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Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery
Leaving a legacy
 Linda Louise LR38Early start motoring down Chatham Reach |  Linda Louise LR38Working Kethole Reach Paul Starling at Stern |  Linda Louise LR38Working Long Reach Paul Starling at stern Andy Starling at wheelhouse |
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 Linda Louise LR38Trawling Cockham Reach (Lower Upnor) |  Garrison Point, Sheerness, denotes the lower limit of the Admiral's and ROFF jurisdiction |  Hawkwood Stone, marking the upper boundary of the Admiral's and ROFF jurisdiction |
 Admiralty Court traditionally held on a barge above Rochester Bridge on the first Saturday in July. Attended by the Mayor as Admiral and other civic dignitaries together with freeman, depicted is members of the Jury being sworn in. |  Admiralty Court c 1960 |  Admiralty Court c 1970. Seated to the right are Leonard James Wadhams (Chamberlain at time), Frank “Josher” Wadhams and Horace Moore |
 Admiral Court in progress, Guildhall Museum, Rochester 2014 |  Current Admiralty Court location in the Guildhall Museum, Rochester |  Mayor and Principal Water Baliff greeting Andrew Starling (front), Mark Pink (left) and Shane Hales (centre) |
 ROFF vessel, Osprey, "dressed overall" in preparation for the Admiral's cruise |  5 current ROFF vessels taking part in the annual “beating of the bounds “ Admiral’s cruise recent practise has been to hold cruise on the same weekend as the Admiralty Court. |  Fidelity, ROFF vessel owned by Horace Moore on cruise to upper part of the River Medway |
 PE 81Upper reaches of Medway on Admirals cruise |  ROFF vessel, Osprey, "dressed overall" in preparation for the Admiral's cruise |  Bradley Moore’s Oath papers – issue |
 Bradley Moore’s “Blue Slip” – confirmation from the Jury that apprenticeship duly served normally exchanged with Mayor’s Office once freedom of River Medway awarded. |  Bradley Moore’s Indentures 1988 upon apprenticeship to his father Horace Moore |  Jury members with ROFF flag, 2015 |
 Robyn Wadhams, first female apprentice and now Freeman and Jury member of ROFF |  Shane Hales (centre), Chamberlain Andrew (left) and Paul (right) Starling, Water Baliffs |  Bradley Moore (left) and Shane Hales in Hales and Moore Fishmongers, Rainham |
 Bawleys at Chatham c1900 fully rigged for sails unlikely to have been motorised at that time. Chatham Dockyard and ropery in the back ground |  Bawleys Minion RR9 and Hilda Marjorie RR8 depicted in a painting image is from 1970s but painting was released later in 1980s. Image is from a greetings card. Both of these boats have now been fully restored, sadly little of the original vessels was retained |  Minion RR9 and Hilda Marjorie RR8 at Strood moorings 1960s, shrimp trawls drying. Three Wadhams brothers all with a flat cap, left to right Leonard Baker, Roland York and Frank “Josher”. |
 Wadhams brothers tending shrimp trawl on Hilda Marjorie RR8. Note use “arse clouts” made from old rubber inner tubes to protect cod-end from chaffing on bottom. |  Haul from shrimp trawl aboard Minion RR9, Dover sole + small lobster held up. |  Large haul of shrimps aboard Hilda Marjorie late 1940s, Leonard James Wadhams down hold with fish |
 Sieving shrimps to allow smaller “smig” to return to mature also used to wash shrimps with seawater prior to cooking on board. Frank “Josher” Wadhams seated aft with his father James Wadhams with sieve |  An obscure right for Freeman is the ability to retain flotsam and jetsam from the river. Freeman “Bluey” Dallas (flat cap) dredged for coal which was much in demand during the harsh winter of 1947, so much so that pushchairs were used to collect. An attempt at prosecution by the “former owners” of the coal which had been spilt was thwarted once this ancient right was properly investigated. |  Queuing for dredged coal 1947, it looks like people brought their own bags long before the 2015 5p charge introduced! |
 Bluey Dallas with Jack Carter in skiff with coal bagged up, freshly dredged from the river bed. |  Fawn RR10 used by Dallas family for trawling for fish and shrimps |  2015-8-4 Vic Dallas Misc.jpgSunday maintenance Tom Dallas in foreground with Vick Dallas behind |
 Bawley Iverna RR7 undersail with a party on board not older convention of putting number of registration first so 7RR appears on sail and hull. Iverna is now in Chatham Historic Dockyard awaiting restoration having been built on the Medway and all her working life served there. |  Iverna returning to Strood after a days trawling with John (holding a decent Bass) and Morriss Hill, owners up to 1979. |  Iverna RR7 c1980 ashore at Strood pier. |
 Iverna RR7 c1980 ashore at Strood pier, doble May in background |  Leonard James Wadhams (fork + cap) & Fred Turner off to dig bait, not normal attire so must have been hot! Sapping for eels used a large ball of ragworm and was done at night in shallow creeks, no hooks being used eels simply held on until knocked off into bottom of boat. |  1930s fishery delivery vehicle Strood, note complete absence of cars, motor bike + sidebox was “state of art”! |
 Linda Louise LR38Long Reach, Paul Starling at stern |  PE81Trawling Saltpan Reach |  Linda Louise LR38Trawling in Estuary |
 PE 81Saltpan reach Andy Starling on deck |
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