Herring fishing in Scarborough

This page features articles on this website that mention herring in some way. 


1000 years of fishing 

1000 years of fishing The following is a summary of the arguments of Professor Callum Roberts by Mark Vasey. Pre 1050 many people ate freshwater fish from our clean flowing well stocked rivers and ponds. Christian religions often prohibited eat...

32 Sandside 

My grandfather's house at 32 Sandside The following story was surrounded with great mystery. It was handwritten by a man who lived in an old folks home in Scarborough. One of the carers at that home gave it to the Scarborough Maritime Heritage...

Accidents at sea 

Accidents at sea The following article was in the Scarborough Mercury in 1910. It was entitled "SCARBOROUGH HERRING SEASON - FISHERLAD LOST FROM LUGGER - BATCH OF MINOR INCIDENTS". The main incident mentioned was of the loss of a fisherb...

Boats of Scarborough 

Scarborough boats Written by George Westwood - Scarborough boats from the turn of the century Picture above : A typical mounts bay lugger unloads its catch of herring onto a cart at low water at Scarborough.One such boat is recorded to ha...

Characters of the Filey fishing industry 

Characters of the Filey fishing industry From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd THE "BUGGINS" - BONZO PARTNERSHIP Throughout the winter months, irrespective of weather conditio...

Children of the fishing families in Scarborough 

Children of the fishing families in Scarborough Photo above: Children by the harbour The children of the fishing families never had an easy life. Life in the nineteenth century and early tweentieth century was characterized by poverty. Chil...

Church Tithes in early Scarborough 

Church tithes in early Scarborough The local representatives of the abbot and convent of Citeaux collected the Scarborough church fish tithes from their fishermen parishioners. After disputes, in 1251, Roger Ughtred negotiated a new tithe agreemen...

Cobles along the Scarborough and Filey coast

Cobles on the Yorkshire Coast This page features articles on this website that mention cobles.   1799 - a great storm off Filey Bridge and a famous rescue A great storm off Filey Bridge and a famous rescue in 1799 The following is a...

Cowling fishing family of Filey Scarborough and Flamborough

The Cowling fishing family This page features articles on this site that may mention Cowling in some way.  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster One of the duties of the lifeboat is to escort fishin...

Filey and the gales of 1860,1867,1869, 1880 

Filey and the gales of 1860,1867,1869, 1880 From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd THE GALES OF 1860,1867,1869 AND 1880 It was bad weather, however, which was the commonest risk to ...

Filey and the Great War - minesweeping and influenza 

Filey and the Great War - minesweeping and influenza From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd Naturally it was at sea that Filey men were most involved in the First World War. All Filey fishe...

Filey and the sea

Filey and the sea This page features articles on this site which mention Filey or areas close by in some way. The most relevant articles are placed at the top of the list. Those at the bottom may just mention Filey once. • The history of ...

Filey fishermen in 1862 - yawls and cobles 

Filey fishermen in 1862 - yawls and cobles Every place has its characteristic, and that of Filey is its hardy race of fishermen, stout, broad-chested, wide-shouldered; blunt and honest in speech, but kindly-hearted and open to every advance of tru...

Filey Flither girls

The Filey Flither girls A few years ago Yorkshire TV released a program made by a husband and wife Glen Crawford and Ann Morell-Crawford. This documentary presented an evocative and haunting insight into the lives of the Filey flither girls. These...

Fish in medieval monasteries.

Scarborough Fish in Mediaeval monasteries. Yorkshire saw the foundation of many Norman monasteries, mostly in the 12th century. The prayer-full lives of the monks and nuns were intended to be governed by rules of poverty, chastity, and obedience. ...

Fish sold for manure 

Fish sold for manure This story appeared in a series of articles by Forrest Frank in 1920 in the Scarborough Daily Post - This story came from Captain Wilson When I was a lad, the fishing boats consisted chiefly of cobles that lined and trawled...

Fishermen of Scarborough and the U-Boats by Godfrey Arthur 

Scarborough fishermen and the U-Boats by Godfrey Arthur An Article by Arthur Godfrey This year has seen the seventieth anniversary of the darkest days that Yorkshire fishermen have ever known, for in the three years of World War 1 beginning w...

Fishermen tell the politicians what they think in 1883 

Fishermen tell the politicians what they think in 1883 In late September and October,1883 Scarboroughs fishing community was talking about a new Act of Parliament concerning the fishing industry. Yet more regulations had been put down and the fish...

Fishing farming and tourism in the early Filey - 1805

Fishing farming and tourism in the early Filey - 1805 Filey fishermen are mentioned in ancient documents long before any are known at Scarborough. Even today, some old Scarborough fishing families have Filey roots. And yet Filey was as much a farm...

