THE EARLY COMMERCE OF PLYMOUTH. 319 
rose to £70; and then fell off again, until by the commencement 
of the eighteenth century it was nil. Subsequently it again 
appears, but not to any important extent. I do not think these 
oscillations, though partially dependent on the fluctuations of 
trade, were wholly so. The right of the Corporation to collect 
custom was resisted at various times; and when Sutton Pool 
passed out of their hands, though no immediate effect of im- 
portance in this item can be traced, yet some difference must have 
been caused. Moreover, the quayage of the town quays became 
more productive as time went on, and yielded £60 in 1720, against 
£12 16s. 9d. in 1669-70, and £25 15s. in 1699-1700. 
Karly in the seventeenth century we come across the first evi- 
dence of interference with our trade of the absurd privileges 
claimed by the Corporation of Saltash. A great ship had sunk in 
Cattewater, to the sore damage of the harbour of Plymouth, which 
required in 1637 £2255 to put it in proper order. The Saltash 
people would do nothing to remove the ship. Quite enough for 
them to collect their dues. So the merchants of Plymouth appealed 
to the authorities. These declared it to be only reasonable that 
the mayor and commonalty of Plymouth should receive Id. a ton 
on all ships coming within the port, which then included all the 
harbours on the south coast of Cornwall (thus creating a new 
grievance after the fashion of the Saltash one), 1d. per ton on all 
ships belonging to the port for every voyage ; and 6d. per ton on 
all pilchards laden in the Sound for export. This was to be in 
force for three years if needed; and Saltash was to remove the 
ship, and pay a half of its dues to the reparation of Plymouth 
harbour. Hereon Saltash came to terms, gave up to Plymouth the 
ballast rights within Cattewater and Sutton Pool, paid £20 a year 
for three years, and agreed that the care of Cattewater in future 
should be joint. It was at the same time ordered that every 
Plymouth lighter and sand-barge should each year take away a 
load of rubble, &c., from Cattewater, and deposit it on the 
southern part of ‘the fretted neck of land called How Stert ;” 2.e. 
the Batten isthmus. 
In 1617 Sutton Pool was leased by the then Duke of Cornwall, 
Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I., to John Sparke (he of the 
Friary) and John Howell, of Plymouth, in farm, for twenty-one 
years, at a yearly rent of £13 6s. 8d., the lessees taking all the 
profits of the anchorage and keyladge of all ships coming within 
