The Stotfield fishing disaster was the first of several fishing disasters of the 19th century on the east coast of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. A storm struck the
Moray Firth
The Moray Firth (; Scottish Gaelic: ''An Cuan Moireach'', ''Linne Mhoireibh'' or ''Caolas Mhoireibh'') is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotl ...
on 25 December 1806. Compared to the
Moray Firth fishing disaster
The Moray Firth fishing disaster of August 1848 was one of the worst fishing disasters in maritime history on the east coast of Scotland, and was caused by a severe storm that struck the Moray Firth. The event led to widespread improvements to ...
of 1848 or the
Eyemouth disaster
The Eyemouth disaster was a severe European windstorm that struck the south-eastern coast of Scotland on 14 October 1881. One hundred and eighty-nine fishermen, most of whom were from Eyemouth, were drowned. Many citizens of Eyemouth call the ...
of 1881, the Stotfield disaster was small. However, although in other major disasters many more lives and boats were lost, the effect at Stotfield was arguably worse. There, the village lost its entire fleet of three fishing boats. More importantly, it lost all of its able-bodied men and youths in one afternoon.
History of Stotfield
Stotfield has now been absorbed into
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth ( gd, Inbhir Losaidh) is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over ...
but originally it was a small ''ferm toun'' in
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
that was established in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. The name Stotfield is derived from ''Stodfauld'' meaning in
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
, "horse field". The fact that the name is a form of English and not derived from Pictish or
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
names suggests that incomers settled the area.
King David I
David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic language, Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was David, Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later Ki ...
of Scotland introduced settlers from other parts of the kingdom as a way of reducing the powers of the lords who had ruled large territories as independent provinces. Indeed, King David put down a rebellion by the
Mormaer of Moray
The title Earl of Moray, Mormaer of Moray or King of Moray was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until 1130 th ...
in 1130 and it is possible that Stotfield dated from shortly after this event. The English speaking inhabitants of the
Lothians
Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sc ...
would most likely to have been the chosen settlers. It is notable that the tribe inhabiting the Lothians were
Angles
The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ' ...
(originally part of the
Kingdom of Northumbria
la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria
, common_name = Northumbria
, status = State
, status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
). Stotfield's close proximity to the sea eventually led it to develop a fishing arm to its farming activities. By the early 19th century, it had three ''skaffie'' style fishing boats, each crewed by seven people.
Details of the boats
The early ''skaffie'' boats located on the Stotfield beach were small with rounded stems and raked sterns. They were two-masted with a tall dipping
lug sail
The lug sail, or lugsail, is a fore-and-aft, four-cornered sail that is suspended from a spar, called a yard. When raised, the sail area overlaps the mast. For "standing lug" rigs, the sail may remain on the same side of the mast on both the port ...
and a mizzen sail. Their short keel gave them good manoeuvrability in good weather, but they tended to be unstable in bad weather. They were usually crewed by around six people. Above all, though, they were light enough to be hauled up on to the beaches. The boats were un-decked and provided no shelter for the crew. Because of the vulnerability of the boats, they stayed only a few miles out to sea in full view of the land.
The storm
The fishermen reached the fishing grounds, just a mile or two off shore, quite early. The morning began calm, fair and mild but the wind began to strengthen as the morning progressed and by around mid-day the weather took a dramatic turn for the worse and the south-westerly gale drove the boats away from land and down the firth. Although the men were powerful oarsmen the ferocity of the storm overwhelmed all three boats. All 21 people, men and youths, were drowned; only women, young children and the elderly remained in Stotfield.
Those who perished
Boat 1
*Joseph Young Snr, skipper
*Joseph Young Jnr, son to above
*Alex Young, also son to Joseph Young
*William McLeod, Elder
*John McLeod, son to above
*Alex Edward Jnr
*Robt Edward, brother to above
Boat 2
*Alex Edward, Skipper
*William Edward, son to above
*William Edward Snr, brother to Alex Edward
*John Edward, son to "Little" John Edward
*William Baikie
*James Edward, Boatswain
*James Edward, son to above
Boat 3
*James Mitchell, Skipper
*William Crocket, cousin by marriage to James Mitchell.
*John Young
*John Edward Jnr, "Fixie"
*Alex Main, from Nairn
*James McLeod, from Nairn
*John Edward Snr
Elsewhere
A weather diary kept at Gordon Castle,
Fochabers
Fochabers (; gd, Fachabair or Fothabair) is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, east of the cathedral city of Elgin and located on the east bank of the River Spey. 1,728 people live in the village, which enjoys a rich mus ...
,
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
, stated that the temperature at 8 a.m. on this day was 50 degrees
Fahrenheit
The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accounts of how he originally defined his ...
