Somewhat HA Tudor Male Fisherman

[Leneas Distara]

Well, I have been going to the Bay Area Ren Faire for about 3 years now and I figured it would be about time for me ti develop a character with a greater level of realism and historical accuracy. Being of an environmental and seafaring background I though a fisherman would be fitting! I did some research and came up with a few ideas. Just looking for feedback.

1: Fishing for a 'Royal Stock"
     Henry VIII did eat fish and not long ago a fish trap was found in London from the Tudor reign. The question remains if Henry VIII would have eaten fresh and salt water fish. Most of the fishing stocks utilized were similar to those today. So it is possible that my character could have caught a salmon and fed it to the King.

2: Traditional Netting and Pole
    I have found some e-book reprints of fishing resources from c. ~1450-1550. These did show that fisherman would use traps, nets, poles, and even participated in fly fishing. Some even contained instructions for making lures for specific species. These would lead to great ideas for accessories, and I have even begun making a net using traditional methods (Which have not changed since the middle ages).

3: Map of England from the Tudor area
     I think I would be both a fresh and marine fisherman. However this would imply I would know something about sailing and nautical navigation etc.

Well that is all I have for now, let me know what you all think I  have linked one of the books below.

A Treatyse of Fusshynge wyth an Angel by Dame Berners ca. 1561? - http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/berners/berners.html

[Anna Iram]

The treatise of Fishing is an awesome find.  

Came upon this. Don't know how accurate it is.

http://www.localhistories.org/tudorlondon.html

As taken from the site:

"There were also many fishermen in Tudor London and The Thames teemed with fish like salmon, trout, perch, flounder and beam. However The Thames sometimes froze over and fairs were held on it."

..and perhaps something here you've not seen:

http://www.larsdatter.com/fishing.htm

I liked this picture:

http://www.kikirpa.be/www2/cgi-bin/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=foto2&LANGUAGE=0&COPYTEXT=&COPYRIGHT=&503361=on

[Leneas Distara]

Thank you Lady Anna!

I actually started most of my research at the Lard Datter site. This has led me to many of the resources I have now.
Right now I have pulled a few paintings similar to the print you have linked above. Perhaps an 'urban' fisherman might suit my style more and would fit it better with the feel of the fair. Not that the garbing would change much, but I think a slightly gruff but affable freshwater fisherman on the Thames would work fairly well. So when I meet the King, after my genuflection I should offer him the largest of my salmon catch!

The difficult thing now is finding a name for me self (and talking more like a commoner). Something Tudor but low class!

AHA! I think I found a killer resource for naming!

Her name is Dr. Sara Uckelman

She is a post-doc at the University of Amsterdam: Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation.
Her University page is here - http://staff.science.uva.nl/~suckelma/

But here is the kicker, on her personal page she has hosted a bunch of files pertaining to the medieval linguistics and other bits.

This led me here - http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/names.html

Which is a whole list of articles on HA names from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities.
On this page I found the Dictionary of Tudor London Names. Direct link - http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/tudorlondon.pdf
Just by browsing through it I saw that the most popular Tudor male names are not very different from the Biblical names most Americans use today!

Sorry for posting as stream of thought...

[Butch]

An urban fisherman, I believe, would not need to know much about nautical navigation, since his boat would always be in sight of the shore.  Cool concept, Leneas!  What names are you "floundering" with right now?

[Leneas Distara]

Thanks Butch,

as of now I have thought of a few

Given Names:

Edmund
Clement
Ellis
Edwin
Giles
Laurence
Philipp or Phyllypp(My actual name)
Walter

Surnames:

Adeson
Atkynson
Betenson
Garrett
Hitchens
Leverett
Rawlyns
Wade (from old English meaning to ford )

Occupational Surnames:

Bosum (from old English occupation last name for boatman)
Fishe or Fysher
Pecher (from old French pecher, pecheor - fisherman)

[Butch]

Phyllypp Fysher?  That has a nice ring, IMO.

[Tammy]

I like Edmund Hitchens
or
Giles Fisher

Philipp Fysher is good...or Phyllypp Fisher....

[Frederic]

Fish and fishing were big issues back then - With Catholic meatless Fridays, and a whole slew of other fast days, both salt and freshwater fish were a big part of most people's diet.  And yes, the C of E kept up the custom of periodic meatless fast days for a while after Henry's break with Rome, so it would still be an issue for your character. 

But fishing was a right that was strictly controlled and only granted in return for something - a lot of feudal contracts specified what stretches of a river's bank or the sea shore the land holder could fish, and it was quite common for a vassal, in addition to his knight's service, to have lesser obligations along the lines of "he shall provide fish for his lord's table for each Sunday in Lent".   Down at the peasant level, you'd be dealing with the ballif or royal sherrif who would expect, in return for the right to fish in a certain location, that you would provide a certain amount of fish to the lord's kitchen.  It would have been a matter of obligated rent, not a free gift.  I think the Thames in London was a direct royal holding, so its possible that the fish your character caught would wind up on Henry's plate.  How happy he would be to give it up is a matter for your character to decide.

Actual at sea fishing was another matter - it was a big business for seaport towns, and a matter national/royal policy.  Wars were fought over fishing rights in the North Sea banks and Scannia in the Baltic.  One of the resentments at the time was the fishing rights, and the near monoply in the trade of salt cod and herring, that the Tudor kings granted to the Hansa towns of North Germany.  The rights were granted before Henry VIII's time (conditions on a loan, of course) but they were very unpopular in the English coastal towns.  A lot of the fish consumed in England came from German fishermen.

[Leneas Distara]

Awesome historical background Frederic, I never considered the role of the C o E in dictating diet. The right to fish adds many options for interaction.

As for naming perhaps Phyllypp Fisher is the way to go!

Thank you all for your feedback!