History problem?

Question

Does anybody know what year John Cabot's ship the 'Matthew' was made??? Help is appreaciated!!!!!! ;-)

Answer 1

It is shown that the Matthew was a thoroughly unremarkable product of the Bristol shipping industry, which was simply chartered out of the town's marine for the 1497 expedition. Following this, the Matthew returned to ordinary commercial duties, serving the port's trade with Biscay and southeast Ireland.
Apart from the information about the ship's name and size, little more can be said about the Matthew with any certainty. Since she does not appear in the customs accounts of 1492/3, it seems likely that she was a fairly new ship, although it is possible that she was either an older Bristol ship that had been renamed or that she was a foreign ship that had been bought second hand. There is no reason, however, for believing that she was some sort of specially built discovery vessel, as has often been supposed.Indeed, since none of the other ships Bristol sent out on voyages of discovery between 1480 and 1505 appear to have been purpose built for their expeditions, it is highly probable that the Matthew, like the other ships, was an ordinary Bristol merchantman, chartered for the voyage from the Bristol marine

Answer 2

I can find no information on the orginal Matthew, except for size, crew number and date of sailing.

A reproduction of the Matthew was started in 1997

Length Overall (incl. Bowsprit and Bumpkin) 92' 3-1/4"
Length Overall 74' 3"
Length Overall (Hull) 63' 3-1/2"
Length at Waterline 58' 4"
Breadth 18' 3"
Depth (approx.) 9' 10-1/2"
Draft (approx.) 6'
Displacement (approx.) 77.45 tons
Tons Burden 53
Top Mast Height 76' 1/4"
Main Mast Height 62' 2-1/2"
Fore Mast Height 46' 8-1/2"
Mizzen Mast Height 40' 11-1/2"
Station Spacing 70"

Answer 3

The ship's maiden voyage was in 1497 so obviously it was made prior to that. Look under explorers of New Foundland.