182 BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 



The words probably followed those of the original document, 

 and may be regarded as leaning towards exaggeration in 

 thus describing the plight of the borough ; due allowance 

 should be made for the desire to excite sympathy among 

 strangers. 



It so happened that in the year following the issue of the 

 brief the townspeople had obtained a confirmation of their 

 old charter and liberties, with certain additions expressed to 

 be for their " better government." (Signet Bill, Oct., 1619.) 

 The changes so introduced aroused bitter opposition, and re- 

 sulted in a suit before the Barons of the Exchequer, in which 

 ten of the chief inhabitants were plaintiffs and sixteen were 

 defendants, their names forming quite a small directory.* 



This protracted litigation as to the " priveleges " of the 

 borough is worthy of a little notice on account of the repeated 

 allegation by the plaintiffs that the sums contributed for the 

 harbour were improperly used for obtaining the amended 

 charter, thereby benefiting the defendants, who had promoted 

 the application for new powers. During the progress of the 

 suit the scheme for circulating the briefs was fully set out and 

 is now of some historical value, as the procedure in Stuart 

 times was very rarely explained at all ; no other contemporary 

 description has been printed, as far as I am aware. 



Thomas Meryfield, a defendant, pleads in his answer that 

 he had been a collector for the haven through eight counties, 

 and that an honest return had been made of the moneys 

 received. The briefs (which were copies of the letters patent) 



* The plaintiffs were John Abbott, Wm. Somers, John Lacke, 

 Anth. Fulbrooke, Anth. Mathevv, John Russell, Henry Dyme, Barth. 

 Larkins, John Fulbrooke, and Wm. Maries. The defendants, Thos. 

 Meryfield, Robert Miller, Stephen Colfox, Wm. Whettam, Chris. 

 Balston, John Buyshop, Angel Churchill, Walter Bayley, John Pitt, 

 Stephen Moore, Nich. Horsford, Jas. Whettam, Isaac James, John 

 Chard, John Foster, and Zachary Body. 



(Exch. B. and A., Jas. I. Dorset 207. Exch. Dep. 3 Chas. I. Mich. 

 Dorset, 48. Misc. Dep. 576.) 



