176 BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 



propitious opportunity for soliciting Royal favour. Now 

 let us see what Henry VII. offered to do for the distressed 

 townsfolk : 



To William Reclayme and Richard Stredebrigge, bailiffs of 

 Birdporte, William Stikilpath, Richard Orchard, William Colmere, 

 Robert Stredebrigge, and other inhabitants. " We are enfourmed 

 " that ther was a werke begune there for makyng of an haven XL. 

 " yeres agoo or thereaboute which werke for lak of goods was 

 " cessed and discontynued. Wherthorowe our said towne is 

 " nowe fallen into grete ruyn and desolacon and the substaunce 

 " of tenements theryn standyng voide likly to be uttrely lost and 

 " decaied, Shewyng unto us also that certyn shippes compelled by 

 " wederyng and grete tempests to make cours towardes our said 

 " towne for their arryvail there, have often tymes been uttrely 

 " p'risshed both shippes p'sonnes and m'chaundises, to the grete 

 " hevynesse and sorowe of many a creature. We therefore 

 " havyng tendre respect towardes the p'misses and that our said 

 " subgietts and inh'itants been of good herts willes and myndes to 

 " spende their labours and goodes upon the said werke as they 

 '" have p'mysed unto us, and for the same entent have pursued 

 " unto us for our 1'res of licence under our pryvie seale to be by us 

 " graunted unto them for the terme of vin. yeres, Of our grace 

 " esp'al have graunted unto them our said 1'res for p'ferrement of 

 " the said werke accordyng to their peticon, And that our 

 " welbeloved s'vauut Robert Lugge shall have the ov'sight of the 

 " same werke towardes the which we of our more ample grace 

 " have graunted to the said inh'itaunts C marc of money of the 

 " furst p'fits and revenues that shall come and grow towardes us 

 " of and upon our custumes and subsidies of our said towne." 

 Given at the manor of Greenwich the 8 Dec., 3 Henry VII. (1487). 

 Memoranda roll. Exch. L.T.R. 267, m. 2. 



The state of affairs which called forth this pathetic description 

 of calamities by sea and land may well have moved the King 

 to pity. He concedes for eight years the right to build and 

 use the haven, and promises assistance in the task by a re- 

 mission of taxes to the extent of 66 13s. 4d., the equivalent 

 of " 100 marks," if the burgesses endeavour to set their 

 house in order. Two years afterwards Henry VII. confirmed, 

 by inspeximus, the original charter of the town, but without 

 alluding to his grant of 1487 which recognised, by implication, 



