BACKGROUND:

In 1899 a Newfoundland Royal Commission Report concerning the condition of the fishery on the Treaty Shore was prepared. Part of the process of compiling this report (noted on cover page as “ not published”) included the examination of several individuals.

William Critch, William James Burt and Joshua Mills were examined in Moreton’s Harbour. William Temple Critch, the youngest son of Martha and John Critch, was born at Hooping Harbour in 1870. His father died shortly thereafter, and in 1873 his mother married Robert Simms of St. Anthony. Robert Simms (whom William Critch refers to in his examination as his father), had been a guardian at the French Room called Little Jeremie, in St. Anthony (see question #264 below). At the time of his examination, Critch, who married Fanny Budgell in 1891, was living at Chance Harbour.

The “S S Fiona” was a Colonial Cruiser used by the Newfoundland Government.

Examination:

On Board the “Fiona” at Moreton’s Harbour, 19 th September, 1899

Present:

Sir John Beamston, Chairman; Admiral Sir James Erskine, Earl of Westmeath, Secretary; Hon. A. Morine, Agent for the Colony

William Critch; Examined.

167. (Chairman) Are you a fisherman living here? – I live in Chant’s Harbour, near Moreton’s Harbour.

168. How many years have you been engaged in fishing? – About twenty years.

169. In 1896 were you at White’s Arm? – Yes.

170. How did you get there? – I went down in Mr. Osmond’s freighter.

171. The same vessel that took Burt? – Yes, the same schooner, but he went the time before.

172. He went first, and you went the second trip? – Yes

173. How many men went with you on that second trip? – About eighteen.

174. And when you got to White’s Arm did you settle yourself on shore? - Yes; built up a little camp.

175. Anywhere near Burt’s party? – About a mile or so apart.

176. Where were you living then? – In White’s Arm. We were in the proper harbour; the other men were stationed over in a place of which I cannot remember the name – some cove.

177. How long were you there? – I don’t exactly know.

178. Did you go up in June or July or later? – It was latish; the caplin school being over. Don’t know what day of the month, but it was in July.

179. You went up in July and remained until September? – Till the 1st September.

180. Did you see anything of the French man-of-war while you were up there? – Yes; was troubled with them more than once – more than twice.

181. How long after you had been up there was the first occasion? – Not very long; about a week or so; maybe a little more.

182. Were you out fishing? – Yes.

183. What time of day? – The first remarkable time about 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning we were routed off the fishing ground.

184. Were they any schooners in White’s Arm then? – Yes

185. And their men fishing? – Yes; all the boats were fishing.

186. And your party and Burt’s party? – Yes

187. How many men altogether? – I should say about sixty or seventy men; perhaps more than that.

188. How far off from White’s Arm were you then? – About two miles to two and a half miles.

189. How far from Fischot’s? – Just above Fischot’s; about a mile and a half.

190. And how far does the fishing ground extend there? – Not more that from two to three miles off the shore.

191. How near the shore does it begin? – Pretty near from the shore.

192. Does it extend some way to the north of Fischot’s? – Yes, a mile or two.

193. And how far to the south? – You can go a mile or two to the south.

194. Beyond these distances I suppose it is no use going? – Yes; there are other places. It is all fishing ground all round there within the three mile limit.

195. Is there any fishing ground more than three miles from the shore? – No

196. On this morning, when you were out did you see any of the French boats about? – Yes

197. How near to you? – Within a mile or so.

198. Were your sixty or seventy men all fishing near to one another? – All pretty near – all within a circle of half a mile.

199. And now what happened? – The steam boat came out.

200. Where from? – From Fischot’s. She steamed up alongside of us and gave orders to haul up and go.

201. Did you hear the order? – Yes; I heard it myself.

202. What language did the officer speak? – He spoke broken English.

203. But still you could understand it? – Yes

204. What did he say? – He told us to haul up and go in and leave the fishing ground.

205. Do you now the name of the ship? – I don’t

206. What colour was she painted? – She was a black kind of ship; she was a ram ship.

207. What did you do? – We hauled up. One man loitered. He roared at him and stamped at him, and told him that if he did not leave the ground he would send a boat to haul him up.

208. Did that have the desired effect? – Yes

209. What happened after you had all gone in? – She came into White’s Arm after us.

210. After clearing al the boats off the ground she came in? – Yes

211. What did she do then? – She stayed there for three or four days. She kept us off the fishing ground for four days.

212. Did any of you try to go out? – Yes I and my mate tried to go out once, but they sent a boat after us, and would not let us go out.

213. Did anything else happen? – We were hindered four days; then I went aboard, and made my complaint to the Captain of the French ship, and after I made my complaint to him he gave me liberty to go fishing; I told him I should fish; I was hove ashore there on the rocks, and I should fish; I could not get out of it

214. Is that all that happened? – That’s all that happened that time. Of course, he drove the schooners out of the harbour several times.

