August 1491

The wardens who are to be elected and chosen for the awarding of herring to the community shall be given their oath every year on Michaelmas [September 29] or the day after at the latest. They shall honestly and impartially award and assign to the community its share of all fresh herring that is brought to the quay by any fisherman, regardless who may be his host, except [in cases where] the fishermen are townsmen or are being hosted by [one of] the bailiffs. No herring are to be awarded, neither for bribe nor through favouritism, to any man who resides outside of the town, only to the community – that is, every man dwelling in the town, according to his status, be it last, half-last, one thousand, or half a thousand. They may take for their labour, 4d. from every last, 2d. from every half-last, 1d. from every thousand, and a half-penny from every half thousand, as per an old ordinance made in the past. The wardens shall honestly collect and levy the money for the herring that they award to the community and shall deliver it, or have it delivered, to the hosts, so that the fishermen are not ill-served through default in payment. If any warden acts contrarily to any aspect of this ordinance, he shall pay 10s. fine for each proven fault, without any remission.

[I am uncertain whether the central part of the ordinance implies that the share of herring allowed to townsmen would vary according to their status ("degre"), although this could simply refer to their means to pay. The term which I have translated as "bribe" is in the original "mede" which was used at that time for a money payment such as a reward.]