with both Captained by Peter Winsor. I think that this is simply the result of the old registration still not having expired while the new one came into effect. Note also that the Lloyd’s Register, which was extremely particular about the details of a vessel, since Lloyd’s Underwriters would bear the expense if the vessel was lost, contradicts the details in the earlier Duckworth Papers record. The new MARY is a Brig of 70 tons and a draught of 9 feet (this makes more sense than 5) and she was built in Newfoundland in 1807 for the Dartmouth-Portsmouth and Dublin-Cadiz trades. Interesting that it does not allude to the Newfoundland trade, which formed the third part of the traditional triangle trade.

60. Morey1810 under and co own Priscilla bg late j blundett 112/12 brit 94 lond-dublin

This Lloyd’s Underwriters record of the PRISCILLA notes that J. Blundett is no longer the Captain but does not name who has taken over. Also, like the previous reference, it is strange to note that the purposing for this entry makes no reference to Newfoundland but rather she is designated for trade between London and Dublin. This is an aspect of Matthew Morry and Company business dealings not previously known. It seems that they either did not require the capacity of all of their vessels to carry cod back to Europe or they were making more profit by carrying other cargo between European ports.

61. MORRY1815 CO 194/56 Mat caplin bay mcht

A reference to Matthew Morry as a Caplin Bay merchant in the Colonial Papers does not

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necessarily mean that he was not resident in Ferryland by that time, as we suspect. It must be remembered that he was previously referred to in the Colonial Papers as a St. John’s merchant even though we believe he never resided or had a business enterprise there. These references no doubt refer to places where business was transacted, not residence.

62. MORRY1816 under new own resolution schr p winsor 91/10 blt dtmth 1814 dtmth-nfld (bought fm Prideaux

Matthew Morry and Company continues to acquire new vessels, this time from Matthew’s business partner in Dartmouth, Walter Prideaux. There are a number of things worthy of note about this. First, this is the first and only schooner ever purchased by Matthew Morry Senior. The RESOLUTION is 91 tons and a draught of 10 feet, built in Dartmouth and captained once again by Peter Winsor. She is purposed for the Dartmouth-Newfoundland trade once again and would have been very swift and a great addition to his fleet. Also of note, however, is that this transaction was taking place at precisely the time that Matthew and Walter Prideaux were beginning to have their falling out over a number of dubious financial deals by Prideaux that landed Matthew Morry and Company in hot water. The purchase of the RESOLUTION may have been in some part at least a way of compensating Matthew for some of the financial losses he incurred in court thanks to these devious activities by Prideaux.

63. MORRY1816 bt 107/152 Mat of DTMTH his Priscilla. Walt Prideaux sold to walt vere/Robert vere Prideaux of Kingsbridge

1820 thos leathy capt January

1822 plymth reg dn.

It is difficult to make out what is happening here. Apparently Matthew has sold his PRISCILLA through his partner Walter Prideaux to Walter’s two grandsons Walter Vere Prideaux and Robert Vere Prideaux. [actually their middle names was spelled Were, as we know through a number of Chancery Court records involving Matthew]. There was then a change of Captain in 1820 and the vessel was reregistered (dn means “de nuovo”) in Plymouth in 1822. Put in context with the previous entry on the RESOLUTION, this may have been some kind of swap, but why is not clear.

MOREY1816 lloyd ship and co own mary bg Jefferson 70/9 blt nfld 1807 cork-nfld

This is a record of change of captaincy of the MARY from Peter Winsor to Jefferson and change of purpose from Dartmouth-Newfoundland to Cork-Newfoundland. Cork was a thriving British

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city in those days. In fact it is surprising to hear it referred to as Cork, as the British renamed it Queenstown, but perhaps the port itself remained known as Cork. Carrying fish to Cork did not necessarily mean it was destined to feed the starving Irish tenants of the British absentee land owners. More likely it was a convenient first port of call in Europe, being the closest to North America, and the product would be reshipped from there to whatever port paid the most.

64. MORREY1817 25 aug sup ct MAT/co sued for 3713/15/- protested bills by JN SQUARE of the Kingsbridge bank. Mat MOREY/walt Prideaux trading since 1787. MAT SR is absent in England MAT JR managing the business in CAPLIN BAY. Case postponed.

