BRISTOL. 



which ftands in the county of Glouceftcr, and a Bridewell 

 on the Somcrfct fide. The aft for lltrhting liriftol with 

 lamps was procured in the reign of William III. This 

 obliged the citizens to hang out their own lamps ; but they 

 are now provided, and the lighting contraflcd for, by the 

 different parilhes. Moll of the ftrccts are well paved on the 



paiTjge. In 1 583, fir Humphrey Gilbert performed a voyage 

 for the colonization of America, an account of which is given 

 in Hackluyt. Many other voyages were afterwards made 

 from Brillol, with the like public-lpiritid views, tliough not 

 witli equal fuccefs. The merchants had, previous to 1526, 

 traded to St. Lucas in Spain, and thence to the Canaries, 



iijeV with Hag ftones ; but the pitching with pebbles in the fending out cloth foap, &c. and bringing in return fugar, 

 carriace-^-av is at prefent extremely uneven and bad, and drugs, dye-ftuff, &c.; and De Wit, m Ins lutereft of Holland, 

 requ.ri amendment. The poor rates are feparately af- fays this city very early engaged m the cod-hd.ery on the 

 Icired.andcolleaedontherefpeftivcpBrinies; but the poor coall of Newfoundland, and alfo entered into the Well- 

 M-e taken care of conjointly, and have a houfe called St. India trade foon alter the difcovenes were iriade. In 

 Paer's hofpital. The-re are fourteen (lands of hackney 15,-6, the merchants were mcorporated into the fociety 

 roaches in various parts of the city, and one at Dowry called Merchant Venturers ; and various grants, immunities, 

 fouare Each coach is numbered, and marked C. B. There and franchifes, were annexed to their locicty. bcbalhan Ca- 

 bas lately been inlUtuted at Bnftol a fociety for the fup- bot was conlbtuted the t.rll; governor. I" '5«i^. four 



ihips were fitted out from fjnilol to join the (^ucen s fleet 



ran vote for members but fuch as are free of the city, v/hich 

 freedom is attained by fervitude, by hereditary right, by 

 marrying a freeman's daughter, or by purchafe. The 

 number of freemen, at prefent, is about 8000. The city 

 gives title to an earl, and the earldom was formerly in the 

 uoble family of Digby, but is now in that of Hervey. 



Commerce, Trade, Shipping, &c. — That a port fo fitu- 

 ated as Brillol (hould have early participated in the com- 

 merce of the country, can be no matter of furprize. Wil- 

 liam of Malmlbury, in n 39, fays, it was a place much ad- 

 difted to trade, and was then full of {hips from Ireland, 

 Norway, and every part of Europe, which brought hither 

 much commerce, and great foreign wealth. From the 

 charter of king John fomcthing may be learnt of the com- 

 merce of the place in his reign, but more will be furniflied 

 by that of Edward III. Brillol was grown fo opulent in 

 13:7, that the mayor and commonalty lent the king 

 (Richard II.) 500 marks, which is the firll inftance (ex- 

 cept London) in the Fccdera of a lay community lending 



dour for the African trade feems much to be abated ; and the 

 Briltolians now yield the palm of IraHic iu humaubcings to 

 the rival port of Liverpool. The merchants in BriRol trade 

 with a more entire independence on London than any 

 other port in Britain. Whatever exportations they make 

 to any part of the world, they can import the full returns, 

 and find a market, without configning their (liips or cargoes 

 to London. They have buyers at home for their largeft 

 importations, confcquenlly the fhopkeepers of Briftol, moil 

 of whom are wholefale dealers, keep up a great inland trade, 

 having riders and carriers, like the London merchants. 



The quay of Briftol, which was commenced where the 

 bed of the Frome was altered, reaches round from the ftone 

 bridge on the Frome, to the new handfome bridge over the 

 Avon ; in extent one mile, being one uninterrupted wharf 

 of hewn ftone, with fufEcient depth of water, at flood tides, 

 for the largeft (hips to ride clofe to the walls, and difcharge 

 their cargoes. Thefe, as the tide ebbs, ride fafe at their 

 moorings on a foft oozy bed of mud ; but foreign and (harp 



money to the crown ; and, in future loans, we (ind Briftol keeled (hips are often tlrained, and obliged to go into 



follow London. In 1487, a petition was prefented to dock after lying here. This occafioned a new floating-dock 



the king, to empower the citizens of Briftol to remove all to be made, at the expence of 20,oool. It is fituated neai: 



obftruftions in the river Avon that impeded its navigation the Hot-wellroad ; its gates will admit a (^4 gun vefleUand 



between Briftol and Bath; for before the time of Ri- it will contain 40 fail of flipping. Here alfo are dry and wet 



chard I. the Avon was navigable to Bath. In 1711, an docks, for repairing and building fhips. A fcheme has long 



aft of parliament was obtained, at an expence of 15,000!. been in contemplation to dam up the water, and keep the 



to amend this navigation by placing wears, locks, and vefTels in the harbour conftantly afloat. In T8o,j,anaftof 



other obftruftions. In the roll of the fleet of Edward III 

 which was at the fiege of Calais, in 1347, we find the pro- 

 portion of (hips and men furnifhed, on that occafion, by 

 London and Briftol : the former fupplied 2 j (hips, and 

 662 men, and the latter quota was 22 (hips, and 608 men. 

 William Cannyngs is diftinguiftied as a great merchant 



Parliament was obtained for the purpofe, a plan was adopted, 

 and this great work is now executing with all poflible expe- 

 dition. When completed, the port will be capable of hold- 

 ing 1000 fail of (hipping, which convenience muft, eventu- 

 ally, be of great advantage to the city. The plan is to 

 dam up to a certain height the whole of the prefent bed of 



here in 1445, and he appears to have traded with peculiar the Avon and Frome, and to make a new channel for the 



privileges, to Prufiia, the Hanfeatic towns, and Denmark 

 William of Worceller fays, that Cannyngs employed for eight 

 years, in his own (hipping concerns, 800 men, and he fpe- 

 cifies the fliips and tonnage employed by him. l"he fame 

 Cannyngs paid king Edward IV. 4200 marks for his peace, 

 j. e. for leave to trade to prohibited places, and to be free 

 of impofts and duty. 



The commercial charafter of the Briftol merchants will 



river through Redcliffe meads. Three hundred thoufand 

 pounds are already fubfcribtd, and three years given to ac 

 complith the defign. From what has already been done, it is 

 conjectured that the expenditure will not exceed the eftimate ; 

 and it workmen can be obtained, it is prefumed that it 

 will be liniftied within the afllgned periocl. By this plan, 

 fliips will not only be kept afloat at the quays, but may enter 

 the locks, and go to fca at neap tides, which will be a won- 



beft appear from the letters patent which were granted to derful faving in time and expence ; and a navigation will be 

 John Cabot, a Gcnoefe by birth, but a refident merchant in opened up the Avon, as high as the town of Keynlham, in 

 this city, and to his three fons, who fitted out veflels for one level : the money to be railed by duties and taxes, bear- 

 the purpofe of difcovery. In 1527, Robert Thorn obtained ing an intereft of 4 per cent, and not exceeding 8 per cent. 

 leave to go on a voyage of difcovery, to find out a north-weft The intereft is to hn raifed by a tax on houfes in the city, of 



one 



