October 1831       Hugh Wm. Danson - to - Jonathan, William and Joseph Noel
Memorial of a testament bearing date the thirteenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and thirty whereby Hugh Wm. Danson of Harbor Grace in the island of Newfoundland Merchant by his attorney James Hippisley for and in consideration of the sum of Eighty pounds currency to him in hand to be paid as hereinafter mentioned sell assign transfer set over unto Jonathan Noel William Noel and Joseph Noel of Harbor Grace aforesaid Planters. "All that plantation and fishing room lying being and situate at the south side of Harbor Grace and formerly in the possession and occupancy of Clement Noel together with all erections thereon and all and singular the said Fishing room and Plantation and the appurtenances thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining the said Plantation being bounded on the east by John Clearey on the west by Robert West on the south by the woods and waste and unoccupied land and on the north by the harbor or sea and admeasuring from east to west one hundred and twenty five yards and from north to south one hundred and thirty five yards, the purchase money to be paid as follows - the sum of ten pounds on or before the last day of October 1831 and the like sum of ten pounds on or before the last day of October in each and every succeeding year till the full sum of eighty pounds be fully paid and discharged the sum of four pounds being paid on the day of the date thereof the receipt for which is acknowledged "To Have and to hold unto the said Jonathan William Noel and Joseph Noel their executors administrators and assigns forever.  Which Instrument under the hands and seals of Hugh Wm. Danson,  Msrs James Hippisley and Jonathan William and Joseph Noel is witnessed by "Robert Oke" and  "A. Campbell".
I hereby certify that the execution of the Instrument of which this page contains a memorial was acknowledged before me by William Noel one of the parties thereto on the Twenty Ninth day of January and also by James Hippisley party thereto on the Second day of February each on the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty one and the same is hereby actually Registered by be this day.
Given under my hand at the Registrar of Deeds Office Harbor Grace this fifteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and thirty one 1831
John Stash     Registrar

Collective Action in Outport Newfoundland
Linda Little

The following spring, passions were aroused over a more directly economic issue. In May 1831, a disturbence was reported at the Harbour Grace mercantile establishment of Hugh William Danson and company. A crowd was moved to action when the firm was declared insolvent, and the fishermen and sharemen Danson employed became anxious about the shares and wages owed them from the seal fishery. Apparently the trustees were unwilling or unable to meet the debts of shares and wages to the fishermen when the firm declared bankruptcy. When the news reached those concerned, fishermen retaliated by "forcibly possessing and rolling upwards of one hundred casks of oil into the street." The men threatened to destroy the oil, but the step proved unneccessary, as the trustees soon assured them that the sharemen would be paid their due that evening. The act was described as "robbery," a "riot," and an "outrage," but the fishermen obtained swift and fair settlement of their grievance. Although the fishermen may have had so legal claim on Danson's oil, they had a moral claim to their wages and it was on this basis that they acted.