During the 19th Century the Caithness county town of Wick was referred to as "the chief seat of the herring fishing industry in Scotland" as well as the higher sounding "largest herring port in Europe". There is little doubt that Wick deserved these accolades. So much herring was landed there that it was said that your nose would pick up Wick many miles before reaching the Royal Burgh. This had much to do with the highly efficient processing that took place immediately upon the boats - known as drifters - delivering the fish to the harbour. Fisher-lassies would gut the herring then packers salted and barrelled them quickly. Aside from the decline of fish stocks and eventual death of the industry there are countless other sad stories to be told of this truly remarkable time in Scottish history.
One ordinary day during a time of plenty in August 1848 the fleet prepared itself for another productive sortie into the North Sea. Eight hundred drifters set sail from Wick on 19 August 1848. More than 30 years later veteran fisherman John Cruickshank, of Pulteneytown, Wick, reported his memories of 19 August. "Eight hundred drifters set sail from Wick harbour. It was just another day's fishing in an industry that lasted almost 200 years. The prospects were for good fishing and so the fleet set out windward mostly to the south of Wick Bay. It was the fall of the Lammas Stream. This was the high tide around Lammas Day on 1 August. As night began to fall the wind abated and turned westward. Many of the boats now were tempted to shoot their nets. The sun set and ominous grey clouds grew thick and dark over the north-east coast. Some of the boats recognised the climate indicators and hauled in their nets and made for shore. Those who had heeded the early signs of the coming storm reached the harbour before darkness set in and while the tide had not yet ebbed from the harbour basin.
By midnight the wind veered again and worked itself up into a gale. This vast column of air moving swiftly over the sea, the dense darkness, the ebbing tide and an unlighted, waterless harbour combined to create a terrible destructive situation. The fleet had all but returned north to the mouth of Wick bay and many tried to run the harbour in the dark and were driven behind the old north quay to perish on the rocks".
To add to the horror of that day the majority of those killed did not lose their lives in the anonymous depths of the North Sea, but at the mouth of Wick harbour in full sight of the horrified and helpless view of the onlookers onshore, many of these were wives and mothers of those who perished. The morning of the 19th of August will long remain in the memories of the people of wick as the most heart-rending calamity that the town has ever experienced. On the afternoon of Friday the 18th the Wick fishermen proceeded to sea. as usual, full of hope that heir efforts would he crowned with success, and that next morning would return, their boats laden with the fruits of their labour, The evening was fine, a gentle breeze blew from the south west and as darkness fell the sky gave promise of a beautiful night. Before eight o'clock the sky to the west grew suddenly red and the sky to the easy became very black, the barometer rapidly fell. The gentle breeze grew to a stiff gale and changed direction slightly raising a rather disagreeable swell Personal safety overcame the desire for gain for some who returned to the safety of the harbour but others remained. By midnight the gale had somewhat abated. And the wind having returned to a landward direction, the fears of those on shore for the safety of their families and friend was removed. But this was short lived. By one o'clock the wind had risen again in violence until it was blowing a fearful gale, and the sea rose to such a pitch as to create the greatest alarm in the minds of all. Morning began gradually to dawn, as it glimmered in the eastern sky it presented a scene of grave foreboding. The whole coast was studded with boats. all running before the wind. Their crews desperate to reach the safety' of the land. About four o'clock boat followed boat in rapid succession towards the land, many dashing against each other in the boiling waters and became wrecks. Up to this hour so far as the harbour and bay were concerned no life had been lost but ere an hour had passed many a hapless fishermen would disappear under the briny waves. Visibility was poor and with no light on the Pultneytown south-quay-head flatly mistook Wick Bay for Reiss only to find themselves amongst the breakers a nd billows which broke amongst the rocks in the vicinity of Pultneytown harbour Just after four o clock one boat reaching for the bay was thrown by a tremendous wave almost on to the dry to the rocks of Proudfoot, Rescuers went to the scene only to find the two bodies under the upturned boat, one of them had been badly cut. It appears from a statement from one of the survivors that on running for land their rudder had given way forcing them to steer the boat with oars and in the poor visibility had mistaken their position corning to grief on the rocks at Proudfoot. Another boat belonging to Robert Wheir of Wick, while on her nets was run down by a schooner, the Ann and Elizabeth of South Shields, the crew of which paid no attention to the poor fishermen thus endangered who had to run their boat upon Noss Head. The moment she struck, the crew leapt upon the rocks and were miraculously saved, Donald Farquhar and his crew of Wick were driven amongst the reef of rocks at HeIman, One of the crew lept into the water with a rope and, getting to shore succeeded in puling the rest of the crew to safety.
