FISHES 501 



catching Salmon in his pool of Staynburn, where in times past 

 he had but one, and the other was set up six years ago without 

 warrant, and after the last justice-eyre. Therefore he is in 

 amercement. The Sheriff is ordered to remove the second 

 "cupa" at sight of the jury at the Prior's expense.' 1 

 This assize is especially interesting for the glimpse which it 

 affords us into the practical working of the Lakeland fisheries 

 during the thirteenth century. It was on this very occasion 

 that the jurors of Lyth, and Eskedale, and of Cumb', and Aller- 

 dale made a presentment regarding the great destruction in the 

 waters of Edene and Esk and others in the county, of 

 Salmon coming up to spawn, and likewise of the young fry 

 going down to the sea. The whole county, knights and free- 

 holders, unanimously decided that they should observe a close 

 time ; ' that from Michaelmas to St Andrew's day no net shall 

 be drawn or placed at weirs, pools, or mills, or mill-ponds, and 

 that none fish in the above or any other waters in the county, 

 with nets, stergilds, or other engine, within said close time ; or 

 without engine. Also that from the feast of the Apostles 

 Philip and James until the Nativity of St. John Baptist, no net 

 or " wile " or " borache " shall be placed at pools or mills or 

 mill pools in said waters.' Only approved nets were to be 

 employed, and the meshes were required to be wide enough to 

 let the salmon fry through, — viz., of four thumbs' length. 

 Persons convicted of illegal practices were to be summarily dis- 

 posed of by being sent to the King's prison. One of the enact- 

 ments of this jury survived until our own century — viz., their 

 order that illegal nets were to be burnt in public when seized. 

 The Carlisle Journal of April 21, 1827, informs its readers 

 that 'within these few days no less than 20 shackle and other 

 fishing nets have been publicly burnt in the market-place, 

 Appleby, which were taken from a most noted gang of night 

 net poachers ; most of the nets were new and worth altogether 

 upwards of thirty pounds.' It would weary the reader, were I 

 to detail the dry statistics of the salmon fisheries of Morecambe 

 Bay, as they have been stated in law-suits and other pleas. The 

 year that the above-mentioned nets were burnt at Appleby 

 1 Documents relating to Scotland, vol. ii. p. 38, 



