SALT IN 1562 147 



" Much salt is made in England, ... in Holland, 

 in Lincolneshere, and onely by a maruelous humer 

 of water, at the Witch (Northwich) far from the 

 sea, and in the North there is salt made at the Shiles 

 (Shields) by Tinmouth Castle. I Bullein the author 

 hereof, haue a pan of salte upon the same water. 

 At Blith in Northumberland is good salte made, and 

 also at sir Jhon Delauals Panes, which syr Jhon 

 Delauall Knight hath been a patron of worship, and 

 hospitalite, most like a famous gentilman, during 

 many yeres, and powdreth no man by the salt, of 

 extorcion, or oppressing his neighbour, but liberally 

 spendeth, his Salte, Wheate, and his Maulte." 



When we return to our historical survey and 

 recall the complaints as to salt duties and 

 restrictions which hampered the industry on 

 every side, we may marvel at the success which 

 the herring fishery managed to attain. The 

 first tax on salt and certain other commodities — 

 i,e., the first excise or inland duty on goods — 

 was levied not by the Stuarts, but by the 

 Parliament of 1643. As in modern Italy, it 

 proved too valuable a source of revenue to be 

 given up, since owing to the extensive salting 

 of meat and fish for use, especially in winter 

 and at sea, the amount of salt used per head of 

 the population was very large. 



The number of bushels of salt used in England 

 in the year 1784, the year of Lord Dundonald's 

 first pamphlet, " Thoughts on the Manufacture 

 and Trade of Salt, the Herring Fisheries, etc.," 

 was 4,200,000, yielding an annual revenue 

 of £700,000, at Ss. 4d. per bushel duty. The 



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