A fishermens friend - a Scarborough character

Away up in the far north of Scotland there resides in a lone cabin on a promontory of the East Coast a man of mystery. It is evident from his conversation and general demeanour that he has been a gentleman of education and marked culture.

For many long years he played the part of the fishermen's friend, and must have spent a good deal of money in providing entertainment for those who go down to the sea in ships. Even now he is remembered and esteemed by fishermen hailing from Scarborough, Yarmourth, Wick and other towns along the coast of Britain. He is known as 'Mr James,' but his most intimate friends cannot tell anything of his early manhood. About forty years ago he occupied a three flatted house in Scarborough, which he styled 'The Ship,' and in which he delighted to entertain fishermen who visited the port. In this he was assisted by ladies of good standing who sang and played to his guests. "Mr James" was himself an accomplished musician, playing in turn the piano, the violin, the harp and the cornet. It was known, too, that he was a linguist of no mean order, being conversant with three or four European languages.

Subsequently he migrated to Wick, the 'herring metropolis' of the country. For some time he carried on his labour of love there. At all seasons of the year he was a familiar figure in 'plus fours' and minus headgear. Some years before the great European War he bade farewell to the town and went to reside in a lonely cabin situated at Proudfoot, a promontory to the north of the bay of Wick. His abode was once used as a store house by the local companies of Artillery Volunteers. It is a considerable distance from any other abode, and in the winter months it is washed by the spray thrown up in great volumes by the storms, which are of such frequent occurence in the North Sea.

During the winter months time must hang heavy on his hands. In summer he cultivates a piece of ground facing the south and grows potatoes, cabbages, and other vegetables with marked success. His provisions are sent out regularly from the town by messenger, and he does not appear to want for anything. He has also a considerable head of live stock. Always guarding the entrance to his abode is his faithful dog "Sandy", and there are two black cats known as "Robbie Burns" and "Bonar Law". Some half dozen rabbits are kept in a hutch outside, but all the others, including a small flock of hens, each one bearing the name of some prominent personage, go indoors at night with the owner.

"Mr James" no longer dons the "plus fours," and he regularly wears a cap. Although he has bidden the town and the outside world farewell, "Mr James" is not averse to visitors. Many of his old acqaintainces from the fishing fleet go to see him, and so do many of the townspeople. He has a flag fluttering from a mast on the higher ground where the Artillery guns used to stand. As the fishing fleet passes to and fro he greets them from the top of a mound, sometimes by calling aloud and at other times, when the wind blows, by sounding a whistle, and they respond by sounding their steam horns. And he still loves his fiddle. Fisher lads, especially those from the Banffshire coast, call on "Mr James" when in port on Sundays, and it is not unusual to hear them singing familiar hymns accompanied on the violin by their host.

The life of "Mr James" is a very lonely one. he seems to enjoy it.



SOURCES:
- Scarborough Mercury Friday September 18th, 1925


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• Article by the granddaughter of James Ruffen Bayes
• Theakston's guide to the Scarborough fisheries 1866
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• The history of Filey Lifeboats
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• Sailors graves on the Scarborough coastline.
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• Charles Dickens account of a shipwreck at Filey
• Hodds Family history - the U-Boats
• The history of the Scarborough fishing industry
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• The Allen and Truman Scarborough fishing families
• The U-Boat campaign in the First World War
• Filey and the gales of 1860,1867,1869 AND 1880