L Y M 
it fuffered by’the French war in the reign of queen Anne; 
but has recovered fince. Many handfome hone houfes have 
been lately built by merchants tefiding there ; and it 
might be rendered of much greater importance than it is, 
if any new manufacture could be introduced in the coun¬ 
try behind it; which is certainly plentiful enough to ad¬ 
mit not only of one, but of many improvements. It is 
not however unlikely, that, if the inhabitants of this 
part recurred to the very arts from which, according to the 
beft authorities, the town derived its exiftence near 1000 
years ago, that is, making fait, it might very fpeedily and 
effectually anfwer their purpofes, fince by the help of fhal- 
low marfhes, (into which the tea- water being admitted, the 
reft of the work could be eafily performed by the heat of 
the fun, as is done on the oppofite coaft of France), as good 
fait as any might be produced ; for which the place feems 
to be exceedingly well fituated, and to have very commo¬ 
dious advantages, as theirroncern in the fiftiery would fur- 
nifli an immediate market for all they could poffibly make. 
Before we leave the fubjeft of the pier, it may not be amifs 
to mention, that, notwithftanding modern as well as an¬ 
cient writers fpeak of the conftruCtion of this port as l'ome- 
thingvery fingular and extraordinary, yet none have pro- 
pofed the imitation of it, though there cannot be a more 
pregnant inftance than this of the poftibility of making 
(though it may be in a better manner) a port upon almolt 
any part of our coaft where the conveniency of the coun¬ 
try required, or the opening fucha port fhould appear the 
molt probable means of improving it; one or other of which 
circumftances would turn fuch ports to the advantage of 
moft of all the maritime counties in this ifland. After 
all, Lyme, confidering the largenefs of it, may pafs for a 
place of wealth. The unfortunate duke of Monmouth, 
having with him a frigate of thirty guns and two mer- 
chant-fhips, landed here June n, 1685. Many of his 
party were afterwards put to death on the fpot, and their 
limbs hung up in the town. 
Here was formerly a houfe of Carmelite friars, of which 
there are no remains. There is an almthoufe in Church- 
ftreet; alfo prefbyterian and anabaptift meeting-houfes. 
The town-hall is near Broad-ftreet. The church ftands 
at the eatt end of the town, on a rifing ground, moderately 
large, but not high : the weftern end is the moft ancient. 
Adjoining the church is a large ftone building, and over 
it a fchool. The market is on Friday; the fairs, Feb. 2 
and Sept. 21. April 28, 1786, above 2000I. worth of lil- 
ver and gold coin of Charles I. and II. was difcovered 
here by fome labourers. 
Lyme was the birth-place of Thomas Coram, the bene¬ 
volent patron and contriver of the Foundling Hofpital. 
See Coram, vol. v. p. 192. and the article London, p. 
587 of this volume. 
Marlhwood, with its vale and park, is between Lyme and 
Beminfter. This formerly w'as a barony of great honour. 
The vale includes the parifhes of Whitchurch, Bettefcomb, 
and Pillefdon ; and extends into feveral adjacent ones. 
Marlhwood had formerly a chapel of eafe to Whitchurch ; 
but it was deftroyed in the civil w'ars. Wilkes's Britifk Di~ 
TeSlory, vol. v. Oldfield's Hifi. Bor. 
LYLME- GRASS. See Elymus. 
LYMFIO'RD, or Lym'furt, a gulf of Denmark, near 
the weft coaft of North Jutland, which communicates 
with the Cattegat, and runs eighty miles inland, widen¬ 
ing gradually, and forming feveral branches ; it is fepa- 
rated from the North Sea only by a narrow bank. Lat. 
56. 59. N. Ion. 10. 20. E, 
LY'MING, a village in Kent, two miles from Elham, 
in the rood to Hythe. 
