Customs relating to Filey fishing

Published in History and antiquities of Filey in the county of York by John Cole 1832

REMARKABLE CUSTOMS RELATING TO THE FISHERY AT FILEY.

During the time the boats are on the herring Fishery , the junior part of the inhabitants seize all the unemployed waggons and carts they can find, and drag them down the streets to the cliff top; there leaving them to be owned and taken away by their respective proprietors on the following morning: this is carried into effect about the third saturday night after the boats have sailed from Filey, under a superstitious notion that it drives the herrings into the nets.

Previously to the fishermen setting out upon their expedition they send a piece of sea-beef on shore from each boat to such of their friends at the public houses as they wish "weel tea;" this occasions "a bit of supper," at which those who are going away and those who stay meet to enjoy good cheer, heightened with mutual good will. The sunday preceding their departure is called boat-sunday, when all their friends from the neighbouring villages attend to bid them farewell.

Riding the stand is occasionally performed here and at the neighbouring villages. Its purport is to ridicule any boisterous quarrel between married parties, when several boys preside as judges, riding the Stang, which consists of a pole carried on the shoulders of the lads, and across it is mounted the chief speaker, beating a pan with a thick stick, and repreating some doggrel rhymes.

FISHING MACHINE

In the year 1759, a Fishing Machine, upon a novel construction, was launched from a boat, about a quarter of a mile out to sea to the north of Filey, and to the machine was attached a line, fixed on the projection of the cliff, called Ballan-ease, near the bridge. The works of this curious fishing engine consisted of two wooden horses, ingeniously constructed , and to the feet heavy weights of lead were affixed. We understand it was in some measure successful, but not so much to warrant its continuance.

FILEY PIER

It appears that there has been a harbour south of the township of Filey, and about 1 and a half furlongs eastward from the bridge; the foundation of it yet remains firm, and is encompassedwith a great number of stones, probably those with which the pier was formed.

An ancient chart to which we have access, affords the following notice,proving the existence of a pier at Filey:

"Without the head of Filey liethe a rock under water, call'd Filey bridge, between it and the pier you may lie afloate in five fathom at low water, and have shelter from NE and Easterly winds."

And about 2.5 furlongs eastward, half way between the cliff and low water mark, was formerly a place made of wood in which the fishermen had used to deposite their lobsters, called a lobster-hully, built in the form of a large chest, with several partitions, having lids and locks; it was about 2.5 feet high, the outside planks were fastened to strong oak posts, nine in number, the lower part of them are yet firm in the rock, but no other portions remain.

THE BRIDGE

The bridge is a conspicuous object from the Spaw cliffs, and the following original reflections written upon a view of it, will be found and poetically descriptive of the bridge itself, and the scenery around.

"Having received an invitation to spend an evening at Filey; previous to the visit I accompanied a young gentleman to view that great natural curiosity - the bridge. My expectations were more than gratified. To see a mass of rocks, half a mile in extent, rising, as it were, out of the bosum of the deep, fissured, and torn and excoriated by the violence, or the play of the waters - which have presented their face to the storm and the sun, probably from the creation of the world, could not but form a most interesting object. There they lie in varied strata, the yellow and the green, the white and the grey, rank by rank: while in some parts huge stones lie confusedly together, as though hurled by a giant's hand: while in others the sweep of the waters has turned insulated masses of rock in its direction, which to execute one would imagine would have required machinery of the greatest conceivable power. What a grand idea bursts upon the mind of the force of the ocean! That mighty expanse of waters, which now is scarcely feathered by the breeze; whose waves now playfully wind around the recesses of the barrier, when , rising in his might, and lashed into rage by the ruffian blast, how potent his influence! What could withstand his attacks but the control of Him, who hath commanded - 'hitherto shalt thou come, and no farther'

Standing on these rocks what a prospect! To the right what a magnificent bay! sweeping round for miles till it terminates at Flamborough; whose whitened cliffs, dotted by the mazy flight of thousands of sea-birds, or gilded by the rays of the setting sun, give such beauty and animation to the scene. To the left lies , stretching away, a rocky shore, apparently resting on Scarborough hill, whose castle proudly rises paramount over all: while on the hard, firm sandsof Filey, numbers of well dressed visiters remind one of the neighbourhood of civilised man.

These rocks also form a magnificent natural breakwater: hundreds of craft may here ride at anchor or be embedded in the sands, perfectly safe during the most violent of gales. The place has, moreove, great capacities for improvement; is well adapted for trade, and might, by the hand of man, be transformed into a beautiful retreat for the sickly or the gay.

THE DEFILES, WITH BLACK NAB, AND THE STAG HUNT

Both to the north and the south are defiles leading to the sea, distinguished by their name, viz . Butcher's gap, Hunmanby-road, Jefferson's gap, Mile-haven, Hell-row, and Harndale; and Buck-nab, about three quarters of a mile northwards from the Spaw - well, is celebrated as the spot where terminated the chase after a stag, about seventy years ago; respecting which we have obtained the following information: as a Tailor f Filey was engaged in his business, he heard the sounds of horns, and on running a few paces from his house, he perceived a stag in full race, he instantly flung away his working impliments and eagerly pursued the chase, while "surprise and pity were mingling in his mind" as he observed the antlered beast nimbly approaching the cliff precipice, followed by the hounds and huntsmen "in tuneful strain;" the stag leaped the cliff and "the foaming sea receiv'd his mangled corse;" and before the huntsman could be made sensible of his danger (which was done by those in pursuit giving the fearful halloo) and could call the dogs off, several of them had bounded after the stag, and shared his destiny. It is said that the huntsman took the sea for a valley, and unless he had been providentially warned would have shared the unhappy fate of the stag. The place where the accident happened has ever since been known to the inhabitants of Filey by the name of Buck-nab.

OTHER ARTICLES
• The history of the Scarborough fishing industry
• Flamborough Head - ancient fishing village
• The Womens work in the Filey fishing industry
• The history of the herring fishing in the North Sea
• Instructions to sailors - Flamborough Head
• Filey and its early fishing industry
• Primitive Methodism amongst the Scarborough Filey and Flamborough fishing communities
• The Smuggling of contraband and the coastguard in Flamborough
• Suzanne Pollard and her Filey Fishing relatives
• Women working in the Scarborough fishing industry
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
• Trawling and overfishing - Filey fishing
• Children of the fishing families in Scarborough
• The port of Scarborough in the late 15th Century
• Filey fishermen in 1862 - yawls and cobles
• Characters of the Filey fishing industry
• Tragedies in the Jenkinson fishing family in Filey
• Luggers and yawls in the filey fishing industry
• Sea shanties and the filey Fishermen's choir

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