A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
Chapter 12
Fishing and the Floods.
The great fishing industry that
developed during the Middle Ages,
resumed after the second World War,
only to result in a rapid decline in
fish stocks due to the new methods
and machinery. Before the first
world war however, it ranked as the
premier herring port, and each year
from late September or even earlier,
large catches were brought into the
harbour.
Sailing ships being loaded at the quayside,
about 1900.
In the Middle Ages, the fishing in
Yarmouth was all important. Herring
was a staple food, and had the great
benefit of being well preserved when
kept in salt. Thus herring was stored
and transported by the barrel all
over the country. Edward I, whose
bust was displayed high inside the
roof of St. Nicholas Church, ordered
18,500 herring for consumption
by his household in the year 1300
when he stayed at Stirling Castle,
and he showed his love of this fish
still further by requesting 24 pasties
of herring in return for the grant of
a lease at Carlton. During the next
century, Margaret Paston bought a
horse load of herring for four shillings
and sixpence, and complained to her
husband that “that is all I can get at
the moment.” Herring was dispersed
far and wide from the town, and
aside from brewing and the cloth and
woollen trade, seems to have been
the greatest source of income for
the town. Herring was sent in 1755
to such diverse places as Naples,
Venice, Genoa, Ancona, Trieste,
Bordeaux and of course throughout
Britain also
[3]
. Over the years there
were tremendous ups and downs in
the success or otherwise of the catch.
Much of the town itself was devoted
to fishing, and the ropewalks were
retained inside of the town wall
Girls salting fish on South Denes.
South Denes was
an open space, where thousands of barrels were stacked
up. The fish were gutted, washed and stored in barrels
in layers of salt. King Edward Ist had herring supplied
from Yarmouth in this way.
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
until 1678. There was a lack
of warehousing, and goods
that could be traded in the
open air were few. Perishable
produce such as wool was
moved straight from one ship
to another, whilst herring
was dealt with immediately
upon landing. Less perishable
goods such as timber could be
stored on the quayside.
Fishing Smacks at sea.
During the Eighteenth
Century
John Andrews whose house
still stands upon the South Quay, was the most prominent fish
tradesman in the 18th. Century, and owned 20 fish houses
and six malt houses in 1741*4. The fishing then as always
was unreliable. Some years had a glut of herring, and others
were so poor that there was scarcely a living to be made. As
an example, there were 7.5 million herring cured in 1760, and
9.2 millions in 1780. This contrasts with the glut in 1756 of
nearly 73 millions, and 57.6 millions in 1773. At the end of
that century the trade with Norwich in other consumables was
dwindling, but there was a substantial Naval presence in the
town due to the French wars, which caused a huge number of
extra persons to be billeted in the town, and trade was developed
supplying the personnel on shore and the naval vessels in the
roads. The navy was stationed in the town from 1796-1811.
Further business in regard of shipping was in terms of the
construction of new vessels, by example there were 19 new
vessels built in 1790, with a total tonnage of 2028, as many
as 44 built in 1796.
In the Nineteenth Century
There were at least 7 dry docks
in operation, 37 new vessels
were built in 1805, and twelve
new naval vessels were built
between 1804 and 1808. Poor
weather always had its effect,
and it is noted that the wind
was poor in 1886 and 1889
for instance. In 1880 it was
a very bad year for fishing,
1886 was one of the “blackest
on record”. In 1888 the
season finished early- at the
beginning of December, with
the Scots boats having barely
covered their costs. At that
time it was said that the Scots
used much finer nets than
the English and sometimes
flooded the market with
undersized fish. Their boats
were cheaper to build and
cheaper to man than the local
boats. In 1887 the number
of vessels engaged in trawl
fishing had declined from 606
in 1881, to 348. 1,500 less
men were required that year,
and then Yarmouth was the
only trawl port with a separate
trawl market. In 1900 there
was a record herring catch
of 28,450 lasts, equivalent
to 3,049,000,000 herring!
Pickled herring were sent
“Shade of Evening”
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A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
to New York, Italy, Russia and Germany. Sixty one
pickling plots were let on the South Denes (See Row
137 about the fishhouse workers, also Blackfriars
Road).
rocks off Cromer. Wooden ships, if
beached during a high sea or in a gale
would usually break their backs and
become prey for the beachmen, ever
watchful in these parts. The beachmen
would observe along the coast with
their telescopes, whilst perched high
upon precarious looking watchtowers.
In competition with them were the
intrepid volunteer lifeboat crews
and the Coastguard, who had their
impressive premises on the site which
is now the “Oasis” on Marine Parade.
The last company of Beachmen to
operate in Yarmouth was the Standard
Company, which in around 1910 had
incorporated what was left of the
Young Company, and finished up as a
pleasure boat operating company, with
shareholders (see also under “Marine
Parade”).
Perhaps about 1850
Commencing the
Twentieth Century
Steam drifters in port one Sunday evening
“The fishing came
into full swing with
the October full moon
and by then there
would be some 800
Scotch drifters and
200 English drifters
using the port. All
the Scotch fishermen
kept the Sabbath and
remained in port
until midnight, and
frequently during
the fishing one
could cross the river
by stepping from one tier of boats
to another. The type of boat varied
exceedingly, from a well equipped
steam drifter to a smaller boat relying
entirely upon sail. The steam drifter
had two masts, and the hind mast
always carried a sail to give her
steerage. Many of the Scotch boats
had a tall thick mast and relied upon
a huge black triangular sail, which
was often reinforced by an auxiliary
The Hazards of a Sailing Era
In the 19th. Century, The Yarmouth Roads were a
rendezvous for the North Sea Fleet, protection being
afforded from storms with the ships lying inland of
the sand bars. Sailing ships had great problems in
running to the north, as once free of the roads and
passing Winterton, the wind if it came from a northerly
direction, tended to blow a vessel back, such that it
could not round Winterton Ness. Often, in attempting
to run for the Lynn deeps, ships would founder on
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Rough weather at sea.
engine. It was a wonderful
sight upon a windy day,
when catches were good,
to see hundreds of boats
making for harbour under
sail or steam. In those
days ships and gear were
comparatively cheap; it
was estimated that one
Sunday there were 1,000
ships in the harbour at a
total value of about three
million pounds - £3,000 a
boat on average. When the
boats reached the herring
grounds the way was more or less
stopped, and the boat drifted with the
tide. The crew then cast or shot their
nets and they then drifted down the
tide, and were kept in position by use of
the boats windage (sail) or engines. As
there were hundreds of boats in a very
confined area it was a tricky business,
so that a sudden or unexpected change
of wind led to disaster with tangled nets.