215. What did they do? – They would run for another harbour, up the shore, or down the shore.

216. You say this happened several times. Those who were there on the first occasion and turned out, did not come back, but other schooners did come in? – Yes

217. What, within those four days? – Yes, within those four days, and she drove them all out.

218. And the man-of-war went away, and came back eight or nine days afterwards? – Yes

219. Do I understand that in the meantime a fresh batch of schooners had come in? – Yes

220. Did the Frenchman order them out of the harbour? – Yes, she ordered them all out.

221. Did you hear the officers give any orders to the schooners? – No; but I was told. I saw the man-of-war steam into Waterman’s Harbour, where the schooners were lying, and I saw the schooners leave, and I heard afterwards that he threatened to tow them out if they did not go, and I saw them go.

222. Did the man-of-war do anything else on that occasion? – Not on that occasion, as far as I know.

223. Did you get into trouble on your fishing ground that time? – I was not very much troubled with the French fishermen, but the man-of-war would not let us rest at all on the fishing ground.

224. Did you go out? – Yes, but she would give us orders to go in again.

225. That what did she do? – She steamed off, after all the boats and everything were cleared away.

226. The schooners, you mean? – Yes

227. Did she come back again? – I don’t think she came back any more than twice.

228. Did you see any other French man-of-war there? – One bigger one came along.

229. How was she painted? – Black

230. What happened then? – It was the big one that routed us off the fishing ground.

231. I understand that the man-of-war with the ram came down and followed you into the harbour – was that the big ship? – Yes

232. And that the little ship turned out all the schooners, and that eight or nine days later that small ship turned out all the schooners a second time, and would not let you fish? – Yes

233. When did the big ship come down? – Afterwards

234. What time of day did you see her first? – About mid-day

235. Coming from the north or the south? – From the north.

236. Where you out fishing? – Yes

237. How many boats were out? – Pretty nearly all the boats were out.

238. Any schooners in the harbour then? – A few

239. Were there forty boats? – Yes, there may have been.

240. Where were they fishing? – On the same fishing ground.

241. Did you see any French boats that morning? – We could see them, but not close enough to speak to.

242. How far off were they? – Perhaps a mile, perhaps two miles.

243. How near were the English boats together? – They may be a mile, or perhaps a couple of miles, but all pretty close – not more distance apart.

244. Then the man-of-war appeared among you? – Yes, and she gave us orders to haul up and go on; every punt to leave the fishing ground.

245. Did you hear the officer give his orders? – Yes

246. In English or French? – Broken English.

247. And you all went in? – Yes

248. What became of the man-of-war?- She went on to Croque or somewhere to the southward.

249. And I suppose you began fishing again then? – Yes, we came out again directly she was gone.

250. Was it a good season among the men generally? – Yes, plenty of fish.

251. How often could you say, during the season, were the boats ordered in by the French man-of-war? – Two or three times.

252. Do you remember any day in the season that you and the French fishermen got mixed up together in your fishing? – No; the majority of the English fishing boats would not be near them at all. There might be one or two among the French fishing boats.

253. What did the French say when the English boats came among them? – Nothing.

254. The French fishermen would not hinder you very much? – No, nothing would happen at all.

255. And you were good friends with the French all the season? – Yes

256. No disputes with them? – No disputes at all.

257. Have you any personal knowledge of the French fishermen? – Yes, I was born and brought up amongst them.

258. Where? – At St. Anthony

259. How many men do they have at St Anthony? – Seventy or eighty

260. What aged men are the Frenchmen generally – old me, young men? – Some middle aged, some old, very old.

261. (Mr Morine) Was your father keeper of a French room? – Yes

262. Did you mention the fact of your father having been a keeper as a reason for being allowed liberty to fish? – Yes

263. And you got permission to fish? – Yes

264. Where was this room? – My father was keeper of the French room at St Anthony; I was twenty years among them.

265. There has been no French room at St Anthony lately? – No

266. You are a punt fisherman? – Yes

267. You were on the Treaty Shore punt fishing? – Yes

268. The fishery is poor there? – Yes

269. But poverty drives you there? – Yes

270. During 1896 did you intercept the French fishermen on the ground? – No, not in any way.

271. Or molest them in any way? – No; nor they we

272. The only trouble was with the man-of-war? – Yes

273. Was there plenty of ground for all to fish? – Plenty

274. Without disputes? – Without disputes.

275. And the fishing was good? – Yes, good fishing.

End of Examination

Source: Extracted from “Report of the Newfoundland Royal Commission: together with the appendices, minutes of evidence, annexures, and table of contents”. Published by Wyman and Sons, London, 1899 (CNS, Memorial University of Newfoundland)