Early European Fishing
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The earliest European fishing vessels that plied their trade on the North Atlantic were square-rigged ships. Fleets from various countries, including France and England, ploughed their way through the often stormy seas, and perched themselves atop the Grand Banks for several months of fishing.
It wasn’t an easy job.
The weather was cold, wet and miserable, even on the best of days. Many of the men who worked aboard the vessels, particularly the crew aboard French ships, were working off debts. Some had been taken from debtor’s prisons and were forced to work as fishermen, having left loved ones at home, to fend for themselves.
The earliest of these fishing vessels were similar to the famous HMS Bounty, but were not quite that developed, in terms of steering. These vessels did not have a ship’s wheel, but were steered by the use of a tiller stick, located aft, below deck. The captain or navigator would stand on deck and shouted directions down through a grill, to the man in charge of the tiller. Thankfully, they rarely had need for quick, nimble maneuvering.
Square-rigged vessels require a larger sized crew than schooner-rigged ships. In the case of these early fishing vessels, the fishermen had to also be able to climb aloft and work the sails. On their voyage to and from the banks, the sails were often set in the same position for days on end, harnessing winds that regularly blew from a steady direction. While on the banks, they stayed in one area for days or weeks, depending on the abundance of fish.
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January 19, 2009
Bluenose Builders
12:06 pm | No Comments » |The original Bluenose was Canada’s most famous racing and fishing schooner. Launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, on 26 March 1921, the vessel went on to be a great success as a fishing vessel and the undefeated Champion of the International Fishermen’s Series.
Many books and documentaries have been created, showcasing the talents of the Captain, Angus Walters, the crew members and the naval architect, William Roue. Given that the vessel fished, raced and toured as a sailing ambassador, the stories are rich with pure history: success, struggles, humour and human nature.
One area of the history is largely unknown, however. We do not have a definitive list of the names of those men who built the schooner, at the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard, between December 1920 and March 1921.
Allan Browne, of Lunenburg, is gathering information on this subject and would greatly appreciate assistance. According to Mr. Browne, “these men would have been born circa 1845 to 1906, being as young as 14 to as old as 75 in 1920.”
The information, when compiled, will be made available to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, as part of the archives. In turn, it will be public record, available to all who have an interest.
If you have names to add to the list of builders, please contact Allan Browne at abckits@hotmail.com or contact the Museum by either leaving a comment on this blog, or writing to getsonhe@gov.ns.ca
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December 11, 2008
Paper Trail
10:01 am | No Comments » |Researchers have long known the benefits of reading through old issues of newspapers and periodicals for information about historical subjects. Items that were once “everyday news” help to back up primary research in a variety of topics. Whether your interest is genealogy, local history or other, more specific subjects, the publications from days of yore are bound to have interesting tidbits of information.
It isn’t necessary to have access to the actual newspapers or magazines. Microfilmed or digital copies of publications are often available for reading in museums, libraries and other research centres. They can sometimes be requested through inter-library loan. Of course, nothing truly compares with the sensation of reading original documents. One of my most thrilling research moments, when in university, came with the opportunity to read bound copies of original issues of “The Gentleman’s Magazine”, which was first published in 1731, in London. Contrary to the implications of the title, it was a periodical that had a variety of articles, none of which were of a dubious nature. My quest for information had to do with an early archaelogical dig of Henry VIII’s castle of Nonsuch. Reading about the castle ruins, in dated language, helped to put me “right there” and I loved it.
This leads, however, to one of the perils of archival research. Unless you are particularly gifted with a strong sense of focus, your eyes will stray to interesting bits of news that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Sometimes the curiosities of the day will strike a responsive chord; the best advice is to bring plenty of paper, or make a special file in your computer, to record snippets too good to be missed.
Two such instances were found during the course of other research:
From the “Digby Weekly Courier” – February 2, 1906
Fish Story: Smelt Swallows Bottle Contains PEI Man’s Note
New York, Jan. 31. While cleaning a large bloater smelt that came in a consignment of fish from New York this morning, Fred Ivamy of West Second Street found in the fish’s stomach a bottle about the size of a man’s thumb. It was securely corked and contained the following message written on a small piece of paper. “Whosoever gets this note will confer a favour by replying to undersigned. Harry Durant, Margate, Prince Edward Island, Canada, January 4, 1906.”
The bottle holding it was stamped with the firm name of the T. Eaton Company Ltd. Toronto and though almost as large as the smelt’s mouth could easily have been swallowed by it.
From the Lunenburg “Progress-Enterprise”
September 29, 1909
One day last week while D. V. Richard, of West LaHave Ferry was fishing about seven miles off Indian Island, he captured a seven foot shark. When the shark was opened he found a French briar pipe half full of shag tobacco. What an awful thing the tobacco habit must be when even the fish of the sea cannot keep clear of it, or is it possible the tobacco trust is looking for a new market?
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November 26, 2008
Family Photographs #1
6:59 am | No Comments » |This is the first in a series of articles about the care and investigation of family photographs.
