THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 327 



in 1548, as having conferred with a Government officer 

 on the ways of furthering the herring fishery's interest.* 

 In I556,t the same Board, or Corporation, gave a receipt 

 for moneys granted by the States for the trade's benefit ; 

 it was then composed of the Burgomasters of the several 

 towns and townships where herring ships were owned, viz. 

 Delft, Rotterdam, Schiedam, Brielle, Enkhuizen, Wormer, 

 Jisp and Grootebroek. About this period requests for 

 subsidy and convoy to the herring ships are generally 

 mentioned as having been preferred by " the fishery," " the 

 common fishery," or " those of the fishery ; " and the 

 variations in the name by which the corporation was 

 designed at the time confirm the supposition that its 

 existence as a recognised public authority cannot date from 

 a period much anterior. 



At any rate, they held considerable official power and 

 responsibility at the time mentioned. The delegates of 

 Delft, Enkhuizen, Brielle, Rotterdam and Schiedam in 1558 

 agreed to an " accord "J by which the fishing boats of the 

 coast villages were bound, in return for the enjoyment of 

 warlike protection, to pay into the hands of the Delegates' 

 Commissioners such a sum per ton of fresh herring sold 

 either at home or in England, as should be appointed by 

 the delegates aforesaid ; and this agreement was ratified 

 and registered by the Court of Holland. By another accord, 

 dated September 26th, I558, and registered by the same 

 authority, the " Deputies of the Herring Fishery " agreed to 

 have every tenth fishing buss equipped for war ; the 

 expense of such armaments to be borne by the ten 



* Res. Holland, 1548, p. 288. 



t Ibid. 1556, p. 92. 



I Eerste Memoriaelboek. B. Ernst, fol. 136. 



Ibid. foL 133, verso. 



