A bay full of boats
From rowing boats, through a range of different-sized fishing vessels, to trading boats and pilot cutters — right up to the largest naval warships, whose commanders complained that the bay was too shallow as they hit the bottom at anchor in an easterly blow — Cawsand Bay was once one of the busiest stretches of water in the West Country.
A glance at an early 19th century census reveals the remarkable number of fishermen and others earning their living from the sea. The pilchard industry in particular was the engine of local life for centuries, and the pilchard palaces — the stone buildings where fish were salted and pressed — were landmarks of the village that have long since disappeared.
"While he hovered upon the coast, came ashore at Cawsand, and here by stealth refreshed himself; but being advertised of strict watch, kept for his surprising at Plymouth, he richly rewarded his host, hied speedily aboard ship, and escaped happily to a better fortune."Henry VII, as Earl of Richmond, stopping secretly at Cawsand before his eventual seizure of the throne — from Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and Coasts by Rosalind Northcote
The fisheries of Plymouth Sound are among the oldest recorded in the West Country. As early as 1384, Parliament decreed that all fish caught in the waters of Sutton, Plymouth and the Tamar should be sold in Plymouth and Saltash only — a sign that Plymouth was already fiercely protective of its fishing trade and jealous of competition from surrounding villages including our own.
Pilchards were an especially important commodity, and the regulations governing their sale were detailed and strictly enforced. A 1565 order decreed that no foreign merchant should buy more than 1,000 fresh pilchards in a day. The business of curing fish was large and very jealously guarded — Plymouth repeatedly petitioned the Privy Council to limit foreign competition in these waters.
In Henry VIII's reign, a royal proclamation ordered abstinence from flesh on Saturdays as well as Fridays, with the frank explanation that this was "not only for health and discipline, but for the benefit of the Commonwealth, and profit of the fishing trade." In Queen Elizabeth's reign matters were still worse, for the eating of fish had now come to be a badge of religious opinions, and "to detest fish in all shapes and forms had become a note of Protestantism."
Rosalind Northcote, Devon, Its Moorlands, Streams and CoastsRichard Eddey
In early 2011 a collection of medals was brought to a local television programme — the story of a brave act by a prominent Cawsand fishing family of the early 19th century. Richard Eddey was a fisherman and pilot whose story was almost lost entirely. The full account of his bravery and his remarkable life has now been preserved in our archive.
Read his storyArchive documents
The Pilchard Industry in Cawsand — Newspaper Clippings
A collection of newspaper clippings recording the pilchard fishery in Cawsand and the surrounding area.
Memories of Local Fishing
Collected memories and accounts of fishing life on the Rame Peninsula.
Port of Plymouth Fishing Review
A review of fishing activity in the Port of Plymouth with specific references to Cawsand and the surrounding villages.
Housekeeper's Guide to the Fish Market
JC Bellamy's 1843 guide — a fascinating window into the fish trade and what was on sale in Plymouth in the mid-Victorian era.
Fishing in the Plymouth Area
A survey of fishing activity across the Plymouth area in 1868, capturing the industry at its Victorian peak.
MBA Journal — Drift Net Fishing
A Marine Biological Association journal report on drift net fishing methods in the Plymouth area.
Monthly Reports on Fishing in the Neighbourhood of Plymouth
A detailed series of monthly reports on fishing activity in Plymouth Sound and surrounding waters.
Notes on the Herring, Longline and Pilchard Fisheries of Plymouth
Detailed technical notes on the three principal types of fishing practised in Plymouth Sound in the late Victorian era.
Fishing — A Glossary
A glossary of fishing terms useful for anyone researching the industry or reading historical documents about it.
More from this section
Further photographs, documents, galleries and links held in the group's online archive for this topic. Documents open in a new tab.