CHARTER OF CROYLAND 77 



Witness myself at Newburgh in Tyndale the 30th 

 August in the 34th year of oi^ reign. 



By authority of which writ, the aforesaid Reginald 

 had eight lasts and one thousand herrings delivered 

 free of customs — viz, five lasts, and one thousand 

 herrings for the year 34, and three lasts for the year 

 33 — which said eight lasts and 1000 herrings, the afore- 

 said Reginald swore upon the Holy Bible were the 

 property of the Abbot and Convent of Croyland, and 

 for them were bought and provided, besides twelve 

 pence halfpenny, which the said Reginald pledged for 

 the aforesaid three lasts of herrings for the custom 

 of the year 33, are delivered to the aforesaid Reginald 

 at the request and in reverence of the said William 

 de Ketene, monk." 



A Yarmouth record of the year 1306 refers 

 to the herring fishery. Somewhat later, in the 

 reign of Edward III., a law was passed for- 

 bidding any fisherman to give up his trade on 

 account of the regulations being disagreeable 

 to him, and in return fishermen and mariners 

 were exempt from serving in any other capacity 

 than that to which they had been bred up. 



In 1338 the same king obtained from Yar- 

 mouth 40 lasts, i.e., 480,000 herrings for food 

 for his army in Flanders. 



We may judge of the importance of the 

 export trade in herrings in the early fourteenth 

 century from the fact that no fewer than sixty 

 foreign vessels, of which ten were from Lom- 

 bardy, procured herrings at Yarmouth harbour 

 during the five days from September 28th to 

 October 3rd, 1344. 



