Aberdeen University
Studies ; No. 52

The Royal Fishery Companies

of the

Seventeenth Century

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University of Aberdeen.

COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS.
Convener : Professor James W. H. Trail, F.R.S., Curator of the Library,

UNIVERSITY STUDIES.
General Editor : P. J. Anderson, LL.B., Librarian to the University.

I. — Roll of Alumniin Arts of King's College, 1596-1860. P. J. Anderson.

2. — Records of Old Aberdeen, 1157-1891. A. M. Munro, F.S.A. Scot. Vol. I.

3. — Place Names of West Aberdeenshire, James Macdonald, F.S.A. Scot.

4. — Family of Burnett of Leys. George Burnett, LL.D., Lyon King of Arms.

5. — Records of Invercauld, 1547-1828. Rev. J. G. Michie, M.A.

6. — Rectorial Addresses in the Universities of Aberdeen, 1835-1900. P. J. Anderson.

7. — Albemarle Papers, 1746-48. Professor C. S. Terrj-, M.A.

8.— House of Gordon. J. M. Bulloch, M.A. Vol. I.

9. — Records of Elgin. William Cramond, LL.D. Vol. 1,
No. 10. — Avogadro and Dalton. A. N. Meldrum, D.Sc.
„ No. II. — Records of t lie Sheriff Court of Aberdeenshire. David Littlejohn, LL.D. Vol.1.
„ No. 12. — Proceedings of the Anatomical and Anthropological Society, 1902-04.

1905. No. 13. — Report on Alcyonaria. Professor J. Arthur Thomson, M.A., and others.
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„ No. 15. — Meminisse Juvat : laith Appendix of Alakeia. Alexander Shewan, M.A.
» No. 16. — Blackhalls of that Ilk and Barra. Alexander Morison, M.D.

1906. No. 17. — Records of the Scots Colleges. Vol. L P. J. Anderson.

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Professor Sir W. M. Ramsay, D.C.L., and pupils.

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I, No. 22. — Proceedings of the Anatomical and Anthropological Society, 1904-06.

„ No. 23. — Subject Catalogues of the ScietKC Library and the Law Library. P.J.Anderson.

„ No. 24. — Records of the Sheriff Court of Aberdeenshire. David Littlejohn, LL.D. Vol. IL

1907. No. 25. — Studies on Alcyonarians and Antipatharians. Prof. Thomson, M.A., and others.
„ No. 26. — Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times. J. S. Milne, M.A., M.D.

„ No. 27. — Records of the Sheriff Court of Aberdeenshire. David Littlejohn, LL.D. Vol. III.

„ No. 28. — Flosculi Graeci Boreales. Ser. IL Professor John Harrower, M.A.

„ No. 29. — Record of the Quatercentenary, 1906. P. J. Anderson.

„ No. yi.— House of Gordon. J. M. Bulloch, M.A. Vol. II.

1908. Ho. si.-^Miscellany of the New Spalding Club. Vol.11.

„ No. 32. — Religious Teachers of Greece. James Adam, Litt.D. (GifTord Lectures, 1904-06.)

II No- 33- — Science and Philosophy of the Organism. Hans Driesch, Ph.D. (Giff. Lect., 1907.

„ No. 34. — Proceedings of the Anatomical and Anthropological Society, 1906-08.

„ Ho. s5.~Records of Elgin. Vol. II. Rev. S. Ree, B.D.

„ No. 36. — Pigmentation Survey of School Children. J. F. Tocher, B.Sc.

1909. No. 37. — Science and Philosophy of Organistn. Hans Driesch, Ph.D. Vol.11. (Giff. Lect., 1908.)
„ No. 38. — Studies on Alcyonarians and Hydroids. Prof. Thomson, M.A. , and others. Ser. III.
„ No. 3g.— Publications of Scottish Clubs. Professor C. S. Terry, M.A.

„ No. 40. — .Aberdeen Friars : Red, Black, White, Grey. P. J. Anderson.

„ No. 41. — Studies on Alcyonarians. Professor Thomson, M.A., and others. Ser. IV.

,, No. 42. — Records of Old Aberdeen. A. M. Munro. Vol.11.

1910. No. 43. — Musa Latina Aberdonensis : Poetae Minores. W. K. Leask, M.A.

,, No. 44. — Bulletins of the Aberdeen and North of Scotland College of Agriculture. Nos, 1-14.

1911. No. 45. — Records of Inverness. W. Mackay and H. C. Boyd. Vol.1.

„ No. 46. — Zoological Studies. Professor Thomson and others. Ser. V.

„ No. 47. — Subject Catalogue of the Phillips Library.

„ No. 48. — Zoological Studies. Professor Thomson and others. Ser. VI.

„ No. 49. — Anacreontic Poetry of Germany. John Lees, D.Litt.

,, No. 50. — Creeds and Confessions of Faith. Professor W. A. Curtis, D.Litt.

„ No. 51. — Aberdeen Alumni at Other Universities, Part I. Professor J. Harrower, LL.D.

1912. No. 52. — Royal Fishery Companies, J. R. Elder, M.A.

The Royal
Fishery Companies

of the

Seventeenth Century

By

John Rawson Elder, M.A.

Aberdeen

Printed for the University

MCMXII

PREFACE

The distinguishing feature of the commercial development
of Britain during the seventeenth century is the entry of
the idea of co-operation and unification of effort into national
trade, the displacement of the individual by the State-
directed company. Throughout the century England assidu-
ously set herself to develop her trade resources, both foreign
and domestic, by the estabhshment of manufactories and
companies. Inspired by the efforts of her neighbour and
rival, Scotland sought to build up her commerce in a
similar fashion.

It was but natural that the directors of these efforts in
both countries should at an early period turn their atten-
tion to the development of the fisheries. To Scotland, in
particular, poor in soil and scanty in resources, the fisheries
upon her coasts seemed the one natural source of wealth.
Those in both countries who strove to estabhsh a national
fishery were the more impelled to effort by the knowledge
of the value of her State-controlled fishery to Holland, a
nation whose great commercial prosperity had already
inspired that spirit of jealous rivalry which was to domi-
nate the foreign policy of Britain until maritime supremacy
no longer remained with the Dutch.

Thus, the Royal Fisheries of the seventeenth century
represent not only a particular phase of a general commercial
development, but also a determined effort to wrest from a

vi PREFACE

powerful commercial rival a trade which was admittedly
her greatest source of wealth. Since the members of the
societies for the fishing included both EngUshmen and Scots-
men, they represent also, in lesser degree, that growing
recognition of the necessity for co-operation between Eng-
land and Scotland in commercial undertakings which
ultimately proved one of the essential factors in the move-
ment for a closer union between the two countries.

The materials for this account of the Royal Fisheries
have been found in the University Library, Aberdeen, the
Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, the British Museum and
the Record Office, London. I here acknowledge grate-
fully my indebtedness to Mr. P. J. Anderson, Librarian,
Aberdeen University, and to his assistants, to Mr. Dickson
of the Advocates' Library, and to the authorities and
officials in the British Museum and the Record Office. I
have to thank Mr. John Clarke, Lecturer in Education
in the University of Aberdeen, for calling my attention
to certain pubUcations bearing on my subject.

My deepest thanks are due to Professor C. Sanford Terry,
of Aberdeen University, who has evinced the greatest interest
in my research, and whose kindly advice has throughout
been invaluable to me.

Finally, I would express my obhgation to the Carnegie
Trustees for their generous grant in aid of the publication
of this book.

JOHN R. ELDER.

Aberdeen, November, 19n.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

The Dutch Grand Fishery; James I; Mare Liberum

AND Dominium Maris ------ 1

CHAPTER II

Charles I ; Fishings off the Coast of Britain - - 24

CHAPTER III
Charles I ; The Association for the Fishing - - 35

CHAPTER IV

Charles I; The Association for the Fishing; Its

Work in the Lewis 54

CHAPTER V
Charles I ; Domestium Maris 65

CHAPTER VI

The Commonwealth; The Dutch War. Charles II;

The New Societies for the Fishing in Scotland 81

CHAPTER VII
Charles II; The Royal Fishery 97

Appendix 116

Index 132

CHAPTER I.

THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY; JAMES I; MARE LIBERUM
AND DOMINIUM MARIS.

The history of the Royal Fishery Companies of England
is the history of a series of attempts made during the seven-
teenth century by the sovereigns of Britam to unite Enghsh
and Scotch noblemen, gentlemen of private means, mer-
chants and fishermen in an enterprise which had for its
ultimate object the ousting of the Dutch from the position
of pre-eminence in the North Sea which the Hollanders
enjoyed as the result of centuries of strenuous toil and
untiring enterprise. Recognising from the first its national
importance to a maritime people, the Dutch, with dogged
perseverance, had striven to develop the fishing industry,
and with such success as made their fisheries at once the
envy and the inspiration of all those who, in various ways,
laboured in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to
estabHsh Britain as a sea power. Roused to action by the
success of the Dutch, numerous public-spirited pamphle-
teers wrote with the intention of impressing upon the British
people the fact that the Hollanders were fast becoming a
great maritime power through the wealth derived from the
exploitation of those resources of the North Sea fisheries
which Britain had so long neglected. That British jealousy
of the Dutch which is such a factor in the foreign policy of
Britain during the seventeenth century, sprang in no small
measure from the growing knowledge of the wealth derived

2 ,,.,.; ,.TEE PUTCH GRAND FISHERY

by the men of the Low Countries from fisheries conducted,
to a considerable extent, on the very coasts of Britain,

Although it was not until the sixteenth century that the
inhabitants of Britain became aUve to the magnitude of
the Dutch fisheries, the latter had been recognised in the
Low Countries as a great national concern at least since
the twelfth century. In 1177, Margaret of Alsatia, Countess
of Flanders, issued a regulation prescribing the manner of
salting herrings ; salted herring are also mentioned in a
charter of Louis VII. of France, dated 1179.^ That the
Dutch fishermen were, even thus early, aware of the value
of the fishing off the coast of England and had already
extended their operations so as to include the fishing grounds
there, is evident from a proclamation of Edward L, issued
in 1295, to the effect that the many people from " Holland,
Zealand, and Friesland," who " come and fish in our sea
off Yarmouth, be treated civilly, and not molested, robbed,
or plundered by the king's subjects." -

By the fifteenth century Dutch cured herring had become
an important item in the food supply of the English army.
The salted herring referred to in the twelfth century docu-
ments already mentioned, were merely herring packed or
strewn with salt so as to preserve them for a short time,
but towards the close of the fourteenth century the art of
pickling and barrelling herring so as to make them a suitable
article of foreign trade was discovered, the Dutch soon
began to export herring, and found in England a good
market. The famous Battle of the Herring, fought in 1429
in France, is proof of the fact that salted herring were by
that time appreciated by the English as a convenient article
of diet for an army in the field.

1 " The History of Dutch Sea Fisheries," p. 10. (Prize Essay by A.
Beaujon, International Fisheries Exhibition, London, 1883, printed in
the Fisheries Exhibition Literature, vol. ix.)

- Beaujon's Essay, p. 9.

JAMES I; MARE LIBERUM 3

The man who discovered how to cure herring, and who
thus has the credit of having been the founder of the great-
ness of the Dutch salted herring trade, and, as a corollary,
of the maritime supremacy of Holland in after years, was
William Beukelsz, who about the middle of the fourteenth
century lived in Biervliet, now a \allage in the southern part
of Zealand. All agree upon this, and that he was a " Stuyr-
man," or skipper engaged in the herring fishery. Some,
indeed, claim that he was no Dutchman, but an Englishman
named Belkinson, who, finding his fellow-countrymen unsym-
pathetic and sceptical of his powers, carried his invention
of the mode of pickling and curing herring to Holland,
where he died in 1347 or 1397, for the date is a matter of
dispute.^ The Hollanders were not slow to recognise that
to the invention of Beukelsz they owed the greater part of
their quickly accumulating national wealth. A pubKc monu-
ment was erected to him at Biervliet, and it is on record that
the Emperor Charles V. honoured the memory of this founder
of a nation's prosperity by visiting his tomb.

In its essentials, the Dutch method of curing herring
called " kaken," ^ is still identical with that invented by
Beukelsz, and described in the same fashion throughout
Dutch history. The fish are opened and gutted the moment
the net is hauled aboard ; they are salted carefully and then
packed in a peculiar fashion in barrels. In order to main-
tain the standard set up for Dutch " brand-herring," all
Dutch fishermen were compelled to practise this method
of curing the herring, while a set of stringent regulations
had to be observed with regard to the size of the mesh in
the net used, the quantity and quality of the salt employed,
and the times and place of fishing. The excellence of the

1 " Fisheries and Fishermen of all Countries" {The Fisheries Exhibi-
tion Literature, vol. i. p. 37), also Beaujon's Essay, p. 11.

- The barrels used were called " kaecken " or " kaecjes," hence the
name. See Beaujon's Essay, p. 11.

4 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

Dutch cured herring was quickly recognised in the princi-
pal countries of Northern Europe, and Holland soon engaged
in a lucrative export trade in herring. Holland attained
her utmost greatness in the period of the Republic of the
United Netherlands ; it is a clear index to the manner in
which that position was gained, that this is also the epoch
in which her sea fisheries attained their greatest importance.

As is usually the case, it was the increased importance of
Holland and particularly her growing maritime power which
brought her into conflict with other nations. So long as the
Low Countries had constituted merely a small province of
the great Spanish Empire, both Enghsh and Scotch had
been content to grant Dutch fishermen their protection and
had willingly allowed them to fish in British waters, upon
their acknowledging the sovereignty of the Enghsh king in
the seas about Britain, and purchasing licenses permitting
them to fish in these seas. The English kings had since
the time of Edward III. definitely asserted their claim to
sovereignty in the seas lying about the coasts of their king-
dom, Edward III. issued a proclamation making this
claim, and had his right admitted by the Treaty of Paris,
1360 ; this same right was upheld by Henry V., Henry VI.,
and Henry VII. i

That this claim to sovereignty was much more than a
mere idle assertion is clear from the fact that in the reign
of Mary when the fishermen of the Low Countries wished
to seek new fishing grounds, there was granted to King
Philip's subjects in Flanders a twenty-one years' lease of
the fishings about the North Coast of Ireland, this lease
being granted in consideration of a fine and £1000 paid
annually to Sir Edward Fitton, Treasurer for Ireland. A

^ Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339. " A collection of divers particulars
touching the King's Dominion and Soveraignty in ye Fishing as well in
Scotland as in the Brittish Ocean, presented Aprill, 1633. Chronicon
Malmsbury, John Haywood."

JA^IES I; IklARE LIBERUM 5

like privilege to fish in the Irish seas was granted under
similar conditions by the same queen to " The Company
of the old Hans." Foreigners desirous of fishing m EngUsh
waters were, at this time, regularly granted Hcenses at
Scarborough Castle.^ It was in the nature of things, how-
ever, that foreigners should trouble to pro^ide themselves
with hcenses only so long as the king of England was power-
ful enough to enforce his ancient rights. As the glorious
days of the Tudors departed Enghsh sea-power declmed,
and the abihty of England to maintain her claims was so
questionable that foreigners no longer paid attention to
them. Not tiU 1635, when Charles I. demanded that all
Hollanders fishing in the North Sea should provide them-
selves with licenses bought from him, was there any re-
assertion of this ancient right of the Enghsh kings to demand
payment from foreigners for the privilege of fishing in the
seas surrounding the Enghsh dominions."-

The Stuarts, however, had brought to England such civil
strife and turmoil as made it impossible for that comitry
to maintain her position among the nations. As the glory
of England waned, the power of Holland grew ; and the
beginning of the seventeenth century saw Holland no longer
a mere dependency of Spain but the first sea-power in
Europe. In 1581 the Hollanders had thrown off the Spanish
yoke, and with all the energy of a young nation mspired by
newly acquired freedom had embarked on such a career of
maritime prosperity as Europe had never before witnessed.

1 Cal. S. P. Dom. Car, II., vol. 339.

"^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vols. 313, 319, 320.

Note. — Other kings and princes claimed Hke privileges ; the Emperor
of Russia, the kings of Denmark and Sweden, the Duke of Medina and the
princes of Italj', all derived great revenues from the taxation of fishermen
fishing on the high seas off their coasts. In the western parts of England
itself, it was the custom for pilchard fishers to pay a tithe of their catch
as tribute to the lords of the manors next the coast. Cal. S.P. Dom.
Car. II., vol. 339, pp. 1-5.

6 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

The feelings of Britain towards the Dutch changed at once
with the altered position of Holland ; the former attitude
of easy toleration extended to a poor neighbour was changed
to a feehng of jealous hatred for a rich and powerful rival.
This growing animosity was fanned by the works of the
numerous English pamphleteers who wrote concerning the
wealth that the Hollanders were deriving from the North
Sea. These pamphleteers, for the most part, boldly asserted
that the North Sea, and in particular the parts near the
coasts of England and Scotland, — and here the Hollanders
frequently fished — were part of the British dominions, and,
as such, should be reserved for the native fishermen.

Though many such pamphlets appeared during the reign
of Elizabeth, no action was then taken by England against
Holland in the matter, since the queen was too much ahve
to the danger from Spain to permit herself to become in-
volved in a quarrel with a people whose hostihty towards
the Spaniard rendered them a likely ally. The controversy
therefore regarding the right of the kings of England to
" Dominium Maris," did not reach a head until James I.
ascended the throne of England. It was such a question
as James, with his love of legal detail, loved to discuss,
and he devoted himself zealously to the task of maintaining
the ancient claims of his kingdom. Before his accession to
the throne of England, James had already had considerable
experience of Dutch encroachment. His Scotch subjects,
particularly those resident in the island of Lewis, had com-
plained frequently to the king concerning the aggressive
tactics pursued by the Dutch.

No foreigners had fished off the island of Lewis till 1594,
when the Hollanders began to fish in the seas about the
island by virtue of a license, which kept them, however, at
a distance of twenty-eight miles from the shore. Finding
the fishing there a highly lucrative one, the Dutch had
repeatedly asked James to sell them a little island called

JAMES I; IMARE LIBERUM 7

Petershead. Being refused this, they gradually encroached
so much upon the privileges of the native fishermen, that
these, seeing themselves being gradually deprived of the
best fishing grounds, made complaint to the king.^

It appeared highly significant to the mind of James that
the treatise of Hugh Grotius on Mare Lihermn should
have appeared at the very time when the Hollanders were
attempting to seize by force that which they had formerly
been glad to use by special favour. James took it that the
assertion of " Mare Liberum " was a definite declaration of
Dutch poHcy, aimed particularly at England, and acted
accordingly. He ordered his ambassador to the Hollanders,
Sir D. Carlton, to make formal complaint, and, irritated by
the. outcry on the part of his subjects against foreign fisher-
men, issued a Proclamation on May 16th, 1609, forbidding
foreign fishermen to fish on the British coasts and in British
seas except upon payment of certain fees for license ; these
licenses were bought at London by those who wished to
fish off the English coasts, and at Edinburgh by those who
wished to fish off the Scottish coasts. By proclamation, all
unlicensed fishers were interdicted from fishing, the Duke
of Lennox, as Admiral of Scotland, being ordered to see
the right of Assize Herring - put in execution ; ^ James thus
openly took his stand by the " Mare Clausum " theory, the
assertion of the " Dominium Maris."

Henceforth during the reign of James, an armed peace
prevailed, both in the North Sea and at Spitzbergen, where
the whalers of Britain and of Holland were working in com-
petition with each other. Men-of-war accompanied the
fishing fleets of both nations and prevented open warfare,
although disputes were frequent. James, however, was not

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 13.

-Assize Herring, payable by all Fishers Native and Foreign, 1424, 21st
Act of Year, 1st Parliament under King James I.
3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, pp. 1-5.

8 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

yet satisfied ; the tax on Dutch fishermen had abeady been
remitted in 1612, at the marriage of the Princess EUzabeth
to the Prince Elector of the Palatinate, but, ignoring this,
James in 1617 demanded of the Dutch fishermen working
in British waters a tax of one angelot, or a barrel of herring
and twelve codfish, for every vessel. The tax was at first
paid ; afterwards, however, the Dutch refused to admit
the king's right to demand it.^ A certain Mr. Browne
sent to defend the king's claim to this tax and to see it
collected in due form from the Dutch fishing vessels, was
seized and carried off to HoUand. James, roused to action
by this act of defiance, ordered the ambassador, Sir D.
Carlton, to demand reparation for the insult from the
States-General. So \agorously did the ambassador state
the case that BrowTie was released, while the captains of
the ships who had seized him were handed over to James for
punishment, a plea for mercy being entered on their behalf
by the States. 2

The States at this time pleaded that by at least two
treaties, one concluded in 1495, between Phihp of Burgundy
and Henry VIII., and the other between Charles of Bur-
gundy and Henry VIII., it had been agreed that the subjects
of the Netherlands should fish in the Enghsh seas without
impediment and without hcense. Upon James repudiating
this, the Prince of Orange proposed, as a compromise, that
the Right of Fishing should be purchased by one payment.
Sir D. Carlton, however, answered that a royalty of this
nature could not thus be purchased. The Dutch next
claimed that in 1594, at the christening of Prince Henry,
the States assisted as godfathers, and that lung James
then granted them the privilege of fishing without hcense ;
when asked for proof, however, they were unable to produce
evidence of any such privilege.^

^ Beaujon's Essay, p. 172.

^Cal S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, pp. 1-5. '^ Ibid.

JAMES I; IVIARE LIBERUM 9

It was evident, indeed, that the object of the Dutch
throughout these negotiations concerning fishing rights was
simply to delay the settlement of the matter as long as
possible. Being aware of the intention of the Dutch, and
seeing that Sir D. Carlton was being put off from day to
day at the Hague with legal quibbles, James sent him orders
to " deale roundly in it." That the Dutch were not at all
sure of the position in which they now stood is evident ;
in 1618, a double convoy accompanied their fishing fleet to
the fishing grounds, proof that the Hollanders were dubious
as to the reception awaiting them, and expected some
molestation.^

Their right, indeed, to fish even within sight of the coasts
of Britain was also a matter of dispute. It had always been
understood that for a certain distance from the shore the
fishing was reserved for native fishermen ; the exact distance
had varied considerably with varying conditions. The
French, for example, by a treaty made in the reign of
Henry IV. of France, with regard to fishing off the coast
of England, had accepted a hmitation both as to time and
place. They agreed not to fish " between Autumn and
the Calends of January," and only throughout that part of
the sea " which is bounded on this side by the Ports of
Scarborough and Southampton, and on the other side by
the coast of Flanders and the mouth of the river Seine." ^

Similarly, the Dutch, from the beginning of their fishing
enterprise in British waters, had recognised the claims of
the native fishermen. When, in 1594, they asked and
obtained permission to fish in Scotch waters, it was agreed
that they should not come " within the sight of the shoar,
nor into any of the loughs nor in the seas betA\-ixt islands." ^

1 Cal. S.P. Dom., vol. 339, pp. 1-5.

2 Selden, Alare Clausum, I. ii. cap. 25. Stubbs, Justification oj the War
against Holland, 2nd part, p. 63.

■^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161.

10 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

Gradually, however, they had encroached upon this, with
the result that the complaints of the Scotch fishermen
became very bitter against the usurpers. The Hollanders,
indeed, seem to have oppressed the native fishermen in
many ways. They " cut their nets and offered violence to
their persons, and in the end they drove them from their
own seas and forced them to seek their fishing upon the
Isle of Fara in Denmark."^ This led to a remonstrance
on the part of the Danes, and on March 12th, 1618, to the
forbidding of the Scotch fishermen to fish there. Naturally
the Scots clamoured for a like prohibition against the Dutch,
and on April 4th, of the same year, presented their petition
asking this. The king, on 7th November, ansv/ered that
commissioners must be appointed to treat on the matter.
The Scots sent as their commissioners Lennox, Hamilton,
Lord Binning, and Sir George Hay.^ The Hollanders
refused, however, to abide by the treaty which followed,
and insisted upon the freedom of the sea to all ; James,
v/hile wilHng to allow the Dutch the privilege of fishing in
what he asserted to be British waters, maintained, never-
theless, that they must abide by the ancient custom, fixing
the prohibited fishing area for foreigners as being the part
" within kenning of land, as seamen do take a kenning,"
a custom recognised in England also.^ Ultimately, in 1618,
Sir D. Carlton was instructed to make proclamation to the
Dutch fixing the hmit at 14 miles, " this year or at any
time hereafter." *

In that year, 1618, the Dutch, as we have seen, went to
the fishing on the coast of Scotland with a double convoy,

^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161, and Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I.,
vol. 229, No. 78.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78.

3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 147. King James to Sir D. Carlton,
4th May, 1618.

*Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161.

JAMES I; MARE LIBERUM 11

since they thought that a crisis was at hand. Meanwhile
the complaints against the Dutch had become so numerous
that the States issued a proclamation commanding the
Dutch seamen to refrain from violence, on pain of being
" punished in the body as pirates and men of violence." ^

Weary of these constant complaints and anxious to come
to some understanding which might set an industry involving
their national existence on a satisfactory basis so far as
fishing rights were concerned, the Dutch, in 1619, sent an
embassy to London. To these ambassadors, on January
30th, 1620, James made a formal declaration concerning
his demands, urging upon them the importance of speedily
coming to a definite settlement : " The said ambassadors
vnll remember how often his Mat^ hath summoned their
Superiours to accomplish their Promise they have made him
to come to a Treaty about the Point of general Fishing upon
ye coast of Great Brittaine and Ireland, in w*^^ their Subjects
have encroached for many yeares together upon his Mat-"^^^
Rights, who neverthelesse, in regard of ye State of their
affaires, hath been content to leave it hitherto in suspense.
But now they may lett their Superiours know his Mat^ doth
expect that, so soon as conveniently it may be, they send
hither some Persons authorized to treate and finally cleare
this difference." -

In spite of this declaration, however, little was done to

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, No. 107. Placaert of 5th June, 1618.
" Defendons par cette bien expressement a touts Pilotes, pecheurs d'hareng
et pecheurs capitaines, matelots, at autres destines au Convoy d'cieux
navires d'Hareng et generalement a ceux qui se meslent de lad' Pescherie
en ces Pais, qu'ils auront a prendre garde de conimettre et farre aulcune
force et tort aux susd' Habitants et sujets de S. M. soit par armes ou
autrement et de ne faire aux susd' sujets aulcun empeschment ou molesta-
tion en quelque endroit de la Mer, oil ils seront exergants leur traficq et
pescherie d'harengs, mais de leur en laisser pleine et entiere liberte a leur
contentement sur aulcune place ou quartiers que ce pourront estre, mesmes
devant & sur les costes de ces Pais, sur peine d'estre punis au Corps comme
Pirates et malfaiteurs."

"^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, No. 381.

c

12 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

settle the question, and, although two other embassies came
to London in January, 1621, and December, 1621, respec-
tively, to negotiate on the matter, no agreement had been
made when the ambassadors finally left England in 1623.
The Dutch were unwilling to quarrel with England, but at
'the same time they did not care to be bound down by any
rigid international agreement which might injure their her-
ring trade. When, therefore, they saw that no agreement
was likely to be made which would be in the interests of
that trade, they pursued a pohcy of vacillation which
rendered all negotiation futile.^

Numerous complaints were still made by the Scotch
fishermen against the Hollanders, and the Lords of the
Estates by letters dated 24th January, 1622, represented
the case to the king, urging him to take measures to pro-
tect his subjects.- Afraid lest James, moved by these
appeals, might adopt measures of coercion against the Dutch,
the States secretly consented to grant compensation to those
Scotchmen who had suffered loss, and later gave orders that
Dutch fishing vessels were not to approach so near the land
as to give offence to British fishermen, thus tacitly agreeing to
respect the ancient rule that foreign fishermen should not
come within sight of the British coast.^

James, who was never the man to push things to extremes,
henceforth contented himseK with the continued asser-
tion of the " Mare Clausum " theory, and the occasional
definition of the distance which foreign fishermen must
maintain between themselves and the coast of the British
Isles.

It was at this time that the project of the formation of
a fishery company to exploit the Scotch fisheries was first
mooted, the Duke of Lennox being the first to make the

^ Beaujon's Essay, pp. 173, 174.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, Nos. 343-381.

^ Beaujon's Essay, p. 174.

JAMES I; MARE LIBERUM 13

suggestion.! James, however, anxious to preserve peace
with Holland, would not countenance a scheme which had
for its object the competition of Scotland with the Dutch
in the fisheries of the North Sea and the West Coast, which
was certain to lead at least to an increase of hostile feeling
between the two nations, already sufficiently embittered
against each other. Without considering, therefore, the
merits of the proposal, James ignored all representa-
tions on the subject, and pursued the more agreeable policy
of easy toleration towards the encroachments of the Dutch.

It was, indeed, high time for action to be taken if the
Dutch were not to have an absolute monopoly of fishing in
British waters. The increasing bitterness during the reign
of James of the complaints against the Dutch, is in itself
proof that the Hollanders were vigorously extending the
field of their operations, and were being led through com-
petition with each other to constantly seek new fishing
grounds. Their deep-sea fisheries had indeed attained vast
proportions. Sir D. Carlton, writing about 1618 to Secre-
tary Naunton, asserted that 50,000 people in Holland were
maintained by the fisheries on the English coast,- and this
statement is borne out by evidence.

The Dutch deep-sea fishery had been no haphazard
growth ; its success was the result of much patient care
and thoughtful legislation. Every movement of the Dutch
fishing fleet, and every operation on board the vessel em-
ployed, was fixed by law, precise saihng orders being issued
annually by the College of the Herring Fishing at their
annual meeting at Delft, before the opening of the season.^

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, No. 355.

3 For the constitution of the College, see Beaujon's Essay, p. 62. Roughly
speaking, " the Lords of the Grand Fishery " consisted of two delegates
from the magistrates " of such towns as are notably concerned in the
business." Since no buss could sail without a license granted under seal
of the Grand Fishery, obedience to the rules of the college was imperative.

