THE EARLY COMMERCE OF PLYMOUTH. 309 
widow) and personal punishment, as usual at the mayor’s discretion. 
In 1584 a more stringent order was passed to the same effect, 
including hake, but allowing women to make provision for their 
households. Those who brought hake to the town were to sell to 
every freeman equally some indifferent portion. Freemen who 
aided any stranger to break these regulations were subject to 
severe penalties—losing their liberty, and having to pay heavy 
fines, from 5s. upwards. In Walter Pepperill’s mayoralty, 1590-1, 
a tax of 8d. per last was laid upon pilchards saved except for 
household use, towards the defence of the town. 
One of the most amusing entries anent fish concerns the fish- 
women. In the mayoralty of Humphry Fownes, 1596-7, these 
traders were considered by the “twelve and twenty-four” to have 
unduly multiplied. So their numbers were restricted. The names 
of the favourite ladies of the Corporation who were allowed. to 
continue their business were—Cyslie Barons, Johanne Straunge, 
Katheren Earle, Cyslie Sherwill, Thomasine Prince, Rahatch Dune, 
Elizabeth Lanne, Alse Bree, Agnes Clifforde, Alse Gilbert, Elizabeth 
Harte, Nell Seelye, Alse Lawrell, Elizabeth Evens. No mention is 
made of a penalty for unlicensed hawking, but we may be sure 
there was one. Three-quarters of a century later, 1656-7, it was 
enacted that women who went about “trucking” to ships without 
leave should be set in the ducking-stool at the Barbican and haled 
up and down three times; and I suspect this would have been the 
style of punishment in 1596, 
Before passing to the seventeenth century it will be of interest to 
quote sundry items from the Receivers’ accounts. In the concluding 
years of the fifteenth century the average corporate income appears 
to have been somewhat under £60; and the expenses were within 
that amount. In 1509-10, however, the receipts went up to 
£89 7s. 4d.; and the expenditure then advanced so rapidly, that 
the Corporation got into debt. In 1511-12 they actually spent 
£123 11s., though their ordinary income did not average £70. 
The extra outlay was chiefly caused by the need of improving the 
works of defence. This seems to have had the result of making 
the “twelve and twenty-four” look about them for new sources of 
income ; and so we find them snapping up all sorts of “ uncon- 
sidered trifles.” Thus in that year Edward Peryn, of Totnes, was 
arrested upon suspicion because he had certain gold upon him, and 
was sent to Exeter. Master Recorder had £3 16s. 6d. voted to 
VOL. VI. x 
