The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-02-19


~ structures which the British
cherish because in them. they
feel. is visibly incorporated
the prestige of England, not the least
picturesque and interesting is Walmer
castle, on the coast of Kent, the Off
cial home of the lord warden of the
Cirque ports.
The lord wardenship is an older and
more picturesque monument than Wal
mer castle. The office of lord war
den is far more ancient than his
dwelling. About that office are gath
cred the earliest activities out of
which the British navy grew, writes
Martin Conway in Country Life. The
present functions of the lord warden
may not be of any executive value as
contributing to national defense, but,
as long as there is lord warden liv-
the navy in remote past remain WIS.,
IDLY memorialized. Such a memorial
is more efficient than any pile of stone
that the ingenuity of man could raise.
Nothing more wildly brings the past
into the present or enforces on living
men the amount of their Indebtedness
to those from whom they descend than
a living ceremonial recurrently per-
formed in accordance with an ancient
and unbroken tradition.
No one knows when the lord war
denship was founded or by what
o,.I; oct cd, into hoir n
cessity enforced the defense of the
southeastern coast of England. and to
that end the small maritime forces of
the little ports along it had to be CO.
ordinated. The original five ports
were Hastings Romney, Hythe. Dover
and Sandwich; to these others were
added as we'll as inland localities
which had to contribute financial aid.
Ultimately the jurisdiction extended
round the coast from Seaford in Sus-
sex to near Margate in Kent.
Importance of the Cirque Ports.
Throughout the Middle Ages down
to the time of Henry VII the Cirque
ports thus enlarged and organized had
to furnish the crown with nearly all
the ships and men needed for naval
purposes. The oldest existing charter
dates from Edward l. but it refers to
older documents as far back as the
time of Edward the Confessor Duties
and corresponding privileges went on
accommodating. Such an organization
could not exist without head, but his
Of luo
growth. AZ one time it was an office
of great power and importance. 1t
was generally coupled with the COVER
nOrship of Dover castle. The lord
warden was admiral of the ports. He
had his court of chancery at Dover.
He still retains the duty of appointing
the judge of the admiralty court of the
Cirque ports as well as the justices
of the peace in the same areas; but
his most important functions have be-
come decorative, monumental and pic
turesque. not, however. as aforesaid,
unimportant.
The maritime activity which led to
the discovery of America and the be-
ginnings of a world commerce neces-
Sarily made great change in British
naval affairs. Local levies of ships
and sailors were bound to be replaced
sooner or later by something in the
nature of national navy. The change
is already apparent in the days OF
Henry VIII, and from that time the
= Importance of the Cirque ports as the
nations naval base declined and with
it the power of the lord warden. 1t is
noteworthy that the erection of Wal
mer castle dates from this period. 1t
was built in the reign of Henry VIII
along with other castles round the
coast. such as the neighboring Deal
and SandOwn and the remote Lindis-
farne on Holy island in Northumber
land. Previously the coast had been
protected by succession of earth
works, the Great and Little Bulwarke,
for instance. within the parish of Wal
mer. They had embrasures for guns,
and were connected by communication
trenches.
Built by Henry VIII.
The Kentish castles built by Henry
VIII were completed about 1910 and
placed under the control of the lord
warden. The following description of
them is compressed from Elgin: In
the center is the keep-a circular tow
err containing a bomb-proof magazine
for ammunition. 1t is surrounded by
bastions with fifty-two portfolios be-
low. commanding the encompassing
moat Tunnels or chimneys were con-
trived to carry Off the smoke of the