John Cabot And Early English settlement in North America

Henry VII in part have been motivated by the perceived insolence of the division of the world into two halves by Pope Alexander VI in the Bull Inter Caetera in 1493, that rights of exploration and exploitation of the non-Christian world were to be split between Spain and Portugal, with the Portuguese getting the eastern half and the Spanish the western half.


On 5 March 1496 King Henry VII of England gave Caboto letters patent with the following charge:
...free authority, faculty and power to sail to all parts, regions and coasts of the eastern, western and northern sea, under our banners, flags and ensigns, with five ships or vessels of whatsoever burden and quality they may be, and with so many and with such mariners and men as they may wish to take with them in the said ships, at their own proper costs and charges, to find, discover and investigate whatsoever islands, countries, regions or provinces of heathens and infidels, in whatsoever part of the world placed, which before this time were unknown to all Christians.

Caboto went to Bristol to make the preparations for his voyage.

First voyage
In 1496 Caboto set out from Bristol with Five Ships.

The chronicle entry, from 1565, states in its entry for 1496/7

"This year, on St. John the Baptist's Day [24 June 1496], the land of America was found by the Merchants of Bristow in ships of Bristowe
the which said the ships departed from the port of Bristowe, the second day of May, and came home again the 6th of August next following year 1497"

Back in England, Caboto Went directly to see the King, who was then hunting at Woodstock Palace. On 10 August, he was given a reward of £10

The explorer was feted, Soncino commenting on 23 August that Caboto 'is called the Great Admiral and vast honour is paid to him and he goes dressed in silk, and these English run after him like mad'.

In December 1497 the explorer was awarded a pension of £20 per year and in February 1498 he was given an additional patent to help him prepare a second expedition.
In March and April the King also advanced a number of loans to Lancelot Thirkill of London, Thomas Bradley and John Cair, who were all to accompany Caboto's new expedition.

The Great Chronicle of London reports that Cabot departed with a fleet of Ten ships from Bristol at the beginning of May, one of which had been prepared by the King. Some of the ships were said to be carrying merchandise, including cloth, caps, lace points and prisoners from the Second Cornish Uprising, for penal transportation
to its New colony in the new world.

Feed back please !!

Second voyage

the expedition sailed past Ireland and across the Atlantic making landfall on the coast of Newfoundland on June 24, 1498. St. John's in Newfoundland,

No contact was made with any native people, but they found the remains of a fire, a human trail, nets and a wooden tool.

Caboto landed and raise the Venetian and Papal banners and claim the land for the King of England. By so doing they claimed the land in the name of England, while recognising the religious authority of the Roman Catholic church.

The crew Of The Matthew remained on land to take on fresh water
After this landing, Caboto spent some weeks 'discovering More of the coast'.

In his letters
He comments on the vast multitude of codfish in the sea,
reporting that 'the sea there is swarming with fish, which can be taken not only with the net, but in baskets let down with a stone, so that it sinks in the water.

The colonists were made up of masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, Prisoner's of war and other apprentices to build fortifications and dwellings to prepare for the coming winter.

The area was considered prime fishing grounds, certainly over winter they would have time to prepare for the next year fishing season and they would be the first on those grounds.

The colonists began clearing the area and by July the colony consisted of a dwelling house and a store house contained within a 120 ft (37 m). x 90 ft (27 m). enclosure, a second dwelling house, a work house and a forge. Within the confines of the settlement was two saw pits and a wooden defense works upon which three cannons were mounted.
One of the first items of construction was to dig a cellar,
it was roughly 20 ft (6.1 m). across with a maximum depth of seven feet, walled-up with flat stone and back-filled with rubble. The dwellings were made of cobble and flagstone floors with some areas covered by wooden timbers and floor boards.

The end of the first winter, a mild winter, the reports back to England was very optimistic. that the months of October and November are both warmer and drier than in England.
The live stock they had brought from England had thrived and had added to their numbers.

