THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 55 



nominated, composed one half of persons of English or Irish 

 descent, and the other half of persons of Scottish descent. 1 

 Captain John Mason was appointed " Receiver and Ex- 

 penditor," being authorised to provide fishermen, shipping 

 and nets, 2 while Edward Nicholas and James Philp were 

 appointed Clerks of the Society, their appointment dating 

 from July 23rd, 1632. 3 



Each member of the Association undertook to " adven- 

 ture " a certain sum. In the list 4 of those who agreed to 

 join the Association and who inscribed their names " in 

 Mr Attorney's book," are included the Lord Treasurer, 

 who agreed to pay 1,000; the Lord Chamberlain and the 

 Earl of Rutland, who paid 500 each ; Katherine, Duchess 

 of Buckingham, 3,000 ; Attorney General Noy and Sir 

 John Hippisley, 200 each; Sir Thomas Middleton, Sir 

 Anthony Irby, John Lord Poulett, John Ashburnham, 

 John Chamberlain, Endymion Porter, Susan Countess of 

 Denbigh, Lord Fielding, Sir Toby Matthew, and many others, 

 100 each ; some few persons ventured 50 each ; the sum 

 of the subscribed capital of the Association amounted to 

 11,750. 5 



Captain Mason had definitely decided to abide by the 

 king's decision that the Island of Lewis should be the chief 

 centre of the operations of the Association, and now proposed 

 that the associates should be naturalised as Scotchmen and 

 made burghers of Stornoway, which was to be made a royal 

 burgh. This would enable them to engage in other forms of 

 trade there, besides fishing. The king was to purchase the 

 island from the Earl of Seaforth ; he was to have the whole 

 of the petty customs of the island, and was to fix a reason- 

 able rate for the Association to pay for the use of the harbour 

 and for ground leave ; the ships of the Association were 



1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 221, No. 1. 



2 Ibid. vol. 229, No. 96. 3 Ibid. vol. 221, No. 21. 

 4 Ibid. vol. 231, No. 15. 5 Ibid. vol. 331, No. 15. 