LYM'INGTON, a borough and market-town in the 
parilh of Boldre, in the New Foreft of Hamplhire, is fitu- 
ated on the declivity of a rifing ground, on the eaftern 
bank of the Lymington river, about a mile from its con¬ 
fluence with thefea; fixteen miles from Southampton, 
and ninety-five from London. It is of remote, though 
L Y M 827 
unknown, origin ; from a conlideration of local circum¬ 
ftances, Mr. Warner fuppofes that a town or village was 
formed near.this fpot by the Britons. That the Romans 
were acquainted with it, is evinced by the contiguity of 
an encampment called Buckland Rings, or Caille Field, 
and by the evidence of Roman coins, nearly aoolbs. weight 
of which, of the Lower Empire, were difcovered here in 
two urns in the year 1744. Lymington occurs in Domef- 
day-book under the name of Lentune, (which probably de¬ 
noted the whole manor;) but it does not feem to have at¬ 
tained any confiderable importance till it became the pro¬ 
perty of baron de Redvers, in the time of Henry I. when, 
a port being eftablilhed, the wines of France, and other 
foreign commodities, were unftiipped at its quays. It 
then alfo became famous for its falt-works ; though its 
manufacture is, with great probability, fuppofed to have 
been eftablilhed at a much earlier period. A very exten- 
five manufacture of marine fait is now carried on here ; 
the works are fituated on the borders of the fea-fhore, and 
reach nearly three miles in a fouth-weft direction. 
Little of the local hiftory of Lymington is to be found 
on record. It is laid to have been thrice plundered by 
the French ; and it was invaded a fourth time, but faved 
from pillage by the addrefs of a woman. The ftory is thus 
related by Mr. Warner: “A party of thefe marauders 
had landed on a fimilar fcheme of depredation ; but the 
leader of it, being extremely hungry, determined to fa- 
tiate his appetite before he completed the purpofe of his 
vifit. The tutelary genius of the place directed him to 
the habitation of a Mrs. Dore, a perfon of fome confe- 
quence, who at that inftant was feated at a plentiful table. 
The abrupt entrance of the foreign vifitor difcovered to 
her in a moment the danger which threatened the town 
and its inhabitants. There was no time for deliberation. 
An intuitive quicknefs of thought, and an uncommon 
degree of fortitude, pointed out to her, immediately, the 
proper line of behaviour. She received the Frenchman, 
and his boifterous retinue, with the greateft affability ; 
produced all the delicacies of her lioufe; and enlivened 
the repaft with many fprightly remarks, and the moft un- 
reftrained pleafantry. The commander, who pofleffed, I 
prefume, a large {hare of national gallantry, was fo fafci- 
nated by the winning manners and profufe bounty of 
this generous hoftefs, that he facrificed his intereft to his 
gratitude, and left the town without perpetrating the lead 
aCt of devaftation or exaCtion.” The name of Dore was 
again remarkable in the hiftory of this place in the time 
of James II. When the duke of Monmouth rebelled 
againft the government, Col. Thomas Dore, being then 
mayor of Lymington, declared for the duke immediately 
on his landing at Lyme, and raifed a hundred men to 
join and aflift him; but, before he put his purpofe into 
execution, the king’s army was victorious and prevented 
him ; and, becaufe he was not actually but only inten¬ 
tionally in the rebellion, king James pardoned him. 
The town is fituated about a mile from the channel 
which runs between the main land of England and the 
Ifle of Wight. It confifts principally of one long ftreet; 
and is divided into the new and old town by the church, 
which, though originally a regular pile, confifting of a 
nave, chancel, and aifles, with a fpire in the centre, is 
now, through fucceflive alterations, become extremely in¬ 
formal. The town-hall is a neat building; and here are 
two lets of baths, which are rendered very convenient, 
and are much frequented. The fituation of Lymington, 
on the banks of a navigable river, and fo contiguous to 
the lea, is extremely favourable to trade; but this advan¬ 
tage was formerly much greater than at prefent, as, by 
the injudicious conftruCtion of a caufeway, the depth of 
the river has been confiderably lellened, and its channel 
contracted. Previous to the making of this caufeway, 
which was about the year 1730, veflels of upwards of 500 
tons burthen could be brought up to the quay ; though 
now one of 300 tons can fcarcely be navigated. 
Lymington. 
