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:
1) House properties in the Undercliff Quarter of the borough of Scarborough
2) Location names, past and present, in the same area.
3) Coastal names withn the boundaries of the Corporation of Scarborough
4) Structures, serving Scarborough harbour, 12th- 21st centuries.
5) Organisations serving the harbour or functioning there.
6) Functions served by the harbour, (including fishing and fish processing, migration, servicing, fuelling and repairing shipping, “haven of refuge”,collection of revenues, servicing leisure craft (marina, Pleasure cruisers), trade (fish, wool, timber, cargoes, malt, coal etc). production of train oil, salt, red herring, sailcloth, ships and boats;”nursery of seamen”, hosting and victualling fishing vessels from many ports.etc.etc)
7) Harbour crafts and trades.
8) Development of “the first seaside resort” on the coast, its transformation 17th-20th century and its influence on the harbour,
9) A preiminary list of sources of primary documents on harbour history
The next step is to identify, locate, and acquire copies of primary source material, to extend our growing records and to develop the harbour research project. There is material at Scarborough Corporation, Harbour Master, North Yorkshire County Record Office, York Minster Library,the Borthwick Institute of Historical research, Trinity House Scarborough, local Estate agents, Scarborough L:ibrary and elsewhere.
What is not being focused on at the moment is:
1) Shipping families and their history.
2) The changing experience of fishermen and mariners.
3) Detailed records of harbour users, fishing boats, ships etc.
