History of the government of the island of Newfoundland With an appendix containing the Acts of Parliament made respecting the trade and fishery

This work offers a concise yet thorough look at how Newfoundland’s early government formed amid competing interests. It traces the tug‑of‑war between settled planters, who sought law, order and local protection, and the seasonal merchants and adventurers, whose profit‑driven voyages made them resist permanent authority. By examining charters, statutes and the shifting balance of power, the author sketches the island’s gradual move from ad‑hoc rule to a more structured civil administration.

The narrative is divided into four clear phases, beginning with Elizabethan charters and ending just before the turn of the nineteenth century when a civil court finally promised impartial justice for all inhabitants. Along the way, readers encounter pivotal moments such as the 1699 act favoring merchants, the 1729 appointment of a civil governor, and the controversial 1763 legislation that tried to regulate the fishery. The account remains rooted in official documents, giving listeners a grounded sense of the political and economic forces that shaped early Newfoundland.