SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 203 



making the mortar for building the first church at 

 Hey sham. The mortar consists of burnt sea-shells and 

 is almost indestructible. The original church, traces of 

 which are still discernable, is supposed to have been 

 founded by a colony of Irish Christians in the sixth or 

 seventh century. Heysham or Hessam is mentioned in 

 the Domesday Survey, and was one of the towns of the 

 Saxon Manor of Halton. The salmon fishery of the Lune 

 at Lancaster was granted to the Abbey of Furness by 

 Stephen, Earl of Boulogne, confirmed by Henry I., and 

 further confirmed by Henry III., but we are unable to 

 state whether this grant also included the fishery at 

 Heysham or not. At any rate, it is well known that the 

 mussel beds of Heysham were at one period farmed by the 

 Lord of the Manor, and receipts over six hundred years 

 old, for farming the beds, are preserved with the early 

 documents of Hornby Castle. There is also evidence that 

 the beds were in existence three hundred years ago. From 

 an interesting work " An History of Hichmondshire in the 

 •* North Hiding of York, together with those parts of the 

 " Everwicschire of Domesday which form the Wapen- 

 " takes of Lonsdale, Ewecross, and Amunderness, in the 

 " Counties of York, Lancaster and Westmoreland, by 

 " Thomas Dunham Whitaker, LL.D., F.S.A., Yicar of 

 " Whaley and Blackburn, Lancashire," Yolume II., 

 1823, we quote the following statement compiled from a 

 survey of Heysham parish in 1584, which throws a good 

 deal of light on the customs of former days. " This 

 " manor (Heysham) was divided between free tenants and 

 " tenants at will, of whom the free tenants paid annually 

 " to the lord £18 6s. 9d. and a pair of spurs ; tenants at 



" will, £18 lis. 6d Boon journeys were due 



" to the Barton of Heysham. . . . There were four- 

 " teen persons who farmed the mussel fishery for the rent 



