London, Volume 4
Knight, Charles
1843
LXXXVIII.--Billingsgate.
LXXXVIII.--Billingsgate.
The passenger, as he crosses , if he looks eastward, on the northern bank of the river, will notice a little copse of masts at the west-end of the . They indicate the situation of , the only wholesale market in the metropolis for the supply of fish. has been of the or ports of the City from time immemorial. Geoffrey of Monmouth's fabulous history of the spot acquaints us that Stow very sensibly suggests that the name was derived from some later owner, ..When he was engaged in collecting materials for his was , anciently the more important landing-place, had yielded its pretensions to its rival. Each gives its name to of the City wards. We must here briefly notice , for the watergate at which fish was landed had considerable influence in determining the | |
194 | localities in which the fishmongers anciently carried on their trade. Between and the bridge intervened. This circumstance was, no doubt, greatly in favour of the former place. But in , when the customs of were a perquisite of the Queen, Henry III. commanded the constables of the Tower to compel the ships of the Cinque Ports to bring their corn to only. years afterwards he ordered that all fish sold elsewhere than at the same place should be seized. With a view of rendering the receipt of customs as large as possible, an inquisition was held during the reign of Henry III. touching the ancient payments and customs of . Some time afterwards the bailiff of the Hithe complained that foreign vessels laden with fish had come to instead of to the . The penalty for this offence was in future to be ; but Stow says that the ships of the citizens of London were to arrive where the owners would appoint them. In the was still a favoured landing-place, though its ancient supremacy was affected by a regulation under which was entitled to enjoy some of the advantages of the rival key. It was ordered that, if only vessel came at a time with herrings, sprats, eels, whiting, plaice, cod, mackerel, &c., then it should discharge at , and the cargo there to be sold by retail. If vessels arrived! then was permitted to discharge at ; if , were to come to and to , but always the larger number to . In period, therefore, we have the great landing-place for fish; next, participates in this advantage, and afterwards decays, and attains the pre-eminence. |
of the peculiarities of old London, of which Stow gives many illustrations, consisted in different trades having their distinct localities, as we may see now in many large country markets. Keeping the market would better express the ancient practice of the old traders and craftsmen than the modern of keeping shop. Partly, then, as a consequence of being the landing-place for fish, the fishmongers congregated in the streets leading from it, and were found in and Old . Stow tells us that in this is row of small houses placed along in the midst of Knightriders Street or , as he indifferently calls the place. he says, On the northern side of this church there was of late built, says Stow, , adjacent, was so called, according to Stow, from fishmongers dwelling there, and serving Friday's market. Mr. Herbert, in his says that In an inquisition was held to inquire upon oath, of free men, and they return that from [in] ancient times it had been sold in the way of , and not in other places adjoining or in the neighbourhood; but they found that the ancient place for the sale of shell-fish, and where alone it ought to be sold, was from the way of towards the west, as far as the Church of St. Magdalen. The period here alluded to was probably earlier than the century, for the Stocks Market, on the site now occupied by the , was appointed--a fish as well as a flesh-market about , by Henry Wales, mayor, who built several houses on a vacant piece of ground there, where a pair of stocks had long previously been fixed. In this market produced a rental of In fishmongers, who had boards or stalls in the market, paid rent, and-eighteen butchers ; but over the shops of the latter were chambers, which, altogether, were let for nearly In the reign of Edward II. (-) some of the principal fishmongers appear to have established themselves in , which ran northward from the bridge, , a continuation of it, leading into Grass Church Market, so called from the herb market held there. is generally spoken of as New Fish Street. Stow says, The fishmongers in this quarter chiefly frequented , which was the nearest market for them. The rental paid by of the New Fish Street dealers, in the reign of Edward II., is stated in case to have been , and in another per annum. In we ascertain the situation in which the stock-fishmongers carried on their business. They had shops or stalls in a part of , afterwards called Stock-Fishmongers' Row, which was halfway between the foot of the bridge westward and a water-gate called Ebgate formerly, and in Stow's time Eb Lane, now the spot known as the Old Swan Stairs. | |
Some of the regulations concerning the of the fishmongers in old times are sufficiently interesting for a brief notice. In the reign of Edward I.--the prices of fish were fixed--for the best soles per dozen; the best turbot each; the best mackerel each; the best pickled herrings the score; fresh oysters the gallon; the best eels per quarter of a . In a | |
