Articles concerning the Admiralty of England, and the jurisdiction thereof. 21. Julij. Anno Domini. 1591. Regnique serenissimae Dominae Elizabethae Reginae tricesimo tertio.  
FIrst you shall inquire if any person sworn vpon any jury or Inquisition in the Court of our sovereign Lady the queen of her admiralty of England, haue opened or discovered the counsel of our said sovereign lady, or the secrets of this realm, and his fellow jurors.  
2 Item ye shall inquire, if any person in or vpon the Sea, or in any other Port, river, Creeke or place, or fresh water, where the Lord High admiral of England hath, or hath been accustomend to haue authority and jurisdiction, hath committed and exercised any treasons, felonies, spoils, murders, confederacies and piracies, or who hath aided and assisted the said committers or exercisers of such offence.  
3 Item ye shall inquire, if any person with furniture, munition or victuals, haue fortified, strenghthned or animated her majesties enemies.  
4 Item ye shall inquire if any person in or vpon or near the sea, or elsewhere, within the jurisdiction of our sovereign Lady the queens majesties admiralty of England, hath beaten any of her majesties subiects, friends or confederates, with whom her majesty hath peace, truce, and friendship, or to whom she hath given or granted her safe conduct or protection, contrary to the peace of our said sovereign Lady the queen, or that hath taken and carried away contrary to the peace of our said sovereign Lady the queen, any ships, boats, nets, Ropes, cords, or other goods whatsoever, or that hath transgressed or offended in the same.  
5 Item you shall inquire if any person hath permitted or suffered his prisoner to depart, before it was known of what degree or condition he was. Because if he were of alliaunce unto any King or Prince, he is the Kings prisoner, and not the takers, if of any other condition, then he must satisfy to the Lord admiral for his shares as well for his prisoner, as for any goods taken vpon the Sea whatsoever.  
6 Item you shall inquire, if any person vpon the high Seas, in great riuers, or else where within the jurisdiction of the Lord high Admiral of England, hath found any ship, iron, lead, or any other goods floating or lying under the water or in the depth, of which there is no possessor or owner, which commonly are called Flotzon, Ietson, and Lagon, and hath not satisfied the Lord admiral for one moiety( thereof) accrueing unto him.  
7 Item you shall inquire if any person in great riuers, streams or creeks, and in fresh waters, from the first bridge towards the Sea, or else where within the jurisdiction of the Lord high admiral of England hath erected made or set up, any Milles, Riddles, or any other instrument or Engine, which to those that sail and pass by or to ships, and the same Riuers, are commonly noisome or hurtful.  
8 Item ye shall inquire, if any person vpon the high Sea, or in any other place within the jurisdiction of the Lord high admiral hath found and taken up the body of any dead person, and hath not restored unto the Lord admiral the goods and jewels he found and took with the body, because the Lord admiral hath the disposition of such goods found.  
9 Item ye shall inquire if any person hath taken in the Sea, or in any other place within the jurisdiction of the Lord admiral, Whales, Sturgions, Porposes, Balenes, or Graspes, or any other great, fat, and overgrown fish, and hath not satisfied the Lord admiral for the one half thereof.  
10 Item ye shal inquire if any person arrested or pressed to serve the queen, and hath received money so to do, and hath absented himself and not served her majesty accordingly.  
11 Item ye shall inquire if any person hath carried or transported to the partes of beyond the Seas, any merchandises or other goods whatsoever, for the which the queens customs and subsidies haue not been paid.  
12 Item ye shall inquire of all those which take Oysters or Muscles, betwixt the first day of May, and the feast of the exaltation of the holy cross, and also of those which at any time of the year with nets two strait, or tight, in great Riuers, or in other places within the jurisdiction of the Lord admiral, do destroy young Salmons or other young fishes, or spawn and fry of fish.  
13 Item ye shall inquire if any person other then to places licenced, hath transported beyond the Seas, wool, sheep skins, tin, lead, or other customable goods, without special licence of the queen.  
14 Item ye shall inquire of those which do hinder, resist or let, the officers of the admiralty, to decide and correct transgressions, batteries, felonies, and other things whatsoever done vpon the Sea or vpon whatsoever river, water, or creeke of the Sea, unto every first bridge and flowing of the Sea, or full Sea mark. For all those that so do, are as rebellious and contemptuous persons to be punished.  
15 Item ye shall inquire if any person to the parts of beyond the Seas, haue transported any gold or silver contrary to the form of the statute in that behalf provided.  
16 Item ye shall inquire of those which in the entry or mouth of any Port, or within any Port do forestall and buy victuals in gross, to the detriment and damage of the common people next adjoining.  
17 Item ye shall inquire of those which do arrest or implead any in any other place, then in the Court of the admiralty, for matters or causes which are notoriously known to belong to the Court of the admiralty.  
18 Item ye shall inquire of those which hinder the Marshall of the Court, or trouble him and other the lord Admirals officers and ministers, in executing and doing those things which the said Lord admiral hath commanded to be executed.  
