Were Your Ancestors Fishermen in Berwick ?

Were your ancestors fishermen or their wives in Berwick ?
Were they involved with fishing, for example, selling fish, smoking fish, running a general store ?

Find out about families and their properties.

On Sunday, 17th April there’s a guided walk around the Greenses area of Berwick hearing stories of the fisher folk.

The walk will be led by Linda Bankier, Archivist, Berwick Record Office.

The walk is free and begins at 2.30pm.

This walk was over-subscribed last year and booking is essential –
ring Berwick Tourist Information Centre on 01670 622155 to book a place and find out the starting point.

Thomas Hogg's Family Story

From Thomas Hogg:

William Hogg and Mary Harrington Aitchison at their wedding in 1929

I was born on the Highfields Estate, Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1940.

My father was William Hogg (1896 – 1966) from Portobello, Scotland. He enlisted in the Cameron Highlanders in 1915 and fought in France till the end of World War I. After the war he returned to Portobello and worked as a journeyman butcher in West Linton, Ayton and Eyemouth and eventually Tweedmouth.

My mother - Mary Harrington Aitchison (1906 – 1995) - was born in Burnmouth, and had four brothers, namely William Spears Martin, James Martin, Thomas Martin (who went to New Zealand) and John.  My mother’s family tree (all connected with the North Sea fishing from Burnmouth and Eyemouth) can be found in the book ‘Children of the Sea’ by Peter Aitchison about the Eyemouth fishing disaster 1881.

My parents married on 25 September 1929 at the United Free Church, Burnmouth.
I was the 7th child in the family and had siblings - William (1930 – 2000), Elizabeth, Moira, Flora May (1934 -2011), Henry Bolam (1937 -2011) and James Aitchison (1939 – 2011), all of whom were born in Tweedmouth and Berwick.  A later sibling is Linda, born in Newcastle on Tyne where the family lived from 1944.

I returned to Berwick many times, in the late 40s and early 50s, with family members and stayed with relatives in Burnmouth or with the Mason family in St. Cuthberts Road, Berwick.

As a young child I enjoyed walking across the fields to bathe in the two sea-pools but was always afraid of the jelly fish that came in on the tide.   I remember going with my older siblings to the Berwick barracks and we went to one or two socials there.  In the town we loved to buy our favourite sweets, Ross’s Berwick Cockles, at a corner shop near the bridge - they were a real treat for us at that time.  

In the 50s, I recall going with my dad to Shielfield Park to see Berwick Rangers play Hibernian reserves before our team played in the new Scottish Divisions.
I still look now on Saturdays for the Berwick Rangers score.

At Burnmouth it is still easy to visualise the creels and fishing nets strung out for repair near the sea front at Cowdrait  and the many happy days we spent clambering over the rocks to collect whelks.    My grandmother (née Elizabeth Martin) lived in Cowdrait until her death in December 1947.  My uncle, Jimmy, also in Cowdrait was always telling us about the fishing off Burnmouth and about the family trawler, ‘True Vine’.

It was always fascinating later to visit the small harbour at the bottom of the brae, however the memorial stones in Ayton tell a story of tragedies in the family in the old trawling days.

Free Theatre Tickets - Friday 14 August - Maltings Theatre, Berwick-upon-Tweed

From Linda Bankier:

I have been working with Wendy Payn and Ross Graham at the Maltings Theatre, Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ, with a group of children, aged 8 to 12, who are creating a play in a week for Maltings Youth Theatre.

The play is still evolving but it will be based on research and information that the children have found out about the Greenses area of Berwick and fishing.

 Their short play will be performed at 6pm in the Henry Travers Studio at the Maltings on Friday 14 August.

Here's the trailer:


It’s free to attend and will last a maximum of half an hour.

If you are in Berwick, please do come along and support the children who have worked very hard all week on this project.

Map.

Loss of the ‘Lerwick’ and the Heroism of the Crew of the ‘Margory’ in March, 1927

From Trudy Gray:
In the early morning of 24 March 1927, the boats, Lerwick and Margory, left Berwick harbour to fish off the coast to the south.  As the weather began to deteriorate they set out to return to Berwick.  The Margory returned to the harbour, facing very rough seas as it crossed the entrance.  As it reached safety the skipper, Robert Tait, heard a cry from the shore that a boat was in difficulty at the harbour entrance.  The Lerwick was swamped by huge waves.  Despite the extreme seas, Tait returned to attempt a rescue of the four men from the floundering boat.

