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A42117 A vindication of a national-fishery wherein is asserted that the glory, wealth, strength, safety, and happiness of this kingdom, with the flourishing of trade, and growth of navigation, as also the employing of the poor of this realm, doth depend (under God) upon a national-fishery : and all the general, vulgar, (tho' erroneous) objections against encouraging the fishery of England, answer'd, and confuted : to which is added the sovreignty of British-seas. Gander, Joseph.; Gander, Joseph. Sovereignty of the British-seas asserted. 1699 (1699) Wing G196; ESTC R227035 28,639 110

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in a very Insolent manner Justified his Actions in Writing as done by Authority of the King his Master's Commission This being alledged to be done to the great Damage and prejudice of the King of England the Prelates Peers and the rest of the Nation Exhibited a Bill against Reyner Grimbald and managed by the Procurators on the behalf of the Prelates Peers and of the Cities and Towns through out England and also of the whole Kingdom of England in General and by and with the Authority as is supposed of the Estates assembled in Parliament with those were joyned Procurators of most Nations Bordering upon the Sea throughout Europe viz. The Genoeses The Catalonians The Spainards The Almayns The Zealanders The Hollanders The Freezlanders The Danes The Norwegians The Hamburghers And all these instituted a complaint against Reyner Grimbald who was Admiral of the French Navy in the time of the War between Philip King of France and Guy Earl of Flanders And all these Complainants in their Bill do joyntly affirm That the King of England and his Predecessors have time out of mind and without controversie enjoyed the Sovereignty and Dominion of the English Seas and the Isles belonging to the same by Right of the Realm of England that is to say by prescribing Laws Statutes and Prohibition of Arms and of Ships otherwise Furnished than with such Necessaries and Commodities as belong to Merchants c. Also That they have had and have the Sovereign Guard hereof with all manner of Cognizance and Jurisdiction doing right and Justice according to the said Laws Ordinances and Prohibitions and in all other Matters which may concern the Exercise of Sovereign Dominion in the said Places This is the Declarations of the Nations aforemention'd and they did declare he was Lord of the Sea c. This is Cited out of the Parliament Records and they did declare an Acknowledgment of the Sea Dominion of our Kings made by those Foreign and Neighbour Nations who were most concern'd in the Business to the Glory of our Kings of England Mr. Hitchcock in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth presented a Book to the Parliament concerning the Commodity of Fishing That the Hollanders and Zealanders every year towards the latter end of Summer do send out four or five Hundred Vessels called Busses to Fish for Herrings in our Eastern Seas but before they Fish they ask leave of Starbourough these were the Words Care was also taken in King James the first of Englands Reign That no Foreigner should Fish on the English or Irish Seas without leave first obtained and every year at the least this leave was renewed from Commissioners for that purpose appointed at London And the Kings of France have desired leave of the Kings of England for a certain time to Fish on our Seas only for Fish for his Houshould and obliged themselves in Articles That none of the Fish that was taken in the British Seas should be exposed to sale in any Market In the Seventh year of the Reign of King James the first the Sovereignty of the British Seas was Strenuously asserted by Proclamation and all Persons excluded from the use of the Seas upon our Coasts without particular Licence the Grounds whereof you have here set down in the Proclamation it self A PROCLAMATION Touching Fishing JAMES by the Grace of God King of Great-Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all and Singular Persons to whom it may appertain Greeting Although we do sufficiently know by our Experience in the Office of Regal Dignity in which by the Favour of Almighty God we have been Placed and Exercised these many years as also by the Observation which we have made of other Christian Princes exemplary Actions how far the Absoluteness of Sovereign Power extendeth it self and that in Regard thereof we need not yield Account to any Person under God for any Action of ours which is Lawfully Grounded upon that Just Prerogative yet such hath ever been and shall be