A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



A return of the numbers and classes of boats 

 in use in the Sussex fishing ports in 1903 gave 

 the following results : 65 



It will be noticed that in these returns Win- 

 chelsea has no boats, as its fishery is conducted 

 with kettle or stake nets. These consist of fences 

 formed either of hurdles, nets or stakes, which are 

 completely covered at high tide, so that mackerel 

 and other fish can swim over and round the fence, 

 but with the fall of the tide the fish are cut off 

 and captured. This method of fishing is of great 

 antiquity, 66 and references to it are frequent in 



64 Although Emsworth is just over the Hampshire 

 border its fisheries are mainly within Sussex. 

 66 Par/. Return, Fisheries, 1903-4. 

 " See y.C.H. Essex, i, 1 24. 



mediaeval documents, especially in manorial court 

 rolls, as the rents of these weirs or kettles were 

 amongst the issues of the coast manors. Thus in 

 1450, at Appledram, Reynold Manfeld obtained 

 a lease for thirty years at a rent of I2d. of a 

 lagoon (lacum) in the sea called Cotemanware, in 

 which to make a kettle (kedellum).*' These weirs 

 have been often denounced for the havoc they 

 work among the fry and undersized fish, and in 

 1607, to take but one instance, proceedings were 

 instituted against eleven persons in different parts 

 of the Selsey peninsula for destroying ' spawne 

 and frye and the broode of sea fishe,' by means of 

 4 weares ' and other devices. 68 



Some idea of the amount and value of the fish 

 taken in the course of the year may be obtained 

 from the returns for 1905 : 69 



These returns show that no inconsiderable 

 part of the value is derived from shell-fish, especi- 

 ally in West Sussex ; the lobsters, prawns, and 

 cockles of Selsey have long been celebrated, and 

 the same district has long supplied ' abundance 

 of exceeding good oysters.' 70 Early references 

 to oysters on the Sussex coast are very few, but 

 a case occurs in 1303 when Isabel de Stopham 

 successfully claimed from John de Bumenore a 

 rent of 2u. and 3,000 oysters for a tenement in 

 North Mundham. 71 The account of the duties 

 of the water-bailiff of Arundel about 1630 

 mentions his right to take half a hundred of 

 oysters from every oyster boat entering the har- 

 bour. 72 The distribution of the oyster along the 

 Sussex coast was formerly much wider than at 

 present; about 1870 there were beds at East- 

 bourne. 73 There were also extensive beds at 

 Pevensey, the beach being strewn with oysters 



67 Ct. R. (P.R.O.), bdle. 205, No. 46. 



68 Memo. R., K.R. Mich. 5 Jas. I, m. 197204. 



69 Par/. Return, Fisheries, 1905-6. 



70 The Church Guide (ed. 1794), 36. 

 "Assize R. 1330, m. 17. 



71 MS. in library of Suss. Arch. Soc. 



n J. C. Wright, Bygone Eastbourne, 68. 



270 



