The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-14

"a structures which the British
q 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 wardenshfp is IN 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-
ing at Walmer, the small beginnings of
the navy in a 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
! earliest stages it came into being. Ne
cessity enforced the defense of the
southeastern coast of England, and to
| that end the small maritime forces of
the little ports along 1t had to be Co
ordinated The original five ports
were Hastings. Romney, Hythe. Dover
and Sandwich; to these others were
added, as well 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 Cinque Ports.
Throughout the Middle Ages down
to the time of Henry VII the Cirque
ports thus enlarged and organized hat
to furnish the crown with nearly al
the ships and men needed for nava
purposes. The oldest existing charter
dates from Edward l. but it refers t
older documents as far back as th'
time of Edward the Confessor. Dutie
and corresponding privileges went oil
accommodating Such an organization
could not exist without head. but hi
Office was of correspondingly gradua
| off ~.
of great power and Importance.
was generally coupled with the COVER
norship of Dover castle. The lort
warden was admiral of the ports. II
had his court of chancery at Dover
He still retains the duty of appointin
the judge of the admiralty court of tn
| Cirque ports as well as the justice
: of the peace In the same areas; bu
/, his most important functions have be
come decorative, monumental and pic
: turesque, not, however, as aforesaid
unimportant.
The maritime activity which led I
; the discovery of America and the be
{ ginnings of q world commerce neces
4 sarily made great change in BIRTHS
0 naval affairs. Local levies of ship
e and sailors were bound to be replace
sooner or later by something in til
nature of a national navy. The chang
: IS already apparent In the days G
: Henry VIII, and from that time tn
Importance of the Cirque ports as til
), nations naval base declined and wit
Il the power of the lord warden. 1t
t noteworthy that the erection of Wa
ner castle dates from this period.
was built In the reign of Henry VI
: along with other castles round tt
4 coast. such as the neighboring De.
/. and Sandown and the remote Lindi
iarne on Holy island in Northumbe
y and. Previously the coast had bee
}, protected by succession Of cart
works. the Great and Little Bulwark
= for instance within the parish of Wa
!, mer They had embrasures for gun
and were connected by communicate
V trenches.
/, Built by Henry VIII.
it The Kentish castles built by Hem
> VIII were completed about 1910 AZ
a placed under the control of the lol
.s warden. The following description
a them Is compressed from Elgin:
l. the center is the keep-a circular to-
lie er containing bomb-proof magazil
rs for ammunition. 1t is surrounded
q bastions with fifty-two portfolios b
- low, commanding the encompassil
moat Tunnels or chimneys were co
rived to carry off the smoke of d
guns There were larger embrasur
n