Marblehead's First Harbor:: The Rich History of a Small Fishing Port

The true beauty and fury of the Atlantic Ocean are known only by the rugged individuals who have made their living from the sea. In the seventy-five years from the American Revolution to the middle of the nineteenth century, Marblehead, Massachusetts, experienced a golden age of fishing. For the next fifty years, the industry struggled, but from 1900 until the end of the twentieth century, one small anchorage made itself proud. From boat building to sail design, First Harbor produced creative men whose innovations helped shape marine history. Join Hugh Peabody Bishop and Brenda Bishop Booma as they reveal this story through the eyes of a Marblehead fisherman, drawn uncontrollably by his love for the sea.

Hugh Bishop and his wife, Judy, live in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He handles a modest string of lobster traps from a small lobster boat (named appropriately September Song), fishing in the same waters where he first set traps over sixty years ago. Other interests include a significant amount of time playing golf.

Brenda Booma, raised in Marblehead, grew up with a deep respect for the ocean and a love of the small area called Barnegat. Having moved away in her twenties, she raised three children while playing and teaching tennis. When she moved back, she became involved with the seafood business, with which she was affiliated until her retirement