196 | statute of Edward I. it was forbidden to offer for sale any fish except salt fish after the day. By the City assize of fish the profit of the London fishmongers was fixed at penny in . They were not to sell their fish secretly withindoors, but Fish were not to be watered oftener than twice a-day, or to be sold when in an improper state for food; and for the breach of any of these regulations the fishmonger was to be In a combination was formed against the fishmongers of Fish Wharf, to prevent them selling by retail, but Edward II. ordered the mayor and sheriffs to interfere, and the opposition was unsuccessful. The mayor issued his orders to these fishmongers of and of to permit their brethren in the trade In some of the fishmongers again endeavoured to effect a monopoly, but it was ordered that the or poor persons who cried and sold fish in the streets, provided they buy of free fishmongers, and do not keep a stall or make a stay in the streets, shall not be hindered; and also that persons and women coming from the uplands with fish caught by them or their servants in the water of Thames or other neighbouring streams were to be allowed to frequent the markets. With these exceptions, none but members of the Fishmongers' Company were allowed to sell fish in the City, lest the commodity might be made dear by persons dealing in it who were unskilful in the mystery. Buyers for the King and the Lords (a polite name for purveyors) were to be served at price, and no fish was to be sold until they had made their choice. |
In the century the Fishmongers' Company was of the wealthiest and most powerful of the City companies. It ranked next after the Goldsmiths', Grocers', and Drapers'; and, in some instances, surpassed them in wealth and liberality. In a great affray took place between the Fishmongers and Skinners in for precedency, and several of the ringleaders were afterwards executed. Disputes of this nature were settled by the Court of Aldermen. Stow censures the Fishmongers' Company of his day as He does not explain the circumstance himself, but Mr. Herbert, in his shows that it was in consequence of of these decisions of the Aldermen, who, for the purpose of reconciling the Companies, directed them to take precedence alternately, and , &c. In the precedency of the Stock Fishmongers was settled by ordering that, in processions, they should go before the Dyers and after the Vintners; and that their places in should be next to the Grocers, Mr. Herbert tells us that the Goldsmiths and Fishmongers of the present day do not commemorate their ancient amity, but the Skinners and Fishmongers, forgetful of former feuds, pledge each other at their respective halls when members of the other company are present. The Fishmongers were formed into a guild at a very early period. In the guild was fined for forestalling the markets. In Stow says that the Fishmongers, hearing of the victory of Edward I. over the Scots, &c. Their earliest charter of incorporation extant is of the date of . It confirms a privilege, of which they are said to have been immemorially possessed, of choosing certain persons amongst themselves to govern their mystery. From to civic honours were thickly showered upon members of the Company. Stow speaks of of them filled the office of Mayor in the above years, of whom, William (Mayor in ), has become historically famous, and is styled by Stow There is a statue of him on the staircase of Fishmongers' Hall, in which he is represented in the act of striking Wat Tyler with the dagger; and on the pedestal is the following inscription:-- On this point Stow had another fling at the which the worshipful Company displayed. He disproved the common notion that the dagger was added to the City arms in consequence of Walworth's affair with Tyler. They also represented as having slain Jack Straw, and it appears that on Walworth's monument in St. Michael's Church, in Crooked Lane, the error was perpetuated. | |
In the privileges of the Company were attacked, and, through the interference of John Northampton, draper, who was mayor at the time, it was ordained that no fishmonger should be admitted Mayor of London. Stow says that the fishmongers The case came before the Parliament, and Nicholas Exton, speaker for the fishmongers, prayed the King of the fishmongers then rose and explained that the proceedings against them were in consequence of their having caused some of the exhibitors of the petition to be imprisoned for their misdemeanors in the previous reign, when the fishmongers filled some of the principal City offices. The conduct of John Northampton was investigated by the nobles assembled at Reading, and, being convicted of he was committed to perpetual imprisonment, and his goods were seized. Several others were condemned to the same penalty, but they were afterwards pardoned. The fishmongers were restored to their full privileges. In they received a new charter, in which, for general purposes, the stock fishmongers and other branches of the trade were united into body. In the stock fishmongers were dissociated from the general body, but in they were finally reunited. The Companies had hall each in , New Fish Street, and in . | |
The old churches of London in the immediate vicinity of the fish markets contained numerous monuments to fishmongers. This was the case with St. Nicholas Cold Abbey, in ; St. Nicholas Olave, Bread Street | |