our Care and Desire to give satisfaction to our Neighbour Princes and Freinds in any Action which may have the least Relation to their Subjects and Estates as we have thought Good by way of Premonition to declare to them and to whomsoever it may appertain as followeth Whereas we have been contented since our coming to the Crown to tolerate an Indifferent and Promiscuous kind of Liberty to all our Friends whatsoever to Fish within our Streams and upon any of our Coasts of Great Britain Ireland and other adjacent Islands so far forth as the Permission or use thereof might not redound to the Impeachment of our Prerogative Royal nor to the Hurt and Damage of our loving Subjects whose Preservation and Flourishing Estate we hold our self Principally bound to Advance before all worldly Respects so finding that our Continuance therein hath not only given occasion of over-great Encroachments upon our Regalities or rather questioning our Right but hath been a means of daily wrongs to our own People that exercise the Trade of Fishing as either by the Multitude of Strangers which do pre-ocupy those Places or by the Injuries that they receive Commonly at their Hands Our Subjects are constrain'd to abandon their Fishing or at least are become so discouraged in the same as they hold it better for them to betake themselves to some other course of Living whereby not only divers of our Coast Towns are much decayed but the Number of Mariners daily diminish which is a Matter of Great consequence to our Estates considering how much the Strength thereof consisteth in the Power of Shipping and use of Navigation We have thought it now both Just and Necessary in Respect that we are now by Gods Favour Linealy and Lawfully Possess'd as well of the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the rest of the Isles adjacent to bethink our selves of good lawful Means to prevent those Inconveniences and many others depending upon the same In consideration whereof as we are desirous that the World may take notice that we have no intention to deny our Neighbours the Allies those Fruits and Benefits of Peace and Friendship which may justly be expected at our hands in Honour and Reason or are afforded by other Princes in the point of Commerce and Exchange of those things which may not prove prejudicial to them So because some such convenient Order may be taken in this Matter as may sufficiently provide for these Important Considerations which do depend thereupon We have resolved first to give Notice to all the World that our Express pleasure is That from the beginning of the Month of August next coming no Person of what Nation or Quality soever being not our Natural Born Subjects be permitted to Fish on any of our Coasts and Seas of Great Britain Ireland and the rest of the Isles adjacent where most usually heretofore any Fishing hath been until they have orderly demanded and obtained Licenses from Us or such of Our
A VINDICATION OF A National-Fishery Wherein is Asserted That the GLORY WEALTH STRENGTH SAFETY and HAPPINESS of this KINGDOM with the Flourishing of TRADE and Growth of NAVIGATION As also the Employing the POOR of this Realm doth depend under GOD upon A National-Fishery And all the General Vulgar tho' Erroneous Objections against Encouraging the Fishery of England Answer'd and Confuted To which is added The SOVEREIGNTY of the BRITISH-SEAS England's a Perfect World 'T has Indies two Correct your Maps The Fishery is Peru. LONDON Printed for F. Coggan in the Inner Temple Lane MDCXCIX To the most Noble AND Mighty PRINCE THOMAS Duke of LEEDS MARQVESS of CARMARTHEN EARL of DANBY Viscount Latimore Baron Osbourne of Kiveton Lord President of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy-Council Lord Lieutenant of York-shire Governour of Kingston upon Hull AND KNIGHT OF THE Most Noble Order OF THE GARTER May it please Your Grace THE Great Applause you have so deservedly meritted hath encouraged me to Dedicate this small Epitomy to Your Honour and not knowing any Man that can with more lively Colours represent this Important Affair to the Wisdom of the Nation I lay it at Your Lordship's Feet as an UNDERTAKING which if Your Grace be pleased to Espouse for the Good of the Kingdom you will thereby add another Trophy to your former Atchievements and the Glory of the Action will be Recorded to all Posterity For upon a National-Fishery under God doth depend the Safety Honour and Happiness of this Kingdom the Flourishing of Trade and the Supporting of Credit as in the Sequel of my Discourse I hope I have made appear My Lord this Age gives us too many Examples of Discouraging