Fishing fleets of the 1920's - Hulls Gamecock fleet 

The fishing fleets of the 1920's - Hulls Gamecock fleet Today, the great fishing fleets have disappeared. A modern trawler can catch as much as whole fleets did in the past. The Gamecock fleet, which sailed out of Hull, comprised of 49 steam t...

Flamborough head fishing community - superstition and bad luck 

The fishing community in Flamborough head - superstition and bad luck Fishing communities were famed for their belief in the strangest superstitions. The local superstitions were well known. Anyone with any sense did not attempt to break them. Eve...

Frank Bayes death

THE DEATH OF YOUNG FRANK BAYES, age 24,  by granddaughter of James Ruffen Bayes On December 8th,1954 three scarborough Lifeboatmen lost their lives. Amongst them was young Frank Bayes. Local Ann Moncrief remembers this day well. Her uncl...

Godfrey Sheader - stories of the herring fleet and Lifeboats 

Godfrey Sheader - stories of the herring fleet and Lifeboats Reproduced from an old article Thursday, 22nd August 1929 in the Scarborough Post - an interview with an old Scarborough fisherman and lifeboatman - Godfrey Sheader Old Godfrey Sheade...

Harwood family

Scarborough fishing families - The Harwood family This page features articles which mention the Harwood families in some way.  1799 - a great storm off Filey Bridge and a famous rescue A great storm off Filey Bridge and a famous rescue ...

Hatherleigh - history 

The history of the Hatherleigh, side winder trawler. An article by Matthew Newsome about the history of the Hatherleigh. She had a strong connection with Scarborough up until the end of 2013 as she was owned by a member of the Scarborough Sub-Aqua...

Herring fishing in the North Sea, a history

The history of the herring fishing in the North Sea This article is based on an old history published in the local newspaper. This writer knew little of the migrations of herring. The science in those days was really quite basic. Fishing of her...

History - 1

John Rushton MBE (1927-2013) was a local historian & founding member of the SMHC. He carried out extensive research into the town and port. The eleven 'position papers' that follow show that work. John was in his 80s when he wrote th...

History - 10

Here is the tenth  "position paper" for the 2012 Harbour Research project. Corrections and additions are welcomed. The purpose of the document is to seek people who will undertake serious research on aspects of the history of the ...

History - 3

Here is the  third  "position paper" for the 2012 Harbour Research project. Corrections and additions are welcomed. The purpose of the document, with others to come, is to seek people who will undertake serious research on aspects...

History - 4

Here is the fourth "position paper" for the Harbour Research project. Corrections and additions are welcomed. The purpose of the document, with others to come, is to seek people who will undertake serious research on aspects of the history ...

History - 5

Here is the fifth  "position paper" for the 2012 Harbour Research project. Corrections and additions are welcomed. The purpose of the document is to seek people who will undertake serious research on aspects of the history of the harbo...

History - 6

Here is the sixth  "position paper" for the 2012 Harbour Research project. Corrections and additions are welcomed. The purpose of the document is to seek people who will undertake serious research on aspects of the history of the ...

History of the Scarborough fishing industry 

The history of the Scarborough fishing industry For hundreds of years the Scarborough fishing industry chugged along at the same pace. The fishermen paid tithes to the monastries for the right to fish the seas. The industry never really took off b...

Hurricane - the worst day in Filey's history

The worst day in Fileys history - a hurricane The Scarborough Mercury, of 2nd June,1860 reported a hurricane that hit Filey the previous Monday. It was truly "the worst ever" calamity to have hit the Filey. It came "so suddenly upon...

Instructions to sailors - Flamborough Head

Instructions to sailors - Flamborough Head Dutch fishermen came every year, for centuries, to follow the herring down the east coast. Their larger vessels were called busses and they developed very effective fishing techniques. Their merchantmen s...

Jenkinson family

Scarborough fishing families - the Jenkinson family This page features articles on this site which mention the Jenkinson fishing family in some way.  32 Sandside  My grandfather's house at 32 Sandside The following story was su...

Jenkinsons - Filey, a common ancestry.

The Filey Jenkinsons - a common ancestry From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd It would be expected in a community as closely related as the Filey fishing families there would be folk memo...

Losses amongst Filey fishing cobles 

Losses amongst Filey fishing cobles From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd The coble is for its size, one of the safest boats afloat. But if hit unexpectedly by very heavy sea, it is as vul...

Luggers and yawls in the Filey fishing industry 

Luggers and yawls in the filey fishing industry From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd LUGGERS AND YAWLS When the Scarborough Register of Sailing and Fishing vessels began in 1786, offsh...

Luxury imports in King Henry VIII's Scarborough 

Luxury imports in King Henry VIII's Scarborough Shopping has never been as exotic as in the presentage, when imported essentials and fancy goods come from all over the globe. Scarborough matrons looking for imported luxuries, five hundred and ...

