HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 695 



SALEM. 



EARLY IIISTORY OF SALEM FISHERIES. The early history of the fisheries of this place, dating back to the 

 beginning of the seventeenth century, may be best learned by a careful examination of various extracts bearing oil 

 (his subject, taken chiefly from the Essex Institute Historical Collections and from Felt's History of Salem. 



First are given some remarks on the commerce of Salem by Mr. George F. Chcever. These remarks apply to 

 Salem between 1626 and 1740. 



"The trade or commerce of Salem most probably dates back to, or even prior to, the settlement of the place. 

 Adventurers to this western coast, after fish and furs, may have traded with the Xaumkeags ere Couaut and his asso- 

 ciates settled here [in 162o]. To judge from the testimony of IJrackeiibury, Dixey, and Woodbery (Salem Records, 

 Registry of Deeds, Vol. 5, pages 105 to 107), the early planters were on the best terms with the native Indians in Salem, 

 and thus had the opportunity of trading with them ; aud the Cape Ann settlement had boats, which were doubtless 

 used for fishing, and very probably trading, along the coast. As that settlement was originally intended as a plant- 

 ing, trading, and fishing one, it is most likely that fish and furs were both sought irom Salem, as from the vicinity; 

 the search for both these articles being then common to adventurers to this western coast. 



'' The Home Company begin their trade with Salein and vicinity in 1(528. They send over with Eudicott certain 

 goods to traffic wiih the natives for beaver, otter, aud other furs, aud in 16:29 he is ordered to send home to the com- 

 pany, in London, two or three hundred firkins of sturgeon aud other lish. 



"In 1629 we find the Home Company sending into Salem six ship-builders, of whom Robert Moulton is chief, 

 aud t\vo coopers and cleavers of timber, the last to prepare staves for return cargo, atd that they order three shal- 

 lops to bo built in Salem, doubtless for fishing purposes. It is most probable that these shallops, if ever built, were 

 built npou the Neck, near or upon Winter Island, which was used for the fisheries and ship-building from the very 

 commencement of the town. Judging from what is said of the shallop in the New England Voyages, in the Mass. Ilist. 

 Coll., of what Prince and Bradford say, aud the comparison Hutchinsou makes between the fishing shallops of 1749 

 and the fishing schooners then employed, the shallop of New England was of;en a decked boat of from 10 to 20 

 tons. * 



"The early, the long continued, the staple trade of Salein, was the fisheries. We see indeed some of her sons fron 

 loOO to 16u8 engaged in the beaver aud peltry trade, once valuable, but this was almost extinct in 1668, and at that 

 time the fisheries, whale and other, were as productive as ever. The harbor aud rivers of Salem swarmed with fish, 

 among which cod and bass were very plenty. So plentiful were they that they were used for manure up to 1(>39, 

 when the general court forbid it. Great favor was early shown the fishermen in Massachusetts by law, such as 

 freedom from taxation on their stock and fish, and Irom military duty while engaged in their occupation. The early 

 foreign trade, that is, imports of the colony, seems, during the first few years, to have been in the hands or power 

 either of the Home Company or the government of the colony, as representing either them or the colonists; but it is 

 doubtful if this policy ever extended over thfi fisheries, or, if so, it must have been for a very short period. The fish- 

 eries were considered so important that, as early as 1G.)5, the general court appoint a committee to impress men who 

 shall unload salt when it arrives. This is evidently, in a good pait, owing to the value of the salt for the fisheries. 

 They were not hampered with the early restrictions imposed on foreign imports, so far as we can find, aud soon 

 became profitable. After the colonists bad built their houses, cleared their lauds, established their common rights, 

 raised enough to help support life, either in grain or animals, and somewhat settled down, their attention was more 

 pan icularly devoted to the fisheries. [Massachusetts could not well have exported much grain before 1G40, whatever 

 slio may have exported in fish, since in 1637 there were only thirty -seven plows in the whole colony, says^jtoalntm, 

 the most of them being in Lynn.] It seems most probable that a certain class of men, however, devoted themselves 

 in Salem almost exclusively to this business [fisheries], and from the commencement of the town. Winter Island 

 was their headquarters. They obtained the use of certain lots on the island, and certain common rights adjacent, aud 

 Ibis island continued to bo used by fishermen until and after a division of the common lauds, about 1714. It was 

 then expressly reserved by the commoners for the fisheries, as it had ever been before. This reservation, moreover, 

 was of a great common right, viz, the free use of this island for fishing purposes ; since the fee seems, as a general 

 rule, never to have left the town like other grants. Those who built houses, fish-houses, warehouses, aud wharves on 

 this island, only gained an uaufrucliiary right for the time being. Yet this island has seen a busy fishing population 

 gathered upon it, and as late as 1731 there were conveniences upon the Aecfr, which, in all probability, means this 

 island, for forty vessels and their fares. All this is now a tale of the past. Indeed, just before 1700, this island was 

 a still busier sceno iu all probability, as Salem seut out over sixty fishing ketches of from 20 to 40 tons, which evi- 

 dently discharged their cargoes in Salem, aud most likely on the common ground or land for the fishermen. In 1660 

 Baker's aud Misery Islands were both set apart by the general court for the free use of fishermen, and were probably 

 intended to be especially used by the Salem, aud perhaps Marblcliead, fishermen. From the year 1629 to 1740, or 

 thereabouts, Winter Island seems to be the headquarters of the Salem fishing trade, aud that trade itself seems to 

 have been our staple trade down to a much later period, even to the American Revolution, aud the great change of 

 trade consequent upon it." 1 



From the annexed statement of Mr. G. C. Streater may be gathered some idea of the luxuriance of the Salem 

 waters in 1630 : 



" SATURDAY, JUNE 12, u;::o. 



" Governor John Wiuthrop and his companions, on board the Arbella, aud with the noble lady Arbella on board, ap- 

 proached Salem Harbor. * * * After a short sojourn, Governor Wiuthrop wrote home to his wife, who remained 



'Essex Institute Hist. Coll.. vol. i, pp. 67-74. 