198 | Hill; St. Mary Mounthaw, on Old ; St. Magnus, near the Bridge; St. Botolph, ; St. Mary-at-Hill, on the hill leading from ; St. George, ; St. Michael, Crooked Lane; and St. Peter, . St. Michael's was the favourite burial-place of the stock fishmongers, and , , for the fishmongers, as Stow calls the others by way of contradistinction. Lovekin and were both interred at St. Michael's. Lovekin was times mayor, and rebuilt the church; while , who had once been his servant, enlarged it by a new choir and side chapel, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Sebastian. Lovekin also founded an hospital at Kingston-on-Thames. The fishmongers anciently maintained priests, more than the other companies, to officiate at the funeral ceremonies of members of their craft, and to pray for their souls on their obit days. The Company have at present a rich funeral pall, worked not long before the old religious ceremonies were disused. It is in good preservation, and a very interesting relic. |
That the stock fishmongers, or dealers in dried or salted fish, should have formed so important a portion of the trade is deserving of notice as a peculiarity of the times. Lovekin and , who both acquired wealth, were stock fishmongers. The nature of the commodity was such as to render the dealers in it a superior class to the other fishmongers. A great store might be accumulated, and more capital was required than by the other fishmongers, who only purchased from hand to mouth. The fairs of Stourbridge, St. Ives, and Ely, described in a statute of as were busy scenes of traffic in this article. The town of Lynn, in Norfolk, endeavoured to obtain a share of the advantages which these fairs conferred; and in letters patent were obtained for establishing a fair there, but the privilege was withdrawn in , as a punishment for some irregular practices which were regarded, according to the prevailing notions of the day, as an unfair use of their new rights. In a statute of the above year they are accused of buying up The provisioning of a household with a store of salt-fish was an important object in these times. The alternative of diet was not from salt-fish to fresh meat, for in winter the latter was not commonly to be obtained, but meat, if eaten at all, was consumed in a salted state. Tusser, who, however, lived in the eastern counties, suggests a more thrifty practice than that of resorting to the fish-fairs. His recommendation to the husbandman is-
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199 | The use of fish was also an obligation sanctioned by the Church, as well as a necessary part of the domestic economy of the times. In Tusser says,
The management of the store required some housewifely thrift, and he gives the following directions:-- --It-cannot be doubted therefore that the London dealers in this article of necessary provision had reasonable chances of acquiring wealth. In , from Michaelmas to Michaelmas, the consumption in the household of Thomas Earl of Lancaster was stock-fish, consisting of ling, haberdine, &c., besides barrels of sturgeon, the whole costing The case was greatly altered after the Reformation, and several statutes were soon afterwards passed in order to keep up the consumption of fish and encourage the fisheries as a nursery for seamen. In we have which imposed penalties on persons who ate flesh on fish-days. In an passed in , the penalties were greatly increased. In John Erswick published At this period fish, in a great measure, had ceased to be of the staple articles in the daily diet of the people. Erswick attributed the diminished consumption to
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Leaving these times, we come to the more modern history of , which we may date from , when an act passed for making it although the very commencement of the preamble alludes to having been The necessity of a new act had arisen, as the preamble continues, from various abuses, of which was, that the fishmongers would not permit the street-hawkers of fish to buy of the fishermen, by which means, as it is alleged, the fishmongers buy at their own prices. Another practice of the fishmongers of that day is specifically pointed out. They are charged with a practice which also unfairly oppressed the fishermen who supplied the market. Fish, or sorts excepted, caught by foreigners, was prohibited, except, indeed, it had been caught by The extraordinary dream of making the country wealthy, and draining the ocean of its riches, by means of fisheries, had for above a century been of the fondest illusions of the English people; and about the time when the above act was passed, were once more attracting the popular attention. Houghton, a Fellow of the Royal Society, in a periodical work which he published in , suggested a plan for supplying fish to inland towns. he observes, Mr. Houghton thought that the London fishmongers might at least supply all the considerable towns within miles of the metropolis; but if they were not disposed to do so, the inhabitants of Hertford and St. Albans, and other places of similar size within about the same distance from London, might form associations for introducing a supply of fish; and the carriages might perhaps be employed in carrying various commodities on their return to London, as a means of lessening the expense. Then he had another project, for preserving fish without salting them. he says, In an act was passed for making a free market for the