There was a time, and that not many years ago, when the fishing-hoats of Brixham sailed round to the east coast of England and joined with the fleets of London, Lowestoft, Yarmouth, and Grimsby in exploiting the fishing-grounds of the North Sea. This carries us back at least two generations, but if one chose to hunt through old records, one might find mention of Brixham and its fishing many centuries ago. The records may even go back to an earlier date than the Armada, but its past history, though of exceptional interest, is of no importance to our present purpose, and we may turn to the doings of the men of Brixham at the present day.