"I, Thomas Erle of Surrey and Greate Admyrall of England, To all my Deputies, Admynystriours and others officers of the said Admyralte and to evy of theym send greatyng in God ev lastynge signyfyeng unto you that I of late have called before me and my lernyd Counceill the Bailies of the kyngl. town and porte of Yippiswiche in the County of Suff. willing theym to shew and declare tofore me and my said Counceyll by what warraunt and tytle the said Baylies, Burges, Comaltie do p'tend to clayme to have Jurisdiccˇion Admyrall, and alle that to th' office of Admyraltie dothe app taign as well withyn the said town as from the porte therunto a place called the Polleshed, whereuppon the said Baylys with their Counceil lernyd exhybut and shewed before me and my said Counceyll dyvers Chres as well made unto their predecessours of dyv's Lib ties to theym guntted by the kynges most noble p genitors as dyv's Chres of confirmacions made of and uppon the same by the kinge my Sovraigne Lord that nowe is by whyche Chres and other Recordys by theym then shewed, it did clerely appear unto me and my said lernyd Counseyll that the seid Bailies, Burgeis, and Comaltie have full poyo'r and auctorite to make within the said town libertye and p'cyncte of the same all things that to the offyce of Admyralte do appertaigne, and that non other Admyralle of the kynge my said Soveraigne Lord nor of his heyrs, nor ther deputies or sirvaunts of the said Admyrall should interrupte nor medle within the said town liberties subberbys and pcynct of the same for any cause or mater to the same office of Admyrall concernyng, and that the port of the town aforesaid and the water runnyng and comyng as the case chauncythe from the same port by flowying and ebbynge of the see against the South-east to a certain

place called Polleshede aforesaid, and that all the ground and soyle which by the said ebbynge and flowyng of the sea aforesaid any time overflowen or cover'd with water out of tyme of mynd of man, is and hath been knowyn and taken as p'cel and w in the lib'tie and p'cincte of the said town and that the same place from the South-east unto Polleshede aforesaid by the kyng's Ir's patentes that now is, is made, annexed, and used as p'cell of the said town lib'ties and p'cyncte, and that the same Baylies, Burgeis, and Com'altie, and their successours shall have and enjoye in the same place from the Southe-easte unto the Polleshede aforesaid all their Fraunchesys, Lib'ties, Grn'tys tofore made unto them. Wherefor I not wyllyng in noo part to int'upt the said Bailies and their successours of their lib'ties and fraunchesys aforesaid to theym grntted and by them usid in the place aforesaid, will and commaund you and evry of you to suffer and p'mytte the said Bailies, their successours and their officers from hensforth peasibly to enjoye, use, and occupye as well w in the said town and port as in the place aforesaid from the said port South-east unto Polleshede aforesaid, all that to the office of Admyralte belongithe, without any interruppcion or let therein or any part thereof by yowe or any of yow from hensforth to be made. And that ye nor non of you from hensforth w'thin the said town liberties and p'cynct of the same, nor placis aforesaid doo intermedle with the office of Admyralte as ye will annswere at your own p'yll. Gevyn under my seale and syne the 17th day of February, in the 11th yere of king Henry the Eighth. P'vided alwayes that I the said Admyrall may take maryners to doo the king service at any tyme that it shall please me, any of the premisses notwithstandyng w'thin the said liberties."

A provision it is seen was attached, that the High Admiral might take mariners to do the king's service at any time it should please him.

It does not appear that the frequent obstructions offered to the rights of the Bailiffs prevented their holding Admiralty courts along the whole line of their jurisdiction. These courts can be traced back long before the time of Henry VIII.

In this king's reign we find Admiralty Courts held in the 17th, 25th, 27th, 28th, and 35th years. Presentments were made by the juries of hogsheads of wine found on the high seas, against the inhabitants of Harwich for taking anchorage under Langar, of a man being drowned at Langar Fleet, upon wreck cast upon shore, of porpoises found, of affrays as to the possession of fish garths or wears, and of ballast thrown on the ouze at Walton, and the Polleshead.

Admiralty courts were also held in the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th of Edward VI, in which felonies were presented.

In 1556 (Philip and Mary) the jury of this court presented that an anchor had been found, and a barrel of " aqua vita" discovered at a place called Sylley.

In the reign of Elizabeth, fifteen persons were presented and amerced 12d. each for carrying away under sized fish.

In 1573, the Bailiffs having seized a ship called the Bull to the use of the town, the Lord High Admiral claimed property therein by reason of a former seizure, out of this liberty, and required the ship might be delivered up to one George Skimer, a servant of the queen, who was sent for that purpose. At an assembly of the corporation, assent was given to the demand, upon condition that the ship should

be re-delivered to the lawful owners, the late owners having been apprehended within the town upon a suspicion of piracy. And the persons apprehended, be attainted for this their unlawful act.

Many presentments were made at this period, exhibiting the nature of the local Admiralty Jurisdiction.

A person was fined for receiving four salmon into his house, and not bringing them to the Bailiff.

The Widow Huggett released her right in an old ship called the James, which was seized by the serjeant of the Admiralty for being laden with corn in a time of dearth, and sunk in the Haven.

A seaman of Rye, a member of the Cinque Ports, was amerced for refusing to pay his anchorage.

In 1581, a presentment was made that Amy Davy had found a ship's boat, and had failed to inform the Admiralty.

The jury presented that on sailing the water boundaries, a person standing on the shore, and being charged to keep the queen's peace, answered, ". -on the queen's peace."

In 1616 (James I.) a whale which had been cast upon the land near Langar, against the manor of Walton, was seized by the Admiralty, but Sir Robert Floyer demanded the animal for the crown as a manorial right. A process was issued from the high court of Admiralty, to which the Bailiffs put in an appearance, and were ordered to advise with counsel concerning the town, for defence of the suit and for the retention of the whale.

The issue of this dispute is unknown, but in the Chamberlain's accounts of the year 1617, is evidence that twelve months after its commencement, it was still unsettled, as 19s. 6d. was paid for a journey to

Harwich, to make enquiries "concerning the whale." In 1622, seven hogsheads of wine were picked up within the Admiralty Jurisdiction. The Bailiffs took possession of the vinous treasure-trove, but exacted a sum of £3 10s. from the unfortunate finder, one Charles Paynter, an inhabitant of Woolverstone, salving their own conscience and quieting his anxiety as to future process, by agreeing to indemnify him from all further proceedings.

In 1667, the Admiralty made an order that if any person should dig at Downham Bridge, or otherwise break the soil between high and low water mark, they should be sued at the charge of the town, and all masters of ships and others, should have notice given them thereof by the water Bailiff.

From the 12th of Henry VIII, to the 22nd of Elizabeth, Admiralty Courts have been held at the undermentioned places, as being within the bounds of the Admiralty Jurisdiction.

At Nova Scotia, Bourne Bridge, the Red Gates, Woolverstone, these without dates.

Pin Mills, 1546, 1549, 1552, 1561, 1589-this last before Thomas Talbot, and Anthony Styles, within high water mark.

Shotley, 1568, 1576, 1578, 1581, and 1628. Downham Reach in May and November 1647. Nacton, 1547, 1577, and 1582.

Walton under Langar, at Polleshead, 1536, before the Bailiffs.

Langar Point, 1639, by appointment of the Bailiffs, who were to retain some civil lawyer to be counsel for the town and to hold the court.

Walton, 1584, 1598, and 1629.

Courts held within the Admiralty, but places not mentioned, Henry VIII, 12th, 27th, and 29th years