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'''10'''
'''Thomas Michell''' of ffeversh … '''10'''
'''Thomas Michell''' of ffeversham in the County of<br />
Kent Mariner and ffisherman where hee hath lived all his<br />
life tyme being there borne aged sixty three yeares and<br />
upwards a wittnes sworne and examined saith and<br />
deposeth as followeth videlicet./
To the sayd allegation hee saith hee hath knowne the grounds allegate called<br />
the Nebb or [?harty] Shoare East Swaile the [?Becon] grounds Nesse grounds<br />
and Pollard grounds these fifty yeares last past and saith they are fishing<br />
grounds and watercourses wherein bedds of oysters lye and during all the sayd<br />
tyme of this deponents knowledge, (and tyme out of mynde and memory<br />
of men now living as hee hath heard by common fame and reporte in ffeversham<br />
and places adiacent) have bin commonly accompted and reputed to be part<br />
and parcell of and to lye within the bounds of the Mannor and hundred of<br />
ffeversham, and saith that for these 42 yeares last past hee hath bin a tennant<br />
of and to the sayd grounds and knoweth that the tennants of the sayd Mannor and<br />
hundred ffishermen, have for the sayd last recited tyme paid yearely to the<br />
Lords of the Mannor and hundred of ffeversham for the tyme respectively<br />
being the yearely Rent of twenty three shillings fower pence yearely<br />
in liew and satisfaction of a priviledge<br />
grannted to them by the sayd Lords to fish in the sayd grounds and water courses<br />
for oysters and such other fish as the sayd places afordeth and converting<br />
then to their sole use and benefit excludeing all other ffishermen whatsoever<br />
from fishing there and saith he knoweth that for the sayd tyme the ffishermen<br />
Tennants of the sayd Mannor and hundred have accordingly enioyed the<br />
free liberty of fishing the sayd grounds and converting them to their owne use<br />
and have soe fished and converted them duuring the sayd tyme exludeing all other<br />
ffishermen whatsoever, saving that hee saith that somtymes within these<br />
twenty yeares last past some fisherman of Melton and Stroude and other<br />
places have bin taken fishing upon the sayd grounds for oysters and other<br />
fish as reespassers and have acknowledged them selves trespassers against the Lord<br />
of the sayd mannor and hundred of ffeversham and his tennants for soe doeing.<br />
and have (as hee hath heard the sayd men<br />
soe taken confesse and acknowledge) compounded with the sayd Lords or<br />
his depouties for such their offence and given satisfaction to him or them for<br />
the same, And saith that by Common fame and report in feversham and<br />
places adiacent the ffishermen tennants of the Mannor and hundred of<br />
ffeversham have tyme out of mynde and memory of men now<br />
liveing bin commonly reputed to have the sole right of fishing in<br />
the sayd grounds in question excludeing all other ffishermen of all<br />
other places, And that hee never knew or heard that any [?XXX] the ffishermen<br />
tennants of the sayd mannor and hundred of ffeversham had at any tyme any<br />
right to fish or did quietly fish in the sayd places if discovered<br />
And saith the producents in this cause are all of them of this deponents knowledge<br />
tennant of the hundred and mannor of ffeversham and soe have bin for<br />
divers yeares last past and are soe commonly accompted And further to this allegation hee<br />
cannot depose./allegation hee<br />
cannot depose./ +
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