JOHN CABOT (c-1459-98) is the anglicized version of the latin GIOVANNI CABOTO, the Italian navigator believed to have born in Genoa, very little is known of his early life. Cabot came to England with his family in 1484 filled with believe that we would persuade King Henry VII and the Bristol merchants to attempt to reach Cathay by sea, by then the news that CRISTOFORO COLOMBO reached the Indies was circulating in England, the expedition was granted and CABOT left from Bristol in 1497 on board the small ship "MATTHEW" manned by a crew of 18, on the 24th of June CABOT sighted an island on the northern capes of Newfoudland on which island he landed and took possession, on his return CABOT passed the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland where the crew caught huge quantities of cod simply by lowering baskets into the sea, this discovery led to the development of the Newfoundland cod fishery. A second enterprise was organised in 1498, CABOT left Bristol once again this time with five ships, the goal was to sail westward of his first discovery, very little is known about this second expedition. Photos above, CABOT, his voyages and replica of the MATTHEW built in England in 1997, the ship at Portsmouth in 1998 and two years later at Bristol
