PORTHLEVEN FISHING BOATS, Helston History, Cornwall

HELSTON HISTORY

PORTHLEVEN FISHING & FISHING BOATS

adapted from the papers & photographs of my late Grandfather

William Frederick IVEY

1903-2000

FISHING

The oldest industry at Porthleven is fishing, an occupation in which the same families have been engaged for many generations.

The Cornish fishermen are considered to be among the most hardy and venturesome of the south coast fishermen. At one time there were over one hundred boats engaged in fishing. In the year 1885 there were 80 pilchard boats, 23 mackerel drivers. These were the larger type of boat which went to fish in the Scottish waters in the herring season, and to Ireland in the mackerel season.

There were twenty crabbers (a smaller type of boat). These caught shell-fish in Mount's Bay. There were usually seven men to a boat in a mackerel driver, and very often they were away for a stretch of three months in pursuit of the herrings going as far as Aberdeen.

The advent of the steam trawler changed all this and ths fishing grounds of the North Sea are no longer profitable to the small fisherman.

Porthleven Fishing Boats PZ118 `FIRST SNOWDROP` alongside PZ114 `ENERGETIC` in the Inner Harbour

Pilchard fishing over the years had been the most important and had been the means of giving employment to a large number of men and women. In fact, it is not too much to say that the prosperity of the town was, at one time, dependant largely upon a successful pilchard season. Whether caught by seining or drift net, the landing of the shining, glistening pilchards in the early mornings during the summer months was always a fascinating sight. Fish hawkers, known as "jowsters", with their pony and trap (later motor vans) lined the quayside to capture the first sale. And then off to inland towns and villages, where the fish were sold at 8 or 10 for a penny. Every year cottagers salted large quantities for winter consumption. In 1872 no Cornish household was without its own stock of pilchards for the winter months.

The night's catch of a fishing boat varied considerably, some boats bringing in as much as 40,000 fish. In 1919 the fishing boat `Nellie` (PZ711) landed a catch of £100 worth of pilchards; this was believed to be at that time a record in Cornwall for one night's fishing. In one fortnight during the height of the pilchard season the sum of £4,000 was paid out by Messrs. Pawlyn Bros. the fish buyers.

After the fish hawkers were supplied, the remaining catches of pilchards were taken to the fish cellars and the curing stores. Placed in large tanks of brine, the pilchards were immersed for six weeks. They were then taken out and pressed in casks in readiness for shipment to Italian ports.

A serious calamity threatened the future of the export trade of pilchards in 1885, when complaints were received from Italy of such an alarming nature that it was feared that the Italians, who were the chief buyers of the Cornish pilchards, might not renew any more contracts. It became so serious that the Rev. James Hargreaves, Wesleyan Minister at Porthleven, went to Italy as a deputation to investigate the position. The return of Mr. Hargreaves with the findings was a memorable occasion in the lives of pilchard fishermen at Porthleven.

But over the years the fishing industry has not always been prosperous; there are records of "hard winters", and considerable distress among the fishermen. There have been occasions when the fishermen have returned home from North Sea herring fishing practically in debt.

Loss of fishing gear and damage to their boats through winter storms have made this hardy type of man endure poverty and hardship; a fisherman's life in the 19th Century was one of hard toil and endurance. Changing conditions began to take place with the advent of steam and power motors. One by one, beginning with the larger boats and then the crabbers, engines were installed - the "day of sail" was drawing to a close.

PZ167 `GOLDEN RULE` with PZ144 `SNOWDROP`, PZ121 `BREADWINNER` & PZ114 `ENERGETIC`

There was a period of prosperity in fishing following the 1914-18 war; prices were good and fish were plentiful. Several boats, during the pilchard season, landed catches worth nearly £200. But the boom did not last long; the depression came and, in 1922, when there was a serious decline in the industry, a number of boats were offered for sale, and some of the old family craft disappeared from Porthleven harbour for good. The younger generation, sons of fishermen, no longer followed in the family tradition and the calling of the sea, which was in the life-blood of their forebears, held no attraction for them.

The gradual decline was felt to such an extent that in 1956 Messrs. Pawlyn & Sons, fish buyers, who had been in business for over 60 years, closed down. There is no open fish market at Porthleven; it is now at Newlyn, near Penzance.

