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The Shipowner
Wealthy shipowners or merchants provided the
funds needed to outfit ships, buy provisions and hire a crew.
 lone or as a company,
with a few wealthy merchants or members of their family, they
leased or purchased ships, or had them built. The ships used
were merchant vessels outfitted for the fishery.
Shipowners wanted their ships to return with a good cargo of fish
for sale at the best price on European markets. They corresponded
with other merchants or brokers in the principal ports, and
directed their ships accordingly, to where they hoped to make the
greatest profit.
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Translation of a shipping company act:
On this day of March 18, 1732, appearing before the Lieutenant-General
and King's Counsel is Sieur Jacques Louis de Maisonneuve, a merchant
residing in this city and owner of Le St-Philippe, a ship from Saint-Malo
of about 140 tons that is equipped and ready to sail from this port to
go participate in the fishery at Gaspé under the command of Sieur
Guillaume Bernard. The party appearing today has named the following
people as partners:
Sieur de la Chipaudière Magon,
for the sum of nine thousand livres |
9000£ |
Sieur Guillaume Bernard, captain,
for the sum of eight thousand livres |
8000£ |
Sieur Lassieux Jr.,
for the sum of six thousand livres |
6000£
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Additional expenses will be paid by the party appearing here today, who has
agreed not to sell any share to any third party who does not reside in the
kingdom, under threat of penalty as specified in the letters patent issued
by the king on March 1, 1716. And signed after the present was read to him
and paid 6 livres and 10 sols.
Shipping company act, 1732. Excerpt from the register of acts of new companies
and statement of interest in ships Archives de l'Amirauté de Saint-Malo,
9 B 170 (May 1731-March 1740), folio 4, recto and verso.
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Insurance policy for Le Jean-Baptiste,
a ship from Granville, 1731
Some shipowners insured their vessels and cargoes. In this case, Charles
Petit, Sieur de La Baujardière, signed a contract of insurance in
Saint-Malo before leaving for the fishery on Newfoundland's Grand Bank.
This contract covers the risks involved in ocean travel as well as
pirate attacks!
(Collection of Nelson Cazeils, Biarritz, France)
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Date Created: May 18, 2001 | Last Updated: April 30, 2010
