Historical Materials

The Grand Bank, or Great Bank of Newfoundland, is the largest of the fishing banks off eastern North America. Known to Portuguese fishermen since pre-Columbian times, it was regarded as the most fertile fishing ground in the North Atlantic, if not the world.

Prior to revival of the Georges Bank fisheries (1830s), the Grand Bank was the fishing ground referred to when Cape Ann fishing vessels set sail for "the banks" (referred to by fishermen in the plural). The long passages to and from those grounds, combined with the time consumed to fill the fish hold, meant voyages of considerable and uncertain length. The stresses imposed by an uncertain waiting time, coupled with the size and quality of the catch, posed a major hardship on fishermen's families whose women were only too aware of the prospect of becoming widows.

– Erik Ronnberg