They then walked barefooted into town. About half past four five boats entered the bay together at. This time the state of the weather was fearful and the bay was almost one entire wave, In the blight of the bay one tremendous wave struck the furthest out of the five boats swamping her and sending the whole crew to a watery grave. As this fearful wave proceeded on its course of destruction and death a second boat was struck and net the same fate as their friends, A third boat, that of Francis Sinclair of Pultneytown made a hairbreadth escape and reached the harbour. A fourth belonging to William Doull of Wick struck the end of the South quay, the moment she struck the crew scrambled up the back of the quay with the exception of poor Doull, who, in a disparate attempt to save his son allowed the opportunity to pass and in the next moment another wave drove the boat to the back of the North quay, and his son perished. The fifth, a small Lews boat came in at the back of the North Quay, and the entire crew. by means of ropes borrowed from boats in the harbour got safely ashore. Another boat appeared and after encountering the surf on the bar she struck on the end of the South Quay. At this point a Mr John Sutherland, Emigration Agent. at that time almost the only person on the parapet wall boldly ventured down the solitary ladder affixed to the back of the quay, and holding one of its steps with one hand he stretched forward the other to the drowning fishermen. Two of them were brought ashore but ere his generous help could be made available to the others the boat was driven off by the surge and the rest of the crew perished. The rapid occurrence of such a horrific event caused confusion everywhere. At one lime four entire crews were at the back of the quay, all exposed to the appalling danger. In one case a poor fishermen clung to the mast for more than half an hour watching his crew mates and friends hauled up the quay one by one to safety, and now he alone remained, It was a fight for life. Gradually the mast floated up towards the shore, ropes were thrown but his stiffened arms could not be raised to take advantage of this aid. At last two very brave men, Mr George Sinclair, boat carpenter and Mr Wm.Young, mason, made a determined effort to save the helpless man. They got ropes fastened round their bodies, and swinging themselves over the quay they dashed into the swirling breakers and brought the man safely to land. The whole bay was a scene of destruction with wrecks of boats floating in every direction while on the land it was impossible to describe the terror edged in every countenance as children were left fatherless mothers losing husbands and sons.
Breadwinners Perished
Dawn revealed an angry North Sea and a town of cold spectators, praying and watching from the shore. In the bay the remainder of the fleet were still waiting for the incoming tide to reach the safety of home and family. One by one they ran the briny gauntlet, some with more sail than others. Collisions were unavoidable and they fouled on each other and were driven into the boulders behind the quay. Ladders and lifebuoys were yet years away and the population of Wick and Pulteneytown watched in horror as their breadwinners perished at their feet. Some foundered at sea before reaching land. One swamped off the small cove at Sarclet and four swamped to the south of Wick Bay, another perished off Helman Head and another in the fierce tideway of Noss Head. Some ran into creeks along the coast with more or less success but many lives were lost right there in Wick Bay where they expected to reach safety. Thirty-seven men from Wick alone drowned leaving 17 widows and 63 children. Eighteen boats were lost on the rocks. However, the total loss of life in the whole of the far north that day was 94 lives and 30 boats. The property lost was estimated at £23,000. The following is a fairly accurate list of casualties of that terrible day:
William Doull and son Wick. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 2 lives lost.
James Manson and crew, Longhope, Orkney. Swamped on the Bar in Wick Bay - 5 lives lost.
Murdoch McDonald and crew, Bayble. Lost at sea - 5 lives lost.
Murdoch Morrison and crew. Swamped on the Bar of Wick Bay - 5 lives lost.
Donald Miller, Whaligoe. Lost at sea of Circlet Head - 1 life lost.
Andrew Gidder, Staxigoe. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 5 lives lost.
Roderick Manson, Dureness. Lost at the North Point of Wick Bay - 2 lives lost.
Thomas Henderson, Thurso. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 1 life lost.
David manson, Wick. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 5 lives lost.
Robert Campbell, Pulteneytown. Swamped off the South Pier, Wick - 3 lives lost.
John Smith, Garbost. Struck at the South Pier Head, Wick and swamped - 3 lives lost.
Total men drowned 37
Disaster's Anniversary
A public inquiry revealed the weaknesses of the fleet. Each boat only had 30ft of keel and was open apart from a little den at the fore peak. One of the frailest craft in the fleet rode at her nets until the gale had subsided and limped into the harbour at high tide the next day, demonstrating that survival chances would have increased had the fleet attempted to weather the storm than make a frantic bid to reach Wick. For many years after the disaster only the most daring fisherman would venture to sea on the disaster's anniversary. Wick's "Black Saturday" stayed deeply engraved on the memories of the fishing community of the east of Caithness for a long time. Fathers and grandfathers told their sons of the morning that brought grief to so many.
