Chapter 4 - The Matthew

    To accurately describe the sailing ship Matthew used by John Cabot on his voyage of discovery to the westward in 1497, with any degree of certainty, is a difficult task.  We do know that the Matthew was of the caravel type as used in the Mediterranean Sea from the 14th to the 17th century.  These ships generally
had three masts with square-rigged sails on the fore and main masts and lateen sails on the mizzen masts.  On occasion, if the prevailing winds were blowing in the direction the vessel was sailing, the lateen sails would be changed to square-rigged, thus providing greater speed.  The overall length of the caravel was 75 to 80 feet.  The Matthew was, according to historians, slightly smaller at 50 to 60 feet and about 50 to 60 tons displacement.
 
      Most experts agree that the Matthew was a fast, able craft, seaworthy and able to sail close to the wind without drifting to leeward.  This was proven in 1497 when it returned to England from North America in 15 days. There is a model of the Matthew in the Bristol Art Gallery in England, which was built from incomplete information.  It shows the Matthew as a sturdy craft able to take heavy weather.  The model shows the ship with a high forecastle and large sterncastle.
 
      The Matthew was probably built between 1493 and 1496.  Customs records at Bristol did not record the vessel before that time.  This may be the reason that John Cabot could name the ship after his wife Mattea because it was built either for the voyage or as the voyage was being planned.  There being no English equivalent for Mattea the vessel was called Matthew.  If this is correct, what ship did Cabot use in his aborted attempt at discovery in 1496? Was it the Matthew on sea trials?  This appears to be the answer since a mariner of John Cabot’s experience would not have picked an unruly crew.  Neither would he set sail for what he knew would be a long voyage, without sufficient provisions.
 
      The Matthew was most likely built of English oak with fir masts.  The fir was probably imported from the Baltic region because fir from that area was superior to that grown in England.  It appears the ship was well built and of seasoned timber because it is listed in the Bristol Customs Records of 1503-1504.  In the Registry of Ships at Bristol for 1513, there is a ship listed called the New Matthew.  If this vessel replaced Cabot’s Matthew it means the Matthew was at least seventeen years old before it was lost or retired.  The
records for 1503-1504 also show the Matthew was trading to Ireland, Bordeaux in France, and ports in Spain during that period.  Among the owners of cargo on the various voyages during that time are Hugh Elyot and William Thorne who were active in Bristol before Cabot’s voyages and may have been members of the crew of the Matthew in 1497.
 
      The Matthew was known to have a high forecastle which contained the crew’s quarters and a large sterncastle, reserved for Cabot, the officers, and the merchants who financed the voyage.  Other than that the stern castle (or great cabin) was in a more favourable position, at the stern of the vessel, it was also convenient for the captain to occupy that area of the ship.  The whipstaff which controlled the rudder was attached to the tiller in that area of the ship and from the great cabin the captain could give directions to the helmsman.  The Matthew probably carried a number of small swivel guns in case of attack.  The crew was probably armed with swords, knives, and other items for self protection against attack.  These precautions were standard practice at that point in history.
 
      In 1994, a group of people in England decided to build a replica of the Matthew.  The project was completed 1996.  The total cost was two million pounds sterling.  On the 24th of March 1996, the vessel made its first voyage down through the Avon river gorge.  On June 24, 1997, it is scheduled to arrive in
Newfoundland, 500 years after John Cabot. (Editor's note: The replica of the Matthew arrived in Bonavista as scheduled on June 24, 1997).