26 
necessarily so, because nothing was known about them. Yet 
notwithstanding, bridges and bridge building were matters of 
public importance, and of general taxation from which no one 
could be excused. Ducange mentions a Guild of Bridge builders 
known as Fratres Pontis, the habit worn being white with a cross 
of cloth on the breast. Licenses for pontage, i.e. a duty paid on 
all articles carried across a bridge, can be occasionally found for 
other cities, our neighbour Bristol for instance, but there is not 
one for Bath, this arising from the fact that the bridge did not 
communicate directly with, or form actually a part of, the city, 
Being now in the position of other writers, having but little to 
say, a few words of criticism on what has already been. said may 
first perhaps help towards correctness for the future. 
First then, quoting the History of Bath printed in 1798 which 
goes under the name of Collinson, although for a great part of it 
we must be indebted to Edmund Rack, on p. 35 it is said of the 
suburbs of the ancient city,—“ without the South Gate a street 
“called Horse Street leads to St. Lawrence Gate and Bridge over 
the Avon.” ‘There is no mention here of a chapel, but, relegated 
to a foot note there is added, alluding to the name of the bridge,— 
“so denominated from a small chapel built upon one of the piers 
“and dedicated to St. Lawrence. The chapel was a kind of 
“Oratory having a small recess for an altar at which a priest 
“celebrated mass and received the donations of passers by.” 
Under the parishes of Lyncombe and Widcombe there is further 
added,—‘ the bridge was formerly narrow and incommodious, but 
“in the year 1754 was almost entirely taken down and rebuilt.” 
No references are given as is so often the case in this work, and 
it may be seen that the statements generally are only such as any 
one may hastily imagine even if knowing nothing of local 
circumstances. The story is wrong then as to the saying of 
mass in the Oratory and a priest attending to receive donations, 
Such a place was and could be, little more than a niche, unpro- 
tected and unenclosed. The recess noted, if it ever existed, 