Ingenuity many Excellent Qualities lying often hid under humble Looks and mean Habits which soon are discountenanc'd and suppress'd by Insulting Greatness and Popular Opulancy But You have shewed by the constant Example of Your Actions that You have Agreed with Seneca in his Renowned Maxim that sola virtus vera Nobilitas When so many others are blinded with their absurd Vanity and airy Greatness But you have rendred your self a true Patriot to your Country and therefore I most humbly implore this Book may be sheltred under the wings of Your Graces Protection who am Right Honourable and Renowned Sir Your Graces most humble And most obedient Servant Joseph Gander TO THE BARONS OF THE Cinque-Ports And the Members of Parliament for the Coasting-Towns and Burroughs of the Kingdom of England Honoured and Worthy Senators THE Cinque-Ports of this Kingdom having signalized their Loyalty and Valour by Sea in several Expeditions for the Glory of the King 's Honour of their Country and Safety of the Realm our preceding Kings confirmed several Dignities on them and amongst the rest made their Members of Parliament Barons as an Encouragement to Navigation and their Prowess And gave them the Honour of Supporting the Canopy over his Head at his Coronation as is supposed by way of Similitude That whereas they had Defended Supported and Maintained his Honour by their Courage against his Enemies by Sea he gave them the Honour to support the Canopy over his Head as a Mark of Honour to them and his Acknowledgement of the Greatness of their Service And many Coasting-Towns and Burroughs have from time to time been endowed with great Priviledges some of them remaining to this day as a mark of Honour by several Kings to Encourage Navigation from whence originally we have beyond all Dispute arrived to the Knowledge we are now attained to in Marine Affairs But now most of those Towns and Burroughs that formerly flourished by their Fishing are reduced to miserable Poverty and Thousands of Families ruined for want of the Fishery And the Gentlemen who have Estates in those Places or near the Coast are exceedingly impair'd Of which Calamity King Henry the 8th had undoubtedly a fore-sight of as appears by the Sratute of 33 of his Reign 't is there thus inserted because the English Fishermen dwelling on the Sea Coasts did leave off their Trade of Fishing in our Seas and went the half Seas over and thereupon they did buy Fish of Pickards Flemmings Normands and Zealanders by reason whereof many Incommodities did grow to the Realm viz. The Decay of the Wealth and Prosperity as well of the Cinque-Ports and Members of the same as of other Coasting-Towns by the Sea-side which were builded and inhabited by great Multitudes of People by reason of Using and Exercising the Feat and Craft of Fishing Secondly The decay of a great Number of Boats and Ships And thirdly the decay of many good Mariners both able in Body by their Diligence Labour and continual Exercise of Fishing and Expert by reason thereof in the Knowledge of our Sea-Coasts as well within the Realm as in other Parts beyond the Seas It was therefore Enacted That no manner of Persons English Denizons or Strangers at that time or any time after should buy any Fish of any Foreigners in the said Ports of Flanders zealand Pickardy or France or upon the Sea between Shoar and Shoar This shews what great Care our former Kings and Parliaments have taken to Preserve the Nursery for Sea-faring Men for the Defence of the Kingdom and for the Preservation of our Coasting Towns c. And have therefore thought fit in all Humility to Dedicate this Book to you as before-mentioned If my sincere Intentions to serve the Kingdom have its desired Success I have my wish who am Your most humble And most obedient Servant J. Gander A VINDICATION OF A National Fishery c. BY the Benign Goodness of God and by the Wise Conduct of our King and the Admirable Wisdom and prudent Care of our Sage Senatours at Home England after a tedious and Chargeable War hath obtained an Honourable Peace And the Sword being now Sheathed His Majesty in his most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament hath declared His Royal Inclination for the Preservation of the Saftety Honour and Happiness of the Kingdom c. So that it is not to be doubted but that the Genius of our Government will make it the Chiefest of their Care to Settle the Affairs of Trade upon the most firmest Foundation for the publick Good of our Nation For the most destructive Consumption that can happen to a Kingdom and the only Nurse of Idleness and Beggary is Want of Trade whereas on the contrary Increase of Trade encourageth Labour Art and Invention and enricheth the Common-Weal And beyond all Dispute the Fishery of England is the Main Trade of this Kingdom rightly Managed The good Patriots of our Country are to weigh the Matter And it is so comprehensive a Blessing that were those Advantages but Industriously improved that Providence hath bestowed on this Island we might consequently be the most Flourishing People in the whole World both by Sea and Land And seeing by the Decay of the Fishing Trade we have lain open to France and Holland by neglecting our own
