Small
This Community Memories exhibit tells the tale of William Henry Whiteley of Boone Esperance, the fishing skipper who invented the cod trap, a design so ingenious that it became the most important piece of gear used by Newfoundland fishermen for one hundred years.
At the age of thirteen, W.H. Whiteley arrived in Bonne Esperance from Boston in 1847 with his mother and stepfather, James Buckle. The Buckles set up a fishing post at Belles Amour, where Whiteley worked until he was about 21 years old.
In 1858, Whiteley traveled to England to claim a great uncle’s inheritance. While in London, Whiteley also claimed Louisa Ann Thompson as his wife. Family legend has it that William persuaded his new bride to venture to the New World in 1859 with the promise of the finest house on the coast of Labrador, a promise he fulfilled ten years later.
Once back at Bonne Esperance, Whiteley organized his own cod fishing business with a single crew of four. His business expanded rapidly two years later when he invented the cod trap.
Inspired by the seine net, which had to be continually fished by a crew, Whiteley devised a cod trap that could be left untended, the most labour and cost effective method of harvesting cod ever invented. The trap, resembling a large room of twine with a door sloped inwards to discourage fish from leaving, was hauled by a crew who then bailed the fish out with pitchforks into their boat.
Whiteley’s cod fishing business thrived for many years as the main employer in Bonne Esperance, attracting workers from Newfoundland and many surrounding areas. After Whiteley died in 1903, his sons continued to operate the business until the 1950’s, when it was sold to Standard Fish Company.
