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A LIVING FROM THE SEA - SHERINGHAM'S FISHING COMMUNITY
Index
- Introduction
- Sheringham Fishermen's Ganseys (current page)
Introduction
Where the town of Sheringham now stands was once a small fishing hamlet which grew rapidly in the middle of the nineteeenth century when around a hundred boats were operating from the beach. Subsequently over fishing led to a collapse in incomes and many families were forced to look for alternative homes elsewhere on the east Coast of England.
In the late ninteenth century fishing for whelks stimulated a brief revival in local fishing fortunes which continued until the Second World War. Nowadays there are only a few boats operating form Sheringham, mainly fishing for crabs and lobsters.
A LIVING FROM THE SEA - SHERINGHAM'S FISHING COMMUNITY
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Sheringham Fishermen's Ganseys
Like other fishing communities throughout maritime Britain, Sheringham fishermen wore ganseys, durable knitted sweaters/jumpers with distinctive patterns. Here are some examples of the patterns they used, and some images of the fishermen who wore them during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The gansey was standard workwear for fishermen, tight fitting and protection against damp and cold. The first photo on this page shows a well worn garment. Usually a fisherman would also have had one for "Sunday best". The photo to the left below shows a Sheringham fisherman wearing his best gansey under a smart jacket with a velvet collar. The design is very fine.
Also shown here is a gansey knitted using modern materials. The oiled wool which was used by fishermen's wives can no longer be purchased. This garment was produced using a knitting machine rather than hand knitted 'in the round' in the traditional way.
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Theme: Sailors' Crafts
Theme: Fishing
Upcher Fishing and Rescue Boat
The Upcher fishing boat was built in 1826 with money loaned by Charlotte Upcher of Sheringham Hall. Being the largest fishing boat available, it was also used for rescues until a purpose built lifeboat took its place.
The Augusta lifeboat
The Augusta was Sheringham's first purpose built lifeboat, in service from 1838 until 1894.
