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Note: x and 25 year old Robert Tapsell, journeyman, born Sussex. Mark was not at home during the 30th /31st March 1851 Census, most likely away at sea, but his wife Ann listed as fishermans wife and four sons and two daughters were all residing at 16 Hill street, Hastings.His Fathers business Breach & Son, Fishmongers had been operating at 4 Commercial Road, Hastings, since at least 1823 and Mark's last born, Frederick was still living there with his family at the 1891 census.Author Steve Peak reports in his book "Fishermen of Hastings" that Mark gave oral evidence to the sea fisheries enqiry on December 5th 1863 that resulted in a report being issused in 1866.The report stated "boat owner and fish merchant Mark Breach, brother of William who went to Lowestoft, said that in the previous 20 years the number of fishermen and boys had gone up by at least a third, to roughly 600 or 700. The bulk of fish was even being caught by the trawlers, with their larger beam trawls, and their main catch was plaice,soles,turbot,skate,and whiting." The book also states that Mark " achieved some fame in November 1865 when he and some other fish merchants bought a 75 foot whale that washed ashore at Pevensey. They paid 38 pounds for the 70 ton animal.
After selling all its flesh they erected a large shed in the Hastings central cricket ground and put the skeleton on display.Large crowds came to see it and in januray ,1866, 46 workhouse children and eight adults stood within the jawbones. The skeleton was sold by auction in May 1866 to Cambridge University Museum for 17 pounds more than had been paid for the original carcass!" The skeleton of the male finback whale may be still viewed today at the Cambridge University.Another surprise result of this Whale beaching itself is reported as follows by Nick Austin on his website secrets of the Norman Invasion - "Such was the commercial success of the railway enterprise that when a whale beached itself near Pevensey in 1865 the publicity department of the London and Brighton and South Coast railway immediately advertised the fact in the local paper, accompanied by the legend that this was at a place known as Norman`s Bay. This, according to British Rail, was the actual place where William the Conqueror landed. A station was hurriedly built at the site to accommodate the masses of visitors who initially came to see the whale and who now could experience history at first hand. Thus we owe British Rail the honour of fooling a gullible Victorian nation into parting with it`s hard earned money, as a result of a marketing campaign built upon a total invention." The 1881 Census,taken on the nights of 3rd and 4th April had 66 year old Mark and his family living at 4 St.Peters Villa, Hastings, St.Mary in the Castle district. He was listed as a retired fishmonger.His wife Ann and daughters Ann and Fanny were also living at home. Business must have prospered as they also had a general servant, 33 year old Jane Laton residing in the house.Steve Peak reports in his book,"that when Mark died in 1883 "his home was a large, comfortable house in fashionable Elphinstone Road, and his funeral was attended by some of the town's leading business people."
Note: Mark was recorded as a Journeyman Fishmonger in the 1841 Census. He was living with wife Anne, 3 year old son William and 1 year old daughter Elizabeth at St Clements Hastings.Also in the housue were Eliza Hayes , 20, Milliner , not born Susse
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