sale of fish in : we shall have to report further concerning it. Mr. Houghton's plans were never carried into effect, but that did not prevent others of a similar character from being brought forward; and about years afterwards we have The price of fish at the time was said to be beyond the reach of the poor, and even of the middling classes; and for many days together the quantity received at was very inconsiderable. To remedy these evils, carriages were to be constructed to be drawn by post-horses, and capable of containing from to cwt. of fish, which it was intended to bring from all the coasts of England, with the exception of that part between Harwich and the South Foreland, with which the patriotic projectors would not interfere. The fish-carriages were to travel at the rate of or miles in or hours; and it was calculated that fish might be brought this distance at a cost of less than penny per lb.; twice that distance for less than twopence; and even a distance of miles in hours at less than threepence per lb. The stables, warehouses, and yards which had belonged to a large inn between London and bridges, were taken as a depot for sorting the fish before sending it into the market, which would never be done before o'clock in the morning, and the prices would always be placed over the stalls. The Society of Arts either advanced or promised a sum of in furtherance of the above objects. But some years ago we find the old complaints again current; and in a meeting of noblemen and gentlemen was held at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's, at which of the royal family presided, when a Fish Association was formed, the object of which was to ensure a better supply of fish to the metropolis. They commenced operations here under the belief that the increased use of fish in London would be a good example to other places. The association strongly denounced , on account of its small size and inconvenient situation. The object of the act establishing a fish-market at had never been accomplished. The impediments to the greater consumption of fish are attributed partly to the difficulty of circulating the commodity when it is plentiful, which rendered the fishermen cautious and checked the supply. The Association proposed and when the supply was large, it was recommended that notice should be given to the different parts of the town. This was the last of a long series of projects of the kind, and it is easy to perceive that it was unlikely ever to be long in operation. In the attempt to establish a wholesale fish-market for was made at Hungerford Market, but it has totally failed, partly because the dues were very heavy, and partly because, when the dealers once get into their carts, they may as easily go to the best market as to less amply supplied. If the business at should increase, the market may then require enlargement, but under the present regulations it is sufficiently large for every purpose. There is much truth in the reason advanced in against the increase of places for the sale of fish:
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Not many years ago Market commenced at o'clock in summer and in winter, but the time is now o'clock throughout the year. No great exertion is necessary in order to reach the spot before the market opens, at any rate in summer. The novelty of the quiet streets, and the bracing freshness of the morning air, soon dispel sleepiness from the eyelids, even if the earliness of the hour be so unusual to some. We feel, on reaching some favourable point for obtaining a view of the city, how accurately Wordsworth has described the appearance of London in the early summer morning : If the stranger visits in summer, many objects will engage his attention, but in a winter's morning the market alone. How solitary are the streets! and yet London is never entirely buried in sleep. At the most untimely hours the avocations of some classes of its busy population call upon them to be astir. The pause seems deepest from to o'clock. Riot, Profligacy, Want, and Misery have retired, and Labour is scarcely risen. As we approach the profound silence of the night is now and then broken by the wheels of the fishmonger's light-cart, who is proceeding to the same destination. The whole area of the market, brilliantly lighted with streaming flames of gas, comes into view. might fancy that the place was arranged for a feast of rude plenty. The tables of the salesmen, which are ranged from side of the covered area to the other, afford ample space for clustering throngs of buyers around each. Each range appears to form table, but the portion assigned to each salesman is feet by , Each salesman sits with his back | |
