64 PAPERS, ETC. 
Bridgwater Old Briige. 
BY MR. W. BAKER, 
HE building of the stone bridge over the river 
. Parret at Bridgwater, which is represented in 
this engraving, was begun in the time of king John, 
by William de Briwere, and finished in Edward the 
first'sreign, bySirT. Trivett,a gentleman of Cornwall 
“whose arms being a trivet,” says William of Wor- 
cester, “were affixed to the copings of the structure.” 
When Bridgwater was stormed and taken by 
Cromwell’s forces in July, 1645, this Bridge ob- 
structed the successful advance of the storming party 
for two or three days.—Oldmixon in his history of 
the royal house of Stuart, says “ Captain Rynolds, of 
Cromwell’s regiment of horse, at the head of the 
forlorn hope, drove the cavaliers from the draw- 
bridge at St. John’s, which waslet down and a pas- 
sage made to the east gate, which was soon forced 
open, and Rynolds, entering Eastover with his 
horse, scoured the streets of that part of the town, 
up to the stone bridge. There was at that time a 
gate at the bridge, where the enemy (the royalists) 
made barricades, and drew up a draw bridge.” 
The massy piers of this fine old bridge obstructed 
the passage of barges up the river, and often occa- 
sioned much damage, at the first rush of the tides; 
in the year 1795 itwas taken down, and the present 
handsome cast-iron arch erected in its place. 
