Lloyd, Here's a more complete definition of "by-boats" from the Dictionary of Newfoundland English": by-boat n also bye-boat OED ~ obs (Nfld: 1698-1796), cp OED by a 2 fig 'away from the main purpose,' 'of secondary importance'; DC by(e)-boat Nfld (1806), by(e)-boat keeper (1765-1842). See also BOAT. 1 A fishing craft, usually undecked, of variable size, design and rig, owned and used in the inshore cod-fishery by men migrating annually as passengers to Newfoundland, the craft being left on the island on their return to the West Country of England. [1677] 1976 HEAD 78 By-boats. Besides the Inhabitants and the Adventurers, there are other Persons, that not being willing or able to buy a Share in the fishing ships hire Servants in the West of England and carry them as Passengers to Newfoundland where they employ them in private Boats to catch and cure fish, and after the Season is over bring them back to England, or permit them to take Service with the Planters, or on board the Ship. [1693] 1793 REEVES viii And be it further enacted ... That every master of a by-boat or by-boats shall carry with him at least two fresh men in six, (viz.) one man that hath made no more than one voyage, and one man who hath never been at sea before. [1714] 1895 PROWSE 274 Fishing ships 441, Boats 441, Bye-boats 133, Inhabitants Boats 362. 1956 FAY 43 The by-boat belonged to a merchant or fisherman in England, who employed a crew to operate his boat-the word 'by' may refer to its being laid 'by' for the winter, or to its being an 'extra' to the fishing ship. It represented a break from the fishing ship, inasmuch as the merchant concerned came out independently of the ship or bought his passage and worked with the crew during the season. At first the crews returned to their home base at the end of the fishing season, but increasingly they remained in the island and became resident fishermen. Matt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lloyd Rowsell" <lgrowsell@yahoo.com> To: <NFLD-LAB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 1:47 PM Subject: [NFLD-LAB] Questions and Surnames: Coward, Dawe, Harvey, Holdworth, Hunt, Munden, Newman, Olive, Richards, Thorn, Tizzard, Walcome, > > “Timeline” excerpts from the 1956 book titled “Life and Labour in > Newfoundland” by. C.R. Fay > > 1604-1907...page 15 “For over 300 years, say from 1604, when John > Newman bought train oil from the fishing ships for sale to London, > down to 1907 when the fishing establishments in NL were sold, the > Newmans played a leading part in the trade: especially ‘to the > Westward’, as the South Coast of NL was designated. > Foundation years: > 1679..Dartmouth House > 1700..Newfoundland House, Newman & Co. > 1735..Oporto House, Holdsworth, Olive & Newman > 1782..London House, Newman, Hunt & Co. > > > 1634-1763..... page 43...”The by-boat belonged to a merchant or > fisherman in England, who employed a crew to operate his boat--the > word ‘by’ may refer to its being laid ‘by’ for the winter, or to > its being an ‘extra’ to the fishing ship......At first the crews > returned to their home base at the end of the fishing season, but > increasingly they remained in the island and became resident > fishermen. Thus in time this category disappeared” > >