# Wainfleet Fishermen in the 1800’s



## GY177 (Nov 13, 2007)

Another family history type question.

In the 1881 census, I have ancestors which lived in Wainfleet whose occupations are stated as Fishermen & Fisherboys. Interestingly, the previous, 1871 census, has the same people’s occupations as Boatmen.

Would any of you knowledgeable folk out there have any information on a fishing industry in Wainfleet, in the 1800’s? My understanding is that by this time, the River Steeping, although navigable to smaller boats, had silted up; and any shipping had moved further downstream to Gibraltar Point – the last boats leaving there in the 1920’s. Would these Fishermen have worked out of Wainfleet… or maybe Skegness and Boston? I’m not sure what communications would have been like between these towns in the 1800’s.

Thanks in advance,

Dean.


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## Lincs W (Oct 4, 2019)

Hi,
I can't help but would love to know something similar. My ancestor was listed as a boatman at Wainfleet All Saints in the 1841 census. Other aspects of his life list him then as a waterman or bargeman. He was born about 1807 there. I would love to know what sort of boat he would have had and the types he would have grown up with. I think I read somewhere that barges might have loaded/ unloaded the bigger boats? ships? I'm not very nautical. The coastline changed a lot in that time, from what I can gather. I imagine he must have gone to Gibraltar Point and looked at the boats there and in the River Lymn/ Steeping/ Wainfleet Haven. The 19th century papers talk about coasters going e.g. from/ to/ Wainfleet & Hull.


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