202 | to another, and between them is a wooden board, so that they are apparently enclosed in a recess; but by this arrangement their pockets escape the pickpocket, which was not the case when they were not separated from the crowd. There are about fish-salesmen in London, and probably have stalls in this market, for which they pay a comparatively trifling rent. Proceeding to the bottom of the market, we perceive the masts of the fishing-boats rising out of the fog which casts its gloom upon the river. The boats lie considerably below the level of the market, and the descent is by several ladders to a floating wharf, which rises and falls with the tide, and is therefore always on the same level as the boats. About are moored alongside each other. The oysterboats are berthed by themselves. The buyer goes on board the latter to make his purchase, as oysters are not sold in the ordinary market-place. The fishermen and porters are busily engaged in arranging their cargoes for quick delivery as soon as the market commences. or minutes before the salesmen take their seats in their enclosed recesses. At the lower end of the market, nearest the boats, porters stand with baskets of fish on their heads. Not of them is allowed to have the advantage over his fellows by an unfair start, or to overstep a line marked out by the clerk of the market. The instant the clock strikes the race commences, and each porter rushes at his utmost speed to the respective salesman to whom his burthen is consigned. The largest cod are brought in baskets which contain ; those somewhat smaller are brought in sixes; and smaller sizes in dozens, and in still larger numbers, but always in baskets. All fish are sold by the tale except salmon, which is sold by weight, and oysters and shell-fish by measure. The baskets are instantly emptied on the tables, and the porters hasten for a fresh supply. It is the fisherman's interest to bring his whole cargo into the market as soon as possible, for, if the quantity brought to market be large, prices will fall the more quickly, and, if they are high, buyers purchase less freely, and he may miss the sale. The following case has often been quoted:--In , the Brighton boat-load of mackerel sold at for guineas per each, reckoning score to a ; while the next boat-load produced but guineas per . Another reason for despatch is that supplies conveyed inland often arrive after the opening of the market, and, for some kinds of fish especially, a sudden fluctuation in price may be occasioned by a van from Hastings or Dover, or some other part of the coast. So the porters keep up an incessant run between the boats and the salesmen's stalls until they have brought forth their whole stock. Some of the heaps of fish would enchant a Dutch painter. The soles, just taken from the well-boat, gasp in their last agony on the stall, and the next moment are purchased and hurried off to the dealer's cart. The rich turbot, with its blushing fins, which in a few hours will be the cause of a amenities, is treated with no more ceremony or respect than a maid or a plaice. It is chiefly the west-end fishmongers who buy up turbot, but in this market any person who chooses may buy just in the same way as the dealers themselves. All the sales are by Dutch auction, a mode which allows little time for either flourishing or disparaging phrases. The seller, according to this plan, puts up the commodity at his own price, choosing, may be sure, a sum sufficiently high to begin with, and if he does not sell he soon mentions a lower sum. The buyer also |
203 | offers his price, and if a bargain be closed, it is usually by meeting each other, . the buyer advancing and the seller coming down in price. Other purchasers surround the stall-perhaps they think they may do better elsewhere, and move off to some other salesman, and by making the round of the market the range of prices is soon tolerably well ascertained. The buyers are as good judges as the salesmen. Price alone engrosses attention. This system ought to give those who witness its daily operation a good lesson or in political economy. Here, in the open market, competition places the buyer and seller on equal terms. No combination exists to obstruct these advantages. Such an artificial basis would speedily be demolished in the bustle and animation which characterize the proceedings. The buyers shift rapidly from salesman to another, demanding only thing-price; and this running about the market is striking to the eye, and interesting from its object,--which is sure of being obtained. The money in the outstretched hand of dealer, with a dozen other dealers around, quickly indicates to the salesman the price at which salescan be effected, and that it would be useless to stickle for higher ones. If the buyers were to give too high a price day, their sales would fall off; th-ey w-ould buy less the next, and prices would fall. Simple as is the mode of sale, it does not follow that judgment and skill, and a ready wit, are not needed. The salesman who possesses these qualities' in the highest degree will clear his stalls much more rapidly, and at the same time more advantageously, than who possesses a smaller share of these gifts. There is not of the markets of London which is so little exposed to the chances of collusion or any underhand conduct as that of . The proceedings of the retail dealers in their respective localities, where they are removed from the influences of the open market, may have nothing whatever to do with the principle on which it is certain the wholesale part of the trade is regulated. In district the retail dealer gives long credit, often incurs losses, and he must therefore charge a high price. In another there may happen to be little competition, or, what is usually the same thing, a small demand, and price will here again be high, that is, comparing it with that which prevails at . It was recently the practice of a fishmonger in not only to advertise the prices of fish daily in the papers, and exhibit them in his shop, but also to employ men to carry placards with this information. It is the revival