No monument marks the tragedy and the only marker is a painting by Robert Anderson (shown above) depicting the disaster, that hangs in the council chambers in Wick.
One ordinary day during a time of plenty in August 1848 the fleet prepared itself for another productive sortie into the North Sea. Eight hundred drifters set sail from Wick on 19 August 1848. More than 30 years later veteran fisherman John Cruickshank, of Pulteneytown, Wick, reported his memories of 19 August. "Eight hundred drifters set sail from Wick harbour. It was just another day's fishing in an industry that lasted almost 200 years. The prospects were for good fishing and so the fleet set out windward mostly to the south of Wick Bay. It was the fall of the Lammas Stream. This was the high tide around Lammas Day on 1 August. As night began to fall the wind abated and turned westward. Many of the boats now were tempted to shoot their nets. The sun set and ominous grey clouds grew thick and dark over the north-east coast. Some of the boats recognised the climate indicators and hauled in their nets and made for shore. Those who had heeded the early signs of the coming storm reached the harbour before darkness set in and while the tide had not yet ebbed from the harbour basin.
By midnight the wind veered again and worked itself up into a gale. This vast column of air moving swiftly over the sea, the dense darkness, the ebbing tide and an unlighted, waterless harbour combined to create a terrible destructive situation. The fleet had all but returned north to the mouth of Wick bay and many tried to run the harbour in the dark and were driven behind the old north quay to perish on the rocks".
To add to the horror of that day the majority of those killed did not lose their lives in the anonymous depths of the North Sea, but at the mouth of Wick harbour in full sight of the horrified and helpless view of the onlookers onshore, many of these were wives and mothers of those who perished. The morning of the 19th of August will long remain in the memories of the people of wick as the most heart-rending calamity that the town has ever experienced. On the afternoon of Friday the 18th the Wick fishermen proceeded to sea. as usual, full of hope that heir efforts would he crowned with success, and that next morning would return, their boats laden with the fruits of their labour, The evening was fine, a gentle breeze blew from the south west and as darkness fell the sky gave promise of a beautiful night. Before eight o'clock the sky to the west grew suddenly red and the sky to the easy became very black, the barometer rapidly fell. The gentle breeze grew to a stiff gale and changed direction slightly raising a rather disagreeable swell Personal safety overcame the desire for gain for some who returned to the safety of the harbour but others remained. By midnight the gale had somewhat abated. And the wind having returned to a landward direction, the fears of those on shore for the safety of their families and friend was removed. But this was short lived. By one o'clock the wind had risen again in violence until it was blowing a fearful gale, and the sea rose to such a pitch as to create the greatest alarm in the minds of all. Morning began gradually to dawn, as it glimmered in the eastern sky it presented a scene of grave foreboding. The whole coast was studded with boats. all running before the wind. Their crews desperate to reach the safety' of the land. About four o'clock boat followed boat in rapid succession towards the land, many dashing against each other in the boiling waters and became wrecks. Up to this hour so far as the harbour and bay were concerned no life had been lost but ere an hour had passed many a hapless fishermen would disappear under the briny waves. Visibility was poor and with no light on the Pultneytown south-quay-head flatly mistook Wick Bay for Reiss only to find themselves amongst the breakers a nd billows which broke amongst the rocks in the vicinity of Pultneytown harbour Just after four o clock one boat reaching for the bay was thrown by a tremendous wave almost on to the dry to the rocks of Proudfoot, Rescuers went to the scene only to find the two bodies under the upturned boat, one of them had been badly cut. It appears from a statement from one of the survivors that on running for land their rudder had given way forcing them to steer the boat with oars and in the poor visibility had mistaken their position corning to grief on the rocks at Proudfoot. Another boat belonging to Robert Wheir of Wick, while on her nets was run down by a schooner, the Ann and Elizabeth of South Shields, the crew of which paid no attention to the poor fishermen thus endangered who had to run their boat upon Noss Head. The moment she struck, the crew leapt upon the rocks and were miraculously saved, Donald Farquhar and his crew of Wick were driven amongst the reef of rocks at HeIman, One of the crew lept into the water with a rope and, getting to shore succeeded in puling the rest of the crew to safety.
