STORM AND COMPANY
18th Century Fishing
From the Universal Spectator & Weekly Journal Saturday
October 1737------------
"We hear from Robin Hood's Bay......... that last Saturday
fe'night a Grampus forty eight feet long was drove on the shore
there, which was claimed by the Lord of the Manor."
From Read's Weekly Journal Saturday December 17th
1737--------------
"A few days since a large sturgeon was taken by some
fishermen at Robin Hood's Bay which was nine and half foot long
and weighed 220 lbs."
Thomas Cox writing at the beginning of the 18th Century about
Robin Hood's Bay says----------
"Here is a small Village, the most celebrated for the
Fishing Trade of any in these Parts; for there are caught great
quantities of all Sorts of Fish in their several seasons, by
which the City of York not only is supplied, but also the whole
of the adjacent Country. In this Place it is a Thing peculiar,
that they keep hard by the Shore a little Hully,( as they call
it) which is in Shape like a great Chest bored full of Holes to
let in the Sea, which at high water alwaysoverflows it. In it are
kept vast Quantities of Crabs and Lobsters, which they put in and
take out all the Season, according to the Quickness and Slowness
oif the Markets. They also get great Quantities of Herrings in
their Season".
Daily Post Saturday June 2nd 1744-----------
"They write from Robin Hood's Bay that on Thursday last a
French privateer was seen off at Sea, which took two of their
Fishing Boats."
Whitehall Evening Post Tuesday May 26th 1747----------------
"A fish of prodigious size was last week taken off Robin
Hood's Bay which the Curious are Hard to find a Name for. It has
a head like a goat. a tail like a Greyhound, only two feet not
unlike those of an Ox, but somewhat shorter, and webbed like a
Duck, it is as large as a middling Horse, it eats any fish, and
drinks Salt Water, and is likely to live."
James Schofield writing of Robin Hood's Bay in his Historical
guide to Scarborough and its environs in c1787
says----"...it is the habitation of numerous fishermen and
their wives with SWARMS of children.... it is a universal remark
that fishermen have proportionably more children than any other
description of persons among us. One species of food they
themselves partly atribute it to, and that is, salt fish; but
most especially dried scate, which for reasons we leave others to
explain, goes by the name of merry meat.
The quantities of these sorts of fish which are dried at Robin
Hood's Bay as well as for home consumption, as exportation is
surprising. The front of the houses, are often hung therewith,
and the neighbouring paddocks, covered by them, as they are
spread to dry.
................The Scate, which is dried without salt, only by
the wind and the sun, forms a part of victualling for the
East-India Company's ships it being less liable to decay, than
salt fish, on hot climates;......."
.... and a little later in time........
An account in the Caledonian Mercury of December 21st 1809
published by Gale's 19th Century British Library Newpapers
describes the YARMOUTH HERRING FISHERY as follows:
The herring fishery at Yarmouth having been more productive the
last season, than ever known at any former period, the following
account of the mode in which the said fishery is carried on may
not be unacceptable to our readers. The number of boats sent to
Yarmouth from the Yorhsire coast was 40, viz.15 from Staiths - 5
from Runswick - 5 from Robin Hood's Bay - 8 from Filey - and 4
from Flamborough.
The boats measure from 50 to 60 tons, are lugger rigged, and
manned by 6 men including the master, who is generally the owner,
and a boy. ......Each of the men, exclusive of the owner,
contributes his proportion of nets, calles a dole, consisting of
24, making one hundred and twenty for each boat. The period of
the fishery is from 25th September to 1st November...........
The boats employed the last season caught upon an average 35
lasts of herrings (a last containing 10,000); for which they were
allowed by the merchants £9-10s per last, which with £80, a
douceur to the owner of the boat called steerage money, makes a
total of £410 per boat. This sum, with the exception of the
steerage money, is divided into 6 shares, one called the boat's
share is apporpriated to the owner, the rest distributed among
the people.
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