Fonds - Thomas Ruck fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Thomas Ruck fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Source of title is based on the common name for the fonds

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

Physical description area

Physical description

1 microfilm reel

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Thomas Ruck Jr. (1659-172-), New England shipowner and merchant, was born on 9 July 1659 in Salem, Massachusetts, son of Damaris (Buffum) and Thomas Ruck (d. 1704), and one of seven children. Thomas Ruck Jr. married Mary Clark on 18 September 1708. His death date is not currently known.

Ruck was a mariner and a vessel owner. He was listed as master of the brig Fraternity (1706), part-owner of the brig Dolphin (1710) and master of the brig Swallow (1711). His firm, Thomas Ruck & Company, was extensively involved in the Newfoundland trade during the period 1713-22. Ruck dealt with Newfoundland planters (settlers) and English migratory fishing crews in harbours and coves along the English Shore, from Ferryland to Bonavista. Most of his dealings, however, were concentrated in St. John's and adjacent outports, including Petty Harbour, Bay Bulls, Quidi Vidi and Torbay. Ruck specialized in bartering West Indian products, rum and molasses, and New England produce, foodstuffs, hardware and lumber, for salted cod. He also sold supplies for bills of exchange.

Ruck was one of many New England traders (or, as they were sometimes called, " hucksters" or "interlopers") involved in the Newfoundland trade in the early eighteenth century, playing an important role in supplying early settlers.

Custodial history

Custodial history of records is partially unknown. They were acquired from an American bookdealer, Newburyport Rare Books in July 1988 under a share agreement between the Provincial Archives and the Maritime History Archive and the Cultural Property Export and Import Act. Ownership is shared between the two provincial institutions.

Scope and content

Fonds consists of company accounts for the New England firm of Thomas Ruck & Company relating to the fish trade in Newfoundland, 1713-1722. Fonds is composed of five ledgers, a journal and a day book containing accounts for the seasonal trade (usually May-Sept) conducted by Ruck in Bay Bulls, Petty Harbour, Quidi Vidi, Torbay, St. John's, Ferryland, Witless Bay, Cape Broyle, Brigus Bay South and Conception Bay, Newfoundland.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Acquired from Newburyport Rare Books in July 1988.

Arrangement

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

The original records are stored at the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Availability of other formats

Microfilm is available at the Provincial Archives and the Maritime History Archive.

Restrictions on access

Originals are restricted for conservation purposes. Reproductions available.

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Copyright for microfilm jointly held by the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and Maritime History Archive.

Finding aids

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

No further accruals expected.

General note

See The Newfoundland Ancestor (v.5, no. 3) for the "Thomas Ruck lecture" by PANL archivist Howard Brown which provides an overview of these records. A subsequent article by John Parkinson, "Women in the Thomas Ruck ledgers" (v. 14, no. 2) is also useful.

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number area

Standard number

Access points

Subject access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Control area

Description record identifier

Institution identifier

Rules or conventions

Status

Draft

Level of detail

Partial

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Created - May 6, 2013

Language of description

  • English

Script of description

Sources

Accession area