Stotfield Fishing Disaster - History of Stotfield

History of Stotfield

Stotfield has now been absorbed into Lossiemouth but originally it was a small ferm toun in Moray that was established in the Middle Ages. The name Stotfield is derived from Stodfauld meaning in Old English, "horse field". The fact that the name is a form of English and not derived from Pictish or Gaelic names suggests that incomers settled the area. King David I of Scotland introduced settlers from other parts of the kingdom as a way of reducing the powers of the lords who had ruled large territories as independent provinces. Indeed, King David put down a rebellion by the Mormaer of Moray in 1130 and it is possible that Stotfield dated from shortly after this event. The English speaking inhabitants of the Lothians would most likely to have been the chosen settlers. It is notable that the tribe inhabiting the Lothians were Angles (originally part of the Kingdom of Northumbria). Stotfield's close proximity to the sea eventually led it to develop a fishing arm to its farming activities. By the early 19th century, it had three skaffie style fishing boats, each crewed by seven people.