14 THE DUTCH GRAKD FISHERY

As a matter of general practice, the Dutch began fishing
on St. John's day (June 24th), " near the Shetlands, Fairhill,
and Buchan Xess," fishing in these waters till St. James'
day (July 25th). From St. James' to Elevation day (Sep-
tember 14th), Buchan Ness, or " Sevenjot " (a place not
located), was still the herring fishers' place of resort ; in
the autumn they went towards the south, and till St. Cathe-
rine's day (September 25th), fished in the so-called " deep
waters " off Yarmouth.^

One of the most detailed English accounts of the wealth
and resources of the Dutch fishings at this time, is that of
Tobias Gentleman, who, in his England's Way to win Wealth,
1614, gives some interesting details of the methods of the
Dutch. He has the merit of having taken a more sober
view of the size of the Dutch fishing fleet and the money
derived from the fishing than some of the earher pamphleteers,
such as Raleigh and Hitchcock. HUs work is also a fair
sample of the many pamphlets on fisheries which were
issued during the 17th century.

He shows that the Hollanders began to make ready their
busses"-^ about the middle of May, setting sail by the first
of June with a great fieet composed of vessels of varjdng
size ; " Six hundred of these fisher ships and more, are
great Busses, some six score tons, most of them a hundred
tons, and the rest three score and fifty tons, the biggest of
them having four and twenty men, some twenty men, and
some eighteen and sixteen men apiece, so that there cannot
be, in this fleet, of people no less than twenty thousand
sailors." He tells how they fill their boats with herrings
" three times apiece," before St. Andrew's (30th November),
and computes that, selling these at the rate of ten pounds

1 Beaujon's Essay, p. 61, quoting from a Dutch pamphlet by Mejiiert
Semeyns.

2 " Buss " or " Bush " — a large fishing boat, usually from 40 to 70
tons. See Appendix.

JAMES I; MARE LIBERUM 15

the last,^ they must make much more than the sum of one
miUion of pounds sterhng yearly : "A most worthy sight
it were, if they were my ov.ni countrymen, yet have I taken
pleasure in being amongst them, to behold the neatness of
their ships and fishermen, how every man knoweth his own
place, and all labouring merrily together, whereby the
poorest sort of themselves, their wives and children, are
well maintained, and no want seen amongst them."

He remarks upon their commencing the fishing at the
Isle of Shetland, " which is his Majesty's Dominion," and
says that as many as forty ships of war have been seen with
the fishing fleet to guard them from their enemies, and
particularly from the privateers from Dunkirk, the terror
of the North Sea at this time.-

Arrived at Shetland, the vessels put into " Bracy's Sound,"
where the fishermen made holiday until the legal date in
June for the commencing of the fishing : " There they frohc
it on land, until that they have sucked out all the marrow
of the malt and good Scotch ale, which is the best Hquor
that the island doth afford."

The fishing once started, the Hollanders continued to
"follow the shoals of herring as far as Yarmouth, the herring
fleet being attended by " Herring-yagers," which brought

^ Herrings are measured in Scotland by the cran. A cran contains
36 gallons and holds from about 800 to 1000 herrings. A barrel of full
herrings contains 700 to 750 fish.

In Ireland and the Isle of Man, heiTings are measured by the mease,
which contains 525 fish.

In England, herrings are usually sold by the last, each last nominally
containing 10,000, but in reaUty 13,200 fish.

The Last, a German word, is computed in this way :
4 herrings - - 1 warp.

33 warps - - 1 hundred.

10 hundreds - - 1 thousand.

Keymore's Observations.

- Dutch records of the early seventeenth century are full of accounts
of regular naval battles between the convoying vessels of the Dutch fleet
and the privateers. Beaujon's Essay, p. 59.

16 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

them " men, victuals, barrels, more salt and nets," and
took away the cured herring, selling them at the various
towns in Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Prussia and
France.

Gentleman remarks on the Dutch fishing laws which
forbade the bringing of herring into Holland unless fit to
be barrelled. Fish not fit to be barrelled were sold to
Yarmouth merchants, for immediate consumption, the best
fish were given the best brand, and barrelled for use in Lent ;
these were sent to all the towns in France, where they
commanded a high price.^

He mentions also the fact that there were other Dutch
fishermen who fished all the year round for cod, and ling.
These used " Pincks " and "Well-boats," of from thirty
to forty tons. In addition, the Hollanders had " Fly
Boats," which rode at anchor aU the season on the fishing
grounds, off the North East of Shetland, and which had
cobles with them from which the fishermen fished with
lines and hooks, " whereby they do take great store of
Lings, the which they do not barrel, but split them, and salt
them in the ship's bulk ; and these they seU commonly
for four and five pounds the hundred, and these go by the
name of Holland lings, but they are taken out of his Majesty's
seas, and were Shetland lings before they took them there,
and for these lings they do carry away abundance of
England's best money daily." Gentleman's pamphlet con-
cludes with a lament that the Enghsh will not bestir them-
selves and take part in this harvest of the sea : " Not one
of his Majesty's subjects is there to be seen, all the whole
summer, to fish, or to take in herring, but only the North
Sea boats of the sea coast towns, that go to take cods ;
they do take so many as they need to bait their hooks and
no more."

^ See for various regulations regarding Branding of Herring Barrels,
Beaujon's Essay, p. 39 onwards.

JAMES I. ; IMARE LIBERIBI 17

During the short respite from their labours enjoyed by the
Hollanders while awaiting the gathering of the fleet at the
rendezvous in Shetland, they seem to have behaved in such
fashion as to render their annual advent a matter of con-
siderable dread to the inhabitants. The grievances of the
islanders are set forth in a contemporary account of " The
Griefs and Wrongs the Inhabitants of the Isles of Orkney
and Shetland and others, his Maties subjects, fishers ^vithin
the Kingdom of Scotland, sustains be the Hollanders
and Hamburg tigers." ^

After stating that " These Hollanders and Hamburghers
are accustomed yearly to come to ane port of Zeitland
called Brasso Sound, about the first of June and ly there
some 20 dayes or yrby attending the coming of their haill
companys whiLk will sometyme exceed the number of Two
Thousand Saile," the author goes on to enumerate the
various wrongs and injuries committed upon the islanders.
When ashore, the Dutchmen, finding security in numbers,
indulged in many acts of wanton mischief. They " chased,
took, and slew sheep " belonging to the inhabitants, cut
down aU growing timber wherever they found it, " qlk is
ane casualtie to these isles," spoiled meadows and green
pasturage, " cutting it up by drawing their names and
marks that ye samen is made unprofitable to the owners,"
and trod down all the ferns " be their great numbers."
They " enticed to their service " the best and ablest fishers
in the islands, sometimes even seizing them by force, " to
the great prejudice of his Majesties Tennents." A more
willing type of recruit was found in " thieves and aU sorts
of malefactors," who found a refuge in the Dutch fishing
fleet and thus escaped from justice. In their lawlessness

iMSS. 31.2.16., Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. Date, about 1613.
See also Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, vol. ii. p. 65.
Answer by the States General of the United Provinces to the Propositions
of the Ambassador of James the Sixth, relative to the Herring Fishery on
the coast of Scotland, 5th June, 1618

B

18 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

they did not spare even the places of worship ; in the kirks
they broke down the seats and committed every kind of
profanity. A less serious offence was that " numbers of
these fishers being on shoar take horse rydes so many thereon
as may sitt, to the great hurt of ye owners thereof." A
final accusation was that whenever they approached any
uninhabited island which they found to be the breeding
place of seafowl, they took eggs and young fowls out of the
nests, to the serious loss of the owners " who were accus-
tomed to make profite thereby."

Having thus voiced the grievances of the people of Orkney
and Shetland concerning the conduct of the Hollanders
during this short annual hoUday, the writer enters upon an
account of the injuries suffered at the hands of the foreigners
when these came to engage in fishing. His statement of
these wrongs is a good example of those complaints which
were with such regularity placed before James VI., and
which finally induced that monarch to enter upon the con-
troversy " De Dominio Maris," in his endeavour to reUeve
the situation.

The writer declares that the coming of the Hollander
had ruined the native fishing industry : " The Inhabitants
of these Isles, and others his Maties subjects, fishars, were
Inriched by that trade of fishing before these Hollanders
and others their associats approached his maties coasts.
But now all are Impoverished, ... his maties tennents in
those Isles are not able to pay his maties rent. And the
fishars dweUing upon the coast of Scotland are sore decayed
by ye oppression of these Holanders and their associats. Be
reasone aU are violently debarred frae those pairts where
they were accustomed to fish."

The Dutchmen did not hesitate to use violent methods
towards the fishermen . If they ventured near the Hollanders ,
they were shot at, and their small nets and lines were en-
tangled within the huge nets belonging to the foreigners and

JAMES I.; MARE LIBERUM 19

so carried away. Disregarding any ancient understanding
on the subject, the Hollanders now came close inshore
" where befor they approached not the coasts nearer then
fourty myles." " This near approaching of theirs the
shoar," the author maintains, " has not only impoverished
that haill trade of fishing and all that were benefited thereby,
qlk is noe small loss, being rightly ponderat, but Ukewise
far prejudges his maties Customes."

" Before those Hollanders approached so near the Coasts
The Schools of fishes came hard to the shoare, that, without
great expense, the poorest fisher would have Inriched him-
self. But their near approaching breaks now the schools
of fishes,^ that noe fishes are gotten but with great expense
and trubell, so that the poor, who are not able to make
great charges, are all together frustrate of any benefite. . . .
Certain of these Hollanders being forced either be Storme
of weather or lack of fresh watters they are not content to
wrang his Maties subjects by fishing hard by the shoar
where they were accustomed to fish, but comeing within
lands, they will fish hard by Gentlemen's Doors, Whilk
pairts has been appropriat to the owners of the Land nearest
adjacent for their fishing there the tyme of Stormes, for
the Entertaining of their houses when they may not goe
to sea. This wrong of theirs has oft brought contraversie
and sometymes blood."

Certain payments in kind are mentioned which would
imply that the Hollanders felt, to some extent at least, that
their being allowed to fish in these waters near the Orkneys
and Shetland Isles was in the nature of a privilege. " Those
Hollanders, at the least ye greatest number, gave to Captain
Thomas Knightsone, who then carried charge under the late
Earle of Orknay, ane Barrele of Salt for his oversight for
ilk Ship. Thereafter they offered to the late Earle of

1 See also Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161. " MS. discourse
about ye fishing in Mr. Sam Coke's hand," where this same charge is made.

20 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

Orknay, for giving them his oversight, for ilk shipe ane
Angell and ane Barrell of Birskate bread. But he would
have no less nore ane Double Angell, or ane Rose Noble at
the least."

Some further contemporary evidence with regard to the
Dutch fishing in the Orkney and Shetland islands is given
in two letters, one written by the Earl of Dunfermline to
Lord Binning, dated Eduiburgh, 27th November, 1618, the
other by S. Murray to the same, dated 26th November,
1618.^ Lord Binning, it will be remembered, was one of
the commissioners appointed in 1618 by James to confer
with the Dutch on the matter of the fisheries ; he evidently
had been asking for information as to the manner in which
the Hollanders first began their fishing off the Scotch coast
in 1594. In answer to Lord Binning's request for " Informa-
tion in these matters concerning the Hollanders fishing in
our seas," the Earl of Dunfermline rephes that he can find
no record of any negotiations with the Hollanders "in
1594 or any other tyme, although all Registers and Records
in the Castle have also been examined."

Mr. Murray, however, gives a Httle more information.
" Since the wry ting of my letter, I conferred with Wilham
Bruce, that dweUs in Zetland, anent ye matter of ye fishings,
who told me that the Hollanders albeit the most part of
their fishings were fourtie myles of the land and more, yet
they come ordinarily with fourteen myles before they let
their netts fall, and on the East of Orkneys come within
six or seven myles. Now they come so near the land that
some of them break their netts upon ye rocks. They fish
not within the Isles near adjacent to the Mainland of Zet-
land, nor are yr any great fish gotten, but such small fishes
as serve ye people for yr meat and whereof they gitt the
oyle wherewith to pay their rent of that kind. But they come
alse near those Isles as they can."

iMSS., Advocates' Library, 31.2.16.

J.A3IES I. ; MARE LIBERUM 21

It is evident, however, that there must have been a reverse
to this picture. The mhabitants of these naturally barren
islands must have derived no small benefit from the annual
visit of those foreign fishermen, even if they felt it a grievance
that the foreigners encroached upon the preserves of the
native fishermen. They had, in fact, gradually come to
look to the foreigners for a great part of their annual sub-
sistence. This is clear from a " SuppHcation by the Earl
of Morton on behalf of himself and the inhabitants of Zet-
land," addressed to the Privy Council on 4th March, 1662.i
On March 22nd, 1661, Parhament had passed an act pro-
hibiting foreign fishermen from fishing near these islands
or trading "v^dth the inhabitants. The islanders, evidently
much perturbed by the passing of this act, plead in this
SuppHcation that the traders of Lubeck may be permitted
to visit their islands and supply them with corn as they
have hitherto done which they are now prohibited from
doing by the Navigation Act. They show that " the said
island, being of itself barren and infertill, ... by the
product and grouth thereof the same is not able to inter-
taine the inhabitants ane quarter of the haill year but were
ever maintained be cornes and other provisions, whilks
were imported be Lubicers, Hambergers, and other strangers
who arryved there yearlie to fish upon the coasts of the
said island, be whom the inhabitants were for the most part
still maintained in all tymes bygane." In view of these
circumstances, they ask that the foreigners be allowed to
come at least for this year, saving that if they are not per-
mitted to do so, " not only many thousands of the saids
inhabitants will be in danger of starving for want of bread,
bot the rest wiU be forced to desert the said illand and leave
the samen waste and desolat." Concluding their request,
they beg that if the Dutchmen are to be prevented from
coming as usual " some speedie course be taken for pro-

^ Reg. Privy Cane. Scotland, vol, i. (3rd series) p. 182.

22 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY

vyding of the said island with comes and other necessars
for their sustentation and intertainment, that they be not
exposed to the miseries of famine and desolation." Moved
by this petition, the Lords granted permission for the
foreigners to trade for one more year with the islanders.

The presence on the coasts of the much maligned Dutch-
man was, therefore, often productive of good much more
than of evil. When, indeed, at a later date, some
Scotch traders decided to make an attempt to estabhsh
the fishing industry on a proper footing, we find them
gladly enlisting the services of Dutchmen who were to teach
them " the way of the Hollanders making and dressing of
these fishes," and " the most convenient and expedit way
of fishing." ^ Dutchmen were thus called in to show Scot-
land that road to wealth which Holland had so long success-
fully followed. Even from the encroachments of the Dutch
good eventually came, since the most apathetic was bound
to feel that the fishing grounds so much sought after by
foreigners, must be of considerable value, and that it was
of national importance that Britain should no longer neglect
that source of wealth which lay at her very doors.

The Dutch, as the pioneers of deep-sea fisheries, had shown
the way to reap the harvest of the sea, and, as the reward
of hardihood and enterprise, had become the strongest
maritime power in Europe. The seventeenth century saw
them gradually ousted from their position of pre-eminence,
until, by the end of that century, they were, compara-
tively speaking, merely onlookers where once they had
been supreme. This gradual dechne of the Dutch fishing
industry was due, however, neither to any falhng off in
enterprise on their part nor to any superiority in com-
mercial instinct on the part of their rivals. As a matter of
fact, the first attempts of the British to found a national
fishery which should rival that of the Dutch, were singularly

^Reg. Privy Cone. Scotland, vol. i. (3rd series) p. 271.

JAMES I.; MARE LIBERUM 23

unsuccessful. It was as the direct result of the long period
of almost constant naval warfare from 1652 to 1713 that
Holland ceased to hold a place of power among the nations
of Europe. Jealousy caused by the success of the Dutch
fisheries was, in no small measure, a reason for these wars.
Their ultimate result was all that England had desired ;
her own fisheries had by no means reahsed the sanguine
expectations of their early promoters, but she was left
without this formidable rival in the North Sea. Meanwhile
it is of importance to observe that the desire to emulate
the Dutch was the reason for all the efforts made during
the seventeenth century to promote national fisheries in
Britain.

CHAPTER 11.

CHARLES I, : FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN.

CoNCEENiNG Charles I., many have observed that the
untoward events of his Hfe were mainly due to the fact
that he carried into actual practice ideas with regard to
which his father had been content merely to theorise.
Again, it has often been remarked that whereas James I.
was by natural temperament so timid that, shrinking from
conflict, he never carried matters to their logical conclusion,
his son possessed a spirit which impelled him to risk all
rather than rehnquish an opinion of the truth of which he
had become convinced, or an undertakmg upon the accom-
plishment of which he had set his heart. It is no matter for
surprise, therefore, to find that while James was content
to moralise concerning the infringement of the natural rights
of his people by the Dutch fishermen, the more practically
minded Charles, who had inherited all his father's opinions
with regard to the constant presence of the Hollanders upon
the British coasts, set himself, almost immediately upon
his accession, to devise some means of estabhshing the
British fisheries as a national industry worthy of the name.
It is also characteristic of Charles to find him, in a short
time, demanding that the Dutch should recognise, in prac-
tical fashion, his claim to sovereignty in the North Sea,
and strengthening his navy with a view to the conflict
that he knew must inevitably ensue. In point of fact,
only the outbreak of the Great Civil War prevented the

FISHIXGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN 25

precipitation in Charles' reign of that Dutch War in which
the sailors of the Commonwealth gained such glory.

Charles was not slow to recognise that to succeed in this
great enterprise of driving the Dutch from their position
in the North Sea, he must have behind him a people roused
to the position of affairs and at one with him in his endea-
vour. It became his object, therefore, to educate pubhc
opinion ^dth regard to the extent and wealth of the Dutch
fisheries compared with the poverty of those conducted by
the British. In this purpose Charles was assisted by various
writers, who described, more or less accurately, the manner
in which the fishing round the British coasts was conducted,
and aU of whom were at one in showing the vigour and
industry of the Dutch as opposed to the inertia of the
British fishermen who were so jealous of them. The insti-
tution of these comparisons between the British and Dutch
fishing fleets, while humiliating in the extreme to British
national pride, had, as was to be expected, a salutary effect
in rousing the nation to action. One of the fullest
of these comparisons was that of Secretary Coke, who, in
a treatise entitled Propositions for Fishing, detailed the
various fishings carried on both by Enghsh and by Dutch
off the coasts of Iceland, on the west coast of Scotland, and
in the Narrow Seas.^

" Iceland itself," writes Secretary Coke, "is a great terri-
tory, and unknown whether it be a main continent with
Newfoundland or as Mariners say it is, one continent." To
this fishing the Dutch did not go. The Enghsh fishermen
who went were chiefly men from Norfolk and Suffolk, with
some few from Newcastle and other places. For the privi-
lege of fishing they paid no duty to the King of Denmark.
They fished, chiefly for ling and cod, until " about Bartho-
lomew tide " (August 24th). The town of Yarmouth sent
annually about fifty ships to this fishing, while other towns

• Cal S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 79 and No. 82.

26 CHARLES I.

contributed about forty or fifty more, making in all about
a himdred vessels, of from 50 to 150 tons. The fishers
took their catch at a distance of 6, 10, or 20 leagues from
the shore, never going nearer except in foul weather. They
went to the fishing grounds " victualled for six months
with Bread and Beer." For other provisions they relied
on the resources of the Island, which could always provide
them with " fowl and fish." One curious point noted by
Coke is that many long winged hawks were taken, some 16
or 20 falconers going with the fleet to look after the birds.

Concerning Irish fishings. Coke comments on the fact
that whereas formerly no foreigners fished there without
having first duly taken out a license to do so, the Dutch
were now acting as if the fishing were really their own, and
had actually estabhshed a company at Amsterdam, called
" The Irish Company," to exploit the Irish fisheries.

Another contemporary writer ^ states that upon the east
and south coasts of Ireland there was formerly a herring
fishing, but at that time it had not been engaged in for
some three or four years. Upon the north and north-east
parts of Ireland, there existed a herring fishing, " but so
uncertain as no proportion can be made for the same."
The same writer speaks of " ane Pilchert fishing upon the
south-west of Ireland belonging to the City of London,"
and of the great Irish " Salmond fishings."

From March till the beginning of September the Yarmouth
fishermen were off the coast of Ireland in search of cod and
hng. Ordinarily, about this time, some two or three hun-
dred small vessels of from ten to thirty tons burden set
out for this fishing, making two or three voyages to the
fishing grounds from the first of March to the first of Sep-
tember, when they set out for the herring fishing upon the
banks of Yarmouth.-

1 MSS., about 1630, 31.2.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.
2MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. "Memorandum con-
cerning the fishing along the coast of England, Cornwall, etc."

FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN 27

The herring fishing ofiE the coasts of Britain was, during
the reign of Charles I., mainly in the hands of the Dutch
fishermen, who obeyed the rules of the Dutch Fishery College,
as they had done in the past ; the Dutch vessels fished
chiefly off the Lewis and on the east coast of England and
Scotland. On the west coast of Scotland the fishing was
to a very great extent in the hands of the native fishermen,
and thus was not subject to the rules of the Dutch Fishery
College, which fixed the 24th of June as the date for the
first lowering of nets.

On the west coast the fishing began about the first of
July and continued till about the 2oth of October. In the
fishing were engaged about eight himdred " Slayeing boats "
of between five and six tons each. This number increased
as the season proceeded, " so that sometymes they vrill
extend to the number of loOO fishing boats, and that over
200 Cowper boats about 12 Tun apiece, qch buyes the her-
ring and transportes them from the places where they are
taken to the burghs where they are sold for the use of the
country." ^ From February to May, about 120 of the
largest of the boats, engaged at the mouth of the Clj'de in
" ane codling fishing." It was estimated that some 6000
men were employed in this west coast fishing .-

The most careless observer could not fail to ask why
this Scotch west coast fishery employed vessels so much
smaller and so much less numerous than those of the Dutch
on the east coast. In answer to this, it was explained by
the contemporary Scotch writer already quoted that there
could not possibly be a " bush " fishing on the west coast,
nor could more vessels conveniently be employed, " in respect
of the deepness and narrowness of the Lochs, and want
of Harbours for resett of vessels of greater burden." Ob-

iMSS., about 1630, 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.
^MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinbiu-gh. "Memorandum con-
cerning the fishing along the coast of England, Cornwall, etc."

28 CHARLES I.

viously, therefore, the answer simply amounted to the
statement that the Dutch, determined to make their fisheries
a success, had provided harbours and all other things
necessary so that the industry might be carried out on a
large scale, while the Scotch, although consumed with
jealousy, were still pursuing the primitive fishing methods
of their forefathers.

As at the beginning of the century, the great herring
fishery was confined to the North Sea, commencing " at
the north pairt of Zetland and Orknay, Murray Firth,
Buquhanes, Aberdeen, Montros, and so alongst the coast
to St. Tabhead, and so to the coast of England." ^ Bemg
chiefly in the hands of the Dutch, and regulated by the
rules of the Dutch Fishery College, the fishing here began
on the 24th of June and continued till the end of September.

Coke puts it that the first fishing, to the middle of August,
was engaged in exclusively by the Hollanders, along with
some 40 sail of Frenchmen." The Scotch contemporary
account, however, while admitting this to be the fishing
" qch is used by the fflemings," states " there is also imployed
about 6 score vessels betwixt 3 and 4 Tuns apiece of the
burrowes of Scotland ^ — a statement much more in accordance
with the tale of continual conflict between the Dutch and
the native fishermen, whose chief cry it was that owing to
their small numbers, they could not possibly adopt the
violent tactics of their rivals in dealing with them.

Scotch herring boats were also engaged at Dunbar and
upon the coast of Fife during August and September,
and in the Firth of Forth during November, Another
fishing took place in the "North Isles," from the 1st of October
to the 25th of December. From the 1st of April to the 24th
of June, the fishers upon the east coast of Scotland were

1 MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.

- " Propositions for Fishing," Cal. S.P. Doyyi. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78.

3 MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library.

FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN 29

engaged in " ane whyte fishing of Kodling." ^ The great
east coast fishing was carried on as far south as the coasts
of NorfoUi and Suffolk. About the 24th of August (Bar-
tholomew Tide), the foreign fishing fleet was joined by about
300 Enghsh vessels, which, according to Coke, brought the
fleet altogether to about 1400 vessels.- The fishing then
continued till Martinmas, when the herring fleets of both
nations returned home, " though the herring go stil along,
and some are taken about Rye and Hastings."

Coke gives an interesting account of the manner in which
the Dutch engaged in this fishing conducted their work,
and of the benefits which accrued from the presence of so
many men in the vicinity of Yarmouth and the neighbour-
ing towns on the east coast.^ " Whilst the fishings con-
tinue, the Dutch, with above 1000 sail of busses, besides
their jagers and other ships, victual themselves from our
shore with bread, beer, flesh and butter, and dry their nets
upon the land, specially in a field near Yarmouth, which
is two miles in length, and they come ashore sometimes
above ten thousand persons, which, besides the victualling
of their ships, carry from hence to supply their country
both com, beer and beans in a very great proportion. Yar-
mouth alone employeth forty brewers for their service." It
is strange that, in face of such facts, Charles and his advisers
should not have felt that, if they were doing the Enghsh
fishermen a service in trjring to curtail the extent of the
operations of the Dutch, they were certainly not seeking
the interests of the Enghsh farmer and brewer in striving
to deprive them of these valuable customers.

The Hollanders were accustomed to cure the herring on
board their bushes as soon as caught, and, by Dutch law,
were compelled to carry all herring caught and cured by
Dutch vessels to Holland, where they were barrelled and

1 MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78. •' Ibid.

30 CHARLES I.

branded according to quality by Government inspectors.^
These regulations had been instituted by the Dutch Govern-
ment, in order that the reputation of Dutch cured herring
might not be injured by the sale of inferior fish.

The Enghsh being anxious to protect the native fisher-
men, likewise sought to discourage the Dutch from landing
their fish in England, and therefore, from motives of their
own, endeavoured to make Dutch fishermen abide by Dutch
law ; the Enghsh regulation was, that if the Dutch landed
fish in any town on the coast of England, they were required
to sell the fish to the freemen of the place ; they were not
permitted to barrel them on shore, or to sell them to any
except the free burghers — that is to say, there was to be
no interference with the trading privileges of the free towns.

A fishing engaged in apparently exclusively by the Enghsh
was the pilchard fishing, which took place in the west country
from Dartmouth and Plymouth to Land's End ; this fishing
went on during July, August and September, and some-
times continued into October, " Plymouth is ye pryme place
of that fishing and Pincens in Cornwall." -

In the seventeenth century, both English and Scotch
companies sent vessels regularly to the Greenland whale
fishing. This fishing had, by patent, been granted to the
" Muscovie " Company, with the result that there had
been disputes between this Enghsh company and a Scotch
company estabhshed " upon a Scott patent," the consequence
being that Scotland had been "disapoynted of Oyles." ^
It is thus evident that, although EngHshmen and Scotch-
men were both jealous of the common rival, HoUand,
they had not yet come to look upon themselves as
one united people. Scotchmen were anxious that Enghsh-

' Beaujon's Essay, p. 37 et sequitur.

- MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. "Memorandum con-
cerning the fishing along the coast of England, Cornwall, etc."

- Ibid.

FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN 31

men should not be allowed to infringe upon what they
considered their legitimate preserves, while the men of
the Highlands and Islands were quite as hostile to the
encroachments of the Lowland Scotch as to those of the
Hollanders. In 1605, for example, it is stated in the Records
of the Convention of Royal Burghs ^ that " the maist profitabill
and easie fisching " exists among the isles and their lochs,
but that the burghs " ar debarrit be the wiolence and
barbarous crueltie, abusis, and extortiouns of the hielandis
and cuntre men." Again, when in 1623, the Scotch
burghs complain of the mfrmgement of their privileges,
they group " Inghsh men and Fleymings " together under
the term " strangers," and ask that these be restrained from
fishing " in the North and West Yles of this kingdom, it
being ane tred onhe competent to the frie burrowis of this
realm."- The royal and free burghs of Scotland were, in
fact, as fully ahve to the advantages to be gained from
the fisheries as King Charles himself, and were anxious that
none should reap these advantages save themselves.

Since this was the habitual attitude of the burghs, it may
well be imagined that it was with no feeling of elation that,
in 1630, they received the news that the king had at last
formulated a scheme for the establishment of fishing as a
national industry, and that his intention was to establish
a Joint Stock Company, to include " adventurers," or
shareholders from England, Scotland, and Ireland, which
was to have the monopoly, with certain reservations, of the
fishing in British waters. The royal burghs were aU the
more unwiUing to entertain the idea of the fishing company
on account of the fact that it was probable that the Isle of
Lewis, where they particularly desired to guard their privi-
leges, was likely to be selected as the chief fishing station
of the company.

1 Records of Convention of Royal Burghs, Scot., vol. 2, p. 203.
-Ibid. vol. 3, p. 142.

32 CHARLES I.

Acting under a patent granted by James I., various
adventurers had attempted to develop the resources of the
Lewis, but had been compelled to desist owing to " the
rudeness and violence " of the inhabitants.^ Some of the
adventurers lost their Hves, and the others were easily
induced to hand over their patent to the Mackenzies of
Kintail, of which family Seaforth was chief. Seaforth
sought to develop the fisheries of the island by means of
the Hollanders, and gave the foreigners permission to settle
on the island, granting them so many privileges as prac-
tically to deprive the native fishermen of all their ancient
rights in the Lewis."

Li 1627 the Earl appKed for a charter erecting the burgh
and barony of Stomoway into a royal burgh. The Free
Burghs of Scotland opposed this apphcation, stating that
such a grant would do great harm not only to Tain and
Inverness, the burghs nearest the Lewis, but to all the
royal burghs and the w^hole kingdom. John Hay, Town
Clerk of Edinburgh, was commissioned to represent the
whole matter to the King and the Privy Council. Before
the case was heard, however, the Hollanders began to settle
and to fish " with above a dozen sayle," for Seaforth was
confident that his application would be granted. His con-
fidence was not justified by the decision of the King and
Council ; as a result of Hay's representations, Charles
resolved to withhold the promised Charter from Seaforth,
and Seaforth was ordered to dispense with the services of
foreign fishermen.-^

The burghs now proceeded to urge the king to transfer
these fishing rights in the Lewis to themselves, and, from
letters received from John Hay, To^vn Clerk of Edmburgh,

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78.
'\Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, No. 111.

