1820
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- John Balfour elected as MP for Orkney & Shetland.
- In an effort to expand the white fish industry, the Fishery Board began offering bounties and official brandings for fish cured under inspection by officers of the Board. Large vessels received bounties based on tonnage: £2 10s. per ton October 10, 1820 through July 5, 1826, lowered to £2 5s. through July 5, 1827, £2 through July 5, 1828 and £1 15s. through the end of the program on April 5, 1830. Fish taken in smaller boats rated 4s. per cwt dry cured or 2s. 6d. per pickeled barrel.
February
- 17th
The Ugland, believed to have been a sail sloop, laden with a cargo of salt, timber and possibly other goods, of, it is believed Grimstad, Norway, and from that port, for Iceland, wrecked on the NW coast of Unst, most probably in Wilna Geo. All of the crew were saved. - 27th
An unidentified sail sloop, registered in Denmark, is recorded as having wrecked on the NW coast of Unst. While there is a strong possibility this entry within the record may well be a duplicate of the Ugland due to a typo in the date, this cannot be assumed to be the case due to it being stated the vessel was of a different nationality.
April
- An un-named or name not recorded vessel, registered in Unst wrecked during a gale at an unspecified location between Unst and Lerwick, with the loss of seven souls.
- 21st
Cargo and wreckage from an unidentified vessel reported washed ashore on the NW coast of Unst, 'Tangwick' is stated in one part of the record as having been the location, however no such location is known on Unst. The vessel is described as believed to have been "old" and "American built", and to have been approx 400 tons, however this figure may be a misquote derived from the amount of cargo salvaged. There is also a suggestion in the same part of the record which gives the location as "Tangwick", that the vessel drove ashore intact, however this is also thought to be a error. 400 logs of American timber, mostly marked, were salavaged. This is thought to have been the date of reporting, rather than the date of actual discovery.
May
- Work commenced on Sumburgh Head Lighthouse.
September
- 7th
Second election of the Lerwick Town Council.
October
- 15th
Vessel Freemason shipwrecked at entrance to Grutness Voe, incoming from Peterhead with materials for the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse.
1 crewmember saved.
