BEDIFORD, (Devon) or BIDDIFORD, so called from its situation, viz. By the Ford, 'Tis 30 m. from Exeter, 161 cm. and 197 mm. from London. It has a very fine bridge over the Towridge, which a little lower joins the Taw, and falls with it into Barnstaple-bay. The bridge was built in the 14th century, on 24 beautiful and stately Gothic-arches; but though the foundation is so firm, yet it seems to shake at the slightest step of a horse. There are lands settled for keeping it in repair, the rents of which are received and laid out by a bridge-warden, chose by the mayor and ald. who, with a recorder, Town-clerk, and serjeants, are the magistrates of the T. 'Tis a clean well-built populous place, and has a street three quarters of a m. long, fronting the r. with a noble key and custom-house in it, where ships of very good burden load and unload in the very bosom of the T. Here is another good long street, as broad as the high-street of Exeter, inhabited by wealthy merchants, who send ships every year to the W. Indies, particularly Virginia, Newfoundland, and Ireland, from whence it is an established port for landing wool, and 'tis now a match for Barnstaple, which was once much superior to it. Forty or fifty sail of ships bel. to this port have been employed to fetch cod from Newfoundland, and others are sent to Liverpool and Warrington for rock lair, which is here dissolved by the seawater into brine, and then boiled up into a new salt, which is justly called salt upon salt; and with this they cure their herrings. The Granvils, of whom were the Es. of Bath, have been Lds. of this T. ever since the conquest; and it gave title of baron in the 11th of Q. Anne, to George the late Ld. Lansdown. There's a very handsome meeting-house here, besides a large Ch. which are both much frequented. Its Mt. is on Tu.