'■^ Records of Convention of Burghs, Scot., vol. 3, pp. 142, 279, 291, 302,
308, 318, 323.

FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN 33

were of opinion " that the borrowis are HcMie to obteyne the
said fishing devolved into their hands." A meeting of
commissioners from the burghs to discuss the matter had
been arranged for 23rd July, 1630, at Edinburgh, when all
their hopes were destroyed. By a letter to the Scotch
Privy Council, dated 12th July, 1630, the kmg announced his
intention of establishing an Association for the Fishing,
which should be common to the three kingdoms. ^ It was
natural, under the circumstances, that the burghs should
receive the news without enthusiasm. All the energy of
the royal promoter of the Association did no more than
gain an almost sullen acquiescence in his project from the
Scots, whom the king would have done well to win over
before proceeding further with the carrying out of his plans.
Charles, ignorant as ever of the Scotch character, sought
to drive where he ought to have used diplomacy and tact.
The result was ultimately disastrous to the success of the
company, for the burghs, if they never actively hindered
its work, certainly did nothuig to help, and were glad to
leave as many obstacles as possible in the path of its pro-
gress. To their attitude may be attributed, in great measure,
the ultimate failure of the enterprise to which Charles now
appHed himself with such zeal.

If the burghs had been devoting their attention to the
fishings off the island of Lewis, those who were advismg
the king to estabhsh the Association for the Fishing were
also of opinion that these fishings admitted of much develop-
ment and had some very definite proposals to make with
regard to the island itself. They proposed to call in " those
Letters Patents whereby this Island is ahenated from the
Crown, to grant a new Patent of Privilege to His Majesty's
own subjects of both kingdoms to make plantations and
erect towns, and to appoint a Governor to reside there only
for three years, with power over all the islands, in every

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 220 et sequitur.
C

34 FISHINGS OFF THE COAST OF BRITAIN

one whereof a town may be built with a Citadel to command
it." The Governor was to take order for the education of
the children of the inhabitants of those islands, to teach
them civiUty and to speak the EngHsh or Scottish tongue,
and especially to breed them to fishing. The intercourse
of the natives with the Highlanders of the mainland was to
be stopped " specially yt they may not intermarrie with
them." All foreigners, with their famihes, were to be
asked to leave the island, so that they might no longer
fish contrary to law.

If the Earl of Seaforth sought to place any impediment
in the way of the accompUshment of these proposals, the
king was to take the island and eject all strangers himself.
A further proposal was that the Law Justices of Ireland
be instructed to send a fleet to clear the coasts of foreigners,
transport them to Ireland, and thence to their own countries.
The final proposal and one contaming a subtle element of
humour was that the Earl of Seaforth should be sent for
and " be made an adventurer." ^ It is to be feared that,
after all these drastic measures had been carried out on part
of his hereditary estate, he would have made no very active
member of the Company.

'^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, No. 111. "A Collection of Divers
Particulars touching the King's Dominion and Soveraignty in ye Fishing."
(April, 1633.)

CHAPTER III.

CHARLES I. : THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING.

It was on account of the known aversion of the Scotch
burghers and traders to any scheme for a national fishery
which allowed others to participate in benefits which they
considered peculiarly their own, that Charles, whose mind
was absolutely fixed upon the establishment of this associa-
tion, was at considerable pains to draw up, for the informa-
tion of the Scottish Estates and the Privy Council, a lengthy
statement embodying his views upon the subject. In July,
1630, Sir William Alexander, Secretary for Scotland, received
instructions to communicate to the various governing bodies
of Scotland, the king's wishes concerning the national
fishery.

A letter was sent at the same time to the Privy Council
and Estates, in which the king commended the question to
them as one worthy of their attention, and stated clearly
the end he had in view in inaugurating this scheme — " To
the end we may at lenth in joy with more honnour these
rights whiche properlie belong to our imperiall crowne and
ar usurped by strangers, we have considered of a way which
in tyme by gods favour may produce this good effect and
also increase our navigation and trade. And becaus this
work concerneth equalhe all our three Kingdomes and must
thairfoir be undertakin and ordered by commoun counsell
and assistance, We have takin this opportunitie of your
conventioun at Edinborrow to send our instructiouns to Sir

36 CHARLES I.

William Alexander, our Secretarie for Scotland." The king
ended his letter in a very practical fashion, by showing that
he would not be content with any mere academic discussion
of his proposals, but that he wished to commence, as soon
as possible, the business of the association — " We expect
that you proceid not onelie to a resolutioun upon suche articles
as sail be agreed upon, bot yow also endeavoure to put thame
in executioun." ^

In the " Instructions for Sir WiUiam Alexander " - were
embodied the king's views and his practical proposals with
regard to the work of the company which he desired to
form. The king is vexed that the benefits to be derived
from the fisheries are " reaped oneHe by strangers. To the
great disparagement and prejudice of our loving subjects."
He has " now taken a royall and firme resolutioun to sett up
a commoun fishing to be a nurserie of seamen and to increasse
the shipping and trade in all parts of our dominiouns." His
intention is to make the benefits to be derived from the
fishing common to the three kingdoms. Sir William is
instructed to lay the king's estimate — a very sanguine
one — of the cost of the fishing and the benefits to be derived
from it, before the various public bodies of Scotland, in
order that they may be induced to jom in the enterprise
themselves and encourage others to join in a work of "so
great hope."

Two hundred vessels of between 30 and 40 tons ^ each
were to be added to the existing fishing fleet. They were
to make " three returnes everie yeare," the first fishing to
last from the 1st of June to the 30th of September, the
second from 1st October to 31st January ; both of these

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 220.

'^ Ibid. vol. V. pp. 221, 222, 223; Reg. Privy Council, Scot. vol. iv. (2nd
series) pp. xviii-xxiii.

3 A buss of 35 lasts was one of 70 tons. See " Britain's Buss," English
Garner, vol. iii. Also see Appendix.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 37

fishings were to be for herring. The third fishing was to
begin in March and end on the 31st of May, and was to be
for ling and cod. Each vessel was to be manned by 16 men
and boys, the wage to be 13s. 4d. a month for each man.^
After deducting all expenses of building ships, fitting
out, victualling and wages, the king estimates the clear
amiual gain from the undertaking to be not less than
£165,414.

The intention was that there should be one general joint
stock company for the three peoples, and that there should
be a " severall companie " in every " cheefe citie, toun or
burrow" in which all " adventurers " of that district should
join " both in the charge and contributioun for setting
furth the shippes and in sharing the benefite."

Since the fishing season varied with particular parts of
the coast, it was to be understood that the adventurers
might " fish freelie in all places and at all tymes." It was,
however, expressly stated that all adventurers must be " our
owin liege sub j ects . " No foreigners ' ' of what natioun soever ' '
were to be admitted, except as servants, unless they became
naturalized.

Further, as the king regarded the island of Lewis as " the
most proper seate for a continuall fishing along the westerne
coasts," he intended to take it " as adherent to our crowne,"
on the understanding that he would render to the Earl of
Seaforth such satisfaction " as sail be honourable and just."
It was also his intention to erect one or more free burghs
in the Lewis, in such places " as sail be fittest for advancing
of the fishing and for magazines and stages."

The king concluded by asking that it be ascertained how
much money Scotland would be prepared to contribute as
its share, and directed the Privy Council to apply themselves

1 Detailed in "Britain's Buss " thus, " 16 men and boys ; a master,
mate, 4 ordinary sailors, 4 fishermen, 6 landsmen & boys to be trained
by the ten former men m the Art of Sailing and Craft of Fishery."

38 CHARLES I.

in obtaining this information to the nobiUty and gentry,
but especially to the free burghs.^ On receiving these
instructions the Estates appointed a Committee of Lords
Spiritual and Temporal to discuss these matters with repre-
sentatives from the burghs and report.

On August 8th the committee duly made their report.^
After deUberation all parties were of opinion that the asso-
ciation with England in the fishing was very " inconvenient "
to the estates. The Scotch " land fishings " extended 28
miles from the coast, " whilk is proper to the natives, and
whairof they have beene in continuall possessioun and neuer
interrupted thairin be the Hollanders." The Burghs felt
themselves able to undertake this " land fishing " without
the aid of " anie other natioun," and, in addition, declared
that Enghshmen could not legally fish in Scotch lochs
and sell their fish in the Scotch burghs. As regarded the
" Bushe fishing," they stated that the fishing season for the
year was already far advanced, and that they required time
to deliberate further on a matter of such importance to
aU.'

Although they had been furnished with this report, which
indicated very plainly the reluctance of the Scotch burghs
to enter upon any such scheme as that proposed by the
king, the Estates now thought it would be well to have
from the burghs definite answers to the following questions :
Would the Scotch burghs and gentry enter into an associa-
tion with the Enghsh for undertaking a common fishing,
without any reservation, or did they desire to reserve the
land fishing " within the loches, yles, and a land kenning frome
the coasts " ? * In their reply the burghs were asked to state
clearly their reasons " of desyres or refuisall." With
reference to this, the following " Observations and Answers
to His Maj. letter to the Council," by a Scotch writer of

1 Act. Pari. Scot. vol. v. p. 223. ^ jf^i^i^ vol. iv. pp. 226, 227.

3 Ibid. vol. V. p. 227. •* Ibid. vol. v. p. 226.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 39

the time, form an interesting commentary ^ as showing
current contemporary Scotch opinion.

The writer says that the king seems to think the fishing
of Ireland, Scotland and England, common to aU his sub-
jects, but that it is to be remembered that although the
" fishings upon the coasts of Ireland and England has been
enjoyed peaceably by ye natives of Scotland past memory
of man without interruption," the " land fishing " in Scot-
land had always been reserved for the merchant traders of
Scotland " and strangers debarred therefrom." The sea
fishing off the west coast and in the islands of Orkney and
Shetland he admits to be prosecuted for the most part by
strangers, but "It is to be remembered that when either
ye Dutch or Enghsh anchore in any sound of Shetland or
Orkney, they pay certain duties for hbertie of their anchorage ,
as strangers."

This same desire to retain the " land fishing " for the
Scotch traders -v^dthout interference from strangers, is
apparent from the report of their objections to the pro-
posals of the king given in, on November 30th, 1630, by the
Scotch burghs. On three points they were very definite ;
they insisted that the " land fishing " should be reserved
for the Scots themselves ; they maintained that if, as the
king had proposed, the EngHsh members of the company
were to be given the privilege of " denization " in Scotland,
the Scotch adventurers of the society must be naturahzed
in England, " seeing the denizatioun which the Enghsh are
to have in Scotland is equivalent to naturahzatioun in Eng-
land " ; finally they asserted that to erect free burghs in
the Lewis was directly against " the standing right of regall
burro wes." -

To all this, the Enghsh commissioners, who had been
appointed by the king to meet the Scots and answer their

iMSS. 32.1.16, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.
2 Act. Pari Scotland, vol. v. p. 228.

40 CHARLES I.

objections, so that all obstacles to his scheme might be
removed as speedily as possible, replied that the king did
not wish to infringe upon the rights of any of his subjects,
and merely desired members of the association to partici-
pate in the common fishing at all places where this "is or
may be used by anie of his people." The king hoped and
desired that the Scots for their own advantage would
help on the scheme with enthusiasm, yet he would not
press them above their own measure. The satisfactory
settlement of the question of naturalization would, the
king thought, present no difficulty whatever.^

At this time Charles, finding that his scheme was not
meeting with such a reception as he had hoped for, wrote
two letters, one to the Estates, the other to the Privy Council,
in both of which he showed how much he had this matter
at heart. He assured the Estates that he had no intention
of doing anything which might interfere with the privileges
held by any of the Scots, and asked them to send, as the
best possible reply to his letter, commissioners with absolute
powers to conclude the matter. He added a significant post-
script : " This is a worke of so great good to both my king-
domes that I have thought good by these few lynes of my owne
hand seriouslie to recommend it unto you. The furthering or
hindering of whiche will ather obhge me or disoblige me more
than anie one business that lies happened in my tyme." '"

Similarly to the Privy Council he wrote, " Among other
good services done be you for the pubhct good of that our
ancient Idngdome we will accompt this one of the greatest."
Of the Privy Council he begged also that commissioners
might be sent " with ane absolute power to conclude, for
avoyding of all delays, becaus the work for diverse con-
siderations requireth haste." ^ On 1 1th November the Scots
decided to send a new body of commissioners to treat with

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 229-230.

2 Ibid. vol. V. p. 229. •" Ibid. vol. v. p. 229.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 41

the English commissioners, on the subject of the general
association for the fishings. The Scotch commissioners were,^
The Earl of Menteith, President, The Earl of Morton, Trea-
surer, The Marquis of Hamilton, The Earl of Roxburgh, The
Earl of Carrick, Sir William Alexander, Secretary, Mr. John
Hay, and Mr. George Fletcher. These or any five of them
were given absolute power to conclude upon all matters
concerning the intended association.^

The instructions given to these commissioners are inter-
estmg as showing the views held at the time upon fishing
rights. After some general directions anent guarding the
interests of Scotland, the commissioners were asked to declare
" that the seas foreanent the coasts of this kingdom and
about the yles thairof, and all that is interjected betuix
thame and that midlyne in the seas whilk is equaUie distant
and divyding frome the opposite land, ar the Scotish seas,
properlie belonging to the crowne of Scotland, and that the
English hes no right nor hbertie to fishe thairin, nor in no
part thairof, bot be vertew of the associatioun and not other-
way es."

Again, they were to reserve the fishing " within the loches,
firthes, and bayes, within the mayne land and yles of this
kingdome, and, in the seas, within fourteen myles of the
coasts of the said mayne lands and yllands."

They were to be careful that the English and Irish got
no privilege in Scotland, which the Scotch were not allowed
in England and Ireland. Further, the Idng was to be asked
to style himself in all documents " King of England, Scot-
land, France and Ireland," so that Scotland might no longer
be confounded " under the name of Great Britane, altho
there be no unioun as yitt with England nor the style of
Great Britane receaved there." -

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 230.

- Ibid, vol V. pp. 232-3 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2nd
series) p. 57.

42 CHARLES I.

Not content with these general instructions to the com-
missioners, the Convention of Burghs gave particular
directions to Mr. John Hay, whom they had appointed to
represent their interests in the negotiations. They desired
him to have fishings reserved " appropriat to the burro wis."
To effect this they were willing to compromise with the
king ; the Enghsh might " plant in the Yle of the Lewis,
provyding they fisch not in the reserved watters and haif
no magazins nor plantatiouns in anie uther of the west or
north Illes, nor benorth Buchan Nes nor Crumartie." At
the same time, however, he was to carefully premise that
the right of the burghs to fish in the said isle of Lewis was
not hereby surrendered. The Enghsh were to be allowed
to have " magazines " in any town south of Buchan Ness,
except the to^Ti and harbour of Aberdeen.

In return for these concessions, the Scots desired Hay to
make certain requests of the king ; he was to ask that
effectual steps might be taken to remove the " Fleymings "
from the isle of Lewis, Shetland, Caithness, and all other
places to which they resorted, and that all natives should
be prohibited from dealing with them ; he was also to obtain
the Idng's promise that negotiations would be opened up
with the Government of the Low Countries, so that their
fishermen might not approach nearer the land than "ane land
kenning off." Finally, he was to gain permission for Scotch
fishermen to engage in the annual Pilchard fishing of England.^

Thus instructed, the Scotch commissioners set out for
London to confer with the Enghsh commissioners already
appointed. On 31st March, 1631, a letter was received in
Edinburgh from the Scotch representatives, who desired
that the Scots should state in particular terms what fishings
they wished reserved for the natives.- The commissioners

1 Records of Convention of Burghs, Scot., vol. iii. p. 323.

2 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 234-235 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland,
vol. iv. (2nd series) p. 181.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 43

had alread}' demanded " aU firthes, loches, bayes, and
yles, with some distance from the land," but this had
been considered too much by the Enghsh commissioners,
who desired that the reserved fishings should be confined
to "so muche without the whiche the natives cannot
subsist."

The matter of the reserve was referred to the commis-
sioners from the burghs, who, after much deliberation,
finally asked that the sea upon the coasts to a distance of
14 miles and within aU lochs, bays, and firths, should be
reserved ; they pleaded " if these seas should be exhausted
by strangers of fishes, they should be deprived of all benefite
of hving " and the inhabitants " should be brought to
extreme misery." ^

The Lords of the Privy Council, however, thought this
reserve too great, and submitted a reservation of their own
to the commissioners. " Upon the east coast of Scotland
from Sanct Tabsheid in the shiredom of Berwick, Directhe
north to the Reidheid in Angus, whilk comprehends the
coast of the Merce, Lothiane, the firth, Fyfe, and a part of
the coast of Angus, and fourteene myles without the course
from the said Tabsheid to the Reidhead.

" Frome the Reidhead, north northeast alongs the coast
of Angus, Memes, Mar, and Buchan, to Buchannesse, and
fourteene myles aff the said coast.

" From Buchannesse, northwest and be north to Dungis-
bieheid in Caithnes, Comprehending thairin the coast of
Banff and Murrey upon the south side Murrey firth, and the
coast of Rosse, Sutherland, and ane part of Caithnes upon
the north, and 14 myles without the course from the said
Buchannesse to the said Dungisbieheid.

" From Dungisbieheid about the east side of the whole
yles of Orkney to the northmost yle of the same callit north
RoUandsey. And frome that west and south about the

^ Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 235,

44 CHARLES I.

Holburneheid in Caithnes, keeping always 14 myles free
aff the coast of all the said yles and course foresaid, and als
the mayne yland of Yetland and yles adjacent thairto, with
14 myles frome the coast of the same.

" And als from Holburneheid in Caithnes to the Stoir of
Assint, keeping 14 myles aff the coast duruig the whole
course thairof . And frome the Stoir of Assuit to the north-
east pomt of the yle of the Lewes. And fra that south be
the east coast of the yle of the Lewes and yle of Vst to the
yle of Yla and south-west part thairof. And fra that to
the Mull of Kintyre.

" And thairfra to the mull of Gallouay, Comprehenduig the
whole loches and bayes within the saids Yles of Lewes,
Vst, and Yla, upon the east side thairof, and all yles and
loches betuix the saids yles and the mayne land, accordmg
to the course foresaid.

" And fra the mull of Gallouay to Solouay sands with four-
teene myles aff the coast as the course rins." ^

Explaining these modifications of the demands of the
burghs, the Council, in a letter to the commissioners, showed
that this was an " allowance of ane reservation of fourteene
myles aff suche coasts of the Idngdom as ar weU peopled
and where the countrie people hves most by fishmg, without
the whilk they could not possibly subsist nor yet be able
to pay thair maisters thair fermes and dewteis. Quhilk is
so considerable a point that it wes found be the Table that
if there had beene ane bushe fishing erected m Scotland,
there would have beene a reservation of all fishuig withm
these waters for the use and benefite of the countrie people,
for it cannot be quahfied that ever anie Hollander or other
stranger fished m these waters." They expressed them-
selves as anxious to guard the privileges of the burghs, and
submitted both the proposals of the burghs and their o\vti

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 234-5 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland,
vol, iv. (2nd series) pp. 551, 552.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 45

proposals to the commissioners, leaving them to adopt those
which they thought best.^

On 20th July, 1631, a reply was received from the king
himself, in which he expressed himself as dissatisfied with
both sets of proposals. He thought that since members of
the association were to have liberty to land anywhere upon
payment of the usual dues, they ought to be permitted to
fish, " wherever they had to pass." He was wilhng to reserve
for the natives " all suche fishings without whiclie they
cannot weill subsist and whiche they of themselfes have
and doe fuUie fishe," but he was determined that no hmdrance
should be placed in the way of the carrying out of " this
generall worke." ^

Acting upon this letter, the Council instructed the Burghs
to revise what they had already done and arrive at a definite
decision as to what fishings they considered absolutely
essential to the subsistence of the natives.

On the 21st September, 1631, the Gentry and Commis-
sioners for the Burghs, assembled at Perth, made a final
declaration embodying their modified demands. After these
declarations had been considered by the Privy Council they
wrote to the king saying that they thought it necessary to
reserve the " firthes of Lothiane, Murrey and Dumbartane."
These firths were defined by the burghs thus : the " firth
of Lothian " " betuix the heids of Sanct Tobsheid in the
Merce upon the south and the reid head in Angus upon the
north " ; the " Murrey firth," " betuix Buchannase in
Buchan and Dmigisbieheid in Caithnes " ; the " Dum-
bartane firth " " betwix the Mule of Kintyre and Mule of
Gallouay." ^ The Privy Council asked the king to reserve
also " fourteen myles aff the coast interjected betuix the
saids firthes in respect that the countrie there is weill peopled
and that the salmound fishing may otherwayes be spoyled." *

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 236. - Ibid. vol. v. pp. 236, 237.

2 Ibid. vol. V. p. 237. ** Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2nd series) p. 340.

46 CHARLES I.

The Burghs had desired very extensive reservation of

the fishings m the lochs on the mauiland and in the islands,
reserving for the most part all inland fishings. With regard
to Orkne}' and Shetland they had said it was necessary to
reserve all the coasts and fourteen miles ofi the islands,
although they were wdlhng to submit m this matter to the
king's pleasure.

The Council thus reported to the kuig that the Burghs
were willing to " relinquish the universahtie of thair former
exceptiain and to restrict the same to certane particular
fishmgs without the whiche (as they affirme) the trade of
the countrie will be muche impaired." ^

That the Scots were by no means reconciled to the idea
of a joint fishery is e\ddent from the following " Reasons
why the English and Scots cannot join in ye fishing on ye
sea coast, Isles and loches etc.," from a contemporary MSS."
The writer tabulates his reasons thus : " Inprimis, because
we are natives of the Island, and ye sole hberties and pri\n-
ledges of ye sd fishings belong to us within lochs and lands
and along the coast, and no stranger ought to be admitted
to ye Hberties of ye samen to participate with us of ye com-
moditie thereof.

" 2ndly, In respect the Lord God hath given to us the
fishing of ye Lochs, Isles and Seas of this land to be the
wealth and ritches of ye land, therefore no ojr stranger
ought to have ye benefite of the same bot ye natives only.
'' 3rd, Where it is alledged that the fishing is so great that
the natives are not able to undertake it. It is answered
concerning the fishings on the Lochs and Isles and upon the
coast that ye natives are abell to provide for sla\4ng and
takeing of those fish within those bounds.

'• 4thly, Albeit bushes be required for fishing upon ye main
sea, yet bushes are not needful nor required for fishing

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 238, 239.

2 M3S. 32.1.16., Advocates' Librarj-, Edinburgh.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 47

within the lochs, isles and upon the coasts, but ye nation is
provided, and may be provided of oyr suflScient vessels for
fishing within all those bounds.

" 5thly, If any stranger should resort to je lochs and Isles,
they should not only harm and hurt us of the fishing, but
likeways should buy up all ye commodities of ye land whatsor,
both in Isles and mainland adjacent yrto, so that the natives
should be wholly debarred therefrae.

" 6thly, If any strangers should be permitted to fish in our
Hberties, these would not only prejudge us but the haill
countrie, for when ye fish ar taken by the natives, they are
brought home to ye countrie and the countrie served by
them, whereas strangers would carry the same away, and
ye countrie people would receive no benefite.

" 7thly, If the English and we were agreed to fish togither,
it would prejudice the countrie, by reason when we have
gotten fish as they have gotten, we bring home our fish to
ye countrie, and when we transport our fish out of the coun-
trie to any land or any oyr part else we must pay the king's
custom and bulhon, as likeways we must pay it in England,
so we pay twice customes and bullion qras the Enghsh
pays none, so that they may sell their commoditie a
great deal cheaper, which will redound to our great
hurt.

" 8thly, Albeit it be by his Majesty's will to have all his
fishings common to his leidges, it is answered it is no reason
that the Enghsh should be partakers of our commodities
be reason they cannot do the like benefite to us, but only
that is common both to the ffrench and fiiemings."

The king, however, although he must have been well
aware that his scheme was evoking no great enthusiasm in
Scotland, was determined to carry it out, and in September,
1632, " after long tyme and manie meetings between the
commissioners of both our kingdomes for a generall associa-
tion for the fishing, whereat we our selffe for the most part

48 CHARLES I.

was pfit," 1 sent to the Privy Council the charter of the
association, as consented to by the commissioners.

By this charter, he " erects ane societie of the natives of
His Majesty's dominiomis and denizenis dwelhng and residing
in the same, and of others assumed and inrolled in the
counsell of the said Societie," " Secluding all others strangers
and forraners whatsomever." In the preamble to the charter,
he again speaks of the profit to be derived from the associa-
tion " als well in warre as in peace " and of his hope that
the kingdom may be rid of a great burden by means of this
association " be accustoming lazie and ydle people to worke,
and instructing thame in the trade of fishing."

The society was to have a council of twelve, nominated
by the king, of whom the one half were to be Scotsmen, the
other half EngUsh or Irish. It was to be styled " The
Counsell and Commountie of the fishing of his Majesty's
dominions of Great Britane and Ireland," and was to be
under the direct protection of the king and his heirs. The
members were to be hfe members. The society was to be
empowered to make statutes for the regulation of its work ;
these statutes were to be approved by the king, and were
not to interfere with the laws and hberties of the king. Those
of the association breaking the rules were to be fined or
imprisoned. Four judges, two of them Scotch, two of them
EngHsh or Irish, were to be appointed in every province
and town where the society had stations ; these judges
w^ere to settle all fishing disputes and were to have juris-
diction over those engaged in fishing. ^

Whenever " ane navie of fishing shippes mair or lesse of
what kynde soever " was at sea, the masters and merchants
themselves were to elect out of their number four or more
" most able judges depute," one half Scotch, the other half

^ Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 244 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv.
(2nd series) p. 555.

- Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 239.

THE ASSOCIATIOX FOR THE FISHING 49

English or Irish, to administer justice during the whole time
of the voyage.^

Anyone " who is native or denizat " was ehgible for
membership of the society, provided he was wiUing to abide
by its statutes, and this membership was " -ndthout anie
exactioun whatsomever." The society was given the right
to aU sea-fishing, with the reservation of the salmon fishing
and of the fishing in the creeks and firths specially mentioned.
Sheds and landing stages were to be built at certain points
on the coast to be agreed upon, a fair price to be paid to
ground landlords for ground so used. The fish were either
to be brought to land, when the usual dues were to be paid,
or were to be transported to foreign ports and retailed there.
The society's fishers and servants, boats and ships, were not
to be seized upon for the king's service, except by special
warrant ; while members of the society and those engaged
in its work were excused from service on " recognitiouns or
inquisitiouns," from being collectors of tithes, " or other
burdens or impositiouns."

The society was granted an absolute monopolj^ in the
trade in fish. It was expressly ordered that '" No person
whatsomever not being in the said Societie Transport or
cans to be transported anie sea fishe takin within his
Majesty's dominiouns, or brought within the same eUis where
furth of the saids dominions in merchandice." The society
so far as property held in common by its members was
concerned, was freed from the ordinary tithes and taxes,
" granted by Parhament or any other way."

It was, however, to pay the usual harbour toUs and local
dues " in harbereis, mercats, faires, bridges, villages, or
hie wayes," " according to the law and custome of the place
where they ar exacted." -

1 Act, Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p 242.

2 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 243 ; Reg. Privy Council, vol. iv. (2nd
series) p. 353,

D

50 CHARLES I.

In deference to Scottish opinion two charters were drawn
up ; in the first the great seal of Scotland and England
came first, in the other the great seal of England and Scot-
land came first. These charters were dated Westminster,
19th July, 1632. Along with the charter sent to Scotland,
the King sent a letter commending the work of the asso-
ciation to the Privy Council ; at the same time he sent by
the Earl of Strathearn further instructions to the Council
with regard to the " royall work of the fishings." Among
other things, the king asked the Council to consider "how
necessarie it is for the yles fishing that plantatiouns be made
in the most commodious places of the yles and thairfoir to
condescend upon the places where the same sail be and of the
meanes how the same sail be continued and brought to per-
fectioun." They were also " to consider how best to take
sufficient surety from landlords of the isles and lochs on the
mainland adjacent to the isles, that members of the societie
be free from all oppression and violence." It was further re-
quested that they should announce to these landlords and
their tenants that the members of the society were to pay only
such toUs and dues as were customary, and, in this coimection,
the king asked that it should be ascertained what were these
customary tolls and upon what grounds they were levied.
It was to be proclaimed that all strangers in the isles, and
especially in the Lems and the Shetlands, were prohibited
from fishmg or trading, as ordained by Act of Parhament.
Finally, the Council was to take means that all members
of the society, whether Scotch, Enghsh, or Irish, resorting
to the isles, lochs, or seas of Scotland might be " kjTidehe
and Weill used, and by all means encouraged to prosecute
the said worke." ^

In order to secure for the association, as far as lay in his
power, the good offices of the Scots, Charles now gave his

^ Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 243-6 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol.
iv. (2nd series) pp. 541, 556.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 51

ultimate decision mth regard to the fishings to be reserved
for the natives. His letter, dated Oatlands, 31st July, 1632,
stated, "It is our will and pleasure that none by vertew
of the gnall association for fishing sail fishe betweene St.
Tabshead and Ridhead, or in anie place within that firth,
and, for Clyde, That none fishe between the Mules of
Gallouay and Kintyre, or in anie place within the same
except the natives, according to the ancient custome." ^

At the same time the king sent to the Privy Council a
letter complaming of the imseasonable destruction of herring
fry at Ballintrae, stating that this was detrimental to the
fishing on the west coast and also to the fishing on the parts
of Ireland opposite. He asked that proclamation be sent to
aU in authority in the district that this " unseasonable
fishing must cease in all time coming." With regard to
this matter, the Privy CouncU sent for Sir John Hamilton
of Barganie, asking him to attend by the 17th of October,
the meeting of Council, which had been convened to discuss
the charter for the fishing and the king's instructions." At
this meeting five of the commissioners for the fishing were
present, who, as showing the interest the king had taken
in all their proceedings, reported that the king had " hon-
oured almost the haill meetings for this treatie with his
royall presence." ^

The Privy Council, after hearing the statement of the
commissioners, entirely approved of all that had been done,
and were evidently of opinion that the king, in reserving
for the native fishermen so much of the fishing round
the coast, as he had indicated in his last letter, was acting
very generously towards them. The burghs, however,

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 245 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv.
(2nd series) p. 555.