The colonists built, along with the dwellings and support structures, six fishing vessels and a twelve tonne bark,

Fortifications were by means of a palisade wall of local cut poles sixteen feet long set upright all around the perimeter of the settlement. The fortress was completed by the summer to defend the plantation against natives of Newfoundland, namely the Beothuk

The plantation continued development at least sixteen structures were built on the site. Much of the land had been cleared for the planting of crops and to allow livestock to pasture.
John Cabot had stayed at the colony during the winter of 1498 to 1499 and had returned to England in the autumn of 1499. In the spring of 1500 john had returned once again this time with more adventurers and livestock.

During the winter of 1498 to 1499 sixty-two people were known to be at the plantation. That winter eight deaths were recorded, all apparently from scurvy. There was also a birth recorded, the first English child born in Newfoundland

Interesting, continue.

If I recall my ancient books in school...was Cabot the guy who hide in the beaver dam from the 'wild Indians'?

I'm pleased with the start the settlers have made. Colonisation is a new venture for England and St.John is a lucky start. I hope it leads to further success. I wish them peace with the 'red skins' (red paint - or is that the tribe on Nova Scotia?) and discovery of the riper lands to be found further on.

There is a lot to be considered with a project like this in terms of authenticity. A voyage of discovery in itself. Good luck!

The soil, flora and fauna:
http://www.geostrategis.com/c_cli-stjohns.htm
http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/cgi-bin/geogratis/cli/agriculture.pl

Torbay is the closest to a farm quality soil in the area.

The orange area on the island in the bay to the west (Bell Island) is the only real farmland. I hope they find Dartmouth/Halifax and points further south soon or they will be struggling come the first harsh winter. Are Montreal and Toronto too much to hope for? I'm wondering how far this will deviate from OTL and hope. Keep going, please.

new statesman said:

Feed back please !!

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I am not sure what the POD is?

IIRC Cabot explored that area at around the same time. Is it the colonists? So basically we have a colony about a 100yrs before Roanoke?

Any contact with the natives yet?

I guess if I have one qualm, I would say whats up with the buidling specs, and how is that relevant? Otherwise its a nice start and is definitly good for a newbie. I'll be watching

The Kaniatarowanenneh river

During his second trip to Newfoundland,The Kaniatarowanenneh estuary was visited by John Cabot soon after the Settlement of St Johns. the first known European explorer to sail the inland part of the Kaniatarowanenneh

The land along the river was inhabited at the time by the Kaniatarowanenneh Iroquoians. The Kaniatarowanenneh River would served as the main route for English exploration of the North American interior,

Because of the virtually impassable Ka-wé-no-te Rapids, the Kaniatarowanenneh was found to be navigable only as far as The island of Tiohtià:ke Tsi.

Cabot Would Stay on the island for a week. later he would make contact with
the Algonquin near Kébec, The indigenous inhabitants of the area would directed the explorer towards the village of Stadacona. with the word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement" Cabot would later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village, but also the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona).

Montreal Ho!

Ho-ho!
This is a huge departure and a huge discovery. Cabot has not only established a colony (Cornish convicts make fine fishermen), but found the key river of the northern part of America. Only Manhattan could cap this.

I wonder how inhabited Quebec City (nr Stadacona village) and the islands leading up to it are?

Giovanni Antonio de Carbonariis

Fr. (Brother) Giovanni Antonio de Carbonariis was an Augustinian Friar from Milan who sailed with John Cabot during his 1498 expedition to North America, and founded North America's oldest, and only medieval, church