. However, as the day progressed, the wind increased to hurricane force with trees on the estate being blown down. Later in the afternoon, the temperature dropped to 39 degrees Fahrenheit indicating the passage of a weather front. A
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
, ''Traveller'', left
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
early on this same day and ran into a huge storm. When the ship reached
Kinnaird Head
Kinnaird Head ( gd, An Ceann Àrd, "high headland") is a headland projecting into the North Sea, within the town of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, on the east coast of Scotland. The 16th-century Kinnaird Castle was converted in 1787 for use as the Ki ...
,
Fraserburgh
Fraserburgh (; sco, The Broch or ; gd, A' Bhruaich) is a town in Aberdeenshire (unitary), Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census at 13,100. It lies at the far northeast corner of Aber ...
,
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, she was forced to return to Orkney where she was wrecked on the island of
Flotta
Flotta () is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying in Scapa Flow. The island is known for its large oil terminal and is linked by Orkney Ferries to Houton on the Orkney Mainland, Lyness on Hoy and Longhope on South Walls. The island has ...
with loss of life to crew and passengers.
The Aberdeen Journal wrote:
. ''"On Thursday last (December 25. 1806), a most tremendous gale came on from the south-west. It began in the morning and continued increasing until about 11 o'clock, at which time it had all the appearance and force of a tornado. Its violence was severely felt in this city and neighbourhood... The accounts from all parts of the country represent the mischief done by this dreadful gale as beyond calculation - thatched houses unroofed barns and stables blown down: stacks of corn and hay scattered to the wind; and an immense quantity of large and valuable timber torn from the roots." (31/12/06). The late gale on this coast, we are much afraid, has been productive of more serious consequences than are yet ascertained. A number of vessels on this coast are still missing, and several fishing boats on the Moray Firth were driven out to sea in the violence of the gales and have not been heard of." (7/1/07)''
In January the same newspaper wrote:
''"In addition to the melancholy accounts formerly received, of the damage done by the late gale, we have to mention the loss of several vessels on the coast of Caithness... Five vessels names unknown, ashore in the Orkney Islands, twenty to thirty men supposed to be lost... We hear from Elgin, that three boats belonging to Stotfield, were lost, containing 21 seamen, who have left 17 widows and 42 children, besides aged parents and other helpless relations to lament their fate. Liberal contributions are making for their relief." (14/1/07). "In addition to the melancholy accidents of Christmas Day, we are very sorry to state the following losses: A boat with three men at Burghead; one boat with seven men at Rottenslough, near Buckle; and a boat with seven men at Avoch in Ross-shire; many of them leaving widows and families." (28/1/1807).''
The paper later reported:
''"We have much pleasure in mentioning, that a collection for relief of the widows and families of the unfortunate fishermen who perished in the tremendous gale of Christmas last, is to be made in all the (18) churches of this city, tomorrow (a national fast day; £190 3 11¾ was raised (11/3/07)... In the violence of that dreadful gale, the three boats of Stotfield, one boat of Avoch, one of Burghead and one of Port Essie, foundered. Thirty-seven industrious fishermen perished in the deep, leaving behind them 31 widows, 89 children and 56 aged parents or other relations, all ... by the fatal event, now rendered totally destitute." (25/3/07).''
The paper carried this advert on 25 March 1807:
''"such fishermen as will settle at Stotfield, in the parish of Drainie, and county of Elgin and Forces, that a bounty of seven guineas a year will be given for three successive years to the first crew of seven men who shall occupy a boat there in fishing, for that space, according to use and wont. A like bounty of seven guineas a year for two successive years, will be given to the second crew of seven men; and a bounty of seven guineas for one year only, to a third crew of seven men who shall settle at Stotfield."''
It is unknown what response there was to this but it is certainly known that Garden brothers from the Buckie area settled in Stotfield at this time.
The minister of Drainie recorded in 1841 that of the total of £1075 13 0 collected for the Stotfield and Burghead Relief Fund, £35 remained to be distributed while there were still eight widows surviving.
Further afield, at
Alnmouth
Alnmouth () is a coastal village in Northumberland, England, situated east-south-east of Alnwick. The population of the civil parish at the 2001 Census was 562, reducing to 445 at the 2011 Census.
Located at the mouth of the River Aln, the vill ...
in
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
, the storm burst through the coastal defences and caused the River Aln to change its course. Because of this the busy fishing harbour gradually silted up and the fishing industry disappeared. This demonstrated the extent and ferocity of this storm.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stotfield Fishing Disaster
Ports and harbours of Scotland
Fishing in Scotland
Natural disasters in Scotland
1806 in Scotland
1806 disasters in the United Kingdom
Fishing disasters
Maritime incidents in 1806
December 1806 events
Lossiemouth