Newlyn is now the principal port in Mount's Bay for the marketing of fish.
But fishing has not entirely diminished at Porthleven. There still remains a hardy core of seafaring men who fish in Mount's Bay, whether it is crabbing, long-lining, drift fishing, or trawling. Their home port is their fondest anchorage and they take great pride in their boats. Modern equipment in the way of echo meters (fish finding apparatus), radio telephones and GPS have been installed in many of the boats.

A number of pleasure craft also operate from the harbour.

PORTHLEVEN FISHING BOATS / HOOKERS & CRABBERS from c1800

I recently discovered this fantastic list of Porthleven Fishing Boats / Hookers & Crabbers along with their Penzance (PZ) registration numbers in my late Grandfathers papers. I am unable to verify if this is a definitive list, but would guess that it covers the majority of boats from around 1800 onward. Unfortunately, I don`t have the time to reproduce them in alphabetical/numerical order. What I have also noticed when reproducing the list is the occasional duplication of a boats name or registration number. Having thought about this I can only suggest that perhaps the boat changed ownership or a new one was registered. Dont forget that this list covers over 100 years of Porthleven boats and therefore not all of them would have been in service at the same time. However, not witstanding this, it will hopefully help you find the name of any boat that you may come across in old photos/postcards/books etc. Goodluck!

FISHING BOATS

OLD BIDDY	PZ371	SEEK	PZ346	ARTHUR	PZ436	HETTY MAY	PZ57
*GUIDE ME*	PZ416	MYSTERY	PZ82	UNIQUE	PZ11	HOPE	PZ477
LOUISE	PZ338	MINNIE	PZ463	BETHEL	PZ610	ALBION	PZ99
EARLY DAWN	PZ337	BOY ARNOLD	PZ389	STANLEY	PZ484	BRETTANIA	PZ8
MABLE	PZ171	BILLY BRAY	PZ67	THREE SISTERS	PZ589	IVY	PZ113
GIRL SUSIE	PZ59	OLIVE	PZ95	GAZELLE	PZ309	VIOLET	PZ259
IRINE	PZ300	LOIS	PZ442	HARBENGER	PZ267	CHARITY	PZ62
SERENE	PZ115	DESIRE	PZ335	SUNBEAM	PZ318	BOY GARFIELD	PZ62
VOLMEY	PZ86	MIRIAM	PZ114	UNEXPECTED	PZ288	OCEAN RIPPER	PZ4
ROSEBUD	PZ484	RAINBOW	PZ159	MIZPAH	PZ48	PENROSE	PZ105
BOY WILLIE	PZ91	EDWIN	PZ177	MARITHA JANE	PZ485	MAID MARION	PZ61
SWEET HOPE	PZ606	BESSIE	PZ143	LITTLE EDITH	PZ27	WELCOMB	PZ467
CONFLICT	PZ390	LYDIA	PZ628	BOY FRED	PZ528	EARLY DAWN	PZ118
AGNAS WESTERN	PZ316	WILLOW	PZ243	HOPE FULL	PZ634	OCEAN GIFT	PZ320
MARKET MAID	PZ579	CHARM	PZ12	OUR JAMIE	PZ71	BOY JACK	PZ191
IDEA	PZ482	NELLIE JANE	PZ130	FIRST SNOWDROP	PZ118	WINIFRED	PZ76
DOVE	PZ378	GENERAL BOOTH	PZ576	ONLY TWO	PZ676	HARVESTER	PZ126
EBENEZER	PZ541	GRACE DARLING	PZ345	KINDLY LIGHT	PZ19	HARBENGER	PZ465
THOMASINE	PZ475	NEOMI	PZ192	BOY GEORGE	PZ576	CEILEY	PZ32
TEMPLER	PZ241	MARY ELLEN	PZ518	ENDEAVOUR	PZ119	HOPE FULL	PZ116
CATHRINE	PZ70	RANGER	PZ41	BREAD WINNER	PZ121	IRIS	PZ616
MEMENTO	PZ243	BOY WARRY	PZ67	BIDDY	PZ121	OLIVE	PZ95
MIGONETTE	PZ542	MATILDA	PZ146	ENERGETIC	PZ114	HARVEST HOME	PZ520
BOY WALLY	PZ568	OUR WILLIE	PZ129	SNOWDROP	PZ144	FLORANCE	PZ128
INDESTRY	PZ271	MYRTLE	PZ4	MAJESTIC	PZ273	DANIAL	PZ270
PET	PZ222	OUR BOYS	PZ588	MARGARET	PZ476	ADA	PZ196
FOAM	PZ126	CHARLES	PZ209	NELLIE	PZ711	FAIRY	PZ14
SEA QUEEN	PZ574	LEON CRISPO	PZ428	OUR KATIE	PZ697	HARRIET	PZ407
EMBLEM	PZ575	MAY	PZ624	MARJORY	PZ192	BESSIE	PZ409
BOY PETE	PZ599	IRENE	PZ39	LOIS	PZ626	ADVENTURE	PZ141
GLEANER	PZ1	PERSEVERANCE	PZ57	BONNY MARY	PZ57	ASTHORE	PZ182
COR-DE-LION	PZ74	BONNY MARY	PZ165	OCEAN RIPPER	PZ165	SEAGULL	PZ408
RELIANCE	PZ290	CHITCHER LASS	PZ63	GALILEAN	PZ131	IBIS	PZ146
GIRL SIBLE	PZ595	MAGGIE ANN	PZ32	AGNAS WESTON	PZ316	THOMAS WILLIAM	PZ446
SILVER HARVESTER	PZ622	DEW-GENEN-NY	PZ185	GOLDEN SPINNEY	PZ17	SILVER FERN	PZ119
ALICE LOUISE	PZ592	THE BIDDY	PZ121