They then walked barefooted into town. About half past four five boats entered the bay together at. This time the state of the weather was fearful and the bay was almost one entire wave, In the blight of the bay one tremendous wave struck the furthest out of the five boats swamping her and sending the whole crew to a watery grave. As this fearful wave proceeded on its course of destruction and death a second boat was struck and net the same fate as their friends, A third boat, that of Francis Sinclair of Pultneytown made a hairbreadth escape and reached the harbour. A fourth belonging to William Doull of Wick struck the end of the South quay, the moment she struck the crew scrambled up the back of the quay with the exception of poor Doull, who, in a disparate attempt to save his son allowed the opportunity to pass and in the next moment another wave drove the boat to the back of the North quay, and his son perished. The fifth, a small Lews boat came in at the back of the North Quay, and the entire crew. by means of ropes borrowed from boats in the harbour got safely ashore. Another boat appeared and after encountering the surf on the bar she struck on the end of the South Quay. At this point a Mr John Sutherland, Emigration Agent. at that time almost the only person on the parapet wall boldly ventured down the solitary ladder affixed to the back of the quay, and holding one of its steps with one hand he stretched forward the other to the drowning fishermen. Two of them were brought ashore but ere his generous help could be made available to the others the boat was driven off by the surge and the rest of the crew perished. The rapid occurrence of such a horrific event caused confusion everywhere. At one lime four entire crews were at the back of the quay, all exposed to the appalling danger. In one case a poor fishermen clung to the mast for more than half an hour watching his crew mates and friends hauled up the quay one by one to safety, and now he alone remained, It was a fight for life. Gradually the mast floated up towards the shore, ropes were thrown but his stiffened arms could not be raised to take advantage of this aid. At last two very brave men, Mr George Sinclair, boat carpenter and Mr Wm.Young, mason, made a determined effort to save the helpless man. They got ropes fastened round their bodies, and swinging themselves over the quay they dashed into the swirling breakers and brought the man safely to land. The whole bay was a scene of destruction with wrecks of boats floating in every direction while on the land it was impossible to describe the terror edged in every countenance as children were left fatherless mothers losing husbands and sons.
Breadwinners Perished
Dawn revealed an angry North Sea and a town of cold spectators, praying and watching from the shore. In the bay the remainder of the fleet were still waiting for the incoming tide to reach the safety of home and family. One by one they ran the briny gauntlet, some with more sail than others. Collisions were unavoidable and they fouled on each other and were driven into the boulders behind the quay. Ladders and lifebuoys were yet years away and the population of Wick and Pulteneytown watched in horror as their breadwinners perished at their feet. Some foundered at sea before reaching land. One swamped off the small cove at Sarclet and four swamped to the south of Wick Bay, another perished off Helman Head and another in the fierce tideway of Noss Head. Some ran into creeks along the coast with more or less success but many lives were lost right there in Wick Bay where they expected to reach safety. Thirty-seven men from Wick alone drowned leaving 17 widows and 63 children. Eighteen boats were lost on the rocks. However, the total loss of life in the whole of the far north that day was 94 lives and 30 boats. The property lost was estimated at £23,000. The following is a fairly accurate list of casualties of that terrible day:
William Doull and son Wick. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 2 lives lost.
James Manson and crew, Longhope, Orkney. Swamped on the Bar in Wick Bay - 5 lives lost.
Murdoch McDonald and crew, Bayble. Lost at sea - 5 lives lost.
Murdoch Morrison and crew. Swamped on the Bar of Wick Bay - 5 lives lost.
Donald Miller, Whaligoe. Lost at sea of Circlet Head - 1 life lost.
Andrew Gidder, Staxigoe. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 5 lives lost.
Roderick Manson, Dureness. Lost at the North Point of Wick Bay - 2 lives lost.
Thomas Henderson, Thurso. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 1 life lost.
David manson, Wick. Lost at the back of the North Pier, Pulteneytown - 5 lives lost.
Robert Campbell, Pulteneytown. Swamped off the South Pier, Wick - 3 lives lost.
John Smith, Garbost. Struck at the South Pier Head, Wick and swamped - 3 lives lost.
Total men drowned 37
Disaster's Anniversary
A public inquiry revealed the weaknesses of the fleet. Each boat only had 30ft of keel and was open apart from a little den at the fore peak. One of the frailest craft in the fleet rode at her nets until the gale had subsided and limped into the harbour at high tide the next day, demonstrating that survival chances would have increased had the fleet attempted to weather the storm than make a frantic bid to reach Wick. For many years after the disaster only the most daring fisherman would venture to sea on the disaster's anniversary. Wick's "Black Saturday" stayed deeply engraved on the memories of the fishing community of the east of Caithness for a long time. Fathers and grandfathers told their sons of the morning that brought grief to so many.
No monument marks the tragedy and the only marker is a painting by Robert Anderson (shown above) depicting the disaster, that hangs in the council chambers in Wick.