it may be a Means to prevent Eating so much Flesh as we do now in England and so consequently be very prejudicial to our Landed-Men and bring the Rents of the Farms lower But this with Submission is a very Erroneous Notion For Example The Fish that may or should be Caught in the British Seas is not intended to be eat in England and perhaps not one Huudredth part of it but to be sold at foreign Markets as in due time shall be observed And to make it appear that if a National Fishery be encouraged it will cause a greater Consumption of Flesh than is now in England and consequently rather encrease than diminish the Rents of our Landed Gentlemen and in few Years might double the Rents as the Fishery flourished and our Trade encrease both at home and abroad I Humbly Offer these Reasons First Our Coasting Towns Bouroughs and Villages Adjacent that formerly had their dependance on the Fishery are reduced to so great Poverty for want of being Employ'd that they are now constrain'd to feed upon Coarse-Bread Butter Cheese Milk Turnips Carrots or on such Roots and Herbs as they can get Whereas if they were Employed in this Fishery they would then have Money to go to Market and buy Flesh as their Ancestors did before them for themselves and Families And I suppose there is not any Man but what is sensible that the English naturally loving Flesh the meanest Man or Woman in the Kingdom would have Roast and boyl'd Meat for themselves and Families as well as their Landlords if their Purses would bear it So that then there would be a greater Consumption of Flesh than there is now not only in our Coasting Towns c. but in all probability through the whole Kingdom when once we flourish in this Fishery This Great and Glorious Undertaking will not only enrich us but Employ thousands of People that are now so miserable Poor that they gradually Starve for want of having this Encouragement And what is worthy your particular Notice it would prevent abundance of Sea-faring Men from going into Foreign Service in times of Peace for want of Employment at home many of them leaving their Wives and Children to be maintained by the Parish which undoubtedly is a great Grievance to the respective Parishes and a Burthen to the Inhabitants And this Fishery would not only preserve thousands of Families from Starving but then they would wear better Cloaths and promote our Woollen Manufactury For 't is only Poverty makes People wear Rags and being disheartned it oftentimes prevents their Devotion And it will also prevent a great many Inconveniencies that now attend this Nation for want of being Employed For Example There would not be so many Vagrants and Vagabonds nor so many People that take illegal Courses as Thieving Robbing c. to the Ruine of themselves and others Nor so many Export our Corn nor carry our Wooll unwrought out of the Kingdom if they were employed another way This Fishery would also employ abundance at Land so well as by Sea as Clerks Accomptants Ware-house and Store-keepers and the like and great Numbers of Artists and Tradesmen So that then there would be Provision for a great many Men that go Crawling about the Streets like so many Snails for want of Employ that have been well Educated Besides 't is an Universal Maxim That Idleness is the Root of all Evil and a great many People fear Starving more than Hanging as is seen almost every Session or Assizes For let the Judge enquire of the Criminals what induced them to take the lewd Courses they are Indicted or Arraigned for the General Reply is Want Further it is supposed by all that have travelled in the Low-Countries that where one Male-factor is Executed in Holland or in France there is above One hundred in England and the only Reason that can be given why there are so few in Holland and France and so many executed in England is That they take care to employ their Subjects and those that are uncapable by Age or any other Infirmity for Labour are provided for by allowing them a Competent Maintenance to live on but 't is the Fishery of England that employs and enricheth them And the Hollanders themselves will boast that God blesseth them in their Tradring and defends them from their Enemies for being so good to the Poor And it is a Confirmation of the Sacred Writ That he that Considereth the Indigent the Lord will remember him in the day of his Tribulation And what a great Glory will it be to the King and Kingdom to preserve so many thousand Subjects that are now involv'd in such miserable Necessity that in all probability they must perish if this Method be not speedily taken And since His Majesty has been Instrumental in Delivering these Kingdoms from Slavery and Popery c. 