BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 183 



were delivered by him to the respective clerks of the peace for 

 distribution to the constables of the Hundreds and Liberties, 

 who in turn passed on the copies to the parochial clergy, with 

 a request that the appeal might be brought before their con- 

 gregations. The donations were gathered in by the constables, 

 and paid at the next ensuing assize circuits to the clerks of 

 assize, who handed the sums to the collectors, in return for 

 official receipts under a seal provided for each of the six cir- 

 cuits in question. This defendant adds that the amounts 

 he obtained were sufficient only for the charges incurred, and 

 that he was thereby " much discouraged." (I may remark 

 that the expenses were frequently 50 per cent, of the receipts). 

 Oxfordshire is named as an example, in which county only 

 100 briefs were sent back, out of 280 circulated. Herefordshire, 

 on the other hand, returned the majority of its briefs, but 

 they realised only 11. In a few counties not more than 3 

 were contributed, by reason of the " multitude of other briefs 

 then abroad," there being in one parish as many as sixteen 

 for publication at one time. The Court was also informed 

 that " charity was so cold " that the total proceeds from all 

 parts were about 61, to meet an estimated expenditure of 

 3,000 at Bridport Mouth, and that in consequence the col- 

 lectors were withdrawn. 



Meryfield's opponents, in reply to the foregoing plea, allege 

 that he had previously been a poor man, and that it was 

 doubtful if he would have been trusted for a hundred of 

 faggots, whereas after the collection he had rented and fur- 

 nished an inn at Bridport. This is rather an improbable story, 

 seeing that the accounts were vouched upon oath and passed 

 by two justices from other districts. In the end the harbour 

 received not one farthing ; by the King's permission the small 

 fund of 61 was " bestowed in procuring the maintenance of 

 a schoolmaster," and the land so bought is still, I believe, held 

 by the Corporation. 



The attempt to raise an adequate sum having thus mis- 

 carried, it would appear that nothing further was done during 

 the later portion of Charles I.'s tenure of the throne, when the 