Most boats carried a crew of ten, and
the Scotch boats were often belonging
to and manned by one family. The nets
Steaming into harbour, above; below, the quay, about 1890.
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A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
instance the next wave threw the man
on board again, and he was then able to
hold on” (edited extracts of Dr. Ley’s
Memoirs).
Above, a wherry, moored on the Gorleston side of
the river. Below, a sailing drifter.
The Scots Girls“On shore there was
enormous activity. There was an influx
of some five to six thousand Scotch
fisher girls, who gutted, salted and
boxed or barrelled the herring. They
also worked in the smoke or curing
houses. Local girls worked along side
them, but were outnumbered. The girls
even worked at night by the light of
naphtha flares. Troughs full of silver
fish were a wonderful sight, under
the light of the naphtha, glistening
in the troughs, the stalwart girls bare
armed, black wet aprons spangled with
scales, red weather worn comely faces
crowned by multicoloured scarves,
with shuttling hands wielding gutting
knives and casting the gutted fish into
waiting barrels. Some 60 fish a minute
were gutted by one girl. At the same
time the fish were graded for quality
and cast into separate barrels. Fingers
were covered in bandages, cast off
bandages were found on the ground
months after the end of the fishing
season. The girls were tough. In those
days before the first war they were paid
ten shillings a week for certain, and at
the end of the fishing season so much
on the barrel if they did well enough.
To house all the Scots girls the poorer
inhabitants of the town completely
cleared two rooms, one to act as a
living room with two boxes for seats
and perhaps a table. The girls often
then slept three in a bed. They paid
very little for the lodgings, about three
shillings and sixpence each. For that
sum they received light and cooking
facilities. Many houses did not have
electricity before the first war. Rations
for the girls comprised bread, soup,
vegetables and fish”. Dr. Ley wrote that
many of the girls were well educated,
as were the Scots fishermen, although
some of the girls from the north and the
were often more than a mile in length, when all shot
out. Sometimes the herring struck the nets so heavily
that they were grounded and lost. Sometimes a boat
could not land all its full nets, and had to give part of
its catch (nets and all) to a less fortunate neighbour.
Those little boats were remarkably seaworthy and
were very seldom lost. Members of a crew were
occasionally washed overboard, but in at least one
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
“Yantje”, 14.5.2006.
Scottish Isles could only speak the Gaelic.
“When not working the girls were often seen
strolling about the town, sometimes singing,
sometimes chatting amongst themselves, and
constantly knitting. As well as the invasion
of girls, there were the Scots coopers, carters
and bakers, several hundred men in all. The
Scots stayed in the town for three months,
spending a large proportion of their earnings
in the town, especially boosting the licenced
trade. They also bought large presents to
take home, which were lashed to the boats.
Before the first war the town depended
very largely upon the fishing industry for
its living. Most of the fish was exported
to Russia, but substantial amounts were
bought by the curing houses throughout the
town, and that way the industry continued
throughout the winter, and into the spring,
with the fish preserved in salting tanks.
The fish sent to Russia was tightly packed
into barrels with layers of salt. The Russian
peasants apparently drank the brine as well
as eating the fish, as they were starved of
salt by a penal salt tax. The Russian buyers
tested the quality of the herring by breaking
a barrel and biting a piece out of the herrings
back to sample it. No one was too fussy
about hygiene. The fishermen themselves
were remunerated on a share system, and
the share of course depended on the season’s
catch. If it was bad the boat’s crew could
even end up in debt to the owner!”
Rainbow over the Grand Turk, July 2000.
Immediately following the first World War,
the number of boats was 300, but another
thousand or so joined in the season from Scot-
land. Nearly all the able bodied seamen had
joined during that war the trawler section of
the Royal Naval Reserve, and participated in
drifter patrols, mine sweeping and anti sub-
marine work. Sailing drifters became virtually
obsolete at the end of that same war, replaced
by steam drifters. The catch for 1919 was
453,458 crans, the cran containing 1000 fish.
The annual catch was therefore around 400-
500 million fish. The greatest catch in any one
day was recorded in 1907, on October 23rd.,
when over 60,000 cran, or 60 million herring
were landed at the fishwharf.
Several occupants of Lime Kiln Walk were
fishermen, and many old fishermen who can
describe the fishing as it was before the decline,
are still alive. One such old fisherman not of
Lime Kiln Walk, was Walter King, born in
Winterton in 1906. His father, also named
Walter, and his mother Lavinia (Hodds), both
originated in Winterton; his story follows:
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A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
The fishwharf, about 1870.
Under Attack
bolted into the rather fragile bandstand nearby.
The Germans were shelling the beach with 11
inch guns on battle cruisers.
For a year or so they lived in Yarmouth on
Alderson Road, and Walter King, at the age
of 9, was passing St. Peter’s Church with
two other boys, as the Zeppelin passed over
that dropped bombs on St. Peter’s Plain, and
blew out the windows of the church. The
boys just ran, and reached the market as the
bombs fell. Later, during the same war, whilst
standing upon the sand hills at Winterton,
Walter saw the German Fleet that shelled
Yarmouth, and demolished a house on Euston
Road. He could see the guns flashing on the
ships. At the very same moment, Dr. Ley was
in his home opposite the Wellington Pier.
