 Europe
was blockaded during the Nap. War,
leaving Britain cut off from her traditional
timer supplies forcing Britain to look to the
North American colonies.
 Why PEI?
 Plentiful
timber supply – “floating forest”
 Many ports, access to Atlantic Ocean
 Labour – experienced European shipbuilders
 Offered tenants a way to pay their rents by
cutting timber or working in the shipyards
 By
1820 lumbering and shipbuilding were the
chief industry of Prince Edward Island,
accounting for three quarters of all exports.
Shipbuilding was a very important part of the
economy during the early 19th century.
 The export of foodstuffs increased
significantly but not to benefit of the tenant
farmers, many of whom pass their farm
produce to their landlords in lieu of cash rent
payments.
 The



Sawyer
Saw timber along its length to make pairs
Worked/hired in pairs
Paid by day/job/amount of wood cut
 Ship
Carpenter – works in mould loft that has
a clear floor space that is half the length of
largest ship to be built there
 The Planker

Cover wooden frames/beams both inside and out
 The





Sailmaker –
Expensive product; well paid
Seven year apprentice, pass from father to son
Worked in large, clear lofts
Used canvas
4 stiches per inch; 20 yards per hour
 Blockmaker



/Mastmaker
Pulleys
Contained moving parts
To lift heavy frames onto the keel, beach ships
for repairs
 The



All important to keep the ship water tight
Bottom of every ship caulked once every five
years
Walked to work with folding stool on back and
bag of tools hanging form the caulking mallet
which is slung over their shoulder
 Ship


Caulker
Joiner
Moulding and trim; the interior appearance
A finishing touch on the ship
 Ship
Carver – figureheads
 Ship Smith – gradually more important as
switch from wood to steel
 The Painter/Gilder/Glazier – paints hull,
spars, decks and tween docks; three coats of
paints and varnish
 The

Ships are not always water tight; need a way to
pump excess water
 The

Pumpmaker
Ropemaker
Made from hemp and manila “hemp”; grew in
most temperate regions notably Russia
 The

Ship Rigger
took the masts and spars from the mastmaker,
the iron work from the shipsmith, the rope from
the ropemaker, pulleys form the blockmaker, the
sails from the sailmaker and erected the whole
apparatus.
 It
was a specialized industry, the first of its
kind on Prince Edward Island.
 Specialized? The industry created
employment for skilled labourers.
 The industry sold a finish product rather than
raw products ( timber, produce, fish).
 When you process materials, or make finish
products more profit can be made, therefore
making the industry very important to the
Island.
 Largest
ship built in Charlottetown, Ethel,
launched in Ch’town harbour 1858, weighing
1795 tons ! James Duncan or call him J.D
 What’s tonnage?


Old way- cargo space
New way - volume
Came from England in 1819
 Began his business life dealing with lumber and
operating the general store in Port Hill
 Very poor, but created “smart business” as a
land agent- “stealing” rents
 Launched his first boat 1833
 Eventually owned 5 shipyards and largest
shipbuilder on PEI – sail lofts provisions for
riggers and accommodations for workmen
 Extended Yeo family credited with building 300
vessels
 Conservative, Port Hill representative in
Assembly 1839 – 1867 ( 6 years)
 Use of blackmail; loans for votes

 Master
Builder - supervised the day to day
construction of the vessel
 Master Owner – the person who owned the
shipyard and employed the master builder.
 But yes, sometimes one was the other.
 James Yeo
 Significance
depends upon one’s perspective.
Social, Cultural, Economic, Oral,
 Significance depends on context.


For example: Industry/economic or development of
rural west prince.
 Change

over time
Historians will never run out of material to
research. Always new information/evidence; new
interpretations of the same event.
 Summerside
replaced Princetown as the
capital of Prince County
 Gave Islanders a sense of pride
 Launchings attracted a large crowd and
schools were closed.
 Gave capital to skill labourers, attracts
settlers; spreads wealth to farmers and the
lumber industry
 Keeping young skilled labour. Hindered
outmigration
1796-1810 71 ships launched
1830s
504
1860s
913
1870s
545
1880s
129
140
120
100
80
Number of
ships built
60
40
20
1824
1830
1836
1842
1848
1854
1860
1866
1872
0