NHER 33215 (Building record) - Fife Fishing Disaster Memorial, Hardwick Cemetery

Memorial.
1875. In form of stone fishing boat, commemorates the dead of the Fife fishing disaster off the coast of Norfolk.
Model of memorial in KLM.
Photograph, documentation in parish church, St Monan's, Fife (seen by E. Rose (NLA) 1997).
E. Rose (NLA), 7 November 1997.

The boat is about 2m long by 1m wide, formed of what may be Coade stone; finely modelled as to upper deck but no masts. Bows marked KY 1298 /Beautiful Star/St Monance (KY for Kirkaldy; St Monance is the old spelling of St Monans). The boat is set on two cross members above the base which is inscribed at one end 'This monument was erected by public subscription to the memory of eight Scottish fishermen drowned on the Norfolk coast in the November gale 1875' and at the other 'Life how short'. The sides bear the names of the eight men.
E. Rose (NLA), 26 November 2004.

See (S1) in file.

January 2006, Listed, Grade II.
Cemetery monument. Possibly of Coade Stone. Circa 1876. The monument is in the form of a boat set on two cross pieces on a stepped base. The bow and stern of the boat are inscribed with 'KY1298' (KY stands for Kirkady), 'Beautiful Star' and 'St Monance'. One end of the of base is inscribed with "This Monument was Erected by Public Subscription to the Memory of Eight Scottish Fishermen Drowned on the Norfolk Coast in the November Gale 1875" and the other end with "Life How Short" The sides of the base are inscribed with the names of the eight fishermen. The Beautiful Star was one of five boats that were lost with all hands on 19th November 1875 during a storm which broke when they were heading back to East Neuk after the end of East Anglian herring season.
Summary of Importance: A late 19th century monument which is of special interest because of its unusual boat-shaped design and fine detailing. It is also of historic interest both for being erected by public subscription to commemorate fishermen lost in a storm and as a reminder of the links between Norfolk and the Scottish fishing industry.
Information from (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 7 January 2006.