COLONIAL OFFICE RECORDS

Newfoundland

Copy of Mr. Roops memorial to a Committee of the House of Commons, relating to Newfoundland.

Recd}
Read} 28 January 1705/6

To the Right Hon.ble ye Lords Com.rs for trade & Plantations & ca
The Humble Petition of John Roope

Humbly Sheweth

That yr. Lords.ps Petitioner was in ye Month of June 1703 sent to fix a boome to float a chaine cross ye entrance of ye harbour of St. Johns Newfoundland w.ch was expected would be donne in five monthes & for ye same he was to have fifty pound as reckoning itt tenn pound p mensem, butt itt happening yt. ye Ship of warr yt. he was ordered to goe in was by wind’s & ca hindered so yt. itt was ye fith day of October ere he arrived in Newfoundland & so winter being come on, however he went to a place call’d Shoale bay about fower Leagues from St. Johns & before ye spring cutt & brought to ye water side 130 tunn of large timber & 2000 treaneals butt itt being ye midle of June ere could have men to gett itt about, itt was ye latter end of August ere could gett itt all round & ye chaine w.ch weighed fifteen tunns being sunk in nine fathom water before he arrived, he was foerced before could goe to woerk on ye boome to gett itt up alltho in ye nature yt. itt lay itt was by many thought impracticable, butt itt cost him Eighteen day’s time & now September being farr advanced & ye Soldiers uneasy could nott gett itt down so as to sayle w.th ye ships havemo? above foerteen dayes woerk to doe wn. ye shipps departed w.ch for want of good assistance was nott donne ere ye bitter cold weather was come there being some five days woerck to doeing wn. were foerced to leave offe; & now seeing yt. could nott goe home ys. yeare, & his publick bussness as good as donne, & his pay if to be payd butt for five monthes in a manner nothing, he tooke in some Merchants goods on commition & some he bought on his owne creditt all w.ch wn. ye Enimy went offe they destroyed, or carried to some of ye houses y.t were spared w.ch he being carryed away was equally lost to him, he was ye onely person of any note yt. was carried away, & after haveing traveled some 5 dayes in ye woods a very sharp frost & much snowe on ye ground lyeing every night on ye snowe w.th onely some firr boughs under him litle other yr. ye heavens for a covering & after yt. some 10 dayes in an open boate arrived att Plasentia, where was some 10 day’s kept att ye hospitall, & yn. sent aboard of ye gard ship where had nothing butt water to drinke, bread enough & 4 ounces of flesh p’diem butt allmost allways rotten yt. he could nott eate itt, nothing butt an old rugg & blankett to ly on untill a saylour unknowne to ye Officers gave hime some hay & ys. in a verry cold time there being litle heate untill ye midle of June about ye midle of wch. month he being verry weake by meanes of ye above usage, att his humble request Mons.r Subercass sent an Officer to him, who uppon parole carried him ashoare & suffered him live wth. an inhabitant & had liberty to walk ye beach butt he paid a crowne aday for his diett ye Officer yt. brought him ashoare said yt. Mr. Collin Cambells information were ye cause of his ill usage. He therefor humbly prayeth yr. Lords.ps yt. yo. will consider his case & represent itt & yr. Petitioner shall ever pray & ca.

John Roope