A HISTORY OF DORSET 



In 1592 the grievance of purveyance, long felt, came to a head, owing 

 to the extra burden imposed on the rest of the county by the exemptions 

 claimed by the Isle of Purbeck, the liberties of Gillingham, Wyke Regis, 

 Stour Preaux, the hundred of Whitchurch, and the liberties of Sutton Pointz 

 and Sydling.^ In 1593, on inquiry, the exemptions were repealed, in spite 

 of the great efforts on behalf of the Isle of Purbeck made by William 

 Bond. Purbeck also had to contribute towards the provision for Her 

 Majesty's household.- This redressed the local exactions complained of in 

 the Blandford division in 1591/ which were heavier, from the exemptions of 

 the town of Poole, the island of Purbeck, and the hundred of Whiteway. 



In 1566 the joint shrievalty of Dorset and Somerset was discontinued, 

 each county henceforth being administered by a separate sheriff.* 



The chief place among the illegal exactions of Charles I is generally 

 accorded to the unauthorized collection of ship-money ; the first general 

 writ for this was dated 1634. The illegalities of billeting soldiers upon 

 private persons, and of enforcing service for the public works were, however, 

 more annoying in the years immediately preceding 1634. The justices of the 

 peace for the county complained in July 1632 that 'this little county ' was 

 taxed ' in equality with Hampshire and Wiltshire,' which was the more unjust, 



that they have performed the service of many thousand loads of stones in the Isle of Port- 

 land, for building the banqueting house, and that service is still continued upon them 

 towards His Majest)''s buildings, besides that there is ^5,000 and upwards due to this 

 county for billeting soldiers. 



They, therefore, begged to be spared the carriage of 1,290 loads of timber out 

 of the New Forest.' It appears that the county eventually tacitly declined the 

 service of this carriage. William Twyne, who did perform his share, could get 

 no money therefor.^ In 1626 a thousand soldiers from Devon and Corn- 

 wall, under martial law, had been quartered in Dorset.'' In 1629 the cor- 

 poration of Dorchester complained to the Council of the billeting of soldiers 

 ' by along space, for which they have received no satisfaction,' viz. in particular 

 from 23 April to 3 August, 1628, 'amounting to £^jj i6j., whereof ^^b 

 only is paid and ^^51 i6j. reste unpaid.'* With other similar items the 

 sum soon mounted to ^^260 \C)s. But in 1632 the lord treasurer wrote to 

 the mayor of Dorchester to pay the ^(^260 odd, which was said to be 'in the 

 hands of three or four men who collected the loan-money of the county.' ' 



This ' loan-money ' was just possibly contributions, somewhat forced, 

 towards the Cadiz expedition of 1625,^° or the later recovery of the 

 Palatinate." But it is more probable that the reference was to an early 

 ship-money writ. The corporation of Bridport possesses such a writ dated 

 5 November, 1628.^^ It provides for the outfit of a man-of-war of 400 tons, 

 with equipment and provisions tor twenty-six weeks, and for an assessment to 

 cover the cost. It contains the clause : ' Should any person be found rebel- 

 lious, they shall be committed to prison until further order is made for their 

 delivery.' 



' Acts oj P.C. 1592-3, pp. 354-6- ' Ibid. 452, 457-8, 468-9. 



' Ibid. 1 591-2, p. 306. ' Slatutei at Large, 8 llliz. cip. i6. 



^ Cal. S.P. Dom. 1631-3, p. 381. 'Ibid. 1633-4, p. "o. 



' Weymouth Chart, iv, 71. * Dorch. Corp. MSS. C. 9. 



' Ibid. '" Cal. S.P. Dm. 1635-6, p. 66. " Ibid. 163 1-3, p. 210, an. 1 631. 



" Notes and Queries for Som. and Dors, viii, 14. 



146 



