INDUSTRIES 



at Winchester is supposed in the main to have 

 been procured from Quarr in the Isle of 

 Wight. 



In the thirteenth century Portland passed to 

 the Clares by exchange, and from them later to 

 the earls of Ulster, the earls of March, and thus 

 in the fifteenth century to the crown. During 

 the whole of this time there can be no doubt 

 that quarries within the island were worked for 

 purely local use, but even as early as the begin- 

 ning of the fourteenth century Portland stone 

 in considerable quantities was being exported as 

 far as Exeter, as the Fabric Rolls '' of the Cathe- 

 dral Church bear witness; and fifty years after, if 

 not much earlier, it was in request for the con- 

 stant fresh building or reparatory work proceed- 

 ing at the royal palace of Westminster and 

 elsewhere in London/'' Towards the close of 

 this century, however, there was for a time at 

 least a lull in the activity of the quarry belonging 

 to the manor, for we read in a Minister's Account 

 for the year 20—21 Richard II that in respect of 

 the issues of the quarry nothing was returned/* 



For the next century and a half little is heard 

 of the Portland quarries, though there is no 

 reason to doubt their continued working/^ 



within the grounds of Pennsylvania Castle, is also 

 built of the same local stone, and is a fine example of 

 the great durability and strength of Portland oolite. 

 The angles and walls are in general as sharp and 

 intact as on the day they were built, and the additions 

 and openings for defensive purposes equally so. The 

 tool-marks are distinctly shown on the stones of this 

 building. 



" Cited by Freeman, Orckit. Hut. of Exeter Cath. 

 123. It also seems to have been used in the choir 

 of Christchurch Twyneham ; Ferrey and Britton, 

 Antig. of Christchurch (1841), 15. Mr. J. Merrick 

 Head points out that there exists in Portland a locality 

 known as Priory, where quarries have long since been 

 opened and are now disused. 



'* Cf. Pat. 23 Edw. Ill, pt. 3, m. 32(2'. and Accts. 

 Exch. K.R. bdle. 471, No. 6 (25-28 Edw. III). 

 'Thome Elyot pro j navata petrarum de Portland 

 empta pro fundamento muri palacie iuxta aquam 

 reparando £\l 5/.' At the same time two shiploads 

 of rag cost only £2 zs. It was used in connexion 

 with the Portland stone in the same work. A very 

 large amount of Portland stone was also purchased for 

 the King's Chapel at Westminster and for the Tower. 

 See Accts. Exch. K.R. bdle. 470, No. 18, and bdle. 

 471, No. I (21-22 Edw. III). 



" Mins. Accts. (Gen. Ser.), bdle. 832, No. 29. 



" The fifteenth-century ruined church of Portland 

 was built of local oolite resembling Top Bed. The 

 original tool-marks still appear on the north front. 

 The main walls of Wyke church are built of a stone 

 very similar to Portland oolite, which, however, may 

 have been quarried outside the limits of Portland 

 manor. The main walls of Sandsfoot Castle near 

 Weymouth were built of Portland stone in the reign 

 of Henry VIII. The stone is generally in excellent 

 condition; certain decayed blocks in the interior are 

 not from Portland, but were procured from a quarry 

 in the vicinity of the castle. 



Leland," however, notes that ' the people be 

 good there in flyngging of stonys and use it for 

 defence of the isle,' and he adds further they 

 ' be politique inough in selling their commodities, 

 and sumwhat avaritiose.' 



Elizabeth had reigned about fifteen years when 

 depositions were taken by commission ^* as to 

 the crown rights in Portland, and amongst the 

 interrogatories administered was the following : 



What quarries [are] within the saide demeane lands ? 

 What rent the Quenes Majestic hathe byn aunswered 

 for the same and what it would yerelie yielde, and 

 who hath taken the profittes thereof? 



The reply given to these questions is instructive. 

 One deponent declared 



that there is no quarry of stones whereof the Quenes 

 Majestie hath bene aunswered any rent of the same 

 [and he explained further] that the custome of the 

 island is and hath bene by all the tyme of his remem- 

 brance, that is if any man do break any ground of 

 the Quenes demaynes he must have warrant from the 

 officers for the quarringe and getting any stones there 

 and also must compound and agree for them and 

 touchinge stones lyinge uppon the ground in a certayn 

 common called Wathe which have bene solde in 

 oure tyme and [sic] the profittes thereof have bene 

 taken and converted to the use of all the inhabitants 

 . . . and that if any quarry be broken by the princes 

 commandement or license that then the tenants ought to 

 have thereof half of the profittes that [the stones] are 

 sold for and in consideracion of breakinge the ground 

 and consumlnge of their grasse in lyinge and carryinge 

 away the same to the waterside.'*^ 



" I tin. 



'* Exch. Dep. by Com. Mich. 15-16 Eliz. No. 12, 

 Dorset. 



"* It may be interesting to compare with this cer- 

 tain presentments of the last century, concerning 

 which Mr. J. Merrick Head kindly furnishes us the 

 following note : — 



At a Court Baron and Court of the Island and 

 Manor of Portland together with the Court of Sur- 

 vey concluded on 7 July, 1846, 



It was presented, after the Homage had made a 

 personal survey and perambulation of the island and 

 Manor, inter alia, ' That all stone exported from the 

 Common or Commonable lands doth pay 1 2d. per 

 Ton; one moiety of such I2rf'. belongs to the Lord or 

 Lady in Chief, and the other moiety to the tenants; 

 and by Ancient Grants, and also by one from Her 

 present Most Gracious Majesty, we have 3^'. per Ton 

 given us out of Her Majesty's said moiety, which 

 makes Her Majesty's part 3a'. and ours 3d'. 



' And all such Stone as is for Her Majesty's own 

 use is free, paying nothing. 



' And likewise we that are Tenants for our Buildings 

 within the Manor take for our use what Stone we 

 please, paying nothing and asking no leave. And all 

 such Stone liable to such Tonnage as aforesaid is 

 accounted for at our Courts on the oaths of the 

 persons exporting the same, and the duty paid to the 

 Queen's Receiver or his Agent and divided as before 

 mentioned. All Stone raised and drawn from the 

 Quarries in the Farm has time out of mind paid to 



339 



