OYSTER CULTURE IN ENGLAND. 375 



We read, in Britton's " History of Dorset." that there 

 was an oyster-fishery in Poole Bay, and that though the 

 town of Poole claimed much dominion in this bay, the 

 Lord of Corfe Castle had a power and jurisdiction, as 

 Admiral by Water and Land, on the seas round the Isle of 

 Purbeck, on the high seas, and throughout the whole 

 island, in pursuance of a grant by Queen Elizabeth to Sir 

 Christopher Hatton. The fishermen of Wareham, upon 

 paying a small fine to the Lord of Corfe Castle, have a 

 right also to fish in these waters, (a) 



In the reigns of James L, and Charles L, great 

 quantities of oysters, taken in and near the harbour, were 

 pickled, barrelled, and sent hence to London, Holland, 

 the West Indies, Spain, and Italy. In 1747, in digging a 

 dock for a ship on a tongue of land opposite the harbour 

 called Hamworthy, a large bed of oyster shells was found 

 six feet-and-a-half thick, regularly piled one upon another. 

 The ligatures of most were visible. The whole bed was 

 covered over with about a foot of black mould. But this 

 was not a natural bed of oysters ; for they had all been 

 opened, the fishermen having a knack of taking them out 

 without breaking the ligatures. They were formerly 

 opened at Hamworthy, and the shells left on the shore ; 

 but, about 1640 or 1670, they were forbidden by the 

 corporation, who imagined such encumbrances might 

 injure the channel ; on which they opened them in the 

 boats on the mud, near the strand, and threw the shells 

 there, by which that hill of shells was raised, which, at 

 high water at least, is surrounded by the sea, and called 

 the " Oyster bank." 



(a) " Topographical and Historical Description of Dorset," by John 

 Britton, Esq., and Mr. E. W. Brayley. p. 413. 



