| Administrative History | 'The British Society for Extending the Fisheries and Improving the Sea Coasts of this Kingdom', known in short (only officially from 1857) as 'the British Fisheries Society', was incorporated by the British Fisheries Society Act 1786 (26 Geo. III, c.106) for the purpose of subscribing a joint stock and therewith to purchase lands and build thereon free towns, villages and fishing stations in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, in order to improve the fisheries, agriculture and manufactures there and to put a stop to emigration. Subscribers from all over the country bought shares in the Society. Its headquarters were in London, but its interests were in Scotland, although fishing in general was a concern in the UK in the late 18th century. The Society purchased land in Lochbay, Canna, Tobermory and Ullapool for the construction of villages whose economy was focused on fishing.
In Caithness the Society established a local station at Staxigoe, north east of Wick. In 1803 it purchased land south of Wick, and in 1808 began to construct a harbour on the south side of the river at Wick and the town of Pulteneytown, a model fishing village, much of which was purpose built by Thomas Telford. This and the creation of an outer harbour, commenced in 1824, consolidated the success of the herring industry in and around Wick. In 1833 two years after the outer harbour was completed Wick was second only to Fraserburgh in importance as a Scottish Fishing Station.
From about 1810, the Society's interests were much less with fisheries than with their settlements. Other government-aided undertakings had fisheries duties: the Fishery Board for Scotland, constituted under the Herring Fishery (Scotland) Act 1808 (48 Geo. III, c.110), entailed the appointment of fishery officers to manage its concerns. In 1837 the Society sold Lochbay; in 1844 it sold Tobermory; and in 1847 it sold Ullapool. This left Pulteneytown as the sole object of its attention.
Further improvements to the harbour were needed but even after 41 boats were lost in a storm in 1848 the British Fisheries Society could not raise enough money. Finally a grant was secured for a less ambitious plan but storms damaged initial constructions and the building was abandoned in 1873. These setbacks and the financial loss involved were the main reason for the eventual dissolution of the Society: in 1880 Pulteney Harbour Trust took responsibility for harbour affairs (under the Pulteney Harbour Trust Act 1879: 42 & 43 Vict., ch.cxlix), leaving only administration of the town of Pulteneytown for the Society's Directors to do.
The British Fisheries Society Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict., ch.ix) gave the Directors power to bring the Society to an end by disposal of its residual property. Over the next few years shareholders received dividends, and the Directors prepared for the property sales, which were finally accomplished in 1892. The final AGM of the Society was held in March 1893 and in June the capital was distributed amongst the shareholders: the Society ceased to exist. |