Planter | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Planter

Planter was a term which usually designated, from the 1600s to the 1800s, an independent fisherman who owned his own "fishing," room or "plantation," on the coast of Newfoundland, and perhaps several large, inshore fishing boats.

Planter

Planter was a term which usually designated, from the 1600s to the 1800s, an independent fisherman who owned his own "fishing," room or "plantation," on the coast of Newfoundland, and perhaps several large, inshore fishing boats. He employed other fishermen and might act as a local merchant or as middleman for a larger firm. Usually a permanent resident of Newfoundland, or LIVEYER, he might, like the BYE-BOAT keeper, frequently return to Britain or retire there (see FISHERIES HISTORY). In more recent times, applied to the Labrador fishery, the term was nearly synonymous with stationer.