Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-01-12
THE MIGHTY HERRING
Played a Star Role In the Histor,
of Some Nations.
COST ONE KING HIS LIFE.

The Herring Fisheries Proved an I'm
Portant Factor In the Overthrow and
Ultimate Execution by tho Hesdsuan
Of Charles :. OF England.
a tale as stirring as any fiction could
be based ON the part played by the sea
herring in the history Of some OF the
principal countries. writes Hugh NJ.
Smith in the National Geographic Mag.
azine. Its spawning and feeding
grounds have determined the location
OF cities. and In several instances the
actual destiny OF nations and the fate
OF monarchs appear TO have been in
volved I'm the herring fishery. Even
today the herring is a factor i'm en-
pire.
Countries in which the quest of the
herring is an important industry are
the United States. the Canadian prov
inccS Of New Brunswick. Nova Scotia.
Quebec and British Columbia. New
foundlapd. England. Scotland. Wales
and Ireland. Norway, Sweden and
Denmark. Russia. Germany. Holland.
Belgium. France. Japan and Siberia.
The prosecution OF the herring fish
cry and trade has been considered not
beneath the dignity Of nobility and
royalty. Fitz-Greene Halleck tells us
that
Lord Stafford mines for coal and salt.
The Duke OF Norfolk deals in malt.
The Douglas in red behring's.
In i6I7 The Duke OF York and other
personages of rank formed a corpora
ton called 1.-The Company Of the Royal
Fishery Of England" for the purpose
OF carrying on the herring fishery in
the North sea. They built n feet Of
Dutch "busses" and manned them
with Dutch fishermen and then were
bankrupted 10y the capture OF their
vessels during n war with France. In
1920 some 2.OOO OF 1.-The principal gen
ticmen OF Scotland" formed n COM
pany for herring fishing. but were
quickly disrupted. leaving a mournful
lot of stockholders.
In 1850 the Prince OF Wales became
president. or governor. OF n herring
fishery. with 4 capital Of $2.JO0O0O.
whose members were among the first
men in the kingdom" one OF the pro
motors being General James Ogle-
thorpe. founder of the state OF Geor-
gia. Stock was taken with eagerness.
vessels were built quickly. and efforts
were made TO learn the secrets OF the
Dutch methods OF curing herring. but
the company soon suspended. and its
failure cast on the English herring
fishery an odium that continued for a
long time.
IL is n matter OF great historical in
tereSt that ne herring fisheries should
have been prime and perhaps the
most important factor IN the over
throw Of Charles l.. whose attitude
toward the development OF home and
colonial fisheries was most unreasou.
able and unfortunate. At a time when
the Dutch herring fishery had attained
such magnitude and Importance that
Ii was regarded as the right arm of
Holland" and when the sturdy Dutch
fishermen were pursuing their lucra-
tive calling under the encoura cement
OF their government the English peo-
pie were chatting under the grievous
restrictions imposed bv royal approval
on all who desired 10 engage in fishing
anywhere or the American coast he.
tween the fortieth and forty-eighth de
grees OF north latitude
This effort on the part OF the crown
TO interfere with the cherished privi.
lege OF free fishing had begun under
James and was bequeathed 10 Charles
and was perhaps the first in the series
Of farreaehing differences that sprung
up relative TO the prerogative OF the
crown as against the rights OF the sub.
ject.
At the same time there was another
restriction placed on the fishermen nj
home. When James assembled the
throne OF England his navy consisted
OF but thirteen vessels. and Charles
succeeded 10 u war feet but little
stronger and utterly inadequate to
cope with the navy OF the Dutch OF
French.
After Charles had been successfully
opposed by the commons in his plan 10
have no fishing conducted on the
American shores except by permission
OF the company OF ''noblemen. knights
and gentlemen known as the council
OF Plymouth he levied ship money
on the fishing and mercantile vessels
ut home in order 10 build up his navy.
with the distinct object OF breaking
up the Dutch herring fishery on the
shores of England and driving the
Dutch from the four narrow seas
over which England claimed jurisdic-
ton.
At the expense of the fisheries and
navigation Charles finally fitted out
the largest war feet England had ever
had and succeeded in his purpose. so
FAR as the Dutch were concerned. but
the levying OF ship money" stirred
up civil war at home. and Charles paid
the extreme penalty.
The Exception.