2 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 246 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol.
iv. (2nd series) pp. 541, 542.

s Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2nd series) p. 555.

52 CHAELES I.

less dependent upon the royal favour, and still afraid of pos-
sible encroachment upon their trading privileges by the
members of the Association for the Fishing, were by no
means satisfied, and now asked the Council to request the
king that he should extend his declaration concerning
the places reserved for the natives ■' to the seas lying betuix
Buchanesse and Ridhead, at the least foiire or fyve myles
aff the coast lying betwix the saids points, as alsua to the
loches of Lochtarbet, Lochstomoway. Lochmade, Loch-
ponte, and upon the mayne of Lochbrome." ^ To this,
however, the Council gave a blunt refusal, alleging as their
chief reason for declining to ask Charles to reconsider his
decision that the commissioners who had been engaged
in settling the conditions under which the work of the
Association for the Fishing was to be pursued ■" could not
assist ane petitioime for recalling their awne doings.'"* -

Recognising, apparently, that any further protest would
be in vain, and that it was the better part to accept the in-
evitable with a good, grace, the burghs now proceeded to
show to what extent they would be able to co-operate with
the Association for the Fishery, and thus render the enter-
prise in reahty a national one. After giving a hst of the
places which, in their opinion, would if properly equipped
prove suitable fishing stations, they stated that, from the
towns on the north and south coast, they could '■ reik out
for the bushe fishing " some sixty vessels, of twenty tons
each and upwards, a number, however, " fane inferiour to
that whilk in preceeding yeeres went out of these bomids ; "
the west country, they said, could pro\ide "' aucht great
shippes and fifty-two boats attending the shippes.'' ^

All being now definitely arranged, the Privi.- Coimcil,
on the 2Cn:h October, 1632, made proclamation of the found-
ing of the Society for the Fishing, the places reserved for the

' Heg. Priiy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2iid series) p. 551.
- Ibid. '" Ibid. p. 552.

THE ASSOCIATIOX FOR THE FISHIXG 53

use of the natives being defined as in the charter sent by the
king. The charters of the Association having been sealed
as Charles had directed, a letter was despatched to him
to announce that his instructions had been fulfilled in every
detail; that the establishment of the Association, for which
he had worked so earnestly, was now accompKshed, and that
all acknowledged "'' the king's great grace and favour and
care of thair subsistence at hame and imployments abroad
for nicreasse of trading, shipping and seafaring men, as the
principall strenth of your Majesties dominiouns.'"'" ^

- Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2nd series) pp. 5.55, 556.

CHAPTER IV.

CHARLES I. : THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING ;
ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS.

Charles had by 1632 finally achieved his purpose of estab-
lishing an Association for the Fishing. It now remained to
equip this Association with vessels and all necessary materials
for fishing, and to appoint a governing body to manage its
affairs. It was agreed that England should provide 200
" busses," or large fishing vessels, while Scotland was to
furnish about forty similar vessels, paid for at English rates
and " provided with salt, victuals, and casks," the total
cost of building and in every respect outfitting a bush of
forty lasts being at this time £835. ^ The fleet of the Asso-
ciation, however, does not seem at any time to have ap-
proached within measurable distance of the numbers thus
agreed upon. The first operations of the society were con-
ducted with a few vessels, and amidst circumstances of some
difficulty ; those entrusted with the management of affairs
wisely resolved to defer the augmentation of their fieet
until more favourable conditions should present themselves,
and these conditions never came.

On July 19th, 1632, a commission was addressed to the
Lord Treasurer Weston, the Earl of Arundel and Surrey,
and many others, constituting them the Society of Great
Britain and Ireland, of which Charles himself was to be
" perpetual protector." A council of management was

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 206, No. 47 ; Ibid. vol. 229, No. 97.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 55

nominated, composed one half of persons of English or Irish
descent, and the other half of persons of Scottish descent.^
Captain John Mason was appointed " Receiver and Ex-
penditor," being authorised to pro\ade fishermen, shipping
and nets,- while Edward Nicholas and James Philp were
appointed Clerks of the Society, their appointment dating
from July 23rd, 1632.^

Each member of the Association undertook to " adven-
ture " a certain sum. In the hst ^ of those who agreed to
join the Association and who inscribed their names " in
Mr Attorney's book," are included the Lord Treasurer,
who agreed to pay £1,000 ; the Lord Chamberlaia and the
Earl of Rutland, who paid £500 each ; Katherine, Duchess
of Buckingham, £3,000; Attorney General Noy and Sir
John Hippisley, £200 each ; Sir Thomas ]\liddleton. Sir
Anthony Irby, John Lord Poulett, John Ashbumham,
John Chamberlain, Endymion Porter, Susan Countess of
Denbigh, Lord Fielding, Sir Toby Matthew, and many others,
£100 each ; some few persons ventured £50 each ; the sum
of the subscribed capital of the Association amounted to
£11,750.5

Captam Mason had definitely decided to abide by the
king's decision that the Island of Lewis should be the chief
centre of the operations of the Association, and now proposed
that the associates should be naturahsed as Scotchmen and
made burghers of Stomoway, which was to be made a royal
burgh. This would enable them to engage in other forms of
trade there, besides fishing. The king was to purchase the
island from the Earl of Seaforth ; he was to have the whole
of the petty customs of the island, and was to fix a reason-
able rate for the Association to pay for the use of the harbour
and for ground leave ; the ships of the Association were

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 221, Xo. 1.

2 Ibid. vol. 229, No. 96. ^ /^^^ vol. 221, No. 21.
*Ibid. vol. 231, No. 15. ^ Ibid. vol. 331, No. 15.

56 THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING

also to have free access to the various harbours and lochs
on the mainland opposite Lewis. In that island an armed
force was to be maintained by the Association, so that its
interests might be protected. So sanguine were the ex-
pectations concerning the enterprise that six acres of ground
near Deptford were fixed upon, on which " workhouses
and dwellings " were to be built for the poor people, who,
it was thought, would soon be employed by the company
in the spinning and making of nets.^ As regarded the fish
caught, it was decided that all were to be sold within the
British Isles, " except the summer herrings, which are
only fit for the market in Muscovia, Poland, and other
islands." ^

Unfortunately, however, the Association never had occa-
sion to carry more than a very few of these decisions into
effect. It was soon evident, indeed, that Mason and the
other managers of the undertaking were insufficiently
acquainted with the fishing grounds round the Lewis.
Great preparations were made, land being bought and fishing
stations erected for the curing and packing of the herring.
But the fish had first to be caught, and in this work, their
ignorance of local conditions so hindered the fishermen
of the Association that a great part of the outlay was lost.^

At first, however, aU seemed favourable. Captain WiUiam
Buxton, for example, writes to Nicholas on May 25th, 1633,
that he has just arrived at the Lewis and found aU going well.
The Earl of Seaforth he finds to be ready to do aU that he
can to further the interests of the society, and this attitude
of the Earl animates the natives to do likewise. He thinks
the fishing in the Lewis will be very successful, not only
for herrings but also for ling and cod.^ He hopes, indeed, to

1 Col. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 95. - Ibid. vol. 229, No. 100.

^ Simon Smith, A True Narrative of the Royal Fishings of Great
Brittaine and Ireland (1641).

■» Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 239, No. 51.

ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS 57

be able " to furnish London with some plenty against the
hard time of winter."

The busses of the Association did not, of course, confine
their attention to the seas around the Lewis. It was soon
found, in fact, that the fishing on the coast in the lochs and
about the islands near the Lewis was " very commodious
and profitable " to the native fishermen, with their smaller
vessels, but was by no means so suitable for large busses
such as those owned by ,the company.^

Around the coasts of Britain, fishing was carried on in
very much the same fashion as in former years. Simon
Smith, agent for the Royal Fishery, writing in 1641, gives
a detailed account of the operations throughout the fishing
season, his statement differing little in general character
from those we have already seen.^ The fishers, according
to his narrative, were accustomed to resort to the coast of
Shetland by the beginning of June, and looked for the
herring to " rise about Crane Head . . . the outmost part of
Bratio Sownde, within two leagues, sometimes more, where
the Herrings doe abide about fourteen dayes." Thence they
went to " Farry Isle, which is within seven leagues to the
Southward of Sheteland where the Herring continue three
weekes round about that Farry Island."

The next fishing ground lay " thirty leagues to the South-
ward of Farry Hand, the Fishing place called Buffin Deepes,
twenty leagues to the Northward of the Frythe, where the
Herring abide about fourteen dayes, and fourteen dayes
more in the Fishing under Chivet Hills and Chi vet Chase."

Thence the fishers followed the herring to the Dogger
Bank, where they stayed sometimes a month, sometimes
six weeks ; about the beginning of September the herring
were followed " into the Yarmouth Seas " ; the fishing

^The Herring Busse Trade (1641), by Simon Smith, agent for the
Royal Fishery.

2 Ibid.

58 THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING

continued there until the beginning of November ; hence
the herring went " to the southward, being followed with
small fisher boats, but dangerous for the Busses to follow
them." Near the Isle of Man was " a great appearance of
herrings " ; this, in the opinion of the writer, afforded a
fishing " most proper for those of Leverpool, but unprofit-
able for Busses to be sent from other farre remote parts."

The various kinds of herring are described thus by Smith.
The first variety he calls " Seastick," of which " seventeen
Barrels made twelve Repacked Barrels " ; " the manner
is to take out the herring, washing them in their owne
pickle, and so lay them orderly in a fresh barrel, which have
no salt put to them, but trodden down as close as may be,
and so headed up." The second class was summer herring,
" Full and Shotten herring " ; the third, " Crux Herring "
(the 14th of September being Exaltio Crucis). These were
all " full herring," made " with salt upon salt," and carefully
sorted out. " Corved Herrings," used to make red herrings,
were those taken about Yarmouth, " provided that thej''
can be taken on shore two or three dayes after they be taken,
otherwise they must be pickled."

There follows his quaint recipe for the pickle, " For
making of the Pickle, the observation is, that it must be
so strong as that a herring will swim in it, and then it doth
so pine and overcome the nature of the herring, that it makes
it stifie and preserves it, otherwise, if the pickle bee weaker
than the nature of the herring, it will overcome the strength
of the pickle, and so the herring will decay."

Though the ships of the Association participated, to a
certain extent, in this east coast fishing, the promoters of the
company clung to their project of developing the fishing
in the Western Isles, probably because they felt that in
this region there would be least interference on the part of
the omnipresent Dutchman. The scheme, however, had
scarcely been launched before there were complaints from the

ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS 59

managers of the Association that the Dutchmen, totally
disregarding royal proclamations against them, were fishing
and trading as usual in the Western Islands, and that in this
they were being encouraged by the landlords and heritors of
the district, who were, in addition, hampering very seriously
the work of the company by demanding exorbitant dues from
the masters of its ships. In response to these complaints, the
Privy Council granted Archibald, Lord of Lome, the Great
Marquis, and Neil, Bishop of the Isles, a commission to
enquire into the matter, so that the landlords concerning
whom the complaint was made might make some working
agreement with the Association. A meeting was accordingly
convened at Inveraray on 29th August, 1634, at which the
various landlords answered to the questions of the commis-
sioners that it was " an ancient custom, and in use to be done
past memorie of man," for every one of them "in whois bounds
the herring fishing fell out," to exact " satisfactioun for
ground leave and ankerage." For many years past they had
taken from every herring boat or ship resorting to their
coasts a barrel either of meal or of ale as the owner pleased ;
for every anchor laid on shore six shillings and eightpence was
charged ; for every last of herring taken they exacted three
pounds money ; in addition to this they were given the whole
proceeds of every Saturday's fishing. This ancient custom
had been formally ratified by a contract between certain of the
islands and some east coast burghs, made about the year
1620. The landlords, however, claimed that their demands
had been greatly modified in favour of the Association,
as they now charged only thirty-six shillings Scottish
money to a ship engaged in the herring fishing, and twenty
marks to a ship engaged in the " gray and whyte " fishing.

When interrogated concerning dealings with foreigners,
the islanders all declared that they had had no dealings
with foreigners since the formation of the Association,
except for a Dutch ship, which came to Lochmadie to the

60 THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING

herring fishing, " having the deputie of Ireland his war-
rand," and four French ships which came with some men
from Ayr, but which transported no merchandize " bot
herring and other fishes." ^

In spite of their protests to the contrary, however, it
was clear to all that the men of the Isles were determined
to treat the members of the Association as trespassers,
and that they would hinder, as far as they could, the work
of the society. Nor was this to be wondered at ; the
islanders found themselves dispossessed of their natural
rights and confronted with the operations of a wealthy
corporation, which had already been granted great privi-
leges. The island landlord and tenant alike saw much
reason to fear an extension of those privileges in the future,
and knew well that complaint would be futile in a case
where the king himself was interested. Only by petty
acts of violence and hindrance could they show their
resentment of the situation thus forced upon them, but
they were not slow to avail themselves of every opportunity
that presented itself of inflicting some damage upon the
property of the Association, or of harassing its captains
and fishermen.

On May 28th, 1635, the adventurers of the Association,
irritated by the tactics of the islanders, made formal com-
plaint concerning the conduct of the " country people "
of the Lewis, and, as a drastic measure, urged that none
should be allowed to carry on fishing operations near the
island " except those admitted by the Council for the
Fishing." -

On June 19th, 1635, the committee of the Association,
sitting with the Earl of Arundel and Surrey as chairman,
followed up this general complaint by a petition addressed
both to the King and the Council in Scotland, in which they

1 Req. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. v. (2nd series) pp. 414-416.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 289, No. 62.

ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS 61

gave a detailed account of various injuries inflicted upon their
servants by the islanders. ^ They averred that on 19th
January, 1635, two of their ships were driven ashore at Storno-
way, the vessels, however, being saved with goods and
crew. A certain fisherman of Crail, called Thomas Lindsey,
had then come forward, asserting himself to be deputy of
Lord Linlithgow, Vice-Admiral of Scotland, and had seized
the ships and cargoes as wreckage. This man, when re-
monstrated with by the Enghsh seamen, had not only
vihfied their certificates, but had affirmed that King
Charles had no jurisdiction in the Isle of Lewis, and had
vowed to be the death of every Englishman in the island.

Again, while the vessels of the Association had been
fishing in the lochs, the highlanders had come upon them,
armed " with swords, bows and arrows, and other warlike
weapons," and had carried away their kettles and other
necessary articles, pretending that these were seized in
lieu of the usual duties due to the landlords. Such "in-
solences " as these had become of too frequent occurrence
to be patiently endured any longer, and it was therefore to
be expected that the Association should petition the king
to order his Council to take measures to punish the daring
islanders. 2 The committee had already resolved to send
four " judges " to Stornoway to settle all matters in dispute
regarding the fisheries and the conduct of the fishermen,
declaring that " in matters of difference touching ground
leave, erecting of houses, drjdng of nets, payment of duties,
or other questions whatsoever concerning the fishing
business, the parties grieved should repair to the judges
deputed for redress, and not be compelled to sue or answer
in any other court." ^

With reference to this decision, complaint was made
on June 24th, 1635, at a meeting of the Council of the

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 291, No. 4. " Ihid. vol. 291, No. 4.

^Ihid. vol. 291, No. 6.

62 THE ASSOCIATIOX FOR THE FISHIXG

Association at which the king himself was present, that fisher-
men of the association were being called away from the Lewis
to answer questions concerning fishing matters before the
Admiralty of Scotland in Scotch courts. The king, on
hearing this, emphatically declared that " he would not
have the fishermen of this society questioned for anything
concerning the said fishing business in any Court, or before
any other judges, than this council only and such judges as
shall be by them deputed." ^

It was evident that the king was now aroused to action
on behalf of his favourite scheme. On July 13th, 1635, he
addressed to the Council in Scotland a vigorous letter on the
subject of the wrongs done the Association for the Fishings
of Great Britain and Ireland, asking them to see that all
goods unjustly taken were restored and the delinquents
punished. At the same time, the king addressed a similar
letter to Sir John Hay, Clerk Registrar, telling him that he
had made choice of him to have the abuses corrected and
the offenders tried and punished, so that the business
of the Association might proceed without interruption.

On the same date, another letter was sent to George,
Earl of Seaforth, whom the king evidently suspected to
be no enthusiast for the prosperity of the fishing. Charles
gave him a full account of what he had written to the
Council in Scotland, and advised him to do his best to assist
a work in which the king himself was so much interested,
and which could not fail to be of unmense pubHc benefit. -

These letters were not without their effect ; the Comicil
of Scotland, on 6th August, 1635, issued a proclamation
warning the islanders against molesting the members of the
Association, as they had been accustomed to do.^ They had
been taking the law into their own hands, coming " in

1 Cal S.P. Dom. Car. /., vol. 291, No. 44.

-Ibid. vol. 293, Xo. 100.

^ Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. vi. (2nd series) p. 96.

ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS 65

troupes and companeis out of the yles where they dwell to
the yles and loches where the fishes ar tane." They
had acted like so many pirates, despoiling the fishers of
their catch, and sometimes of their provisions, and causing
them to be in fear of their lives. Henceforward they must
come " with good and lawfull warrand in writt from their
maisters and landslords " ; they must be provided with all
things necessary for fishing, and must act " modestlie and
in good order" " under the pane of most severe and exemplarie
punishment to be inflicted upon them." Any who did
come without such written warrants were to have their
boats and vessels arrested, their sails taken, and permission
to go to sea withheld. The Council, to render this proclama-
tion more effective, warned landlords that they would be held
responsible for the good conduct of their servants and tenants.'
Charles, however, had come to realise that the best
means of ensuring the compliance of the islanders with
these proclamations, and of keeping the landlords and
heritors of the Lewis and the adjoining parts from interfering
with the work of the Association, was to win over the most
powerful of them, the Earl of Seaforth, who had felt himself
injured ever since Charles, upon the founding of the Society
for the Fishing, had seized upon the island of Lewis as his
own peculiar property. Entering into negotiations with
Seaforth, therefore, the king in 1636 concluded an agree-
ment with him, and on 13th March, 1637, granted him a
charter of the Lewis, reserving to the crown, however, the
town of Stornoway, with its castle, haven, and port, and
as much of the adjoining lands and territories as would
be necessary for the use of the Fishing Association, the
land reserved for the houses and yards of the Association and
its servants being the land nearest the town. Stornoway
was to be erected by the king " in ane free burghe royall
for reduceing of the inhabitants of the said He of Lewis to

^ Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. vi. (2nd series) p. 96.

64 THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING

civilitie and for increase of policie within the same He." This
charter was confirmed by ParUament on 17th November, 1641.^

The sequel showed that Charles had done wisely in thus
securing the co-operation of Seaforth. There were no further
complaints by the adventurers of the Association of depreda-
tions committed by the islanders mitil 1642, when a certain
WiUiam Cobb, captain of one of the ships belonging to the
society, accused some of the islanders of having stolen his
ship and wrongfully kept himself and his ship's company
prisoners for four months. This case was the occasion
of a letter from the hing to the Privy Council of Scotland,
asking that Cobb should be again put in possession of his
ship and goods, and that the " pirots " should be brought
to England. 2

The very attention, however, attracted by the case of
Cobb, serves to show that the molestation of the vessels of
the Association had ceased to be a common occurrence.
The society had, for some years, enjoyed that practical
monopoly of the fishing about the Lewis which the king
had secured for it, the great influence of Seaforth being a
sufiicient check on the native fishermen, most of whom, as a
matter of fact, were probably already in the service of the com-
pany, for this was a favourite and frequently expressed idea
of the king.^ If the work of the Association in the Lewis
ultimately proved unsuccessful, its members could not say
that the company had lacked opportunities. The want
of success was due partly to the fact that the troubles
in the realm during the period of civil war crippled
all trade movements, but, as we shall see, in greater
measure to the want of skill and the dishonesty of those
to whom the affairs of the Association had been entrusted.*

^ Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. p. 531.

- Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. vii. (2nd series) p. 548.
^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 203, No. 54.

* Simon Smith, A True Narrative ; Macpherson, Annals of Commerce,
vol. ii. p. 365.

CHAPTER V.

CHARLES I.; DOMINIUM SIARIS.

The work of the Association in the Western Islands of
Scotland had been hampered, sometimes by the studied
apath}^ of the northern native fishermen, but more often
by their active opposition ; far more serious difficulties,
however, had been encountered in the North Sea, where
the Dutch resented any intrusion upon fishings which they
considered long usage had made their own. From the very
beginnmg of the work of the Association, it had been reahsed
that trouble might be expected from the Dutch, especially
since the Hollanders were accompanied at all times by some
war vessels, and might therefore consider themselves strong
enough to enforce their demands. This convoy of men
of war always sailed with the Dutch fishing fleet in order
to protect it from the attacks of the pirates from Dunkirk
and Ostend, who, at this period, were particularly active in
the North Sea and Enghsh Channel. ^ The EngHsh fishing
vessels, as a protection from these same pirates, and also
in order that they might be able to resist any attempt
at interference on the part of their rivals, carried an arma-
ment of " Half Pikes and Muskets," " Physic and Surgery
Helps " being also supphed. The equipment of the English
fishing vessel in this respect is detailed as follows in " Bri-
taines Busse." ^

1 Beaujon's Essay, chapter i. pp. 67, 77.

-" Britaines Busse," by E. S. London (Nicholas Bourne, 1615). Re-
printed in The English Garner, 1880, vol. iii. pp. 621, 656.

E

66 CHARLES I.

Weapons : —

Half pikes, ten at 2s. each - - £1 0 0

Muskets \vith Bandaleers, rests and
moulds, 6 (at £1 each) - - -
Gunpowder, 6 lbs. at lOd. - - -
Leaden Bullets, 6 lbs. at 3d.

Physic and Surgery Helps : —

Spermaceti, and a box for it - -

Stone pitch, and a box for it - -

Aquavitse, 16 quarts are 4 gallons at 3s.

Zante oil, 16 pints are 2 gallons at 6s.

Honey, 16 pints are 2 gallons at 5s.

Sugar, 4 pounds at Is. -

Nutmegs, a quarter of a pound

Ginger, half a pomid - - - -

Pepper, 16 ozs., i.e. a pound

Balsam and other salves and old hnen

Syzers (a pair)

A Steel Pleget, to spread plaisters -
A Chest with Partitions, for all these
things -

Equipped, therefore, both for fishing and for their own
protection, the fishing vessels of the Association put to sea.
It was not long before the expected trouble came ; during
the two months of August and September, 1632, the society
lost no fewer than three busses — The Experience of Yar-
mouth, taken by the Flying Horse of Groningen, The
Flower of Yarmouth, seized by a man-of-war of Enck-
huysen named Garrat Johnson Scummer, and The Concord
of Yarmouth, seized by a Dunkirk privateer called Jan
Peere.^ A fourth ship was lost towards the end of the

1 Cal S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 225, No. 92.

6

0

0

0

5

0

0

1

6

£7

6

6

£0

3

4

0

1

4

0

12

0

0

12

0

0

10

0

0

4

0

0

1

0

0

0

6

0

2

0

0

10

0

0

0

6

0

1

4

0

12

0

£3

10

0

DOiMES'IUM MARIS 67

same j^ear. The managers of the Fishing Association had
purchased a fishing vessel at Ostend, and in December
sent a shipmaster, Benjamin Bowden, with a crew of three
to bring it to London. On loth December, while on their
way home, these men were attacked by a man of war of
Enckhuysen, belonging to the United Provinces ; the vessel
was seized as a prize, the men were made prisoners, stripped
of their clothes, thrown into irons, and carried to Flushing
where the vessel was declared to be a lawful prize, while
the prisoners were left in such destitution that they were
obhged for the very necessaries of life to the good offices
of an Enghshman whom they met.^ Such outrages as these
had naturally a great effect on the minds of those who learned
of them. It became increasingly difficult to get men to
venture their capital in an undertaking which seemed so
liable to serious loss, and it soon became apparent that many
who would have otherwise become adventurers were
holding back until they saw what satisfaction the king
was able to obtain from the representatives of the United
Provinces. -

On March 26th, the Council of the Society resolved to
secure the services of an able solicitor and to send him,
at the expense of the general funds, to the Low Countries,
where he was to reiterate the demands already made for
reparation on account of the captured vessels.^ About the
same time Secretary Coke was instructed to write to demand
satisfaction for The Concord, seized by the Dunkirkers.*
Little satisfaction, however, was to be had from either
Dutchmen or Dunkirkers, and thus it was not long before
the king reahsed that if his project of a national fishing
was to be successful, he must assert himself, not in the
law courts of the United Provinces, but on the fishing
grounds of the North Sea.

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 226, No. 40. ^ /^^^ vol. 232, No. 75.
3 Ibid. vol. 234, No. 59. * Ibid. vol. 232, No. 106.

68 CHARLES I.

During 1633 and 1634 there was somewhat of a lull in the
proceedings against the Hollanders, the Council of the
Society being busy with the arrangement of its internal
affairs. On August 1st of 1633, a general form of invitation
to join the society was sent out, which gave a general
resume of what the king and others had already done
towards the estabhshmg of this Association, and which
urged the claims of this national work.^ The need for this
appeal is made evident by the contents of a letter sent
on August 10th by Phihp, Earl of Pembroke and Mont-
gomery, to Captain Sir John Pennington. Pembroke
frankly admits that it is difficult to get men of means to
hazard their money in the Association, and that, in spite
of all efforts, it has been found impossible to secure as many
adventurers as had been expected by the king and his asso-
ciates. They have four busses ready to be taken off the
stocks for the approaching fishing season, but cannot do
this without money to the amount of £2,400 ; this is £1,800
more than they have in hand — rather a serious deficit.
The Earl proceeds to inform the Captain that in consequence
of this shortage of funds it has been decided to take the next
subscription from the adventurers at Michaelmas instead
of at Christmas, as previously arranged. Thus Sir John
Pennington is asked to forward £30, the amount required
of him, to Captain Styles, treasurer for the Association,
who is to be found at his house in Fenchurch Street."- It
had already been arranged that a certain oath should be
taken by each member of the Council for Fishing, and that
a certificate should be granted to the master of each ship
belonging to the Association, while two seals in silver had
been procured at a cost of £12 from Edward Greene, chief
graver to the King."^

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 244, No. 5. ^ Ibid. vol. 244, No. 49.

3 Ibid. vol. 232, Nos 105, 106 ; vol. 233, No. 75 ; vol. 234, No. 59 ;
vol. 238, Nos. 6 and 7 ; vol. 250, No. 39 ; vol. 257, No. 30.

DOMINIUM MARIS 69

The Dunkirk privateers meanwhile continued to prey
upon English and Dutch aUke. In September, 1634, the
buss Salisbury was captured by the Dunkirkers off New-
castle, the fishermen being taken prisoners, stripped of their
clothes and given some " contemptible rags " in exchange.
A prize crew was put aboard the Salisbury to take her to
Dimkirk. On the voyage thither the ship was recaptured
by a vessel from Flushing,^ the crew of which demanded
two-thirds of the value of the vessel for having thus saved
it. Only after considerable difficulty and delay, and not
tiU direct representations on the matter had been made
to the king of Spain, was the vessel finally returned to
its o^^Tiers.^ It is some index to the extent of the depre-
dations of these Dunkirkers to observe that in the balance
sheet of the Association for the Fishing, issued on June 20th,
1635, the damage received at the hands of Dunkirk priva-
teers is estimated at £2,000. ^

But although the Dunkirkers were a source of annoyance
to all shipping in the North Sea that could not be over-
looked, it was stiU the magnitude of the Dutch fishing fleet
and the wealth derived by the Hollanders from their deep
sea fisheries that Charles felt to be a lasting reproach to
Britain. All that he heard concerning the Dutchmen served
but to estabhsh him the more in his determination to develop
British fisheries in spite of apathy at home and opposition
abroad. In answer to enquiries concerning the extent
of the operations of the Dutch in the North Sea, he had
been informed by Sir Nicholas Halse that he had ascertained
the yearly profit of the Hollanders from the fishings on the
British coasts to be six milhon pounds.* This, indeed, was
a somewhat lower estimate than that of Sir John Burroughs,
who, in his Soveraignfy of the British Seas, written in
1633, had fixed the amount at ten miUion pounds, and

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 303, No. 75. - Ibid. vol. 312, No. 88.

3 Ihid. vol. 291, No. 25. ^ Ibid. vol. 279, No. 67.

70 CHARLES I.

probably did not exaggerate in so doing, although, as herring
prices at the time are not known, it is impossible to state
exactly what was the annual return of the Dutch fishing
fleet.i

Roused by such statements as these, and, at the same
time urged to action by the members of the Association,
who were justly incensed at the high handed conduct of
the Dutch, Charles, in 1635, gave orders for the publication
of Selden's Mare Clausum, which was intended as a refuta-
tion of the Mare Liherum of Grotius.'-^ The book was at once
seized on, by English and Dutch alike, as a definite expression
of the king's views, which were in great measure merely
a reiteration of those opinions concerning the rights of the
kings of England to the hereditary sovereignty of the sea

1 The Dutch fishing fleet numbered about 2,000 busses, each buss
bringing to shore on an average 40 last of herring per season. — Beaujon's
Essay, pp. 64 and 65.

" They have 100 Dogger Boats of 150 Tuns apiece or thereabouts, 700
Pinks and Well Boats from 60 to 100 Tuns apiece, which altogether fish upon
the coasts of England and Scotland, for Cod and Ling only ; and each of these
employs an-other Vessel for providing of Salt and transporting of their
fish ; making in all 1,600 Ships, which maintain and imploy Persons of
all sorts, 40,000 at least.