Carbonariis was 'a man of some importance', having served as an envoy between the Duke of Milan and Henry VII,he was an Augustinian friar who had been educated in Pavia. Crucially, Carbonariis had been serving as the deputy papal tax collector in England. Since his principal, Adriano Castellesi had been in Rome since 1494, this meant that Carbonariis was in effective control of one of the most lucrative clerical appointments in England – for this was a period in which the Church owned about one third of the land in England and the Pope took ten per cent of the income generated from that property. A man in Carbonariis' position would thus be both rich and well connected,
Fr. Giovanni Antonio emerges as a key player John Cabot's voyages. he was the explorer's most important backer in England, having arranged for him to get a loan from a Venetian bank after his arrival in England in 1495. Even more importantly, it was Carbonariis who secured Cabot his audience with Henry VII of England. And this led to Cabot being granted his Letters patent for westwards exploration. Carbonariis outfitted a ship, called the Dominus Nobiscum, which accompanied the 1498 expedition. This apparently contained a number of other Italian friars who, with Carbonariis, went on to establish a church and religious community in Newfoundland. this would be North America's first Christian settlement. This church itself was named after the church of San Giovanni a Carbonara in Naples, which was the mother church of a group of reformed Augustinian Friars called the 'Carbonara'.

Carbonariis had a missionary intent!

Missionaries look to go as far into the heathen lands as possible. A mission at Montreal Island wouldn't be stretching things, but would be hard to defend from the numerous locals if they caused offence. If the whites can help defend their lands against the encroaching Mohawk, that will carry more weight than words in a book.

It seems from Cartier's accounts that they settled in villages within stockades and built long houses, much like log cabins. The early settlers would have very similar accommodations. Will there be thanksgiving for fur? A fur based holiday?

wiki/Sebastian_Cabot_- explorer

He might stick with the English and chart the coast and rivers of 'Canada'. The trading and whaling Muscovy Company might ply their charter out of Boston instead...

i know that it aint accepted history, but it might might be of interest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farfarers:_Before_the_Norse#Canada
and this is an original timeline so far, keep goin!

new statesman said:

During his second trip to Newfoundland,The Kaniatarowanenneh estuary was visited by John Cabot soon after the Settlement of St Johns. the first known European explorer to sail the inland part of the Kaniatarowanenneh

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Very good. For a second, I was afraid you were putting Mohawk there (which they weren't), as I tend to forget the name beyond Kan... But, a) that's not the Mohawk, and b) that's a Huron ending for like 'people', isn't it?

new statesman said:

Cabot Would Stay on the island for a week. later he would make contact with
the Algonquin near Kébec, The indigenous inhabitants of the area would directed the explorer towards the village of Stadacona. with the word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement" Cabot would later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village, but also the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona).

Click to expand...

Ummm... OTL, the names Canada (=village in some Iroquoian tongue) and Québec (=narrows in some Algonquian tongue) came from two different trips, as the Iroquoians had been ousted by the second trip. Or am I being confused?

I don't THINK you'd have both language groups in the area at the same time...

Dathi THorfinnsson said:

Very good. For a second, I was afraid you were putting Mohawk there (which they weren't), as I tend to forget the name beyond Kan... But, a) that's not the Mohawk, and b) that's a Huron ending for like 'people', isn't it?


Ummm... OTL, the names Canada (=village in some Iroquoian tongue) and Québec (=narrows in some Algonquian tongue) came from two different trips, as the Iroquoians had been ousted by the second trip. Or am I being confused?

I don't THINK you'd have both language groups in the area at the same time...

Click to expand...

So what would it have been called on the first trip? Is it possible that the Algonquin took their name for it from the St. Lawrence Iroquoi name?

A subscription for this thread has been added.

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perfectgeneral said:

So what would it have been called on the first trip?

Click to expand...

Canada? Stadacona?

perfectgeneral said:

Is it possible that the Algonquin took their name for it from the St. Lawrence Iroquoi name?

Click to expand...

Nope. I don't know enough of any native tongue to know it my self, but I have read the "kebek" is the word for narrows/strait in that tongue.

Ameryk,Sebastiano and the North-West passage,

In 1498 Sebastiano Caboto sailed with his father in the service of England,
But unlike his Father he would stay with the new colony at st johns.

When His Father returned To Newfoundland in 1499 He was accompanied by Richard Ameryk. a wealthy English born merchant,royal customs officer and sheriff of Welsh descent. He was the principal owner of John Cabot's ship Matthew
Amerike funded the earlier voyages of Bristol sailors to Newfoundland, beginning in 1479.
Amerike was the chief sponsor of John Cabot's voyage to Newfoundland.