Many of us have family photographs that have been passed from one generation to the next. However, we’re rarely lucky enough to have the names, dates and locations included with these treasures. This leads us to try our hand at unraveling the mysteries of the image; while we may never be able to answer all of the questions (like “why” the group has gathered together), we can still learn a lot and have fun.
The historic images that you have are at their peak, in terms of condition. Each passing year adds to their deterioration; visuals fade, the paper becomes weaker and accidents happen. One of the first things that you should do is make a copy of the photograph. Scan it or take it to a professional photography studio. Keep the original in archival-quality storage (search on-line or ask at a local museum or photography shop) and then work from your copied image. If you are fortunate to have the original negative, store it in an archival negative sheet. Again, discussing your concerns with museum or photography specialists is a wise choice.
This is probably a good time to realize that the photographs that you have from your own immediate past require tender care. Scan them to ensure that the images have a viable future and make a written record in terms of who is in the photograph, when it was taken, if it was a special occasion and the location. Never write on the back or front of the photograph! If you keep the images in an album, write on a piece of paper and insert it behind the image; if you are making a scrapbook type album, write beneath the image. At the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic we often make a photocopy of a photograph and write on the photocopied page. In this way, we can mark on the image and not damage the original.
A further safety precaution is to keep copies of your images and the information in another location. You might consider making it a joint project with a relative, with each of you keeping copies. Remember, the finished product (or even the work-in-progress) makes a cherished keepsake for family members – a wonderful present to give and to receive!
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November 14, 2008
The Navy and Lunenburg
10:47 am | No Comments » |One of the new research projects at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is taking a look at Lunenburg and its relationship with the navy. Over the centuries, our port has been known as a fine harbour for vessels, and representatives of various navies have stopped in, dropped anchor and visited with us.
When the Fisheries Exhibition and Reunion was at its peak, during the mid-1900s, there was always a “navy boat” in port for the week. Most often the vessel was from the Royal Canadian Navy, but sometimes there were vessels from the American fleet.
The heyday of the relationship between the navy and Lunenburg certainly falls within the time period of the Second World War. Vessel repair kept the Lunenburg Foundry busy and the town did its best to welcome the sailors.
After the War, naval vessels maintained the good relationship, often visiting port.
If you have any stories regarding the navy and Lunenburg, we would love to hear from you. Please contact me at getsonhe@gov.ns.ca .
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August 18, 2008
put-put-put
10:48 am | 1 Comment » |While listening to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic’s Maud R.M., complete with the put-put-put of an authentic make-and-break engine, I’m reminded that our shoreline waterways were once the main highway for coastal residents.
Whether people travelled by sail power or were propelled by oars or eventually by marine engines, the little boats of the coast linked island dwellers with the mainland. Trips to shore were carefully planned, incorporating trips to stores, visits with friends and relatives and rare appointments with doctors.
When make-and-break engines were first developed, at the turn of the 20th century, they gave an element of security to isolated communities. People were no longer dependent upon the weather; if it was “flat calm” they were still able to get to shore. More importantly, unless there was a vicious storm, they were able to go to shore to get doctors and members of the clergy, if there was an emergency at home.
The simple mechanics of the first marine engines made them user-friendly for those who had no previous experience with machinery.
The make and break experience is still available, for those who visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The inshore boat replica, Maud R. M., putters around Lunenburg harbour at least once a week – and several lucky visitors to the Museum are able to take part in the tour!
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July 28, 2008
Red Sky in Morning
10:02 am | No Comments » |This morning, Lunenburg’s front harbour is like a pond of burnished silver, reflecting the colours of the sky, paused with an pregnant hush. Will it rain? Will it clear? We don’t know.
It is an easy thing to stand on land and look out to the ocean, wondering what the weather conditions might bring. It is an entirely different matter to be on the ocean, especially aboard a fishing vessel, and be at the mercy of the whims of nature.
Now-a-days, with computers and a multitude of ship-to-shore communications, sudden storms rarely arrive without some form of advance warning. Mariners no longer have to base their survival on the rhyming ditties of old, including:
Red sky in the morning,
Sailors take warning.
Red sky at night,
Sailor’s delight.
Sadly, the change in communication has taken place only within the span of a lifetime. The turning point for Nova Scotian schooners came with the August Gales of 1926 and 1927. Although the technology had been available before that date, fishing schooners were not equipped with receivers until after the horrific loss of life in the Gales.
Although the hurricanes hit along the shore and caused wide-spread destruction, the Lunenburg fleet was hit particularly hard. In those two years, 138 fishermen aboard six Lunenburg schooners were lost. One of the keenest felt aspects of the tragedy is that those on land knew of the approaching storms, based on weather reports. The men aboard the schooners had no such luxury and unwittingly faced a dark future.
After the 1927 Gale, the Province of Nova Scotia made arrangements to have weather signals sent via radio, from Cape Breton. The owners of the schooners were instructed to install radio receivers aboard their vessels. Those two simple acts, previously avoided because of the expense, undoubtedly saved countless lives.
