Some history of the Fish Inn at Cargo in Rockcliffe Parish in the county of Cumberland

Cumberland | Cargo | Fish Inn

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with kind permission of the National Library of Scotland under the Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Maps of Cargo do not make it easy to determine which building housed the Fish Inn. The neighbouring farm buildings [with a well marked in front] have survived.

© Photo taken by author on June 21st, 2024. DO NOT COPY

These are the buildings that were close to the Fish Inn and they provide a rough idea of how things looked in the old days.

The inn sign celebrated the fishing rights on the River Eden. Although belonging to the city of Carlisle from medieval times, land that included the rights was sold or let to local families, many of whom worked the river and supplied the markets in the city. Auctions for such land with rights were sometimes held in the Fish Inn. A substantial fishery, or bailiff's house, was erected in the early 18th century at nearby King Garth. It was to this site that the Mayor of Carlisle would lead a municipal body for a civic dinner in the large room at King Garth. The repast would be followed by an excursion along the river in several boats. On the journey back to Carlisle it was the custom for the entourage to call in at the Fish Inn where everyone would enjoy a glass at the Mayor's expense.¹ So what else could the pub be called, other than the Fish Inn?

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Another annual event held at the Fish Inn during the mid-Victorian era, when Joseph Hind was the publican, was a sparrow shooting contest. Well, I cannot airbrush out the bits of history I do not like so I have to include the fact that this sport was very popular in Cargo, an similar event being held in a field next to the Chapel House Inn. Following the enactment of the Game Laws in the early 19th century, and the subsequent restrictions on shooting rights, the working classes, for their entertainment, competed in sports such as sparrow shooting because it was not illegal. The sport was famously mentioned in the Charles Dickens novel "The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit," with the character Poll Sweedlepipe supplying 60 to 80 sparrows for a shooting match. The birds were caught with the use of nets. With concern over the declining sparrow population, the sport was eventually outlawed in 1921.² Long before this there were some animal rights protests in and around Carlisle, particularly within the non-conformist church movement.

A local man, Joseph Hind was born around 1798. He married Elizabeth Sinclair in November 1826. When living at Chapel House in the 1840s he worked as a shoemaker. In the census of 1851 the couple were recorded at the Fish Inn where Joseph was recorded as a publican and farmer. Their eldest son, John, worked as a joiner. There were also five other children living on the premises.³

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"Richard Bone was charged with assaulting Daniel Studholme, in the Fish Inn, Cargo, on the night of Saturday last. Mr. Ostell appeared for the complainant and Mr. Wannop for the defendant. Complainant said he was a servant with Mrs. Robson, of Cargo, and while in the Fish Inn on the night in question the defendant blamed him for making some statement to Mr. Robson's trustees, in consequence of which the defendant laid two half crowns upon the table and wanted him to fight for them. He refused to fight, when he took off his clothes and knocked him off the chair, giving him a black eye. Mr. Ostell wished the bench to adjourn the case, as complainant's witnesses did not appear, though they had promised to do so. Miss Hind, daughter of the landlord of the Fish Inn, being called for the defence, deposed to hearing complainant say he was there for the defendant and was not frightened of him. They then commenced fighting. Other witnesses having been examined, the case was dismissed."
"A Public-House Row"
Carlisle Examiner and North Western Advertiser : October 21st 1861 Page 3

References
1. "The Corporation Dinner To The Mayor At King Garth" : Carlisle Journal; July 29th, 1848. p.3.
2. "When Sport Meant Sparrows" by Tony Jackson within Shootinguk April 10th, 2013 <https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/>, Accessed July 7th, 2024.
3. 1861 England Census HO 107/2431 Folio 81 : Cumberland > Stanwix > Cargo > District 8, Page 6.