It was the early morning of 4th. November
1914. At first light there was the thunder of
guns, and the house shook. Ley realised that
a Naval Battle was beginning, dressed with
all haste, and made for the pier, which was
only about 200 yards away. By the time he
got there, the worst of the deafening noise
had passed but there was still the flickering
of guns on the horizon. When the firing had
started there were some half dozen fishermen
on the pier. At first they watched shells fall-
ing short in the sea, but as they got nearer,
perhaps 600 hundred yards from the beach,
one man said “I’m going in out of this” and
The drifters were modified in the war to carry
a six pounder gun mounted upon the bow,
and with depth charges carried at the stern
ready to be dropped from chutes. They had
a hydrophone, were often equipped with a
wireless set, and carried a crew of fishermen
who had been trained for the service. They
were dispatched to deal with “U” boats in the
North Sea, and also in the Arctic, the White
Sea, even in the Atlantic, Mediterranean,
Aegean and Adriatic Seas. In the Channel they
joined the “Dover Patrol”, and roamed along
the French Coast. Yarmouth itself was used
as a submarine base during the First World
War, and there was a Naval Air Station on the
South Denes.
Walter King’s father was skipper of his own
boat, the “Ascendant”, and young Walter
started on it as cook in 1921. The vessel
had a crew of ten men. Walter had first been
educated in Winterton, and then briefly at the
Northgate school; they moved to Yarmouth,
because his father had shares in Bloomfield’s
company, but they left their house in the town
due to the hostilities. Walter was the oldest
child of Walter King and Lavinia (Hodds),
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
the post of mate.
He attended
the School of
Navigation on
the South Quay,
to obtain his
Master’s Ticket.
In 1933 he went
trawling from
Fleetwood, and
then returned
as a skipper to
Yarmouth.
Top row from left, Pretty Peck,Edwin Haylett, Dick Brown, Ben Skius
Haylett, Blucher Knigias, Phillip Smith, Sprat Haylett, Shelly Blowers,
Moses Rump Powles. Bottom row: Jay George, Essay Smith, Blunt
Woodhouse, Roper George, Charlie Smith.
The herring
nets were “shot” out for
some miles around the boat.
The crew would work all
night, some men taking it in
turns to have a break, whilst others looked
after the nets to stop them fouling up. The
nets were drifted perhaps two miles ahead of
the vessel, some 80 or 90 nets at a time. At
one time they used “sceine” netting, which
was laid out in a circle, the boat returning to
its mooring, after which the net was hauled
in again on the winch, alternatively, the net
was set out in a triangle before returning to
haul it in. When trawling, the nets were held
on wires, and kept open by otter drawers*6,
that are set up vertically, being held on a type
of sled on the bottom which by action of the
“door” in the water held the net firmly out
astride of the ship. There were iron shoes on
the bottom, and the upright door-like vane
was at an angle so as to keep moving outwards
whilst holding
the net down
on the bottom,
although the
depth might
vary- up to
perhaps 40
fathoms. The
depth would be
gauged with a
hand-held lead
weight on a
both of Winterton. Other children were Rhoda,
Charlie, May, Doris, Rosie, Ronnie, and Mary.
Rhoda married another Winterton King. Walter
acquired a share in the “Ocean Guide”. This boat
which was new in 1914, and launched at Oulton
Broad, was called upon to sail as a patrol boat
during the first war. There was a 12 pounder
gun on the vessel, and the ship was stationed
at Fleetwood.
Duties of a ship’s cook:
The duties of cook were to coil the ropes on
the ship as well as to prepare the food for the
crew. There was a breakfast of herring; lunch
was generally roast meat, or beef dumpling, or
suet pudding, and tea was again fish. There was
bread and margarine, and a kettle of a gallon
or so of water was boiled up and simmered all
day, full of tea and milk, which became incred-
ibly stewed, and as black
as tar. The meals on the
trawler were prepared by
the cook, but on a drifter
the men made their own
meals. Golden syrup was
then a favourite to spread
upon the bread.
Young Walter graduated to
the engine room, then to
470
“The Skippers”- see text, p.11.
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
Above left, “Jantye”, 14.5.06; top
right, sailing smacks towed out to
sea by the paddle-tug “Yare”. Right,
“Grand Turk”, 10.9.2006.
rope, dropped over the side, and there were
none of the modern aids to fishing or to fish
finding. Drifters in and out of Yarmouth in the
season would put into port with fish every day.
Trawlers might be out for 12 days, but in the
winter season they could be away for perhaps
24 weeks, and visit Iceland and Ireland and the
Scottish Ports. Drifters were 87 to 90 feet in
length. The “Lydia Eva” is rather longer than
the norm for a steam drifter. There was always
fierce competition between them and the Scots
fishermen. They would often be trying to fish
the same area, and would “fight” each other off
for the best line of fish,
and would sometimes
get their nets tangled.
in port, that held 1/4 cran each. (28 stone
to the cran) The fish were not gutted on the
boat. The girls were paid by the buyers to
gut the fish on the fishwharf. Nearly all the
girls were Scots. Not many Yarmouth girls
worked on the fishwharf. The families in the
rows made a room vacant to take the girls
in. When not working on the fishwharf they
would be knitting. They brought a trunk
with them, with a supply of their wool, hand
spun and dried.
Below, The Yarmouth Fishery pub on
Friars Lane, Middlegate corner.
If the catch in the drifter
was insufficient to land,
then the herring would
be salted in the hold of
the boat, and they would
fish another day without
returning to port. Bags
of salt were carried, and
the fish kept loose in
the hold, to be put by
hand into the baskets
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Bertie Hubbard and the long-boat men
. (see Lime Kiln Walk)
Spearing the herring for
smoking at Harry Swanston’s
smokehouse, Blackfriars
Road, 1987.
Johnson’s and Boning’s both had shops
that supplied the fishermen with cloth-
ing, and they also bought knitted gar-
ments from the Scots girls. The girls
were so fast at gutting that the fisher-
men had a hard job to keep up when
unloading the ship. The boats would
return home for a break at the time of
the Yarmouth races, and after about
three weeks would then go away again
fishing through until Christmas.
When Bloomfield’s started, Walter King
snr. had a share in the boats. Prior to
that he had been with “Wee” Green, who
had a “G” on the funnel of his ships.
In 1913 the “Ocean Harvest” was new,
built at Beecham’s yard in Yarmouth,
but after that Walter went on the “Ocean
Guide”, in which he took ownership
shares. The fishermen themselves had
a share in the catch.
