Photograph from a viewing balcony showing a large wooden ship (the Nonsuch) with her sails out “in dock” in the Nosuch Gallery of the Manitoba Museum. Behind the ship a facade town of old fashioned buildings is visible.
December 15, 2022

"Ketch" up with the Nonsuch!

“Ketch” up with the Nonsuch!

Posted on by Rebecca Watson

This Winter Break, for a limited time only, the Manitoba Museum will be offering tours that give a rare look into the cargo hold of the Nonsuch. In light of this unique opportunity, I’d like to share some interesting tidbits about this replica ship and surrounding gallery. 

The Nonsuch is a full-sized replica of a 17th century ketch that was constructed in the mid-20th century to celebrate Hudson’s Bay Company’s 300th anniversary. You may have noticed that there is no wheel to steer the ship; that’s because the original Nonsuch pre-dated the invention of the ship’s wheel! Instead, the ship is guided by the tiller, a lever that connects directly to the ship’s rudder. Imagine sailing this ship across the cold North Atlantic and into the icy waters of the Hudson Strait.

A long wooden pole (tiller) extending from the back of the upper deck. The tiller is tied off to the railing on the left.

There’s no steering wheel on this ship – the Nonsuch was guided by a tiller. Image ©Manitoba Museum

The wooden hold of the Nonsuch. Coiled ropes hand on the curved walls to the right.

Usually closed to the public, Nonsuch Hold Tours will be back for a limited time this December. ©Manitoba Museum/Ian McCausland

Eight men in old fashioned sailor outfits stand together posing for the camera on the deck of the Nonsuch. Along the bottom of the photo, aligning with each person, their names have been handwritten, “Philip, Max, Sam, Pablo, Jan, Mark, Hugh, Capt”.

The hardy crew that sailed the Nonsuch along the St. Lawrence River. ©Gaby Demers. 

I think it would have been pretty terrifying, and the chosen captain for the replica agreed. Captain Adrian Small advised that Nonsuch be towed across the Atlantic, and it began its sailing tour of North America along the St. Lawrence River. I’m often asked why the beds in the Captain’s quarters are so small, and it has nothing to do with stature. Sleeping somewhat upright, propped up with pillows, was very common during the 17th century to help with digestion and assist with breathing. Although people were a bit shorter in the past, the difference is not that great. The average height for British men in the late 1600s was 5’5”, while today the average is 5’8”.

As you wander the gallery, take note of the sights and sounds. Extensive research went in to every prop and sound in the gallery to ensure historical accuracy. All of the dishes in the tavern are replicas of actual ceramics and pewter that have been recovered archaeologically from Deptford, England that date to the late 1660s. Enjoy your visit to the Museum this Winter Break, and get ready to wow your friends and family with your newfound knowledge! 

 

A wooden sailing vessel, the Nonsuch, with full sails and flags raised, sailing on open water. A number of people can be seen standing on the deck.
The Nonsuch off the coast of BC, 1972. Photographer: A.M Sharp. HBCA 1987/363-N-18.5/13.
Dr. Amelia Fay

Dr. Amelia Fay

Curator of Anthropology & the HBC Museum Collection

Amelia Fay is Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum. She received her BA in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba (2004), an MA in Archaeology…
Meet Dr. Amelia Fay

Easter Eggs in the Museum

Posted on by Rebecca Watson

Did you know there’s an “Easter egg” in the Ancient Seas exhibit of the Earth History Gallery? The animators told us that they hid a Coke can in the boulder field!

Close-up of underwater boulder field in Ancient Seas video exhibit.

Hidden features in video games and films are often called “Easter eggs.” Museum exhibits can also include secret elements, some of which are not even known by most museum staff! When we built the Parklands Gallery, the team hid some “entertainment” – you have likely seen the black bear hiding in the cave, but do you know about the place where two visitors can reach into narrow passages in the cave wall, until their fingers touch? 
 
What “Easter eggs” have you found in the Museum?

Shedding Light on the Darker History of Nonsuch

Posted on by Amelia Fay

I recently wrote a fun little article with some facts about Nonsuch for the local newspaper, but I thought we should take some time to dive a bit deeper into the darker history of Nonsuch. Don’t get me wrong, like many Winnipeggers I have a sentimental attachment to this ship, but sometimes we need to take a step back and critically reflect on history. The history of our beloved Nonsuch is no different.

The original Nonsuch voyage in 1668 was a scouting mission to see if a northern fur trade route through Hudson Bay would work. This voyage was funded by a group of wealthy investors, including Prince Rupert, the cousin of England’s King Charles II. The return of Nonsuch in 1669 with a hold full of furs proved it a worthy investment, and led to the establishment of what we now call the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670.

How did Prince Rupert and this group of investors amass their wealth to invest in such a risky mission? Through their involvement with the Atlantic slave trade. There is significant overlap in the investors, Directors, and Governors of two early British companies (both with very wordy names). The Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa, which would later become the Royal African Company (RAC), and the Governor and Company of Adventurers Trading to Hudson Bay, later, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). The RAC had secured a monopoly in the West African slave trade, and for awhile, HBC had secured a monopoly in the North American fur trade. The connections between the two companies run deep. There are 81 years out of 129, for the period between 1670 and 1799, where the governor of HBC had direct and visible ties to businesses involved in some way with slavery (Lindsay 2021). 

Photograph looking past the stern of a large wooden sip (the Nonsuch) toward a painted background mural showing blue water and a hilly coastline in the distance.

Note the entrance to the HBC Gallery, the old sign retains part of the lengthy old Company name. Image credit: Ian McCausland/Manitoba Museum

Looking up a walkway in the Nonsuch Gallery of the Manitoba Museum. On the left, a large wooden sailing ship (the Nonsuch) is “docked”. On the right are facades of old fashioned wooden buildings. The gallery is lit in reds and oranges.

Wander the town of Deptford in 1669, while thinking about the history of this little ship and its connection to global colonialism. Image credit: Ian McCausland/Manitoba Museum

When people think of colonialism in Canada they often ignore this early period of European “exploration” and the fur trade, focusing more on the events after Confederation. But it’s important to look at the long-term history of colonialism, and Nonsuch is part of that. Does that mean we can’t still love boarding the ship and immersing ourselves in 1669 Deptford during visits to the Museum? I don’t think so. I find balance between my personal nostalgia for the ship with a respectful understanding of the role it played in the ongoing colonial process. 

So come and visit the ship and embrace the memories and joy you may have for it, but also take time to acknowledge its darker history. 

References Cited & Additional Reading 

This inspiration for this blog post came from the wonderful dissertation of Dr. Anne Lindsay, who did immense archival research to bring these connections to light.  The reference for her dissertation is below, but also a recent article from the University of Manitoba on the broad impact of her work as it relates to slavery in Canada. 

Lindsay, Anne  2021  “especially in this free Country”: Webs of Empire, Slavery, and the Fur Trade, unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Department of History, University of Manitoba. 

Slavery as part of Canadian history

Dr. Amelia Fay

Dr. Amelia Fay

Curator of Anthropology & the HBC Museum Collection

Amelia Fay is Curator of Anthropology and the HBC Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum. She received her BA in Anthropology from the University of Manitoba (2004), an MA in Archaeology…
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