Under very difficult conditions, the crew of the Margory rescued Robert Borthwick.  The other three on board the Lerwick: the skipper, Robert Cowe Burgon, aged 74, retired fisherman and ex-coxswain of the local lifeboat; Robert Bruce Leith, 29, motor mechanic, and William Payne, 19, all lost their lives.  Their bodies washed ashore at Spittal, a few days later. 

Details of the inquest were reported in the Berwick Advertiser of 31 March 1927. 

The coroner, Mr H R Peters, praised the courage the crew of the Margery and the recognised the dangers regularly faced by the local fishing community.  The Advertiser also reported the huge crowds that gathered at the funerals of Robert Burgon, Robert Leith and William Payne, including many members of their extended families.

Robert Burgon, skipper of the Lerwick, and Peter Dixon and his son Peter, crew of the Margory, were related by marriage.


The crew of the ‘Margory’, skipper Robert Tait, Stephen Tait. Peter Dixon senior and Peter Dixon junior, were all honoured at a civic ceremony in May 1927 and received recognition from the RNLI.

From Berwick Advertiser May 12 1927:

Berwick Fishermen honoured
Public Testimonial to Margory Crew

A thrilling story of the brave conduct of the crew of the Berwick fishing yawl ‘Margory’ was recounted by Councillor P Spowart at a Public Meeting in the Town hall on Thursday evening when silver watches, suitably inscribed, with silver guards, cheques also as a result of public subscription, an illuminated scroll giving a list of the subscribers, and a cheque from the R.N.L.I. were presented amid applause to Skipper Robert Tait, Stephen Tait, Peter Dixon, senr and Peter Dixon junr.  There was a very large attendance of local people, who after the meeting, waited outside the Town hall and raised a hearty cheer when the crew descended the steps and proceeded home.

 Does your family have any links with the families involved ?

Do you have a photograph of the boats,  Lerwick or Margory ?

Do you have memories that you can share ?

If so, please use comments below.

Berwick's Fishing, Seaside and Maritime Story Exhibition - 30 July to 16 August

Following on from Berwick's Maritime Connections Exhibition at Berwick Guildhall, there's another exhibition at the Watchtower, West End, Tweedmouth from 30 July to 16 Aug, open from 11am to 4pm each day, bringing together community, history and the arts and crafts, with something for all ages and interests.

A Fishing Family from Low Greens, Berwick

Peter Young and Susan Bingham

From Catherine Higgins:

Susan Bingham (my great grandmother), born 5 August 1862 in The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, married Peter Young, born 1860, Berwick-upon-Tweed in  on 7 Oct 1897 at St Mary's.

Shop at 41 Low Greens with Peter Young in doorway ?

Can you identify these people ?

The family had a dairy and shop at 41 Low Greens, Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Susan died in 1912 and the family were left in the care of servants while Peter was at sea.
He carried on the dairy business after leaving the herring fishing.

They had 3 children:

• Mary Jane Hill Young (my grandmother)
• Peter Young
• Thomas Young

Peter Young (born 1860) was the son of Thomas Young (born 1824), a fisherman, who. in 1881 lived at 61 Low Greens. They must have had some wealth because in the 1861 census, they had a 16 year old Irish servant, Jane Colaghan.

Thomas was the son of George Young, a fisherman, born in 1801. In 1851, the family lived at 115 The Greenes.

Berwick's Maritime Connections Exhibition at Berwick Guildhall on Saturday, 18 July

Part of the Central Display

Part of the Central Display and another Display

Fishing and Whaling

The Salmon Fishing on the Tweed Story-Telling Booth

We were very busy (496 visitors) today, talking to people at Berwick Guildhall exhibition on Berwick's maritime connections, about their Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal connections, to people whose family lived on the Greenses, or live there now, people with salmon and herring fishing connections, their family stories, seeing if they are related to anyone on our massive Burgon family tree. Several details on the tree were updated, there and then, others said they would look at their family trees tonight and come in tomorrow (Sunday), others said they would email us.

Some people wrote a family story for us and others will email us a family story, another family story with lots of photos was handed to me and will go on the blog at some time.

