History of Hull Fishing
History of Hull Fishing
Hull's First Fishing Trawlers
Hull's trawling industry started in Victorian times (1837-1901) and actually came about by accident. One day in 1850 a fishing boat sailed out of Scarborough and put out its net in the ocean. But a big storm was brewing and the little boat got caught in the storm was blown off course, and ended up in the River Humber.
When the boat came into the dock its nets had been ripped up by the storm, but one part of the netting had remained intact and it was bursting full of fish! Sailors realised they must have been swept over a huge fishing ground somewhere near the river. And they had! There was a big fishing ground about 70 miles from Spurn Point, which became known as the Silver Pits.
Hull's fishing industry took off and between 1854 and 1887 over a thousand 'Smacks' (a type of fishing boat) were registered at Hull. Many 'Smackmen' from the south east of England came to live and work in Hull.
Hull's First Steam Trawler
In 1885 Hull's first steam trawler the Magenta was launched. Although some sailing 'smacks' were built and used for fishing from Hull for a few more years, from 1887 they gradually declined and by 1903 (Edwardian times) only steam trawlers went out from Hull.
Some fishing boats are called 'trawlers' because they use a 'trawl-net' to catch the fish, see the image on the right. The fish (such as cod and haddock) caught by these boats feed at the bottom of the ocean and are called 'demersal' fish. A trawl net 'trawls' along the bottom of the ocean to catch these fish.
St Andrew's Dock - A Home For Hull's Fishing Fleet
St Andrew's Dock became the home of Hull's massive fishing fleet when it was opened in 1883. The dock was named after St Andrew, the patron saint of fishermen. In the Bible Andrew was a disciple of Jesus. He and his brother were both fisherman on the sea of Gallilee.
Hull's St Andrew's Dock was officially opened on 24 September 1883 with a great ceremony, which thousands of people turned up to watch. A procession of boats came through the new dock. The first was the Trinity House Yacht the Duke of Edinburgh. She was dressed with the Hull Docks Company's flag and onboard was the company chairman and teachers and students of Trinity House.
After the opening ceremony, 102 special guests went to the Hull Docks Company Office where a a magnificent feast was served. The Hull Docks Company Office is now Hull's Maritime Museum.
Working on St Andrew's Dock
Right from its opening in 1883, St Andrew's Dock was a busy, bustling place where lots of people worked. There were trawlermen, who were constantly going out on fishing trips to the Arctic, or coming in from a fishing trip with their catch. Yet, there were lots of other fishing jobs to do and most were done at St Andrew's Dock or in factories just off it.
Work at St Andrew's Dock and in the factories started early and finished late. It was tough and most of it required lots of physical effort, but it was also a fun and friendly place to work. Local historian Alec Gill, MBE, said that: 'The work was hard, the bosses were tough, the deadlines were daily, but people loved it. They called it one big family. They took a pride in the place and their fellow workers.'
Bobbers, Sorters, Net-Menders and Gutters
Lots of men called 'Bobbers' worked on the docks unloading fish from the trawlers. When the fish was unloaded from the trawlers they were put into baskets onboard the trawler and swung onto the dock-side. The Bobbers caught the baskets full of fish and tipped them into fish 'kits'.
Bobbers were given this name because lots of these baskets full of fish would be swinging to and fro from the trawlers. The men had to constantly 'bob' out of the way to avoid being knocked over!
As well as Bobbers, there were people who sorted the fish and inspected them. There were places where nets were mended and boats repaired. There was also people who de-scaled and gutted the fish, before packing them.
The Fish Meal Factory
Nothing was thrown away at St Andrew's Dock. In 1890 the Hull Fish Meal and Oil Company was founded and a factory was built to process all of the fish heads, guts and bones which couldn't be eaten by humans. The fish meal which was made in the factory was made into fertiliser for farms or used as animal and fish feed.
The Smoke Houses
Hull used to be famous for its smoked haddock and tasty kippers.
The fish were smoked in big factories off St Andrew's Docks. The fish were hung up in large rooms with hot, smoking oak wood chips underneath. Smoking was used to preserve the fish as well as add flavour.
