Local HistoryBridport is a thriving market town fifteen miles to the west of Dorchester . The main three streets are among the widest in the west of England due to its tradition of rope making where the ropes were strung across the streets. The rope made in Bridport was also used for making the hangmen's nooses, and the noose became known as a Bridport Dagger. To be ‘stabbed by a Bridport Dagger' was to be hung at the gallows. It is now well known as a haven for artists and musicians as well as having an extremely good reputation for local suppliers of food and drink. But how did Bridport develop? Surrounded by its ancient landscape, Bridport is not mentioned in the historic annals until late in the ninth century. Activity in prehistoric times is all too evident by the lumps and bumps in the land. Surrounded by hill forts and barrows and other anomalies, the area of West Dorset could only have been a well populated place in ancient times, but no evidence of a settlement has been found until Saxon times, and this would appear to be the beginning of our history. Late in the ninth century as a defence against attack from the Danes, Alfred the Great (871 to 899) set up a network of burhs, or fortified settlements, to which the locals could be drawn in the event of an attack. The original name of the burh which was set up was Bridian which means the place of Bridi. It is thought that this was slightly to the east of modern Bridport, and later a more secure defence was constructed at Brydian on the river Woth, or Wooth which later became known as the river Brit. In these times the river was navigable at high tide by small flat bottomed boats into the heart of Bridport. By the time of King Aethelstans reign (924 to 939), the first true king of England , Bridport was licensed to mint its own coins, which would imply that it by this time the settlement had important trading status. The Domesday Book (1086) mentions Bridport as Brideport and was recorded as having one hundred homes. This was a reduction from previous records which state that in the times of Edward the Confessor (1042 to 1066) there were one hundred and twenty. From this time various spellings of the name became evident; Bridiport (1157), Brudiport (1207), and Bredeport (1266). These names mean ‘Harbour or market town' from old English ‘port' can mean either port or market town. The Domesday Book refers to the area around West Bay as being owned by Symondsbury on the west bank for the Abbey of Cerne, and by Burton Bradstock on the east bank for the Crown. Records from the medieval period refer to disputes over beach and harbour from their northern neighbour, the Borough of Bridport. The ‘Right of Wreck was the main contentious issue with the Abbott of Cerne and the Prior of Frampton apparently taking legal action against Bridport for the removal of wrecks. Finally in 1280, Bridport claimed all legal rights to sea wrecks and later in 1288 claimed the right to take tolls from ships. Despite the trade from the sea, it was rope making that had become the primary industry in the town. In 1211 King John, planning the war with France demanded large supplies of hempen thread for ships ropes and cables. In 1213 he further ordered that there be ‘made at Bridport by night and day, as many ropes for ships both large and small as they could'. During the 13 th Century, East Street and West Street were added and made deliberately wide for the drying and twisting involved in rope making and the ropes being hung across the street. The fertile land around Bridport is excellent for the growing of hemp and flax for the production of rope and sail. Carmelite monks known as white friars (because of the colour of their habits) built a Friary in the 13 th century. Friars were similar to monks, except that they actively went out to preach instead of staying as a close community. In 1553 Henry III gave Bridport a Borough Charter although the status was recognised before this date. The Borough Charter was purchased through the Court of Chancery that gave the Borough certain liberties and rights to manage their own trade, market, port tolls and justice. From 1293 Bridport sent two MP's to Parliament. During the reign of Henry VIII the rope making industry in Bridport had become so important that he decreed that all hemp grown within a five mile radius of the town should be reserved for the production of rope for his navy. Late in the sixteenth century, as a result of the vulnerability of the Harbour and the allowance of it being silted up, Queen Elizabeth I gave a new charter for Bridport which allowed the town to hold its own markets and fairs. Fairs in this time were akin to markets, but attracted buyers and sellers from a much wider area. Under this charter Bridport was allowed to hold two markets a week and three annual fairs. Today these markets still survive on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The date of one fair still exists and this can be seen in the annual carnival celebrations in August. In 1619 James I incorporated Bridport (granted it a Mayor and corporation). As was evident in these times the plague was an ever present threat, and plague struck Bridport in 1626. Bridport was garrisoned for Parliament during the English Civil War. In 1651 after losing the battle of Worcester to Oliver Cromwell, Charles II stayed for a brief period and was subsequently almost captured by troops at the Old George Inn (now a charity shop) in East Street . His intention was to take a boat from Charmouth which didn't turn up, so he came to Bridport. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme Regis to take the crown from his uncle James II. The Dorset militia met him and the first conflict of his unsuccessful mission occurred outside the Bull Inn in East Street . The fight was very short and the rebels quickly retreated and headed west. In the centre of town stands the distinctive town hall. Work on this building started in 1786, the cupola and clock being added later in 1804. Palmers Brewery was established in 1794 and it has been stated that there were 15 public houses in the half mile between the town hall and the brewery. A Methodist apothocerist by the name of Doctor Giles L Roberts produced a widely used ointment called the ‘Poor man's Friend' in the early 1800's and the recipe is still kept by the Bridport Museum . The town burial ground was opened in 1856. One year later the railway came to Bridport on 12 th November 1857 . The Bridport Railway Company opened its branch line from Maiden Newton, through Powerstock and on to Bridport. Great Western Railway were awarded the operating licence and they later took overall control of the line and extended it down to West Bay . The line was finally closed on 3 rd May 1975 and was the last surviving branch line in Dorset . The Parish Church of St. Mary's was completely restored in 1859 although the registers date from 1600. In October 1863 an earthquake hit the West Dorset coast. In 1868 the number of MP's that Bridport sent to parliament was reduced to one and in 1885 Bridport lost its MP altogether. Hemp growing around Bridport disappeared due to cheaper foreign imports that could be landed at the harbour in West Bay . In West Bay a ship building industry had grown, but this too died out in the late 19 th century. In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Bridport like this: " Bridport , seaport town, mun. bor., and par., W. Dorset, 18 miles W. of Dorchester and 155 miles SW. of London by rail-- town and mun. bor., 654 ac., pop. 6795; par., 62 ac., pop. 3936; 2 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday; has mfrs. of cordage, twine, fishing-nets, and sailcloth. The town is situated between the rivers Bride or Brit and Asker, which join about 1½ mile below the town, and form a safe and commodious harbour for vessels of about 250 tons. B. is now a sub-port of Weymouth. The bor. returned 1 member to Parliament until 1885." During the First World War (1914 to 1918) steel wire anti-submarine nets were manufactured in Bridport. In the Second World War, American troops were stationed around Bridport before the D-Day invasions. The local people aided the war effort by raising £200,000 towards the building of the coastal patrol boat, HMS Bridport. In 1966 the goal nets for England 's victory in the football world cup were manufactured in Bridport as well as supplying the nets for Wimbledon . The thriving Bridport Arts Centre opened in 1973. The by-pass around Bridport was opened in 1987 diverting the A35 around the south side of the town instead of straight through the middle. |