 The waters surrounding Newfoundland in the early 19th century were frequented by large merchant ships employed in the seal and codfish trade in Brazil, Italy, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, and those transporting coal, lumber and vegetables from the Maritimes islands, molasses from Barbados, salt from Spain, and transporting passengers and manufactured goods from England to North America.The lives of those aboard and the livelihood of the merchant class depended on safe navigation afforded by lighthouses to avert reefs and rocky capes along the often foggy coastline.According to Molloy, Oke stands out as having the greatest impact on the development of lighthouses in Newfoundland.