History / Delting Disaster remembered 125 years on
Twenty two lives were lost at sea on 21 December 1900 in a fishing tragedy
A HEADLINE in the old Shetland News back in December 1900 sums it up – a “terrible disaster in Shetland”.
On Sunday (21 December) it will be 125 years to the day since 22 fishermen lost their lives in what became known as the Delting Disaster.
Plenty of time has passed since the tragedy, but a memorial located near the junction towards Toft offers a chance for reflection and ensures the memory of the 22 men are not forgotten.
A commemorative display will also be on show at the Mossbank Hall this Sunday from 12pm to 2pm, during a soup and sweet event.
There will also a service be held at the memorial on Sunday at 2pm.
It was on the morning of 21 December 1900 when seven small boats from Firth, Mossbank and Toft took to the sea for haddock fishing.
Unfortunately they got caught up in a severe and sudden gale to the east of the Shetland mainland between the Horse o’ Burravoe and Da Snap.
While some boats made it to the safety of land, others were not so lucky. Twenty two men ultimately drowned, leaving behind 15 widows and 51 children.
Firth was said to be hit the hardest, with the loss of men resulting in the decline of the fishing industry.
It was said that children grew up and moved away, bringing a decline in population.
A Delting Disaster fund was set up to help the families left behind, with Queen Victoria said to have made a personal donation of £20 just two weeks before her own death in January 1901.
The old Shetland News wrote on 12 January 1901 that the “calamity had indeed been a terrible one”.
It said there was an “air of gloom and depression” over the area.
“Needless to say, there were no Auld Yule festivities in North Delting this year,” it had said.
The newspaper article also highlighted the family of James Cogle from Toft, who was lost in the disaster and left behind a widow and seven children aged between two and 14.
It noted, in relation to the loss of the family’s breadwinner, how their croft was only “very small, and can keen only one or two animals”.
A week later, on 19 January 1901, the old Shetland News reported how the Queen had expressed “deep sympathy” with those affected by the tragedy, and offered a £20 donation.
Speaking this week, Delting Community Council chairman Alastair Cooper – who lives in the area – said the incident had a “very significant” impact on the community at the time.
He gave the example how a father and two sons were lost on one of the boats.
“There were a lot of folk left with no earner in the house,” Cooper said. “It was very, very serious.
“It had quite an impact on the village, Firth especially.”
Cooper said the morning in question was said to have been “flat calm”, but the weather turned suddenly out at sea.
He said the problem was a lot of the men had their fishing lines out, but they did not want to lose them as “that was their livelihood”.
Cooper said it is thought that some of the men were lost trying to recover their gear in the gale.
“We should never forget what folk endured in order to put maet on the table, as the saying goes,” he added.
The memorial, which was made to mark the 100th anniversary, includes a quote attributed to the widow of the late Charles Nicolson, who died in the disaster.
It says: “You see dey wirna mine. Da Loard gae dem tae me fir a time, and dan he took dem back ageen.”
The memorial also lists the names of each man who lost their lives that day. They are:
James Cogle, Toft – aged 49
John Cogle, Mossbank – aged 39
Laurence Cooper, Toft – aged 37
Thomas Cooper, Toft – aged 40
Henry Corkish, Swinister – aged 56
John Hay, Firth – aged 28
Hugh Hughson, Toft – aged 48
John Hughson, Toft – aged 18
Hugh Jamieson, Toft – aged 38
John Laurenson, Nashion – aged 56
Charles Nicolson, Firth – aged 75
Charles Nicolson Jnr, Firth – aged 29
Gilbert Nicolson, Swinister – aged 26
John Nicolson, Firth – aged 42
Laurence Nicolson, Swinister – aged 53
Laurence Nicolson Jnr, Swinister – aged 20
Peter Nicolson, Firth – aged 37
William Nicolson, Firth – aged 45
William Nicolson, Swinister – aged 29
Robert Robertson, Firthsness – aged 41
Peter Smith, Nashion – aged 66
Hunter Sutherland, Clett – aged 16
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