Customs Officials

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by Coquet

Interesting to see a reference to an Edinburgh oyster boat in the Boulmer incident. Was searching for references to this activity in Victorian times via google. Apparently there was a dramatic and sudden collapse of the UK oyster fisheries in the mid 19c, but I can't find any specific reference to oyster beds and fishing in the north east.

Not my favourite food oysters. Tried them once raw straight out of the shell. Won't do that again.

Ugh, can't even bear the thought

Thought I'd have a look in the newspapers for oyster references, I like this one from the Shields Gazette of 29 August 1882:
"The joy caused in gastronomic and epicurean circles by Mr Olsen's paper on "The North Sea Fisheries" and the great oyster discoveries there, will be shared by the whole oyster eating world. Two hundred miles of oyster beds 30 to 70 miles wide-that is to say, 10,000 acres of splendid oysters within easy distance of the British coast-is a discovery to which all those of Stanley and Livingstone sink into insignificance. One curious feature is that the oysters lie at a depth of 21 fathoms, thus disposing summarily of the prevalent idea that oysters can only be raised successfully in shallow water. The man who invents a new dish, according to some, the man who plants a tree according to the Mahommedans, deserves well of mankind; but what is the reward of a man who discovers 10,000 acres of oysters? And yet all this is tinged with the melancholy doubt (says the Pall Mall G ) whether oysters will be cheaper in consequence"

That put Livingstone and Stanley in their place then