556 



A. D. 1357. 



Another attack was mad€ upon the monopolizing charters of corpora- 

 tions by direfting the ntiayor and aldermen of London to prevent the 

 ■fifliermen (or fifhmongers), butchers, poulterers, and other dealers in 

 provifions, from molefling thofe who brought proviiions to the city for 

 Me. [Stat. I, 31 Edw. I1I,€. 10.] 



At the fame time was enacted the Statute of herrivgs, the preamble of 

 which fets forth, that the people of Yarmouth made a practice of meet- 

 ing the fifliermen, and buying their herrings at fea ; that the hoftilers 

 peepers of lodging h-oufes) affumed a prerogative of felling the herrings 

 belonging to the fifliermen lodged in their houfes, and paying them 

 what they thought proper for them, whereby the fifliermen were de- 

 frauded and difcouraged, and the price of herrings was advanced upon 

 the public. The parliament therefor enaded, that no herrings fliould 

 be fold, till the boat bringing them was made fafl: to the land. 

 The fifliermen ftiould have perfe<£l liberty to fell their herrings at the 

 fair, openly and without any interference, between the rifing and fet- 

 ting of the fun. No perfon fliould be permitted to buy herrings for 

 hanging up (making red herrings) at above 40/" per laft containing ten 

 thoufand herrings. Pykers * were not to purchafe herrings in the har- 

 bour of Yarmouth between the 29"* of September and the 11'" of No- 

 vember, nor to enter the harbour in the time of the fair. The hoftilers 

 were allowed to charge ■^f\ upon every laft of herrings fold to any other 

 than a hoftiler, in confideration of which they were to infurc the pay- 

 ment to the fifliermen f. The people of Yarmouth were prohibited 

 from felling herrings at more than 6/8 per laft above the price paid for 

 them ot the fair, and thofe of London were not to advance more than 

 i 3y4. (a regulation which we maj' venture to pronounce inefficient), 

 Shotten herrings were ordered to be fold at half the price of full ones, 

 when frefli, and when made red, at 6/8 per laft above the half price of 

 full red herrings. The pykers were allowed to buy herrings and other 

 wares from the fifliermen of Kirklee and other places on the adjacent 

 coaft : but the fifliermen weVc otdered to difcharge only as many her-- 

 rings at Kirklee road, as might be fufficient for loading the pykers, and 

 to carry the reft to Yarmouth, no other fale being permitted within 

 feven leagues of that town, exce|:3t for the herrings of a perfon's own 

 demefne fifliery. The barons of the Cinque ports were declared to be 

 the governors or confervators, of the fair, agreeable to the compofition 

 between them and the peophi of Yarmouth, confirmed by King Ed- 



* Pykers appear to liave been fmall vefTcIs be- fiipplying tlie fifhermen, \v]io were not inhabitant* 



loncinc to London and other places, employed in of yarmniith, with all their neccflaiies, mud have 



carrying lieirings and other fifl). en:ib!Kl them to command the trade. 'J'hey were 



f The hollilcrs were thus allowed to purchafe nquircd, indeed, not to charge that comminion 



hi Trial's nine or ten per cent lowc^- tlian all other on herrings bought by ihemfclves ; but the diffcr- 



Vuyem, which, with the profits tlicy made upon cnce in the price amounted to the fame thing 