" For the Herring Season, they have 1,600 Bushes at the least, all of them
fishing only upon our Coasts from Boughonnes in Scotland, to the mouth
of the Thames. And everyone of these maketh work of three other ships
that attend her ; the one to bring in salt from foreign parts ; another
to carry the said salt and cask to the busses, and the third to transport
the said fish into Foreign Countries. So that the total nvunber of Ships
and Busses plying the herring fare is 6,400. Whereby every Buss
one with another, imployeth 40 Men Mariners and Fishers, within her
ain hold, and the rest ten men a piece which amounteth to 112,000
Fishers and Mariners ; all which maintain double, if not treble, so many
Tradesmen, Women, and Children at Land.

" Moreover, they have 400 other Vessels, at least, that take Herring at
Yarmouth, and there sell them for ready money. So that the Hollanders
(besides 3,000 ships before mentioned Fishing upon otu- own Shores)
have at least 4,800 ships, only maintained by the Seas of Great Britain."
— The Soveraignty of the British Seas, by Sir John Burroughs, Knight,
written in 1633, and printed 1651.

2 Beaujon's Essay, p. 175.

DOI^nNIUM MARIS 71

which had been expounded with such pertinacity, twenty
years before, by his father. Charles, however, less pusil-
lanimous in temperament than his father, was now deter-
mined to make some attempt to carry his views to their
logical conclusion.

He was the more eager to take active measures against
the Dutch from his fear that, if he did not quickly succeed
in diminishing the competition from foreigners upon the
coasts of Britain, the Association for the Fishing would soon
cease to exist. He was thoroughly acquainted with the
state of its finances, knew that the enterprise was not
flourishing, and that it was difficult to find fresh adven-
turers. In 1636, when Charles reviewed the situation, the
subscriptions promised to the Association were £22,682 10s.,
but of this sum only £9,914 10s. had been received.
£3,550 7s. 5d. had been borrowed, thus making a total
capital of £13,464 17s 5d. The stock consisted of six busses —
a strange contrast to the mighty fleet of the Dutch ; these,
fuUy equipped and provisioned, were valued at £6,000.
Salt and fish in hand were valued at £6,120, while the amount
to be set down to damage sustained from Dunkirkers was
fixed at £1,166 14s. lOd., making the total value of stock,
£13,286 14s. lOd.i

Charles, in 1635, had sent a fleet of 26 ships to the North
Sea to make, as it were, a demonstration in force, announcing
that his intention was to preserve the peace on these waters
and that he would protect all fishers, even though he should
defend the Hollanders from the men of Flanders, their
enemies. 2 On February 4th, 1636, the king consulted
the Lords of the Admiralty as to his abihty to enforce his
demands ; they answered that the strength of his fleet
justified him in choosing this time for asserting his hereditary

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 313, No. 16.

2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, Nos. 409, 413 (" A Collection of Divers
Particulars touching the King's Dominion and Soveraignty in ye Fishing ").

72 CHARLES I.

claim to the sovereignty of the seas, and advised him to
intimate to the minister of the United Provinces that,
although prepared to maintain his right to the fishings
around the British coast, he would permit the Dutch fisher-
men to fish provided they first suppHed themselves with
licenses to do so. Intimation was accordingly made in
those terms to the Dutch Ambassador. ^

In spite of the protestations of the Hollanders, a pro-
clamation for the restraint of fishing without hcense was
made on May 10th, 1636, declaring the king's resolution
" to keep such a strength of shipping as may be sufficient
to hinder encroachments upon his regahties, and protect
those who shall thenceforth by virtue of Hcense first obtained,
endeavour to take the benefit of fishing on the king's coasts
and seas." ^

On 12th July, 1636, a similar proclamation was issued
by the Privy Council of Scotland forbidding foreigners
from fishing in Scottish waters without a hcense from the
king ; ^ the duty being fixed at "2s. sterling upon the
tunne." * In this connection the islanders of the Lewis
were, at the same time, pointedly warned that the adven-
turers of the Fishing Association were not to be reckoned
among the number of strangers or foreigners from whom
such hcense was to be demanded.^

Charles, indeed, informed the Dutch that this tax was
intended to be for the mutual benefit of both nations, and
was a contribution on their part towards the maintenance
of the British fleet against the Dunkirk privateers. But
in order that there might be no dubiety about the payment
of the tax, the Earl of Northumberland, who commanded a

^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 307, No. 48; vol. 313, No. 24; vol. 319,
No. 81.

2 Ibid. vol. 320, No. 62.

2 Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. vi. (2nd series) pp. 279, 280.

4 Ihid. p. 346. 5 iii^_ p 292.

DOMINIIBI IMARIS 7a

portion of the EngKsh fleet, was, in June, 1636, ordered to
sail northwards towards the fishing groimds. A hundred
licenses, signed by the king, had been prepared, which the
Earl was ordered to procure at Deal Castle. These Hcenses
he was to present to the Dutch fishermen, his instructions
being to take " after the rate of 12^- the ton of each vessel
accepting the hcense " ; any ship refusing to accept the
Hcense and pay the required tax was to be seized and sent
into an Engfish port.^ Shortly afterwards, another two
hundred Hcenses were sent him, and with these he sailed
north with a fleet of twelve vessels. ^

The " Form of License for Fishing in Enghsh Seas," had
been drawn up in the following terms : —

" We are gratiously pleased by these Presents to grant

lycense to to fish with Men and Company

belongmg to a ship or vessel caUed being of the

Burthen of Tunnes, upon any of our Coastes or

Seas of Great Brittaine and Ireland, and the rest of our
islands adjacent, where usually heretofore any fishing
hath been. And this our Lycense to continue for one whole
year from ye Date hereof, wifling and requiring as well
all our Subjects as others of what Nation, QuaHty or Con-
dition soever, that they give no Impeachment or molestation

to ye said or his Company in the said Vessell,

in the execution of this our Lycense, upon such Paines
and Punishments as are to be inflicted upon the violaters
of our RoyaH Protection, and the Willful Breakers of Our
Peace, in our aforesaid Dominions and Jurisdictions, further
requiring and comanding all our Admirals, Vice- Admirals,
Rere- Admirals and Captnes of our ships. Castles and Forts
to protect and assist the said in ye quiet en-
joying the benefit of this our Lycense." ^

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 326, No. 32.

^ Beaujon's Essay, p. 176.

3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 326, No. 32.

74 CHARLES I.

Sending in his report on August 16th, 1636, from his
flagship. The Triumph, then lying before Scarborough,
Northumberland reported that he had not seen so many
Dutch vessels as had been expected. He had, in fact,
arrived at the fishing grounds so late in the season that
the greater number of the Dutch had left for home. He
had, however, found all the Dutch with whom he spoke
very willing to pay the required tax and accept the license,
being " most desirous of the King's protection," and had
distributed about 200 hcenses. Only two or three Dutch-
men-of-war were with their fishing fleet, and these were
small vessels meant as a protection against attacks from
the Dunkirkers.^

In Scottish waters, the Duke of Lennox ^ was to levy the
duties from foreigners, the king having written to him on
17th August, 1636, that this would be part of his duty
as High Admiral of Scotland, since strangers coming into
ports had always paid " one acknowledgement to our
Admiral there." The Council in Scotland, however, seem
to have found the levying of the tax a difficult task ; nearly
a year afterwards, on 20th June, 1637, they were still con-
sidering " of the best and most faisable way to uplift the
said dewtie." ^

Northumberland himself was finding it a more difficult
task to collect the duty and to distribute the licenses than he
had found it at first. His next reports, dated September
16th and October 6th, stated that he had faUen in with
a Dutch fishing fleet of about 400 vessels, accompanied by

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 330, No. 41.

^ The Duke of Lennox was also one of the Covincil for the Fishing. In
1636 the Council included : — For the English : the Lord Treasurer, the
Earl Marshal, the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomerj'-, Lord Cottington,
and Secretaries Coke and Windebank ; for the Scots : the Duke of Lennox,
the Marquis of Hamilton, the Earl Morton, the Earls of Roxburgh and
Stirling, and Sir John Hay.

^ Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. vi, (2nd series) p. 457.

DOmNIUM MARIS 75

some fifteen men-of-war. The Dutch vessels had, as
Northumberland expressed it, shown some unwillingness
to come near the Enghsh fleet, and this " found them enter-
tainment for eight days together in following them, but now
very few of them are unprovided with His Majesty's
License." ^ Northumberland's voyage had lasted from loth
May to 9th October ; his journal during this time shows
him to have collected £999 of convoy money, and
£501 15s. 2d. of " acknowledgment money from the Dutch
fishermen." ^

In spite of Northumberland's success, it had not been the
intention of the Dutch authorities to submit, without
resistance, to aU these demands of Charles. In August,
1636, they sent a fleet of fifty-seven warships under Admiral
Van Dorp, to the North Sea, with the significant orders to
protect the fishing fieet " against the Spaniards and all
others inclined to molest them." Van Dorp, upon his
arrival at the fishing grounds, found that he had been
forestalled by the British Admiral, Northumberland, who
declared that he likewise had been sent by his government
to protect the fishermen. Unfortunately for Van Dorp,
the Dutch fishermen had submitted to the demands of the
British Admiral for pajTnent of the stipulated price for
protection ; they had without question accepted the
hcenses and paid the duty. Northumberland's sailing orders
directed him to fight if any obstructed him. Van Dorp,
who had no such definite orders, hesitated as to his course
of action, and finally sailed away. Upon returning to
Holland in the foUoTving year, he was so severely censured
by his government for his failure to sufficiently protect
the fishermen from the exactions of the Enghsh, that he
retired from the navy. The Enghsh people, however,
claimed that a precedent had now been estabhshed, and

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 333, No. 26.
- Ibid. vol. 343, No. 72.

76 CHARLES I.

that the Dutch had acknowledged the sovereignty of Eng-
land in the North Sea.^

By their treatment of Van Dorp, the Dutch had shown
that they were by no means inclined to submit meekly to
the demands of Charles ; they were at the same time very
anxious to avoid an open quarrel on the subject, since they
desired the aid of England against Spain. Charles himself
was engaged in the very dehcate business of negotiating
an aUiance with France, and felt that the time was not
opportune for war with the United Provinces. This desire
for peace on both sides explains the attitudes adopted by
Enghsh and Dutch durmg 1637. The States, for example,
were about to pubhsh certain edicts against paying any
acknowledgment for leave to fish, but these were suppressed
" upon the hopes of His Majesty's relinquishing that business
for the present." Again, a learned treatise had been pre-
pared by the Dutch in answer to Selden's Mare Clausum,
but this was " laid aside upon probabihty of our ships gomg
rather against their enemies than themselves this year." ^

Ehzabeth, Queen of Bohemia, daughter of James I., had
also thrown herself on the side of peace, asking her brother
as a favour to herself, to lay aside for the present, all con-
troversial matters with the Dutch, since her kingdom had
so much need of the aid of the United Provinces against
Spain. ^ The suggestion to Charles, from all sides, was, in
fact, simply that he should not press his claims at this
particular time. Elizabeth wrote even to Archbishop Laud
asking him to use his influence with the king in order that
he might be induced " to suspend any further executing
his right, which he may take up again when he will, without
any prejudice as the king, their father, did." * Laud
cautiously answered that the king was " so set to maintain

^ Beaujon's Essay, pp. 176, 177.

- Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 346, No. 23 ; Beaujon's Essay, p. 177.

3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 330, No. 38.

^ Ibid. vol. 346, No. 34.

DOMINIUM MARIS 77

the dominion of the sea," that he could say Uttle on the
subject. At the same time, he felt that both Enghsh and
Dutch would soon be so much occupied wdth matters of greater
importance, that they would tacitly leave the matter as
it stood. He himseK " would advise a silence of this business
on all hands, and not to interrupt businesses with moving
a question about that which wdll necessarily do itself without
questioning." ^ To this Ehzabeth rephed, putting the atti-
tude of the States simply as one in which they were well
content to leave the matter alone, " so the king forgets it,
and speaks no more of it, which she tells them she is con-
fident he will not, having things of greater importance
to do now." 2 Swayed by all these considerations, then,
both sides were un^dlMng to force matters to extremities,
although the Dutch still held to their theory of Mare Liberum,
and the king still maintained his hereditary right to
Dominium Maris.

Having no intention of going to war, Charles now essayed
the subtle paths of diplomacy. Early in 1637, hcenses
were sent to Sir WiUiam Boswell, then at the Hague, to
be distributed among the Dutch fishermen ; at the same
time, Charles attempted to force the situation by con-
cluding a secret treaty with the Spaniards, by which it
was arranged that each holder of a hcense from the king
of England was to receive a pass from the Spanish authorities,
entitling its possessor to a voyage to and from the fishing
ground safe from molestation from the Dunkirkers, who
were " to take care not to disturb such of the Hollanders,
though then their enemyes, as had ye King's Hcense." ^
This secret treaty fell through, owing to " the perverseness
of the Spanish Ministers," and the Hollanders accordingly
refused to accept the hcenses from the King of England.*

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 348, No. 62. "- Ibid. vol. 351, No. 1.

3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339 ("A Collection of divers particxilars,
etc.").

*Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 363, No. 21.

78 CHARLES I.

Such was Charles' desire for peace, however, that when
he learned that many Dutch vessels were fishing without
license under the protection of strong convoys, he gave
orders to the Earl of Northumberland to send not a
war vessel but a merchant ship with the licenses to the
Dutch fishing fleet, the king " being not willing to employ
any of his own until it appears what the success will be."
The Dutch were to be assured of convoy and safe conduct
home in the event of their accepting the Hcenses ; if they
refused them, the matter was to be referred to the king.^
Upon Northumberland's asking for more expHcit instructions
as to the manner of dealing with the Dutch, should they prove
obstmate,2 Secretary Windebank, writing on July 6th, 1637,
gave him the root of the matter thus : " The truth is, his
Majesty is not willing to proceed roundly with them, and
therefore holds this way of inviting them to acknowledge
his right, without sending his whole fleet, which would be
a manifest obHgation in honour to perfect the work notwith-
standing any opposition, which might be of dangerous
consequence to the present condition of his affairs." ^ On
July 10th, therefore, Northumberland despatched Captain
Richard Fielding to the north in the Unicorn with 200 hcenses,
giving him distinct instructions that he must not become
engaged in any dispute with the Dutch. Fielding, coming
up with a Dutch fleet of six or seven hundred vessels, foimd
the masters of the fishing vessels quite willing to accept
the licenses, but had distributed only two when the Dutch
admiral hailed him and forbade him to give out any
more.* Following his instructions. Fielding returned with-
out more ado, and made his report to Northumberland,
who, disgusted at the weakness of the king's attitude, very
sensibly remarked that " it might much better have been

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 363, No. 21.

"-Ibid. vol. 363, No. 28. ^ Ibid. vol. 363, No. 41.

*Ibid. vol. 364, No. 45.

DOMINIUM IHARIS 79

absolutely forborne than demanded in this matter." The
admiral, indeed, was weary of a command where his hands
were tied, and where, as he complained, he could " neither
do service nor gain credit." " No man," he writes to his
friend Sir Thomas Roe, " was ever more desirous of a charge
than I am to be quit of mine." ^

The king himself, though still unwilling to adopt measures
of force, was much vexed at the situation and was extremely
anxious that the real facts of the case should not become
pubhc. Hence Secretary Windebank, on August 10th, writes
to a certain Captain Fogg telling him exactly what the
version of the case for the public is to be. " There has
been a report raised that the Hollanders have refused his
Majesty's hcenses to fish, offered them by Captain Fielding.
But it is utterly mistaken. Captain Fielding was sent to
the busses to offer them protection, his Majesty having under-
stood that the Dunkirkers had prepared a great strength
to intercept them on their return, ^ which his Majesty, in
love to them, sent Captain Fielding to give them notice of,
and to offer them safe conduct. This you are pubKcly to
avow whensoever there shall be occasion, and to cry down
the other discourse as derogatory to his Majesty's honour." ^
Similar instructions were sent to Northumberland ; the
story of the refusal of the hcenses was to be cried down,
" and the other to be avowed and reported through the whole
fleet." * Fogg's answer was brief, but showed that he had
fully understood the full import of his instructions. In
blmit sailor fashion he answered, " Touching the false report

'^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 365, Xo. 28.

- Fielding reported ha\Tng on 21st July, off Buehan Ness, seen one
States man-of-war engaging thirteen Dunkirkers. Before he came within
shot the States man-of-war sank. The States had twenty-three men-
of-war there, " but no more then fifteen stood with the Dunkirkers, the
rest kept by the busses " (Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 364, No. 45).

3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 365, No. 51.

*Ibid. vol. 365, No. 53.

«0 CHAELES I.

that the Hollanders refused his Majesty's Hcense, I shall
avow according to your directions." ^ Northumberland, how-
ever, with a higher sense of honour, seems to have felt
keenly the position thus forced upon him. Writing nearly
three years after this time he declared his behef that Secre-
tary Windebanke was " the basest and falsest creature that
hves." 2

The king himself had evidently decided not to again allow
himself to be placed in such an anomalous position, and
from this time the matter of hcenses was allowed to fall
into the background, although some Hollanders must have
taken hcenses in 1639, since we find intercession being made
for them at Brussels by the Enghsh Ambassador, who
asked that, as holders of hcense from the Bang of England,
they might be indemnified for loss sustained from the
Dunkirkers.^

On October 21st, 1639, the Dutch Eepubhc, by the naval
battle of the Downs in which De Tromp signally defeated
the Spaniards, showed all Europe how great its sea-power
had grown. The battle had been fought within the very
seas over which Charles claimed sovereignty, and the Dutch
victory was thus a complete vindication of their claim of
Mare Liberum. The Dutch were now in very truth masters
of the seas, and British fishers and mariners for many years
to come were compelled to submit meekly to acts of outrage
at their hands from which Charles, engaged with troubles
in Scotland and rebeUion in England, could not protect
them. Ohver Cromwell was to bring dehverance and estab-
Hsh England as a sea-power ; the naval wars of his day
were the precursors of that series of naval wars which were
the first cause of the dechne of the Dutch fisheries. Mean-
while the Dutch fishermen exploited the resources of the
North Sea without further let or hindrance from England.

1 Cal S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 365, No. 59. - Sydney Papers, ii. 655.

^ Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339 ("A Collection of divers particu-
lars, etc.").

CHAPTER VI.

THE COMMONWEALTH; THE DUTCH WAR. CHARLES IL ;
THE NEW SOCIETIES FOR THE FISHING IN SCOTLAND.

By the year 1639 it had become a recognised fact that
the Association for the Fishing had, in large measure, dis-
appointed the sanguine hopes which its royal founder had
indulged concerning it. The king had added to its privi-
leges ; he had caused Lent to be observed, had prohibited
the importation of fish by foreigners, and had even under-
taken to purchase from the company the necessary supphes
of stores and food for the Royal Navy ; ^ the management
of the affairs of the Association was not in the hands of men
who could make use of these pecuhar advantages, and aU
Charles' efforts were in vain.

At the inception of the Society, the hopes of the adven-
turers had rested on the fishing in the isle of Lewis. Such
was the gross mismanagement, however, on the part both
of the Scotch and of the Enghsh employees of the company,
that, during the first two years of its existence, the Society
lost aU the money spent in the Lewis. ^ The adventurers
of the Society, unfortunately, did not take to heart the
lessons of these two years of failure ; they seem to have
been at no pains to ensure that those at the head of practical
affairs should be skilful either in fishing or in curing the

1 Simon Smith, A True Narrative of the Royal Fishings of Great Britaine
and Ireland.

-Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 444, No. 68.

82 THE COMMONWEALTH

fish caught. The Dutch cured herring had a European
reputation for excellence ; the Association, which sought to
outrival the Hollanders, had need to produce work showing
as much thoroughness and skill as theirs. But De Witt,
in his Interest of Holland, tells of the inferior quality of the
cured herring exported by the EngUsh fishing company,
saying that their herring were rejected at Dantzic in 1637
and again in 1638.i

At length, weary of the unbroken record of failure and
loss, the Committee of the Association, in 1637, resolved to
abandon the fishing at the Lewis, although Simon Smith,
" Agent for the Royal Fishings," was still writing hopefully
of the ultimate success of the undertaking there. ^ The
Association, however, was suffering greatly from want of
capital, since many of the adventurers, alarmed by the want
of success in the Hebrides, and perturbed by the depreda-
tions of the Dunkirkers, had either ceased to subscribe, or
had paid nothing at all. The Association was thus forced
back upon loans, which entailed considerable extra expense
and hampered aU its movements.^ In spite of all this, the
committee at the head of affairs were still persuaded that
the enterprise would prove profitable if entered upon with
vigour, especially seeing that they had now restricted the
scope of their operations ; moreover, they had now attained,
they thought, " to the true and perfect art of taking and
curing herrings, making nets and casks fit for that purpose,
and building busses " ; they had also learned the best foreign
markets for herring, and were thus confident that success
would attend their public -spirited services, if the king would
cease his policy of inaction towards the Dunkirkers, who,
emboldened by immunity, had seized many fishing busses.
In 1639 alone, four busses belonging to the Fishing Associa-

1 Macpherson, Annals of Commerce, ii. 365.
"^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 397, No. 95.
^Ibid. vol. 377, No. 69; vol. 412, No. 27.

THE DUTCH WAR 83

tion fell into the hands of these pirates, who were now so
active that English fishermen feared to put to sea.^ It
was estimated that the seizure of these vessels had caused
a loss to the Association of not less than £5000. To
recuperate them for this loss, the Earl of Pembroke and
his fellow adventurers asked the grant of a standing
lottery, such as had been granted to the Virginia Company
in 1612.2 They asked also that the statutes for the use
of fish should be enforced, and this especially against " all
sorts of victuallers, who may be enjoined to provide fish,
if not two days, at least one day a week, and the fines on
the trespassers to redound to the Royal Fishings."^ The
king willingly gave all the aid in his power, granted the
standing lottery asked for, and recommended the adventurers
to send an agent to demand satisfaction for the great
injuries inflicted by the Dunkirkers ; if satisfaction were
refused them, Charles declared himself wilhng to grant
them letters of marque against the privateers,*

In spite of aU Charles' efforts on its behalf, however, the
Association did not prosper, and in this year, 1639, the king,
despairing of success, ordered a general enquiry into its finan-
cial administration and management. At the same time he
gave orders for an enquiry into the conduct of Peter Ricaut,
the treasurer of the Association, who had been guilty of
oppression towards various poor tradesmen dealing with him.
Enquiry was to be held also into the exact state of the
stock of the company, so that all reasons for the diminution
of stock might be ascertained. The affairs of the company
were then to be settled in the most advantageous manner
possible for the community at large. ^

Deep matters of state now engrossed the attention of the
king, and he had, perforce, to leave the adventurers of the

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 429, No. 65.

2 Ibid. vol. 444, No. 68. 3 Ibid. vol. 438, No. 65.
-1 Ibid. vol. 444, No. 68. ^ Poedera, v. 20, p. 346.

84 THE C0]VOI0NWEALTH

Association to settle its affairs as best they could, and to con-
tinue with the enterprise if they were so minded. The times,
however, were no longer favourable to the success of such
an undertaking ; the Civil War soon engrossed the attention
of all ; and, as was to be expected, the Society, now deprived
of the king's encouragement and assistance, gradually ceased
to have any interest for the great majority of its members
and soon became almost a thing of the past.

The next suggestion with regard to the fishing industry
came from Scotland, where, in 1645, a certain Frenchman,
named Hugo L'Amey of Mouhon, laid the details of a curious
scheme before the Estates. He intended, he said, to benefit
Scotland by introducing and superintending the cultivation
of Indian corn, on condition that he received a grant of
all the Scotch fisheries. His scheme lacked nothing in
definiteness, including as it did a Scotch fieet of thirty-
six ships of four hundred tons burden each, the estabhsh-
ment of a trade with the Indies, and the planting of a Scotch
colony there. Nor had the sanguine Frenchman any doubt
that the " Indian wheat " would thrive in Scotland, if his
directions for its cultivation were followed ; he was con-
fident, indeed, that it would jdeld a fourfold greater mcrease
than ordinary corn, and would, at the same time, be found
less liable to injury from winds, rain, or frost ; the ground
whereon it grew became more fertile, the flour from it made
very good white " bisket breed," while the " dightmges or
refuise " was very good for feeding swine. Moreover, its
cultivation would give employment to a great many people,
since the Indian corn had to be worked " only by strenth
of hand," no horses or oxen being required. The result
would be that " poor people that have many children and
are unable to menteane them shall be of there charge dis-
burthened be setting of there children a working whom
before they wer wont to sett a begging." ^

1 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. vi. 1, pp. 372-3.

THE DUTCH WAR 85

It was remitted to a council of the Estates to deliberate
upon this extraordinary proposal, powers being given to
naturalise the enthusiastic Frenchman. The finding of the
committee, however, was not in favourable terms, and no
encouragement was given him to proceed with his scheme.

With the end of the Civil War and the advent of the
stable government of Cromwell, there came a renewed
interest in all branches of industry and commerce, and
particularly in everything that pertained to the estabhsh-
ment of Britain as a sea-power. Cromwell, indeed, had
scarcely commenced to rule before, among other instructions
to Colonels Popham, Blake, and Deane, then commanding
the fleet, he gave them orders " to guard the North Sea and
mackarel fisheries," and " to maintain the sovereignty of
the commonwealth in the seas." ^ The Protector's ambition
to make the Commonwealth great at sea depended, for
its reahsation, upon the achievement of his cherished pohcy
of a united Britain, a poHcy which continually urged him to
secure peace and good government in Scotland, and to
support and encourage her industries, including the fisheries.
An indication of Cromwell's settled poHcy towards Scotland
is given in 1655 in the direct instructions sent by him to his
Council in Scotland " to give all due encouragement to the
Trade and Commerce of that Nation and to advance Manu-
factures and the Fisheries there, and to consider of all
waies and meanes how the same may be improved for the
advantage of the People and of this Comonwealth." ^

During a great part of the Commonwealth period, however,
it was impossible for any ruler to do anything to develop
British fisheries, since the naval war in the North Sea caused
an almost complete suspension of fishing operations. Even
before the final declaration of war with Holland in 1652
there had been numerous instances of the seizure of herring

^ Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, 16-19-50, p. 23.
- Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. vi. 2, p. 827.

86 THE COMMONWEALTH

busses by both English and Dutch war vessels. The Enghsh
fishing fleet had to run the gauntlet not only from Dutch
war vessels but also from Dunkirk and Ostend privateers
and sea rovers ; in addition it was frequently attacked by
that portion of the English fleet -which still remained loyal
to the king and now sailed under command of Prince Rupert. ^
To meet these dangers, it had been customary, in the years
immediately preceding the actual declaration of war, to
detail a number of warships to convoy the fishing fleet with
orders to preserve " the ancient and indubitable dominion
of the sea." ^

In 1653 the Dutch owners, seeing the impossibility of
securing their vessels from the attacks of the English fleet,
kept their fishing fleet, which still consisted of some 2000
vessels, at home.^ The war did no less damage to the
Enghsh fishing industry, such towns as Yarmouth, which
depended almost entirely on the fishing industry, being
almost ruined. In desperation, the inhabitants of Yarmouth
in December, 1652, made complaint to General Monk,
stating that they had already lost £200,000, " to the utter
undoing of many families," and that, if the war continued,
the town would be inevitably ruined, since fishing was
practically at a standstill. " Not three boats are now
preparing to go forth fishing," they declared, " where 150
sail used to be making ready at this season." *

The struggle, however, was too grim, the opposing sides
too keenly ahve to the issues at stake, for the hearing of
complaints from injured individual communities. The con-
flict went on with unabated vigour in the North Sea, while
the Enghsh government also made preparations to meet the
Dutch in the Hebrides and in the Orkney and Shetland

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, 1649-50, pp. 128, 138, 165, 200, 201,
205, 263, 264, 285, 297.

- Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, 1649-50, pp. 484-5.

■' Eeaujon's Essay, pp. 67-68.

■* Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, vol. 32, No. 15.

THE DUTCH WAR 87

Islands, since it was feared that the Dutch might make an
attempt to secure a permanent footing in some of the islands
which they had so long used as fishing stations. ^ The Earl
of Seaforth, moreover, had declared for the king, and
Charles' supporters were intriguing with the Dutch, offering
them ports and fishing facilities in return for help against
the troops of Cromwell, Thus, in 1653, the Earl of Glencaim
in a letter to Middleton, whom the king had already commis-
sioned as his Lieutenant-Gen eral in Scotland, but who was
still engaged in Holland in an attempt to procure aid for the
rising of Scottish royalists, ^ urges him to represent to the
Estates of the United Provinces " what great advantages
will redound to them by assisting us, and how able we are
to promote there interest, by making a diversive warr, and
how willing we are that the King our Soveraigne should
posses them with any places or sea-ports which they shall
desire, to be possessed by them for ever, for the securing of
their fishing and commerce." ^ Middleton acted on these
instructions by including the offer of fortified posts in the
Orkneys, Shetland, and the Western Isles, in his " Second
Memorial " to the Estates of the United Provinces.'* Cromwell
and his officers in Scotland, however, were alive to the
situation ; Colonel Lilbume, the commander-in-chief in Scot-
land, was ordered to secure against possible attack aU the
ports threatened : he estabhshed garrisons in the Lewis at

^ Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, 1651-52, p. 255.

- Scotland and the Commonwealth, Firth, pp 46, 60.

'^Ibid. p. 158.

■* " D'avantage sa Majeste accordera a leur Seigneuries de faire bastir
telles forteresses qu'elles voudront, dans les Isles Orcades, Hetland, et
Isles Occidentales d'Escosse, ce qui servira grandement pour a^sseurer leur
trafficq des Indes et vers le Septentrion ; La pescherie aussi s'y pourra
continuer tant en hiver qu'en este, et avec beaucoup moins des fraiz, et
des gens qu'ils n'ont accoustume d'embarquer pour la pesche, les havres
dans ces lies leur estants tousjours ouverts, ou estants aidez par ceux de
ce pais la a saler et dresser leur poissons, ils pourront plus faire avec cent,
qu'a (jeste heure avec trois cents." — Ibid. p. 236.

