♫ Claire ♫
True's Yard Cottages, Kings Lynn
True's Yard is all that remains of King's Lynn's old fishing community, the North End, which existed for hundreds of years, and which was finally demolished in the clearances of the 1930’s and the 1960’s. Once hundreds of families lived within a stone's throw of their chapel of St Nicholas, which still dominates the area, and the North End had its own boat builders, chandlers, sail makers, pubs, bake houses and school. Now, although the fishing fleet still sails regularly from King's Lynn, the old way of life has gone.
The age of the two remaining fishermen’s cottages is uncertain but we know that they are mentioned in the deeds of 1802. All the items in the cottages came from either these or other fishing cottages in the area and were donated by local North End families.
The cottages were lit by either oil lamps or candles. Coal fires were used and the hot ashes remaining at the end of the day were taken upstairs to the tiny bedroom fireplace to warm the room through.
At one time father, mother and nine children lived here. The only bed upstairs slept all nine children - five at the top and four at the bottom. Mum and Dad slept on the floor with a curtain screening from the children. It is unusual to find a cooking range in such a small cottage - normally they would only have had a open fire to cook on and anything that needed baking would be taken to the North End bakery, and the baker would bake the food for a halfpenny. The floor was made of brick and when the men returned with the catch it would be shot on to the floor and the family would sort out the rubbish such as weeds, starfish etc before selling it. One can imagine the smell!
The rugs on the ground floor of both cottages are genuine early 19th century North end rag rugs, always with red in the middle. The fisherfolk were very superstitious and believed that the red would ward off the "evil eye." The theory was that if the devil looked down the chimney he would see the red patch and think that another devil was already in residence and clear off and bother another family!
There was no sanitation at all. No lavatory, bathroom, kitchen, or water. The nine children slept in the bed upstairs - 5 at the top and 4 at the bottom, mum and dad slept on the floor. The second cottage is furnished in the period of the late 1920's (when they were last occupied).
True's Yard Cottages, Kings Lynn
True's Yard is all that remains of King's Lynn's old fishing community, the North End, which existed for hundreds of years, and which was finally demolished in the clearances of the 1930’s and the 1960’s. Once hundreds of families lived within a stone's throw of their chapel of St Nicholas, which still dominates the area, and the North End had its own boat builders, chandlers, sail makers, pubs, bake houses and school. Now, although the fishing fleet still sails regularly from King's Lynn, the old way of life has gone.
The age of the two remaining fishermen’s cottages is uncertain but we know that they are mentioned in the deeds of 1802. All the items in the cottages came from either these or other fishing cottages in the area and were donated by local North End families.
The cottages were lit by either oil lamps or candles. Coal fires were used and the hot ashes remaining at the end of the day were taken upstairs to the tiny bedroom fireplace to warm the room through.
At one time father, mother and nine children lived here. The only bed upstairs slept all nine children - five at the top and four at the bottom. Mum and Dad slept on the floor with a curtain screening from the children. It is unusual to find a cooking range in such a small cottage - normally they would only have had a open fire to cook on and anything that needed baking would be taken to the North End bakery, and the baker would bake the food for a halfpenny. The floor was made of brick and when the men returned with the catch it would be shot on to the floor and the family would sort out the rubbish such as weeds, starfish etc before selling it. One can imagine the smell!
The rugs on the ground floor of both cottages are genuine early 19th century North end rag rugs, always with red in the middle. The fisherfolk were very superstitious and believed that the red would ward off the "evil eye." The theory was that if the devil looked down the chimney he would see the red patch and think that another devil was already in residence and clear off and bother another family!
There was no sanitation at all. No lavatory, bathroom, kitchen, or water. The nine children slept in the bed upstairs - 5 at the top and 4 at the bottom, mum and dad slept on the floor. The second cottage is furnished in the period of the late 1920's (when they were last occupied).