The War of the Herrings and the Beginnings of Maritime Law: William Welwood on the Power of the Sea

The period of the great geographical discoveries and formation European colonial empires caused international debate on freedom seas. Many prominent lawyers became involved in dispute, splitting their support between mare liberum clausum. One many spin-off debates was Anglo-Dutch dispute about fishing around coast Britain. Although its most important figures were Grotious Selden, theoretical grounding for British claims to waters surrounding islands laid by William Welwood, a Scottish professor mathematics civil law. In article, author presents Welwood’s approach maritime law, which combines two opposing concepts Selden. He thus anticipated modern solutions based division into territorial open sea.