But he was not just there to see how his investment was paying off.
He was to be the first Proprietary Governor of Newfoundland.In 1498 Bristol's Society of Merchant Venturers decided to seek the approval of the King to establish a colony in Newfoundland. In the spring of 1499 the privy council accepted a petition by a consortium of London and Bristol merchants and issued a charter to establish the Newfoundland colony.
Ameryk was appointed governor in 1499 by the London and Bristol Company
leading the colony on the island.
Ameryk Would not be like most Proprietary Governors.

During his governorship the colonists Continued to built and fortifie the settlement, explored the area and planted crops. Ameryk returned to England in 1500 (leaving Lancelot Thirkill in charge) and returned the next year with more livestock and female settlers.

a second colony was established at Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the spring of that year In the fall of 1501 Ameryk led a voyage into Trinity Bay in an attempt to contact and establish a fur trade with the Beothuks, the native inhabitants of the island. On November 6 Ameryk's party met, shared a meal and exchanged gifts with a group of Beothuk somewhere in Bull Arm, Trinity Bay.

It was largely as a result of his able leadership that the colony was so successful in the first few years of its existence.

Ameryk Would also send Sebastian Cabot to follow in his father's footsteps by leading one of the first expeditions to find a North-West passage, in 1502 and indeed claimed to have found one, but was forced to turn back by his crew. He found the entrance to Wînipekw Bay. He would Return the next year.

side note

Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador together with Pêro de Barcelos were granted a patent by King Manuel I in 1498 given the right to explore that part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Fernandes, together with Pêro de Barcelos, were never heard from again.

William Weston.

William Weston was the first Englishman to lead an expedition to North America.

Weston had been involved in the 1497 and 1498 expeditions and that he had, been "an important Bristol supporter" of Cabot. following his successful 1496 Weston had accompanied this expedition. However, in 1499 Weston prepared another expedition, also with support of Henry VII
This was in a sense an independent voyage, Weston, as a supporter of Cabot, was covered by the terms of Cabot’s (1496) monopoly patent for westward exploration. This possible because Cabot had made Weston a formal deputy of his patent and that was why the King was willing to assist Weston in undertaking a voyage that would otherwise have been in breach of his own royal patent.

Weston's expedition reached St. John's in The spring of 1499
They took on water and fresh provisions. and headed west / south west.
Landing on Únamakika island . where they made contact with the Míkmaq, then seting out to chart the southern coast, reaching as far south as modern day Chebucto

The Mi'kmaq called the area "Jipugtug", (anglicised as "Chebucto"), which means "the biggest harbour"

Where he took on more water and made contact with more Mi'kmaq.
Weston's expedition would stay there the whole summer. Exploring and trading With the locals for furs. This would set the foundation for westons return voyage and later setelment.

From what I've read about the English earliest settlements in north America there weren't many tradesmen and labourers or better still hunters and woodsmen although they were never short of gentlemen. Your scenario implies far more brains than the entire 1500s attempts at settlement.

Westons second expedition

Weston Would sail back to England via st john's, the expedition left the
New World once they reached a cape at the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland (51° 36' N). On the homeward voyage westons crew incorrectly thought they were going too far north, so they took a more southerly course, reaching Brittany instead of England. On August 6 the expedition returned to Bristol.

Weston Reported His Findings To the King and the London and Bristol Company.

He then spent the next year securing funds and provisions for five ships to sail to Chebucto.

In The spring of 1501 Weston "with God’s grace sailed for the new found land" With his five ships Carrying Trade goods and colonists.
They made landfall in Chebucto bay one month later, some what the worse for where having been batterd by spring storms. Weston would Stay for two years. supervising the new colony ,below a glacial drumlin that would later be named Citadel Hill.
It was modest in size.
But it was deemed that a monk from st johns would be sent down to help convert the natives. to the true faith.
The colony was primaraly a fur trading center and factory,
sending back to England, The finished pelts.