Maritime heritage timeline 

Maritime heritage timeline 6500 BC Britain became an island when the channel plains flooded with rising sea levels. 1600 BC The first craft used by Britons would have been rafts, dugout canoes and coracles. 600 BC Phoenician trade routes to ...

Merchant of Scarborough

A Scarborough Merchant - John Rushton Robert Schylbotyll was the ancestor of a Scarborough family who were once well known. He probably came from Northumberland to take up grants of land at two places in Scarborough in 1399 and 1403. His descen...

Migrations of fishing families - Filey - Yarmouth and Ramsgate 

Migrations of fishing families - Filey - Yarmouth and Ramsgate From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd MIGRATION OF FISHER FAMILIES The willingness of Filey fishermen to cover large dista...

Normandale family

Scarborough fishing families - The Normandale family This page features articles on this site which mention the Normandale fishing family in some way.  Attacks On Trawlers in Scarborough in WW2  Attacks On Trawlers in Scarborough i...

Paying the rent in Herrings at Whitby

Paying the rent in Herrings at Whitby - John Rushton A Whitby lady called Marsanilla made a donationto the nunnery at Yedingham in theVale of Pickeringin the 12th century. Perhaps she was going to enter that religious house, of which a slight remn...

Port & harbour

Articles on this website that mention the harbour: 1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster One of the duties of the lifeboat is to escort fishing boats back to port during bad weather. Storms can whip up ...

Port & Harbour research

Scarborough Port and Harbour Research Project In 2012, John Rushton MBE drew up 11 'position papers' outlining some of the important topics relating to Scarborough's maritime history. Below is the initial list of ideas he had:...

Port of Scarborough in the late 15th Century 

The port of Scarborough in the late 15th Century An article on the port of Scarborough in the late 15th century by John Rushton Scarborough had been an active borough for about three hundred years. The old borough sited on a bounded plot west o...

Preachers trip on a Filey Herring yawl 

A preachers trip on a Filey Herring yawl The Bridlington Circuit Methodist minister George Shaw wrote a fascinating first hand account of herring fishing on a yawl in his book "Our Filey Fishermen", published in 1867. He recounts how he ...

Primitive Methodism in Filey 

Primitive Methodism in Filey Primitive Methodism in Scarborough Mr Smith next spoke of labouring with John Oxtoby, known as parying Johnny, at Filey. Early in 1823 Johnny Oxtoby was staying at Bridlington. The quarterly meeting considered the a...

Ranter Chapel revival in Filey 

Ranter Chapel revival in Filey From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd FILEY IS TAKEN! John Oxtoby was responsible for the great Christian revival which began in 1823. One of the first fa...

Ray Edmonds stories of the Old Town in Scarborough 

Ray Edmonds stories of the Old Town in Scarborough Ray Edmonds lives in Princess Terrace and spent many years at sea. He has recorded some of his old stories on a DVD which has been placed on Youtube. If he had a pound for every time he passed ...

Research - sunk with Filey men on board in 1925 

The Research - sunk with Filey men on board in 1925 From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd The most famous tragedy in Filey's history must be the "Research" disaster of 25th N...

RNLI - Scarborough,Whitby, Filey

RNLI history - Scarborough,Whitby, Filey This page features articles on this site which mention RNLI or Lifeboats in some way. The most relevant articles are placed at the top of the list. Those at the bottom may just mention Lifeboat once. &b...

Robin Hood's Bay fishing in 1838 

The fishermen and fisheries of Robin Hood's Bay in 1838 Views of ports and harbours By William Finden, 1838 - old text about Robin Hood's Bay fisheries The above is the name of a fine bay on the Yorkshire coast, between Whitby and Scarb...

Robinson family of Scarborough and Filey

The Robinson fishing family of Scarborough and Filey This page features articles on this site which mention the Robinson fishing in some way.  A to Z listing of Famous Scarborough people SMHC Archive File information held on the followi...

Scales family of Scarborough and Filey

The Scales fishing family of Scarborough and Filey This page features articles on this site which mention the Scales fishing in some way.  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster One of the duties of ...

Scarborough short history

A short history of Scarborough Scarborough has a major fort, an important portand was the first seaside resort. Since the 12th century, the great rock carried a Norman castle, visited by the mediaeval Kings from Henry II to Richard III, who m...

Scarborough timeline

Scarborough quick timeline history 10,000 BC - Earliest signs of human habitation in Britain at Staxton, Starr Carr. https://www.york.ac.uk/research/themes/star-carr/  or https://sites.google.com/site/starcarrfieldwork/Home​&nb...

Scarborough's Old Town and its connection to the sea 

Scarborough's Old Town and its connection to the sea Scarboroughs rich maritime heritage revolves around the Old Town. This comprises the area around the harbour and on the castle hill. The Old Town extends as far as Friargate and Scarboroughs...

