1802.] Account of the prefent State and Society of Gofport. S17 
be therefore obvious. During the late war, 
however, complaints of the ftate of bufi- 
nefs, both here and at Portfmouth, were 
by no means uncommon ; nor were they 
without fome foundation.—The preflure 
of the times, no doubt, affected trade ma- 
terially ; and there were other circum- 
ftances particularly unfavourable to it.— 
Though the fitting and refitting of thips, | 
and the equipment of fleets and armies, 
neceflarily went on at the port as informer 
wars, the moft general rendezvous of the 
navy was at Torbay. Spithead, indeed, 
was feldom without a number of fhipping, 
and fometimes, difplayed a confiderable 
force; but notwithftanding this, fuch was 
the peculiar nature of the cafe, there were 
feafons when bufinefs could fcarcely be at 
a much lower ebb during. the’ moft, pro- 
found peace. At prefent, the paying off 
the fhips is fome benefit to it, and ferves 
to keep it above the ordinary level, to 
which, in the common: courfe of events, 
it muft ere long be reduced. | 
In point of fituation for trade, arifing 
from the navy, Gofport is inferior toPort{- 
mouthand Portfea; but it has its peculiar 
advantages as well as thofe places, which 
will be readily conceived whien the feveral 
eftablifhments in the place and neighbour- 
hood are confidered. Thefe, befides be- 
ing a fource of trade in war, muft be a be- 
nefit to it in peace ; and in this view the 
recent eftablifhments already pointed out, 
have been regarded as anacquifition, The 
place has alfo feveral docks for the repair 
of merchant-fhips, of which we have none 
at Portfmouth ; and likewife an iron-foun- 
dry in it. The concerns of the town, 
however, do not appear fufficient to fup- 
port a banking-houfe; or, ii they are, 
from fome caufe or other, it has none at 
prefent. One was attempted a few years 
fince, but it was foon difcentinued; and 
now, as before, the inhabitants do bufi- 
nefs with one or the other of the Portf- 
mouth banks. 
So far from every thing being cheaper 
at Golport than at Portfmouth, it may be 
fairly doubted whether the cafe is not 
nearly the reverfe. If houfe-rent is cheap- 
er, which, I. believe, may be the fact ; 
other things are dearer. The price of 
bread is higher, and butcher’s meat is like- 
wile accounted fo, There is lefs compe- 
tition .1n Gofport ‘than at Portfmouth, 
which may be tully fufficient to explain the 
caufe. Bread at prefent is 1s, 6d. the gal- 
Jon, while at the latter place it may be had 
for 1s. 4d. and the Dockmens’-fociety get 
it ftilllower.* The poor-rates are not fo 
a) Ost have known Gofport people come to 
high as in the parifi of Portfmouth, but 
they exceed the rates in Portfea, which, 
fuppofing houfe-rent to be lefs at Gofport, 
may tend-to make up the difference. With 
re{pect to rent, there is one circumftance 
common to both places: the houfes in ge- 
neral pay an increafe in war, e(pecially 
thofe occupied as fhops, and in fome in- 
ftances it is confiderable ; and with its re- 
duction in peaceithe value of property finks 
in proportion. 
Like many other places, the inhabitants 
of Gofport form fo incongruous a mals of 
perfons of various conditions and denomi- 
nations, habits and purfuits, with fo few 
prominent marks of diftingtion between 
them, that a defcription fufiicient to give 
an adequate idea of fuch a people is much 
more eafily entered upon than executed.— 
They confit chiefly of tradefmen, fhop- 
keepers,, mechanics, handicraftfmen, and 
artificers ; fome peculiar to. a fea-port, but 
generally fuch .as are common to every 
town. ‘The number of perfons employed 
in trade has beenalready {tated in the Tabie 
of Population: by this it appears, that it 
is nearly as zr to 6 of thofe not falling un- 
der that defcription, which, with the fa- 
milies of the perfons fo employed, taken 
from the latter number and added to the 
former, muft make a very confiderable 
part, if not the largeft proportion, of the 
inhabitants. , There is certainly no other 
clafs anywife near fo numerous. It is 
even difficule to determine to any great 
extent, of. what the remainder part of the 
inhabitants is compofed. The moft ob- 
vious clafs is the gentry ; but even with 
the afiluent tradefmen, who form a portion 
ef them, they are neither numerous, nor 
generally very opulent. Exclufive of per- 
fons of trade, they confit moftly, perhaps, 
of thofe retired from bufinefs, of profef- 
fional men, of commiffioned officers in the 
navy, of furgeons, purfers, and matters, 
and the widows and families of fuch offi- . 
cers, and other perfons in the pay and 
employ of Government. The warrant- 
officers in the navy below the ftations I 
have mentioned, are to be ranked amon 
the middle order. Of thefe I thould fup 
Portfmouth market, on account of articies be~ 
ing fold cheaper than at their own. To do 
which, theywereat the expence of croffing the 
water (a penny fare) and at fometrouble. I 
alfo hear of journeymen working for mafters 
at Gofport, and dwelling on the Portfmouth 
fide of the water for the greater cheapnefs of 
living, though it muft be attended with in- 
convenience and expence to go to and fro.— 
I mention thefe circumftances, though at the 
fame time I am not altogether certain how far 
they ought to authorize general conclufions. 
pole 
\ 
