The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 28 March 2024
[A1573/4/8]1
Concerning the slaughter of herring and white fish and using of the same thereafter
Item, forasmuch as it is heavily complained that the whole slayers of all kind of fish within this realm do not regard the acts made by our sovereign lord's dearest predecessors of before, which is that when herring and white fish are slain, they ought to bring the same to the adjacent burghs and towns, where the persons, slayers thereof, dwell, to the effect that our sovereign lord's lieges may be first served; and if abundance occurred, that they might be salted and transported by free burgesses; through not doing of the which, our sovereign lord is greatly defrauded of his customs and his highness's lieges want the fruit of the sea, appointed by God for their nourishment, and the burgesses and free men of burghs disappointed of their traffic and commodity. Therefore our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of [James Douglas, earl of Morton], my lord regent's grace, the three estates and whole body of this present parliament, ordains that all manner of fisheries that occupy the sea and other persons whatsoever that happen to slay herring or white fish upon the coast or within the isles, or outwith the same within the firths, bring them to free ports, there to be sold commonly to all our sovereign lord's lieges, and the rest to free men, whereby his majesty's customs be not defrauded and his highness's lieges not frustrated of the commodity appointed to them by God, under the pain of confiscation and loss of the vessels of those that come in the contrary hereof, and escheating of all their moveable goods to our sovereign lord's use.
- The Actis of King James the Sext, printed by R. Lekprevick (St Andrews, 1573), ff.15v-16r. Bound with earlier parliamentary material at NLS, Acts 1566, Ry.II.b.7.