Det gamle Fiskerhus GB

Fiskerhuset - det nye. 2014

Intro

You are now standing by the gymnasium of the former Hou School which now serves as a community centre.

You are now standing by the gymnasium of the former Hou School which now serves as a community centre. But this particular story is about the grey house just opposite, namely Nørreled no. 22. This is the site of the old fisherman’s house provided by the manor for Hou’s very first fisherman and his family . The original house burned down in 1910, but a new one was later built on the site. The fisherman Rasmus Andersen Færgemann is commonly regarded as the founder of Hou, and not without good reason. Rasmus came originally from a fishing family in the northern town of Nibe. When fishing in the Limfjord began to decline in the 1830s, he applied for the job as a fisherman in Hou for the Rathlousdal estate, and in 1846, Rasmus moved there with his wife and children to set up home in the small fishing hamlet. The family was one of the first to set up a permanent home in Hou. Later that same year, Rasmus got a new contract from Rathlousdal giving him exclusive fishing rights for the Hou coast. His job was to supply fish to the manor tables. Every spring and autumn, he had to deliver four barrels of salted herrings, including an additional autumn delivery of ¼ barrel of salted eels. Every week, summer and winter, fresh fish had to be delivered to the Rathlousdal manor as follows: 120 herrings or 60 cod, 120 flatfish, or 10 pounds of eels. The same types of fish – in half the quantity – had to be delivered to Gersdorffslund. According to Færgemann’s contract, he was allowed to fish for his own upkeep and to keep half the profits for himself. This arrangement suited Rasmus perfectly. He was a competent fisherman and earned a good living – and there was an abundance of fish in the sea by Hou. Færgemann’s descendants may still be traced in Hou families as well as in other parts of the country. Down by the harbour, you can listen to the story about his son, Carl Peter Færgemann, who established Hou Fish Exports.