Tag Archives: fishermen

A tiny chapel and a Catholic martyr both in a port in Cornwall

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WHENEVER WE VISIT the picturesque port of St Ives in Cornwall, we come across things we had not noticed on previous visits. On our latest visit, made in early July 2024, we discovered a monument that we had not noticed before and entered a chapel, which we had seen often, but never entered.

The monument is a bas-relief plaque mounted on one of the walls of the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart and St Ia Church. It is dedicated to the memory of John Payne, the portreeve (harbour master) of St Ives. He was executed in 1549 because he was a Roman Catholic. His demise occurred during the 1549 Prayerbook Rebellion. In case you had never heard of this – and it was news to me – the Prayerbook Rebellion (aka the ‘Western Rising’) happened because of something that happened during the reign of King Edward VI. Edward’s uncle, Edward Seymour, encouraged iconoclasm and the use of English (instead of Latin) during church services. This was unpopular in large parts of England, and when in 1549 the “Book of Common Prayer” was introduced, revolt against it broke out in Devon and Cornwall.

John Payne was hung in the marketplace of St Ives. His death was ordered by Sir Anthony Kingston, the Provost Marshal (c1508-1556).  Payne was not the only Cornishman who was executed for his Catholic beliefs. The monument in St Ives is not only dedicated to him but also to:

“… all the men of St Ives who died to defend the Catholic faith in the Western Rising – 1549”

I am not sure when the memorial plaque was placed on the church, but it does bear the dates “1549” and “1949”.

Further into the town than the monument just described, one reaches the Smeaton Pier, where fishing boats unload the seafood, which they have caught. Wedged between a public toilet (for ‘gents’) and the small St Ives Harbour Master’s Office, there is a tiny chapel dedicated to St Leonard. This small building built with stones is entered via a few granite steps. Consisting of a small room (about 10 feet long and 6 feet wide. No one knows when it was constructed, but records indicate that it underwent some repairs in1577. The chapel was probably used by seamen setting out for sea and also provided shelter in bad weather. In 1971, the chapel was renovated and opened as a museum and a memorial to the fishermen of St Ives.

On the outside of the chapel, there is a plaque commemorating the record breaking 600-mile passage made by the St Ives lugger Lloyd from Scarborough to St Ives in 1902. The journey took 50 hours. Within the chapel, there are glass cabinets containing historical maritime items as well as old photographs and some models of sailing ships.

Although small, both the chapel and the memorial add to the fascination of the wonderful town of St Ives. In a future essay, I will tell you about some more of the things we ‘discovered’ during our latest visit to the place.

A working men’s club with an unusual name

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HASTINGS IN EAST SUSSEX has long had a thriving fishing fleet. It is the largest beach-launched fleet in Europe. Unlike many other fishing ports where the boats are moored in harbours, those at Hastings are moored along the town’s shingle beach when they are at rest. This is part of the beach where in 1066, William the Conqueror famously set foot on English soil.

In 1900, a group of Hastings fishermen met in the (now non-existent) Prince Albert pub – a popular meeting place for these men. The members of the group discussed the idea of raising money to give the poor children of the borough a happy time at Christmas. At that time, regulars of another Hastings pub, the Royal Oak, formed a charitable organisation called the Acorn Club. A website (https://winkleclub.org/early-times/) revealed:

“Apparently at that time in another Hastings pub, the Royal Oak, an Acorn Club had been formed. All members had always to carry acorns, failure to do so involving a fine, all such money being devoted to charity. The fishermen decided to organise an effort on the same lines but one of them … said: `Why an acorn? This is the Old Town; can’t we have something to do with fishing?’ Just then, so the story goes, Providence took a hand. Somebody appeared with a pail of winkles collected from the rocks. Inspiration! Let’s make it the Hastings Winkle Club.”

Thus, the Winkle Club of Hastings was ‘born’.

Members of the Winkle Club must carry a winkle shell at all times. When challenged by a member with the words “Winkle up”, the challenged member must produce his winkle shell and show it to the challenger. For, if they are discovered without their winkle, they are fined. Originally, the fine was one (old) penny, now it is £1. If the person who discovered a member without a winkle did not report him, he would also be fined. All the fines are donated to raise money to achieve the club’s objectives.

In the past, the Winkle Club raised money for poor children as already mentioned. Now, the club raises money for local good causes. Over the years, the Club has included some famous members, who were not fishermen. These include Winston Churchill, the Duke of Windsor, and Lord Montgomery of Alamein.

Close to The Stade, the part of Hastings where the fishing boats are moored, there is a traffic island known as Winkle Island. It is used for various local festivals and is the symbolic meeting place for members of the Winkle Club. A huge sculpture of a winkle shell (see photograph above) stands on Winkle Island. It serves as a public collecting box for the charity. Seeing this marine sculpture is what aroused my interest in this thoroughly worthy charitable organisation.

Where fishermen once lived

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FUNCHAL IN MADEIRA is a place well suited for unhurried exploration. At first, I was worried that 11 days might be too long for a stay here, but this is not the case: it is far too short. There is plenty to see and do without queuing for the famous cable car or for the toboggan ride down a steep road. There are interesting museums to see, but a great deal of pleasure can be derived from wandering leisurely around the older parts of the place.

Cable car passing above Zona Velha in Funchal

One area, which despite being rather ‘touristy’, is the Zona Velha. East of the old patrician  areas around the cathedral and the university, the Zona Velha used to be the poorer part of the city, where fishermen and their  families lived in rather narrow crowded streets near the seashore and the venerable Forte São Tiago.  This fortress was one of a chain of four or five forts that used to protect Funchal from seaborne attackers.

The streets of the Zona Velha have become trendy and there has been a conscious attempt to make the area bohemian. Many of the doors have been painted with often entertaining designs and pictures. There are plenty of small bars and restaurants,  but we were advised by some ladies who work in a museum that these tend to be of poor quality and are best avoided.

High above the Zona there is a terrace overlooking a sea bathing area. Near this, there is an old church, the Igreja de Santiago Menor, which was closed when we visited the district. The café next to the terrace provided excellent coffee at a surprisingly reasonable price given the wonderful sea view from its tables: we paid 3 Euros for two coffees and a pastry.

As touristic areas go, the Zona Velha is certainly worth strolling through. It is probably best to go there earlier in the day before the roads are filled with tables  and chairs next to the eateries.