88 THE COMMONWEALTH

Stomoway, in the island of Mull, in the Orkneys, and in
Shetland, Colonel Cobbett being ordered to " make a compleate
conquest." ^ Cromwell's chief fear was that the Dutch
might attempt an invasion of the Lewis ; Lilbume, however,
thought it much more likely that they would concentrate
their attack upon Shetland, where was " their constant
correspondence going and coming." Since the Dutch some-
times had as many as " 1800 saile in and about Birssie Sound
in Shetland," he was of opinion that a fort upon the Sound
would prove a great obstacle to the Dutch fishers and
traders, particularly if he could have the support of a few
vessels of war.^ As a result of these representations, the
Council of State gave orders for the estabhshment of forts
at various points on the Shetland islands, granting £4000
towards the cost of these and other fortifications m Scotland.^
Although Lilbume, with the small body of troops at his
command, was hard put to it to secure the safety of his
numerous garrisons, and although the EngKsh fleet was so
fully employed in confhct with the Dutch in the Channel
that Middleton could send suppKes to the Scottish royahsts
at pleasure,^ the Dutch were Hkewise too much occupied in
the great struggle to render any efficient aid to the royahst
rising, and the measures taken by the Council sufficed to
avert the fear of invasion.

The Treaty of Westminster, April 1654, ended this war,
and enabled the Dutch fishing fleet again to put to sea, but
frequent complaints were still made of outrages committed
by armed vessels on both sides. In September, 1656, an
incident took place which is typical of the intolerant methods
practised by both Dutch and Enghsh. The Dutchmen
engaged in the herrmg fishery near Yarmouth were ordered

^Scotland and the Commonwealth, Firth, pp. slix, 186-189, 202, 221, 275;
Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. vi. 2, p. 908.

2 Ihid. pp. 226 7. 3 /^^^ pp 228 n., 258.

^ Ibid. pp. 238, 290, 308.

THE DUTCH WAR 89

off by an English fleet. Upon their refusing to go, they
were " chased by several English parHament vessels, who
fired and threw stones at them, cut their nets, and compelled
them to abandon their fishing and fLj northwards." ^ It
was in vain that complaints were made to the Enghsh
government of the conduct of their men-of-war and privateers,
for such acts were committed with the tacit consent of the
government.

There now ensued the period of trouble with Spain, which
led to many more hardships for the Enghsh fishermen.
Even before the order had been given to seize all Enghsh
ships in Flanders, privateers from Dunkirk and Ostend had
been a constant source of danger to the Enghsh sailor.
These had been activety aided in their work of prejdng
upon Enghsh commerce by privateers sent out by the
exiled Charles II., with commissions signed by himself.
Enghsh merchant vessels and fishing boats were captured
dail}', and no fishing fleet dared to sail without convoj.'^
In view of the numbers and ubiquity of the enemy, the
few warships set apart as permanent coast guardships
seem to have been quite madequate. In 1656, only two
war-vessels were on permanent duty as guard to the North
Sea fishery, three had been sent to the northern coast, one
was on the Scotch coast, and two at Iceland.^ In this year
thirty-five vessels, valued at £25,000, had gone to the
fishing at Iceland ; the owners, however, were of opinion
that the convoy provided by government for their ships
was not sufficient ; they represented that their vessels were
" in great danger of ruin by the enemies, to the utter
undoing of 500 men, with their wives and famihes." The
loss of these vessels would be the more keenly felt on account
of the fact that of their fishing fieet " | of about 70 fishers "

^ Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, 1656-7, p. 485.

-Ibid. vol. 124, No. 51 ; vol. 225, No. 4, No. 40; vol. 228, No. 44.

3 Ibid. vol. 226, No. 4.

90 CHARLES II.

had already been captured. As a result of this petition the
Council ordered a frigate of 24 guns to proceed from
the coast of Scotland to Iceland. ^ Throughout the period,
indeed, the only fishery conducted without fear of molesta-
tion was the whale fishery of the Muscovy Company in
Greenland ; this Company dispatched annually to the North
some three vessels with thirty-seven harpooners and steers-

men

2

In such times of trouble as these, there was little to tempt
either companies or individuals to risk capital in an attempt
to revive the fishmg industry of Britain. The attempt
was contemplated ; Sir Phineas Andrews in 1654, and
Simon Smith in 1660, were allowed certain exemptions from
Customs and Excise, upon their undertaking the Fishery,
but neither of them seems to have carried his plans into
effective execution.^ Except for various spasmodic efforts
round the coast, therefore, the fishing industry was in a
state of extreme depression when Charles 11. , at the Restora-
tion, returned to Britain. It was not long before Charles
evinced the same desire for the encouragement of the fishing
industry that had actuated his father and his grandfather.
He first directed his attention to the Scotch fisheries, and,
on 12th June, 1661, had an Act passed authorising the
erection of companies for the promotion of fisheries, called
an " Act for the Fishings and erecting of companies for
promoteing the same." ^ The new Societies for the Fishing
were to be open to such Scotsmen and naturaHsed Scotsmen
as subscribed to their funds not less than five hundred merks
Scots. They were to have similar privileges to those of
their predecessors, and were to be managed by a body of

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, vol. 228, No. 44.

2 Ibid. vol. 124, No. 62.

^ " A Collection with some observations, touching the Royal Fishery of
Great Britain and Ireland " (1696), p. 3.

•» Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. vii. pp. 259-261.

THE NEW SOCIETIES 91

*' Counsellors " — each of whom must have subscribed at
least 1000 merks to the general fund.

All goods imported for the use of the Societies were to
be free of customs duty ; their fish were to be brought to
land and exported without any kind of tax, while it was
declared that " all ale, beir, strong waters and other pro-
visions for outreiking of any vessel for the saids fishings of
the saids companies, is and shall be free of all maner of
impositions whatsomever." In order to maintain the quahty
of the herring cured it was declared that each barrel of
fish packed by these Societies was to be marked, " ilk
barrel of grein fish to contain tuelve gallons, which is to be
the ordinar gage betuixt buyer and seller," As a mark
of special favour the members and employees were freed
from service on juries and from various other forms of public
duty, and were given a monopoly of the export trade in
herring, it being declared that " no herring or white fish
taken by Scotsmen in the said Kingdom e or yles therto
belonging be sold fresh or salt to any but to natives, except
by the companies," and again that " no persone or persones
shall have libertie to export herring or fish, nor use or have
the priviledges, liberties and imunities abovewrin but those
that shall enter themselffes and be frie in one or other of
the saids companies and societies,"

To further encourage these companies, the king on 6th
February, 1662, issued a proclamation enjoining the observ-
ance of Lent, (a custom which had been in abeyance since
1640) ; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday were also to be
observed as the three fish days, on which it was forbidden
to eat flesh, butchers being warned not to kill or sell meat
on those days. Thus, the proclamation continued, "the
young brood and store will be preserved, so that therafter
the hazard of security and dearth may be prevented and the
fishes (which by the mercie of God abound in the salt and
fresh watters of this kingdom) may be made use of for the

92 CHAELES II.

food and intertainment of the leidges, to the proffite and
encouragement of many poor families who hve by fishing."
Exemption could be had only by procuring a special license
from the Privj^ Council. ^ This proclamation was again made
on 12th February, 1663, and on 2nd February, 1664.2

In accordance with the act estabh'shing them, various
fishing companies were formed throughout the country,
but it was soon found that the old difficulties existed. Thus
in 1661, even before the companies had been estabhshed,
Gideon Murraj^ a merchant in Edinburgh, who had got
ready two busses for the fishing at Shetland "for fishing and
prepareing of whyt and gray fishes," complained of the
" hambm*ghers and lubickers," who were accustomed to
engage all the available fishermen in the islands along with
their boats. In answer to his request, it was declared that
he was to be served in preference to the foreigners, in all
respects, by the Shetlanders, and was to be allowed to
buy their fish at the ordinary rates until his busses were
loaded. Similar privileges were granted in the same year to
the inhabitants of various fishmg towns and villages in
Fifeshire.^

In 1662, John Boswell, baihe in Ivinghorn, and Matthew
Anderson, baihe in Kirkcaldie, made supphcation to the Privy

^ License to Sir Robert Hepbume of Keith and liis family to eat flesh in
Lent, dated 12th February, 1663.

*' The Lords of his Majesties Privy Council haveing considered the desire
of the petition of Sir Robert Hepbume of Keith for haveing a license to eat
flesh the tyme of Lent, and upon the thrie weekly fish dayes mentioned in
the late proclamation, by these presents dispenses with and gives license
to the said Sir Robert and these of his family to eat flesh dureing the said
prohibite tj.'me, and upon the saids forbidden dayes, for the space of ane
year efter the dait hereof, and declaires that the said Sir Robert shall no
wayes be lyable to any of the paines containit in the said proclamation,
and discharges all magistrates to proceid against the said Sir Robert as
contraveiner thereof, for which these presents shall be a warrand." — Reg.
Privy Council, Scotland, vol. i. (3rd series) p. 660.

■^Ibid. pp. 153, 331, 491, 676.

'■^ Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. vii. pp. 64, 81.

THE NEW SOCIETIES 93

Council on behalf of the fishing company which had just
been formed in Fifeshire, asking that no Scotsmen should
be allowed to sell to foreigners any " herring, whyt fish,
lapsters, or oysters " until members of the company, who
were to pay the ordinary market price, had been served. They
also asked that no dutj^ should be placed upon the petitioners
besides the king's duty and anchorage. These petitions
were granted. ^ On 12th June, 1662, Matthew Anderson again
made a complaint against the magistrates of Crail. He had
lately made a voyage to Holland with some oysters and
lobsters bought by him in Crail. The magistrates of Crail
now demanded one-third of the value of these lobsters,
although he had already paid the usual dues to the magis-
trates of Kirkcaldy, m whose roadstead he had first arrived.
The}^ had, moreover, not only charged him all the usual
anchorage and customs dues, but had imposed a tax of
sixpence for each lobster exported from Crail, and upon
his refusal to pay these exactions had imprisoned him in
the tolbooth at Crail, and fined him £20 Scots. On investi-
gating this case, the Council found that the magistrates of
Crail were altogether in the wrong, and ordered them to
make no such exactions in the future. ^ The members of
the new societies for fishing were thus once more engaged
in maintaining the privileges conferred upon them, against
the opposition not only of their foreign competitors but of
their fellow countrjonen.

The very fact that the fishing companies were thus seeking
to curtail the privileges enjoyed by strangers in the Scotch
markets, shows that the old jealousy of foreign fishermen
was by no means dead. The Dutch, in fact, were still
regarded as the experts in all things pertaining to fishing,
and were therefore both feared and hated as of old. The
members of the fishing company at Glasgow, however, were

1 Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. i. (3rd series) p. 158.
^Ibid. pp. 223, 231.

94 CHARLES II.

not above seeldng expert advice ; in October, 1662, being
about to send some vessels to the fisheries in the North
Isles, they wrote to the Privy Council, stating their fear
" that the way of the Hollanders maldng and dressing of
these fishes" was not well understood by them, and asked
that they might be allowed to include a Dutchman in their
company who might teach them the best method of treating
the fish. The Lords of the Council, taking a sensible view of
the situation, considered the petition a reasonable one, and
granted it.^

In 1660, therefore, as in 1630, jealousy of the success
of the Dutch sea fisheries was the moving factor in the
attempt to develop the British fishing industry. Charles II.,
like his father, was establishing fishery companies, in the
hope that he might thus succeed in taking away some
considerable part of that fishing trade from which the Dutch
still derived so great a portion of their national wealth.
Anxious to have as reliable information as possible concerning
the Dutch fisheries, he had sent Dr. Benjamin Worsley,
Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Planta-
tions, into Holland. On his return, he announced to the
king that the value of the Dutch herring fishery, at the
lowest estimation, was three milHon pounds sterling per
year, a sum exceeding the produce of the manufacturers
of England or of France ; he pointed out that this valuable
fishery, together with her own home manufactures and her
East Indian trade, made Holland the richest state in Europe,
and deprecated the relinquishmg of such a source of wealth
to the Dutch, since to do so was to abandon for ever the
supremacy of the sea. He was convinced that, owing to
the great sums of money which had already been lost by those
who had entered this fishing industry, it would be impossible
to raise funds to carry on the fishery, unless it was made
clear that it was the intention of the government to help

'^ Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. i. (3rd series) p. 271.

THE NEW SOCIETIES 95

and encourage it. He therefore advised the king to
give the fisherj^^ " his signall and expresse Countenance, with
the Pubhck authoritj^ of the ParHament," and suggested
that the kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland should also be
roused to take an interest in the scheme to be brought
forward. 1

About the same time as Dr Worsley made this report,
two public spirited men, named Smith Watson and Simon
Watson, inspired bj^ the same desire to see their fellow
countr\Tnen enter upon the business of the fishery, set forth,
in great detail, " The Charge and Profitt of one Busse of 70
Tunes imployed one year in the ffishery, by wch may be
computed the charge of a fleet," ^ showing, in much the same
sanguine fashion as Charles I. had done thirty years before,
that the fishing industry was far more profitable than men
imagined, and that it was folly to continue to pay Dutch
fishermen to catch fish for Enghsh consumption.

These same enthusiasts also drew up " A Modell of a Con-
troll for the Royal Pishery," in which they proposed that the
employees of the Association should be paid according
to the results of the fishing, " for this wiU stir them up
to be more industrious, when the more they work for his
Ma. the more they get to themselves." It would also, they
ver}^ pertinently remarked, be a check upon fraud, since no
man could defraud the Association without defrauding
his fellows, " who will therefor for their owne interest, look
one to another." The fishermen were to be paid according
to the catch of their o-^ti vessel, while the general officers
of the companj^ were, they proposed, to be paid according
to the takings of the whole fishing fleet. The estimate

1 Dr. Worstlej-es Proposall about the Herring Fishing of these three
Kingdomes : Additional MSS. British Mioseum; Sea Fisheries, Temp.
Car. II.

2 Sea Fisheries, Temp. Charles II. ; Additional MSS. British Museimi.
See Appendix.

96 CHARLES II.; THE NEW SOCIETIES

of wages is interesting as showing the rate of seamen's earn-
ings at the time.i

They followed this with a statement of " The Incomparable
Benefitt of the Fishery in his Maties Seas," ^ in which they
showed how greatly the Enghsh were dependent upon their
enemies, the Dutch, for suppHes of fresh fish of all kinds
and also for pickled herring, and how profitable an under-
taking the fishing was to the Dutchmen concerned, whose
own registers showed as many as 300,000 lasts of herring
taken in a single season, and sold at from sixteen to thirty-
six pomids the last. This state of affairs they mamtained
to be a standing reproach to the Enghsh, who, by " sloath-
fulness and improvidence," allowed thousands of persons to
be idle at home, while strangers were coming hundreds of
leagues to their verj^ coasts, and were there reaping this
rich harvest " which God and Nature sent to us." They
further pointed out that there was added to all this the
constant menace of the presence of a Dutch fleet of from
twenty to thirty warships, which were always cruising
off the Enghsh coast " under pretence of securing their
fishermen," and urged that England could take her proper
place among seafaring nations only by estabhshing her
fisheries on a proper basis. To bear out their statements
they then went into detail and gave " The charges of setting
forth a fishing fleet," in a document which is full of inter-
esting allusions to the fishing requisites of the time.^

Fiaally, they drew up a formal proposal for the founding
of a national fishery,^ in which they embodied most of the
stock ideas of the old pamphleteers with regard to the
advantages to be derived from making tliis a national
industry. Their object was attained, however; pubhc
opinion was now on their side, and the king determined,
in some measure at least, to meet the desire of his subjects
on the matter.

^Detailed in Appendix. -Appendix. ^ Ibid. ^ Ibid.

CHAPTER VIL

CHARLES II. ; THE ROYAL FISHERY.

Charles II., so far as the scheme of a national fishery
was concerned, was now in a position identical in almost
every respect with that in which his father had found himself
in 1630. The Dutch, in spite of heavy losses sustained during
the naval war of the Commonwealth period, still main-
tained their powerful fishing fleet in the North Sea, the
British fishing industry, compared with that of these hereditary
rivals, remaining small and insignificant. These facts
were well-known to the people at large, many of whom felt,
as the men of the preceding generation had done, that the
long continuance of such a state of affairs amounted to a
national disgrace. To complete the parallel, there was
the same crowd of pamphleteers, bent on arousing the mass
of the British people from the state of lethargy in which
they lay, by graphic accounts of the wealth derived by the
Dutch from their fisheries, and of the ease with which the
British, if they cared, might also build up a national fishery
which would, m similar fashion, render them rich and
powerful among the nations of Europe. Charles II. again,
hke his father, was inchned to beheve that there was much
truth in what these writers said ; he was statesman enough
to perceive that the future of Britain was bound up in her
reapuig to the fuU those advantages naturally given by her
insular position, and thought, with the pamphleteers,
that the development of a national fishery, since it must in-

98 CHAELES II.

crease the number of the seagoing population and thus create
a reserve of seamen, was a means to the desired end. He,
therefore, resolved to revive the Association for the Fishing,
and on August 22nd, 1661, appointed James, Duke of York,
along with numerous other noblemen and officers of state,
as the Council of the Royal Fishing of Great Britain and
Ireland, with powers and privileges identical with those
held by the Council of the Royal Fishery of the time of
Charles I.^

The new company, however, was granted some further privi-
leges. For seven years its fishing vessels were to pay no
duties to the customs, while, to ensure that there should be a
demand for its fish, all victuallers were to be compelled to buy
yearly from one to four barrels of herring, at the. fixed price of
30s. per barrel. Those who invested money in the compwuiy
were assured that the risk of loss was shght, since special
attention was to be given by the authorities to the provision
of an adequate convoy for the fishing vessels. ^ In response,
moreover, to a special request by the Council for the Fishery,
the lottery of the Royal Oak was granted them for three
years, ^ while, as a pubhc recognition of the fact that the
Council was about to enter upon the performance of a national
service, orders were given that a collection should be made
in the churches throughout the various counties of England,
so that funds might be provided for the erection of wharfs,
docks, storehouses and the buildings necessary for the work
of the company.*

The king, in connection with this collection, interested
himself so far on behalf of the Royal Fishery as to issue
a special appeal to his people, commending the project to
their liberahty, since it aimed at giving employment to the
poor through the revival of an industry of the utmost

^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 40, No. 75.

2 Ibid. vol. 40, No. 75. ^ jf^i^^ vol. 86, No. 104.

*Ibid. vol. 40, No. 76.

THE ROYAL FISHERY

99

importance to all coast towns. All local officers and
ministers throughout England, were therefore asked to see
the collection duly made and the money reaHsed given to
the High Sheriffs of the counties to be handed to the Earl
of Pembroke, who was to act as Treasurer for the company.
In spite of the personal influence of the king, however, his
appeal was fruitful of result only m a few of the counties
of the south and west, and particularly in Kent.i The
amount of the collection was returned as £818 6s. 4|d., and,
since the expenses of collection were £543 10s. 4d., the net
sum given to the company was £274 16s. 0|d. The Earl
of Pembroke gave the following statement of the amounts
contributed by the churches in some of the counties. ^

County of Southampton -

,, Surrey - - -

,, Berks . . .

,, Bucks - - -

,, Middlesex - - -

,, Oxon - - -

,, Hertford - - -

,, Hereford - - -

,, Devon - . -

,, Salop - - .
„ Wilts

,, Somerset - - -
„ Kent

,, Exon . - -

Although Charles and the promoters of the Royal Fishery
must have felt disappointed at the want of enthusiasm with
which their public appeal to the sympathies of the nation
had been met, they were not to be thus easily dissuaded
from their enterprise, and continued to make their prepara-
tory arrangements. By September, 1662, these arrange-
ments were so far advanced that it was resolved to make

£35

1

2

28

15

6

14

9

3

21

7

10

45

2

2|

24

19

8i

6

14

1

3

3

6

9

15

0

9

17

0

12

5

3

5

0

0

75

19

8

7

8

4

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. 11., vol. 41, No. 19 ^ /^id. vol. 73, No. 56.

100 CHARLES II.

a commencement with ten fishing vessels. Orders were
accordingly given for the building of these vessels, the
intention being that they should " sail to the Shetland Isles,
to take the privilege of fishing before other nations." ^ The
cost of building these ships was to be £9,000, Harwich and
Deptford being selected as towns suitable for building them.^
The king, moreover, still anxious to foster the work of the
company, and desirous of seeing its fleet increased as much
and as quickly as possible, announced, in November, 1662,
his intention of giving £200 to every man who should, by the
middle of the following June, build a fishing buss and equip
it with aU the necessary fishing gear. Samuel Pepys tells
how this announcement was first made public by Lord
Sandwich, in presence of a large number of naval ofiicers and
private gentlemen who had gathered at the funeral of Sir
Richard Stayner.^

The final steps towards establishing the society were taken
by the king on March 12th, 1664, when the Duke of York
was appointed as its Governor,^ and on April 8th, 1664,
when a charter under the Great Seal of England was
granted in due form to the Corporation for the Royal
Fishery.^ Of this Corporation the Duke of York was
Governor, Lord Craven, Deputy Governor, the Lord Mayor
and the Chamberlain of London, Treasurers. " Several
other very great persons, to the number of thirty-two,"
are said by Pepys to have constituted the council of
governors of the association, appointed " for their lives,"
Pepys himself being one of these " very great persons." ^
From the very beginning, however, Pepys had no very
favourable impression concerning those sitting with him

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 59, No. 6.

"-Ibid. vol. 59, No. 7.

3 Pepys' Diary, November 28th, 1662.

*Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol 94, No. 74.

^Ibid. vol. 96, No. 65.

« Pepys' Diary, March 10th, 1664.

THE ROYAL FISHERY }^•';^|[0V

among the governors, and feared the worst for the
enterprise. On July 7th, 1664, for instance, he writes,
" To Whitehall and there found the Duke and twenty more
reading their commission (of which I am, and was also
sent to, to come) for the Royall Fishery, which is very
large, and a very serious charter it is ; but the company
generally so ill-fitted for so serious a worke that I do much
fear it will come to httle."

Two days afterwards, on July 9th, the members of the
council were required to take an oath to be true to the
interests of the company. Their conduct on this occasion
confirmed in the mind of Pepys that opinion which he
had already formed concerning them and the prospects
of the society. Two motions were laid before them, the
one that they should swear to be true to the company to
the best of their power, the other, to the best of their under-
standing. The latter motion was carried, a fact which
Pepys considered ominous for the success of the new society,
since thus the governors would be, as he puts it " least
able to serve the company, because we would not be obhged
to attend the business when we can, but when we fist.
This consideration did displease me, but it was voted and
so went."

It was not long before the fears of Pepys that the manage-
ment of the company had not been entrusted to a body of
men sufficiently mterested in the enterprise were con-
firmed. A meeting of the council of the fishery had been
caUed for September 3rd, and this Pepys attended, to find
that so Httle interest was being taken in the affairs of the
company that there were not more than four persons present.
His thoughts on this occasion he records thus : " After
dinner to Whitehall, to the Fishing Committee, but not
above four of us went, which could do nothing, and a sad
thing it is to see so great a work so ill followed, for at this
pass, it can come to nothing but disgrace us all."

102 CHAELES U.

With such sHght interest on the part of those at the head
of afifairs, it is not surprising to find that the society was
so unfortunate in its undertakings that, in a short time,
various methods of subsidising it had to be adopted. The
first proposal was that money should be raised for its sup-
port by giving it the monopoly of coining farthings. To
this proposal Pepys consented readily enough. A second
proposal, however, that the funds of the company should
be increased by the estabhshment of lotteries to be ad-
ministered on its behalf, was viewed by him with indignation ;
" I was ashamed to see it," he writes, " that a thing so low
and base should have anything to do with so noble an
undertaking." ^ In spite of his opposition, however, pro-
clamation was made on June 21st, 1665, when the disastrous
Dutch war had greatly increased the necessity of the
company, forbidding any persons to use or exercise lotteries
in Great Britain or Ireland, except Sir Anthony Desmarces
and four others, to whom the sole right of managing them
was granted, in order that they might raise a stock for
the Royal Fishery Company.^

Meanwhile, an attempt had been made to reach those
counties of England which had not responded to the king's
appeal when the first collection for the fishery had been
made in 1662. This second collection was completed
in 1664, when Samuel Pepys, along with George Duke,
secretary to the Royal Fishery, was deputed to make a report
upon the result.^ It is in connection with his inquiry into
this collection that Pepys writes in his Diary under date
October 10th, 1664 : " To the office, and there late, and so
home to supper and to bed, having at up till past twelve at
night to look over the accounts of the collection for the
fishery, and the loose and base manner that monies so

^ Pepys' Diary, September 13th, November 18th, December 3rd, 166i.
^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 124, No. 142.
^Ibid. vol. 103, No. 130.

THE ROYAL FISHERY

103

collected are disposed of in, would make a man never part
with a penny so disposed of, and above all, the incon-
venience of having a great man, though never so seeming
pious as my Lord Pembroke is. He is too great to be
called to an account, and is abused by his servants, and
yet obliged to defend them for his owne sake."

The report of Pepys and Duke upon the collection was
made on October 25th, 1664. Of the 52 counties of
England and Wales, they observed, only 32 had taken notice
of the royal proclamation. ^ From these counties the sum
already received was £1,076 ; the Earl of Pembroke, how-
ever, had still a considerable sum in his possession, while
Mr. King, who had been engaged in the collection for the
Earl, still retained £429. Statements had also been made
as to £412 already gathered but not yet placed to the
credit of the society. Pepys was indignant at the conduct
of Mr. King, who, instead of handing over the £429 en-
trusted to him, " insinuated in his accounts " that he had
assigned to the Fishing Company the lease of a house situated
in Harwich, which belonged to himself, and was said by him
to be of the value of £700. " It may be fitt," writes Pepys,
sarcastically, " to inquire whether this house was not long
agoe otherwise disposed of by him, and is since fallen to
his Ma*'^ and now actually imployed by the officers
of the Navy in his Ma"^^ service." Pepys also drew

^ These were : —

London & Middlesex

Essex

Norfolk

Surrey

Barkshire

Suffolk

Buckinghamshire

Kent

Harford

Devonshire

Brecknock

Northampton
Southampton
Oxon
York
Hereford
Wiltshire
Exon

Cambridge
Darby-
Lanes
Westmoreland

Leicester

Nottingham

Somerset

Lincoln

Durham

Salop

Northumberland

Cumberland

Carlisle

Berwick

Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 103, No. 130.

104 CHARLES II.

attention to the fact that in another point Mr. King was
defrauding the company, since upon the collection of a cer-
tain sum of £115, he was awarding himself the dispropor-
tionate amount of £47, " which," he remarks, " is after
the rate of 8s. per pound and more." Finally, in order
that the whole matter of the collection might be placed
upon a business footing, Pepys suggested that both the
Earl of Pembroke and Mr. King should be compelled to give
in an exact return of the money received by them, and this
particularly with regard to the amounts collected in London,
since no account had been rendered of a great part of the
contributions from the metropoHs." ^ Pepys seems to have
been much gratified by the reception of his report on this
occasion. In his Diary for October 25th, 1664, he writes,
" To the Committee of the Fishery, and there did make my
report of the late pubHc collections for the Fishery, much to
the satisfaction of the Committee, and I think much to my
reputation, for good notice was taken of it and much it was
commended." Again on November 1st of the same year his
entry reads, " My report in the business of the collections is
mightily commended and will get me some reputation, and
indeed is the only thing looks like a thing well done since
we sat."

The Society, however, was too much perturbed by the
outbreak of war with Holland to have any mind to inquire
into the manner in which its affairs had been conducted.
The Dutch admiral, De Ruyter, immediately upon the
declaration of war in 1664, had acted with his customary
energy, his first efforts being directed against the Enghsh
possessions on the West Coast of Africa, where he was
uniformly successful. The year thus closed with but a
gloomy outlook for the Enghsh merchants and particularly
for those of them who were connected with the fishing industry,
since they knew that whether the Enghsh were ultimately

1 Cal. S.P. Dotn. Car. II., vol. 103, No. 130.

THE ROYAL FISHERY 105

victorious over these dogged opponents or not, the business
of fishing must be in practical suspension until peace was
proclaimed. Pepys, in his Diary under date 22nd December,
1664, thus voices this general feeling of foreboding : —
" To the Change, and there, among the merchants, I hear
fully the news of our being beaten to dirt at Guinny by
De Ruyter with his fleete. The particulars, as much as by
Sir G. Carteret afterwards I heard, I have said in a letter
to my Lord Sandwich this day at Portsmouth ; it being
almost wholly to the utter ruine of our Royall Company,
the reproach and shame to the whole nation." ^

The sequel brought a state of affairs more desperate
than even the most pessimistic could have deemed pos-
sible. London, ravaged by the Great Plague, devastated
by the Great Fire, heard in 1667 the guns of the Dutch in
the Medway, and witnessed the Dutch fleet supreme in the
Channel. Overwhelmed by the troubles of the time, the
Governors of the Fishery Company, in the same year that
saw the fortunes of England at their lowest ebb, represented
to the king the desperate condition of their affairs, and asked
that a grant of the whole power of coining and issuing
farthings should be given them, their intention being to
give twenty-one shilliags' worth of farthings for one pound
in silver, and to retain five shillings in every pound for the
company. 2 The same proposal was made in 1668, it being
declared then that this seemed to be the only practical
method of supporting the work of the society.^

Charles, however, deeply involved in the world of intrigue,
had no longer the will to devote his energies towards the
revival of the Royal Fishery. Moreover, he knew that

1 As the Great Fire of London, in the very next year, destroyed all the
books and accounts of the Fishmongers' Company, these entries in Pepys'
Diary have a peculiar interest.

-Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 188, No. 124.

^Ihid. vol. 251, No. 162.

106 CHAELES II.

though peace had been declared with Holland in 1667, the
result of his own understanding with Louis of France must
be to render inevitable a renewed outbreak of the struggle,
and that it was futile to attempt to raise up the national
fishery until that struggle had passed and there was safety
for fishing vessels in the North Sea. Meanwhile, Charles'
desire to estabhsh Roman CathoHcism in England weighed
far more heavily with him than the wish for the prosperity
of his country ; the Royal Fishery, along with every other
branch of Enghsh commerce and industry, was sacrificed
for the sake of his schemes, which included an alliance
with France and demanded for their success the downfall of
Holland. The renewed outbreak of war which the king sought
came in 1672 ; not till 1674 did Charles find it pohtic to
jrield to the wishes of his subjects and make peace with the
Dutch.