When did St Andrew's Dock close?
St Andrew's Dock finally closed on 3 November 1975 when the trawlers transferred into the Albert and William Wright Docks – these became Hull’s present-day fish docks.
Life in Hull's Fishing Community
The trawlermen and people who worked on the docks and in the factories along the docks all tended to live in the Hessle Road area of Hull.
Because life was so hard for the trawlermen and their families, Hull's fishing community had a real 'community spirit'. There was a caring and friendly atmosphere and people helped their neighbours. Hessle Road has been called 'a village within a city' by local historian Alec Gill, MBE and it was often seen as set apart from the rest of the city.
What was it like to be trawlerman at home?
Hull's trawlermen had a very macho image, which is not surprising, considering the hard job they had to do. But despite this, Alec Gill says the trawlermen were quite 'dandy', which means that they were very elegant and refined dressers.
One tradition of the trawlermen was to visit their tailor when they returned from a fishing trip, to be measured for some stylish new clothes. They often wore trousers with high waistbands, wide bottoms and moon pockets, with matching jackets in a range of colours, from sky blue to shocking pink!
Three-Day Millionaires
Hull's trawlermen were called the 'three-day millionaires'. This was because they were only home for about three days at a time, before they went off on another fishing trip. If they had a good trip and caught lots of fish they would get their "settlings" and could walk home feeling like a millionaire!
The trawlermen had only three days to enjoy themselves and so they often treated their families to meals out, bought new things and went out to enjoy themselves at the local pub. Life at sea was extremely hard and dangerous, so Hull's trawlermen enjoyed life to the full.
What was it like to be a Trawlerman's wife?
The wives of the trawlermen received a small regular wage while their husbands were away. This made sure that they could buy food, clothes and household items and didn't have to wait until their husbands got back from a fishing trip. If the wives didn't work, this would have been their only income.
The day that all the wives went to the Dock Offices to collect this wage was called 'white stocking day'. This saying dates back to when the whalers' wives in Hull used to do exactly the same when their husbands were away. It is called 'white stocking' day because in Victorian times, when Hull was a major whaling city, the wives would have all worn white stockings.
It must have been hard for the trawlermen's wives while the men were away at sea, but they got by and all helped each other. In fact the ladies of Hessle Road became known for their strength of character and their ability to get by in hard times. Every three weeks, when the men got back from sea the wives all used to say that they became 'Princesses'. The trawlermen were only back for three days, before they had to go again, so they made the most of their time at home by treating their families.
The 1968 Triple Trawler Disaster
What was the Triple Trawler Disaster?
In 1968 three trawlers from Hull sank within a few weeks of each other and 58 men lost their lives. The city of Hull went into shock, especially the Hessle Road area, where most of the fishing community lived. People were horrified that this could have happened.
Who was involved?
The St Romanus was the first trawler to be lost on the 18 January. All 20 crew members were lost at sea. The second trawler in the disaster was the Kingston Peridot, which was lost on the 26 January with all 20 of its men. The Ross Cleveland was the third trawler to be involved in the tragedy. It was lost on the 4 February, with 18 members of the crew. Only one man survived, Harry Eddom.
The 'Headscarf Campaign'
A campaign for better safety at sea was launched by the wives, sisters and daughters of trawlermen, and led by Lillian Bilocca. Lillian was born in Wassand Street, in the heart of Hull's Hessle Road fishing community. Her father, husband and son all made their living at sea. Lillian earned her nickname of 'Big Lil' during her campaign to improve safety and conditions for trawlermen at sea and became a local folk hero, known the country over.
The campaigners met with trawler owners, and also with government ministers, to discuss better safety and fairer working conditions in the fishing industry. Some wives picketed the dock to make sure that no ships left without a radio operator. Lillian even met with Prime Minister Harold Wilson at No. 10 Downing Street.
The campaign got a huge amount of attention from all of the national newspapers. The campaign was called the 'Headscarf Campaign' by one newspaper and it caught on.
