The earliest reference to the Newfoundland cod triangle can be found in the will of Pierre de la Rocque in 1582 when he leaves his sons shares in a ship, ‘which is now unloading after her voyage to Newfoundland’. From this date Jersey men sailed in small boats across the Atlantic each spring and returned in the autumn for ploughing. This industry brought the Island wealth and prosperity until the 19th century.

The Newfoundland trade led to the establishment of branches of many Jersey Families in Canada. The Jersey Archive holds the records of the Janvrin Family who settled on Janvrin’s Island in Nova Scotia.


The Cod Trade

The Newfoundland Cod trade not only brought wealth to the Island through trade, but also led to the establishment and growth of the Island’s shipping industry. In the 19th century a significant amount of vessels were manufactured in Jersey including the Janvrin.



Janvrin , 1841 by an English School Artist, one of the many ship portraits in the Jersey Heritage Trust art collections



Shipyards, from the Jersey Heritage Trust photographic collection

The Jersey Archive holds an agreement between John Falle, the master of the ship Janvrin and his crew for a fishing expedition to Gaspé. The conditions of employment state that there are ‘no spirits allowed’ and that 1 gallon of water and 1 pound of cocoa will be provided a day.