13 Aug 1998: The Matthew, a replica of the 15th century ship sailed by John Cabot from Bristol to Newfoundland, arrives in Douarnenez, France after recreating the return leg of that voyage (except the original Matthew went back to Bristol) with the sponsorship of Crest Homes.
It’s perhaps the most famous and important ship in Canadian history: the Matthew of Bristol, the 50-tonne vessel that carried Anglo-Italian explorer John Cabot on his landmark voyage to Newfoundland or Nova Scotia in 1497 — the first European known to have reached the shores of the future Canada since the age of the Vikings some 500 years earlier.
Now, a British maritime historian leading an international research project on Cabot’s 15th-century expeditions to the New World has unearthed evidence that the ship — much celebrated in Canadian stamps and coinage, and commemorated with epic splendour in 1997 when Queen Elizabeth watched a Matthew replica sail into Bonavista Harbour for the Cabot quincentennial — did an inglorious stint smuggling cargo to English ports in its post-discovery days.
University of Bristol professor Evan Jones discovered documents shedding light on the Matthew’s seamier side in historical records kept by the Exchequer Court in London, where customs disputes and other tax-related legal battles were resolved.
[More]
This is probably a very dumb story to lead with but every Canadian “little kid” learns about John Cabot in history lessons (at least I hope so). What is interesting about it is the little “canoe” (what else can you call it) was smuggling nefarious goods all over the known world at the time.
‘The more things change, the more they stay the same” and all that. I doubt our teachers will pass this “little gem” along to the next generation but you never know.
Goodnight.
They’d get accused of political correctness.
That’s generally what happens when you take that mythical shine off historical characters and turn them into historical humans.
This is the end of the Medieval period with robber barons and pirates, Popes with illegitimate children ( See ” THE BORGIAS ” ), age of exploration and conquests, slavery and piracy: A little not declaring one’s cargo, a little corruption of port officials, not really serious unless they hanged you for it or for stealing a loaf of bread !
Hanging for stealing a loaf of bread: Now that is Right Wing ….. LOL !
Arrogant Kings and nobles running things as they please and a ” spirited ” sense of ” Free Enterprise “: Rogues, swashbucklers, explorers …… a ship’s captain of the period could be all of the above.
….. LOL.
Nice ship reproduction by the way.