Keith Matthews (historian)
Encyclopedia
Keith Matthews was a prominent historian
of Newfoundland, best known for his Oxford University DPhil thesis "The West of England Newfoundland Fishery" and for a highly influential essay "Fence Building: A Critique of the Historeography of Newfoundland."
Born in Plympton
, Devon
, Matthews left school at an early age to work as a jazz pianist
in London
, England
. After military service he attended Ruskin College, Oxford where he pursued a degree in history. A chance meeting with Newfoundland lexicographer George M. Story resulted in Matthews being offered a fellowship if he would write on the history of the West of England Newfoundland fishery. His Dphil thesis was an important work, becoming a standard work on the history of the migratory fishery.
Matthews took up work at Memorial University of Newfoundland
, where he taught the history of Newfoundland and Labrador
. His critique of the traditional historiography
argued that previous historians had been mistaken in their assumption that conflict between competing groups had shaped the settlement and constitutional development of the island of Newfoundland. Different historians had believed that the conflict was between merchants in the west of England
and settlers in Newfoundland, or between West Country
merchants and London based merchants. Matthews found little evidence of such conflict and argued that settlement was not inconsistent with the migratory fishery
. He argued that the laws prohibiting settlement were short-lived and ineffectual. The slow pace of settlement was, therefore, a result of other factors.
In 1966 the National Archive in Britain, then called the Public Record Office, decided to dispose of the “Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman, the Agreements and Account of Crew and Official Logbooks” of the British Empire for the years between 1861 and 1913. When Matthews became aware of that he arranged for the bulk of the records to be transferred to the Maritime History Archive at Memorial University.
With his colleague David Alexander, Matthews embarked upon a study of the shipping industry of Atlantic Canada.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of Newfoundland, best known for his Oxford University DPhil thesis "The West of England Newfoundland Fishery" and for a highly influential essay "Fence Building: A Critique of the Historeography of Newfoundland."
Born in Plympton
Plympton
Plympton, or Plympton Maurice or Plympton St Maurice or Plympton St Mary or Plympton Erle, in south-western Devon, England is an ancient stannary town: an important trading centre in the past for locally mined tin, and a former seaport...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Matthews left school at an early age to work as a jazz pianist
Jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After military service he attended Ruskin College, Oxford where he pursued a degree in history. A chance meeting with Newfoundland lexicographer George M. Story resulted in Matthews being offered a fellowship if he would write on the history of the West of England Newfoundland fishery. His Dphil thesis was an important work, becoming a standard work on the history of the migratory fishery.
Matthews took up work at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
, where he taught the history of Newfoundland and Labrador
History of Newfoundland and Labrador
The History of Newfoundland and Labrador is the story of the peoples who have lived in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
. His critique of the traditional historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
argued that previous historians had been mistaken in their assumption that conflict between competing groups had shaped the settlement and constitutional development of the island of Newfoundland. Different historians had believed that the conflict was between merchants in the west of England
West of England
The West of England is a loose and locationally unspecific term sometimes given to the area surrounding the city and county of Bristol, England, and also sometimes applied more widely and in other parts of South West England.-Use in the Bristol area:...
and settlers in Newfoundland, or between West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
merchants and London based merchants. Matthews found little evidence of such conflict and argued that settlement was not inconsistent with the migratory fishery
Migratory Fishery of Labrador
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador had three main types of fishery in the 19th century: sealing, migratory and inshore fishery.-Sealing:Sealing was a type of fishery that involved getting a berth or "ticket" on a ship that travelled to ice floes near Newfoundlandand Labrador. Teams would...
. He argued that the laws prohibiting settlement were short-lived and ineffectual. The slow pace of settlement was, therefore, a result of other factors.
In 1966 the National Archive in Britain, then called the Public Record Office, decided to dispose of the “Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman, the Agreements and Account of Crew and Official Logbooks” of the British Empire for the years between 1861 and 1913. When Matthews became aware of that he arranged for the bulk of the records to be transferred to the Maritime History Archive at Memorial University.
With his colleague David Alexander, Matthews embarked upon a study of the shipping industry of Atlantic Canada.