CHARLES I. : FISHERIES AND RESERVED WATERS 239 



The condition which the burghs attached to their surrender 

 of everything except the three great Firths, that is, the ex- 

 clusion of the Hollanders from fishing on the coasts of Scot- 

 land, was in the meantime nominally met by the instructions 

 to the Council mentioned above. In two or three years, as 

 we shall see, when his naval power was greater, he would 

 attempt to carry out their desire in quite a forcible and 

 dramatic way. Charles would not concede the Moray Firth 

 as an exclusive preserve for the Scottish fishermen, but he 

 gave up to them the Firth of Lothian within a straight line 

 from St Abb's Head to Red Head in Forfarshire, and also the 

 Firth of Clyde within a line drawn between the Mulls of 

 Galloway and Cantyre ; because, as he said, the inhabitants of 

 the coasts of these parts were chiefly maintained by the fishing 

 within them and could not well subsist otherwise. These 

 waters were therefore to be reserved to Scottish fishermen, 

 "according to ancient custom." 1 



Everything having been arranged to the king's satisfaction, 

 he issued a commission providing for the establishment of a 

 Fishery Society under the great seal of both kingdoms, which 

 was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 7th September 

 1632. 2 The Society was to consist of twelve councillors ap- 

 pointed by the king, six of them to be English or Irish and 

 six to be Scots, 3 and also a " commonalty " composed of a large 

 number of noblemen and other persons. They were em- 

 powered to appoint officers, to make laws, and to punish 

 transgressions. In every " province " of the kingdom and in 

 the towns most convenient, "judges" were to be elected by the 

 resident members to settle disputes and make regulations. 

 The members, their servants and fishermen, were favoured by 

 certain immunities and privileges ; they and their vessels were 

 exempt from impressment for the king's service and relieved 



1 Acta Parl. Scot., v. 236. 



* State Papers, Dom., ccxxi. 1 ; Ada Parl. Scot., v. 239. 



3 The councillors nominated by Charles were, for England and Ireland, Lord 

 \Veston, the High Treasurer (created Earl of Portland in February of the 

 following year), the Earl of Arundel, the Earl of Pembroke, Viscount Savage, 

 Lord (Nottingham, and Secretary Coke ; for Scotland, the Earl of Morton, the 

 High Treasurer, the Earl of Stratherne and Monteith, President of the Privy 

 Council, the Earl of Roxburgh, Viscount Stirling, Mr John Hay, and Mr George 

 Fletcher. 



