60/538

Gourock Rope Works (Manufacturer)

This is the constricted rear part of a cod net, known as the ‘cod end’, and consists of a nine foot long section of tarred rope netting. The net is streamed from the side of a trawler, with the lower part weighted and the upper part floated. When the fish enter the net they move to the cod end, which can be closed by drawing in the cords. This net is part of a large collection of traditional craft products acquired from the British Council in 1960. It was supplied by, and probably made by, Gourock Rope Works of Brixham, Devon, circa 1945–6.

MERL miscellaneous note, B. L. 22 March 1961 – ‘The British Council collection. // This collection of material which is covered by the accession numbers 60/430 to 60/791 contains examples of craft products made in the British Isles. The major part of the collection was prepared immediately after the Second World War for a travelling exhibition which was sent to Australia and New Zealand. // The collection was purchased for a nominal sum by the Museum in two portions, the one in the summer of 1960 and the other in February 1961. // For further details see the individual catalogue cards and the catalogue prepared for the temporary exhibition of the collection.’, MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘The net shown is a very special part of the whole of a trawl. A trawl is streamed from the starboard side of the trawler and looks like a large bag trailing behind the vessel. The lower part of the mouth has weighted rollers and the upper part has floats, the whole mouth being kept open by two doors or otter boards set at an angle to the motion and the tide. When the fish enter the net they gradually move to its more constricted rear end which forms a special part of the whole net and is known as the ‘cod end’ and this section of 9ft tarred rope netting is what is illustrated here. The cod end can sometimes be closed by drawing in cords and so keeping the fish in when the net is hauled aboard. It will be seen that the net is open at both ends for, during trawling, one end is sealed with a special ‘cod end knot’, and of course, the other is joined to the rest of the trawl. When the net is hauled inboard one of the hands heaves on the knot and allows the fish to fall on to the deck ready for preliminary processing before being sent below decks. The knot is then retied and the trawl streamed once more, thus repeating the process. // See illustration in Classified Information pamphlet ‘Fish from the sea to the table.’ // Supplied by: Tom Johnson, Gourock Rope Works, Upper Gang, Brixham, Devon.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, ‘Introductory Note’ by Andrew Jewell – ‘The objects shown in this Exhibition of Country Craftsmanship were originally purchased by the British Council in 1946. They were selected for exhibition in Australia and New Zealand as samples of traditional handcrafts which were then being practised in the British countryside. The Museum of English Rural Life was fortunate to acquire this valuable collection from the Council and to have the opportunity of displaying such a wide variety of skills. // Almost all the crafts shown are still to be found in this country although, in the intervening fifteen years, many of the small firms and individual craftsmen whose products are represented in the Exhibition, have given up working. The number who now remain to carry on these particular traditional crafts continues to decline with the growth of mechanization, the obsolescence of their products and the difficult of finding apprentices to follow them. // All the objects on display have one characteristic in common – they were made to be used. Any aesthetic qualities which the craftsman achieved grew without self-consciousness. Over long years of apprenticeship the craftsman developed an intimate knowledge of the raw material at his disposal and its peculiarities. He acquired by inheritance the methods of his craft which may have had a continuous tradition over centuries of time. And he was quite familiar with the way in which his product was to be used. // We can derive pleasure simply by looking at the shapes and decorations. Both, however, are inseparable from function and environment, and the objects can only be most fully appreciated by an understanding of the purpose for which each was intended. // This, then, is an exhibition of everyday things, made by men and women who might not think of themselves as artists, but whose work, nevertheless, has enriched the daily life of those who live with their products.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, p.16 – 'Cod End Net // (Tom Johnson, Brixham, Devon.)', British Council Ref. No. 491.

Brixham

1945 - 1946