Long before documented explorations were made of the North American coastline, fishermen from Portugal, Spain and France were harvesting the cod off Newfoundland. Basque fishing fleets were almost permanent visitors before Christopher Columbus “discovered” America. Read Mark Kurlansky’s Cod, published by Walker Publishing Company in 1997, to learn more.
It was only later that English fishermen sailed to Newfoundland, as they found their fishing grounds in the North Sea and around Iceland to be less productive. Perhaps of more importance, they did not have such ready access to salt to preserve the fish as their continental rivals. When they did venture further west they had established some sources for salt but they saw the need to dry the fish on land prior to shipment home.
Accounts of many of the explorations listed below are contained in the following book, published in two volumes:
Forerunners of the Pilgrims – edited by Charles Herbert Livermore, published by The New England Society of Brooklyn 1912
Explored the North American coastline north from Cape Fear, North Carolina. He discovered Cape Cod and continued north up the Maine coast.
Explored the North American coastline south from Nova Scotia. He charted the Maine coastline in his search for the fabled Northern passage to China.
Explored Penobscot Bay, Maine under the direction of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He was searching for silver mines said to be abundant in Norumbega
Explored coastline from Cape Elizabeth to Martha’s Vinyard and Cuttyhunk.
Sir Walter Raleigh was the patentee but did not sanction this voyage.
Learn more about Gosnold’s voyage.
Explored the Maine coast and Cape Cod Bay, including Plymouth harbor.
Sent by Sir Walter Raleigh in June 1603, arrived in Penobscot Bay at Fox Island, which he named. Now called Vinal Haven. Then along the Maine coast exploring the Saco , Kennebunk, York, Piscataqua rivers. He named Savage Rock, now Cape Neddick. He sailed around Cape Ann into Massacusetts Bay and spent 7-8 weeks in what he called Whitson Bay (New Plimouth harbor) – exploring and gathering Sassafras. Sailed back to Cape Cod harbor and returned to England in October 1603.
Expored the whole Maine coast, including Mount Desert, Penobscot Bay and River to Castine. Frenchman’s Bay named after him. He was part of a French expedition under de Monts.
Learn more about Champlain’s voyage.
Explored the coast line from Nantucket to Monhegan and St Georges River to Thomaston. Sent by Earl of Southampton and Lord Arundell
Learn more about George Weymouth’ voyage
Sent to survey the coastline around Sagadahoc, ahead of the Popham expedition. Sent there by Sir Ferdinando Gorges.
Challons voyage was a disaster. He disobeyed instructions as to the route to be taken and after a number of misadventures was captured by Spanish ship and carried off to Spain, including the two Indians Gorges had sent back with Challons, one of whom was Assacomet.
Hanham and Pring arrived and in Challon’s absence futher explored the Kennebec and earmarked the Sagadahoc site for future settlement. Challon, the men and supplies he was carrying, should have begun the building of the settlement. By the time Hanham and Pring arrived it was too late and there were insufficient resources to start the building process. They returned at the end of the year to Bristol. They too had taken an Indian, Tahanedo. captured the previous year by Waymouth, back to New England, whom they left there.
Learn more about de Champlain’s voyages.
They were sent in two ships, The Gift of God and The Mary and John, by Sir Ferdinando Gorges and the Plymouth Company to settle at Sagadahoc, at the mouth of the Kennebec. This expedition was spurred by the positive report brought back by the Hanham and Pring voyage.
Made landfall at Cape La Havre in French Canada (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) on July 30. Met indians there’ Sailed down the coast, across the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, towards Penobscot Bay. August 5 sighted the Camden Hills. Continued onward to anchor in the shelter of Matinicus and then on to the St George Islands. They saw the cross that Weymouth had planted (was this the one on Manana? Or perhaps on Allen Island?)
August 8 they took the ship’s boat and with Skicowarres (whom they had brought with them from England) they explored the Pemaquid river. Met many Indians and Tahanedo.
Skicowarres stayed with the Indians when Popham’s ships raised anchor and sailed down the coast to the Kennebec and Sagadahoc. They sheltered from a storm behind Seguin from August 14-16, anchoring off Sagadahoc on August 16. They built a fort that they called St Georges.
Ill-equipped, late arriving, poor leadership, exacerbated by George Popham’s death and Raleigh Gilbert returning to England to take up his inheritance from his dead brother, resulted in the settlement being abandoned and all returned to England in 1608
Island at the entrance to Boothbay, Maine. Named for Humphrey Damarill, resident entrepreneur. Year round fishing settlement before 1620. In 1622 Edward Winslow sailed from Plymouth seeking food for the starving Plymouth colony.
Explored the coastline from Newfoundland to the Delaware Bay, via Penobscot Bay and Cape Cod.
Check account of Robert Jewett in Forerunners of the Pilgrims.
Sailed the coastline from Newfoundland to the Penobscot and Cape Cod on his way to Jamestown.
Check Argall’s account in Forerunners of the Pilgrims.
Sailed the coastline from the Kennebec River in Maine to Cape Cod and on to Martha’s Vineyard.
Travelling from Jamestown destroyed French settlements on Mount Desert, as well as St. Croix and Port Royal in French Canada.
Explored and charted Maine coast. Johns Bay named for him. Isle of Shoals he named Smith’s Isles.
Learn more about Capt. Smith’s voyage.
Hunt had argued with Smith when Smith returned to Monhegan. After Smith left for England in one barque, Hunt sailed south in the other to catch fish and barter with the natives that Smith had met in the month or so previously. At Nauset and Accomack, he captured 27 indians altogether, including Tisquantum, to be sold as slaves in Spain.
Sent by Sir Ferdinando Gorges to Martha’s Vineyard (the island of Capawak), Massachusetts to establish settlement but natives, angry at Hunt’s exploit, wouldn’t allow it. He returned to England. The voyage cost Sir Ferdinando heavily.
Sent by Sir Ferdinando Gorges. Capt. Smith sailed with Capt. Dermer in two ships to attempt to establish settlement in the Pemaquid area but Smith was captured at sea by the Spanish. Dermer sailed on to Newfoundland.
Sent by Sir Ferdinando Gorges to seek Capt. Smith and gather produce for sale. He wintered in the Pemaquid area and then sailed to Jamestown and thence to Spain to sell his produce.
Established a settlement at Biddeford Pool at mouth of the Saco River. Sent by Sir Ferdinando Gorges
Explored coastline from Monhegan, Maine thence to Virginia. Sent by Sir Ferdinando Gorges.
Explored the coastline from Monhegan, Maine to Plymouth Harbor and back. Sir Ferdinando Gorges’ agent.
Mayflower takes pilgrims to found colony.
From Virginia to Cape Cod.
From Plymouth, Devon to Piscataqua to establish a settlement.
Learn more about David Thomson.
Established a settlement at Wessagussett (Weymouth), Massachusetts
Explored the Maine coastline. Cape Harbor, Cape Newagen, Boothbay, Sheepscot River and south. In 1624, he noted that York Harbor would be a good place for a settlement. Levett was an agent of Sir Ferdinando Gorges.
Sent by Rev. John White and The Dorchester company in Dorchester, Dorset
David Thompson settled at Pannaway, at the mouth of the Piscataqua
Sent by his father, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, with colonists to establish a New England Government at Wessagusset. Robert returned to England within six months.