HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 723 







Tin: CAPE COD FISHERY. The Plymouth court ou the first Wednesday of October, 1089, made the following 

 order: 



"M r William Clarke, having formerly hired the fishing at the Cape, & his lease not yet expired, came personally 

 into this Court, and openly quitted his claime thereto for the future, & desired the Court to release him therefrom, 

 which was then granted, he sattisfyiug what is justly due to this colony for the time past. 



" The Court order, that the Treasurer of this colony use such lawfull means as to him shallseeme meet for the 

 recovery of what is due from SI r William Clarke to this colony respecting the Cape fishing, and to receive y" same 

 for the use of this colony." 1 



THE ALEWIVE FISHERIES is 1730. "The alcwive fishery at the brook in this town had long been considered 

 as of considerable importance, and proper regulations were from time to time provided to prevent the destruction of 

 the fish. This year it was ordered, that, in order to prevent obstructions to the alewives going up the pond to spawn 

 no person shall take more fish from the town brook, or Agawam River, than are necessary for their families' use, and 

 no person to take any for a market, ou a penalty of '20 shillings for each barrel. A committee was appointed to see 

 that families were reasonably provided for, and the poor supplied. "* 



THE FISHERIES FROM 1670 TO 1800. "From this period [1C70] to 1770, tin- fisheries were doubtless progressive: 

 at which time 70 sail may be assumed as the number of fishing vessels, from 30 to 45 tons, navigated by from 7 to 8 

 men. 



"Merchant vessels from 1755 to 1770, say, in the Liverpool trade : 1 brig of 130 tons, 1 brig of 1GO tons, and 1 brig 

 of 180 tons total, 3 brigs of 470 tons. 



"Only 1 vessel, C'aptaiu Worth, sailed from Boston iu this trade, except a schooner owned by S. A. Otis, esq., 

 which made her outfits at Plymouth. Liverpool was then a small place comparatively to what it is now. Outward 

 cargoes, liver-oil, lumber, potash, then made at Middleborough, whence also the lumber; return cargoes, salt, crates, 

 freight for Boston. Other vessels in the merchant service, say 20. Outward cargoes, fish; destination. Jamaica, 

 chiefly, Spain, and, after the reduction of the French Islands, Jlartinico, and Guadaloupe. Description. One small 

 ship (the Lion), brigs, schooners, sloops. At the peace of 1783, very few of these remained; some few schooners per- 

 haps; subsequent to which fishing Vessels increased in size and aggregate tonnage; yet it may be less in number." 3 



Dwight gives the following account of Plymouth in 1800: "To the inhabitants the fishery is an object of primary 

 importance. To some it is a source of wealth and to multitudes of a comfortable, cheerful liviug. The most valuable 

 branch of it is the cod-fishery; the next those of mackerel and herrings. All these are sold in Spain and Portugal, 

 or on the islands belonging to these countries. Formerly they were carried to Bostou market. The level margin of 

 the ocean for about 2 miles above and below the town is, during the proper season, wholly devoted to this business." 4 

 COD-FISHERY AT STRAITS OF BELLE ISLE. In 1814 it was written: 



"The Straits of Bell isle fishery is of modern date in Plymouth, and was increasing previous to the present war. 

 These vessels carry whale-boats, iu which the fish are taken, and remain absent through the summer." 5 

 FRESH-WATER FISHERIES ix 1815. The ponds of Plymouth were thus described in 1815 : 



"Of ponds there are perhaps fifty or more that are permanent; several of magnitude; some containing small 

 islands; two admitting alewives from Buzzard's Bay ; and one, Billiugtou Sea, from the Atlantic side. Mr. Hearue, 

 in his journey, *ells us that ' turbot, pike, and perch, prefer lakes and rivers bouuded and shaded by woods.' If this 

 be the habit of the alewife, as we suspect it is, perhaps it would be well to leave margins of trees on lakes to which 

 they resort. South Pond has expanse and beauty, but no natural outlet. A water course, so called, was cut from it 

 about the year 1701, perhaps half a mile or more, uniting it with the headwaters of Eel River, to attract alewives 

 into it. It did not succeed, as to its primary object. This water course! is always passed in going to this pond; a 

 pleasant feature in the landscape, reflecting sands pure and white as the pearls of Ceylou. This is very deep, and 

 contains white and red perch of the largest size." 6 



THE COD AND MACKEREL FISHERIES FROM 18:iO TO 1835. The Gloucester Telegraph of March 20, 1830, states 

 that "during the past season the fishermen of Plymouth have taken 487,366 fish on the Grand Bank, 295,000 in the 

 Straits, and 3,565 barrels of mackerel. Tbc number of barrels of mackerel packed by Hiughaui vessels the last 

 season is 31,8^6." 



The following statement of the cod and mackerel fishery of Plymouth, for the summer of 1831, is recorded by 

 Thacher : 



"Schooners in the cod-fishery 3?, averaging 61JJ tons, employing 8 men each, and landing 19,105 quintals of 

 fish. The number of barrels of mackerel inspected tbis season is 2,183. To the inhabitants of the towu the cod- 

 fishery is an object of primarj importance. To some it has been a source of wealth, and to multitudes of a comfor- 

 table, cheerful liviug. 



"The fishermen, in general, are respectable for good murals, correct habits, and civil deportment. The idea 

 prevails with some of them that fishing employment is less honorable than foreign voyages; but let them consider 

 that all honest enterprise and induslry is honorable, and that fishing voyages are less liable to sickness and less 

 exposed to dangers and vicious example ; and, moreover, that the employment prepares them for services in the navy, 

 where they may have the honor of fighting the battles of their country. It is much to the credit of our fishermen 

 that when ou the banks they carefully abstain from fishing OL Sundays. 



" Those vessels that are employed in the Strait of Belle Isle fishery cairy whale-boats, iu \vhichthe fish are taken 



1 Plymouth Colony Records, vol. vi, p. 21K. 'Dwight's Travels, iii, 1882, pp. 113, 117. 



2 Thacher's HUtm-y of Plymouth, p. 173. 6 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 2il series, p. 168. 



'Coll. Mass. Hist, Soc.. vol. iii, 2d series, p. 107. ''Ibid., p. 181. 



