137 



BRIDLINGTON QUAY. 



BRIEL. 



The monastery existed four centuries : when it was dissolved its 

 revenues amounted to 5501. per annum, a very large income at that 

 day. In 1 539 it was demolished, and the manor and rectory became 

 the property of the king, by whom they were granted on lease to 

 various individuals. In 1643, during the contest between Charles 

 and his parliament, Bridlington became the scene of temporary hos- 

 tilities on occasion of the queen landing here with a supply of arms, 

 under the convoy of Admiral Van Tromp. Admiral Batten, whose 

 squadron had been stationed to intercept the queen, cannonaded the 

 t nwii for some hours, but was warned off by the ebbing tide, which 

 would have left him in shoal water. The celebrated Paul Jones with 

 four ships engaged and captured two ships, the convoy of the Baltic 

 fleet, in Bridlington Bay, on September 21st, 1779. Jones reached the 

 Texel in safety with his prizes. 



The priory church is the chief feature in Bridlington. The nave 

 ami an arched gateway leading to it are the only parts now left of 

 the once spacious monastery. The west front has had two towers, of 

 which the lower stories only remain. This front still retains a great 

 degree of architectural magnificence, and is in the style of the beauti- 

 ful collegiate church of Beverley. " The grand western entrance is 

 an exquisite specimen of the architecture of Henry VII. 'a time ; 

 excepting however the north-western tower, which belongs to a much 

 earlier period. The style of the north-western tower is early 

 KnL'li-ii, as is also the whole of the north side of the church. The 

 w is 55 feet in height from its base to the crown of the 

 arch, and 27 feet in breadth. The head is filled with good perpen- 

 dicular tracery ..... The north porch is also a truly splendid 

 specimen of architecture ..... The length of the present 

 church in the interior is 185 feet; and the distance of the farthest 

 pillar from the east wall of the church, whose foundation has been 

 taken up, 152 feet ; so that the ancient church seems to have been 

 nearly of the same length as Beverley minster, about 333 feet ; its 

 breadth is 68 feet, and height about 00 feet." (' An Historical and 

 Architectural Description of the Priory Church of Bridlington,' by 

 the Kev. Marmaduke Prickett) Attention has recently been directed 

 to the restoration of this church. The work has been carried on 

 under the superintendence of the archdeacon of the East Riding and 

 a committee of clergymen and laymen connected with the district. 

 The great west windo.v has been elaborately restored by Mr. Wail.vi 

 of Newcastle. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, Baptists, 

 and Independents have places of worship in Bridlingtou. A building 

 which was formerly a Quakers' meeting-house, is now used as a 

 temperance-hull. There are in Bridliugton an Endowed school, 

 founded in 1636 for the instruction of 20 boys, the children of poor 

 parishioners; another school, founded and endowed in 1781, "for 

 maintaining and educating the poore children of Bridlingtou and 

 Key in the art of carding, kniting, and spining of wooll," in which 

 12 children are instructed ; National and Infant schools; also about 

 20 day and boarding-schools. The town possesses two public sub- 

 scription libraries, a small museum, and a mechanics institute. 



The streets of Bridlingtou are narrow and irregularly built, and 

 the appearance is that of an old town ; but the town has been much 

 improved within the last twenty years. The streets are lighted with 

 gas. The town-hall is over the priory gateway ; the corn-exchange is 

 in the market-place. The trade of Bridlington is chiefly in corn. 

 Soap-boiling and bone-grinding for the purpose of manure, give 

 employment to some of the inhabitants. The retail business with 

 the surrounding agricultural districts, and the resort of visitors to 

 liriillingtou Quay during the bathing season, are now the principal 

 sources of the prosperity of the town. The imports are chiefly coals 

 li '.MI Sundcrland and Newcastle, timber from America and the Baltic, 

 and general merchandise from London and Hull. Two fairs are held 

 annually in a large open area between the priory-gate, called also the 

 ' Bayle Ctate,' and the church. This area, which is called ' the Qreen,' 

 was the close of the priory. 



BRIDLINGTON QUAY, East Riding of Yorkshire, a small modern 

 town in the parish of Bridlington and wapentake of Dickering, is 

 situated on the sea-coaat, in the recess of Bridlington Bay, in 54 4' 

 N. lat., 10' W. long., and about one mile from the town of BHID- 

 LINCITON. The population of the town of Bridlington Quay in 1841 

 was 1852; in the Census returns of 1851 the population is included 

 with that of Bridlington town. The living is a perpetual curacy in 

 the archdeaconry of the East Riding and diocese of York. 



This place is much frequented during the bathing season ; it has 

 increased rapidly within the last ten years. The principal street, 

 which runs directly to the harbour, is very wide. The town is 

 lighted with gas. Two substantial stone piers inclose the harbour. 

 There is good anchorage in the bay, particularly when the wind is 

 unfavourable for coasting-vessels proceeding northward round Flam- 

 I, .i-.,n^li Head. A new church in the early English style was erected 

 about 1842. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists have places of 

 worship Tli. n; are National schools for boys and girls, a com- 

 modious Infant school, and a day-school conducted by Wesleyan 



A fine view of Fl<unborough Head and Bridlington Bay is obtained 

 from the piers. The beach has a fine hard sand, which affords a good 

 walk at low water. There are warm and cold sea-water baths. At a 

 short distance thtro is a chalybeate spring of reputed efficacy, resem- 



bling the waters of Scarborough aud Cheltenham, but not so purga- 

 tive. An ebbing and flowing spring, which was discovered in 1811, 

 furnishes an abundant supply of water of remarkable purity. This 

 spring, being below high water mark, is covered by the sea every tide. 