The Salmon Fishing on the Tweed project were there with their story-telling booth - come and tell your story, tomorrow.

We had visitors from further afield too, from Bedford, Glasgow, Poland, Switzerland and Yorkshire.

Family Stories, Fishy Tales and Red Herrings Wanted

Yesterday's article, Bring Us Your Family Stories about Berwick's Fishing Families, Fri 17 to Sun 19 July in Berwick Guildhall said that we are particularly interested in these names: Burgon; Manuel; Borthwick; Jamieson; Crombie; Young and Hattle but we’re also looking for any other names in that area connected with fishing.

Recently, Newcastle University started a project to involve local people in recording their untold stories and knowledge of salmon fishing on the Tweed.

The project was launched at The Pilot Inn in Low Greens, Berwick and they had a follow up at the Jubilee Centre in Spittal.

They have displays and videos to watch and they’ll be looking to hear your salmon fishing stories too (and some free nibbles too). 

We hope to see you on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (17th to 19th July) at the Guildhall, Berwick.

Tell Us Your Fishy Stories at Spittal

Another chance to join Newcastle University's project engaging residents of the Berwick area in a process of recording their untold stories and multi-sensory knowledge of salmon fishing on the Tweed (past, present and future) through a series of 'pop-up' events including Poetry Booth™ use for several days at the Town Hall and Watchtower Gallery in July/August. 

•Do you have fishing family connections or stories that you would like to share?
•Do you feel inspired when you see pictures of net and coble fishing? If so, how?
•What is it about the fishing heritage and river landscape that you cherish most?
•What are the qualities that distinguish Berwick salmon?

A selection of stories and artefacts representing ‘lost fishing futures’ will be included in a souvenir publication.

They would like you to share your experience with their community-based project at their second event on
Wednesday 17th June, 6pm to 8pm, Spittal Residents Association Jubilee Social & Community Centre Highcliffe, Spittal, TD15 2JL. Map.

If that's not convenient, please phone Helen Jarvis on 0191 208 6959 or email her at helen.jarvis@ncl.ac.uk

Salmon fishing on the Tweed – now coming to Spittal !

From Helen Jarvis:
A recent public event celebrating local impressions of salmon fishing and the river Tweed caused quite a stir in the function room of The Pilot Inn, Low Greens. 

The event attracted a dozen or so local residents, many bringing with them faded news cuttings and documents recording historic family connections to the netting industry.  Several former Berwick residents travelled in from as far away as South Tyneside to share childhood memories of growing up in a fishing family.  Adding to the lively mix were contributions from those who were enjoying a quiet pint at the bar who came in to browse the displays out of curiosity.  Each came with their own motivation to view rare film clips, photographs and quoted anecdotes and to share their passion for the river, the fish and the fishing. 

This was the first in a series of ‘pop-up’ citizen-led story-telling events organised by a team from Newcastle University (funded by the Institute of Social Renewal) accompanied by local history experts representing Our Families (a Berwick Record Office, Heritage Lottery funded project for Berwick 900).  

Advertised attractions included several rare film-clips (credited to the North East Film Archive, Berwick Record Office and local film-makers). These were playing on a continuous loop on computers with head-phones available for anyone who wanted to listen in to the likes of Richard Dimbleby, 1950, and Fyfe Robertson, 1959, talking to people in Berwick and Seahouses about Salmon Fishing. 

A rich variety of narrative and visual media and a large-scale map of the Tweed prompted enthusiastic conversations and reminiscing. We heard about the hard working conditions of the netsmen “standing in the middle of the river in February- four hours twice a day and always shifting according to the tides” and the great flood of 1948.  One contributor brought along a pewter tankard presented by the Berwick Salmon Fisheries Company to commemorate the presentation of a Tweed Salmon to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 7th July 1956. 

We also heard touching personal reflections of a childhood in which the salmon fishing “was part of our play-time- legs dangling over the side of the pier and always the oohs and ahhs when the fish were brought in”.  Some of the stories would benefit from additional local knowledge: does anyone recall, for instance, bringing salmon home for feast week in a purpose-made bag of women palm leaves? We have scope over this series of events to gather a more detailed picture of salmon fishing in the past together with opinions about how to sustain this local knowledge and expertise for the future.

