This book is an attempt to bring together all the available information regarding the sovereignty of the British Seas. The author aimed to trace the development of territorial waters during his time, i.e., the early 1900s. The book is split into two sections, the first containing a historical account of the claims made to the authority of the sea; the second dealing with the relic of such claims. Thomas Wemyss Fulton originally undertook this work to deal only with the subjects related to the sea fisheries. It soon became apparent that restricting the scope would lead to multiple disadvantages and present only a partial picture. This brilliant work laid the foundation on which all future research concerning the history of the British Sea Fisheries is based.