BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 167 



junction with a building marked as " Port Mill," the adjoining 

 land on the east side being known as Portfield or Portville. 

 Unless this survival, if it be such, of the word " Port " can be 

 otherwise satisfactorily explained, I shall claim to have estab- 

 lished a primd facie case in favour of the pool having been the 

 inland quay or haven, call it what you will, at the time when 

 the burgesses were defending their privil leges before King 

 Edward's judges. I would point out that my proposal to fix 

 the river landing-place at this spot in no way negatives the 

 probability that there was, within Bridport Mouth, an anchor- 

 age where the larger vessels could lie in comparative safety, 

 and where, also, the toll of a penny could be intercepted 

 from Brideton. Well, the prior doubtless obtained the enquiry 

 sought at the end of the last quoted extract, and he got his 

 answer from the tribunal in due time. The same Assize 

 roll for 1279-80 records on another membrane a second entry 

 which cannot have given much pleasure to the representative 

 of the Norman abbot, as it is to this effect : 



The liberties of the town of Brideport. 



The same town claims to have seisin of the toll of keelage 

 (culagium) on the coast of Brideport for which they have paid to 

 our lord the King at his exchequer 20s. at the feast of St. Michael, 

 and it claims to have stones and sand on the same shore in all 

 places where the sea flows and ebbs, of which they had seisin. 

 And they ask that it shall be enquired into by the country that 

 the men of the town aforesaid and their ancestors have fully 

 enjoyed the said liberties and that they take nothing from our lord 

 the King. And the Knights chosen for the purpose say upon 

 their oaths that the town of Brideport has seisin of the toll of 

 keelage on the coast between the cliff of the abbot of Cerne of 

 Swonesberh (sic) and the cliff of the abbot of Cadamum of 

 Prudeton (sic) as the water ascends towards Brideport. And 

 the town aforesaid has seisin where the sea flows and ebbs between 

 the said cliffs for taking and carrying away rocks for the repair 

 of the town or for fences and ditches (hoyhare et bechiare) and also 

 sand from between the cliffs. From the east and west sides of the 

 said cliffs the abbot of Cadamum has keelage on his land from a 

 time beyond memory. And therefore let them go without a day 

 with their liberties aforesaid, saving always the King's rights, etc. 

 Assize roll 204, m. 31 dors. 



