Finding a Fisherman

P. Breathnach

[I know some of my posts here are a bit blog-like, but I hope that people don't see what I am doing as some form of vanity publishing. I am trying to share experience, partly for conversation about how we approach genealogy and partly as a way of giving back to the group.]

One of my ancestors was an Arklow fisherman and seaman who was not included in the 1901 census for the town. I did find his wife and some of his children. I presumed that he was away at sea, and had escaped being recorded.

When I visited Arklow this week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Jim Rees, a historian who has researched and published extensively on various aspects of the town's history, including the Arklow Fishery. As well as helping me to form an impression of what sort of life my ancestors lived (which is why I had asked him for some of his time) he suggested to me that I should look at census returns for Cork, concentrating on the fishing ports. And there was my great-grandfather, on one of a number of Arklow boats tied up in Castletownbere, together with the son that I had been trying to get some information on.

pinkypinky

That's a brilliant piece of luck!

P. Breathnach

pinkypinky wrote: »

That's a brilliant piece of luck!

The luck was in meeting somebody who knows about fishing in those days. Jim knew the seasonal patterns for the various fish they went after, and could tell me what waters they were likely to be fishing at different times of year. The boats were relatively small, so they unloaded their catch every night, and therefore were unlikely to miss being counted in the census: the only question was where, and Jim already knew that most Arklow boats were fishing off Cork in March 1901.

Finding my great-grandfather was interesting and satisfying. Finding the son with him was a big bonus, because he was the one missing in my family profile, the one for whom I had no name or history.