95 



place Tyse fish are specially mentioned (p. 122). It is probable 

 that occasionally, at least, their Seals were procured from the 

 J'ees. The Conservancy of the Tees, together with the rivers 

 Tyne and Wear, belonged to the Bishop of Durham, from a 

 very early period, and to him belonged the privileges and profits 

 incident to such power, such as royal fishes, wrecks, duties, 

 anchorage, fishings, weirs, etc. 



In 1345, there was paid to the Bishop 22s. lid. for fee 

 farm rent for the " privilege of trading or towing of vessels in 

 the Tees " (Bishop Hatfield's Survey). And in the Cursitor's 

 Rolls, it is recorded that " Bishop Bainbrig, A.D. 1507, 

 granted to John Racket for his life the office of Conservator of 

 all the Bishop's rivers of Tese, Were, Tyne, &c., and for pre- 

 serving salmon and fry fish. Sept. 28." Not only were Seals 

 much more plentiful formerly, but they appear to have been 

 regarded as a favourite article of food. At a great feast made 

 by George Nevill, Chancellor of England, and Archbishop of 

 York, at his inthronization (6th Ed. IV., 1486), "thirteen 

 Porresses and Seals formed part of the provision " ; and again, 

 at the inthronization of Archbishop Warham, in 1504, "seals 

 et porposs were provided. ' The value of a Seal or Porpoise was 

 13s 4d. in the 17th year of Henry VIII. 



In Brewster's " History of Stockton " is a quotation from 

 a record in the Cursitor's Rolls (1530), having reference to the 

 regulation of the fisheries in the Tees, in which " Sealles, 

 Purpose, Sturgion, and other like fishes " are mentioned. It 

 appears that some difference had arisen between fishers using 

 " drawing netts " and those using " haling nets," and is so inter- 

 esting as illustrating the customs of these distant times that we 

 quote it in full. " Where variance heretofore hath been among 

 the inh'tants of the town of Stockton, for taking of head 

 fishes as sealles, purpose, sturgion, and other lyke fishes, betwixt 

 the fishers with drawing netts on the one pt , and the fishers 

 with haling netts on the other pt ; It is ordered, by consent 

 and agreement of both the said p*^'' for appeasing of all 

 variance in time to come, in manner and form following, (that 

 is to say) : That if fishers of both sorts, some with drawing 

 netts aiid some with haling netts go about to take any Scale, 

 Purpose, or like fish within the river of Tease. If it fortune 

 the said fish to lyght in the haling netts, then all those fishers 

 with haling netts, assembled for that purpose, pursuing the said 

 fish, to have him alone, and the fishers then assembled with 

 drawing netts to have no part thereof with the haling netts ; 

 and likewise if it fortune the said fish do lyght in the drawing 



