Flamborough Head - ancient fishing village
An old document typed from the "The Beauties of England and Wales"
Is a very ancient town, and was formerly of some note: at present it is only a large fishing village. It stands in a hollow, nearly in the centre of the promontory, five miles from Bridlington, and at the same distance from the quay. The population is between seven and eight hundred, of which the fishermen, and their families, constitute more than one half: the rest of the inhabitants consist of farmers, labourers, and the necessary mechanics, which are met with in all country villages. The fishery is here carried on with great spirit and activity. In the year 1794, near twenty of the fishermen perished in a storm at sea, and there was scarcely a family in Flamborough, that had not to lament the loss of some beloved relative, yet so powerful is the force of custom, and an habitual acquaintance with danger, that the survivors continued as adventurous on the stormy element, as if no such event had occurred.[note 1] The Flamborough fishermen chiefly confine themselves to their own coasts, and seldom send more than four boats to the herring fishery, at Yarmouth.[note 2]
The name of this town and promontory is of uncertain derivation. Camden says, " some think that it took its name from a watch-tower, in which were lights for the direction of ships; for the Britons still retain the provincial word 'Flam' and the mariners paint this creek with a flaming head in their charts. Others are of opinion, that this name came into England, out of Angloen, in Denmark, the ancient seat of the Angli; for there is town called Flansburg, from which they think the English gave it that name.
NOTES
1. The writer of this volume resided in the neighbourhood of Flamborough, when this melancholy accident happened.
2. The boats sent to Yarmouth from the different fishing towns on this coast, have generally been of late years in the following proportion:
From
- Staiths 15
- Scarborough 3
- Runswick 5
- Filey 8
- Robin Hood's bay 5
- Flamborough 4
TOTAL 40
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