This Supreme Court of Great Britain record is cited here, even though it does not directly relate to Matthew’s shipping career, because it sheds light on a number of facts that were formerly confused in family lore. Oral history had it that Matthew Morry was a partner with Walter Prideaux and Peter Le Messurier in a bank in the Channel Islands and that the bank went bust because Prideaux absconded with the funds. The reality is somewhat different. Le Messurier was not involved at all at this stage. He was the partner of John Henry Morry when they purchased the Holdsworth properties in Ferryland two decades later. Furthermore Matthew and Prideaux were not the owners of the bank but were longstanding business partners since 1787 now being sued by the Kingsbridge Bank for protested bills. The amount was staggering – over 3700 pounds Sterling. This was only one case involving these two old partners at around this time. In the another case, Prideaux had mismanaged or fraudulently spent the fortune left to John Morry, Matthew’s grandson, by Matthew’s son John, a privateer. John Junior was forced to sue his own grandfather and his grandfather’s partner Prideaux to attempt to recoup some of his lost fortune. All of this nastiness led to a termination of the relationship between Prideaux and the Morrys of course, but the Morrys continued to work with the Holdsworths, with whom Prideaux was also partnered. An awkward situation no doubt. Another significant fact revealed by this court reference is that Matthew Junior, and not one of his other brothers, has been assigned to take responsibility of Matthew Morry and Company in his father’s absence. In fact this is a turning point, as Matthew Senior began to withdraw more and more from the direct management of the company, including the purchase and ownership of vessels. The next few references to new vessel ownership may or may not pertain to Matthew Junior as opposed to Matthew Senior. But by 1821 all vessels newly acquired by Matthew Morry in fact refer to Matthew Junior. At this stage Matthew Senior was 71 years of age and, while he live until 1836, it is understandable that he would be prepared to turn over more of the business dealings to his designate, Matthew Junior. But in fact there was another reason that Keith Matthew’s notes reveal. Matthew Senior was heavily involved in lawsuits of all kinds in Newfoundland and in England during these years and could not possibly focus his attention on them and his fishing/shipping business at the same time.

65. Morey1821 under and co own success bg t mercer 221/13 blt scarb 1797 dtmth-s/leone

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Matthew Morry and Company (again, debatable whether through Matthew Junior or Senior) assume ownership of the Brig SUCCESS under Captain T. Mercer. This is a massive vessel, twice the size of anything previously owned by the Morrys at 221 tons and a draught of 13 feet. It was built in Scarborough (most likely Scarborough, Nova Scotia) in 1797. When the Lloyd’s Underwriters purposing is read it is understood why such a large vessel was needed. This ship is meant to sail from Dartmouth to Sierra Leone. Here we have to stop and question why. The answer was found some years ago in a volume of British court records in which Matthew Morry’s name (Senior or Junior?) was found amongst those of others owed money in relation to the carriage of African slaves to North America in 1824. The dispute was between Matthew and John Square, the same man who sued him for a fortune in 1721. Matthew won his dispute in this case however. Nothing more about it could be found at that time, but it seems clear that this vessel was acquired to carry human cargo, not fish. We do not know if this was an isolated incident or if this formed a regular part of the business of Matthew Morry and Company for a period of time. One hates to think of one’s ancestors engaging in this disgusting, inhumane trade, but that was the reality of the day.

66. MOREY1822 bt 107/481 Mat JR with Ben/wm Sweetland caplin bay mchts reg eclipse 54 ton jn metherell blt caplin bay 1822

This reference is added here solely because it marks the turning point at which Matthew Morry senior ceased to be the designated owner of vessels purchased by Matthew Morry and Company and his son Matthew took over. In this case, he partnered with his brother-in-law, William Sweetland and William’s brother, Benjamin Sweetland to build a vessel in Caplin Bay. That vessel, the ECLIPSE, a 54 ton ship captained by John Metherell, was built in the same year of this registration, 1822.

Conclusion

Thus it can be said with some certainty that Matthew Morry Senior’s career as a Seaman, Mate, Captain and Ship Owner came to an end in 1821. We also know with certainty that his career began at least in 1771, 50 years prior, when he was 21, but almost certainly began 5 to 7 years before that, the records unfortunately not being available to cover that period – a long and illustrious career. Keith Matthew’s name file for the Morrys provides similar references to several other Morry’s maritime careers, including Matthew Junior, John (Matthew Senior’s son), William, his brother (believed) and George, his second cousin. But this is fodder for another line of research and another year.

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