Explore the Story of The MAtthew: Research & Publications
The stories of John Cabot, Bristol’s part in transatlantic voyaging and the history of the original Matthew are still to be fully told and are thriving research subjects for local historians and the international Cabot Project alike.
Dr Evan Jones is a trustee of The Matthew of Bristol Trust and leads education on their behalf. An Associate Professor in Economic History in the Department of History (Historical Studies) and Early Modern Studies at the University of Bristol, Dr Jones also leads the Cabot Project with his colleague and research partner, Margaret Condon. You can find most of Evan’s research and papers on the Cabot Project website.
Evan and Margaret have also published a book about Bristol, transatlantic voyages and John Cabot – Cabot and Bristol's Age of Discovery: The Bristol Discovery Voyages 1480-1508 – available in bookstores and on board the ship.
Books about The Matthew
Our publications help to raise much-needed funds for the continued maintenance of the ship. They are all available on board at special prices that no other bookstore can beat!
THE MATTHEW OF BRISTOL
This is the story of the modern Matthew – one of the most iconic symbols of Bristol’s Age of Exploration – and of its trading and seafaring heritage. The modern Matthew is a faithful representation of the ship used by John Cabot when he discovered Newfoundland in 1497.
The modern Matthew was built by Bristol shipwrights to mark the 500th anniversary of Cabot’s discovery. In 1997 it re-enacted the original voyage across the North Atlantic, following the same course that John Cabot sailed in 1497, carrying the same number of crew and taking the same time to complete the crossing.
Who had the idea to build the ship? How was it designed and built? What was it like to sail the North Atlantic in a tiny wooden ship? What does The Matthew do now? These and many more questions are answered in The Matthew of Bristol.
Published in 2017 by Bristol Books.
This book is available to buy on board the ship and online from Bristol Books.
CABOT AND BRISTOL’S AGE OF DISCOVERY
John Cabot’s voyage to North America in 1497 on The Matthew of Bristol has long been famous. But who was Cabot? Why did he come to Bristol? And what did he achieve?
In this book, the two leading historians of the Bristol exploration voyages draw on their recent research and new discoveries to tell the story of the voyages of exploration launched from Bristol at this time. The Venetian Zuan Chabotto (John Cabot) lies at the heart of this story. But his three expeditions are set in the context of the discovery enterprises funded and led by Bristol’s merchants over many decades.
The book is written for the general reader and is richly illustrated to bring the fruits of the University of Bristol’s acclaimed Cabot Project to the wider public.
This book is available to buy on board the ship and online from the University of Bristol.
MATTHEW
Published ahead of The Matthew of Bristol’s 500th-anniversary voyage across the Atlantic in 1997, this book covers the design and construction of the modern Matthew – the replica of John Cabot’s square-rigged caravel in which he discovered his ‘New Founde Landes’.
This booklet is currently out of print.
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Resources
Learn more about The Matthew using these free resources and activities!
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Our History
Find out more about the history of both the original and modern Matthews.
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Plan your visit
The Matthew is the ideal place to start your exploration of Bristol's harbourside.