of a practice years old. The fishmongers of Athens were compelled to affix the prices in their shops. The uncertainty of the price is probably very powerful reason why fish is purchased so seldom by many housekeepers. They cannot tell the price beforehand, as for beef and mutton. But in these discussions we are forgetting our real object, which is to attempt to give the reader some idea of the market. Does the visitor expect to witness scenes of coarseness and brutality? Nothing of the kind will meet his eyes. Why should they? When the market opens, the majority of the persons present are either the dealers themselves or their trustworthy servants. Soon after there is a greater mixture of classes. The hawkers come to make their purchases, and has something of the appearance which it had previously assumed in our imagination, but there is nothing to disgust either in language or behaviour. The manners of have improved, and yet the standard phrase for abuse |
204 | either of the tongue or pen will probably never be altered, so that after-generations may forget that here once flourished that racy eloquence which was characterised by its warmth of style, its rude force, and coarse but telling points. Ned Ward, in his published at the close of the century, describes the vulgar humours of , and it is only necessary to read them to feel convinced how much the place is improved. Ward mentions a place called the Dark House (not a house for insane persons), the frequenters of which seem to have combined the peculiarities of and . The site on which it stood is now called Dark House Lane. feature of has been destroyed by the introduction of steam-boats. Before they existed, passengers embarked here for Gravesend and other places on the river, and there was a greater mixture of sailors with the dealers in fish, perhaps not much to the improvement of manners. The boats sailed only when the tide served, and the necessity of being ready at the most untimely hours rendered many taverns necessary for the accommodation of passengers. The opening of the market formerly at so early an hour as o'clock was demoralizing and exhausting. hours are now gained, and the hours of rest are not unnaturally broken in upon. The refreshment now chiefly taken by persons who attend the market is coffee instead of spirits, and this circumstance alone has had a most favourable influence. The wholesale market is over about o'clock, and the only dealers who remain after that hour are a few retailers who have stalls, who are called in the market a word whose etymology we do not profess to have discovered. |
Stow tells us that before the City ditch without the wall of the City, which then lay open, Sir John Hawkins, in his edition of Walton's published in , mentions that, about years before, the City anglers were accustomed to enjoy their sport by the starlings of Old . Mr. Goldham, the clerk of Market, stated before a Parliamentary Committee that years ago, fishermen, each of whom was the owner of a boat, and employed a boy, obtained a good livelihood by the exercise of their craft between Deptford and London, taking roach, plaice, smelts, flounders, salmon, shad, eels, gudgeon, dace, dabs, &c. Mr. Goldham said that about he had known instances of as many as salmon and smelts being taken at haul up the river towards Wandsworth, | |
205 | and smelts were brought daily to , and not fewer than Thames salmon in the season. Some of the boats earned a week, and salmon was sold at and the pound. The fishery was nearly destroyed at the time when this evidence was given, in . The masters of the Dutch eel-ships stated before the same Committee that a few years before they could bring their live-eels in as far as Gallions' Reach, below Woolwich; but now () they were obliged to stop at Erith, and they had sustained serious losses from the deleterious quality of the water, which killed the fish. The increase of gas-works and of manufactories of various kinds, and of filth disgorged by the sewers, will sufficiently account for this circumstance. The number of Dutch eel-vessels which bring supplies to varies from to annually. They bring about cwt. of fish each, and pay a duty of |
A recent Parliamentary paper gives the number of sailing vessels registered at the different ports in England of above and under tons, and the greater proportion of the latter indicates those ports where fishing is extensively pursued. Thus at Faversham there are sailing vessels registered under tons, and only above that burthen. The former average about tons each. At the following ports, from which the chief supply of fish for the London market is furnished, the number of vessels under tons is , and, including for London, there are . At Yarmouth the number registered under tons is ; Faversham, ; Southampton, ; Maldon, ; Rochester, ; Colchester, ; Dover, ; Rye, ; Ramsgate, ; Dartmouth, . The operations of these fishing-boats, and of the fishermen and their families on shore, are very interesting to the visitor on the coast. When brought ashore the fish are laid in heaps and sold by Dutch auction. Such a scene is well described in the following extract:-- [n.206.1] | |
