Natural History. 71 



VALUE OF A SALMON FISHERY 

 ON THE TRENT. 



PERHAPS the following particulars relating to the value of 

 a salmon fishery at different times during the last 130 

 years may be interesting. The particulars relate to a 

 "several" fishery on the river Trent, at East Ferry, extending 

 two miles, belonging to the manor of Scotton. 



In 1743, in a rent-roll of John Hayley, lord of the manor 

 of Scotton, George Newcombe was tenant of a small farm at 

 East Ferry with the fishery, at ^35 IQS. a-year. In 1750, in 

 a rent-roll of Vansittart Hudson, then lord of the manor of 

 Scotton, Robert Goodburn was tenant of the fishery alone at 

 ^4 a-year, and widow Newcome kept the farm. 



In 1752 the fishery was leased for twenty-one years to 

 Robert Goodburn at ^6 a-year; and in 1754 sub-let to 

 C. Wilkinson for ^8 a-year. In 1771 it was reduced to ^4 

 a-year. In 1801 Sir John Frederick was lord of the manor of 

 Scotton, and the fishery was rented at jio 6s. In 1802 it 

 was leased for twenty-one years to Thomas Wilkinson for 

 ^21 i Os. In 1815 the rent was reduced to ^4, and it was 

 let with the farm; so it continued down to 1867, when it was 

 separated from the farm and leased by Sir Richard Frederick, 

 lord of the manor, for seven years at j a-year. The decreased 

 value in 1815 was attributed to the introduction of steam 

 packets from Hull to Gainsborough up the Trent. The 

 salmon were prejudiced against steam as an invasion of the 

 rights of their river by such an ogre, and left; but the take of 

 salmon at this fishery has wonderfully increased in the last ten 

 years, and, as the steam packets have increased also, some 

 other reason must be assigned for the removal of the prejudice 

 in the salmon against their ancient haunts. The net profit to 

 the lessee in 1873 was ^100, and the fishermen earned ^40 

 each, thus clearly proving that the increase of the salmon in 

 the river Trent is due to the remedial measures taken by law 

 to preserve salmon, or else that this "several" fishery was let 

 very much under its value since 1815. The Trent is a late 

 river, and fish begin to run up the end of May. In 1873 tne 

 average weight of salmon taken at this fishery was I2fb. each. 



THE EDITOR. 