James Bloomfield was the son of
a Liverpool Solicitor who came to
Yarmouth in 1902 and joined the staff
of Smith’s Dock Trust Company. Within
two years he was their general manager,
and by 1911 he was able to establish his
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A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
The London paddle-steamers docked at South Quay.
own ship owning company by forming a group
of share holders. There was a capital investment
of £50,000, held in one pound shares. A number
of vessels were acquired, the first being the
“Ocean Gift”, and on 1st. May 1911 the company
acquired the “Ocean Pride”, a vessel that had been
built in Middlesborough, and which acquired
the registration- YH172. One of Bloomfield’s
concerns was that some owners and fishermen
were using too fine a mesh, and he formed
the herring fisheries protection association to
help combat the problem in October 1912. The
headquarters of the association was in Yarmouth.
As Bloomfield acquired more vessels he took
them on in shared ownership with the skipper,
so that for instance the Ocean Souvenir was co-
owned with Solomon Brown, Blomfield had the
majority interest of 43 shares, and Brown had
21. Similarly the Ocean Reward was held in 43
shares by Bloomfields, and 21 by E. Green. This
particular boat being requisitioned during the
war for naval service, Bloomfields purchased
it outright after the armistice. Bloomfield’s
company owned 15 vessels in 1913. During the
first world war the boats were not allowed to
come into port during daylight hours which must
have made trade extremely difficult. Inevitably
the German and Russian Trade ceased during
the war, and after it there were the coal
strikes, when it was often impossible to
fish due to lack of fuel. James Bloomfield
died aged 54 on 4th. November 1922.
Subsequent to his death, the firm became
part of the Macfisheries group, which was
incorporated into Lever Bros. Ltd. In 1922.
In 1929, Unilever merged with a Dutch
Company the “Dutch Margarine Union”,
and the whole was known as “Unilever”. In
1925 Bloomfield fleet included 25 trawlers
and drifters*9.
In the photographs (p.18) there is a boat BF
188, a Scots boat, for whom Bloomfield’s
were agents, and the ship then flew the
Bloomfield’s flag. The tug, the “George
Jewson”, can be seen, which was used by
the commissioners, for dredging, and to tow
sailing barges in and out of the river. The
“Rose Hilda”, can be also be seen, (six pages
further) and this was one of “Wee” Green’s
boats. Another tug was the “Tactful”. In the
picture of the skippers, (p.7, botttom left)
“Mabby” Brown is in the centre, with hand
on his shoulder, and Eddie George is also
in the photo. The longshore boats worked
close to shore for whatever they could catch.
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
South Quay before Yarmouth Way was knocked
through the Rows
In another photo., Joe Haylett is fourth
left at the back, Benny Reed was the
gentleman so unfortunately killed by an
explosion on the lifeboat, and is seen
first on the left at the front. Joe George
is at the front, second from the right.
Condor is at the back right, and Billy
Moggons second from the right at the
back. The tall lighthouse at Gorleston
Harbour showed a red light, and was the
leading light into the harbour, with the
white light on the pier to the left, and
another, green light to the right. The
tall light in the centre was called “Long
Tom”. Walter remembered the old Naval
Hospital situated beyond St. Nicholas,
which housed Naval Lunatics. One man
there was supposed to be gathering
fallen leaves in a barrow, but he had it
upside down so that he wouldn’t have
to fill it. Perhaps he wasn’t so mad!
Eventually the Herring just disappeared,
and for no very definite reason, though
presumably they had been over-fished
for years. There were no good sized
shoals to be found. The fishing industry
always had its ups and downs.
William Thomason and his brother Carl, Scots
fishermen. (see Row 113)
Another fisherman was William Skoyles
of 53 Harley Road, (1871- 1937) who
took the “Kyoma” when new from
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A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
George Jewson tug boat, about 1900, also
see
“North Quay”.
Richards yard at Lowestoft in 1914, this
boat was owned by Moores of Yarmouth.
William Skoyles also sailed on the “Girl
Ena”, and on the “Arthur H. Johnson”.
When not fishing he worked at Johnson’s
oilskin factory. Born at Yarmouth he
married Patience Ward, and was the
father of eight daughters and three
sons. Patience’s parents kept horses at
one time at the bottom of the northwest
tower, it is said. Married in 1889, they
had Patience, born 1891, who married a
cooper, Ethel, born 1893, who married
Harry Butler of Manchester, in 1915.
Walter George was born in 1896, and
another daughter, Mary, died in 1963.
Violet was born in 1900, and Doris in
1903 both at Sculcotes. Another child
was born in 1905, who married a Trinity
House diver, Keller. Agnes, the youngest
girl (born 1913), married Walter Orton,
a warehouseman at Johnson’s. Derek
Skoyles, born 1928, grandson of William,
married Myra Stone of Yarmouth in 1950
and had one son, Clive, (born 1950, twice
married he has two children, Laura and
Michael). Derek Skoyles first went to
sea in 1946, on cargo ships as engineer,
tramp ships going abroad mostly to
Scandinavian ports in Norway, Denmark
and Finland. Sometimes they went as
far as Gibraltar, and Iceland. Later he
went fishing out of Lowestoft on vessels
including the “Trinidad”, the “Tobago”,
and the “Granada”.
Haven Bridge (prior to 1930).
Roy Carr, eel fishing near the Berney Arms
windmill, 1992.
(see Bowling Green Walk)
Onboard Engineering
As ships engineer he worked shifts, four
hours on and four hours off. Aside from
maintaining the engine he would take
his turns on watch, and look after all the
machinery and electrics. Spare parts such
as pistons and bearings were carried on
board. There were two engineers but only
one engine. Once down at the Faeroes, a
cylinder head cracked, and on lifting this,
it was found to be fitted on a block on
which the water cooling it could not be
shut off to any one cylinder in the normal
way, and they were forced to limp back
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The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
10.9.2006.
to Lowestoft with the head
stopped up with rags in it to
close the leak! The vessel was
rolling, making working on it
very difficult, so that the head
could only safely be partially
lifted. Another time, when
fishing in the north sea, the
forward trawl warp jumped
out of the roller and jammed
in solid. The trawl doors being
on the bottom of the north sea
at this point. They had to get
the nut off from under thick
layers of paint, knock the pin
back, tie the roller up so that
it couldn’t drop, pull some
slack off the winch to get the
warp (wire) slack to get it
back into the sheave. This was
exceedingly difficult.
soles and plaice-
and this method no
doubt contributed
to the over-fishing.