During these ten years of trouble from 1664 to 1674 —
for during the period, whether England and Holland were
technically at peace or at war, there was no cessation of
hostihties between the rival fishing fleets — fishing in the
North Sea was very much at a standstill. The fact that
fishing boats and their gear deteriorate rapidly when left
idle impelled some of the more hardy fishermen to set
out for the fishing grounds, in defiance of all dangers, but the
number of these was comparatively small. Thus, even
in 1669, when England and Holland were at peace, at any
rate so far as the governments of the two countries were
concerned, only twenty-three vessels left Yarmouth for the
North Sea fishing grounds. ^ Throughout the period,
the fishermen never ceased to complain of annoyance from
the Dutch war vessels, whom success had rendered more
arrogant than ever ; the danger of capture was admittedly
great, and a convoy was regularly appointed to accompany
such fishing vessels as did venture to sail. In spite
1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 257, No. 25.

THE ROYAL FISHERY 107

of all promise of convoy, however, the fear inspired by the
Dutch was such that it was but rarely that owners ven-
tured to allow their vessels to leave port, and the North Sea
was almost deserted both by merchant ships and by fishing
vessels. Thus, in 1672, while the war was still raging,
the crew of a sohtary fishing vessel belonging to Yarmouth
who had braved the dangers of the voyage to the North
Sea fishing grounds reported on returning that " sailing
all along the coast they saw not one sail since they came
out of their fishing grounds till they came here."

A state of affairs which drove Enghsh commerce from
the seas for such a considerable period must have ruined
many English shipowners and done incalculable harm to all
connected with the fishing industry. When the war with
the Dutch ended, the Royal Fishery Company had ceased
to exist. The close of the first phase of the war had seen
the company on the verge of ruin, its governors petitioning
the king for a grant of the monopoly of coining farthings
as the only means of maintaining the already feeble existence
of the society. The end of the second phase of the war
brought no similar appeal from the company ; the war
had brought its business to a standstill and the enterprise
had been abandoned, its vessels being left to deteriorate into
useless hulks. This is brought out in a letter written in
1674, when the war had just ended, by a certain Mr. Roger
L' Estrange, who was already seeking to promote a new
fishing company, to a Mr. Williamson. Concerning the
ships belonging to the Royal Fishery Company, he writes,
" His Majesty has several vessels that lie rotting for want
of care and employment, many of which were built for the
fishing. "1

Even when the Royal Fishery Company was thus sinking
to obhvion, however, there were not wanting pamphleteers
to represent the folly of allowing the fishing industry to

^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 361, No. 235.

108 CHARLES II.

fall to ruin. In 1670, a pamphlet appeared, entitled The
Royal Fishing Revived, which contains many interesting
particulars concerning the state of trade in England at this
time.i The writer acknowledges that the Dutch have posses-
sion of the fishing trade. The reasons for this he summarises
thus : TheY have multitudes of men, cheapness and conven-
ience for building ships, advantages in barter and exchange,
and an admitted excellence in packing and curing aU kinds
of fish, with the one exception of red herring. They give
facihties for trade to all nations and have low customs
duties. England, on the other hand, suffers from lack of
population. This he ascribes to the peopling of the American
plantations, the re-peopling of Ireland after the great
massacre, the Great Plague of 1665, the law against
naturahsation, and finally, to the corporations, which
restrict trade to those who are freemen of them. Enghsh
ships, he affirms further, are dearer than Dutch ships,
a Dutch ship being built for half the price of an Enghsh
one of equal dimensions. This he attributes first to the
deamess and scarcity of timber in England, and, secondly,
to the Act of Navigation, " which not only restraines the
importation of Timber, Pitch, Tar, Hemp, and Iron, to
these dear built ships, and the ships of the natives of the
places from whence they are had, whether they have ships
or not, but also it gives freedom to the Dutch to import all
sort of Manufactories made of these Growths, which they
acquire for half the price the Enghsh can ; whereby the
Enghsh have wholly lost the Trade for fitting up ships for
this or any other Trade."

The Enghsh ship, moreover, the writer says, is not of
convenient size, a Dutch ship of equal size being manned
effectively with half the number of hands. This he ascribes
to the fact that the building is confined to Enghshmen,

'^ The Royal Fishing Revived: Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 281a,
No. 244.

THE ROYAL FISHERY 109

" who are very few and know no other way." The EngHsh
also sufifer from a " want of sale of commodities," due to
the greatness of Customs, since these are " 20 times more
than in the Netherlands," to the deamess of the EngUsh
ships and their want of suitabihty for foreign trade, and
finally to the high rate of interest in England, this being
" about one-third more than in the Netherlands."

Lastly, the writer refers to the neghgent and corrupt
curing of fish by the Enghsh, which " proceeds from lack
of council of trade to inspect," and set forth several ingenious
ideas with regard to reviving the fishing industry. He wished
this branch of trade to be open to all sorts of foreigners,
and " restraint by Corporations " to be abohshed. Beggars
and all other poor people, provided they were not sick or
impotent, were to be employed in the fishery. All persons
who had been condemned for any less crime than that of
murder, were to be " compelled to redeem their crimes,
and in some measure to make compensation, by extra-
ordinary labour in this trade." All persons who had been
imprisoned for debt, and who could not pay off their debts,
were to be sent to the fishing. He proposed that the Act
of Navigation should be repealed and foreigners encouraged,
and that a Council of Trade should be estabhshed in
England. Finally he suggested that " all houses built
upon new foundations within the city and suburbs of London,
since 1657 (except such as have been consumed by fire),
pay a fine to the value of one year's rent, to be employed
towards the carrying on of the Royal Fishery."

Since they came contemporaneously with Charles' second
declaration of war upon Holland, it was not to be expected
that this pamphlet and those of a hke nature ^ that accom-
panied it could do much towards reviving the waning fortunes
of the Royal Fishery. The war, however, had scarcely

1 For similar pamphlets see Cal. S.P. Dotn. Car. II., vol. 369, No. 263 ;
Ibid. No. 264 ; Ibid. No. 265.

no CHARLES II.

ended when some of those many EngUshmen who were
still of opinion that the fishing was an industry worthy of
national support, were endeavouring to rouse pubUc interest
in their scheme. In a short time they had enlisted the
sympathy of a sufficient number of people to form another
company, and in March, 1676, the scheme took practical
shape. The Earls of Suffolk, Scarsdale, and Carlisle, with
some others, represented to the king that they had raised
a common stock with a view to engaging in the fishing
industry, and petitioned that they should be given letters
patent incorporating them as a company. They further
asked that the proposed company should be granted certain
privileges, prominent among these being an allowance
out of the Customs of £20 per annum for seven years for every
ship to be employed, and of £50 per annum for the main-
tenance of an orthodox minister for ever, at • the place
where the company should settle the fishery. In addition
to this, they asked that they should be allowed to land
their fish without pajdng duty, and that they might be
granted the moneys formerly collected for the Royal Fishery
by virtue of the Commission of 22nd August, 1661. They
asked also that all foreigners becoming employees of the
company for seven years should be naturahsed, and that all
foreign-built vessels belonging to the company should be
recognised as being Enghsh ships to all intents and purposes. ^
These proposals were placed before the Commissioners of
Customs for their approval ; the king, however, did not
wait for their report, but, in May, 1676, granted a warrant
for a charter of incorporation of the Company of the Royal
Fishery of England. ^

1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 379, No. 87, I.

^Ibid. vol. 382, No. 39.

Warrant, May, 1676.

Our will and pleasure is that you prepare a Bill fitt for Our Royall signa-
ture to passe our great seale of England, containing our Charter and Grant
of Incorporation unto the Adventurers and Undertakers of the fishing

THE ROYAL FISHERY 111

The Commissioners for Customs on Jmie 12th, 1676, gave
their report on the proposed patent for the erection of a
royal fishery. They had many objections to offer ; they
saw no reason why a company should be erected " for such
sorts of fishing as are ah-eady in good use and practice by
his Ma's subjects " ; neither could they understand why
privileges should be allowed a company to carry on trades
already well carried on without them, to the great dis-
couragement and prejudice of those already engaged. Such
as were already engaged would, in fact, be compelled either
to join the company or to abandon their business. The terms
of admission to the company and its various rules and bye-laws
were, they thought, not sufl&ciently clear and definite, while
freedom from customs was contrary to all laws dealing
with trade and navigation. They feared, moreover, that
the proposed bye-laws of the company allowed an inlet
to foreigners, since the ships of the company might be
entirely manned by such persons. It was not even stipu-
lated, the}^ pointed out, that foreigners employed by the
company should five in Britain, or that vessels must be
victualled and equipped there.

So far as regarded the gratuity to be granted in respect
of each vessel belonging to the company, they objected that
there was no obHgation that these vessels should bring their
fish to England and land it there ; thus not only might the

trade by the name of the Company of the Royall ffisherj- in perpetuity, with
the severall Powers, Priviledges, and immunityes hereimto annexed and
such other Powers, Priviledges, and immunityes and in such full and
comprehensive Clauses for the good government and Regulations of
the said Company as are fitt and usuall in Charters of Hke nature.
And you are to insert therein a Declaracon that wee. Our heires, and
successors will alwaies have the said Company under our speciall Protection.
And for so doing tliis shall be your warrant.

Given at our Court at \Miitehall, the — day of May, in the 28th yeare
of our Raigne,

To our trusty and well-beloved
Our Attorney General

By his Males, comand.

112 CHAELES II.

men, vessels, and stock be foreign, " but the whole trade
may be also driven in Scotland or Ireland, or in foreign
parts beyond sea and yet capable of this Bounty." ^

In face of these numerous objections, the king was pre-
vailed upon to send back the proposals of the Fishery Com-
pany to be revised. The council of the company, however,
did not wait for their patent to be issued in its final form,
but commenced work with a smaU fleet of doggers, one of
which had scarcely gone to sea before, in July, 1676, it was
captured by a French privateer. ^ The seven remaining
vessels belonging to the Fishery Company were named as
follows : The King's Fisher, The Adventure, The Speedwell,
The Success, The Frogg, The Holy Island, The Experiment.^

On February 28th, 1677, the patent for the Royal Fishery
was issued in its final form, some of the former proposals
having been modified to suit the wishes of the Commissioners
for the Customs. The Duke of York was again to be at the
head of the Royal Fishery, and along with him there was
placed the Earl of Danby. The company, it was arranged,
should be managed by a General Court, which was to consist
of the Governor, the Sub-Governor, the Deputy-Governor,
and a committee of twelve. It was given powers to purchase
lands and tenements not exceeding £1,000 per annum in
value, and was granted a common seal ; its vessels were
to be allowed to fish in aU waters of Great Britain and Ire-
land, so long as they did not encroach upon the privileges
of any other corporation or private person. On any groimd
not belonging to private individuals, houses necessary for
the work might be erected, or wharfs and docks built by
the company, without payment of rent or duty to the Idng ;
the members of the company were at liberty to seU their fish
wherever they wished, either in exchange for money or for

^CaL S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 382, No. 39.
^Ibid. vol. 383, No. 91.
Ubid. vol. 387, No. 242.

THE ROYAL FISHERY 113

other commodities. The freedom from customs dues
originally granted was withdrawn, but as a compensation
for this, the company was to be allowed £200 for every
dogger built for it.

For the first seven years of its existence, the company
was to receive an annual subsidy of £20 for every vessel
actually employed in fishing. This sum was to be paid
every quarter to the treasurer of the company in London.
Fifty poimds was also to be allowed annually for the main-
tenance of an orthodox minister. All employees of the
company were to be exempt from the operations of the press
gang and were not to be compelled to serve as jur3anen,
or to accept any other office, civil or mihtary. The com-
pany was also granted all moneys previously collected
for the national fishery, and was promised adequate convoy
for its vessels in time of war. Finally, the commission
granted to the former company for the fishing was revoked. ^

With privileges, therefore, which were far in excess of
those granted to any of its predecessors, the company was
estabhshed, its capital according to the writer of A Col-
lection concerning the Royal Fishery,'^ being £10,980,
to which was shortly afterwards added £1,600. Given
favourable circumstances, therefore, combined with reason-
ably careful management, this company would have suc-
ceeded in doing all that its promoters hoped ; but some
unkind destiny seemed still to thwart the well-meant
endeavours of any who sought to develop British fisheries.
The times were not yet propitious for the enterprise. Europe
was now aroused to the menace arising from the ambitious
designs of Louis XIV. ; the Grand Alhance had been
formed ; a naval war was raging in which the combined
fleets of Holland and Spain confronted that of France.
Unfortunately, a great many of the vessels of the fishing

^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 391, Nos. 63 and 63.1.

-A Collection, with somz observations concerning the Royal Fishery, 1696.

114 CHARLES II.

company had been purchased in Holland, and were not
only Dutch built but also Dutch manned. The natural
result was that these vessels were seized as lawful prizes
by the French.

The company had thus scarcely begun its work before it
had to provide itself with a new fleet. The strain upon its
capital was so great that, in 1682, the council of management
declared that a capital of £30,000 or at least of £20,000, should
be raised as quickly as possible. The minds of men, however,
were already beginning to be agitated by the Romanist
sympathies of the Duke of York, and no cause could hope
for much popular sympathy which had him at its head.
The proposal, therefore, met with no hearty response, and
as a means of interesting a greater number of gentlemen in the
enterprise, the Comicil now agreed that the company should
consist of not more than forty-five and not less than twenty-
eight members.

The members of the company now set themselves to the
task of placmg the affairs of their society on a sound basis,
but while they were thus labourmg Charles II. died. The
position of the company was now almost exactly similar
to that in which the first Association for the Fishing had
found itself in 1642. The kingdom was seething with
discontent, no man knew what might be the upshot of the
king's mad quarrel with his people. It was certainly not
a time in which men would be willing to risk capital in a
a company which depended for its very existence, to a con-
siderable extent, upon royal patronage. The fate of the
dynasty was trembling in the balance, and it was to be
expected that the estabUshment of the Fishery Company
should be looked upon as a matter of httle importance.
Men put the question into the background until brighter
days should dawn, and the endeavour to found a national
fishery was once more abandoned until a stable government
should be estabhshed in England.

THE ROYAL FISHERY 115

The company for the fishmg estabhshed in Scotland under
the patronage of Charles II. had, naturally, laboured
under the same disadvantages as that estabhshed by him
in England, and hke it, but at an earUer date, had
succumbed under the untoward set of circumstances pro-
duced by the Dutch wars.^ The Royal Company, however,
although it had ceased to prosecute the fishing, still
continued to exact a tax of six pounds Scots on all herring
exported from Scotland. In 1690, by Act of Parhament,
the Company was formally dissolved ; the right to exact
this tax was now withdrawn and the merchants of the
Royal Burghs were invited " to employ their stocks and
industry in the trade of fishing and cureing of herring," all
privileges taken from them at the erection of the Royal
Company being now restored. ^

With the accession of WiUiam and Mary, renewed efforts
were made to encourage the fishing industry, efforts which
ultimately were crowned with success. The seventeenth
century had witnessed a long series of unsuccessful attempts
on the part of Britain to cope with her Dutch rivals in the
fishing trade ; the eighteenth century was to see Britain
supreme in the North Sea.

1 Convention of Royal Burghs of Scotland, vol. iv., p. 72.
- Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. is., p. 224.

APPENDIX.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE BXnLDING OF A HERRING

BUSSE.i

The length of the Busse, from Stemme to Sterne, must bee 75
Foot. That is to say 45 Foot the length of the Keele.
It must be :

18 Inches deepe, the fore part of the Keele.
12 Inches deepe, the after part of the Keele.
14 Inches the breadth of the Keele.
23 Foot the Stem or Rake which must bee, viz. :
5 Foot Crooked.
20 Inches Broad the fore stem.
7 Foot the Sterne poste must fall backward.
The Sterne post must be 20 Feet and crooked on the Inside,
16 Inches Square on the afterside, and 7 Inches thicke.

The fore stem must faU in length forwards 23 Foot, 7 foot
deepe begets 16 foot and a half broad in the Midship, within
the Tjmabers.

10 Foot deepe from the keele to the uppermost Deck.

4 Feet 3 inches the lower deck from the keele, wherein are
10 double roomes, besides the Net roomes for stoage.

5 Foot 9 Inches betweene the Decks.

The stoage will be 412 Barrels, which 412 Barrels, reckoning
12 Barrels to the Last, produceth 34 Lasts and foure Barrels.
Complete cost 500 li.
Whole charge of
56 Netts amounts to - - - - 237 H 4s. 4d.

^ The Herring Busse Trade, expressed in Sundry particulars, by Simon
Smith, Agent for the Royal Fishing (1641).

APPENDIX 117

The Charge and Profitt of one Busse of 70 Tunes

IMPLOYED ONE YeARE EST THE FfISHERY, BY WCH MAY BE
COMPUTED THE CHARGE OF A FlEET.^

The Charge.

Such a Busse with all her tackle ready to
launch forth wiU cost £403 10 0

To sett her forth with all lasting and wasting
comodities for ye whole year - - - - 695 18 8

Wages for 15 men and sallaries to land ofi&cers
for our Busse may be paid . - - - 238 1 0

£1337 9 8

The Profitt.

The Herrings usually taken in such a busse
in one yeare is seldome less than 100 Lasts
worth - - £1000 0 0

Of cod 15,000 worth 4501., of Lmg

10,000 worth 800 comes to - . - 1250 0 0

£2250 0 0

By this accompt (wch is the whole years charges, though
provisions are shipped at severall tymes and the Sallaries are
paid at ye vessells retume by the Comodities they bring home),
it appears that the Herrings, Cod & Ling taken in one year by
a Busse of 70 Tunnes (besides two moonths set apart for caulking
the vessel) doth repay the whole money adventured with Interest
of 70 per cent, and the Buss with all her lasting provisions clearly
gained, and about 1500 h. a year so long as she lasteth after-
wards, 500 of which Busses would in two years tyme raise his
Matie. sufficient moneys to make them up 2000 Busses, which
wiU bring him in yearly between two and three miUions of pounds
sterhng (besides the saving of 300,000 li. yearly of ready money
wch is laid out with ye Dutch for the fish only caught in our own

1 Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum.

118 APPENDIX

seas), and if his Matie. should sell them beyond sea as the Hol-
landers doe, he might in some places almost quadruple the price
here sett down, which is the lowest rate that any reckon, and
what more may be made of them will sufficiently defray all
extraordinary charges.

This may be performed with a reasonable charge wch may
safely be raised in this kingdom, as should humbly be offered
should his Matie. please to order that it might be seriously
debated.

Smith Watson.

Simon Watson.

WAGES AS DETAILED IN " A MODELL OF A

CONTROLL FOR THE ROYAL FISHERY." i

The Shipmasters pay for herring, per last - £0 6 0

„ „ for cod, per cent. - - 0 2 0

„ „ for hng, per cent. - - 0 4 0

The Mates pay for herring, per last - - 0 1 6

„ for cod, per cent. - - - 0 0 6

„ for hng, per cent. - - - 0 1 0

A mariner or fisherman's pay for herring, per last 0 10

„ „ ,, for cod, per cent. 0 0 4

„ „ ,, for hng, per cent. 0 0 9

A^labourer or new seaman's pay for herring, per last 0 0 8

„ „ ,, for cod, per cent. 0 0 2

„ „ ,, for hng, per cent. 0 0 7

The Shipboyes pay for herring, per last - - 0 0 3

„ „ for cod, per cent. - - 0 0 1

„ „ for ling, per cent. - - 0 0 3

The Wharfmaster's pay for herring, per last - 0 10

„ „ for cod, per cent. - 0 0 6

„ „ for hng, per cent. - 0 10

For his six men clerks, packers, for herring, per last 0 0 3

„ „ „ for cod, per cent. 0 0 1

„ „ ,, for ling, per cent. 0 0 2

^ Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum.

APPENDIX 119

The Registrer's pay for herring, per last-

„ „ for cod, per cent.

„ „ for hng, per cent.

For his three Clerks for herring, per last-

„ „ for cod, per cent.

„ „ for ling, per cent. -

The Controller's pay for herring, per last-

„ „ for cod, per cent.

„ „ for ling, per cent.

For his four Clerks for herring, per last -

„ „ for cod, per mille

„ ,, for Hng, per cent.

The Treasurer's pay for herring, per last -

„ „ for cod, per mille

,, „ for Hng, per cent.

For his four Clearkes for herring, per last -

„ „ for cod, per miUe

„ ,, for ling, per cent. -

The Providitor's pay for herrings, per last -

„ ,, for cod, per cent.

„ ,, for ling, per cent.

For his 3 Clearkes for herring, per last -

,, „ for cod, per miUe

,, ,, for Hng, per cent.

The Vender's pay for herrings, per last

,, ,, for cod, per cent.

,, ,, for Hng, per cent. -

For his 4 Clearkes for herring, per last

,, ,, for cod, per miUe

,, ,, for ling, per cent. -

The Auditor's pay for herring, per last

„ ,, for cod, per cent.

„ ,, for Hng, per cent. -

For his 4 Clearkes for herring, per last

,, ,, for cod, per miUe

„ „ for ling per cent.

£0

0

6

0

0

3

0

0

6

0

0

Oob.

0

0

Oob.

0

0

1

0

0

3

0

0

1

0

0

3

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

Oob.

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

I

0

0

Oob.

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

lob.

0

0

lob.

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

Oob.

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

Oob.

120 APPENDIX

THE INCOMPARABLE BENEFITT OF THE FISHERY
IN HIS MATIES. SEAS.i

Whereas six hundred thousand pounds would sett up the
Fishery of England by raising a ffleet of ffive hundred Busses
of 70 Tunnes, the Busses all ready furnished for that imployment,
and also make wharfs which may be taken up and storehouses
where may be laid in provisions of all sorts.

1. By giving an universall imployment to ye poor of this
Kingdome whereby they may all have comfortable subsistence,
the home-dwelHng poore without taking collection, ye travaihng
beggers without taking alms, the lusty rogues without steahng,
and the children of them all without being first habituated to
an idle course of life, to the saveing at least of one hundred
thousand pounds in the purses of the richer sort.

2. By increasing his Mas. Revenue for the Custome of fish
outward and the Commodities returned for it inwards, wch with
some reasonable tribute from all forreiners that shall fish on his
Maties. Seas will probably raise the Royal Revenue to 200,000£
more than now it is. But by how much more his Ma. shall have
this raised to him by the fishing, by so much less shall he need to
require the pecuniary aid of his subjects.

3. By furnishing the Kingdom and ourselves with all variety
of fish, whereas heertofore we have used to buy great quantities
thereof of the Hollanders, both fresh and salt, and that for ready
money, as first Lobsters, a fishing not much used by the EngHsh,
also ye choyesest barrelled Cod wch the Dutch only had by reason
of their keeping the sea in winter. Fresh cod Hkewise we comonly
bought of ye Hollanders att 40/ or 50/ for a hundred of them.

For these and for Turbutts, Hallibutts and divers other sorts
of excellent fresh sea fish, wherewith his Matie., ye Nobihty, ye
Citty of London, and other parts are suppKed, and whereof
little is taken but only by ye Dutch, who only can keep them
alive in ther well boats, we paid them many thousand pounds,
and next for Salt fish we bought of them most of the pickled
herrings that were eaten in England, and so many of these we

1 Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum.

APPENDIX 121

made Red Herrings to sell into the Streights and other marketts
as were more than what wee tooke ourselves, to the value at
least of another hundred thousand pounds. Besides the Hol-
landers had 500 other shippes imployed upon his Maties. seas to
serve London and other parts of England \^dth Cod and Ling,
for which Cod and Ling we can not rationally urge that they tooke
less of us than 200,000 pounds in ready money whereas if our-
selves were imployed in ye fishing, no Treasure wd be transported
for fish, but wd pass from one to another in our own Nation.
The Profit to be gained computed by stating gains derived
from fish by Hollanders, etc.

1. By that of ye States in their customs wch is reported to
be five himdred and ninety thousand pond, viz. 440,000 H. by
herrings and 150,000 h. by cod and ling.

2. By that of the adventurers in their returnes wch is esteemeed
to be three millions of pounds at home and five millions at for-
reign markets, and if we add thereto all ye fish taken by other
neighbour nations on ye British coast all ye yeare long ye totall
will evidently arrise to tenn miUions of pounds.

3. By that of the Convoys in their pay ; while the warr con-
tmued between the Hollanders and their sovereign the Kinge
of Spain, the Dunkirkers did so infest their fishermen that
they were forced to hire men of warr to secure them in their
fishing and in their passage to and fro, att the price of a Dollar
uppon every Last, the Register whereof showed 300,000 lasts
taken during that season of herring fishing.

4. By the great quantities sold at foreign markets and the
great price, the quantity more than an hundred thousand lasts,
with a greater proportion sold to fforeigners at home, besides
what spent in the Belgick provinces and the price att fforeign
marketts att least 16, but sometymes La some places 18, 20,
24, 30, 36 pounds the last.

Benefits. — La the Honour, Security and Strength, that will
redound to this Nation thereby.

1. By restoring to our Countrey of Great Brittaine the name
& reputation of her own Comodities ; for that is one thing which
renders a Nation renowned among Strangers, that it can furnish
other parts of the world with any usefull commoditie. But

122 APPENDIX

our Dutch neighbours deck themselves ^vith our feathers and as
our EngHsh Bayes transported white into Amsterdam, and there
drogged and dyed, they sell by the name of fflemish Bayes, and
sett their o^\^l town Scale on them, so the great staple ling taken
indeed only by the Hollanders, but yet about the Islands of
Scotland, Sheteland, Orkney, and wherewith they serve all
Christendom, is called forsooth by the name of Holland ling.

2. By taking off that too true imputation of sloathfulness and
improvidence from our nation, which hitherto hath had many
thousand persons lay idle at home while strangers come from
hundreds of leagues to our Coasts for imployment, and eithere
sent away those commodities from us which God and Nature
sent unto us, and laid at our doors, or if they sent them not
away, they made us pay great rates for them, even for the fish
of our own waters, though towards the takeing those fish we
have all necessaris in as much more plenty as they have.

3. By securring our Rights from the incroachments of those
who (if our gratious Sovereign had not interposed) wd not only
have supplanted us in our foreign plantations, but probably
also have catched our bordering seas from us as well as our fish
as appears,

1. By their refuseing, notwithstanding our late King's pro-
clamation to that purpose, to ask leave when they came to fish
in our seas, as they had ever done once by the yeare in former
tyme at Scarborough ; secondly, by their abusing us when they
did come in our best and nearest fishing in the Yarmouth Road —
pestering the narrow Seas with multitudes of Dutch Vessells
and comonly ride at anchor in the midst of the shoals, gipping,
dressing, and barrelling their herrings, which makes our EngHsh
loose their tyme, for we cannot drive whilst they ride at anchor,
but our netts will be spoyled and torn to peeces on the others
cables.

Thirdly, by the Hollanders intitling themselves to a freedome
on the British coasts, in calHng their great fishing and catching
of herrings (which they catch only in his Maties. Seas) the prin-
cipall golden myne of the United Provinces, States Proclamation,
19th July, 1622.

Fourthly, by their late design of getting a patent to possess.

APPENDIX 123

inhabit, and fortifie that excellent Island of Lewis in the
Hebrides, under the first pretence of bringing comerce into those
remote parts of Scotland.

Fifthly, by their having upon his Ma.'s seas 20 or 30 shippes
of Warr under pretence of securing their fishermen, all which
put together may give a just suspition of their further aims,
when opportunity shall serve, wch yet if tymely looked into may
be prevented and we secured by the increase of our fishing
vessels in multitudes and magnitude and by keeping possession
therewith on our oAvn seas, limiting strangers to fewre numbers
(especially shipps of war) and to payment of the tenth fish or
some other tribute.

4. By adding such strength hereby to all our sea cost and
consequently to the whole realm, as will make it easily defensible
against any foreign powers, and yet withall by the great increase
of our shipping and marriners enable us speedily to invade,
offend and surprise our opposers though remote and at great
distance, and "will therefore also upon any occation of pubhque
contracts render his Matie. more dreadfull to his enemies and
helpfull to his friends and allies, which advantage is by knowing
men accounted such a rare accomphshment of the grandure of
a Prince and ye securrity of his subjects that it alone may well
recompenes the whole charge of the undertaking, though all
the fish they shall catch were thrown into the sea again, for it
is not six hundred thousand pounds that will defray the charges
of a warr, whereas such known power offensive and defensive
of any kingdome would safely prevent it. But the fishing
attaineth this and far sooner and better than shipps of warr
and shipps of merchandise, which are thought to marr more
seamen than they make, because the easie life of the seamen
in the one makes them unwilling to return, and the hard service
in the other when it happens takes them off by fighting. A
fleet of Bushes is the best school from whence all other shipps may
be furnished, in that they are best trained up and made acquainted
with those places of danger which abound in our seas ; there
they may learne ye principles of navigation and pilotage, and
to know the use of tackle and compasse, and in them especially
(by reason of their dwelling uppon the seas while their sett

124 APPENDIX

tyme or full ladeing happen) they being able to indure hard labour
and a rough sea without being thereat dismayd. This exercise
therefore of the ffishery deserves above all others to be sett up
and vigorously promoted in his Maties. dominions, as necessarily
begetting store of shipps and stout marriners, in which principally
consists ye strength and security of all Island Kingdomes.

THE CHARGES OF SETTING FORTH A FISHING FLEET, i

The whole charge of the Fishery may be comprehended under
these heads, preparatory, concomitant and subsequent charges.

The preparatory charges are of such things as must be made
read}' before the fishing begin, and consist in the providing

1. Of Docks, where Busses, Pinks, Wellboats and other shipps
may be built and caulked.

2. Of Wharfes, where vessels may as soon as possible, be
unladen by cranage, without the charge or trouble of carting.

3. Of Storehouses adjojming to the ^^^larfes, with convenient
lodging for the T\Tiarfe-oificers and their ffamilyes, and sufficient
yard-room for packing of Herrings, ffanning and drjdng of Netts,
making of Ropes, etc. The Charge whereof may be more or
lesse, as pleaseth the ffounder or Sounders to bestow upon them,
to make them the more strong and commodious.

