HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSAGE USETTS. 715 



The fishing interests of this place were thus furthered by the "General Court .at Boston, the 14th of the 4th M, 

 1641 : 



" It is ordered, that a plantation for the furthering of fishiug shall fourth w tb bee sot up at Nantascot, &, that all 

 the neck to the end of the furthest beach towards Hingham, where the tide overlloweth, shall belong to it; and that 

 such of the p'sent inhabitants of Hingham as will follow fishing, and will remove their habitations thiiher, shall have 

 land & meadowe upon Nautaskot Neck, according to the order heare established, & that all other men that will follow 

 fishing, & will remove their habitations thither, shall have such accommodations there as the plantation will afford; 

 and that it shalliee lawfull for any other fishermen inhabiting in any other of tbe townes w th iu the Bay to set up 

 stages upon Nantaskot, or any of the ilauds belonging thereto, w" 1 sufficient ground for the drying of their fish. 



"And that there shalbeo alowed now, at the first, to jv'y boate w cb shall use fishing, 4 acres of upland for the 

 p'sent, & the mcdow to bee disposed of by an equall p'portion among such as shall have cattle ; & it is further ordered, 

 that M r Stoughtou, M r Duncan, M r Glover, Willi: Heath, & Will! Parks, or any 3 of them, M r Stoughton to bee one, 

 shall in convenient time repair to Nantaskot, & set out tbe lands & medow there, according to the meaning of this 

 order; and it is further ordered, that the iland called Pedocks Hand, & the other Hands there not otherwise disposed 

 of, shall belong to Nantaskot, to bee to the use of the inhabitants & fishermen, so soone as they shall come to iuhabite 

 there. 



"And this Court, or some of the Court at Boston, shall from time to time appoint 2 or 3 able men to set out laud, 

 & stage roome &c, to such as shall come to iuhabite or fish there ; & in the meane time the comissioners aforenamed, 

 or 3 of them as aforesaid, shall dispose of the same; provided, always, that no p'son shalbee stated in p'priety in any 

 land or inedowe there (though the same bee allotted to them) before hee bee a setled inhabitant there, & in a course 

 of fishing." ' 



The following order, relative to payment for powder supplied to Strawberry Bank, was given at 

 " A Generall Cot, held at Boston, the 7th of the First M 1643-1644. 



" Strawberry Bank is granted to have a barrcll of powder, paying for it in dry fish, as Dover is to do for the bar- 

 rel] granted formerly to Northam." 3 



HINGHAM FISHERIES IN 1851 AND I860. The Hingham Journal of April, 1860, states: 



" In 1851 there were 37 vessels, of 2,491 tons, belonging to this port, owned hero and manned by 500 persons. We 

 cannot say that the number of vessels has much increased since that time, yet what we have constitute a very hand- 

 some fleet. Before the end of the month some of our vessels will be on George's and other fishing grounds, looking 

 out for schools of mackerel." 



The result of the mackerel fishery for 1860 is given as follows: 



" MACKEKKL. Mackerel have been found plenty off the coast of Maine, and the shore fishing promises better than 

 for many years before. They take the hook readily, as in olden times. 



"The Hinghain Journal gives the folio fring late arrivals in that port and Pocasset, after a short absence: Schr. 

 Pony with 113 headed bbls ; Oasis 200 do. do. ; Omega 185 packed bbls ; Eleanor F. 205 headed bbls ; Emma 160 do. 

 do. ; Prairie Flower do. do. Northern Light 180 do. do." 3 



COHASSET. 



THE FISIIKBIES IN 1821. The Rev. Jacob Flint in 1821 wrote the following description of the fisheries engaged 

 in by the people of this place, with some details as to number of vessels, men, quintals caught, &c. : 



" There are 41 vessels of different tonnage owned in Cohasset. Of these, 1,067 tons are employed in the mackerel 

 fishery. They take, in a season, 2,420 barrels ; 200 tons are employed in the cod-fishery ; taking 2,590 quintals of cod- 

 fish (average for a number of years). The fishing vessels employ 223 men and boys. Some of the largest vessels are 

 employed in foreign trade. After the season for taking fish, a number of the fishing vessels are employed in the coast- 

 ing trade with various parts of the United States, and some in trade with the West Indies." 4 



At that time, according to the same authority, there were a number of extensive salt-works, at which about 5,500 

 bushels of salt were annually made. 



TIIK MACKKKKL FISHERY IN 1860. The following details concerning the mackerel fishery of Cohasset for 1860 

 are from the Barnstable Patriot: 



"The mackerel fishery of Cohasset has closed for the season, piling the wharves with tiers of bbls. of that aquarial 

 llesh. One of the fleet, the Harriot Torey, has landed 1,500 bbls. William Burdick, of the above vessel, has caught 

 117 bbls. with his own hook, and will clear $548.00." 



SCITUATE. 



FISHING STATION AT SCITUATE ; LICENSE von OYSTER PLANTING. In 1633 the ship William set up a fishing 

 station at SciUiate, the object of which was, doubtless, the capture of cod. 



In 1639 the following license was granted to a Mr. William Vassall : 



" 1639, December. Licence or liberty is granted to Mr. William Vassall to make an oyster bank in the North 

 River, 60 rods in length, and across the said river, in some convenient place, near bis farm there, called the 'West 



1 KciordH of Miii-SBi'liusetts, vol. i, p. 3iU. * Bainst;ililr Patriot. August 21, IKiO. 



''lliid., vol. ii, p. 57. Coll. Muss. Hu-t. SIH-.. vol. ii, 3il series, p. 102. 