Nevertheless, after
the war, there was
at first a glut of fish.
On a trip to Aberdeen
the boat would be
away 18 days. On
board would be a
ton of ice in the fish
hold, which bonded
itself together. The
youngest deck-hand had the job of
chopping the ice up with an axe, ready
for the mate to put onto the fish. The ice
at Lowestoft came from the Lowestoft
Ice Co., but ships now have their own
refrigerators. In the old days the steady
plodding engine did nothing to harm the
fish, but the old fishermen could tell
the difference - with a diesel engine the
fish tend to bruise due to the vibrations.
Down in the fish hold there were
“pounds”- sections within the hold,
the fish would be layered alternately
with ice in each “pound” at a time. It
YH 73, Bloomfield’s ship “Rose Hilda”
Preserving the fish at sea
The trawl doors pushed the net
apart as the whole was pulled
over the ocean floor. “Ticklers”
were used in the mouth of the
net- a huge chain. This chain
disturbed the flatfish which
bury themselves in the bottom-
476
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
North-west tower and river Bure, 9.10.2006.
was important to have all the fish properly
covered, otherwise if one fish went off, the
whole cargo was liable to be condemned on
return to harbour.
engineer, cook, and five deck-hands. The cook
would bake fresh bread and rolls on board,
milk was tinned. Vegetables were generally
boiled potatoes, and cabbage or dried peas.
Six of the crew slept at the stern, and the
rest in the fo’c’sle. The skipper, the mate,
and the chief engineer each had their own
cabins. Fresh water was always a problem,
and shaving was frowned upon. On one trip
there was an airlock in the water tank and they
ran out of fresh water. They had to resort to
melting the ice down to make tea, but it was
very impure.
A fisherman’s diet
When at sea, undersized
fish were generally eaten on board. On the
first day at sea there would of course be no
fish, and the diet was bacon. The fish would
be gutted at sea by the deck-hands. There were
generally 10 men in the crew on these vessels,
but on a longer voyage to the Faeroes the ship
would carry 12. The usual crew comprised
the skipper, the mate, the chief and second
“Albatros”, 10. 9. 2006.
477
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
The Eastick Family
some 60 staff, including ransackers, beatsters,
and riggers. “Ransackers” were the men who
checked the nets over for damage, whereas
“beatsters” were women whose work was to
repair the damaged nets.
This family owned a considerable number of
boats over the years.
Henry Eastick, a boat owner, whose father
had also been a shipowner, was the father of
H. F. Eastick, born 1861, who died 26th. Dec.
1934. In the early days he had sailing vessels,
the “Piscator”, “Hearts Ease”, “Holmes-dale”,
“Ebenezer”, “Oceans Gift”, and “Boy Harry”.
The first steam drifter that Eastick had was
“Constance”, which was also owned by his
son H. J. Eastick. Beeching’s Yard had built
the Piscator, which had replaced a lugger of
the same name. H. F. Eastick, and his son H.
J. Eastick, split up. H. J. took over the owner-
ship of “Constance”, later H. F. Eastick had “H.
F. E.” built for his son, and the “Constance”
was sold. H. J. Eastick then bought the sailing
drifter “Bury Head”, and moved his business
to Gorleston. H. F. Eastick had three other
sons- E. E. Eastick, who was killed in the first
world war, C. V. Eastick, and G. W. Eastick. All
these brothers worked with the fishing vessels,
and became owners. At the end of the season
when laid up, the Eastick fleet could be found
at Fisherman’s Quay, Gorleston.
The Prunier Trophy
The Prunier herring trophy was inaugurated
on 20th. July 1936. All drifters, steam and
motor powered who fished from Lowestoft
and Great Yarmouth in the season, could
enter the competition. The vessel landing the
greatest number of crans of fresh herrings
at one time, at either port, could retain the
trophy for the year, also receiving a £25 cash
prize. The entire victorious crew could then
dine at Prunier’s Restaurant, together with
two days sightseeing in London.
In the event that an English boat won first
prize, then a Scottish boat was to receive
the second, and conversely if a Scots boat
won, then an English boat was to be awarded
second place. The winning boat also received
a weather vane intended be fixed to the
fore or mizzen mast of the vessel. Simone
Barnogaud-Prunier, the grand-daughter
of Alfred Prunier, founder of a famous
Paris Restaurant, called “Madam Prunier”,
had moved to London in 1934, opening a
successful branch at 72 St. James’ Street.
This prize was dreamed up by one Warner
Allen, who was, it is said, a wine expert.
His idea was to promote and encourage the
Herring Industry, which was then in need
of just that. The trophy was one fashioned
of Purbeck Marble. It appeared as a hand
rising from the sea, holding a herring. The
statuette was fashioned by Charles Sykes.
Several years later, the winning skipper was
also presented with a silver cigarette box,
and the crew-members each were presented
with a silver ash tray. 1966 was the last year
that the Prunier Trophy was awarded having
been missed out entirely in 1965. The vessel
“Suffolk Warrior”, that was built 1960 at
Lowestoft by Richards shipbuilders Co., had
won in 1964, at which time the skipper was
E. Fiske, and the catch was 276.5 cran.*7
H. F. Eastick showed the Prince of Wales his
fishing boats when he came to open the Haven
Bridge on 21st. Oct. 1930. The prince went on
board the East-Holme drifter.
Mrs. Rachel Eastick was the wife of H. F.,
daughter of James Johnson, another boat owner.
She died aged over 100 yrs. C. H. J. Eastick,
son of C. V. Eastick., still has the fish shop on
the corner of Drudge Road and England’s Lane.
Another boat owner, Miss R. S. Eastick, was the
younger daughter of H. F., and the registered
owner of the sailing drifter “Refraction”.
When H. J. Eastick separated from his father,
setting up on his own in Gorleston, he kept a
net store at the rear of Pier Plain. Another net
store belonged to C. V. Eastick and his son C.
