Memories of Lynn’s whaling history
Once a prosperous port town, King’s Lynn boasts a rich maritime heritage encompassing everything from commerce and trade to enthralling whale fishing activities…
The iconic opening line, ‘Call me Ishmael,’ launches one of the most celebrated novels in literary history. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick endures as a powerful symbol of the perilous whaling industry that thrived from the late 18th to early 19th century. The novel’s dramatic storyline was inspired by the 1820 sinking of the American whaling ship Essex, struck and destroyed by a whale in the Pacific Ocean. This harrowing maritime disaster highlights the scale and danger of whaling during that era and fuels its lingering fascination today.
Whaling was once a major global enterprise involving numerous countries, with England becoming a key participant in the industry from 1774. London, Hull and Whitby dominated the scene, but as an active maritime town with a river crucial for economic growth, it was only natural that King’s Lynn also entered the fray.
“It’s inconceivable to think that a significant nautical venture such as whaling could occur at this time without the involvement of seafarers in King’s Lynn,” says passionate local historian David Andrews, who authored True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum publication ‘The Whale Fishery of Lynn: 1774-1821’. “My interest began when I came across some papers from 1906 belonging to my wife’s late grandfather. They contained notes on the Arctic whale fishery from Yarmouth and Lynn by Thomas Southwell, but details of ships and personnel were missing. I was eager to gain a complete account of our local whaling industry and sought to discover more.”
David’s extensive research revealed that seafarers from Lynn sailed to Arctic waters as early as 1360, evidenced by charts constructed by seaman Brother Nicholas and presented to King Edward III.
“Once the bounty was increased, Lynn seized the opportunity to put its maritime skills to use in the Davis Strait - the stretch of sea between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Canada, which served as the main hunting ground for whales,” David explains.
Funded and provisioned predominantly by local merchants such as the Bagges, Hogges, Everards, Brownes and Allens, the town’s ships set sail for the Davis Strait most years during this period. Crews would depart from April until August, in line with government bounty regulations, only permitted to return early if they sustained significant damage or had a complete catch, typically around 12 whales.
“The whales were processed at sea and stored in large barrels in the holds of the ship,” David explains. “Lynn’s oak vessels could carry a cargo of around 250-400 tonnes. Once full, they were capable of towing up to three whales behind them.”
The ships’ final destinations were the two blubber houses on the banks of the River Nar, where the blubber from the barrels was rendered down for oil. This oil was utilised for lubrication, soap and fuel for lamp lights, even illuminating St Margaret’s Church (now known as King’s Lynn Minster) until 1829.
“The stench would have been awful,” says David. “It took around a month to sail back so they would have already been ripe, and then the smell from the rendering was extremely pungent.”
In addition to blubber, whalebone and baleen were valuable resources. An 1888 illustration of The White Hart Inn in Downham Market indicates that whale jaw bones were sometimes used in building structures. Other uses included shipbuilding, walking sticks, cutlery, butchers’ blocks and decorative items. Baleen, being more flexible, was ideal for manufacturing products such as carriage springs and whalebone corsets.
Nine local ships likely participated in whale fishing between 1774 and 1821, when the last whaling vessel sailed from Lynn. They were the Jango, Enterprise, Experiment, Balaena, Eclipse, Fountain, Bedford, Archangel and Form. “The Balaena, owned by Samuel Baker and built in 1774, was probably the most notable whaler,” says David. “A white mug complete with a poem was even made to commemorate her importance. It reads: A ship from Lynn did sail, A ship of Noble fame, Capt. Baxter was Commander, Balaena is her name.”
By the mid-19th century, the advent of gas coupled with the withdrawal of the Government bounty in 1824 signalled the end of the whaling industry. Nevertheless, the heritage of whaling in King’s Lynn lives on, both in spirit and in physical form in structures such as the Harding’s Pits whale sculpture. Originally carved from two oak trees, this beloved local landmark was replaced with a striking Corten steel feature in summer 2024, standing proudly as a lasting reminder of this wonderful town’s colourful past.
To find out more about whaling, visit True’s Yard Fisherfolk Museum in King’s Lynn and discover more fascinating features on local history at klmagazine.co.uk.
This photo of an oil painting called ‘View from the Greenland Fishery’ depicts Danish vessels engaged in whaling (above). Similarly, we have a black and white photograph of an ink and wash drawing by William Joy showing ship and crew attacking a whale at the Greenland whale fishery (below). Exclusive to King’s Lynn is a Staffordshire or Sunderland Pottery creamware mug showing the town’s most notable whaling ship, ‘Balaena’ (right). Thought to be decorated by William Absolon of Yarmouth, the mug dates to around 1800.