APPENDICES. 



587 



of confiscation of their goods and loss of life, so the Hollanders cu in against 

 the law. They first procured the Erie Marshal of Scotland called Kyth to 

 begge of King Jeames leave to sel to the Hollanders a litle Island of his 

 inheritance lying over against a harborough in Boughan called Peter head : 

 w ch King Jeams absolutely refused w th protestation that no Hollander or 

 stranger should get footing in his country whilst hee lived. This was 

 attempted and this answer given since King Jeams aiming into England. 

 Notw th standing the King's refusal, the Hollanders cam yearly uppon the 

 coast along the Hands, and offred manie abuses to the subiects, wheruppon the 

 1 subiects made complaint to the King by their petition dated 12 March 1618 

 i wheruppon the Councel of Scotland writt their letters to the King in con- 

 currence w th this petition to move for a proclamation to inhibit the Hol- 

 landers and to give order to his Ambassador in the Low Countries to expostu- 

 late this iniurie. The letters dated 4 April 1618. His M*J' answered the 

 ! Councels letter by his letters dated 7 Novemb 1618 wherby hee signified that 

 the business was to be tried and that Comissioners were to be sent fr5 

 jthe States to that end : and requiring a comission to bee sent fro Scotland to 

 ithe Duke of Lenox and others to treat w th them &c. The Cofnission was 

 I accordingly sent up. But the Hollanders declined the question of right, 

 p'tended fr5 former graunts or usages, and fel uppon the general dispute de 

 ; mari Hbero : and therby frustrated the proceeding, and the business so rested 

 I til An 1622, when the subiects renued their complaint to the Councel ther 

 jwho by their letter dated 24 June 1622 signified the same to his Ma 1 ?. 

 Uppon w ch letter nothing was donne only the Duke of Lenox had a purpose 

 jto have raised a companie in Scotland for fishing but hee dying the yeare 

 after it cam to no effect. But the Hollanders forseeing what might succeed 

 mppon theis continued complaints they agreed w th the Erie of Seafort for the 

 itown of Stronway to planet a colonie ther and to make it a free town : that it 

 imight be inhabled to have free trade, because by the law in Scotland none 

 can trade but those that have the libertes of a free town. This Erl's father 

 :had bought the whole freehold of the Island of Lewes from 14 or 15 gentle- 

 men to whom in bodie or companie to raise fishing King Teams before his 

 jcuming into England : though by the laws of Scotland the Hands belong 

 iinseperably to the Crown : these persons being su killed and the rest dis- 

 ouraged at length were drawn by the Erie of Seafort to sel their right to 

 him, and theruppon his sonne now Erie of Seafort sould Stronway to the 

 'Hollanders as is conceaved. And to avoid further question moved the King 

 ror a Patent to erect Stronway into a free town and a Burourie entering their 

 liberties over the whole yland, w th power to fortifie, to people it with 

 Grangers, and to grant to all the said strangers protection and pardon for al 

 [niures past not c5itted in his dominions, wherby the business of Amboina 

 vas remitted. And to trade freely in all the world. This patent by the 

 icdiation of M r Hey was staied by his Ma ts comand til the free broughs of 

 Scotland by whom he was sent to sollicit this cause should bee heard : this 

 *as donne in May 1628, and afterwards in September when hee finding the 

 Erie had made a strong partie in Scotland cam again to move the King. So 

 low it resteth only under the King's hand but staied at the Exchequer in 

 Gotland. Notw th standing w ch stay the Erie of Seafort hath brought some 

 -xmilies of Hollanders into Stronway and there planteth them, and per- 

 nitteth sondrie of their ships above a dozen saile the last yeare to cu and fish 

 her, and to carie away their fish w th out cocket or custom paid to his Ma 1 *, 

 ind not permitting anie Scot to fish w th in those waters except they wil sel 

 heir fish to the Hollanders : notw th standing a letter written to the said Erie by 

 lis M fc y to the contrarie dated in August 1628 wheruppon complaint being 

 imdc by the Boroughs to the Councell of Scotland : they by their sentence 

 nd decree discharged (he said Erie as appeareth by the decree it self dated 

 7 March 1629, the effect wherof is that the Erie of Seafort should observe the 

 \ct of Parliament made 1621, that no stranger nor inhabitant w th in Scotland 

 jhould pack or pil in anie place of the yles out of the free boroughs, nor 

 jransport forbidden goods out of the same. 



despight of the 

 Kings coraand. 

 Then the King 

 set out men of 

 warre and tooke 

 so manie of them 

 that hee sent a 

 barilful of their 

 heads into Hol- 

 land Af* their 

 names fixed to 

 their forheads 

 uppon cards. 

 This related by 

 the old Bishop of 

 Rosse Linsay who 

 cam in w lt K. 

 Jeames to Eng- 

 land. 



