6 



R. LOFTHOUSE : THE RIVER TEES. 



In Brewster's list of Fishes, published in his ' History of Stockton,' 

 1829, it is stated that 'Salmon have much decreased of late years, 

 owing chiefly to the method of hushing carried on in the lead mines 

 of Teesdale, and probably also to the increase of Seals at the mouth 

 of the river.' Of old records of Seals in the Tees, I have not been 

 able to meet with much, except casual references. It is mentioned 

 in the 'List of the Fauna of Cleveland' in Graves' History, published 

 in 1808: in Sharpe's 'History of Hartlepool,' published in 1816; 

 and in Brewster's ' History of Stockton,' mentioned above. 



In the ' Durham Household Book, or accounts of the Bursar of 

 the Monastery of Durham, from Pentecost, 1530, to Pentecost, 1534,' 

 published by the Surtees Society, wherein is minutely detailed 

 all the costs of provisioning that house, Seayll's and Seayll-Calves 

 are frequently mentioned ; and in one place Tyse fish are specially 

 mentioned (p. 122). It is probable that some at least of these Seals 

 were procured from the Tees. The conservancy of the Tees, together 

 with the rivers Tyne and Wear, belonged to the Bishop of Durham 

 from a very early period, and to him belonged the privileges and 

 profits incident to such power, such as royal fishes, wrecks, duties, 

 anchorage, fishings, weirs, etc. 



In 1345 there was paid to the Bishop 22s. iid. for fee farm rent, 

 for the ' privilege of trading or towing of vessels in the Tees ' (Bishop 

 Hatfield's Survey). 



Not only were Seals much more plentiful formerly, but they 

 appear to have been regarded as a favourite article of food. At a 

 great feast made by George Nevill, Chancellor of England, and 

 Archbishop of York, at his inthronization (6th Ed. IV, 1468), 

 'thirteen Porresses and Seals formed part of the provision'; and 

 again, at the inthronization of Archbishop Warham, in 1504, 'Seals 

 et porposs were provided.' The value of a Sea.l or Porpoise was 

 13s. 4d. in the 17th year of Henry VIII. 



In Brewster's ' History of Stockton ' is a quotation from a record 

 in the Curistors' Rolls (1530), having reference to the regulation of 

 the fisheries in the Tees, in which ' Sealles, Purpose, Sturgion, and 

 other like fishes ' are mentioned. It appears that some difference had 

 arisen between the fishers using 'drawing netts' and those using 

 ' haling netts,' and is an agreement between the 'parties for appeasing 

 of all variance in time to come.' 



In an account of the Salmon fishery in the same history, it is 

 mentioned that ' large shoals of porpoises frequent the sand-banks, 

 and are supposed to be very injurious to Salmon and fishes of inferior 

 size. A fishery for these has been attempted, but it has not been 

 attended with success.' I imagine that Seals are meant here, and 

 that these two animals are often confounded in old records. 



Naturalist, 



