ENGLISH WHITE FISHERIES. 3 oi 



It is matter of furprize that the white fifheries on 

 the Englifh coaft were almoft totally negle&ed by the 

 natives till within the prefcnt century, as appears 

 from a (late of the cod and haddock fifhing trade, 

 addrefied to the public by the fifhermen of Harwich,, 

 in 1774. 



Whereas, fay they, the filheries of this kingdom 

 in general have been worthy the care and attention 

 of the . legiflature, and they have, at fundry times, 

 enacted fuch laws as they judged would tend to the 

 encouragement of them, we lhall recite the claufes 

 of fuch a6ts of parliament as were made relating ,to 

 the filheries, prior to the beginning of the north feaj 

 cod and haddock filhery, that the legiflative body of 

 the kingdom, in particular, may judge of their ten- 

 dency towards the rife of the faid fiihing trade. 



The acts thus recited are the 

 15 of Charles II. chap. 7. feet. 16. 

 1 8 2. 2. 



32 2. 2. 



10 and ii of William III. 

 . i of George I. Hat. 2. feet. iS. 

 9 II. feet. 33. 



Thefe laws chiefly related to the exclufion of foreign 

 fifli being imported into England, under high penal- 

 tics, .as herring, cod, pilchards, ling, or falmon, 

 frefh, faked, dried, or bloated ; nor any grill, rnack- 

 arel, whiting, haddock, fprats, coal-tiih, gull-fifh, 

 nor any fort of flat fifh, nor any other fort of frdh 

 fifli whatfoever, turbot excepted, either taken by, 

 bought of, or received from foreigners, except pro- 

 ttftant ftrangers inhabiting this kingdom. 



Thefe prohibitory laws gave rife to a confidcrablc 

 white fifhery on the eaft coaft, from Harwich, Yar- 

 mouth, and other ports, which began and is carried 

 on in the following manner. 



The frefh cod, haddock, &c. that were brought 



to 