1. Shipps are more or lesse charged according to their different
dimensions, but because those of 70 Tunns are by experienced
men accounted a competent size, and lesser will not well abide
the ordinary storms at sea, our Accounts shall goe only on
vessells of that size, but such a one, with all her Roomes fitted
up, and all her Iron Work, Masts, Sailes, Ropes, Cables, Anchor,
Cockboat and Appertenants whereby shee is made ready to launch
forth, wiU cost about £403 10 0

2. The provisions for the Shipps are either common with
other shii^ps, or proper to the Fishery.

Common provisions with other shipps are twofold, the more
Lasting and the more Wasting.

^ Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum.

APPENDIX 125

The more lasting are fflaggs, Bucketts, Mapps, Compasses,
Houre-Glasses, Lanthornes, Long-Oares, And in the Steward's
Store, potts, panns, dishes, spoones, Gryd-Irons, Chafing dishes,
Frying-pans, Trenchers, Candlesticke, also Saw, Hammers,
Hate he te, Halfe-pikes, muskets, Cheste, Boxes, etc., which will
cost about - - £17 00 00

The more wasting are victual!, which for 15 persons in Biskett,
Butter, Cheese, Oatmeale, pease, beer. Vinegar, etc., will cost
per mensem £13 13/8, ffuell per mensem 16/-, candle 2/6,
Physick, viz., aqua-vitae, Zant-Oyle, Sperma Caeti, Stonepitch,
Honey, Sugar, Nutmeg, Ginger, Pepper, Balsome, Salves per
mensem 14/-. Also powder, Bullets, Nayles, 3/-. In all per
mensem, £15 9/2, — that is, for the six months or 24 weeks
of herring fishing, £92 15. 00. for the 7 months or 28 weeks of
Cod and Ling Fishing, £108 04. 02. for the whole year, with
petty tally £200 19 02

Proper provisions for the Fishery are such as are used only
in the herring fishery, or only in the Cod and hng fishing, or m
both.

Herring ffishing hath as pecuhar to it.

Netts to each Busse at least ffifty, which with their Apperte-
nants are worth - - - £238 02 06 -|

Tools and Implements used in I £242 09 06

ordering of herring, worth - 04 07 00 J

Cod and Ling fishing require a distinct charge of Hookes
16/-, eight dozen of tanned fines £04 16. 00., Chopsticks £03 04. 00.,
Garfangle Hooks 16/-, Heading Knives, Sphtting Knives, etc.,
10/-, A Grindstone and Trough 5/-, LampriUs for bait, £02 10. 00.,
Basketts £01 10. 00.

In aU £14 10 00

Both fishings require Cask and Salt.
Cask at Herring Fishing,

Each Bush useth twelve hundred barrels, worth 75 00 00
At Cod Fishing each bushe may use 35 Lasts of
BarreUs, worth 26 05 00

Casks - - - - £101 05 00

126 APPENDIX

Salt. — At Herring Fishing each Busse useth
1200 Bushels, worth £60 00 00

At Cod Fishing 15 weigh at 40/- p. weigh - 30 00 00

And for Ling to be salted up in the Hold of
the Ship, as much 30 00 00

Salt- - - - £120 00 00

The Subsequent Charges may be understood of all that cost

which must follow after the first setting out our fishing vessells,

which consists in paying officers, building new ships and repaying

and refurnishing the old,

1. In paying the persons employed in the fishery both at
Sea and Land.

At Sea, where the Bussmen being 15 persons, their wages
will be per Busse,

For the 6 months or 24 weeks of Herring ffishing
season, about ------- £88 15 00

For the 7 months or 28 weeks of Cod and
Ling fishing, about ------ £108 02 06

At Land, where Salaries for Generall Ofificers,
Controller, Treasurer, Auditor and others, also for
Wharfe-Masters, Registere, their Clerks, Under
Clerks, Packers, Searchers, etc., may be yearly
per Busse about £41 03 06

Here wages and Salaryes are accounted as part of the Charge,
which Charge is not necessary to the setting out of the Fishery,
being never payd while the Returnes, which bring Commodity to
pay it with, and so is not money out of purse, or any part of the
Adventure.

2. In building new ffishing vessells every yeare more or
lesse, as we can get Materialle by which we shall both encrease
our Stock and supply the former Busses, as they shall grow
uselesse, which may probably be in Twenty Years or There-
abouts.

3. In Repajrring and Canning the old ones every yeare,
and Refurnishing them with provisions, as formerly; howbeit
this charge of building them, together with the Consumptive
Charge of what is wasted in the use, and is yearly to be renewed.

APPENDIX 127

as Victuall, ffuell, physick, Salt, Cask, etc., or worsted in the
use, and is yearly to be repayred, as the Shipp, TackUng and other
materialls, they are properly to be brought into the Account of the
Second Yeares Ffishing.

In which Second Yeare and every yeare after, so long as the
Busse shall last, the profitte will be more, or the Charge the lesse,
by how much repajrring a Shipp wiU cost lesse money than building
one. And thus by one vessell an estimate may be taken of the
Charge of a whole ffishing Fleet, of what number soever it shall

Smith Watson.
Simon Watson,
John Allington, Nephew.

" Some Proposalls for setting up of the Fishery humbly offered
to the consideration of his Matie. and Councell : That they
would be pleased to pitch upon either of them which in their
wisdome shall seeme the most probable for the managing of it
to the best advantage for the King and his Dominions." ^

1. By Giving leave to any of the people that will sett up a
Busse joyntly or by themselves to imploy their own stores for
their particular advantages. But how slowly this may proceed
wee leave it to that experience which his Matie. hath had of it
this Eight Yeares last past, and nothing done therein (if at all
attempted). HoAvever, hereby we thinke many poore might be
imployed by Land, Marryners made thereby at Sea, and these
men grow that Imploy them, with some advancement to the
Kinges Customes by bringing Commodity to the Kingdome.

2. By his Maties, Incorporating the Merchants or some
Company a Corporation thereunto ; Though wee consider this a
better way then the former for more speedier and effectually
preferring of the same, yet the efforts will be like the former
and sooner accompHshed ; But

3. The Interest of the King doth concern every particular
person, his undertaking of it is for every man's advantage, what-
soever hee getts thereby saves the Nation so much in their
purses, for if the king gaynes as much by this as will mainteyne

^ Sea Fisheries, Temp. Car. II. ; Additional MSS. British Museum.

128 APPENDIX

his Crowne and Dignitie, without the Assistance of any parlya-

mentary taxes, hee may alleviate his Customes as low as any

Xation whatsoever, which v^-jR bring the Trade of Holland into

theis Kingdom es, Invite all ingenious Manufactors into the

Xation, as well as -oin men into this Kingdome and the rest

of his Matie. Dominions ; And also vdU. preserve the peace of the

Nation from being disturbed or violated more then private persons

or Corporative bodyes will or can doe in their undertaking it, who

may be apt upon all evill Instigations and discontente to

strengthen either Domestick or foreigne Enemyes -s^-ith their

power both of shipping and marryners.

SiiiTH Watsox.

Simon Watson.

To the King and both Houses of Parlyament in Parlyament
assembled.

THE PROPOSALL.

That an Act of Parlyament may pass for building and fitting
out with expedition a Fleete of 500 Busses of about 70 Tunns
Burthen apeece, To be unploj'ed in ffishing for herrings, cod &
ling in his Maties. Seas, and the profitte to be disposed for the
increasing of the said fishing vessells to the number of 2,000 or
there abouts as it will be thought necessary. And after the pajing
of pubhque debts and the defraying of all necessary charges,
the propertie of the said Fleete to be settled in the Crowne.

ADVANTAGES.

A Fleet of Two Thousand Busses will imploy yearly at Sea
at 15 men to a Busse 30,000 men, besides at least 30,000 men more
at Land in the service of the Fleete. It will save the kingdome
300,000 thousand pounds paid yearly to the Dutch for fish taken
by them in his Maties. Seas and sold to the Enghsh. The first
year the said 2000 Bushes sayle may, with God's blessing, defray
the whole charge of bmlding. Tackle, Victualhng, fitting out,
officers and seamens wages for that year, with an overplus of

APPENDIX 129

£1,835,033 6. 8., and will every year, Communibus annis, as
long as the fleete lasts, yield his Maty, the clear yearly proffitt of
at least £2,642,033 6. 8. which is demonstrated as followeth : —
Fish usually taken in a Busse of 70 Tunns, Communibus annis,
is at least

li.
Herring, 100 last, worth at least - 1000
Cod, 15,000, worth at least - - 0450
Ling, 10,000, worth at least - - 0800

£2250 00 00

The charge of a Busse 70 Tunns the first yeare (ready to be
demonstrated) ^vill not exceed

Building and fitting for sayle - - - £0403 10 00
Victualling and furnishing with Lasting

and Wasting Commodities - - 0695 18 08
Officers and seamens wages - - - 0233 01 00

£1332 09 08.
Profifit each Busse

£0917 10 04.
Which for 2000 Busses for the first yeare will be cleere profitt

£1,835,033 06 08.
Proffitt of each Busse after the first year as aboue,

£2250 00 00.
Charges of fitting, victualling, Sallaryes and wages,

£0928 19 08.
Profitt of each Busse,

£1321 00 04.
Which from 2000 Busses ^\ill amount to
£2,642,033 06 08.

This Fleete %\ill be a nursery of seamen, no lesse necessary
then usefull for asserting his Matie. Dominion of the Sea, and
the right of the Crowne in regulating Trade against the Usurpa-
tions and Encroachments of the Dutch and French.

The Proffitts of this Fleete may ease the People of Taxes by
freeing the Crown from the necessitie of them for support of the
Government, and will improve the value of Land and the wealth

I

130 APPENDIX

of the Nation by saving £300,000 now yearly exported by the
Hollanders for fish bought of them, and by the importation
of Coyne from abroad by vent of ffish taken and sold by his
Matie. subjects. The Monopoly of ffish taken by the Hollanders
being one mayne support of that Government.

As to men and materyalls for the Fleets there will be sufficient
of both, unles money be wanting to carry on the Designe.

The interest of the king doth concerne every particular person,
his undertaking of it for every man's advantage, whatsoever
hee getts thereby saves the Nation so much in their purses,
for if the King gaynes as much by this as wiU mainteyne his
Cro-rtTie and Dignitie, hee may seldome desire the assistance of
Parlyamentary Taxes. Hee may also alleviate his Customes
as low as any nation whatsoever, which will bring the Trade
of Holland into this kingdome and the rest of his Maties dominions,
And also will preserve the peace of this Nation from being dis-
turbed and violated more then private persons or Corporative
Bodyes will or can doe in their undertaking of it, who may be
apt upon all evill Instigatione and discontente to strengthen
either Domestick or fforeigne Enemyes with their power both of
Shipping and Marryners.

That money is wanting is the considerable objection, and
the same that lay in Columbus Avay. And had it not been
removed by supplyes of men, money, and shipps, Adventured
by Spain upon farre lesse probable grounds of Advantage than
here are proposed. It had lost to that CrowTie, as it did to this
and the French, the first discovery of the Mjnes and the Indies.
But this is addressed to your Matie. and your Parlyament for
raising six hundred thousand pounds, whereof one hundred
thousand pounds to be imployed for Docks, and for storehouses
and wharfEes adjoining one to the other, That the Goods may be
conveyed from the Wharffes to the Storehouses without the
charge of carting, which said summe will be demonstrated an
ample fund to carry on and compleate this Designe worthy your
encouragement and Reserved by Providence (after the weak
Essayes of former tymes) to be perfected under the Auspitious
Government of the best of Princes and Wisest of Parlyaments,
who cannot want either power or will to compleat what appeares

APPENDIX 131

so clearely and eminently advantagious for the publique Good
and Interest of the Kingdom ; And, in order to raise the Fund
proposed and to secure the Imployment of it, to the use it is
designed for,

The Proposer is ready when commanded to demonstrate at
large the facihtie of bringing this designe to effect, the pro-
babihtie and greatness of its advantages when effected, and the
necessitie of it in order to any considerable improvement of
the wealth, strength, and honour of the Nation, and as to Objec-
tions hee doubts not but to cleere all can he made against it.
Except that of the want of £600,000 to carry on the work ; Yet
hee conceives hee had already removed this objection by having
demonstrated the quicknes and probabihtie of the Returne
of this Fund with so great an Encrease into the pubHque Coffers,
and presentes that Demonstration to them who have power to
give and lay out the money proposed ; But cannot lay it out
to better advantage for improving their and their Posterityes
safe tie, honour and wealth then by bringing this Designe to
perfection.

Smith Watson.

Simon Watson.

John Allington.

INDEX.

Aberdeen, 2, 28.

Act — for erection of Fishing Com-
panies (1661), 90.
Alexander, Sir William, Secretary

for Scotland, 35, 36, 41.
Allington, John, 131.
Alsatia, Margaret of. Countess of

Flanders, 2.
Ambassadors, from Dutch, 11, 12.
Anchorage and Ground Leave, 39,

59.
Anderson, Matthew, of Kirkcaldy,

92.
Andrew, Sir Phineas, 90.
Armament of English fishing ves-
sels, 65, 66.
Army, English, 2.
Arundel and Surrey, Earl of, 60.
Assize Herring, 7.

Association for the Fisliing {temp.
Charles I.).

Balance Sheet of, 69.

Capital of, 55, 68, 71.

Charter of, 48, 49, 50, 53.

Commissioners for, 39, 40, 41,
42, 43, 44, 45.

Complaint of, 60.

Coimcil of, 54, 55, 60, 61, 67, 68,
70, 83.

Estabhshment of, 48.

Failure of, 81, 82, 83, 84.

in the Lewis, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60,
61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 81, 82.

in North Sea, 65, 66, 67, 69.

Pri\dleges of, 49, 81, 83.

Proposals concerning, 12, 31, 33,
36, 37, 38, 39.

Proclamations concerning, 52, 62.

Vessels of, 54, 55, 57, 58, 61, 64,
65, 66, 67, 08, 69, 71, 82.
Ayr, 60.

Bartholomew Tide, 25.

Battle of the Herring, 2.

Beukelsz, or Belkinson, William, 3.

Biervliet, 3.

Binning, Lord, 10, 20.

Blake, Colonel, 85.
Bohemia, Ehzabeth of, 8, 76, 7 7.
Boroughs, Sir John, 69.
Boswel, John, of Kinghorn, 92.
Boswell, Sir William, 77.
Browne, 8.

Burghs, Royal, of Scotland, 31, 32,
33, 38, 39, 42, 44, 45, 46, 51, 115.
Buss, or Bush, 14, 27, 29, 38, 44,
46, 47, 52, 54, 57, 58, 65, 66,
68, 82, 92, 95, 100, 120, 123,
124, 125, 126, 129.
Britain's Buss, 36 n, 37 n, 65.
The Herring Busse Trade, 116 n.
The Charge and Profitt of one

Busse, 95, 117.
Directions for Building of, 116.
Buxton, Captain William, 56.

Capital of Association for Fishing,

55, 68, 71, 82.
Carlton, Sir David, 7, 8, 10, 13.
The Charges of setting forth a Fishing

Fleet, 96, 124.
Charles I. (of England), 5, 24, 27,

29, 31, 32, 33, 40, 45, 47, 50, 51,

52, 53, 54, 60, 61, 62, 63, 69, 70,

71, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81, 83, 95.
Charles II. (of England), 89, 90, 94,

97, 98, 100, 105, 109, 110, 114. 115.
Charles V. (of Spain), 3.
Charter of Association for Fishing,
48, 49, 50, 53.

of Royal Fishery, 110.

concerning Stornowav, 63.
Civil War, 24, 84, 85.
Cobb, Wilham, 64.
Cobbett, Colonel, 88.
Cod, 25, 27, 29, 56, 117, 118, 119,

120, 121, 125, 128.
Coke, Secretary, 25, 26, 29, 67.
Collection for Roval Fishery, 98,

99, 102, 103, 104.
A Collection concerning the Royal

Fishery, 113.
College of the Herring Fishery, 13,

27, 28.

INDEX

133

Commissioners to treat with Dutch,
10.

for Association for Fishing, 39,
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.

for the Customs, 111.
Commonwealth, 25, 85, 97.
Companies, Fishery-. See Associa-
tion for Fishing, Societies for

Fishing, and Royal Fishery.
Company of the Old Hans, 5.

Muscovie, 30.
Complaints by Scotch Fishermen,

6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Convention of Royal Burghs. See

Burghs.
Convoy, with Fishing vessels, 9, 10,

65, 75, 78, 86, 89, 106, 121, 133.
Council of the Association for Fish-
ing, 48, 55, 60, 61, 67, 68, 70, 83.

of the Roval Fishery, 98.

of State (Commonwealth), 88, 90.
Crail, 61, 93.
Cromwell, Oliver, 80, 85, 87.

Danby, Earl of, 112.

Danes, 10.

Dantzic, 82.

Deal Castle, 73.

Deane, Colonel, 85.

Declaration by James I. to Dutch,

11.
Delft, 13.
Deptford, 56, 100.
De Ruyter, Admiral, 104.
Desmarces, Sir Anthony, 102.
De Tromp, Admiral, 80.
De Witt, 82.
Dogger Bank, 57.
Dominium Maris, 1, 6, 7, 18, 77,

86. See also Sovereignty of Sea.
Downs, Battle of, 80.
Duke, George, Secretary to Royal

Fishery, 102, 103.
Dunbar, 28.

Dunfermhne, Earl of, 20.
Dunkirk, privateers from, 15, 65, 66,

67, 69, 72, 77, 79, 80, 82, 83, 89.
Dutch fishers and fishermen, 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 22, 30, 42, 44, 47, 58, 59, 65,
69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78,
79, 86, 88, 94, 96, 97, 108, 117,
120, 122.

Embassy, 11, 12.

Fishery College, 13, 27, 28.

in Channel, 88, 105.

in Lewis, 6, 7, 27, 32, 86.

in North Sea, 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 13,
15, 16, 24, 25, 29, 64, 69, 70, 71,
74, 75, 78, 79, 80, 86, 89.

Dutch, Republic, 4, 5, 6, 7, 67, 72,

76, 80, 87.
in Shetland, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,

21, 22, 86.
Wars, 23, 25, 85, 102, 104, 105,

106, 107, 109, 115.
War vessels, 7, 66, 67, 74, 75, 86,

96, 106, 113, 133.

East Coast fishing, 14, 15, 16, 27,

28, 29, 43, 57, 58, 65.
Edinburgh, 7, 32, 33, 35, 42.
Edward I., Proclamation by, 2.
Edward III., Proclamation by, 4.
Ehzabeth of Bohemia, 8, 76, 77.
Elizabeth of England, 6.
Embassy, Dutch, 11, 12.
Empire, Spanish, 4.
England's Way to ivin Wealth, 14.
Enghsh Channel, 65.
English fishers and fisheries, 11, 16,

25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 42, 47, 57, 58,

86, 88, 89, 95, 96, 97, 106, 120,

121, 123, 124.
Eqmpment of fishing vessels, 66, 96,

125 127.
Estates, Lords of, 12, 35, 38, 40,

84, 85.

Farthings, Coining of, 102.
Fielding, Captain Richard, 78, 79.
Fish-days, 91.

Fishery Companies. See Associa-
tion for Fisliing, Royal Fishery,

Society for Fishing.
Fisheiy, The Royal Fishery. See
Royal.

The incomparable Benefitt of the
Fishery in His Maties Seas,
120.

Some Proposalls for setting up of
the Fishery, 127.
Fishing, Herring. See Herring.

Land, Scotch, 38, 39.

Reserved, 9, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,
46, 49, 51, 52, 53.

Fleet, The Charges of setting forth
a Fishing Fleet, 124.

Salmon, 26, 45.
Fitton, Sir Edward, 4.
Flanders, Countess of, 2.
Flanders, 2, 4, 9, 71.
Fleet in North Sea, English, 7, 71,

72, 73, 74, 75, 86, 88, 89.
Flushing, 69.
Fogg, Captain, 79.
Forth, Firth of, 28.
Freedom of Sea. See Mare

Liberum.
French, Treaty with, 9.

134

INDEX

Gentleman, Tobias, 14, 16.

Greenland, Whale Fishing, 30, 90.

The Griefs and Wrongs of the Inhabi-
tants of the Isles of Orkney and
Shetland, 17, 18, 19, 20.

Grotius, Hugh, 7, 70.

Groiuid leave and anchorage, 59.

Glasgow, Fishing Society at, 93.

Glencaim, Earl of, 87,

Hague, The, 8, 77.
Halse, Sir Nicholas, 69.
Hamburg, Fishers and Traders of,

17, 21, 92.
Hamilton, Marquis of, 10, 41.
Hans, Company of the old, 5.
Harwich, 100, 103.
Hay, Sir George, 10.
Hay, John, Town Clerk of Edin-
burgh, 32, 41, 42, 62.
Henry V., VI., and VII., 4.
Henry IV. of France, 9.
Henry, Prince, 8.
Herring, Assize, 7

Battle of the, 2.

Buss. See Buss.

Brand, 3.

College of the Herring Fishing.
See College.

Cured, 2, 3, 4, 29, 30, 58, 82, 96,
98, 108, 109, 115, 120.

Fishing, 14, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28,

29, 36, 37, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 88,

94, 96, 117, 118, 119, 125, 126,

128.

Highlanders, hostility of, 31, 61,

62, 63.
Hitchcock, 14.
Holland and Hollanders. See

Dutch.
Hollang ling, 16.

Iceland, 25, 26, 89, 90, 95.

The Incomparable Benefitt of the
Fishery in His Maties Seas, 120.

Instructions to the Commissioners
for the fishing, 41.

Instructions to Sir William Alex-
ander, 36, 37.

Interest of Holland, 82.

Inveraray, 59.

Inverness, 32.

Ireland, 4, 5, 26, 30, 34, 39, 41, 108,
112.

Irish Company, The, 26.

Isle of Man, 58.

James I. of England, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11,
12, 13, 24, 32.
Declaration to Dutch, 11.

Judges, of Association for Fishing,
48, 61.

Kaken, 3.

Kenning, A land, 10, 38, 42.

King, Mr., 103, 104.

Kinghorn, 92.

Kintail, Mackenzies of, 32.

Kirkcaldy, Magistrates of, 93.

L'Amey, Hugo of Mouhon, 84, 85.
Laud, Archbishop, 76, 77.
Lennox, Duke of, 7, 10, 12, 74.
Lent, 16, 18, 81, 91.
Lewis, Island of, 6, 7, 27, 31, 32, 33,

34, 37, 39, 42, 44, 50, 55, 56, 57,

60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 72, 81, 82, 88,

123.
License to eat flesh, 91, 92.
License to fish, 4, 5, 6, 8, 26, 72, 73,
74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80.

to fish, Form of, 73.
Lilburne, Colonel, 87, 88.
Limit, fixed at 14 miles, 10, 43, 44,
45.

28 miles, 6.

Treaty concerning, 9.

Encroachments on, 9, 10.
Ling, 16, 25, 56, 115, 118, 119, 121,

126, 128.
Linlithgow, Lord, 61.
Liverpool, 58.
London, 7, 11, 12, 26, 57, 104, 105,

109, 121.
Lome, Archibald, Lord of, 59.
Lotteries, Standing, 83, 98, 102.
Louis VII. of France, 2.

XIV. of France, 106, 113.
Lubeck, Traders of, 21, 92.

Mackenzies of Kintail, 32.

Mare Clausum, 7, 12.

Mare Clausum, 70, 76.

Mare Liberum, 1, 7, 10, 77, 80.

Mare Liberu7n, 7, 70.

Mary, Queen of England, 4.

Mason, Captain John, 55, 56.

Memorandum concerning the fishing,

26 n.
Middleton, Lieutenant-General, 87,

88.
A Modell of a Controll for the Royal

Fishery, 95.
Monk, General, 86.
Montrose, 28.
Moray Firth, 28, 42, 45.
Morton, Earl of, 21, 41.
Mull, Island of, 87.
Mm-ray, Gideon, 92.
Muscovie Company, 30, 90.

INDEX

135

Natmton, Secretary, 13.

Navigation Act, 108, 109.

Netherlands. See Dutch.

Newfoundland, 25.

Nicholas, Edward, 55.

North Sea, 1, 5, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16, 23,

24, 28, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76,

78, 79, 80, 85, 86, 89, 97, 106, 107,

115.
Northumberland, Earl of, 72, 73,

74, 75, 78, 79, 80.

Orange, Prince of, 8.
Orkney, Earl of, 19.
Orkney, Island of, 28, 39, 43, 46,
86, 88, 122.
Griefs and Wrongs of Inhabitants
of, 17, 18, 19, 20.
Ostend, Privateers from, 65, 66,

89.
Ostend, 67.

Paris, Treaty of, 4.

Pamphleteers, 1, 6, 14, 25, 96, 97,

107, 108, 109.
Patent for Royal Fishery, 112.
Pembroke, Earl of, 68, 83, 99, 103,

104.
Pennington, Captain Sir John, 68.

Pepys, Samuel, 100, 101, 102, 103,

104, 105.
Perth, 45.
Petition by Association for Fishing,

60.
Phihp, of Spain, 4,
Philp, James, 55.
Physic and Surgery Helps, 66.
Pickle for herring, 58.
Pilchard fishing, 26, 30, 42.
Plymouth, 30.
Popham, Colonel, 85.
Privateers, 15, 65, 66, 69, 81, 82,

86, 89.
Privy Council of Scotland, 21, 32,
33, 35, 37, 40, 43, 44, 45, 48,
50, 51, 52, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,
64, 72, 74, 92, 94.
Proclamation by Edward I., 2.
Edward III., 4.
James I., 7. 10, 11.
Frivj Council, 52, 62, 63, 72.
States-General, 11.
establishing Association for Fish-
ing, 52.
for restraint of fishing without

license, 72.
concerning observance of Lent,

91, 92.
regarding Lotteries, 102.

Propositions for Fishing, by Secre-
tary Coke, 25.

Some Proposalls for setting up of
the Fishery, 127.

Raleigh, 14.

Reasons why the English and Scots

cannot join in ye fishing, 46.
RepubHc, The Dutch. See Dutch.
Reserved Fishings, 9, 41, 42, 43, 44,

45, 46, 49, 51, 52, 53.
Ricaut, Peter, 83.

Royal Fishery. A Modell of a

Controll for the Royal Fishery, 95.

Royal Fisherj^ The {temp. Charles,

IL).

Charter of, 100, 110.

CoUections for, 98, 99, 102, 103,

104.
Coxmcil, Meetings of, 101, 104,

112.
Effect of Dutch War upon, 105,

107.
Foundation of, 98.
Failure of, 107, 114, 115.
Governor and Corporation of, 100,

101, 112.
Pri\aleges, etc., 98, 99, 100, 112,

113.
Report of Commissioners for

Customs on, 111.
Re%-ival of, 110.
Simon Smith, Agent for, 57, 58,

82, 90.
Subsidies, etc., for, 102, 103, 104,

105, 113.
vessels of, 100, 107, 112, 113,

114.
warrant for, 110 n. 111 n.
The Royal Fishing Revived, 108.
Royal Oak, Lottery of, 98.
RoyaUsts, Scottish, 87, 88.
Rupert, Prince, 86.

Sahnon Fishing, 26, 45, 49.

Scarborough Castle, 5.

Scotch Fisheries and Fishermen, 6,

7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19,20,21,

22, 27, 28, 29, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43,

44, 45, 46, 47, 57, 58, 84, 85, 90,

97.
Seaforth, Earl of, 32, 34, 37, 55, 56,

62, 63, 64, 87.
Selden, Mare Clausum, 70, 76.
Shetland, 15, 16, 17, IS, 19, 20, 21,
22, 28, 39, 42, 44, 46, 50, 57,
86, 88, 92, 100, 122.

Griefs and Wrongs of Inhabitants
of, 17, 18, 19, 20.

Supphcation on behalf of, 21.

136

INDEX

Smith, Simon, Agent for Royal

Fisher5% 57, 58, 82, 90.
Society for the Fishing in Scotland
{temp. Charles II.).

dissolution of, 115.

foundation of, 90, 91, 92.

privileges, etc., of, 91.

supplication on behalf of, 93.
Sovereignty of the Sea, 4, 6, 7, 24,

70, 72, 76, 77, 80, 86.
Soveraignty of the British Seas, 69.

A Collection of divers particulars

touching the King's Dominion

and Soveraignty in ye Fishing,

4 n.

Spain, 4, 5, 6, 69, 76, 77, 80, 89, 113,

130.
Spitzbergen, 7.

States-General, 8, 11, 12, 42, 87.
Stomoway, 32, 55, 61, 63, 88.
Styles, Captain, 68.
Supplication on behalf of inhabi-
tants of Shetland, 21.

Tain, 32.

Tax on Dutch Fishermen, 7, 8. See
also License to Fish,
on herring, 115.
Treaty between Charles of Burgimdy
and Henry VIII., 8.
between Pliilip of Burgimdj^ and

Henry VIH., 8.
with Henrj' IV. of France, 8.
of Paris, 4.

Treaty, secret, with Spain, 77.
of Westminster, 88.

United Netherlands. See Dutch
Republic.

Van Dorp, Admiral, 75, 76.
Virginia Company, 83.

Warrant, for Charter of Royal

Fisher%% 110, 111.
War, Ci\il, 24, 84.
Wars, Dutch, 23, 25, 85, 102, 104,

105, 106, 109, 115.
Wages, of Fishermen, 96, 118, 126,

129.
Watson, Smith, 95, 128.

Simon, 95, 128.
Weapons, for fishing vessel, 65, 66.
West Coast fishing, Scotland, 13, 25,

27, 31, 39, 44, 5l, 52, 58, 59, 60, 65.
W^estminster, Treaty of, 88.
Weston, Lord Treasurer, 55.
WTiale Fishing, Greenland, 30, 90.

Spitzbergen, 7.
Windebank, Secretary, 78, 79, 80.
Worsley, Dr. Benjamin, 94, 95.

Yarmouth, 2, 15, 16, 25, 26, 29, 67,
58, 66, 86, 88, 106, 107, 122.

York. James, Duke of, 98, 100, 112,
114.

Zealand, 2, 3.

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