1876
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- Sir Walter Tarleton, Admiral Superintendent of the Royal Naval Reserves, wrote of an inspection in the winter of 1876: "As the Royal Naval Reserve in the North of Scotland are principally employed in the whaling and fishing trade, and can only attend their drills in the winter months, I was obliged to select this season for my inspection...At Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, I found 278 men assembled, of whom 115 were 1st class, and 163 2nd class. The first class are amongst the best seamen that this country produces, their average height being 5 ft. 8 1/2 in. They are very attentive to their drills, and are efficient in rifle and sword exercises; but as there are only two exercising guns, and one 32-pounder for shot practice, they have not sufficient instruction to make them quick and expert gunners. The 2nd class are a promising and docile set of young men, very attentive under instruction and willing to learn. I consider they will be valuable as they get older and have more training. Their average height is 5 ft. 7 in. . . . The Shetlands are one of the most important centres of the Royal Naval Reserve in the United Kingdom. I am informed that nine-tenths of the male population, who are physically capable, go to sea, and, with few exceptions, they join the Royal Naval Reserve. It would seem to be good policy to foster this nursery of seamen, at a time when complaints are made of their scarcity in the mercantile marine, from which the Royal Naval Reserve are drawn."
- Fishermen from Buckie, Scotland visited Shetland waters in their decked sailing Fifies and Scaffies and engaged local pilots. Doing so led these local pilots in to being convinced of the superiority of these larger decked vessels over the local sixareen for both long-lining and fishing for herring. The first locally owned decked sailing boats arrived the following year, signalling the beginning of both the local Herring Boom, and the demise of the sixareen as the fishing vessel of choice.
January
- 26th
J. D. Rattar born. He went on to become the most recognised photographer in Shetland.
May
- 31st
The Prince Of Wales, a wooden hulled schooner, of Caernarvon, Wales, sank to the west of the Bard of Bressay while attempting to reach Lerwick and a safe harbour, from Sandlodge, Sandwick where she had been lying at anchor about to discharge a mixed cargo of coal, machinery and iron from Bo'ness, Scotland. The three crew aboard at the time saved themselves in a small boat, landing on the isle of Noss at 11am.
July
- 7th
Author and Journalist John Nicolson was born.
October
- 13th
The German wooden hulled sailing barque, Wilhelmina wrecked in Ramni Geo, Fair Isle.
November
- 15th
The wooden hulled sailing smack, Star Of The West, engaged in salvage operations on the wreck of the Wilhelmina foundered and sank at North Haven, Fair Isle. - 19th
The wooden hulled topsail schooner, Amalia, of Aland, Finland wrecked near Es Wick, Nesting, and the wooden hulled Swedish brig, Bee, wrecked on either the south coast of Noss or on the Bard of Bressay. - 20th
An unidentified vessel, floating bottom up, reported off the east coast of Bressay. The eventual fate of this vessel is unknown. This is presumed to be the date of reporting rather than the date of discovery.
December
- 6th
- The wooden hulled brig, Carl Constantine of Stralsund, Germany, wrecked on Fair Isle.
- A new prison was opened next to the Lerwick courthouse.
- 24th/25th
The wooden hulled barque, Norma (1876) of Drammen, Norway was abandoned at a position approx 16 miles S by E of Sumburgh Head. Presumed to have sunk at or near the same position.
- 26th
The wooden hulled topsail schooner, Roskva of Odense or Svendborg, Denmark, drove ashore derelict at or near Mail, Cunningsburgh, having been abandoned by her crew a day or two previously.
