August 1491

Nowadays various residents of the town rent their fish-houses to denizen outsiders, so that the said outsiders make [i.e. cure] their own herring there, as freely as any burgess of the town, to the damage and impoverishment of those burgesses, and contrary to statutes and ordinances made on 4 July 1300, which statute is under the common seal of the town as more plainly is indicated in the no matter what his status, shall rent any fish-house nor other houses or yards to outsiders for making either white or red herring by any fraud or collusion. If it is sufficiently proven that any resident has done so, he shall pay to the profit of the town a fine of 10s. for every last of herring so made in any house or yard; if he lacks the means to pay the fine, or the property whereof a distress might be taken, then the party at fault is to be attached and taken to prison, to remain there 14 days for every last of herring, without any prospect of bail or mainprise.