Great Yarmouth Haven and Pier Duties Act 1698

Reasons for passing this Act.

After the 24th July 1699, Duties to be paid for Goods unladen within the Haven of Great Yarmouth, as herein mentioned, for 21 Years, &c.

Whereas the ancient Borough of Great Yarmouth in the County of Norfolke bordering upon the Sea hath by long Experience been found to be of great Importance for advanceing His Majesties Service and Revenue Trade in generall more especially the Fishery and for breeding and imploying many thousands of skilfull Mariners and Seamen And whereas the Haven and Piers belonging to the said Borough have been of late much more than heretofore and still continue obstructed by sands throwne up by the Sea in such sort as the Benefitt accrewing thereby must be wholly lost if not prevented and preserved by daily clearing repairing and maintaining the same the great and unavoydable Charge whereof being insupportable by the Inhabitants of the said Borough they the said Inhabitants from time to time have been aided and relieved by severall successive Acts of Parliament And whereas the Powers and Authorities of the last Act made and ordained for and concerneing the said Haven and Piers in the First Yeare of the Reigne of the late King James explained and made more effectuall in the First Yeare of the Reigne of His present Majesty and the late Queene are well nigh determined and expired and unlesse renewed and continued the said Haven and Piers must inevitably fall soone into irreparable Decay and the Harbour soe beneficiall become inaccessible to the great Detriment of His Majesty and His Kingdoms Trade in generall utter ruine and impoverishing of the said Inhabitants and adjacent Counties For preventing whereof and to the end the said Haven and Piers may be cleared maintained kept in good repaire and preserved and the Channell of that Part of the River leading from Great Yarmouth aforesaid to the City of Norwich called Brayden depthned and made more navigable for Boats and Keeles usually passing the same and Timber and other Materialls for that Purpose provided and furnished from time to time as occasion shall require Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Four and twentieth Day of July which shall be in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety nine for One and twenty Yeares and to the end of the then next Session of Parliament there shall be paid by every the Master or other Person or Persons having the Rule and Command of any Ship or Vessell unlading or which shall unlade within the said Haven of Great Yarmouth or in the Place in the Sea called Yarmouth Road neare adjoyning to the said Borough extending from the South Part of the Towne of [X1 Stratby ] in the County of Norfolke to the North Part of the Towne of Corton in the County of Suffolke at the time of the unlading thereof for the Goods hereafter mentioned (that is to say) For every Chaldron of Coals Winchester Measure Last of Wheat Rye Barley Malt and other Graine and for every Weigh of Salt and every Tunn of any other Goods or Merchandizes whatsoever (Fish only excepted) which shall be imported or unladen in the said Haven or Road such Sum or Sums of Money not exceeding the Sum of Twelve Pence of lawfull Money of England as the Bayliffs Aldermen Burgesses and Commonalty of the said Borough in Common Councill assembled shall from time to time order and appoint

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: Scratby O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]