't is to be supposed that he will also make it his Chiefest Care to preserve his Subjects from Destruction that have so Bravely Ventur'd their Lives both by Sea and Land and have paid their Money with so much Chearfulness to carry on the War And have so long languished under their Afflictions And He having Maugred all Opposition both at Home and Abroad it now remains that he attacks Himself that His Goodness and Greatness may vye with each other by enquiring what is to be done to retrieve them from their withering Calamity And 't is believed by all well-wishers to the Welfare of these Kingdoms that His Majesty will Sign all those Acts that shall be for His Glory the Senatours Honour and the preserving so well as enriching of his Subjects When he shall be Advised to it by his Parliament in whom he has so great Confidence as he hath often declared for the Good of his People in His most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament which are too tedious here to insert And having made the proud Lillies of France stoop to him and Recovered the Principality of Orange he will now Assume his Trident. And to Emulate his Royal Predecessor William the I. Conquerour of England who after being possessed of the Kingdom took a View of it in a Royal Progress and then did see there was an incumbent Necessity to defend this Realm by Shipping altho' he set fire of his own Fleet at his Landing to let his Men know his Intentions Aut Caesar aut Nullus Whereupon he demolished several Villages in Hampshire and there planted a large Forrest of Oaks which to this day is call'd New Forrest it being above two and twenty Miles in length and eleven Miles over This shews what Care our Ancestors from time to time have taken to secure this Island by Navigation and for providing Ships of Force as well as for Commerce the one to Enrich the other to defend as well our Trading by Sea as the Island from Invasion For there is no Dominion that can expect to flourish in Trade or
Commissioners as We have Authorised in that behalf viz. At London for Our Realms of England and Ireland and at Edenburgh for our Realm of Scotland which Licenses Our Intention is shall be yearly demanded for so many Vessels and Ships and the Tunnage thereof as shall intend to Fish for that whole Year or any part thereof upon any of our Coasts and Seas as aforesaid upon the pain of such Chastisement as shall be fit to be inflicted on such Offenders Given at our Palace at Westminster the 6th of May in the 7th Year of Our Reign of Great Britain Anno Dom ' 1609. Notwithstanding this Proclamation the Netherlanders still proceeded in the way of their Encroachment upon the Seas thro' the whole Reign of King James and were at length so bold as to contest with him and Quarrel His Majesty out of His Rights pretending because of the long Connivance of Queen Elizabeth that they had of their own a Right of Immemorial Possession And in King Charles the I's Reign a Proclamation was published for Restraint of Fishing upon His Seas and Coasts without License dated the 10th day of May in the 12th Year of his Reign This Proclamation being set forth in the Year 1636 serv'd to speak the Intent of those Naval Preparations made in the Year 1635 which were so numerous and well provided that our Netherland Neighbours were apprehensive of some Great Design in hand for the Interest of England by Sea As I might shew at large if it were requisite by certain Papers of a publick Character yet in Being But there is one which may serve instead of all and it is a very Ingenious Letter of Secretary Cokes that was written to Sir William Boswell the King 's Resident then at the Hague the Original whereof is still reserved among the Publick Papers In which Letter he sets forth the Grounds and Reason of Preparing that Royal and Gallant Navy with the King's Resolution to Maintain the Right derived from his Royal Progenitors in the Dominion of the British Seas and therefore I here render a True Copy of it so far as concerns this Business as