Sea shanty - 1880 storm 

1880 storm - sea shanty Me thinks I see a host of craft spreading their sails to lea As down the Humber they do glide all bound for the northern sea Me thinks I see on each small craft a crew with hearts so brave Going out to earn the...

Sea Urchin Stall on the West Pier at Scarborough 

Sea Urchin Stall on the West Pier at Scarborough In my younger years the harbour was our playground and there were many ways to earn a few bob in our play. With friends we use to get permission to climb on the boats in the harbour after the boa...

Sheader families 

Scarborough fishing families - the Sheader families This page features articles on this site which mention the Sheader fishing families in some way.  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster  1954 Scarborough Lifeboat disaster One of the...

Shipbuilders 

Scarborough Shipbuilders Scarborough was a busy shipbuilding port. Nearly 42,000 tons of ships were made by Tindall's yard and 30,000 by other yards between 1742 and 1879. Pretty amazing really. Where did all that wood came from? The best year...

Ships from Scarborough in the Yorkshire coastal trade of 1638-9. 

Scarborough ships in the Yorkshire coastal trade of 1638-9 The port of Scarborough was born as a fishing community and remains one yet. That side of its life saw many ups and down over time. The rich story of line, trawl and drift fishing fro...

South Bay wreck 

Shipwreck in the South Bay In Scarborough's South Bay a wreck of an old wooden boat is exposed when the sand is washed away by strong tides. George Westwood presents some compelling ideas as to its origin. "Having done a great dea...

Sustainable fishing - quotas and a way of life 

Sustainable fishing - quotas and a way of life Fish quotas have always been controversial. Fishermen up and down the country are reporting increases in cod in the North Sea and feel that this should filter through to higher quota levels. However, ...

Theakston's guide to the Scarborough fisheries 1866 

Theakston's guide to the Scarborough fisheries 1866 THE FISHERIES. "To weary toil while others sleep, The sturdy fisher wends his way, To reap the harvest of the deep, He labours on till break of day." Varieties of Fish - Pa...

Thomas Hinderwell - History of Scarborough's fisheries 

Thomas Hinderwell - history of Scarboroughs fisheries This article is taken word for word from Thomas Hinderwells History of Scarborough printed 200 years ago. FISHERIES The Fisheries would "be a profitable branch of trade at Scarboroug...

Trawlers and the fishing industry - article list

Trawlers and the fishing industry This page features articles on this website which mention trawlers. Gallery - Trawlers Trawlers Gallery The Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre has a collection of over 50,000 photographs of boats &...

Trawling

Trawling From the book North Sea fishers and Fighters - by Walter Wood 1911 Seasons of the year Sailing cod smacks worked on three different grounds according to the season of the year. These seasons and places were: 1. October to Christm...

Trawling and overfishing - Filey fishing 

Trawling and overfishing - Filey fishing From the book "Filey - a Yorkshire fishing town" by Irene E Allen and Andrew A Todd THE FISHING HAS BEEN SPOILED BY THE TRAWLING Most modern fishing is based on the trawling principle, which...

Trawling for herring

Trawling for herring The steam trawler threatens to make another inroad on the fishing industry. It has practically extinguished the sail boat, by means of which the fishing off the coasts was, till comparatively recent times, extensively and excl...

Tunny fishing in Scarborough

Tunny fishing in Scarborough This page features articles on this site which mention Tunny fishing. The most relevant articles are placed at the top of the list. Those at the bottom may just mention tunny once. • Theakston's guide...

Whitby & Saltburn coastline

The Whitby & Saltburn coastline This page features articles on this site which mention Whitby or areas close by in some way. The most relevant articles are placed at the top of the list. Those at the bottom may just mention Whitby once. ...

Whitbys early history - a fishing town 

Whitby's Early History - a fishing town Is indebted for it's origin to an abbey founded there in the year 650. The Saxon name of the place was Streanshalt, (Sinus Pharij or 'the Bay of the Watch-Tower.' It was afterword called Pres...

WW2 in Scarborough - article list

Second World War in Scarborough This page features articles on this site which mention World War Two in some way.  Attacks On Trawlers in Scarborough in WW2  Attacks On Trawlers in Scarborough in WW2 It was Scarborough's fi...

Wyrill Crawford - Scarborough fisherman 

Wyrill Crawford - Scarborough fisherman Wyrill Crawford is a famous name in the old town. Its a name passed down over several generations. This article was sourced by Vanessa Milner of Scarborough Archives Group. It appeared in the Scarborough Eve...

Yawls

Yawls This page features articles on this website that mention Yawls in some way.  Accidents at sea  Accidents at sea The following article was in the Scarborough Mercury in 1910. It was entitled "SCARBOROUGH HERRING SEASON - ...

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