B R r 



B R I 



of their lands or tenements ; and forae by reafon of prefcrip- 

 tion only. 2 Lift. 700, But if a man make a bridge for 

 the common good of ail the futjjefls, he is not bound to 

 repair it ; and if none are obliged by tenure or prefcription 

 at common law, then the whole county or frauchifc (hall 

 repair it. 2 Inft. 701. By 22 H. VIII. c. ■;. it is eii.ifted, 

 that, as in many places it cannot be known and proved, 

 what hundred, town, parifh, perfon, or body politic, ought 

 to repair bridges broken in the highways, in every fuch cafe, 

 the faid bridges, if they be without a city or town corporate, 

 (hall be made by the inhabitants of the county ; if within a 

 city or town corporate, then by the inhabitants of fuch city 

 or town corporate ; if part be in one (hire, city, or town 

 corporate, and part in another, or part within the limits of 

 a city or town corporate, and part without, the inhabitants 

 of the (hire, cities, or towns corporate, (liall repair fuch part 

 as lies within their limits. The decays of bridges arc pre- 

 fentablein the Icet.ortorn. 2ln(l.7oi. By the above aft, the 

 jullices, or four of them at the leaft, (hall have power to in- 

 quire, hear, and dttermine in the general feflions, of all 

 manner of annoyarces of bridges broken in the highways, 

 to the damage of the king's liege-people, and to make fuch 

 proccfs and pains upon every prefentment againft fnch as 

 ought to be charged to make or amend them, as the king's 

 bench nfually doth, or .'s it fliall feem by their difcretions to 

 be necelTary and convenient for the fpeedy amendmer.t of 

 fuch bridges. Such part of the highways as lies next ad- 

 joining to any ends of any bridges within the fpace of 300 

 feet, (hall be made and repaired as often as necelTary ; and 

 the juftices (hall inquire into, and determine annoyances in 

 fuch highways. By I3 Geo. II. c. 29. no money (liall be 

 applied to the repair of bridges, until prefentment be made 

 by the grand jury at the alTizes or feffions, of their infufR- 

 ciency, inconvenicncy, or want of reparation. Again, by 

 I Ann. ft. I.e. 18. no fine, ilTue, penalty, or forfeiture, 

 upon any prefentment or indidtment for not repairing bridges, 

 or the highways at the ends of them, fliall be returned into 

 the exchequer, but (ball be paid to the treafnrer, to be ap- 

 plied towards the faid repairs, and not otherwife : and no 

 prefentment or indiftnnent for not repairing bridges, or 

 highways at the ends of bridges, fliall be removed by " cer- 

 tiorari"out of the county into another court. The charges 

 of repairing and amending bridges, and highways at the 

 ends of them, fliall be paid out of the general county rate. 

 12 Geo. II. c. 29. The four jullices in fefTion may appoint 

 two furveyors, with falaries, to fee the bridges amended. 

 22 H. VIII. c. 5. This bufinefs of furveying bridges is 

 ufually annexed by the juftice,'; to the office of the high con- 

 ftables, with the allowance of falaries. The flat. 14 Geo. II. 

 c. 3j. gives jullices the povi-er of changing the fituation of 

 bridges, as it enables them to purchafe lands adjoining any 

 county bridge, for the more commodious enlarging, and 

 convenient rebuilding the fame. By 12 Geo. II. c. 29. 

 juftices, at their general or quarter felTions, after prefent- 

 ment made by the grand jury of bridges wanting repara- 

 tion, may contraft fur rebuilding and repairing the fame, for 

 any term not exceeding fcven years, at a certain annual fum. 

 Tney (hall give public notice of their intention to contraft, 

 make contrafts at the moft reafonable prices, and take fecu- 

 rity of the contraftors for due performance. 



If a man has toll for men or cattle paffing over a bridge, 

 he is to repair ic. And toll may be paid in thefe cafes by 

 prefcription or ftatute. 



By many fpecial ftatutcs, enafted upon the occafion, it 

 is made felony to dcftroy bridges, &c. erefted by virtue of 

 thefe afts of parliament. 