most pertinent to our Purpose SIR BY your Letters and otherwise I perceive many Jealousies and Discourses are raised upon the Preparations of His Majesty's Fleet which is now in such forwardness that we doubt not but within this Month it will appear at Sea It is therefore expedient both for your Satisfaction and Direction to inform you particularly what was the Occasion and what is His Majesty's Intention in this Affair First we hold it a Principle not to be denied as it may be prov'd from undeniable Record That the King of Great Britain is a Monarch at Land and Sea to the full extent of His Dominions and that it concerneth Him as much to maintain His Sovereignty in theBritish Seas as within His Three Kingdoms because without That these cannot be kept safe nor He preserve His Honour and due Respect with other Nations But Commanding the Sea he may cause his Neighbours and all Countries to stand upon their Guard whensoever he thinks fit And this cannot be doubted that whosoever will encroach upon him by Sea will do it also by Land when they see their time To such Presumption Mare Liberum gave the first Warning-piece which must be answer'd with a Defence of Mare Clausum not so much by Discourse as by the lowder Language of a Powerful Navy To be better understood when over-strain'd Patience seeth no hope of preserving her Right by other Means The degrees by which His Majesty's Dominion at Sea hath of latter Years been impeached and then question'd are as Considerable as Notorious First to cherish and as it were to nourish our unthankful Neighbours we gave them Leave to gather Wealth and Strength upon our Coasts in our Ports by our Trade and by our People Then they were glad to invite our Merchants Residence with what priviledges they would desire Then they offer'd us the Sovereignty of their Estates and then they su'd for License to Fish upon our Coasts and obtained it under the Great Seal of Scotland which now they suppress And when thus by Leave or by Connivance they had possess'd themselves of our Fishings not only in Scotland but in Ireland and England and by our Staple had raised a great Stock of Trade by these Means they so increased their Shipping and Power at Sea that now they endure not to be kept at any distance Nay they are grown to that Confidence to keep Guards upon our Seas and then project an Office and Company of Assurance for the Advancement of Trade and withal prohibit us free Commerce within our Seas and take our Ships and Goods if we conform not to their Placarts What Insolences and Cruelties they have committed against us heretofore in Ireland in Greenland and in the Indies is too well known to all the World In all which tho' our Sufferings and their Wrongs may seem forgotten yet the great Interest of His Majesty's Honour is still the same and will refesh their Memories as there shall be Cause For tho' Charity must remit wrongs done to private Men yet the Reflection upon the Publick may make it a greater Charity to do Justice on crying Crimes All this notwithstanding you are to conceive that the Work of this Fleet is Revenge or Execution of Justice for these great Offences past but Chiefly for the future to stop the violent Current of that Presumption whereby the Men of War and Free-booters of all Nations abusing the Favour of His Majesty's peaceable and most gracious Government whereby he hath permitted all his Friends and Allies to make use of his Sea-ports at a reasonable and free Manner according to his Treaties have taken upon them the Boldness not only to come confidently at all times into all his Ports and Rivers but to convey their Merchant Ships so high as his Chief City and then to cast Anchor close upon his Magazines and to contemn the Commands of his Officers when they have required a further distance But which is more intolarable have assaulted and taken one another within His Majesties Chamber and within his Rivers to the Scorn and Contempt of his Dominon and Power and this being of late years an Ordinary Practice which we have endeavoured in vain to Reform by the way of Justice and Treaties the World I think will be satisfied that we have Reason to look about us And no Wise Man will doubt but it is high time to put our selves in this Equipage upon the Seas and not to suffer that Stage of Action to be taken from us for want of our Appearance So you see the General Ground upon which our Counsel Stands In particular you may take Notice and Publish as cause requires That His Majesty by his Fleet intendeth not a Rupture with any Prince or State nor to Infringe any Point of his Treaties but resolveth to continue and Maintain that