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Herring Women

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Article from Ancestors Magazine Issue 56, by Karren Foy
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30 ANCESTORS APRIL 2007 D uring the 19th and early 20th century, the herring industry provided work for thousands of men along the East Coast of Britain, but women also played a large part in the success of the trade. Herring is a perishable fish with a very short shelf life. Among the various methods of preservation, which included salting, drying or smoking, salting became the most common option. The whole process was known as “curing”, which was the area in which most of the women were employed. In the Winter before the herring season was due to begin, fish merchants and curers would send “scouts” into the community to contact the women for work. Sometimes a payment of approximately one pound – known as an earlais – was given to ensure that they would be loyal to a single employer. During May and June, young girls would travel North as far as the Shetlands to find employment in the herring yards. A Parliamentary Report on the fishing industry in 1932 said that in the Spring and Summer of 1930 some 6,300 women were engaged in the trade. As the season progressed they would follow the fleet from the Orkneys down into England, working at ports along the East Coast until they reached Yarmouth and Lowestoft in the Autumn, making an essential contribution to a hard and labour- intensive trade. Often starting as young as 16, these herring girls or “fisher lassies” would continue the work well into their married lives. Occupations A century ago thousands of fisher lassies followed the herring fleet, while fishwives stayed at home to support their husbands. Karen Foy looks at the women’s contribution to a boom industry
Transcript
Page 1: Herring Women

30 • ANCESTORS APRIL 2007

During the 19th and early20th century, the herringindustry provided workfor thousands of men

along the East Coast of Britain,but women also played a large partin the success of the trade.

Herring is a perishable fish with avery short shelf life. Among the variousmethods of preservation, whichincluded salting, drying or smoking,salting became the most commonoption. The whole process was knownas “curing”, which was the area in whichmost of the women were employed.

In the Winter before the herringseason was due to begin, fishmerchants and curers would send“scouts” into the community to contactthe women for work. Sometimes apayment of approximately one pound –known as an earlais – was given to

ensure that they would be loyal to asingle employer.

During May and June, young girlswould travel North as far as theShetlands to find employment in theherring yards. A Parliamentary Reporton the fishing industry in 1932 saidthat in the Spring and Summer of 1930some 6,300 women were engaged inthe trade.

As the season progressed they

would follow the fleet from theOrkneys down into England, workingat ports along the East Coast until theyreached Yarmouth and Lowestoft in theAutumn, making an essentialcontribution to a hard and labour-intensive trade.

Often starting as young as 16, theseherring girls or “fisher lassies” wouldcontinue the work well into theirmarried lives.

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A century ago thousands of fisher lassies followed the herringfleet, while fishwives stayed at home to support their husbands.Karen Foy looks at the women’s contribution to a boom industry

HERRING WOMEN 19/2/07 12:50 Page 30

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At Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis,where many came from, the girlswould congregate on the quaysideawaiting the arrival of the herringfleet, ready for the Summer’s work.

A nurse and a minister mightaccompany the girls, to provide healthcare and religious support while theywere away from home.

Fish merchants and curers wouldarrange transport to the herring portsand accommodation which could varygreatly. In some places, wooden hutswere erected to provide a temporaryhome, or sheds in the herring yardwere converted for sleeping in;whereas in places like Yarmouthlodgings were found within the town.

Each hut, which housed six girls,provided a bunk bed with a strawmattress and basic storage facilities, a

stove and fireplace. Shared toiletfacilities and the water supply wereoutside. Girls would bringfurnishings, such as curtains,crockery and bed linen, in an effort tomake their accommodation as homelyas possible.

Before starting work the girls wouldchange into a practical outfit. Hand-knitted woollen pullovers and heavywoollen skirts were worn for warmth,covered with an oilskin apron. Hard-wearing leather boots covered theirfeet while a headscarf – which was tiedat the back – protected hair from fishscales and salt.

