252 OLD PORTLAND. 



and, cooked in the most approved method, they were pro- 

 vided for him during his visits to John Penn at the " Girt 

 House " and Pennsylvania Castle. The picture shows 

 Penn and a party of friends buying " snalters " from boys 

 whose snares are seen set in the wide open street at Weston. 

 At the present day there is not much of interest at Weston 

 except the ivy-clad ruins of the Jacobean house used as the 

 old " Poor House " for the islanders, which superseded the 

 earlier Poor Hou.se at Chesilton, and in turn gave way to 

 a modern one at Fortune's Well. 



XVII. The Common and Chesilton. 



Penn, followed at a distance by his groom, is seen riding 

 down over " the Common," and is met by children offering 

 him articles for sale. 



Chesilton, owing to its fishing industry, at one time wrested 

 from Wakeham, the ancient "capital" of the Island, the 

 distinction of being the townlet with the largest population. 

 It contains several Jacobean and Georgian houses, most 

 of them falling into decay. 



The question is sometimes asked by visitors to Portland 

 " Why are so many of the oldest houses on the Island al- 

 lowed to go into dilapidation ? " The law of gavel-kind 

 which prevails here may be a partial explanation. That 

 which becomes the care of many becomes the care of none. 

 It may also explain why some of the fields in Portland are 

 so small as to be known locally as " lawns." 



XVI1L The Royal Portland Legion. 



Among the Auxiliary and Voluntary Dorset Regiments 

 and Corps recorded in the Army List of 1803 is the " Port- 

 land Island Legion," raised and commanded by Captain 

 John Penn, and in which he took the greatest pride and 