H. J., at Fisk’s opening, Gorleston. The latter
is now Futter’s betting office. H. F. Eastick,
with his sons E. E., G. W., and C. V., and the
latter’s son C. H. J., sailed their boats from the
Swanston Road net store, and in total employed
478
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
Richard’s shipyard
Yarmouth since November 1965, and was
followed by “Underley Queen”, in April
1971, two months after the third of that
fleet, “Bentley Queen”, had been launched
at Lowestoft. In May 1973, it was reported
that 1/4 million pounds was to be spent on
both yards, Lowestoft was to concentrate
on building bigger vessels, whereas vessels
were to be built under cover at Yarmouth.
The first vessel to leave the new slipway
at Yarmouth was the 90 foot “Kinloch” on
March 29th. 1974. A tug which was built for
J. P. Knight and Co., of Rochester. Two 96
foot tugs, the “Alison Howard” and the “Lady
Howard II”, were built at Great Yarmouth in
1972-73, for John Howard and Co. Ltd., and
registered in Bermuda. October 1973 saw the
launch in Great Yarmouth of the 105 foot tug
Ralph Cross, for the Tees Towing Co. A 1.5
million pound order was taken for two oil
rig supply vessels for Offshore Marine of
Great Yarmouth, a subsidiary of the Cunard
Line. The latter order followed repair work
on earlier similar vessels owned by the same
company. The managers, foremen and office
staff at the Yarmouth yard in 1976 were-
Samuel Richards, aged 24 yrs., left Penzance,
in 1876, in possession of 25 golden sovereigns,
his intention being to work his passage to
Lowestoft, aboard a Yarmouth sailing drifter
called the “Five sisters”. The eldest of a large
family, Sam had learned the trade of boat
builder whilst apprentice to his father, Samuel
Richards Snr., in the family yard. The “Five
Sisters” was no. YH609, the owner being Mr.
C. W. Baizey of Gorleston. At about the same
time, a Samuel Hewitt from Barking in Essex,
moved to Yarmouth to become founder of the
great “Short Blue” fleet of fishing smacks,
after starting as a smack’s boy in 1863.
Eventually he would own 50-60 of the old
sailing trawlers, besides half a dozen liners,
and some carrying cutters.
In 1887 there were no less than four fleets
of fishing smacks operating from Yarmouth,
employing some 3000 men and boys, a
large proportion being on Hewitt’s payroll.
Yarmouth’s History in ship building commenced
at least by the 15th. century, probably much
earlier, as in 1290 so skilful were the local
shipwrights, that on the proposed marriage
of the then Prince of Wales, (Edward II), the
port of Yarmouth was commanded to build
for the bridegroom a beautiful ship.
S. Taylor, J. Dinsdale, J. Southgate, I. Gook,
M. Leeds, C. E. Clarke, R. Hughes, D. Boulton,
T. Paterson, K. Coleman, L. Cox, T. Bridge,
R. Bathgate, and G. Flint.*8
The Demise of the Fishing Industry
It appears that there were a number of factors
conspiring together to bring about the complete
and sudden end to this trade that had existed
for more than a thousand years with scarcely
an interruption. The fish were plentiful enough
immediately following the second war. Many
of the vessels did not survive the war, but
the fish certainly did, and there was a glut
initially. Likely the men did not much wish
to carry on this hard existence on low wages,
whilst new industries came to the town such
as Birds Eye, Erie Resistor, and Hartman
Fibre that attracted them away. Later, when
there was a crisis in fish stocks, there was a
need for investment in new larger vessels,
which could not then afford to stand idle in
a poor year (of which there had been plenty
over the centuries). Economic necessity is
Isaac Preston opened a yard in 1782 on South
Quay, and built 153 ships there during the
following 40 years. Preston was succeeded by
his son, who launched a further 102 vessels
between then and 1841. In 1818, it is also
recorded “as many as 100 ships were under
construction on the quay”.
Richards took over Fellows concern in
January 1970, at which time the yard and
its accompanying dry docks were used
by Everards, maintaining their coasters
and repairing ships belonging to owners.
Richards had alternative ideas, commencing
an ambitious reorganisation scheme costing
£250,000. Shortly after acquiring the yard,
there was an order for three new trawlers,
two of which were made at Yarmouth. When
launched in October 1971, the “Ripley Queen”
became the first new vessel to be built in
479
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
always the downfall of trade in such
circumstances. The new opportunities
offered by the oil trade to such vessels,
inevitably meant their conversion to
such work, and they then were never to
be redeployed. Many youngsters such
as John Crane, (see South Quay) were
able to seek other employment, and did
not need to suffer in the fishing industry
in the way that their fathers had.
There was a new standard of living
in post-war Britain, and of course the
newly created welfare state enabled
men to refuse poorly paid work more
easily. Going to sea in small ships for
hard labour and low wages had lost any
attraction. Now much better money
was at hand working for the American
sponsored oil and gas industry. Who
under such circumstances would do otherwise?
Before the war, men such as Sutton had declined
to invest in machinery, since labour was cheaper.
After the war, the investment in fishing became
precarious, and simultaneously much greater,
since the size and cost of a single vessel was
vastly increased. The house-wife after the war
was also more discerning, or at least had lost
the taste for kippers, and other fish became
much more widely sold. All these various
factors came together at the same time in the
early 1960’s, and inevitably caused the death
of the industry in Yarmouth. Paradoxically, if
the industry had been much smaller, it may
well have been less affected.
References:
*3
J. W. De Caux, The Herring and the Herring
Fishery, p. 103.
*4
J. D. Murphy, “The Town and Trade of Gt.
Yarmouth” 1740-1850, 1979, unpublished
thesis at UEA.
*5, *7,
“Herring Heydays”, by K. W. Kent.
*6
Called a drawer, sometimes door, sometimes
an Otter board, but all the same thing.
*8
Ref. “The First Hundred Years, the story of
Richards Shipbuilders”, by Charles Goodey,
1976.
*9
“The Ocean Fleet of Yarmouth” by L. W.
Hawkins, 1983.
Also see-
Above- “Endeavour”, 20th April 1997.
“Reminiscences of a general Practitioner”
by Leonard Ley, unpublished.
“The Yarmouth Herring Industry 1880-1960”
by Mary Innes Fewster, unpublished UEA
thesis, 1985.
