ABSTRACT
During the early years of the civil war, Parliament had been particularly anxious to conciliate the navy. By a resolution of October 1642, sailors were given one-half the value of all prize goods captured after they had been duly declared before the court of admiralty. This resolution was embodied in the Acts of February 22, and April 17, 1649, the latter of which formulated in detail the procedure of the Prize Court. It also provided that half the remaining proceeds derived from the sale of prize goods was to go to the State and be used for the sick and wounded fund; the State, further, obtained one-third of the value of the prizes captured by merchant vessels. 1 At the same time another Act was passed appointing commissioners of prize and three paid collectors (who were increased in number to six during the Dutch war). After the reconstitution of the exchequer in 1654 the prize office paid the money into it instead of administering the fund itself. 2 The sums which the national exchequer gained from this source naturally varied very considerably in amount. The accounts of the commissioners who were in office during the Dutch war survive and show a net revenue of £208,658 35. 11d. 3 Other figures are: https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
£
Michaelmas,
1655–6
.
.
.
2,900
„
1656–7
.
.
.
249,599
„
1657–8
.
.
.
3,770
„
1658–Easter, 1659
.
1,277