What the exertions of patriotic persons failed in accomplishing, seems not unlikely to be effected by the railways. Fish is now received at from Liverpool, Bristol, Hartlepool, in Durham, and from other quarters, which were precluded from profitable communication with it when the means of transit were not sufficiently rapid for so perishable an article. The railways from London to the southern coast, especially, will increase the facility of supply, though some time may elapse before they are rendered fully available, as, when we visited on Saturday morning the , arrived soon after the market opened, from Dover and the other from Hastings. On the other hand, if a larger supply be received, the quantity taken off by the railways will be quite as great. The circle from which the dealers attend with their carts comprises Windsor, St. Albans, Hertford, Romford, and other places within a distance of miles; but even now may be regarded as the best market for the supply of a much wider district. | |
The very extraordinary change which has taken place in the supply of salmon for market since it has been brought by steam-vessels from Scotland in hours may to some extent indicate the effect which the railways will have in extending the consumption of fish of all kinds in those parts of the country where hitherto it has been scarce and dear. Perhaps as many as salmon | |
207 | are now taken in a year in the Thames; and Sir Humphry Davy, in his says that a skilful angler may take about in a week at Christchurch. If the supply from Scotland were stopped, salmon, instead of being or the pound, as they were when were taken in a year in the Thames, would be as dear as turtle. A commission agent for the sale of salmon at , who was examined before a Parliamentary Committee in , and who had been in the trade ever since , said Previous to the last change the supply was inconsiderable, and a large proportion of it was derived from the rivers in England. The fish were then packed in straw. Pennant, in his written years ago, gives the following account of the salmon-trade at Berwick: The trade in fresh salmon ceased by the end of April, as the increasing temperature of the season rendered it impossible to bring the fish to market in a proper state. In case the voyage from Berwick to London proved longer than usual, the vessel was run into the nearest port, and the cargo, which would have been spoiled had it been brought to London, was disposed of. The trade had nearly ceased at the time-when it is now the most active, as the heat of the water spoiled the fish during a long voyage. In the Correspondence of the late Sir George Sinclair there is a letter from Mr. George Dempster, which relates the following history of the present mode of packing salmon in ice :-- Packed in boxes as soon as caught, and covered with pounded ice which froze into |
208 | a solid mass, salmon could be preserved in excellent state for days, and the smacks were exclusively freighted with them. There were previously branches of salmon traders in London, depending upon land-carriage, and the other on the supplies by sea; but the former soon found their occupation gone after this discovery. Steam navigation has rendered the improvement perfect. The arrivals of salmon at average about boxes per day in February and March, each box weighing about cwt.; boxes in April; from to in May; beginning of June from to , and at the latter end of the month boxes per day; which number gradually increases until it amounts during the end of July and the early part of August to boxes, and frequently more. The average price for the season is about , and is occasionally as low as and : it is lowest when the fish is in the greatest perfection. The quantity brought to in the season of was probably not less than tons. It is sent on commission to agents, who charge per cent. and take the risk of bad debts. This business is in few hands, and those engaged in it are the most wealthy of all the dealers in fish. |
A considerable period will elapse before the ,use of fish becomes general in those parts of the country to which the facility of conveyance has only recently introduced it. There are thousands of families who never tasted any fish except a red herring. The number of persons employed as fish-dealers show that in many parts of England fish constitutes a very unimportant article of diet. In the metropolis, where the means of obtaining it are nearly perfect, there is fish-dealer to butchers, while in Warwickshire the proportion is as to ; in Staffordshire as to ; and taking even a large town, Wolverhampton, the proportion in was I in , for there was only dealer in the place. In West Bromwich, with butchers, there was not fish-dealer, while in the borough of there were fish-dealers to butchers, or to each persons. In the counties on the coast the proportion is about fish-dealer to butchers. It may be that in some of the inland counties there is not so great a paucity of fishmongers as the returns under the census imply, as with many persons it only makes a part, and that the least important, of their calling, the other being of so irregular a nature. Great facilities for obtaining food will not long exist without being made available, and producing dealers. Fish from Liverpool cannot long pass through Warwickshire and Staffordshire to London without the discovery being made that there are intermediate places which it may be profitable to supply. In Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham, during the summer of , the supplies of fish, chiefly by the railways, were occasionally immense. | |
Footnotes: [n.206.1] Brighton Herald, August 27 1842. |