“Herring nets and Beatsters”, C. Green,
Norfolk Arch. Vol. 34, 1969
“Yarmouth Herring and Holiday Boom
Town”, in “John Bull”, Aug. 15th. 1953
Articles in Industrial Arch. Soc. Journal,
1972, 1981, by C. Lewis.
“The winners of the Prunier Trophy”, East
Anglian Magasine, vol. 38, Sept.. 1979.
“The Herring and History”, History Today,
vol. II, no. 10 Oct. 1952.
Woolcombe J., “Why is the Norfolk Herring
Fleet Fading Out?” Norfolk County Annual,
1968
“Yarmouth is an Ancient Town”, A. A.
Hedges, 1959.
BF188 was a Scots boat flying Boomfield’s flag.
(see p.11)
480
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
The Floods
The most severe recent and well publicised flooding was in February 1953, but flooding is
not new or unusual in Yarmouth. Those who experienced the floods of 13th. February 1938
would say that they were more severe elsewhere in the county, and even in Yarmouth itself
in some ways the floods were as bad as in 1952, since the town was flooded three times in
a fortnight. Had it not been for a considerable strengthening of the flood walls, there may
well have been an equivalent problem on 21st. February 1993. Surges were also recorded in
January 1976 and 1978, and earlier recorded dates include 1947, 1897, 1869, 1835, 1800,
1810, 1740, 1613, 1557, 1282, 1287, and 1236*3.
There were certainly severe floods in 1905 (7th. Jan.), and at much earlier times the river
banks had been built up to keep back the sea. The ancient sea defences are well illustrated
on the pictorial map and view by Corbridge.
An earlier haven, the sixth, was thought to be responsible for severe flooding in 1557*4, and
this was so bad that ships were rowed through the streets, and the Haven was deliberately
blocked up so as to try to stop the sea coming in. This would have been a very significant
step indeed, necessitating a new harbour and rivers mouth to be cut two years later.
Top, 7th
January 1905
flood, North
Quay.
Bottom, 1st
February 1953,
Blackfriars
Road.
481
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Blackfriars Road, 1st February, 1953.
Since the river and sea have been shown
to be much lower in ancient time it may
be thought that there was perhaps a lesser
risk of flood, but the level of the town
itself was some 4 metres lower, without
the windblown sand and imported earth
layers. Recent centuries seem to have
seen mean water levels much as they
are today. The well at 55 King Street, a
private well for four dwellings, was sunk
before 1776, certainly not any later (see
the appendix, volume 5). The base of the
well is of pure sand, and sand is found
under the brickwork, so this is truly the
full depth it always was. There is 70 cm.
of water in the well, and the level is never
seen to vary. The brick has been marked
with paint, and the water level observed
over four years. If there had been less
water than this then it would have been
impossible to draw water with a bucket or
pump. It should also be noted that the water
is entirely pleasant to drink, and not at all
salty (compare Green’s findings at Row
111). The bottom of the well is measured
as being 7.105 metres below the datum
point at the York Road/ Deneside junction.
The datum point itself represents a level of
7.0043 metres above sea-level, so that the
base of the well is at present 0.1 metres,
or 100 cm. below sea level.
In the 1992 flood, Haddiscoe Road wascut
off, as well as the A47 Road to Norwich,
Yarmouth was almost an island for a short
while.
The Breydon wall was in a bad state in
1880, and so in 1884 an act was passed
in which a drainage board was set up,
and the wall was improved. An extra rate
was levied on households, but there was
an outcry over this, and in 1909 a further
act allowed the corporation to regulate
matters. The corporation then maintained
one mile of the wall, and the drainage
board the other three. Between 1910 and
1912, the wall was raised, and faced with
concrete.*5
The worst flood since 1905, occurred on
482
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
North Quay, February 1st 1953 .
Saturday February 12th. 1938. There was a fierce northwest wind, and the river began to
overflow by 6 pm. in several places. Nearly the whole of Southgates road was inundated,
together with Exmouth Road. Meanwhile the sea was lashing at the North and South Parades.
The fish wharf was barricaded with flood boards, nevertheless it was flooded by 8 pm.
From the Tavern to the Gasworks, the road was like a river, and water came up through the
drains on South Quay. The most serious house flooding occurred in the vicinity of North
Quay.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hipgrave at Fisher’s Quay was invaded with water for the third time
in a fortnight. Many houses had water a foot deep in their front rooms. A most amazing sight
was to be seen at the home of J. Vince at Bessey’s Buildings, nearest to the river. In its outer
wall the house had an old water door opening onto the tow-path. When the river rose around
the high step it swirled in to a depth of over two feet. The door was kept locked to prevent
the water rushing through the house into a passage where it would have rapidly affected all
the other houses. Jets of water hissed out of the edges of the door. Another dwelling on the
waterfront had water flowing past some few inches below the window glass. There had been
flooding the day before, and the cellar of the Pier Hotel at Gorleston was full of water.
South of the pleasure beach, waves flew over the promenade in one long curtain of flying
Flash flood, Caister Road, 25.9.06
483
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
water. Huge seas were whipped
up by the gale, some gusts
reaching 90 miles per hour.
Simultaneously, the sea was
also breaking over a new wall
at the Marina.*6
The flood which started that
Flood in Caister Road,
25.9.06 (right).
Below, outside St Andrews
School,
Northgate Street. Top,
sandbags in Northgate
Street, both 25.9.06
484
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
used to rescue people from
Cobholm. The sea wall on North
Drive had been broken up, and
also a part south of the Britannia
Pier. Gorleston promenade was
severely damaged. Supplies
of power and light had been
disrupted. Wooden blocks that
had survived the war as a road
surface on South Quay were
lifted by the flood water, and
were collected by householders
to be burned on their fires to
help in the drying out. At that
time the South Quay area was
still devoid of houses, an open
area interrupted only by heaps
of debris and trenches for new
sewer pipes, also to be seen
Saturday night around midnight
of January 31st. and into the
early morning of 1st. February
1953, caused the loss of nine
lives at Yarmouth, with thousands
of people made homeless. The
situation was made considerably
worse by breaches in the banks of
Breydon Water, which left floods
several feet deep at Southtown
and Cobholm, long after the water
had subsided in other parts of the
town. Three thousand five hundred
homes were estimated to
have been flooded, and
there was considerable
loss of livestock on the
marshes. Schools, and
holiday camps were used
to house the homeless,
and an emergency meals
service was instituted. By
the following Wednesday a
fleet of fire brigade pumps
had arrived as well as men
of the Army, RAF., and
other workers. Paddle boats
from the boating lakes were
Flooded quayside, 21st February 1992
Caister Road, 25.09.2006
485
Car stuck in the ditch
after the flash flood, Filby,
25.9.06
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Mopping up in Northgate Street after the flash
flood, 25.9.06.