19 Item ye shall inquire of those which in their ships, witting do receive rebels, felons, outlaws, banished men, or their goods.  
20 Item ye shall inquire of those which do steal, cut, or take away, the sign fixed to the Anchor, which commonly is called he boy, whereby any Ship, or Pinnas or other vessel is lost or damnified.  
21 Item ye shall inquire of those which do hier, freight, and lad foreign and strange ships or vessels, whereas they may for a reasonable price hier and freight the ships of her majesties Subiects, which they are specially bound to maintain and sustain, and not to use strange bottoms or ships.  
22 Item ye shall inquire of Shipwrights, and other handicraftesmen, workmen and ministers, which do exact and receive excessive wages or salaries, contrary to her Maisties laws, and the ancient customs of the Sea.  
23 Item ye shall inquire of those which make wreck of ships or other goods perishing by shipwrecke vpon the Sea, whereof some hath come to the land, or who doth claim to haue such wreck, except it be granted him by the King, or that he and his predecessors time out of memory of man, by prescription haue held and possessed the same.  
24 Item ye shall inquire who or what persons do throw or cast any Ballastage or Filth in the Channels of any Port to the hurt and detriment of the same.  
25 Item ye shall inquire of those sailors or Mariners, which vpon the Seas are rebellious against their owners or masters, and contrariwise, whether the said owners and masters do use and courteously handle their Mariners, according to the purport of the statute of good behaviour in this case provided.  
26 Item ye shall inquire, if any hath taken vpon him the charge or care of conducting or bringing of any Ship or vessel, from place to place, as Loadsman, Master or Pilot, by whose ignorance, fault or negligence, the same ship or vessel with the merchandises, goods, and things in her being, haue perished or any way been damnified.  
27 Item ye shall inquire of those who within the jurisdiction of the admiralty, haue strooke, beaten, or drawn blood of any person, or made any fray.  
28 Item ye shall inquire what person having any victuals, goods or merchandises, laden in ships, purposing to go unto, and enter any port or ports, to sell the same there, for the profit of that country, hath returned and carried away the said victuals and goods, to the prejudice and hurt of her majesty and Subiectes.  
29 Item ye shall inquire also of those that regrate corn( of whatsoever sort) or salt or fresh fish, or any other goods whatsoever, enhancing or raising the first price, and selling them at a greater rate or value, or in a dearer market then in the beginning they ought to be sold, to the damage and hurt of her majesty and her liege people.  
30 Item ye shall inquire of those that use( within the jurisdiction of the Lord admiral) false bushels or measures, buying or selling with the same bushels, corn, Salt, Sea coals, and other measurable goods whatsoever,( which exceed not the land Bushel called the queens standard by one pottle) for their own singular or private commodity and profit.  
31 Item ye shall inquire of those, which within any of their ships do weigh merchandises or goods, by or with balances or weights, not agreeing or being scaled with or according to her majesties Stannderd, to the fraud, hurt, and deceit of her people.  
32 Item ye shall inquire of all those, viz. Marshals, bailiffs, and other ministers and stewards of Noblemen, that haue presumed to take or receive to the use of their Lords and Masters, any goods or other things whatsoever, vpon the high Sea or other places, within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, spoyled and brought to land, haue presumed to take or receive to the use of their Lords and Masters, such goods as are forfetted or the forfeiture of them to the prejudice and derogation of the Lord high admiral.  
33 Item ye shall inquire of all those which gather and enclose, the salt water into ditches and make to themselves standing fish pounds, or in draughts, and of new making, and beginning gulfs and other deep and immovable places, getting and receiving the commodities and profits thereof to their own proper and private uses and necessaries which in salt waters ought to be common to all persons.  
34 Item ye shall inquire of those which do gather and receive within any port or other place, of any Ship of the portage and burden of fifty tons and upwards for anchorage thereof above four pence, and of any Ship under that burden for anchorage thereof above two pence, by means whereof, the said Ships do leave and forsake the said places to the hurt, hindrance, and damage of the common people adjoining.  
35 Item ye shall inquire of the keepers of ports, customers, water bailiffs, or other officers whatsoever, which claim or begin new customs for their own or their masters private and proper commodities, by means whereof the Ships and merchants do forsake the said port and places with their merchandises, to the hurt, damage, and loss of the common profit and utility of the Common wealth.  
36 Item ye shal inquire of those which are ordained or pressed to serve the King vpon the Sea in any Ship in time of war or peace, and if from the said service, without leave or unlawfully they haue absented themselves.  
37 Item ye shall inquire what men of Honours Stewards, and bailiffs, inhabiting, or having mansion houses near the Sea cost, do hold and usurp to hold plea, of any matter or cause concerning merchants, and mariners, or marine causes, above the sum of forty shillings sterling.  
38 Item ye shall inquire of all Ships which haue been arrested or prest to serve her majesty vpon the Sea, and afterwards the masters, owners, and proprietaries thereof, by fraud and deceit haue withdrawn, or keep them from the same service, defrauding her majesty.  