They shredded old flour sacks intorags and wrapped them around theirfingers as protection against the sharpknives used to gut the fish, and toenable them to get a better grip.Unfortunately the rags, known asluideagan in Gaelic, did little toprevent the sores and grazes caused bythe excess use of salt and brine whichpenetrated their skin.

The day began at 6am when thewomen were organised into crews of

three, consisting of a packer and twofish gutters.

Once landed, the fish were unloadedinto long wooden troughs. Using ashort-handled knife to remove theirinternal organs and gills was a verymessy business, but each girl would,on average, be expected to gut 40herring per minute, although the moreexperienced workers were capable ofeven more.

The second part of the gutter’s jobwas to sort the herring by size andcondition into baskets, known asswills. The best quality fish were thematties, young fish that had not yetdeveloped any reproductive organs orroe. Middle range fish were the adultsthat were ready to spawn, while theleast desirable were those which hadalready spawned. The girls soonbecame efficient in spotting whichwere which.

At this point, the gutters’ work wasdone. Fish were then packed in arosette pattern in four foot highbarrels to be cured.

The technique entailed putting the

APRIL 2007 ANCESTORS • 31

Occupations

Fisher lassies gather round the long woodentroughs filled with fresh herring to be gutted.

Each girl would, on average, beexpected to gut 40 herring perminute...

Fishermen carry their catch off the boats.

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32 • ANCESTORS APRIL 2007

first layer of fish in the bottom of thebarrel with their heads pointingoutwards, then the second layer withtheir tails pointing outwards. Thisarrangement was interspersed withthick layers of coarse salt.

Once filled, the barrel was left tostand for 10 days to allow the juiceand the salt to mix. Because the fishshrank and became compressed undertheir own weight, more layers of fishwere then added to top up the barrel.

The barrel was drained before brinewas added through a small hole in thetop to help preserve the herrings.

After sealing, each barrel wasinspected by the fisheries officer.Having confirmed that the barrel wasfilled properly and did not leak, hegave each one an official brand. Thecooper (barrel maker) would thenincise the name of the curer and thequality of the herring on the lid.

It was essential that the womenworked quickly. As the fleet arrivedwith its catch, the fish had to be curedstraight away before they started todeteriorate, especially during the warmSummer months.

Meal breaks were usually between8-9am for breakfast, and 1-2pm fordinner, but the women had to continue

working until the whole catch wasprocessed which could sometimesmean a very late finish in the evenings.Their week ran from Monday toSaturday, ending at 6pm, but theywould be given a half day off duringthe week to clean their huts and dotheir washing.

An average wage was one shillingper barrel for a team of three, with anextra sixpence following the finalpacking. Depending on the skill andspeed of each girl, and how well theyworked together as a team, they couldearn up to 10 shillings a day.

Girls employed for “kippering”would be paid fourpence per hour tosplit the backs of herring ready forsmoking.

Although they were given anallowance, they were not paid their fullwages until the end of the season.

When they married, fisher lassiesbecame known as fishwives. Theystayed at home bringing up thechildren, but they also had animportant role in their husbands’ work.

When the smaller craft, known ascobles, set sail, the fishwife was oftenexpected to carry her husbandthrough the water and help him ontothe boat. This was for a very practical

reason: it would be easy for thefishwife to go home and dry out herclothes, whereas if the fisherman gotwet to start with, he would more thanlikely have to stay damp throughouthis time at sea.

Fishermen would negotiate with theherring yards through fish merchants,but smaller catches were often soldfrom baskets, by auction, straight fromthe beach. Buyers who bought one ortwo baskets to sell on were known ashawkers or cadgers.

However, in many fishing families

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Scottish fisher girls at work gutting herring at Yarmouth.

The fishwife was often expected tocarry her husband through thewater and help him onto the boat...

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around the coast, it was often thefishwives who, in addition to otherduties, increased the money broughtinto the household by helping to sellthe catch.

