Admiralty

The commercial importance of the port of Touques, as early as the 12th century, justifies the setting up in 1331 of a particular administration: an Admiralty located near the quays. The staff was composed of a lieutenant, a prosecutor, a commissioner, two bailiffs, a wharf master and a broker. They were responsible for maintaining order on the docks, where there were many disputes, and for imposing fines, controlling traffic, loading the barges and collecting taxes. The Admiralty supervised the fishing and the fisheries established on the Touques. They are free of rights and are transmitted by inheritance. The Admiralty was responsible for the watch of the coast. Following the decline of the port's economic activities, it was abolished in 1786.