In early 2009, James Morley acquired a box of magic lantern slides at a house sale in London. These turned out to be a collection of hand tinted images of a North Sea Boxing Fleet.

What were the Boxing Fleets?

They were an early form of intensive mechanised fishing Four fleets worked out of Hull around the time these images were taken. Fleets of trawlers that worked together far out in the North Sea. Serviced by steam cutters which ran their catches into Billingsgate

The Boxing Fleets had their origins in the sail trawling era This image from the 1880s is taken from Nor’ard of the Dogger by E.J. Mather (London, 1889).

Sailing trawlermen had become accustomed to keeping the sea in all manner of weather

The fleets were permanently at sea As one vessel ran low on fuel and provisions another would be voyaging out to join the fleet. In this way the fleets retained a permanent presence on the grounds.

Called boxing fleets because the catch was stowed in boxes

A typical day Three six hour trawls Trawls hauled at 6pm, midnight and 6am

The Cod End.

Catch sorted and boxed

No of Voyages Days at Sea Days in Port Av. Length of Voyage days days days Vessels were worked hard Analysis of the Running Logs of the Steam Trawler Viola

Crews also worked hard John Hill age 46: Mate on Boxing Fleet Trawlers 1 st August 1904 to 10 th January voyages 140 days at sea 21 days at home Source: Steam Trawler Running Logs John Hill is Robb Robinson’s great grandfather

Each boxing fleet consisted of up to fifty trawlers that more or less worked together under the guidance of an experienced skipper – the admiral

Skipper John Glanville. Boxing Fleet Admiral days at sea 75 days ashore days at sea 54 days ashore Source: Skipper John Glanville’s Fishing Log Book

One of the best known and most experience Boxing Fleet Admirals was Admiral Foot

Photographs of Admiral Foot courtesy of Pam Dennison his great grandaughter.

The most difficult dask was transfering fish on a daily basis from the trawler to the cutter

This had always been a perilous task as these 1880 images from E.J. Mather’s book show.

The open boats generally needed replacing after about 18 months

Unloading the fish boxes onto the cutter.

A Mission Ship accompanied the fleets to provide medical care and wider spiritual and material support

Steam Cutters such as the New Zealand had to run for Billingsgate with the boxes in order to catch the market.

Through all weathers in their dash to Billingsgate

The Cutter Canada coaling on the River Thames

Collection particularly remarkable because of the informal images

and the animal life

Who took these wonderful photographs and why were they taken?

A Large Number were used in Toilers of the Deep, the magazine of the Royal National Mission for Deep Sea Fishermen

What happened to the boxing fleets? Large losses of ships to enemy action whilst fishing and on war service: 1914 – Fleets reduced in size afterwards North Sea less productive during inter-war period Hull owners concentrated investment on highly profitable distant water sector The last boxing fleet trawlers called back in from the North Sea and laid up in early 1936, almost exactly 75 years ago.

Boxing Fleets: The last survivor