BRIDPORT, a sea-port, borough, market-town, and
parish, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the
hundred of Whitchurch-Canonicorum, Bridport division
of the county of DORSET, 14 miles (W.).
from Dorchester, and 134 (W. S. W.) from London, on
the high road to Exeter, containing 3742 inhabitants.
This place takes its name from the river Bride, or Brit,
which falls into the
sea at the harbour, about a mile and a half to the south
of it. It was a town of some importance in the time
of Edward the Confessor, and is mentioned in Domesday-
book as having a mint and an ecclesiastical.establishment.
During the civil war in the reign of Charles I.,
it was garrisoned by the parliament, but not being a
place of much strength, was alternately in the possession,
of each party. In 1685, it was surprised by some
troops in the interest of the Duke of Monmouth, under
Lord Grey, which were defeated by the king's forces,
and twelve of the principal insurgents were afterwards
executed. The town is situated in a fertile vale surroundi
ed by hills; having on the west the river Bride, or, Brit,
and on the east the river Asker, over which are several
bridges; these rivers unite a little below the town! It
is chiefly formed by three'spacious streets, containing
many handsome modern houses, and is well paved, and
lighted with elegant lamps, adapted to the future introduction
of gas; the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water.
The trade of the port consists principally in the importation
of hemp, flax, and timber, from Russia and th,e
Baltic, and timber from America and Norway; there is
also a considerable coasting trade, by which the adjacent
towns are supplied with coal from Wales and the collieries
in the north of England, and with other articles of
general consumption. Many coasting vessels, particularly
smacks, for the trading companies of Scotland, are
built at this port, and are highly esteemed for strength,
beauty, and fast sailing. The harbour is situated at the
bottom of the bay, which is formed by the headlands
near Portland on the east, and Torbay on the west.
An act for restoring and rebuilding it was obtained in
the 8th of George I., the preamble to which recites that
by reason of a great sickness that had swept away the
greatest part of the wealthy inhabitants, and other accidents,
the haven became neglected, and was choked with
sand, and the piers had fallen into ruins: the work was
begun in 1742, and, by the expenditure of large sums,
great improvement was made. Another act was obtained
in 1823, in which, and the three succeeding years, up-
-wards of £19,000 have been expended, in enlarging the
basin, and filling the piers with masonry, so that the harbour
is now perfectly safe and commodious. The number
of vessels belonging to the port is from twenty to
thirty, of from eighty to one hundred and thirty tons'
burden each. The principal articles of manufacture
are nets, lines, small twine, girth-webbing, cordage, and
sail-cloth for the use of the home and colonial fisheries,
particularly for those of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia,
in which ten thousand persons are generally employed
in the town and neighbourhood. In the reign of
Henry VIII., the cordage for the whole of the English
navy was ordered to be made at Bridport, or within five
miles of it exclusively. The markets are on Wednesday
and Saturday: fairs are held on April 6th and October
llth, for horses, horned cattle, and cheese, and there
is a smaller fair on Holy Thursday.
The government by charter of incorporation originally
granted by Henry III., confirmed by Richard II.,
Henry VIII., and Elizabeth, and renewed and extended
by James I. and Charles II., is vested in two bailiffs, a
recorder, deputy-recorder, and fifteen burgesses, assisted
by a town-clerk, two Serjeants at mace, and subordinate
officers. The bailiffs,
who, with the late bailiffs, are justices of the peace
within the borough (which is co-extensive with the parish),
are chosen at Michaelmas, by the burgesses; the
recorder, deputy-orecorder, and town-clerk, are chosen
by the corporation, subject to approval by the king.
The corporation hold a court of session once a year, a
court of record for the recovery of debts under £20
every third Monday, and a court leet annually. The
elective franchise was conferred in the 23rd of Edward I.,
since which time the -borough has regularly returned two
members to parliament: the right of election is vested
in the inhabitants paying scot and lot, and non-resident
members of the corporation living within ten miles of the
borough, of which latter thenumber islimited to five; the
whole number of electors is about two hundred and
fifty: the bailiffs are the returning officers. The townhall
is a handsome brick building faced with Portland
stone, containing, in the upper story, a court for the
borough sessions, a room for the grand jury, and a
council-chamber; it was erected in 1786, on the site of
the ancient chapel of St. Andrew, in the centre of the
town, by an act of parliament, under which the town is
paved and lighted: there is also a prison for the confinement
of debtors.
The living is a discharged rectory, in. the archdeaconry
of Dorset, and diocese of Bristol, rated in the
king's books at £10. 12. 3£., and in the patronage of
the Earl of Ilchester. The church, dedicated to St.
Mary, is a spacious cruciform structure, chiefly in the
later style of English architecture, with a square embattled
tower rising from the centre, and crowned with
pinnacles: within are many interesting monuments,
among which is an altar-tomb .of William, son of Sir
Eustace Dabrigecourt, of Hainault, related to Queen
Philippa. There are places of worship for the Society
of Friends, Independents, Wesleyan Methodists, and
Unitarians. The free school was founded and endowed, in
170S, by Daniel Taylor, one of the Society of Friends:
the managements vested in trustees appointed by the
members of that society, resident in Bridport and its
vicinity. There is also an almshouse, founded by the
same individual in 1696. Mr. Robert Bull, in 1730,
left £200, directing that of the interest £4 per annum
should be given for the instruction of twelve children,
and £3 to twelve poor men; and a portion of the rent
of eight acres and a half of land, purchased by the
corporation, with money vested in them as trustees,
is appropriated to the maintenance of a school. Turtle
stone and cornua ammonis are found in the neighbouring
quarries, and copperas stones on the beach,
about four miles west of the harbour. Bridport confers
the titles of baron and viscount on the family of
Hood.