| Custodial History | The archive was deposited in Moray District Archives in 1979 by Lieutenant Commander Peter Farquhar Flett, OBE, of Findochty. |
| Description | Business records of Flett and Sutherland, fish salesmen, Findochty, principally covering the period c 1900 - c 1921, when they operated as Sutherland and Farquhar, but including some unsorted material of earlier and later dates. Listed items include cash books, 1902 - 1920; day books, recording amount and price of fish landed with names of buyers, 1900 - 1919; boat ledgers, recording for each boat, particulars of payment for coal, harbour dues, etc., with price, value and number of crans of fish landed, 1900 - 1920; buyers ledgers, recording names of buyers and quantities of fish bought, 1899 - 1920; general ledgers, 1902 - 1917; general correspondence files, including letters, accounts, memoranda, etc., usually relating to miscellaneous business of the firm but also dealing with individual boats, ports and subjects (see below), 1911- 1921; letters out, mainly originating from the Findochty office but also from Buncrana (Donegal), Great Yarmouth, Stornoway, Mallaig, Fraserburgh and Wick, 1906 - 1921; miscellaneous cash books, c 1912 - 1919; and bank pass books, 1913 - 1991. Unlisted items comprise 14 miscellaneous bundles of bills, receipts, and related papers, 1907 - 1921, including crew list of the Easter Morn, 1912, bills and receipts re. English fishing, 1916 - 1917, Shannon accounts, 1916 - 1917, winter fishing SS Nexus, 1914 - 1915, supplies to drifter Eunice and Nellie, 1911; 5 boxes (47 volumes) copy accounts, c 1911 - 1920; and 7 further boxes of miscellaneous financial and general business papers, n..d.
Seperate series of cash books, day books, boat ledgers and buyers' ledgers were kept for each port from which Flett and Sutherland traded. Those represented in the collection include Buckie, Buncrana, Downings Bay, Findochty, Fraserburgh, Great Yarmouth, Mallaig, St Mary's Holm, Stornoway, Stromness, Stronsay and Wick. Within the correspondence files, separate series relate to the following vessels: Vale-O-Moray, Diligent, Rosedale, The Active, Home Friend, Sweet Briar, Shannon, Bezabeel, Yarmouth, and the Royal Navy. |