Oral History Recording with Hugh Hughson Part 1

Digital sound recording in four parts

Subject: Fishing; Merchant Navy; Catering Department, Deck Department: Cook, Ordinary Seamen, Able Seaman, Bosun, Third Mate, Second Mate

OHY/6/87/1 - 2.12 GB; 01:38:52
Quality: 2-3/5

*This interview contains language and opinions that may cause offence. All views expressed are the interviewee's own.

Hugh Hughson was born in Shetland in 1887. He came from a seafaring family (his father worked in fishing or seafaring depending on the season) and his early interview provides a social history of Shetland during his childhood. In particular he offers details of the fishing community, housing and family size, which he said averaged 10-14.

Hughson went to sea at 14 as a cook in fishing boats, working Monday to Saturday. He left the fishing industry at 17 to join the merchant service where, across his career, he worked as an ordinary seaman, able seaman and bosun. He mentions sailing occasionally as a second or third mate too.

His interview covers all aspects of his working life at sea including relationships with crew and between ranks, living conditions in the fo’c’sle, illnesses, injury and death, food and water, burials at sea, learning seamanship, unions, the 1911 strike, sailor craft, superstition and working with crews from Asia and the Caribbean.

He finally left the sea in 1959 and he explains that when he returned home, his wife was in charge.

Administrative / biographical background
Oral history with Hugh Hughson conducted by Campbell McMurray