Somerset Ports and Harbours, 1559 & 1565

The following article by J.H. Bettey was first published in SDNQ vol. 30 (March 1976), pp.157-159.

SOMERSET PORTS AND HARBOURS, 1559 AND 1565.

During the early years of Queen Elizabeth I two enquiries were made into the state of ports and harbours of Somerset by commissioners appointed by the Court of the Exchequer. Their reports contain information concerning the main creeks and anchorages, the ships which could be accommodated at each harbour, and the principal commodities which were handled, and they provide interesting evidence about the trade of the ports. The results of the two enquiries are among the Exchequer Special Commissions in TNA (E178/1926 and E178/1928).

The first commission was issued on 14 June 1559 to Sir Walter Mildemay, John English, and John Walronde who was described as ‘customer and collector of customs’. They were ordered to enquire into the state of the port of Bridgwater and of ‘all places and creeks to the same port belonging, concerning the places for landing and unlading of goods within the port.’ The commissioners listed these seven places along the coast which were used by ships:

  1. Porlock Bay, ‘where may ride forty or fifty ships but there is no quay nor safe lying.’
  2. Minehead, ‘where may lye safflye fyftie ships.’
  3. ‘A creke called Wachett not mete to charge nor discharge for Shipps cannot have no safe comminge in nor good Lyinge nor good Rode.’
  4. ‘A creke for smale Botes called Kylve not fit to charge nor discharge for that it is verye dangerous to come yn or goe owte.’
  5. Bridgwater, ‘a hedd porte and most mete to charge and discharge for all merchaunts.’
  6. ‘A creke called Hye Bridge not mete.’
  7. ‘Axwater is a good Ryver where Shipps may come yn and goe owte and also lye safe without danger but yet not mete to charge nor discharge for that the port of Bridgwater is so neyre unto yt and that the Ryver lyeth so that yt may Rather be prejudicyall to the Countrye than good in conveyance of suche merchandise as may not be well borne withal such as Corne and Lether etc.’

A second commission of enquiry into the condition and use of the Bridgwater and neighbouring harbours was issued on 15th January 1565 to Sir Henry Portman, William Halley, Thomas Dyer and George Norton. A summary of the main points of their report is as follows:

  1. ‘The port of Bridgwater is commonly frequented and haunted with traffyque merchaunts bothe inward and outward and ys mete to be continued for that purpose.’
  2. They reported that the trade of Bridgwater was increasing and that it was the busiest port in the county, but that the quay was in urgent need of repair. They suggested that the cost would amount to no more than £40 provided that stone could be obtained from the ruins of the decayed castle at Bridgwater.
  3. There was no official customs house at Bridgwater but the customer was obliged to rent a house for the purpose.
  4. There were two creeks, Minehead and Axwater, which were ‘haunted with vessels bringing yn vyctualls, salte, wyne, coole, and wood for which purpose they are fytt to be continued for the commodytie of the countrye.’
  5. Work needed to be done on the harbour at Minehead, and the commissioners reported that it was the responsibility of the inhabitants of Minehead to see that this was carried out.
  6. None of the creeks possessed a customs house, but the ‘customs controller and searcher’ at Bridgwater employed a deputy to carry out the duties at Minehead.
  7. ‘There is neare adjoining unto the key of the said port of Bridgwater an olde decayed castell of the Queenes majesties, within the walls thereof there is a greene containing half an acre of ground or thereabout the profitt whereof ys taken by the constable of the sayd castell, which is a fytt place for the building of a Custome house and wilbe builded for £40 so that there may be had convenyent Stone of the sayd decayed castell and tymber out of the Queenes majesties wood called Queenes wood belonging thereunto.’
  8. ‘within the precyncte of the sayd porte of Bridgwater there are three other places whereof the one ys called Wachet, the second Dunster haven and the third Porlocke Baye, where smalle botes have use to come yn with salte, wyne, vyctuals, wood and coole, for which purpose they are fyt to be continued for the commodytie of the countrye.’

The commissioners also reported that there were ‘no other places within the shire of Somersetshire where merchandyse or other commodyties be transported, laden or dyscharged;’ and they also stated, perhaps somewhat optimistically, that there were no places where goods were brought into or shipped out of the county, nor any cellars, warehouses or stores where goods were kept, in such a way that the Queen was deprived or defrauded of any of the customs duties.

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