'BwivcE-maJliTt, are officers of the city of London, chofcn 



by the citizens, who liave certain fees and profits belonging 

 to their office, and the care of London bridge, &c. 



Bridge, in Altific, a fmall wooden machine for ftrings to 

 reft on, in tuning violins, tenors, bafes, guitars, monocords, 

 &c. In this lall the bridges are moveable. 



BRIDGEND, in Geography, a town of Glamorganfliire, 

 in Soutii Wales, lituated on the banks of tlie river Og- 

 more, over which is a ftone bridge, dividing the town into 

 two parts. One of thefe Is called Bridgend, and the other 

 Newcaftle. The latter, being feated on high ground, com- 

 mands fome very fine and extenfive profpefts. There is 

 another part of the town called OldcalUe, by way of 

 diftinftion from the former, each of which was fonnerly pro. 

 tefted by a cattle, a[id fome remains of both are fllll ftaiiding. 

 At Oldcaftle is a chapel of eale under Coity, that being the 

 mother-church ; and at Newcaftle is a large well-built 

 parifh church. The river Ogniore abounds with falmon, 

 trout, fewin, and various other lilh, with which the markets 

 are generally well fupplled. The foil round Bridgend is 

 fertile and well cultivated ; and the town is alfo in a ftatc 

 of confiderable inipnivement. The agricultural fociety of 

 the county has cftabllflied a woollen manufaftory in this 

 town, and fupplled it with different machines. About two 

 miles eaft is tlic village of Coitv, where are the remains of a 

 very large and venerable calUe, which, next to Caerphilly, 

 was the largell in South Wales. Bridgend has a good 

 weekly market on Saturdays, and two fairs annually. It is 

 20 miles from Cardlft', iSl W. from London ; contains i68ii 

 houfes, and 7140 inhabitants. Malkin's Tour in Soutll 

 Wales, 4to. 1S04. 



BRIDGENORTH, a large ancient borough town of 

 Shropfhire, England, is built en the top and declivities of a 

 hill, v.'hich rifes fteeply from the river Severn. It covers a 

 confiderable extent of ground ; many of the ftreets are 

 narrow, and fome alleys which lead from thofe to the 

 river, confili. of long flights of fteps. Bridgenorth appears 

 to have obtained fome confequence as early as the time of 

 Ethclflcda, wife of king Ethelred ; and was fortified and 

 furnifhed with a catUe by Robert de Bellcfme, or Beliafme, 

 fon of Roger de Montgomere, in the time of Henry I, 

 Collefting a few aflxiciates, he here made <f (land againft the 

 forces of that monarch, but, being vanquiflied, was obliged to 

 fly into Normandy ; where, according to Speed, he con- 

 tinued to " blow thofe embers that others had kindled." 

 The cartle at this place appears to have been of great extent 

 and importance, and was moftly occupied by the Normans 

 during their wars againft the Welfli. In the reign of 

 Richard II. it v/as committed to the cuftody of Hugh de 

 Burnell, a favourite of that monarch, whofe remains were 

 interred at Hales Owen church in this county. In theci\il 

 wars, this caftle was the fcene of a violent llruggle between 

 the forces of the king and thofe of the parliament. It was 

 then much battered ; and one of the towers which now leans 

 about ten degrees out of the perpendicular, was then partly 

 undermined. The Angular pofition of this building very 

 much refeiT.bles one at Pifa in Italy, and is often contem- 

 plated with wonder by the paffing traveller. Part of the fite 

 of the caftle is occupied by a large handfome new church, 

 and at the other end of the town is an ancient church,, 

 which fuffered much in its ornaments, painted glafs, &c. ia 

 the above wars. 



Bridgenorth is feparated into two parts, divided by the 

 Severn, and rtfpeftively called from their relative fituations, 

 upper and lower town. The hill on which the former (lands 

 rIfes alnioft perpendicularly from the river, and confifts 

 moftly of folid rock, in which many cellars are excavated. 

 This borough had feveral privileges granted it by charters 



from 



