1875
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- c. 1875 Faroe fishing declining as herring increases
- Formation of the North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Co, known as the North Company.
- Dr. R.T.C Scott of Melby dies
- The best year on record for the Haaf Fishing and the combined haaf and Faroe fishing. 3468 tons of haaf-caught dried fish were exported, having been caught by some 600 boats with around 3000 fishermen. The combined haaf and Faroe catch totalled some 3 1/2 million fish, resulting in a total of 5593 tons of dried fish being exported to Spain, Portugal and Southern Ireland.
February
- A congregational soirée was held in the West Yell Kirk in February 1875, presided over by the Rev Colin S Murray, attended by more than 200 people.
March
- 15th
A vessel nameboard, bearing the wording Margaret Reid in gilt letting on a blue background recovered "near" Cat Firth, Nesting. The official report of the find was made on April 12th. Nothing more is known of the vessel to which this wreckage belonged.
May
- 15th
Five fishermen were lost from a boat from Eswick, Nesting. The empty boat drifted ashore at Kirkabister.
June
- John Cheyne 2 of Tangwick, the sixth Laird Cheyne of Tangwick, married (second), Mary, eldest daughter of James Edward of Balruddery
September
- 27th
The Louise Charlotte, believed to have been a brig, laden with a cargo of timber, of and from Riga, Russia (now) Latvia, for Alloa, Scotland drove ashore derelict, having been previously abandoned, on Hawks Ness at the western side of the entrance to Dales Voe, on either this date, or on October 23rd (the available records are in dispute).
October
- An unidentified vessel, laden with a cargo of timber, registered in France, and presumed to have been abandoned at sea, drove ashore derelict in an inaccessible spot at one of the two locations known as Seli Geo, Bressay on an unspecified date during the month.
- The Madrid, of Rotterdam, The Netherlands wrecked at Copister, South Yell.
- 24th
The Anna Luitzia, a galliot or sloop, of Pekela, The Netherlands, from Frederickstadt Germany and for Emden, Germany, in a badly storm damaged condition was abandoned by her crew off Fair Isle. The derelict was taken to shelter at Fair Isle by locals the next day, but subsequently drove from anchor and wrecked.
- 29th
An unidentified vessel, described as "small", estimated at approx 70 tons, with a flat bottomed hull and laden with a cargo of boards of thin lathwood, reported driven ashore in the mid-afternoon at "Cruppa" (almost certainly Cuppa), on the East side of Bressay. Having grounded in an inaccessible spot, what of the cargo came out of the vessel before the record was made had broken up, and the remainder of it along with the vessel herself was expected to do likewise. The only known salvage from this vessel was eight half inch boards picked up by another vessel on the 30th.
- A vessel's nameboard marked Albert, Abo also reported recovered at an unspecified location on the East side of Bressay at or around the same time as the above vessel was discovered, but it is thought to have belonged to another vessel. If correct nothing further is known of the vessel to which it belonged, or of her fate. Another nameboard marked Porsgrund also reported recovered at around the same time at an unspecified location somewhere on or near Shetland, again nothing further is known of this vessel or of her fate. A quantity of timber deals and battens also reported floating along the "East side of the Islands", which is presumed to mean the whole of east side of Shetland.
November
- The Trio, a brig, or Liverpool, England, presumed to have wrecked or foundered possibly on or near the SE of Shetland.
- 8th
A vessel's nameboard bearing the lettering Porsgrund reported discovered at Symbister, Whalsay. It is not stated in the record if this is the nameboard already noted in the entry for Octber 29th, or a second discovery, however there is a high liklihood that it is a duplicate record. A vessel's nameboard with the lettering HIRAM, of London and part of the stern of a ship's boat reported discovered at the Sands of Sound, Lerwick. Another nameboard with the lettering JOHANNA in yellow reported discovered at "Culberwick" (most probably Gulber Wick), and a fourth nameboard with the lettering Christiansand reported discovered at "Noss". In all probability, given the locations of the discovery of the other reported wreckage suggesting recent heavy weather from the SE, this refers to the isle of Noss, Bressay, however Noss, Scousburgh cannot be entirely discounted.
In all cases nothing more is known of the vessels to which these wreckage discoveries belonged, or of their fate. It is also presumed that this is the date of reporting rather than the actual date(s) of discovery.
