AN INSEINE SLICE OF St IVES - WHEN CORNISH LADS WERE FISHERMEN

The story of late 19th-century pilchard seining in St Ives. 'Cornish Lads' was written by Roger Bryant and performed here by Dave and Dee Brotherton, a.k.a. Bagas Porthia.
This walk and talk with John McWilliams was just one of around 300 events in the 2014 St Ives September Festival.
Over 500 St IVES videos • THE FULL St IVES PLAYLIST and here in more manageable chunks :
St IVES IN THE SNOW • St IVES IN THE SNOW
ROYAL FAMILY AND St IVES • THE ROYAL FAMILY AND S...
REMEMBRANCE AND 'IN MEMORIAM' • REMEMBRANCE AND 'IN ME...
THE BEACHES • St IVES BEACHES
AUTISM'S GOT TALENT ROADSHOW • AUTISM'S GOT TALENT RO...
THE St IVES LIFEBOAT • THE St IVES LIFEBOAT
St IVES IN DECEMBER • St IVES IN DECEMBER
SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL and OTHER ‘CULTURE’ • St IVES SEPTEMBER FEST...
HISTORY and TRADITIONS • St IVES and CORNISH HI...
THE CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES • THE CORONAVIRUS CHRONI...
REMEMBERING JOHNNY BARBER • REMEMBERING JOHNNY BARBER
KIDZ R US/PHIL & FRIENDS • KIDZ R US/PHIL AND FRI...
THE CORNWALL PLAYLIST • CORNWALL VIDEOS

[@Cornishpastyman]

Today only 3 of the 5 Fishermen's Lodges remain (see at about 4.45). The first to go was The One and All which stood on the sand at the bottom of Bethesda Hill. It collapsed into the sea in November 1931. The Bay View, situated at the top of the breakwater behind Smeaton's pier, fell apart through stress of weather at the end of the 1970s.

[@roberthughes513]

Very interesting, thank you.

[@izziebon]

Very educational. I lived at StIves for 10 years; one of my classmates was Michael Mitchell whose father was the manager Porth Minster hotel, in approximately 1960 ( plus and minus about five years or more). Are used to go to school there on a coach run by Crimson tours; Stevens tours were their competitor. My classmates were Ian and Felicity Roach, Steven Stratton, Desmond Berriman and Peter Rowe… And many others of course. Happy days!

[@Cornishpastyman]

Thanks for this lovely anecdote.

[@valeriehurry7997]

Brilliant video as usual.

[@Cornishpastyman]

The notch in the Parish Church wall (at about 3.18) was one boundary of the Pedn Olva stem. The other one was marked by a pair of poles at The Malakoff, in line with the flagpole that is there today.

[@Cornishpastyman]

From the St Ives Western Echo, October 1922 - "On Friday last the well-known and long awaited cry of Hevva ! (a shoal) was heard throughout St Ives and several of the seine boats were pulled out into the bay. The proceedings were watched by many interested spectators, but after an hour's manoeuvring the boats returned to the harbour without having shot the seines." This was the last attempt at St Ives.

[@Cornishpastyman]

The paintings shown at 2.50 and 7.18 are 'The Seine Net' (Frederick Sargent, 1895) and 'St Ives Fish Market' (Edward King, 1896). These two large canvases (on loan from the St Ives Museum) can be seen at the Guildhall, Street-an-Pol.

[@Cornishpastyman]

After the initial catch, the next phase was 'tucking' - removing the fish from the seine. With the big net in shallow water a tuck net was lowered into it and raised, these fish being taken ashore in the dippers for curing. No more were removed than could be handled in the cellars. This ensured all processed fish were fresh. Those left behind in the seine would be 'collected' another day.

[@Cornishpastyman]

Shamrock Lodge, opened in October 1901 has been protected by a sea wall since 1940. It was built to prevent Hitler's tanks and troops from landing but has no doubt prevented the lodge from going the same way as The One and All, as well as giving the members some privacy.

[@AlisonBryen]

Very interesting video...love to find out about the history of these places!! Incidently, I got a hole in one on hole ten on the putting green last year !

[@Cornishpastyman]

I'll see if I can get a plaque put up ' brandybuck1984 aced the 10th 2016' :-)

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

Despite some regulation still managed to fish them out didnt we....in 50 years ish.....

[@Cornishpastyman]

We don’t know for sure but overfishing was probably not the cause of the decline. The mining industry declined at the same and it is thought that the lack of mine spoil in the off-shore waters kept the pilchards away.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

@@Cornishpastyman very interesting