BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 181 



almost imply that the river was a highway to the borough. 

 As regards the defence of this assailable creek, the commission- 

 ers go on to say that at Bridport twenty horsemen were to be 

 employed in keeping Avard along the sea coast. (Harl. MSS. 

 3324, p. 42.) 



A passing word should be devoted to the printed books 

 of authors who wrote on topographical matters before 

 Hutchins's day, such as Leland, Camden (and his successive 

 editors), Blome, Thomas Cox, and Coker. These authors 

 do not add materially to our knowledge, as their treatment of 

 the subject is necessarily rather meagre, consisting for the 

 most part of statements that the haven had possibilities, but 

 had been choked with sand, which was undoubtedly true. 

 I do not therefore propose to cite any passages from these 

 historians. 



During the earlier years of James I. efficiency continued 

 and no complaints arose, but shortly before 1619 the tides 

 and the gales had overpowered the work of the sluice and the 

 estuary again became obstructed. The townsmen forthwith 

 asked the king for permission to solicit contributions from the 

 country at large for the old familiar purpose. Here we have 

 a concrete example of the difference between pre-Reformation 

 and post-Reformation practice in the matter of " briefs " 

 for charitable objects. I have previously explained how the 

 Church in the reign of Henry VI. both authorised and organ- 

 ised the gathering in of funds, and now two centuries later 

 we find James I. granting by letters patent the petition of 

 the Bailiffs to be allowed to go a-begging, the Church being 

 concerned only in so far as it permitted an appeal to be read 

 during morning prayer. We are indebted to the methodical 

 habits of a Jacobean vicar for a reference to the brief which 

 was distributed broadcast in 1618-19 : 



Preshute parish register. 



A collection for ye towne of Bridport in ye county of Dorset for 

 ye repayring of a haven nere adjoyning to ye said towne called 

 Bridport Mouth w'ch was ye only means yt enriched ye said towne. 

 (Wiltshire Arch. Mag., Vol. 30, p. 113.) 



