Mouth of The Tweed
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The filled barrels were left to stand for several days while a chemical reaction took place between salt and juices that caused the fish to shrink.
After standing, the brine was poured off and the barrel was filled to the top with
more fish. This “tiering” was carried out particularly neatly so that the fish would
look good when the barrel was opened.
A Fishery Officer inspected each full barrel before the lid was fitted by a cooper.
The barrel was then laid on its side, the bung removed and the barrel filled up with
brine.
The lid was branded by the Fishery Officer to show the curer’s name and the quality
of the herrings it contained. The barrels containing the best quality herrings were
branded with a Crown symbol.
On 9th September 1896, 1,273 barrels of Crown-branded herrings were packed at Boston
Brothers' Yard in Spittal, the largest number ever filled in one day in the Berwick
area.
Extracts from contemporary newspapers relating to coopers and herring barrels in
Victorian times
Sea Fish & Shell Fish
Barrels, Coopers & Crowns
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