HISTORY OF BRIDPORT. 131 



it, till the Inhabitants of late years made the attempt, and fail'd in 

 the undertaking : the Tydes perpetually barring it with Sand, 

 against which they could not find any remedy." In 1561 it would 

 appear that some effort was made, but it would seem as if little or 

 nothing was carried out, for in 1619 the bailiffs and burgesses 

 petitioned the king, setting forth that they had made collections 

 through near half the kingdom of England and some part of 

 Wales by virtue of His Majesty's letters patent of license enabling 

 them to collect for the re-edifying of their decayed ancient harbour 

 or haven, and their whole net receipts did not amount to 100 marks, 

 which was much too little for the purpose, and they besought the King 

 to allow them to retain the money for other necessary affairs of the 

 borough. The petition being referred to two Justices of the Peace 

 for Dorset, they recommended that the money (amounting to only 

 61) might be bestowed in the procuring of some maintenance 

 for a schoolmaster which was found to be something defective in 

 the town, and an order in Council was made consequent on 

 such recommendation. In 1722, 8 George I., an Act was obtained 

 to restore and re-build the haven and piers, &c., but was not put 

 in execution till 1741. Coker's Survey, 1732, speaks of there 

 having been "formerlie" "an Harbour for Shipping," "but now" 

 "altogether choaked with the Sands;" in 1756 additional works 

 appear to have been carried out, and in 1823 a new Act was 

 passed by virtue of which a considerable sum was raised and 

 expended in improvements, and it is under this Act that the 

 Harbour is at present governed. 



Bridport is one of the old Boroughs of the Kingdom. " The 

 manor," says Hutchins, " antiently belonged to the crown, and 

 was for several ages held of it by the burgesses in fee farm." 

 In 37 Henry III. the town was incorporated as a free borough, 

 paying, however, yearly the farm which they usually paid, and 

 40s. for the increase of the vill, and the inhabitants were 

 empowered to choose one or two bailiffs to answer at the 

 Exchequer for the farm and increase of the borough. In 1299 

 Edward I. granted the town of Bridport, with the increment of 



