178 BRTDPORT HARBOUR. 



their church in the hope of King Henry's favour. So Bridport 

 did not stand alone among misfortunes of this kind. 



We now reach the days of Queen Elizabeth, when the 

 archives become a little more communicative. In 1561 a 

 partial reconstruction was once again taken in hand by the 

 burgesses, in proof of which a memorandum among the 

 documents of the Corporation records, in a spirit of thankful- 

 ness, that " the skluce of the haven of Burporte is begonne 

 agayne to be made and kept for ever to the honor of God, 

 the welthe of the towne and contry, and saffegarde of all men 

 being in daunger at the see." 



The prevalence of piracy along the coast, more especially 

 in the neighbourhood of Lulworth, induced the Queen's 

 ministers to appoint in 1565 Sir William Poulet and others 

 as commissioners for enquiring as to the seaports of the 

 county, the shipping, and the men engaged in that industry. 

 Bridport does not figure in the detailed returns as to pirates, 

 and can be honourably acquitted from the suspicion that her 

 harbour was used as a base for such unlawful expeditions. 

 The commissioner's report contains some valuable particulars 

 which I have transcribed, and we are also told that the 

 masters of vessels were placed under bond, with good 

 penalties, not to aid the rovers in any way, and that the 

 same precautions were taken in the case of men dwelling 

 near the shore. 



There is one landing place called Bridport mouth, being one 

 mile distant from the town of Bridport, which is the nearest town 

 that doth lie to the same, in which town there are 178 houses and 

 all inhabited. The said landing place is under the governance of 

 the Queen's Majesty and by the licence of the deputy customers, 

 etc., of Lyme, being the Queen's officers, all vessels and boats 

 do lade and unlade there. There is no harbour at the said 

 landing place, neither can any stay or discharge there, but 

 such as may with an engine called a capstone and force of men be 

 drawn upon the land. 



There do belong to the said landing place eleven vessels and 

 boats which are employed for the most part in fishing, and there 

 are occupied and attending to get their living in the said vessels 