The next event is at the Spittal Residents’ Association Jubilee Social and Community Centre in Highcliffe on Wednesday 17th June.  The session will be open between 6pm and 8pm. It will again feature the films and display materials.  Anyone who feels connected to fishing community traditions and the river is invited to come along to browse- or to bring along stories, anecdotes, images, opinions and artefacts. 

Please come along to this event: everyone is welcome!
For more information on this and other events associated with the Salmon Fishing on the Tweed project, please contact Helen Jarvis, Newcastle University, email helen.jarvis@ncl.ac.uk or telephone 0191 208 6959.

Salmon Fishing Wars, 1959

I've received a short (14 minutes) video, titled 'Salmon Fishing Wars, 1959' about difficult fishing conditions in Seahouses, Northumberland and the hope that the 'Tweed Act' (possibly the Tweed Fisheries Amendment Act 1859) could be modified to allow Seahouses fisherman to catch salmon at sea.

It's introduced by Cliff Michelmore and features Fyfe Robertson talking to various people, including fishermen in Seahouses and Berwick-upon-Tweed, Mr Reid, Manager, Berwick Salmon Fishing Company; Mr Ryan, Superintendent, Tweed Commissioners.

If you come to the Salmon Fishing on the Tweed event on
Wednesday 10 June, 6pm to 8pm at The Pilot Pub Function Room,
31 Low Green, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 1LZ, you'll get a chance to see it.

Tell Them Your Salmon Fishing Story

A new project by Newcastle University has recently started to engage residents of Berwick in a process of recording their untold stories and multi-sensory knowledge of salmon fishing on the Tweed (past, present and future) through a series of 'pop-up' events including Poetry Booth™ use for several days at the Town Hall and Watchtower Gallery in July/August.  

•Do you have fishing family connections or stories that you would like to share?
•Do you feel inspired when you see pictures of net and coble fishing? If so, how?
•What is it about the fishing heritage and river landscape that you cherish most?
•What are the qualities that distinguish Berwick salmon?

A selection of stories and artefacts representing ‘lost fishing futures’ will be included in a souvenir publication.

They would like you to share your experience with their community-based project at their first event on
Wednesday 10 June, 6 –8pm at The Pilot Pub Function Room,
31 Low Green, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 1LZ.

If that's not convenient, please phone Helen Jarvis on 0191 208 6959 or email her at helen.jarvis@ncl.ac.uk

Interesting Family History Stories Shared at Coffee Morning

I had an interesting day at Berwick-upon-Tweed on 5 April, talking to people about their families at the Riding of the Bounds coffee morning at the Guildhall, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Linda Bankier, the Archivist at Berwick Record Office created a new exhibition about the ceremony and the people involved in the 20th century and that attracted lots of interest. The slideshow of a recent riding was also popular and I was surprised that one lady was able to name lots of the horses.

I was pleased that people came to share their family stories.

• One older man told me that in his youth there were 4 fishing families of his surname in the Greens area of Berwick. That's a huge contrast with the 1891 census when there 15 fishing families of his surname in the Greens area. He started going fishing with his father at the age of 5 or 6, and apart from 3 years war service had spent most of his life fishing - for salmon, sea fish, lobsters, and became a ghillie in his retirement.
• A lady told me proudly that her ancestors were freemen (of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Guild)  back to 1730, at least. One ancestor who had married again after the death of his wife was jailed for a debt of £3 but his wife and children needed welfare. In those days, the welfare was paid by the husband or the father's home parish and one of the parishes did not recognise the prisoner's second marriage as valid so there was a court case to decide which parish should bear the cost. Another man was involved in election irregularities in the 1860s.
• A visitor from York, whose father and uncle were freemen, told me his family were widely scattered, in Canada, Kenya, New Zealand
• Another lady told me that her grandfather attended a tribunal twice during World War I so that he could avoid being conscripted. His reasons were understandable and the tribunal agreed to exempt him.
• The granddaughter of a carter from Spittal told me that he carried stone to build the new bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed; the business stopped at the start of World War I and her great uncle was killed early on, probably on the Somme.
• Another man told me that his surname was from around Newton Stewart and his grandfather came to Tweedmouth to work on the railway. That contrasted with a lady whose family came from Tyneside to work on fish curing.

Of course, more detail is needed on these stories, but these show the antiquity of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Guild and that Berwick has both immigrants and emigrants.

If you have an interesting family story, please give me a summary in the comments below.