The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

72 PIRATES IN BOSTON DEEPS, 1575.
to his Lordshipp as directed by us, that he may procede accordinglye; and so bid you
hartelye farewell. From Greenwich the VIIIth of May, 1575.
"Yr loving Frends,
W. BURGHLEY, E. LINCOLN, T. SUSSEX, R. LEICESTER,
T. KNOLLYS, JAMES CROFTE, T. SMYTHE.
"To our lovinge frends the Maior and Burgesses of Boston."
"Lord Clynton to the Mayor and Bcurgesses of Boston, for the delivery of certain Pirates
the 3d May, 17th Elizabeth.
"Mr. MAIOR,-Whereas I have understanding that you have charged yourselves with
the custodye of certen prisoners who are suspected of pyracye, and whose causes are not
triable, nor determynable within your several Jurisdiccons, but before the highe Admiral
of England and his Deputye lawfullye authorized. I have therefore commanded myne
officers and Marshall to take them into his custodye, and to receyve them at your hands,
excepte you have authoritye for the justefying of their keeping in prison, that you may
warrant the same bye; and so referring that to your discretion, I have not to trouble you
herein anye further. From Tattershall this IId of Maye,
"Yr very loving frend,
H. CLYNTON.
"To my very lovinge Frends Mr. Maior and the Justices of the
burrowe of Boston." 1
We have seen that the port of Boston had gone very nearly to ruin at this
period, and the town would, consequently, be lamentably fallen from its former
condition and commercial importance. This decay seems to have arisen from
great and material alterations in the entrance of the river at the Deeps; and
from the want of sufficient sea-marks, for the direction of vessels sailing through
those Deeps, towards the port. The alterations in the channel of the Witharn
through the Deeps most probably took place from a want of sufficient fresh or
back water to scour out and keep the same open and adequate to the purposes
of navigation. In the latter part of this Queen's reign, means were taken to
increase this back-water; and Elizabeth, in order to enable the Mayor and
burgesses of Boston to repair and maintain the sea-marks, granted to them a
Charter of Admiralty over the whole of the " Norman Deeps," with the power
of levying certain duties of lastage, ballastage, and anchorage, of all ships entering
the said Deeps.
Elizabethl's charter also gave to the Mayor and burgesses all goods and
chattels of felons and self-murderers, within the limits of the port; all wrecks,
&c.; deodands and forfeited goods. A curious clause in this charter grants to
the Mayor and burgesses the power of punishing
"All whoremongers, whores, bawds, panders, and procurers, and all others whatsoever,
living lasciviously and incontinently; and also all persons dishonestly and maliciously
railing upon every light occasion, which, in English, are commonly called scolds."
The charter also forbids any
" Ordinary officer to intermeddle in the correcting any such offences, committed within
the borough of Boston, and liberty of the same; but, that the Mayor and burgesses and
their successors, shall enjoy these authorities, and with all the advantages necessarily
belonging to the same, without yielding any account or in anywise paying or doing any
other thing for the same, to the Queen or her successors." 2
1 Corporation Records. which confession, the whole body, with one consent,
2 Chaeter Book of the Corporation. The following considering the same offence to be most odious beextracts from the "Corporation fecords" refer to # fore God, and also shameful in this world, to the
proceedings growving out of this clause: — discredit of this house, and the wolrshipful companie
" 1575, Jan. 16. - —, alderman, in open of the same, have, at this instance, dismissed the
court, before the Mayor, aldermen, and common said - of this company as an alderman, and
council, did openly coufess with a penitent heart, likewise of the liberties of this house. The Mayor,
and lowly submission, that he had committed adul- considering the said was an alderman, and
tery and fornication within the said borough. Upon I what slander might ensue to the Corporation if he