It was a common sight to seewomen seated outside theirwhitewashed cottages, selling anythingfrom herrings to shellfish to passers-by. Others would set up a stall alongthe roadside, or travel further afield bytrain or bus to sell their wares from abarrow kept nearby.

The wicker baskets, used by the

women to carry the fish on theirbacks, were called creels, and wereoften made in the village. On top couldbe carried another lidded basket,whose flat surface was used to filletany fish they sold; their sharp filletingknife would be slotted into the side ofthe wicker when not in use.

Two oval baskets could be held ineach hand to store dried fish such ashaddock and kippers.

The women had their owndistinctive costumes, which variedslightly depending on which area ofthe coast they originated from. Theirworking clothes were usually dark incolour and made from flannel.

The main item used to cover theupper body was called a bedgown –possibly because this was the item ofclothing that they would leave on ifthey took an afternoon nap.

This T-shaped garment had braidswhich tied across the chest and behindthe body, leaving the area in front ofthe legs open.

A distinctive skirt with a tuckedhemline provided warmth around thelegs, together with a number ofpetticoats to add extra layers. A large,pocketed apron was worn over theskirt and a knitted, fringed shawlcompleted the outfit.

Although the younger fishwivesoften went bareheaded, older ladieswould wear straw bonnets orheadscarves.

Knitting was a common pastime forherring girls and fishwives during the

short amount of leisure time availableto them. Visitors to the Yorkshirefishing ports such as Whitby and Fileyand tiny villages such as Seahouses,reported seeing women sitting in theirdoorways busy with their needles.Never wasting a moment that could beused to earn an extra penny, womenworked late into the evening by the

APRIL 2007 ANCESTORS • 33

Occupations

Blood pickle – the chemical reactionproduced by the fish juices and the saltwithin the barrel. This is eventuallydrained away.

Coble – an open boat with no watertightcompartment, owned by an individualfamily.

Cooper – a barrel maker.

Cran – a completed barrel containing 1000herrings.

Matties – young herring without roe – themost valuable fish.

Pining – allowing the barrels to stand for10 days.

Spents – herring which have alreadyspawned – the least valuable fish.

Top tiering – adding a top layer of fish ina barrel once shrinkage has occurred.

Glossary

GalstonYarmouthArdglassWickLowestoft

Main herring ports and curing stations

StronsayPeterheadLerwickFraserburghStornoway

Fish are laid out for sale at a fish market in Grimsby.

Fishwives from Newhavenin their distinctive stripedskirts, one with a wickercreel on her back.

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light of rush lamps, knitting more byfeel than by eye.

From an early age girls weretaught to knit ganseys – seamlesswoollen jumpers designed to protectfishermen while they were out at sea.Their colour signified on whatoccasion they were to be worn: navyblue was for Winter use, pale grey orbeige for Summer and black forfunerals.

Individual patterns with zigzags,diamonds and cable designs made eachgansey unique, and gave a clue as towhere the fisherman came from. Oftena unique emblem or arrangement ofstitches was added, so if there was adisaster at sea a fisherman’s bodywashed ashore could be identified byhis gansey.

Through their hard work anddiligence the women of the fishingindustry were essential to this oncesuccessful and thriving trade.

Curing provided jobs for not onlythe fishermen and herring girls butalso for the coopers and carriers.Barrels of herring were exported asfar afield as Germany, Holland, Russiaand Poland.

An example of how vast theherring trade was during the early1840s is recorded at Seahouses,Northumberland, where the curinghouses and sheds of John and AndrewEwing were responsible for themajority of the 6,000 barrels of herringexported from the harbour in 1843-44.

Curers not only employed theworkforce and organised payment ofthe gutters and packers, but alsopurchased the fish at an agreed price,checked that the salt was delivered ontime, co-ordinated the arrival of thebarrel makers and, finally, exported thefinished product.

