Shannon Ryan - A History of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic to 1818

As happens in these cases, I owe thanks to many people and institutions for assistance with this manuscript. Chris You, then Head, History Department; Reeta Tremblay, then Dean of Arts; and the administration of Memorial University allowed me office space and office assistance so that I could write.

The following individuals helped me in various ways: Leslie Harris, President Emeritus, MUN, gave general advice and introduced me to Newfoundland history when he was an assistant professor and I a student in 1963 (Dr. Harris passed away 26 August 2008); the late Keith Matthews, History Department, MUN, supervised my MA thesis, and his D. Phil. thesis brought Newfoundland historical studies to new levels and is mentioned frequently in this work. The following read the manuscript and offered advice: Glyndwr Williams (D. Litt., MUN), Professor Emeritus, London, who supervised my PhD thesis; John Widdowson (D. Litt., MUN), former professor, Folklore Department, MUN, and former professor, University of Sheffield; Rex Brown, retired teacher and historian; Larry Small, retired folklorist, MUN; and Patrick OFlaherty (D. Litt., MUN), historian and author, Professor Emeritus, MUN. Mekaela Mahoney, PhD student, MUN, and my assistant, was an enormous help on this manuscript and also did the Index. Sarah Palmer, Professor of Maritime History, University of Greenwich, and an old friend, was always available for advice. Former students and colleagues Willeen Keough, PhD, (now at the History Department, Simon Fraser University); Maudie Whelan, PhD, academic and journalist; Carla Wheaton, PhD, Parks Canada; Assist. Prof. Terry Bishop-Stirling, History Department, MUN; Professor Sean Cadigan, present head, History Department, MUN; Jeff Webb, PhD, History Department, MUN; Prof. Lewis R. Fischer, History Department, MUN, D. Litt., U of Bergen; and Melvin Baker, PhD, Historian and University Archivist, MUN, were quite helpful. The staffs of the Maritime History Archives, Folklore and Language Archives, and Centre for Newfoundland Studiesall at MUN; the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador; and the Newfoundland Collections at the St. Johns Public Library were also quite helpful.

My contacts and friends in London were part of this book in various ways: Robert Parker, British Library, now retired; and Sandra Tuppen, also British Library, both helped with accessing sources at the old and new British Library, as did other staff there. I also received assistance from the staffs of the Institute of Historical Research and of the neighbouring Senate House Library, including the Goldsmith Library (both under the University of London). And colleagues from my graduate studies in London, including Bob Holland, Commonwealth Studies, London (now retired) and Judith Rowbotham (now History Department, Nottingham Trent University), were helpful and encouraging.

Finally I must thank all who helped with the production of the final manuscript: Fran Warren, administrative officer, History Department, and Beverly Evans-Hong, Renee Clowe, and Betty Anne Lewis, secretaries in the History Department, MUN. And of course, the staff of Flanker Press, my publisher, especially their very able editor Iona Bulgin.