CRABBERS

MARY ANNIE	PZ561	EVELYN	PZ88	LILY	PZ317	WISPERING HOPE	PZ336
ANNIE STOTTEN	PZ503	GOLDEN RULE	PZ167	PROVIDER (2)	PZ19	RELIANCE	PZ475
ARK, PAMSEY	PZ401	ANNIE	PZ244	INTERMASS II	PZ181	FISHER LAD	PZ335
STELLA	PZ21	ELSIE	PZ44	DOS AMOGUS	PZ60	LEVEN MOR	PZ556
BOY FRANK	PZ67	DONALD	PZ622	SADIE WICKHAM	PZ287	MELENIE CLAIRE	PZ464
ENID	PZ550	SUSAN	PZ148	PRISCELLA	PZ348	THREE SISTERS	PZ282
BOY BOB	PZ501	WILLIE	PZ91	ANN WICKHAM	PZ248	DEVONIA	PZ139
EMILY	PZ677	VIOLA	PZ91	AUDREY	PZ234	BOA, PESOADER	WH115
PROVIDER	PZ280	HEATHER	PZ159	DIANA O	PZ200	DONNA ROSE	PZ726
PATHFINDER	PZ74	OCEAN SWELL	PZ720	MATHEW HARVEY	PZ190	ST RUAN	FH243
GIRL JOAN	PZ628	ROBERT & JOHN	PZ103	HEATHER YVONNE	PZ353	WEILL IVY	PZ521
MAID ANN	PZ628	OUR GRACIE	PZ79	PENNY	PZ353	ANN MARCELLE	PZ389
GIRL LILLIAN	PZ69	MY RENEE	PZ283	MONIQUE	PZ446	MORNING STAR	PZ31
BOY JIM	PZ201

HOOKERS

EVA	PZ462	PRISCILLA	PZ5	SWALLOW	PZ13	FAITH	PZ515
LEANDER	PZ21	WILFRED	PZ219	MABLE	PZ174	SERENE	PZ335
OUR JEAN	PZ335	FISHER LAD	PZ335	JEM	PZ450	ISABLE	PZ9
GELN WILLIE	PZ20	OUR JANICE	PZ228	BOY PETER	PZ151	SKY LARK	PZ26
GIRL KIM	PZ37	OUR GIRLS	PZ502	BOY JACK	FH133	GIRL RUTH	PZ159
COLLEEN	PZ319	PAULMANDA	PZ276	GIRL FRIME	PZ182	POLLY MAY	PZ430
JANE M	PZ531

Photo of the fishing fleet at the entrance to the Outer Harbour.

PZ416 `GUIDE ME`

The `GUIDE ME` was a typical Porthleven Fishing Boat and was owned and operated by my Great Grandfather WILLIAM HENRY MATTHEWS. Thanks to my cousin Martin K Matthews I am able to add the following photographs to the HelstonHistory Website. Thanks Martin, they are priceless Matthews family history photos!

My Great Grandfather WILLIAM HENRY MATTHEWS, centre of the three men with his arm raised, aboard his fishing boat PZ 416 `GUIDE ME` leaving Porthleven Harbour.