39 Item ye shall inquire of those which witting and willingly haue cut the Cables of any Ship or Ships or other vessel or vessels, or hath broken any( no reasonable cause urging him or them thereunto,) by means whereof the said ship or vessel is lost or drowned, or some man by that occasion killed.  
40 Item ye shall inquire of those which either by day or night haue removed the Anchor of any ship( not giuing warning thereof first, to the Master and mariners thereof) by means whereof the said Ship or Ships, was cast away or lost, or any man slain.  
41 Item ye shall inquire of felonies committed and done vpon foreign and strange Ships or vessels, being, or riding at an Anchor in any port, when it is not apparent, who or what he or they were, that committed or did the said spoil or piracy.  
42 Item ye shall inquire of petite transgressors, or pickers, which haue stolen or take away vpon the Sea, or within any port or creeke, Anchors, Cables, Boyes, sails, Ropes, girdles, Shirts, Breeches, or other small things whatsoever.  
43 Item ye shall inquire of all common and notorious malefactours as well vpon the high Seas, as in any Port, haven, river, creeke or stream.  
44 Item ye shall inquire who of custom, force or authority( from merchants or mariners with their ships freighted and laden with victuals and merchandises entering any ports or other places) doth take or hath taken away victuals against their wils and pay them for the same at their pleasure, by occasion whereof the said merchants and mariners do leave and forsake the said ports and places, to the hurt and damage of her majesties good Subiects.  
45 Item ye shall inquire of all those persons which commonly fight with, or beate any of her majesties subiects and people within the jurisdiction of the Lord admiral, contrary to the peace of her majesty.  
46 Item ye shall inquire of all those, which vpon the high Seas, haue found any Ships, Pinnasses, boats forsaken, or wayfts, driving, or floating, without any creature in the same, being by the space of a day natural, and hath not answered the Lord admiral his part, viz. the half thereof.  
47 Item ye shall inquire of all those which do receive or conceal any Deodandes( to the Lord admiral in virtue of his office of admiralty by right appertaining or belonging) that is ships or other vessels, out of which all living creatures in the same by shipwreck, seemeth to haue been perished or cast away.  
48 Item ye shall inquire if any person or persons haue been slain, drowned, or come to his or their death by any Ship or Ships, or their tackle, or furniture, as Anchor, Cable rope, or any other thing whatsoever to the Ship belonging, or by the sailing, moving, or going of the Ship vpon the Sea.  
49 Item ye shall inquire of those which buy any kind of grain or corn, of whatsoever state, condition, or degree they be vpon the sea coasts, and transport the same to any the parts of beyond the Seas, without the special licence of the queens majesty.  
50 Item ye shall inquire of those which after some mariners or fishermen, haue set or laid their nets, cords, or engines to fish, do come after them, and place, pitch or lay their nets and engines so near them, that the fisher men which first set, cannot fish, but are deprived and bereft of the benefit of their birth and fishing, or otherwise much grieved and troubled, by means whereof contentions and debates often grow, and happen, to the great prejudice of her majesty, the Lord high admiral, and other her majesties subiects, against the laws of the Sea in this behalf provided.  
51 Item ye shal inquire, and true presentment make of all those, that since the late proclamation, haue had traffic with the Leaguers in France, or shipped, carried, or sent any victuals, ordinance, Powder, Shot or other artillery for spain, the Islands, or any leaguer town in france, or other place in enmity with her majesty.  
52 Item ye shall inquire and present all maner of ships, boats, vessels, and other goods of men outlawed, remaining within jurisdiction of the admiralty.  
53 Item ye shall inquire and truly present all those that haue set out any ships or other vessels to sea, without Commission under the great seal of England, or the great seal of the Admiralty first obtained.  
54 Item ye shall inquire what ships, goods, moneys and merchandises, haue been taken at sea, without such Commissions, and brought into any part of her majesties dominions and by whom, and who were owners, Captaines, Masters, and chief officers of such Ships, and where they or their prizes taken did arrive.  
55 Item ye shall inquire of all maner of breaking bulk of prizes, and disposing and parting of prise goods before sentence were first given in the high Court of the admiralty, that the same were lawful prise, and truly present by whom and where the same hath been done.  
56 Item ye shall inquire for all such that contrary to their Commissions of reprisal, haue carried any prizes by them taken into Barbary, france, Ireland, or any other place out of this realm, and there disposed the same, and of what value they were of.  
57 Item ye shall inquire what Captaines, Masters, Mariners, or others at Sea, under colour of their Commission of reprisal, haue aborded, taken, or spoyled any ship or ships of England, france, Scotland, denmark, Italy, Holland, Zealand, Germany, or any other place in league and amity with her majesty, and what goods they haue so taken or spoyled, whither they haue brought them, and who haue bought, received, or had any part of the same, in any manner sort or condition, or haue borrowed or lent any money to buy the said goods.  
jul. Caesar.   

Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the queens most excellent majesty.