The Naval Government of Newfoundland in the French Wars: 1793–1815

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Exploring the professional and political ideas of Newfoundland naval governors during the French Wars, this book traces the evolution of the Naval Governorship and administration of the region, shedding a light on a critical period of its early modern history. Contextualising Newfoundland as part of Britain’s broader Atlantic Empire, Morrow focuses on the years 1793-1815 as it transitioned from a largely migratory fishery and ‘nursery of seaman’ to a colonial settlement with a resident British and Irish population. With a diversifying economy and growing demography amidst the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the governors of Newfoundland faced a unique set of challenges. Drawing upon various primary and secondary sources, Morrow provides a comprehensive account of their responses to the perceived needs of those they governed - both settler and indigenous - and reveals the professional attitudes and attributes they brought to bear on both their civil and military responsibilities. Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Plates Preface Note on Naval and Official Terminology The Admiralty Board Flag Officers Secretary of State Abbreviations Map Introduction The Newfoundland context The naval context: Flag officers as governors Historiographical contexts Conclusion Chapter 1: Appointing naval governors The naval context of appointments Sir James Wallace (1731–1803), governor 1794–7 The Honourable William Waldegrave (1753-1825), governor 1797–1800 Sir Charles Pole (1757–1830), governor 1800–2 Sir James Gambier (1756–1833), governor 1802–5 Sir Erasmus Gower (1742–1814), governor 1805–7 John Holloway (1743–1826), governor 1807–10 Sir John Duckworth (1748–1817), governor 1810–12 Sir Richard Keats (1757-1834), governor 1813–16 Conclusion Chapter 2: The routine of naval command Preparations for departure Convoys The seaward defence of Newfoundland Reporting and financial accountability Naval patronage Transatlantic naval routine Conclusion Chapter 3: The routine of civil government Patronage and civil appointments The Island’s land defences Accountability and reporting The Government House saga Season’s end Conclusion Chapter 4: Authority, discipline and public order Discipline in the Newfoundland squadron Naval governors and the army The administration of justice Civil authority and public order Ceremonies and the Authority of Governors Conclusion Chapter 5: Public welfare and measures of civic improvement Upholding the Anglican faith Material welfare Conclusion Chapter 6: Naval government, the Indigenous people and the failure of ‘conciliation’ The context of conciliation Conciliation in the agendas of naval governors Conciliation and Tory paternalism: Waldegrave Conciliation and evangelicalism: Gambier Conciliation and the ‘rights of the king’s subjects’: Holloway Conciliation and collective rapprochement: Duckworth Conclusion Chapter 7: Reforming the framework of naval government Governing in Palliser’s shadow The ‘contradictory tendencies’ of naval government: Waldegrave Legislative structure and public benefit: Gambier Legislative implications of a sedentary fishery: Gower Moving out of Palliser’s Shadow: Leasehold revenue and active naval government under Duckworth Conclusion Chapter 8: Naval government and its critics 1811–15 Naval governors and local elites Elite challenges to active naval government: The Prince Regent’s ‘humble petitioners’ William Carson’s attack on naval government Conclusion Conclusion Bibliography Archival Material Printed Material Index BLO_00_NAWA_Cover.pdf Half Title