The Climmers of the Yorkshire Coast - an unusual Family History Story

No that's not a spelling mistake in the title! Climmers were egg collectors.

At this time of year the cliffs of the Yorkshire Coast are busy with seabirds returning to the cliffs for their annual visit. The four-hundred-foot cliffs attract thousands of sea birds which nest on the cliffs from Spring to early summer. The cute clown faced puffins, much smaller birds than you would imagine, the guillemots and the gannets with their heavy eye make up. Nowadays these birds are protected and rightly so, it is illegal to approach them or take eggs from the cliffs. In the past though it was a different time and a different world.

The sea birds laid eggs which were a valuable commodity. The local fisherman and the agricultural labourers supplemented their income collecting and then selling the eggs. After they had satisfied the local market for the eggs, they were sold to industry. In the mid 1860’s the eggs were sold and used in the sugar refining process. Later they were used to clarify wine or to help to process patent leather! Egg collecting was a big income generator for the region for a short period of time each year. It was estimated by the end of the 1800’s that around 80 000 – 100 000 eggs were collected each year.

The climmers could gather as many as 300-400 eggs / day and if sold at 1 shilling/dozen this was a very lucrative endeavour. Guillemot eggs were often highly priced. It was dangerous though; the chalk cliffs have sharp edges and could cause deep lacerations, a fall down the 300 - 400 high cliffs would likely be fatal or injuries from falling rocks a constant threat.  

By the early 1900’s tourism was just beginning, and the spectacle of the seabirds nesting was a popular attraction. Pleasure craft sailed from Bridlington to pass beneath the cliffs to observe the nesting seabirds. Charabanc trips came to Flamborough and Bempton bringing day trippers from Bridlington, Scarborough and Filey. The noise of the bird calls must have filled the air, transforming the peaceful clifftops into a noisy moving theatre.

By this time, the eggs were also sought after by collectors, who, with other visitors, came in their hundreds to roam the cliff tops watching ‘Climmers’ climbing down the cliffs to collect the eggs. Unusually coloured eggs often got the highest price and could be sold individually.

The men (and occasionally women) who climbed down the cliffs to collect the eggs were called ‘Climmers’. They became something of celebrities at that time, joking with tourists before tying their rope around their waist, donning their top hat or flat cap stuffed with straw (safety helmets were still to be invented) and disappearing over the edge of the cliff. The Climmers worked in teams of three of four, with the man climbing secured with a leather harness and ropes anchored by his mates on the cliff top.

One of the families famous in Flamborough as Climmers were the Major family. They lived in the village and were fishermen. Richard and Elizabeth Major were parents of ten or eleven children (the records are not consistent!). Their eldest, was Edward Major, born in 1864 in Flamborough. Edward and his brothers Richard, John and Joseph were well known in Flamborough as a ‘Climming Team’. In fact in 1906 there was a short article in the local newspaper reporting that they had commenced climming for the season. perhaps to bring their followers to the cliff tops to watch! Certainly large crowds gathered to marvel at the bravery of the climmers.

The climmers would arrive at the cliff tops in the morning and prepare for their day of egg collecting. The one delegated to be lowered down the cliff would put on a leather harness which was connected to a thick rope capable of taking his weight. He would also have a thinner rope to hold which helped to keep him straight and steady and stopped him spinning around. He would then be lowered by his partners at the top of the cliff. The team communicated by shouts or by pulling or bouncing on the rope.

Edward Major had been climming for many years without any accident but one fair June morning in 1910 this changed. He and his brothers, Richard and John were at the cliff tops and Joseph was lowered down the cliff. They realised that something was wrong when they heard nothing from him for some time. Joseph had suffered a head injury from a piece of falling stone and was unconscious on a ledge. It was many hours before he could be rescued with help coming from Flamborough and a Doctor from Bridlington. Joesph was eventually taken to hospital in Bridlington but sadly died the next day. Joseph was 24yrs old.

There is no further reference to Edward or his brothers in the news after this event, perhaps they decided that climming was just too dangerous. Edward lived on in Flamborough, working as a fisherman for the rest of his life and died aged 68yrs old.

The 1945 Protection of Birds Act prevented the taking of birds eggs and so the tradition of climming came to an end.

If your family member was a local in one of the villages on the east coast, it is possible that they could have been involved, or perhaps you have old family photographs of the day trip to the coast?

Please get in touch if you would like any help with your family history research. There's always stories to be uncovered!