Coopers were highly proficient menwho had acquired their skills afterserving a long and dedicatedapprenticeship. The wood for herringbarrels had to be heavy and dry towithstand the weight and moisturecontent of the fish. Spruce fromScandinavia was preferred, and oncethe wood was cut into strips – orstaves – of the correct size to preventleakage, they were held in place bywooden hoops. An accomplished

34 • ANCESTORS APRIL 2007

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When the fleet arrived in port the harbour would be a hive of activity as eachboat landed its catch. As the years went by, the types of vessels which made upthe herring fleet changed dramatically.

Early craft, known as cobles or mules, were small boats with little in the way ofprotection from the weather and stormy seas. These open boats had no watertightcompartments and the only warmth came from a small cast iron brazier, used as both alight and a source of heat on which to boil kettles.

Cobles were privately owned by individual families. They were often decorated withbands of brightly coloured paint and given a name significant to the owner.

The sail-and oar-driven coble paved the way for a later, more efficient, motorisedversion of the boat.

To enable fishermen to go further afield in search of herring, keelboats were used.These larger, decked boats were crewed by up to eight men and could carry between 40to 70 drift nets to catch the fish.

Trawlers using steam-powered engines revolutionised the industry, allowing boats togo even further and carry a larger catch. As bigger boats, they also provided shelter forthe crew.

A fishing smackphotographedin 1895.

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cooper could be expected to make upto 70 barrels a week.

Over the years a variety of methodswere used to preserve the herring.Although curing was the most popular,alternative approaches provided extrawork within the industry.

To smoke herring the fish was splitopen and gutted, soaked in brine andhung in racks over oak shavings in asmokehouse for approximately 12hours, after which it became a kipper.The word has its origins in the OldEnglish word “coper” – meaning

copper colour – and refers to the redbrown colour which the fish takes onafter smoking.

For generations, people had smokedherrings as a way of preserving the fishbut legend has it that it was JohnWoodger of Seahouses who christenedthe kipper when he smoked a herringby accident in 1843.

A fire had been left on in his shedovernight and the following morning hediscovered that his split herrings hadbeen ruined by smoke. Upon furtherinspection, he noticed that the fish

looked attractive and the flesh tastedgood and so the kipper was born.

Smokehouses began emerging allover the North East as fishing villagesconverted their herring sheds topreserve their catch. In Seahouses, forexample, by the 1880s another 10curing houses had set up in the village.

The type of wood used to create thefires greatly affected the flavour of thefish, so smokers experimented tocreate their own unique tastes.

Red herrings are fish which havebeen dry salted and smoked whole.The process of smoking is similar tothat of kippers, but the procedure cantake up to 10 days.

Bloaters are ungutted herring whichare salted then lightly smoked. Theybecame particularly popular during the19th century.

Karen Foy is a keen readerand avid family historian.Her love of genealogy beganwhilst researching herancestor James Macdonaldwho was Head of the SoundDepartment at Disney andeventually became thevoice of Mickey Mouse.This inspired her to try and trace herScottish roots back to the Jacobite Rebellion.

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TAKING IT FURTHERIf your ancestor was a herring girlwww.geocities.com/transport_and_society/routine.html is an essential site tovisit. It uses a wide variety of resources todescribe the life of the herring girls, withinterviews and links to photographs.

The Stornoway Historical Society atwww.stornowayhistoricalsociety.org.uk/features/herring holds information andphotographs on the town’s fishing industry.There are links to publications and specialevents which would be of great interest toanyone with family connections in that area.

A BBC site at www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/work/ scotland/s_ne gives furtherinformation on the Scottish herring girls andhas links to other sites.

A selection of photographs about theherring fisheries at Barra can be found at theRoyal Scottish Geographical Society’s Imagesfor All website onwww.geo.ed.ac.uk/rsgs/ifa/images1.html.

Read more about itIan Mitchell, Walking through Scotland’sHistory (National Museums of Scotland, 2001)

Two fishermen photographed at West Mersea in 1895, wearing typical ganseys.

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