176 Kent Oyster Distribution. 



quarters flocked thither, and presto left the ground bare. On the 

 flats more westerly of this, near the Spile, the Spaniards, and 

 towards the Columbine, there formerly were spots where 

 goodly numbers of genuine native oysters came up in the 

 Leighmen's old form of shrimp-net. This latter dug more into 

 the ground surface than does the beam trawl now in use. 

 B. Baxter recalls times when he and his father went shrimping 

 thereabouts that four gallons of prime natives would on occasions 

 reward their toil. That the Kentish Flats in early times were 

 quite natural and fruitful oyster beds is pretty certain, and 

 what is now spat and grown there quickly assume the habit 

 and flavour of the indigenous or true natives : for they are 

 without a doubt the offset from the Whitstabie beds. 



The Cant edge, inside the Nore Lightship, even yet is strewn 

 with old oyster shells, remnants of a prolific race once living 

 there. So valuable was this shelly material for culch else- 

 where, that at one time quite a fleet of smacks could be seen 

 fishing it up. The amount may be conceived when each vessel 

 would load with 150 to 200 tubs, and this continued daily for 

 a considerable period. There was another oyster bed discovered 

 about 1860 between the Cant and the Cheney Rocks (Sheppey), 

 but this lasted a very short time, which sufficed to clear them 

 out. The oysters at this place did not seem to be of native 

 breed, but were composed of small Jerseys and stunted deep- 

 sea kind. Hence it was suspected they were derived from 

 droppings of the Messrs. Alston's Channel fleet, which for a 

 time had their headquarters hard by. The newly opened free 

 oyster field was worked when these bivalves were unusually 

 high priced, so a tub or so a day ( 3 pecks) worth from 1 Is. 

 to 2, amply repaid the dredger's labours (Baxter). 



Though coadjacent, we have the ancient Queenborough* 



* We are indebted to our colleague, Mr. George Baxter, for the perusal of an 

 elaborate but interesting report of a legal case (oysters) at Maidstone, 1823 : " The 

 Mayor, Jurats, Bailiffs and Burgesses of the Borough of Quinborowe, in the County 

 of Kent, versus Edward Skey" (Lond., 8vo, 1828). Therein evidence of the early 

 rights and bye-laws as to oyster dredging, &c., and later troubles arising therefrom 

 between the corporation and fishermen are given in full detail. The whole shows the 

 great difficulty of satisfactorily adjudicating in fisheries questions. In this instance 

 the defendant Skey gained the case. 



