Almost mariners

[johnpritt]

Fishermen actually. A number of my family worked as fishermen in and around Whitehaven, CUûmberland, in the 19th century. Is there anywhere where I might find out more information about them and their boats?

In particular, I'm trying to find out about my great-great-grandfather and gggrandmother (Thomas REEVES and Ann SINCLAIR). Thomas died in 1844 aged 42. At that time, his widow Ann was about 30 years old. She went on to remarry another 3 times, the last time being when she was aged 62. All 4 of her husbands were fisheremen.

I can understand her desire/need to have an income that would have given her a good reason to remarry, but have often wondered if she might have inherited the fishing boat, which in turn would have made her very attractive to others.

Or did she just like the smell of fish?

[Geoffers]

A number of my family worked as fishermen in and around Whitehaven, Cumberland, in the 19th century. Is there anywhere where I might find out more information about them and their boats? In particular, I'm trying to find out about my great-great-grandfather and gggrandmother (Thomas REEVES and Ann SINCLAIR). Thomas died in 1844 aged 42. At that time, his widow Ann was about 30 years old. She went on to remarry another 3 times, the last time being when she was aged 62. All 4 of her husbands were fisheremen.British Merchant ships of at least 80 tons in the coastal trade, or fisheries had to enter a written agreement with crew members. The agreements are in The National Archvies (TNA) at Kew. TNA have many online leaflets about different research topics, one of them is to do with crew agreements and musters:
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=130

You should also read the following leaflet on registers of service
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=127
which can be complicated to use.

Libraries sometimes have special collections of information specific to local industry, you might try contacting:

Mirehouse Library
Mirehouse
WHITEHAVEN
CA28 8ER
Tel 01946 852923
Email:mirehouse.library@cumbriacc.gov.uk (mirehouse.library@cumbriacc.gov.uk)

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[johnpritt]

Thanks Geoffers. I shall be in Whitehaven next week, so will take the time to go to the library and see what they have.