The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-05-01 00:00:00

BRIDPORT' AT THE INTERNATIONAL
FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

The old town which supplied Queen Elizabeth's little
&et against the Spanish " invincibles" with ropes and
c•dage, locoed' croaking a display worthy of her stools
Industry at the International Fisheries Exhibition of PM
Of the Britith Exhibito,s, numbering about 1.010, six
or 'even come from Bridport. A very o'd recard states
that 1,500 tons of hemp and flax were worked op annually
by re or y 10,000 hands, hut now that steam power and
steam m ochinery hao dri• -n s. much mortal !dente nut
of th f .ctorios, we can well irstgine hoe much more than
1,500 tons are annually worked up I y vory far abort of
10000 bands
TIP. menu( colon s of Bridp rt are in a most a miist.inn
multi .0.1 fall employussot I. given .0 bun.lieris of
hands witniu the foto thb, nn4 numbers h the n ighboo. •
lag tilled-.. One un.equ.inted aith the large end
valuable consinoments of manufactured soilage, lines,
twin's. ropesscordage. costae. to, would scarcely believe
that foci gummier. or.' annul y expeoted to Newfound.
Isat, Norway, Halt( •x. and various other pat. of
Ami-ra, to soy nothing of the toots costumed in other
piths• abroad Ito well as the British fiskericsr.
At "Brielporte be made goot d '' still, and they
are none the worse for the "refinement of amble," which
be. be. n oaelly int °domed from thee to time by some of
the most enterprising firms of the tiwo. Even before the
" inhabitente of Neergete bad
(lies a ear some taw halters of Bur Perle."
The serest .0/ the borough were paced by bend-intoner,
of 11 o- six centuries ago, sot Kin, J. ha, of Kenna
cease.. memory, writing to the manufacturers of Brldpirt
In 1113, requested them "to cause to be made. night and
day, as many ropes for ships, both large and small, cod
SS many nobles as you can, sod SWiFt.d Taros for cordage
for beliathi." Litter on OR Act of Parliament was male
—2lst 'ear of Henry Vlll.—for the pent ction of the
Brhipoit trade. The pelitloos set forth "that they had
Pm • out of mind used ti make within the rows all the
xreat rableo, ropes, heweere, and all other tack log for the
Rua! N y, and the most part for other ship, within the
realm, by which the town was well maintained and
inhabited, but that 111-di.gmeed promise had with trtwo
th.mselvms into the actuary, thing farms, and daily
Tee 'tiled to the town to buy hem* to make cable., tc.
Theo., were but slightly male, brio:log the I c.I trede
Into disreP ole, and threatening to ruin it altogether." It
wag c ons-quently ensved "that heiup growing within
five miles of the town should be sal thste on forfeiture of
the hemp if sold loony other plec withth that distance,
and that no verso-Ds but the 'Dhabi:este should make
cables," tc.
Hence the origin of the old and noted proverb of • m in's
being hanged that" be is at oblont with a Bridport dodger."
Of cur., the old act is now obviate, and at e sent (end
for meny yesre parr ) the raw material is not grown,
but obtained dirsct from foreign merchant%
In the "Great Britain" d.-par ttl•ei of the exhibition
ciii appeer the war., f trel".ka ran B-idport firm,.
Perhaps the leading feature will be the exhibits of Yews.
William Hourioell and C.., of No. th Mills Underneath
the "B•hiport Arms," bearing the name of this old-
established firm, with the principal items of manufacture,
will be (11.Vared all kinds of lines, twines, fishing sets.
Yitlee, it... the steam-tarred tools being a spcciality•
Tb-re sill he • large quantity of cotton and hemp netting,
and all the varied &emeritus foe' river and sea fishing.
Perticatioly will be exhibited by this arm the necosary
goode for the Newfoundland awl Hellfax fisheries. No
raw materiel will be on view in this department
Mews. Whitlows and Sons will send 11.111.145. s twines,
and not', the letter for the Norwegian and Newfound.
land trade. 8 'Ms calves or sell.cloth will be • special
feature.
Me err. Gunder and Cs will ni t exhibit.
Hemet,. Herbert E H ounsel. (Limited) will have on view
th.ir fi.bion nets, lines, times. tarred tenni. geode, and
team d twines.
Mow IL Samson and Sons, ironfounders, have cons
Darted to the exhibiti..n a net-braiding machine of their
owo annufaciure. I s working eri Ibe practically demon-
strated during the whole time of ti a exhibition, and
will he lodged in the department for 'machinery In
too'ien
Mr. T. Haly•ar, ironfounder and machlobt. will also
xhibit one of his menhir:us.
It ia emoted that the enterprise of the above local
merchant; will be emulated by others who se yet have
cot decided to "compete with the world" at in extribi.
tics, elbow istarests are °kr* anted to tioloole the
staple trade el Delbert.