HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 721 



that they might gaiuc well by y e fishing in this way; and if they should lint save, yea, or lose something by it, y 

 other iH-netite would be advantage inongh ; so seeing their crnesturss, he gave way, and it was refered to their 

 friends in England to alow, or disalow it. Of which more in its place." 1 



THOUBLE ABOUT THE FISHING VESSEL FRIENDSHIP. "They looked eruestly for a timely supply this spring," 

 [1C30] says Governor Bradford, "by tho fishing ship which they expected, and had been at charg to keepe a stage 

 for her; but none came, nor any supply heard of for them. At length they heard snrne supply was sent to Ashley 

 by a fishiug ship, at which they something marvelled, and the more y* they had no letters either from M r . Allerton 

 or M r Sherley ; so they went on in their bussiuess as well as y e could. At last they heard of Mr. Peirce ; his arivall 

 in y e Bay of y e Massachusetts, who brought passeugers & goods thither. They presently sent a shallop, conceiving 

 they should have something by him. But he tonld them he had none; and a ship was sett out on fishing, but 

 after 11 weeks beating at sea, she mett with shuch i'oull weather as she was forete back againe for England, anil, 

 y e season being over, gave off y e vioage. *. But Mr. Allerton had bought another ship, and was to come in 



her, and was to fish for bass to y e eastward, and to bring goods, &c. * '. Aboute y midle of somer arrives 



M r . Hatherley in y e Bay of Massachusetts, (being 0110 of y e partners.) and came over in y e same ship that was set 

 out on fishing (called y e Frendship). ' * *. Bass fishing was never lookt at by them, but as sooue as ever they 

 heard on it, they looked at it as a vaiue thing, that would certainly ttirue to loss. And for Mr. Allerton to follow- 

 any trade for them it was never in their thoughts. * After these things Mr. Alleito:i weute to y'- ship 

 aboute his bass fishing. * * 



"Now about these ships & their setting forth, the truth, as farr as could be learned, is this. The motion 

 aboute setting forth y fishing ship (caled y e Friendship) came first from y e plantation, and y e reason of it, as i- 

 before remembered ; but wholy left to them selves to doe or not to doe, as they saw cause. But when it fell iuio 

 consideration, and y- designe was held to be profitable and hopefnll, it waa propounded by some of them, why might 

 not they doe it of them selves, seeing they must disburse all y e money, and what need they have any rcflerani < 

 to y e plantation in y' ; they might take y e profite them selves, towards other losses, & need not let y e plantation 

 share therein ; and if their ends were other wise answered for their supplyes to come too them in time, it would In- 

 well enough. So they hired her, & set her out, and fraighted her as full as she could carry with passengers goods 

 y' belonged to y" Massachusetts, which rise to a good sume of money; intending to send y e plantation supply in y c 

 other ship. The effecte of this Mr. Hatherley not only declared afterward upon occasion, but affirmed upon othe, 

 taken before y e GoV & Dep: Gov r of y e Massachusetts, M r . Winthrop & Mr. Dudley : That this ship Friendship was 

 not sett out nor intended for y" joynt partnership of y e plantation, but for y e perticuler aecounte of Mr. James Sherley, 

 Mr. Beachampe, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Allerton, & him selfe. This deposition was taken at Boston y e 2D, of Aug : 1G3D 

 as is to be seen under their hands; besides some other coneurente testimonies declared at several! times to snndrie 

 of them." 3 



THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES REGULATED IN 1633. The following order concerning the capture of alewivcs and some 

 other fish was passed at a general court held the 28th of October, in the ninth year of the reign of King Charles : 



"Whereas God, by his providence, hath cast tho fish called alewives or herrings in the middest of the place 

 appointed for the towne of Plymouth, and that the ground thereabout hath been worne out by the whole, to ihe 

 damage of those that inhabite the same, that therefore the said herring, alewives, or shaddc comonly used iu thw 

 setting of corne be appropriated to such as doe or shall iuhabite the towue of Plymouth aforesd, and that no other- 

 have any right or propriety in the same, onely for bait for fishing, & that by such an orderly cowrse as shall bs 

 thought meet by the Gov r & Cowncell." ;! 



FISHERY GRANTS IN 1641 AND lb'4'2. "In 1641, Mr. John Jenny was allowed certain privileges at Clarke's Island, 

 ' to make salt, and which he was to sell to the inhabitants at 2 s. the bushel.' * * * " Herring wear let for three 

 years to three persons, who are to deliver the shares of herrings and to receive 1 s. C the thousand for their trouble- 

 In 1G4'2, "Thirty acres of land were granted at Clarke's Island (the use of them) to the five partners tl'at mako 

 salt for twenty-one years." 4 



PERMISSION TO FISH AT CAPE Con. " In the month of October, 1650, the permission formerly given to John 

 Stone, of Hull, to make use of lauds at Cape Cod for bass fishing, was withdrawn by the court; and leave \va- 

 granted 'to Mr. Thomas Prince, Capt. Miles Stamlish, and Mr. William Paddy, with such others of Plymouth. 

 Duxbury, and Xawsett, as shall join with them, they to make use of any lands, creeks, timber, &c., upon the Capa 

 land, iu snch convenient places as they shall choose,' for the said fishing purposes." 6 



SCHOOLS SUPPORTED BY FISHERY. Deanc, iu his history of Seituate, says: 



" Iu lliTO, ' the court did freely give and grant all snch profits as might or should accrue annually to the colony. 

 for fishing with nets or seines at Cape Cod, for mackerel, bass, or herrings, to be improved for and towards a free 

 school in some town of this jurisdiction, for the training up of youth in literature for the good and benefit of 

 posterity, provided a beginning be made within one year after s d grant, &c.' This school was immediately established 

 at Plymouth, and was supported by the proceeds of the Cape fishery until 1(177, when the following change was. 

 ordered, viz: 'In whatever Township in this government, consisting of fifty families or upwards, any meet nun 

 shall be obtained to teach a grammar school, such township shall allow at least twelve pounds, to be raised by rate 

 on all the inhabitants of s d town : and those that have the more immediate benefit thereof, with what others shall 

 voluntarily give, shall make up the residue necessary to maintain the same, and that the profits arising from the Capo 



'Coll. M:iss. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, h series.p. 12fi. * Coll. Mass. Hist. Soi-.. vol. Hi, 2il scries, p. 183. 



2 Ibid., pp. 267 et al. * Prei-iimn's History of Cn]io ( 'oil. vol. i. p. 203. 



'Plymouth Colony Records vol. i, 1633-1G51, p 17. 



46 G R F 



