Porthleven 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.

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.

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!

TABLE OF PORTHLEVEN FISHING BOATS:

FISHING BOAT NAME:	FISHING BOAT NAME:	FISHING BOAT NAME:	FISHING BOAT NAME:	FISHING BOAT NAME:	FISHING BOAT NAME:
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 - Z316	THOMAS WILLIAM - PZ446	SILVER HARVESTER - PZ622	DEW-GENEN-NY - PZ185
GOLDEN SPINNEY - PZ17	SILVER FERN - PZ119	ALICE LOUISE - PZ592	THE BIDDY - PZ121

TABLE OF PORTHLEVEN CRABBERS

CRABBER NAMES:	CRABBER NAMES:	CRABBER NAMES:	CRABBER NAMES:	CRABBER NAMES:	CRABBER NAMES:
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

TABLE OF PORTHLEVEN HOOKER BOATS:

HOOKER NAME:	HOOKER NAME:	HOOKER NAME:	HOOKER NAME:	HOOKER NAME:	HOOKER NAME:
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	EVA - PZ462	PRISCILLA - PZ5	SWALLOW - PZ13	FAITH - PZ515	LEANDER - PZ21
WILFRED - PZ219