Another fun tidbit in The Lady's Marquess is fishing and the transport of saltfish (cod) to not only Britain but Portugal and Spain.
Deep sea fishing rights have long been a source of contention between nations. During the Napoleonic Wars, people still had to eat, but when those nations withdrew from the saltfish trade, it gave Upper Canada the means to increase their own trade. Someone had to supply those armies!
Entrance to the Harbour of St. John's, NL, ca. 1811
The withdrawal of warring nations from the saltfish trade gave the colony an almost complete monopoly over the lucrative industry, while rising fish prices and high catch rates saw profits soar. Britain's 1809 military alliance with Spain and Portugal also prompted both countries to grant preferential treatment to British imports, which included Newfoundland and Labrador saltfish. As wages and standards of living rose, so too did Newfoundland and Labrador's permanent population.
Napoleonic Wars and the Economy (heritage.nf.ca)
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