BROWNSEA ISLAND. 189 



maketh the number of n perches and lift., and must be made 

 lift, higher, which will amount to 49 perches, and must be 

 made with free stone. The thickness of the wall of the same 

 tower is 6|ft., the barbican of the said tower is in compass 

 i6oft., and must be made higher and that also with free stone. 

 The thickness of the wall of the said barbican is gft, and 

 therefore the S.W. side of the same which containeth in length 

 4oft., must rise higher by i3ft. for that the hill being in the 

 S.W. side, and also high above the said Barbican that no man 

 shall be able to serve within it." The hill referred to is that on 

 which the present battery stands, and would have become a 

 grave danger to the defenders once in the hands of an enemy. 

 These alterations were made at the cost of the town of Poole, 

 and later on, finding that the up-keep became a strain upon their 

 resources, they petitioned Queen Elizabeth to undertake the 

 necessary work at the Government expense. This petition was 

 graciously received and acted upon ; but the town was called 

 upon to watch and ward with six men as formerly. In these 

 proceedings Brownsea Castle was styled "The Queen's 

 Majestie's Castell at Brownecksea." 



In 1573 the Island, then valued at 95. per annum, passed into 

 the possession of Gregory Sprint through right of his wife, who 

 was Richard Duke's daughter, and eight years later it was 

 alienated to Richard Haycalt and others, who immediately 

 established copperas and alum works, which somehow came 

 into the possession of the Earl of Huntington ; and we find 

 Poole authorities much exercised at the wickedness of his agent, 

 Mr. James Mountjoy. This worthy, they go on to say in their 

 plant, had not been seen at church, "and he hath a brother, a 

 very bad fellow of an odious religion, and persuadeth the men 

 to work on the Sabbath Day." These works ceased at the end 

 of the sixteenth century. In 1576 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 

 granted the castle to Sir Christopher Hatton, together with 

 Corfe Castle, and he was made Admiral of Purbeck. 



There remains a record of a very interesting inventory of 

 arms and machines of war handed over at this period. The 



