The Herring Fair

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Great Yarmouth's Herring Curing Industry

Index

Introduction

For hundreds of years, Yarmouth was an important port that played host to a great fishing industry. East Anglian herring fishing can be traced back to the Domesday book, when various herring rents were noted. The process of landing the fish, curing and then packing them created great prosperity for the town – and many jobs for people.

The industry has fluctuated over time, and now we find it has all but gone. This online exhibition tells the story of the curing industry and how is affected Yarmouth.

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Great Yarmouth's Herring Curing Industry

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The Herring Fair

Dutch Schuyts on the Beach

The Herring Fair was one of the most important trading fairs of medieval Europe, and lasted from Michaelmas, the 29th September, until Martinmas, the 11th November.

16th century historian Damet wrote ‘great numbers of the fishermen of Fraunce, Flaunders and of Holland, Zealand and all the lowe countries yerelie, from the feaste of Sainte Michaell the Archangell, untylle the feaste of Sainte Martine, about the takinge, sellinge and buyenge of herringes’. The period of time he wrote of developed into the Free Herring Fair.

The Fair was successful in its early days. There was freedom to all to catch, sell and buy herrings at Yarmouth. However, local citizens tried to monopolize the trade. Visiting fishermen lodged with families or merchants in the town who undertook to sell their catches then, fixing prices and taking profits. Trade and legislation had to be passed to stop this, known as the Statute of Herring (1357).

Competition for controlling the Fair was strong. The Cinque Ports sent representatives each year to the Fair to share in governing the town. This began in the 11th century and continued until 1622. The Cinque Ports Confederation originally comprised the five ports of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich. Under the system of ship service, the Ports were required to supply 57 ships, each with a crew of 21 men and a boy, for 15 days every year. These ships were used not only in warfare, but also to transport the King, members of his entourage and his armies to and from Normandy and other parts of the Continent. In return, the Ports were granted rights, one of which was to regulate the Yarmouth herring fair. It has been suggested that the Conferderation was initially set up for this very purpose! Those with controlling interests met at the Tolhouse, which is also where people had to come to pay the herring tax…or Heighning Tax. The fair was abandoned by the Cinque Ports in 1663.