166 BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 



far as the borough of Brideport, and there they were accustomed 

 to take for each boat coming to land at that place one penny, 

 until Alveredus the prior of Frompton during all his time took 

 the said penny to the damage of our lord the King of half a 

 mark yearly. And the prior comes and says that the aforesaid toll 

 belongs to him and that he takes nothing unless it is his and 

 upon his land. He asks for an enquiry. 



Assize roll 207, m 44, dors. 



This presentment and reply are duplicated on two contemporary 

 rolls of the same series, viz., Nos. 204 m. 43 and 206 m. 14 dors, 

 with slight verbal differences which need not be transcribed. 

 The important words from roll 207, rendered above, are as 

 follows : " Jurati presentant quod quidam rivulus aque dulcis 

 quo se extendit in mare in quo batelle applicant usque burgum de 

 Brideport et ibi solebant capere de qualibet batella ibidem 

 applicante I.D quousque Alveredus prior de Frompton dictum 

 denarium toto tempore suo subtr-xit," etc. (The abbreviations 

 have been extended.) 



Three points of interest are here brought to light, the first 

 of which is the glimpse afforded at the extent of the town's 

 sea-borne trade in 1279-80 or thereabout. The half mark was 

 worth eighty pence and the toll was one penny for each keel, 

 so the larger sum represents the number of ships or boats 

 anchoring there in twelve months. We also learn the name 

 of the ecclesiastic who, rightly or wrongly, was such a sore 

 trouble to Bridport for many years. As far as I can ascertain 

 the prior Alveredus, or Alvredus, is not mentioned by name 

 elsewhere in the pages of history, his personal identity being 

 concealed under the title of his office. There remains for con- 

 sideration a question of wider scope, which goes to the root 

 of the whole matter. Hitherto I have assumed, in common 

 with other writers, that the mediaeval haven was on the coast, 

 but if this passage be accepted in what appears to be the natural 

 sense of the words, although the text is perhaps not so clear 

 as one could wish, it would seem that the smaller craft, at all 

 events, sailed up stream for about a mile to a landing-place 

 which may be provisionally located at a river pool still existing 

 not far from the south side of the old boundary of the town. 

 Now, the modern 25in. Ordnance map shows this pool in con- 



