Yarmouth Haven and Pier Repairs (Duties) Act 1670

Recital that Yarmouth is an ancient Borough, and of great Importance, and that the Revenues have been wasted in maintaining the Harbour, and that the Inhabitants are unable to maintain the same.

Reasons for passing this Act.; A Rate imposed upon Coals, Wheat, Rye, &c. (Exception) for Ten Years, towards the Repair of Yarmouth Haven and Pier.

Whereas the Burrough of Great Yarmouth in the County of Norffolke is an auntient Burrough bordering upon the Sea and of great strength to resist the Enemy in time of Warr and at all times of great necessity and importance as well for his Majesties Service as alsoe for the generall good and benefitt of the whole Kingdome especially in respect of the preservation of the Fishery and the breeding and imploying many thousand of skilfull Marriners and Seamen, The truth whereof by long experience hath beene sufficiently evidenced. And whereas the Inhabitants of the said Burrough have wasted their Revenues in and about the defraying the dayly great unsupportable and unavoidable charge of repaireing and maintaining the Haven belonging to the said Burrough and the Peers thereof, and of themselves are in noe wise able to repaire and maintaine the same as formerly they have done, being much [X1 impourished ] by the late Warr and Plague & by the great decay of all Tradeing especially the Fishery, soe that the great benefitt accrewing by the said Haven must of necessity be lost (unlesse timely prevented) to the utter ruine of the Inhabitants of the said Burrough and the great prejudice of the whole Kingdome. For the prevention whereof and to the end the said Haven and Peers may with all convenient speede be repaired and at all times hereafter maintained preserved and kept in good reparations and Timber and other Materialls for that end and purpose provided and furnished from time to time as occasion shall require Bee it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majestie by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authoritie of the same That for ten yeares from and after the Power and twentyeth day of June now next ensueing there shall be paid by the Master or other person haveing the Rule and Command of any Shipp or Vessell unladeing within the said Haven of Great Yarmouth at the time of the unladeing thereof for the Goods hereafter mentioned (that is to say) for every Chaulder of Coales (Winchester Measure) Last of Wheate, Rye, Barley, Mault or other Graine and for every Weigh of Salt, and every Tunn of any other Goods and Merchandices whatsoever, Codfish, Ling, Herings and other Fish onely excepted which shall bee imported and unladen in the said Haven such summe or summes of money not exceeding the summe of Twelve pence for every Chaulder of Coales (Winchester Measure) Last of Wheate, Rye, Barley, Mault or other Graine, and for every Weigh of Salt and every Tunn of any other Goods and Merchandices whatsoever (except before excepted) as the Bayliffes Aldermen Burgesses and Co[m]monalty of the said Burrough of Great Yarmouth in Common Councell assembled shall from time to time order or appoint.

Editorial Information

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