Flood levels on the wall at
Blakeney. (Photo. 1996)
(Upper level - 1953)
Photos from Haddiscoe Bridge
The road was closed shortly
afterwards, 21st February 1992.
The railway line also flooded,
and boats were in danger of
taking to the fields.
486
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
lying about. The blocks
were never replaced.
Cattle rescued from the
marshes were kept at
the Two Bears Hotel
yard.*7
The Eastern Electricity
Board was faced with
an enormous problem
as their generating and
distribution equipment
flooded and became
inoperative all around
the coast from the
Wash to the Thames at
Tilbury. They mobilised
staff to deal with the
crisis throughout the
night. Staff were woken
up in London and all
over East Anglia. Two
hundred and sixty three maintenance men
were summoned. Hunstanton and King’s
Lynn were flooded at 1900 hrs., Yarmouth at
2125, Lowestoft at 2200, Ipswich at 0050,
Brightlingsea at 01.15 hrs., and Tilbury at
0100. A nightmare indeed!*8
Photos by Philip Rumbelow of the 1938 flood (12th February
1938), above, the road near Horsey. Below: Roy Randall rescued
from his car between Somerton and Horsey after being stranded
for 18 hours.
*3 Swinden
*4 Norfolk and Suffolk weather book
*5 E. D. P. Jan. 1st. 1952.
*6 P. E. R., Diary, vol. 13, 1938.; Y. M. Feb.
19th. 1938.
*7 Y. M. Feb. 6th., 13th., 1953.
*8 Eastern Electricity booklet, at GYCL.
487
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Anglia Television
News in
Northgate Street
after flash flood,
25.9.06
Earlier there had been two feet of water in Northgate
Street.
Caister Road, flash flood, 25.9.06.
488
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
The Haven, 9.10.2006.
Plan of the Haven, 1873.
The Yarmouth Havens
Clearly the first true haven was the river estuary, when it ran out to the north of the town, and
then where it ran south of the town. However, the
First
of the “Seven” havens commonly
referred to was that cut in 1347, lasting only until 1372. The Bailiffs, Burgesses and occupants,
petitioned King Edward III, in the 20th. year of his reign, for permission to cut out a haven
nearer to Yarmouth, opposite to Corton. (Swinden quotes Manship, p. 113.) This harbour
entrance lasted for 26 years until the 46th. year of Edward III, when it became considerably
blocked up with sand and gravel, and the ships had to land their goods at Kirkley Road, near to
the mouth of the haven. This certainly means that the ships could not get into the harbour, but
does not indicate exactly how far south the entrance to the harbour was.
In the 16th. year of Richard II, a petition was made to the King for the
“Second”
haven to
be made nearer to Yarmouth, opposite to the horse ferry, which Swinden thought appeared
to have been in a line from the north end of Gorleston or Southtown, over the Denes.
489
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
In 1408, some 15 years later, in the
10th. year of Henry IV, this haven also
could not be kept open, so there was
a petition for another haven, near to
Newton Cross. This was then the
third
haven
, which lasted 100 years.
There was an application to Henry
VI, in the 31st. year of his reign, and
a further one to Henry VII in 1508, to
cut a new mouth much nearer to the
town. (
fourth haven
)
The
fifth haven
, of 1528, was made
in the time of Edward IV.
Photos at the Maritime Festival, 10th September
2006.
Below - bow of “Albatros”
The
sixth haven
was constructed in
1549 the third year of Edward VI’s
reign. This was the time of Kett’s
rebellion. The haven was made about
1/4 of a mile from the south gate,
over the denes, the trench still being
apparent in Swinden’s day, and was
commonly known then as the “Old
Haven” (this is the one seen on the
Elizabethan map).
490
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
The Haven Bridge, and other photos,
Maritime Festival, 10.9.06.
HMS Atherstone
“White Moth”
Near left, YH 141, “Boy Frank”.
491
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
The Port and Haven Commissioners
Offices. 10.9.06
It was agreed to cut the
seventh haven
some 30 years later, in 1559, there having been a very
high flood indeed, in 1557, at which time boats could be rowed up and down the streets. It
seems that they blamed the design of the sixth haven for this, and actually tried to block it
up completely to stop the flooding. -The first Yare flood barrier! At this time whilst working
on the seventh haven, the river broke it’s banks at the Gorleston end, and pursued its old
course towards Newton Cross (implying that Newton Cross was still dry and not yet swept
away). Stone was used for the construction out of Our Lady’s churchyard, and Joyce (Joas)
Johnson was appointed master of works, by Henry Manship senior, a merchant, work being
commenced at the beginning of March, 1566.
492
A New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
A perhaps unexpected result of the
improvement brought about by the seventh
haven construction, was that the marshes inland
of Yarmouth, for the first time became free of
flooding (which had been almost continuous)
according to Manship. The owners of the
improved land refused to contribute to the
expense of building and maintaining the new
harbour. I suspect that they may well have
been sceptical of the long term benefits, and
indeed it was not until the drainage was musch
improved, with the addition of many wind
pumps (now electric) that the land could be
kept almost continually dry in the way that it
is now.
Ref. Henry Manship’s Great Yarmouth by
A.W.Ecclestone. p.86. (printed by John Buckle
1971)
493
Above, the Custom House, 9.10.2006
The Revised History of Great Yarmouth
Plan derived
from that by
A.W,Ecclestone,
in
Henry
Manship’s Great
Yarmouth
, 1971,
p.74.
Newton Cross
x
494
