ASHBY DUCK DECOY
In the process of researching my family tree I came across a Mr. Henry Healey, my 6 x first cousin who was a very wealthy local landowner, sadly none passed my way and interestingly the man who created the Ashby duck decoy. The figures in the extract below may be of interest. Some parties today speak of a decline in mallard (referred to as ducks in the table) but looking at the figures they seem to have been fluctuating greatly over the period recorded.
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Here may be seen the most successful existing Decoy in the kingdom,
and the only one now worked in Lincolnshire. It was lately owned by
Captain Healy (whose father, Mr. Henry Healy, constructed it), but
upon his death in 1868 it was offered for sale, and was purchased by
old Mr. Tacey (lately deceased), the father of Mr. George Tacey, who
now owns it. The extent of the pool is about 2 acres, and it has
four pipes. Captain Healy had an accurate account kept of each day's
capture from its first winter in 1833-34 down to that of 1867-68,
and the results, as arranged in the subjoined table, which was
published in the sporting papers at the time the Decoy was offered
for sale on the death of its owner, will give some notion of the
immense number of fowl annually taken, as well as the proportions in
which the various species are found associated together. From this
it will be seen that the captures have averaged 2,741 head of
wildfowl per annum, and in the course of five-and-thirty years there
has not been such a decrease in numbers as from various causes might
have been expected. Mr. J. Cordeaux, of Great Cotes, Ulceby, when
visiting this Decoy in December, 1882, was informed by Mr. Tacey
that a few years ago he had taken 6,321 Ducks and Teal, and of these
.2,300 were captured in 31 days, or in just a month's time. The
average take for the last dozen years in the Ashby Decoy has been
nearly 3,000 fowl in a season. The largest number of fowl taken at
Ashby during recent years at a single drive was 113 Wild-duck. The
same day 248 Ducks were caught in all.
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AN ACCOUNT
OF WILDFOWL KILLED AT THE ASHBY DECOY FROM SEPTEMBER, 1833,
TO APRIL, 1868.
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Ducks. |
Teal. |
Widgeon. |
Shoveller. |
Pintail. |
Gadwall. |
Total. |
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1833-34 |
1884 |
1232 |
102 |
... |
9 |
... |
3227 |
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From this table we find that the Decoy has accounted for nearly 100,000 wildfowl in thirty-five seasons, consisting of :- |
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Wild-duck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,664 |
Shoveller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 |
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