RESOLUCION DIRECTORAL Nº 482-2007-PRODUCE-DGEPP

The vast majority of origins of all vessels were from the British Isles, and England was always the most numerous of these. The British Isles made up a total of between 19.5 and 72.2% of all origins, yet the smaller percentages came from the two schooners whose small crew numbers have skewed the values (Table 3-12).

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Table 3-12. The number and percentage of birth places of all sailors victualled by the HMS Stately (October 1793), the HMS Pegasus (March 1786), the HMS Mercury (July 1806), the HMSchooner Herring (August 1806), and the HMSchooner Trepassey (June 1802) as separated by geographic region (ADM 36). The individuals for whom their origins could not be determined or were not recorded were grouped together.

Region/ Country

Stately Pegasus Mercury Herring Trepassey

# % # % # % # % # % British Isles 499 72.2 136 74.3 110 57.6 8 19.5 4 57.1 Europe 9 1.3 1 0.5 5 2.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 Africa 0 0.0 1 0.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 West Indies 2 0.0 1 0.5 1 0.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 North America 12 41.7 104 56.8 71 37.2 8 19.5 2 28.6 Unknown 169 24.5 40 21.9 64 33.5 25 61.0 1 14.3 Total 691 283 191 41 7

Outside the British Isles in Europe, other places where people were originating, though in small numbers, included Denmark, France, Jersey, Guernsey, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Prussia, and Sweden. There were at most only nine Europeans onboard the vessels examined, making up a maximum of 4.6% of the crew. Most of these were Northern countries, or islands close to England such as Jersey and Guernsey.

There were at least two sailors from Africa, one specifically from Gorée in Senegal. As there were numerous battles in Africa, even specifically Gorée (Newton 2013), it is unsurprising to find some Africans within the vessels stationed in

Newfoundland. Areas within the West Indies were also occasionally noted as having been their origins, specifically Barbados, St. Kitt’s, St. Thomas, and the West Indies in

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general. Finally, North America was also noted as being the origins of naval sailors and was at least as numerous as those from Europe, even more common on the smaller

schooners that did not leave the North Eastern waters. The schooners were therefore were less likely to fill any lost numbers with foreigners outside of British and locals.

Even though these may not be totally representative of all origins of sailors stationed in Newfoundland, it does give a sense of the diversity of backgrounds coming together in Newfoundland waters. It is from possibly similar groups of Royal Naval sailors that the beds of the St. John’s Naval Hospital would have been filled.

3.7 Conclusion

The remains uncovered in the 1979 excavations at the Southside Cemetery have been shrouded in uncertainty over what institution they were associated with. While some have attributed the cemetery to being associated with the 18th and early 19th centuries Naval Hospital, others have suggested the later St. Mary’s Anglican Church. Considering the known date of at least one individual from the Southside Cemetery, numerous maps, and the lack of a broadly mixed group that would be expected of a church, the cemetery is very probably associated with the Naval Hospital.

When the accounts of the muster records of the St. John’s Naval Hospital are compared to the accounts of previous historians and archaeologists, it seems that the structure and history of the hospital are more fluid than previously considered. The individuals that were admitted to the hospital were mainly low ranked and non-

specialized sailors and marines. However, the distribution of admitted ranks corresponds to the percentage of all ranks onboard the naval vessels (Figure 3-4), suggesting no

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preference towards lower ranked sailors being treated. The ailments that sent these sailors and marines to the hospital were varied, but diseases associated with life at sea such as scurvy and fever dropped significant by the turn of the 19th century. Those that died and were buried at the hospital have a similar variability of ranks and ailments. The St. John’s Naval Hospital does not recount the origins of those admitted, but by looking at Naval Vessel muster records of vessels stationed in the town from late 18th and early 19th centuries, it is clear that the majority came from England, with fewer from Ireland,

Scotland, and Wales. Yet this was not exclusive, as there were some from Newfoundland, America, West Indies, and Europe.

When all of these records are considered, a number of questions and hypotheses regarding the individuals uncovered in the 1979 excavations arise. First, if the individuals were from the St. John’s Naval Hospital, and not St. Mary’s church, the vast majority should have diets that reflect those of Britain and the Royal Navy. Second, the origins of the sailors should be mainly that of the British Isles, and few from Newfoundland and or other foreign regions. Although this study has begun to answer questions referring to the St. John’s Naval Hospital and its associated cemetery, the answers have brought with it more questions: What was the extent of the cemetery? Where were the multiple Naval Hospital structures and were they purpose built? How long was the Naval Hospital in use? These are all questions that with further research will hopefully be answered.

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4 Isotopic Background and Insights into Consumption Theory

Archaeological skeletal collections contain invaluable information about past populations. Isotopic analyses can help to directly reconstruct aspects of the individuals’ lives. These analyses work under the premises that “you are what and where you eat” (Budd et al. 2003; Fry 2006). By sampling small pieces of skeletal material, different proportions of isotopes (elements with a different number of neutrons) can enlighten researchers to aspects in relation to individuals’ diets and geographic origins. However, to interpret these data within proper context, there must be an understanding of

consumption behaviour to unlock the aspects of decisions that led to ingestion of food at various stages of life. This is particularly important when considering the sailors who lived and worked within the control of the Royal Navy, as well as understanding their personal agency to work within, and outside, the structure of the institution to gain access to unsanctioned foods. Along with an understanding of isotopic theory in bioarchaeology, consumption and agency theories will serve as the framework of interpretation of data from the Southside Cemetery.