A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



seventeen convoys, being seen in one instance 

 off Southwold Bay at this time. 1 



In spite of the vigilance of the English con- 

 voys, two Southwold vessels, carrying butter, 

 cheese, and herrings to London, were taken by 

 one of the enemy's galliot hoys in i666. s 



In 1670, Suffolk owned a fishing-fleet of 

 thirty-three boats. Of this number fourteen 

 belonged to Pakefield and Kirkley, eleven to 

 Southwold, eight of which were herring-boats, 

 and three engaged in. the Iceland fishery ; Aide- 

 burgh had five, two herring-boats and three 

 Iceland barques, whilst Gorton had two and 

 Dunwich only one. 3 



Various proposals were brought forward in 

 this year to cope with the desperate state of the 

 fishing industry at Lowestoft, amongst others, it 

 being suggested that ' all persons of ability should 

 have a small quantity of herrings imposed on 

 them, at a common rate ; ' also, ' that two fish- 

 days should be observed in the week.'* 



The townsmen prayed, moreover, that they 

 should be relieved from the duty of 2s. kd. per 

 barrel imposed on all beer used in the herring 

 fishery. Fourteen fishing-boats of Pakefield and 

 Kirkley consumed nine tuns of beer per boat. 



Memories of the days of frequent coast alarms 

 during later wars with the French are evoked by 

 the following notice which appeared in the 

 Ipswich Journal of 5 June, 1744 : 



Whereas it has been represented and repeated, by 

 some ill-designing People, that the Boats do not go to 

 sea from Lowestoft to catch mackarels as usual, on 

 account of the war with France ; This is to give 

 notice to all Buyers and others, that we have now at 

 sea thirteen Boats, employed in catching mackarels, 

 and that, during the season, all Pedlars and others, 

 may be duly supplied with the said Fish at Lowestoft 

 as in former years.' a 



At this time there were three classes of boats 

 engaged in the herring fishery at Lowestoft 

 the town boats, the west country cobles, and 

 the north country cobles. In 1749, a petition 

 was laid before the Lords Commissioners of the 

 Admiralty to prevent Dutch schuyts from fishing 

 in Southwold Bay. In 1763 it was announced 

 that the Dutch fishery on the east coast, and all 

 other boats engaged in the same, would be 

 limited to a certain number of busses, which 

 must first be entered at an English custom-house, 

 and be subject to a tax for the benefit of the 

 British Herring Fishery. 6 The loss by the 

 depredations of foreign fishermen at this time 

 was said to be extensive. 



In 1750, Southwold appeared to have entered 

 upon a new era of prosperity with the incorpora- 

 tion of the Free British Fishery. 7 Buildings of 

 various kinds were erected under the auspices of 



1 Cal. S.P. Dam. 1666-7, P- 2IZ - 

 1 Gillingwater, Hist. Lowestoft, 92. 

 ' Suff. Notes, 1744, p. 149. 

 ' Incorporated n October, 1750. 



1 Ibid. 296. 

 4 Ibid. 89. 

 Ibid. ii. 



the Company : a net-house for the making and 

 tanning of nets, a bark-mill, whilst a well with 

 a pump attached was sunk, and a copper hung, 

 with a cistern for tanning nets. In 1752, the 

 tan-office was completed, together with the 

 addition of a larger copper, with four vats, and a 

 kiln for drying bark. A warehouse, with ample 

 provision for the storing of salt, was built on 

 Blackshore Wharf, and two docks were added. 

 In 1753, two wells were sunk at Woods End 

 Creek for supplying the fishing-fleet with water, 

 the busses sailing from the port in that year 

 numbering sixty-three, thirty-eight of which 

 went to Shetland. The impetus given to trade 

 was very great, as apart from the actual fishing, 

 employment was also given to a large number of 

 the townspeople in the braiding of the twine 

 required for the nets, as well in the beeting of 

 the nets themselves. The popular craze for the 

 bounty system had reached its height at this date, 

 and the Free British Fishery were not long in 

 introducing it at Southwold. In the first year of 

 its establishment 65 was offered in sums of 

 j3> , 20 > ar >d 1 5, to the respective crews of 

 the three vessels taking the largest number of 

 herrings per voyage. In the following year 

 other premiums, amounting to lOO, were 

 offered. 



Two kinds of bounties were granted by 

 statute in 1808 : 8 



I. TONNAGE BOUNTIES 



For Hiring Vessels. 3 per ton per year was paid to 

 every ' buss ' or herring vessel over 60 and under 

 loo tons burden, built and owned in Great 

 Britain, and equipped for the capture of herrings 

 in British waters. 



For Cod and Ling Vessels. 



From 1820 to 1826 . . . 5o/. per ton 

 From 1826 to 1827 . . . 45^. 

 From 1827 to 1830 . . . 35.?. 



All the tonnage bounties ceased in 1830. 



2. BOUNTIES ON CURED FISH 



On Herrings. From 1808 to 1815, is. per barrel of 

 herrings caught in British seas and cured and 

 packed according to the regulations prescribed 

 by the Board. 



These bounties also ceased in 1830.' 



The office of the Free British Fishery Com- 

 pany at Southwold was taken down during the 

 latter part of the eighteenth century, and the 

 materials were sold. This appears to be the last 

 account of the undertaking according to a private 

 MS. which we have had an opportunity of 

 examining. 



Many of the busses [adds the same authority] were 

 left in the Dock, and in time were submerged, but about 

 1 8 1 6 a number of men belonging to the town and 

 out of work excavated the mud out of the Dock, and 



296 



8 Stat. 48 Geo. Ill, cap. 1 10. 



9 Johnstone, British Fisheries, 76, 77. 



