it was stated, the herring trade would be engrossed by Yarmouth.[1]
The visits and interference of the Cinque Ports with Yarmouth, and the struggles for the right of governing the fair at this latter place, began, however, in the reign of John, to sow the seeds of disunion between them ; and, at length , eventually engendered such bitter and serious feuds and animosities, and proceeded to such extremities, as to alarm the nation itself with their quarrels.[2] Every plan for adjusting matters, that could be devised by the king, his council, and parliament, was equally ineffectual, even when accompanied with threats. But, when time had tarnished the honours, diminished the emoluments, and considerably in creased the expences of regulating the fair, their animosities gradually subsided , as the bone of contention became less valuable. The Court of Brotherhood, taking the whole matter into consideration, judged it necessary to shorten the time of their bailiffs continuing at Yarmouth, from forty days to three weeks. This, as Jeake observes, was preparing the way for resigning a right which was hardly worth preserving ; for, in the reign of Elizabeth, the salary of their bailiffs, which had been 26l. per annum, was raised to 30l. Their clerks had 6l.; but the stipends of their counsellors, attornies, and inferior officers, frequently varied.
It appears that, in the fifth year of Henry VIII. the Court of Brotherhood decreed, that the yearly report of their bailiffs sent to Yarmouth, might be dispensed with ; and, by another decree, A. D. 1601 , the yearly Guestling was abolished. They, nevertheless, continued to send their bailiffs, until the year 1663 ; and it was then decreed , that their services might cease, and an end was put to a contest, which had cost their ancestors much blood and treasure to maintain, from the reign of King John.[3]
The following historical notice of the Court of Brother-
