Rowe’s involvement with the sea
Interviewer: How many generations of Rowe’s that you know about have been here in Port Isaac?
Jack Rowe: It goes back to the 18th century of course and into the 17th I suppose.
Interviewer: Was there a history of them being involved in fishing?
Jack Rowe: They were all fishermen in those days. They were good on the land as well. Fish then was very seasonal…..like the pilchards and the herrings. When that wasn’t on they went ashore to work on farms, quarries, mines whatever. They were all-rounders really.
Interviewer: Did they go away into deep sea sail as well? The actual sailing ships as well?
Jack Rowe: A lot of them went away to the gentlemen’s’ yachts… a lot of them did that.
Interviewer: I think it was quite common for Cornish men to actually be on the big yachts on the summer.
Jack Rowe: In the summertime, a lot of the men would be gone in the summer. Only the old men left!