Folios 217-218: John Henry Cartier, [?] Hotel, Westminster Bridge. Is sending a petition...

Folios 217-218: John Henry Cartier, [?] Hotel, Westminster Bridge. Is sending a petition from Ham Fishermen showing how they have been plundered and robbed. If properly managed the oyster beds could maintain thousands of people. He has ordered his Lieutenants on HMS Brodenscarp to retake Hodges and Lightfoot, Masters of the Dove and the Hawke, for acts of Piracy. He has requested an interview with Lord Ellenborough.

Folios 219-221: enclosure with folios 217-218. James Kelsey and others. James Kelsey and Thomas Fairbridge and others paid the King a lease for the fishing rights near Ham, Leidon and Sheppey. The Surveyor General found that a combination had taken place between the Oystermen of Queensborough, Stroud and Milton which was highly injurious to the London market but he found in favour of the petitioners. The old companies {serving the London markets?} challenged this with detailed outlines of legal arguments as to whether the oyster was a fish or not as it was attached to the soil and therefore was not covered by the lease. They also dredged up all the oyster beds of the petitioners as these oysters had lowered the price in Billingsgate.