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July 24, 2008
Sticking Tommy
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Working at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, in Lunenburg, gives staff a wonderful opportunity to explore items that are now “rare artifacts” when mere decades ago, they were a common sight.
The object pictured above is one that could once be found in the thousands, but is now, to quote an older member of the community, “as scare as hen’s teeth”.
It is called a Sticking Tommy.
In effect, it is a portable candle holder and was used extensively in the schooner fishery.
The two points are used to “stick” the Sticking Tommy. If a fisherman needed extra light in the hold of the vessel, he would stick the horizontal point into a post or beam. If they needed light on deck, the end point would be driven into the rim of a barrel or some other upright structure.
tommy-sticker: makeshift candle-holder. “When we’d want to stick the candle up for to burn, where he wouldn’t burn the wood, we had a tommy-sticker. There’s a cone-shape in the top-end large enough for the candle to go into, and a point, a spear on the end, and another spear on the side where we could stick him up perpendicular or stick him up on the side of the ship, or anywhere.”Similar objects were used in coal mining.
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July 14, 2008
Superstitions / Folk Beliefs
10:29 am | No Comments » |Although some of us might have a tendency to mock those who faithfully follow superstitions that are related to the sea, we really should have more respect for them. The practices and beliefs are deeply rooted, stemming especially from the time when there was no ship-to-shore communication. During those years, the stress of living in a fishing community was profound. Vessels would be gone for weeks or months at a time. People left at home were determined to be as positive as possible, but the very real dangers that were faced daily at sea could not be ignored.
One of the ways in which many mariners and their families felt that they had some control over their lives came in the form of superstitions. They believed that if they followed the superstitions, or “folk beliefs”, that they could help to keep their loved ones safe at sea.
One superstition focused on the colour of mittens worn by fishermen.
Home-made mittens were used by both inshore and offshore fishermen. The women in the families would often knit thick, large wool mittens for the fishermen. The mittens would shrink from the cold Atlantic waters, and would become almost water-tight.
In Nova Scotia, the mittens were often made of white wool. Mittens with any colour were thought to bring bad luck. There is a story told of one captain of a fishing schooner who, after discovering that a member of the crew had brought grey mittens with him, turned the schooner around and returned to port. The offending mittens were removed from the vessel. There are many other stories where coloured mittens were thrown overboard.
Why was the colour of mittens important? Undertakers often wore gloves that were grey. A connection was made between coloured gloves and mittens; they were thought to be harbingers of death.
It was only a small part of life aboard a fishing schooner, like the Fisheries Museum’s Theresa E. Connor, but it was important. It helped to give a sense of comfort, to both the men at sea and their families at home.
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July 3, 2008
Memories – August Gales
10:56 am | 4 Comments » |Every Nova Scotian coastal community owes some part of its history and prosperity to those who went fishing. Whether they worked from small inshore fishing boats or went to sea in schooners or trawlers, their life’s work meant prosperity for their villages and towns. The industry continues today and is just as important, although technology and the diminished fish stocks have changed the tenor of the activity.
Older fishermen often said, when pressed, that they did not like to talk to their families about the close calls that they had at sea. There was no point in worrying those at home and they were simply thankful to have survived.
Other stories became known, however, because of the extent of the tragedy that was involved. The fishermen did not live to come home; their loss made headlines, instead.
The August Gales that hit near Sable Island, in 1926 and 1927, took the lives of at least 138 Lunenburg-based fishermen. In total, six Lunenburg vessels were lost, with all hands. The tragedy did not confine itself to the Lunenburg area; devastation was felt all along the coastline.
In the August Gale of 1927, the last of the all-sail Gloucester schooners, Columbia, was lost at Sable Island. The crew of 22 were all from Nova Scotia, from the Queen’s County and Shelburne County areas.
One of the most poignant stories is that of Shelburne County crewman Allister Firth, who was just 17. He was lost with the rest of the crew, including his father, Arthur.
Young Allister did not want to go to sea that trip. He was a musician and wanted to play the violin. The family, however, was poor and the small wage that Allister could earn at sea was important. It became a source of great dispute between Allister and his father. On the day of sailing, the young lad hid in a closet in the home of a relative. His father found him, dragged him down the dock to the schooner, and threatened him that he had to go aboard Columbia and stay there. Arthur went and got their belongings and settled aboard the vessel.
Within weeks, the August Gale dealt crushing blows to the schooners caught in its grip. Columbia, with young Allister, was lost without a trace.
As a curious side-note, a few winters later, an American trawler was fishing in that area. It was night, but they were steaming along, when suddenly they caught hold of something heavy. The command was given to raise the trawl and, in the beam of light from the trawler, the crew was astounded to see the wreck of the schooner Columbia break the surface and pause for a few minutes. The lines then broke and the famous fishing and racing schooner dipped beneath the waves, for the last time.
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