The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 15 November 2024
[1641/8/211]1
Act anent the exsise of herring
Our soverane lord and estates of parliament, considering that his majesties exsyses of all herringis slaine within the Redhead and St. Tobes Heade is a thousand herringis foorth of ilke boate, ilke drave that holdes, and finding the collecting of these herring to be verie hard and difficile, have thought expedient to modifie the pryce of these herringis and convert the samene thowsand herringis into money. And therfore, our said soverane lord, with the advyse of the estates, modifies and convertes the pryce of the said one thousand herringis payable for assyse to the soume of sex pundis money of this realme, and declaires that to be the constant pryce therof in tymecomeing without respect of deare or cheape herringis. And because the fisheries residentes in the east sease and who duell within the saidis boundis on the north and southsyde of Foorthe and Tay, by west the Ridhead and St Tobbs Head, in respect of the great hazard and danger they are in in ventering to the North Yles with ther shipes and barkes, wherin they transport tuo boates or yolles as pendicles of the saides shipes and barkes and vehicles for there use and the bettir accommodating of ther voyage, wer in wse to pay only the soume of fyve pund in satisfactione of the assyse herringis, ilke take that holdis, for everie shipe or barke, without haveing respect to shipe, boates or yolles which are onlie pendicles and vehicles of the saidis shipes or barkes, therfore his majestie, with advyse of the saidis estates, being certainlie persuadit that it is wnpossible to the saidis fisheres to accompleishe ther voyages wnles they have tuo shipe, boates or yolles caried in the saides shipes or barkes as pendicles and vehicles therto, declaires that the saidis fisheres are and shall only be lyable in payment of the said soume of sex pundis in full satisfactione of the assyse in the North Yles for ilke shipe or barke, ilke take that holdes, not haveing regaird of the saidis shippes, boates or yolles, ther being bot tuo boates to ilke shipe at the farthest which they doe heerby liberat and exeeme from all payment of any duetie; and dischairges all our soverane lordis leiges exacting or wplifting any other assyse from the saidis fisheres nor the particular dueties abovespecified, and ordeanes the collectores thairof to wplifte the same legally after ilke drave and to disist from troubling the fisheres dureing the tyme therof.
- NAS, PA2/22, f.194r-194v.