196 BRIDPORT HARBOUR. 



haven during a period of about one hundred years, for the 

 reason that it was more convenient to deal with the subject 

 in a separate chapter ; the yard, being a private venture, did 

 not directly concern the Bailiffs or their successors the 

 Commissioners, except in so far as the launching of a vessel 

 of more than ten tons upon the waters of the basin brought 

 grist to their mill in the shape of tolls. 



As there is no evidence, direct or indirect, that any vessel 

 was built here before the second half of the eighteenth 

 century we can, I think, assume that the industry was started 

 at a date subsequent to the completion of the harbour of 

 1740 ; this view is confirmed by the fact that the building 

 slips opened on to the land purchased by the town, the yard 

 itself and the adjoining rope walk being the property of 

 another owner. The earliest ship which I have been 

 able to trace is a brig named Adventurer, of 270 tons burden, 

 built here in 1779 ; she was registered at Lloyd's in 1785, the 

 owner being one Le Mesurier. Another vessel fitted out in 

 1779 was the privateer cutter Resolution of 280 tons, but as 

 she was not registered it is difficult to say whether she was 

 also built at Bridport. At that time registration was an 

 optional formality, until the Shipping Act of 1786 made it 

 obligatory for the British merchant service. 



If the plate of the naval survey be examined, four building 

 slips will be noticed as existing in the year 1787, and this 

 number was increased to six before 1823, as may be seen on 

 an alternative design for the harbour of that year which is 

 in the library of the House of Lords. 



The first ship builder who can be identified was Nicholas 

 Bowles in 1784 ; six years later I find a variant of his name 

 as " Nicholas Bools," then a freeman of the borough.* His 

 successors were as undermentioned, the dates being approxi- 

 mate only : 



* Between 1774 and 1795 he, or a namesake, is mentioned more 

 than once in the list of Bailiffs. 



