That your majesty having been graciously pleased, at the humble suit and prayer of your petitioners, to hear the complaint of your poor petitioners, against the rich inhabitants of the town of Great Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk, before the right honourable the lords of Your majesty’s privy council, touching the free trade of herring fishery, which hath of long time been in controversy between them; and upon a full hearing, did order both parties to attend your majesty’s attorney-general, that he, upon due consideration and hearing of all parties, should report to your majesty the true state of the whole matter of fact accordingly: whereby it appears, that the opinion of all the reverend judges, and such other worthy gentlemen of quality to whom the matter hath been formerly referred, is, ‘That there is no other visible way to end their controversies, and to procure unity between the said towns, but by an admeasurement of seven miles from the crane key of Yarmouth towards the town of Lowestoft.’ And whereas your petitioners are exceedingly impoverished by reason of their said controversy, and their sufferings during the late troubles, their affections to your majesty’s late royal father, of ever blessed memory, having been plundered by Oliver Cromwell and the said inhabitants of Yarmouth, who were instrumental with, and assisting him in the same; and since that time have been almost ruined by a sad and lamentable fire which happened in their said town, whereupon inevitable destruction will follow, except a speedy and effectual end be put to their differences, and that they may have free liberty to use their trade of herring fishery. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray, That your majesty would be graciously pleased, upon the report of Mr. Attorney-General, as also the reports and certificates of former learned judges and justices of the peace of both counties, by your royal command to declare and publish, that seven miles may be measured from the crane key of Yarmouth aforesaid, towards the town of Lowestoft, and not from their pretended utmost bounds of their haven, which is uncertain, and by which means they would destroy your petitioners said fishing trade. And that a post, or some other apparent mark, may be set up at the end thereof, so that the trade of herring fishing may be used during the time of their free fair at any place without the said post or mark, without the molestation of the said inhabitants of Yarmouth, whereby your petitioners, and many thousands of your majesty’s poor western fishermen, may live and subsist by their said trade of herring fishing, as time out of mind they have done; which otherwise will be their utter ruin and undoing, as appears by their humble certificate and remonstrance to your sacred majesty.