32 CHARLES I. 
Acting under a patent granted by James I., various 
adventurers had attempted to develop the resources of the 
Lewis, but had been compelled to desist owing to “ the 
rudeness and violence” of the inhabitants.1 Some of the 
adventurers lost their lives, and the others were easily 
induced to hand over their patent to the Mackenzies of 
Kintail, of which family Seaforth was chief. Seaforth 
sought to develop the fisheries of the island by means of 
the Hollanders, and gave the foreigners permission to settle 
on the island, granting them so many privileges as prac- 
tically to deprive the native fishermen of all their ancient 
rights in the Lewis.” 
In 1627 the Earl applied for a charter erecting the burgh 
and barony of Stornoway into a royal burgh. The Free 
Burghs of Scotland opposed this application, stating that 
such a grant would do great harm not only to Tain and 
Inverness, the burghs nearest the Lewis, but to all the 
royal burghs and the whole kingdom. John Hay, Town 
Clerk of Edinburgh, was commissioned to represent the 
whole matter to the King and the Privy Council. Before 
the case was heard, however, the Hollanders began to settle 
and to fish ‘“‘ with above a dozen sayle,” for Seaforth was 
confident that his application would be granted. His con- 
fidence was not justified by the decision of the King and 
Council; as a result of Hay’s representations, Charles 
resolved to withhold the promised Charter from Seaforth, 
and Seaforth was ordered to dispense with the services of 
foreign fishermen.? 
The burghs now proceeded to urge the king to transfer 
these fishing rights in the Lewis to themselves, and, from 
letters received from John Hay, Town Clerk of Edinburgh, 
1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78. 
2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. IT., vol. 339, No. 111. 
3 Records of Convention of Burghs, Scot., vol. 3, pp. 142, 279, 291, 302, 
308, 318, 323. 