 The fossils of the chalk-dirt's near Bridlingtou are numerous and well 

 known. A few years ago a head of the great extinct elk with branch- 

 ing horus measuring 11 feet from tip to tip, was found in the lacus- 

 trine deposit in this vicinity. 



BRIDPORT, Dorsetshire, a port, borough, and market-town, aud 

 the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the Bridport division of the county, 

 is situated in a vale above the confluence of two branches of the river 

 Brit, or Bride, in 50 44' N. lat., 2 4' W. long.; 15 miles W. by N. 

 from Dorchester, 134 miles W.S.W. from London by road. Dorchester, 

 the nearest railway station, is 141 miles from London by the South- 

 western railway. The population of the municipal borough, which 

 is co-extensive with the parliamentary borough of Bridport, was 7566 

 in 1851. The town is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, 

 one of whom is mayor; aud returns two members to the Imperial 

 Parliament. The living is a rectory in the archdeaconry of Dorset 

 and diocese of Salisbury. Bridport Poor- Law Union contains 19 

 parishes and townships, with an area of 31,731 acres, and a population 

 in 1851 of 16,860. 



At the period of the Domesday Survey, Bridport contained 120 

 houses, and possessed a mint for the coining of silver. The first charter 

 was granted to the town in the 37th of Henry III. The town has 

 sent members to Parliament since the 23rd of Edward VI. A market 

 and three fairs were granted in the 36th of Queen Elizabeth. The 

 prosperity of the town of Bridport is dependent upon the harbour, 

 which is at the mouth of the river Brit, at the distance of a mile and a 

 half from the town. The sand accumulates so rapidly in the harbour 

 that much trouble and expense have been required to fit it to receive 

 vessels of any considerable burden. From the commencement of the 

 14th century down to the present time much has been done to improve 

 the harbour. It is now safe and commodious, and can accommodate 

 vessels of 250 tons burden ; the trade of the port has in consequence 

 rapidly increased. The number aud tonnage of vessels registered as 

 belonging to Bridport on 31st December, 1852, were under 50 tons, 

 2 vessels, 73 tons; above 50 tons, 14 vessels, 1774 tons. The 

 number and tonnage of vessels that entered and cleared at the port 

 of Bridport during the year 1852 were as follows : Coastwise, 

 inwards, 198 vessels, 13,728 tons; outwards, 87 vessels, 3717 tons: 

 colonial and foreign, inwards, 37 vessels, 3143 tons; outwards, 34 

 vessels, 1751 tons. 



Bridport had a considerable coasting trade in coal and grain, but it 

 has been almost entirely lost in consequence of the superior facilities 

 for transmission of goods afforded by railways. Hemp, flax, tallow, 

 timber, and wheat are imported from Russia and the Baltic; aud 

 timber from Norway and America. Wines, spirits, skins, coals, 

 culm, and slates are also imported. The exports consist chiefly of 

 the manufactures of the town, and of cheese and butter for which the 

 neighbourhood is celebrated. The manufactures of Bridport are 

 principally of twine, shoe-thread, cordage, sailcloth, and fishing nets. 

 The antiquity of the hemp trade in Bridport long since dignified a 

 halter with the name of a ' Bridport dagger.' Ship-building is carried 

 on to some extent. 



The parish church is an ancient cruciform edifice, chiefly of the 

 perpendicular style. The Independents, Baptists, Unitarians, Wesleyan 

 Methodists, Quakers, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. 

 There are National and Infant schools ; a savings bank ; a mechanics 

 institution with reading room and- lecture room ; almahouses for '27 

 persons ; besides several charities. The town consists chiefly of three 

 spacious and airy streets ; the main street forming a portion of the 

 old mall road from London to Exeter. The streets are well paved 

 and lighted with gas. The sewerage is good. The town-hall, erected 

 in 1786, in the centre of the town, is built of brick, faced with 

 Portland stone. The markets are held on Wednesday and Saturday. 

 Fairs for cattle, sheep, cheese, and pedlery, are held on April 6th, 

 Holy Thursday, and October llth. A county court, a court of 

 sessions, court of record, and court leet are held in the town. 



BHIE, a district in France comprehended partly in Champagne, 

 and partly in the Ile-de-France, extended from the banks of the Seine 

 toward the north east nearly 70 miles; and its greatest breadth at right 

 angles to the length was about 65 miles. It was formerly divided iuto 

 Brie Francoise, chief towns Brie-Compte-Robert, and Montereau ; 

 Brie Champeuoise divided iuto Upper Brie, capital Meaux, and Lower 

 Brie, chief town Provius ; and Brie Pouilleuse, chief towns Chateau- 

 Thierry and La-Fere-en-Tardenois. Brie Pouilleuse was afterwards 

 incorporated with Brie Champenoise. 



lirie hail anciently its own feudal lords, who bore the title of 

 counts of Meaux ; but Herbert of Verinandois, count of Meaux or of 

 Brie, having become count of Troyes or Champagne in the 10th 

 century, united the two countries. Brie ever afterwards followed 

 the fate of Champagne. The territory is now divided between the 

 departments of Aisne, Aube, Marne, Heine-et-Marue, and Seine-et-Oise. 



BRIEG. [SILESIA, PBUSSIAN.] 



BRIEL (sometimes called liriclle and the Brill), a seaport town on 

 the northern side of the Island of Voorn in the Dutch province of South 

 Holland, is situated near the mouth of the Haas, iu 51 64' N. lat, 



