72 THE HERRING IN HISTORY 



" And we will that they of the City of Yarmouth 

 void dene and strand of old ships and timber where 

 they should arrive and dry their nets except such 

 ships as are being built, or masts which are being 

 dried." 



One Norfolk manor at least had the right to 

 exact herring dues from its tenants, as we 

 learn from an interesting MS. sold at Sotheby's 

 on July 2nd, 1917, dating from about 1590, and 

 entitled : 



" The View of the particulars of the mannor of 

 Shipdam as well of the rents services with other the 

 hereditaments thereunto belonging as of the right es 

 apperteyneing to the same, not yet in the possession 

 of the Lorde of the saide mannor as followith." 



Shipdam is near East Dereham, Norfolk. 

 Among the details given we read : — 



" When the Lorde lieth ther, they must not onlie 

 doe those seruices but also make all his cariages of 

 wyne woode herrings corne, haie, compace, wasshing 

 and clipping of shepe and all service els to the number 

 of twoe thousande seaven hundreth and fortie 

 daies : " " the Lord hath free Bull and free Bore : " 

 " There are no we belonging to the saide mannor 

 manye Bondmen." 



The right is clearly far more ancient than 

 the MS. 



In 1285, Robert Durham, Mayor of Berwick- 

 on-Tweed, ordered herrings and other fish to 

 be sold "on the bray " alongside the vessel 

 bringing them to port, and forbade the fisher- 

 men to carry them ashore after sundown ; 

 any burgess who witnessed a purchase of 



