16 Anniversary Address. 



Several orders and regulations were made from time to time 

 as regards the packing of the fish, and the persons by whom 

 they were to be packed. On the 5th day of October, 1630, 

 it was ordered by the Guild " That there shall no salmon or 

 gilse be packed within this Borough.or the liberties thereof, in 

 any barrel but that which is the true ancient Berwick 'brinde' 

 (? brand) and the same, and every of them before they be 

 herded by the packers shall be viewed and measured of the 

 gauger, and by him allowed of as of the true size, and his 

 mark thereupon set, and the same gauger, which shall be 

 appointed so to view and gauge the same barrels, shall, for 

 his pains, have 4d for every last (12 barrels) of the same 

 barrels, to be paid by the merchant ; the election of which 

 packers and gauger is to be referred to the next private 

 Guild, when they are to be called and sworn." We find 

 that at a Head Guild held 21st January, 1630, a " Mr Nape, 

 for taking an unsworn packer to pack his fish this last year, 

 contrary to ancient and laudable custom and good order, 

 this being the first offence, he is fined 5s ; and it is now 

 ordered that none but sworn packers shall be entertained to 

 pack their fish by any person within this Borough, upon 

 more grievous penalty by fine and imprisonment to be im- 

 posed upon such as entertain the same packers, at the dis- 

 cretion of the Guild." On that same day, Edward Daglesse 

 and Richard Warrener, were sworn packers for the year, 

 and Edward Morton was chosen common gauger, and to 

 have 4d for every last for his pains, and he shall gauge 

 barrels of Berwick ' brinde ' and no other." Other orders 

 show how strongly the burgesses held to that system of 

 exclusive dealings, Avhich characterised the proceedings of 

 the Guild during so many years. They were determined 

 that none should catch or salt salmon for exportation from 

 Berwick, but themselves. At a Head Guild held on the 

 27th day of January, 1636, before the Right Worshipful 

 John Sleigh, Esq., Mayor, Mr John Green, head Alderman, 

 &c., it was ordered " Whereas there is a great abuse com- 

 mitted by people and inhabitants in the country, who salt 

 salmon and gilse in towns and villages in the County Pala- 



