Fish market 1800`s

[mary helen]

Where was the main fish market for Wick area in the 1800`s ?

Was it in Wick itself or where all the catches taken further afield for sale and distibution.

Anyone know ?
Thanks
M.H.

[fred]

Where was the main fish market for Wick area in the 1800`s ?

Was it in Wick itself or where all the catches taken further afield for sale and distibution.

Anyone know ?
Thanks
M.H.

There is no fish market on the town plans or the admiralty chart.

I would imagine the boat owners either had arrangements with the owners of the processing plants or auctioned the fish off on the quayside.

[mary helen]

Thanks Fred,

Strange there was no market as so much fish was caught in the early days.

Don`t know too much about the trade but I know fish was processed on site.
I had wondered if the excess (if there was any ! ) was sent to Aberdeen. Or was that too far away ?

M.H.

[fred]

Thanks Fred,

Strange there was no market as so much fish was caught in the early days.

Don`t know too much about the trade but I know fish was processed on site.
I had wondered if the excess (if there was any ! ) was sent to Aberdeen. Or was that too far away ?

M.H.

I can't think of any reason to send fish to Aberdeen. Wick had no shortage of processing plants and was on the main shipping routes to Inverness and the West coast via the Pentland firth. Fish was highly perishable and even with the coming of steam ships the risk would be great, shipping costly and the prices no better.

With the coming of the railways mid century things changed, fish landed at Aberdeen could be in the London markets fresh next morning, fish landed at Wick couldn't, the fishing industry in Aberdeen boomed while Wick declined. There would still be no way to get fresh fish from Wick to Aberdeen in time for the fresh fish market.

[marionq]

Fred, that is a good explanation for the decline in fishing from Wick (as well as all the other reasons since). My grandparents came down to Glasgow in the early 1900's and he worked in the docks which I suppose was the nearest equivalent. He looked every inch a fishermen to the end of his days in 1945 as far as I can see from his photos.

The railway like the canals in England and to some extent up here in Scotland certainly had a huge economic impact.

Marion

[mary helen]

Thank you Fred for that very interesting and informative reply.

I know very little (as you can tell !) of the workings of the fishing industry.
As most of my Caithness ancestors were involved in it I thought it was time I learned more.

You have painted a vivid picture of the logistics of getting fish from the sea to the table.

Thanks again,
Regards
M.H.

[Tricia]

This may help a bit:

2 Quotes:
"Wick is steeped in fishing history. Although the boom time came in the late 19th century, Wick was becoming established as a fishing port before the end of the 18th. By the mid-1800s, Wick had become Europe's busiest herring port. Much of the town's development at this time was due to the Free British Fisheries Society, which was responsible for much investment in harbour improvements and house building. What is now the main (but sadly much quieter) harbour area of Wick was developed from the village of Pultneytown, on the south side of Wick."

"The year 1832 - About this time Wick was, without question, the leading port on the East Coast of Scotland in the herring fishing industry. A large number of boats consorted in Wick during the summer season - from the shores of the Firth of Forth and the Moray Firth, from the northern islands and the Western Highlands. During 1832 cholera broke out in Wick with deadly virulence, and drove not only the stranger fishermen south but even those of Caithness. The southern fishcurers, who had Caithness stations, followed the fishermen with sloops laden with salt and barrels. A considerable number of the fishing boats endeavoured to get into Fraserburgh, but the authorities would not allow them to enter. They then tried Peterhead where, after the crews had been strictly examined by doctors in case of infection, they were granted entrance and immediately commenced fishing. The southern curers rented stations; the work was carried on vigorously; and so successful was the fishing that fishermen and curers returned and were augmented year by year by local men in both branches of the industry."

[peter macdonald]

Helen Ian Sutherland wrote a book called The Fishing Industry of Caithness and also a history of the seine net fisshing in the Moray Firth both are pretty good also The Book of Lybster by Donald A Young has a detailed chapter about fishing
PM

[mary helen]

Thank you Tricia for your excellent information. I now have a much clearer picture if the fishing industry.

Peter, I will try to read up on it from the books you recommended.

Thanks to you both,
Mary Helen

[Mosser]

Hi Mary Helen,

all of the herring landed in Wick in the 19th Century went from boat to processor. The processors often owned the boats or contracted with the boat at the beginning of the season. The auctioning of fish came in the 1890s with Wick being the first in Scotland to introduce such a scheme.

Herring need to be processed on the day of landing so getting fresh fish to the south did not come into question. The herring were gutted and packed in salt into barrels by teams of gutters and packers with some for the home market but most went for export, mainly to Europe.

In the very early days surplus herring were ungutted, roused in salt and smoked before being packed and barrelled, this was known as the Red Herring trade and much of this went to feed slaves; all this stopped with the repeal of slavery.

Hope this helps,

Mosser

[caroline]

Hi Mary Helen,

all of the herring landed in Wick in the 19th Century went from boat to processor. The processors often owned the boats or contracted with the boat at the beginning of the season. The auctioning of fish came in the 1890s with Wick being the first in Scotland to introduce such a scheme.

Herring need to be processed on the day of landing so getting fresh fish to the south did not come into question. The herring were gutted and packed in salt into barrels by teams of gutters and packers with some for the home market but most went for export, mainly to Europe.

In the very early days surplus herring were ungutted, roused in salt and smoked before being packed and barrelled, this was known as the Red Herring trade and much of this went to feed slaves; all this stopped with the repeal of slavery.

Hope this helps,

Mosser

Thanks for your very interesting information and knowledge. Most of my descendants from Caithness were Fishermen, Cooper's and the women Fish Gutter's

[mary helen]

Hi Mosser,

Welcome to Caithness.Org.

Your first posting has certainly been most helpful and interesting.
I was fascinated by your last piece of information. You are certainly well informed.

Thanks for that.
Mary Helen