RETURNING OFFICER-the portreve.

PATRON-Sir George Yonge, bart.

DORSETSHIRE..

ANCIENT STATE.

THIS county derives its name from the Saxon word Dorfettan, which fignifies a people fituated by the fide of water: the Saxons called it, likewife, the fchire of Dorfet.

According to Camden, this county is the whole of that district which the Romans found inhabited by the Durotriges; but there seems to have been a part of Wiltshire and Somerfetfhire belonging to it. The Roman road called IkeningStreet, paffing through this county, of which there are now vifible remains, evinces it was inhabited by the Romans. It was afterwards the first fettlement of the Saxons in Britain, and

was

was part of the West Saxon kingdom, until Egbert brought the whole heptarchy under his fole dominion, and thus became king of that part of Great-Britain now called England. His fucceffors, who were eighteen in number, admiring the pleasantness of this county, often refided there, and moft of them lie interred in different parts of Dorsetshire. Their caftles, or palaces, were very large, which the more opulent gentry of this county imitate at present in their feats.

Soon after the Norman invafion, this country was fubjected to the Conqueror, who divided it among his great Norman lords and favourites. In the barons wars it fuffered equally with other inland counties. In the civil wars of Charles I. it efpoused the cause of the king, without fufficient ftrength to afford any effectual affiftance. The clubmen, however, of Dorsetshire, haraffed the parliament's forces, even after they had no other open enemies in any other part of the kingdom.

This county is divided into thirty-four hun dreds, befides five peculiar divifions, each containing feveral hundreds: these are Sherborne,

Shafton,

Shafton, Blandford, Dorchefter, and Bridport: in these are contained 22 market-towns, 248 parishes, about 25,940 houfes, and 131,640 inhabitants. Dorfetfhire is in the province of Canterbury, and the diocese of Bristol; and contains nine towns, which fend members to parliament; namely, Dorchefter, Poole, Lyme, Weymouth, Melcomb-Regis, Bridport, Shaftsbury, CorfeCastle, and Wareham, which, with the two knights of the shire, make twenty reprefentatives.

POLITICAL CHARACTER.-Lord Rivers is understood to poffefs the first aristocratical interest in this county. His lordship represented it until he became a peer, in 1776: he was then fucceeded by his fon the hon. George Pitt. This gentleman declined in 1790 to his relation William Morton Pitt, efq. who is one of its prefent representatives. The Earl of Shaftsbury, the Earl of Digby, Sir John Webb, and other noblemen and gentlemen, have confiderable interest, as must be the cafe in every county; but that of Lord Rivers preponderates; and fuch as are in the court interest are, of course, understood to unite with him.

VOL. I.

S

Bribery,

Bribery, perjury, and the horrid train of evils that are fo common in the rotten boroughs, are precluded, by the extent of numbers, from introducing themselves into the conftituent body of a county; but influence muft prevail, until the right is changed from property to perfons, or the fuffrages of the freeholders be taken by ballot, and the opulent noblemen and gentlemen thus rendered incapable of distinguishing the dependent elector from him who exercises this firft right of a freeman, agreeably to the dictates of his mind.

DORCHESTER.

POLITICAL CHARACTER. The patrons were the Earl of Shaftsbury and Lord Middleton: but, at the last general election, the independent interest prevailed over the influence of the latter, and returned Francis Fane, efq. by a majority of

near two to one.

ANCIENT STATE.-In the reign of Edward the Confeffor there were 172 houfes in this town; but, in the time of the Roman furvey, there were but 88, the reft having been destroyed.

ANCIENT

ANCIENT REPRESENTATION.-This town has fent members to parliament ever fince 23 Ed

ward I.

CORPORATION confifts of a mayor, a recorder, two bailiffs, fix aldermen, fix capital burgeffes, and twenty-four common-councilmen, who are to take care of the liberties and trade of the town. This charter was granted them by Charles I. in the 5th year of his reign.

In this town the affizes are kept as well as the quarter-feffions, and the knights of the fhire are chofen at Dorchester.

RIGHT OF ELECTION.-Mar. 18, 1720, ReJolved, "That the right of electing burgeffes to ferve in parliament for the bo

rough of Dorchester in the county of

Dorset, is in the inhabitants of the faid

borough paying to church and poor, in "respect of their perfonal eftates, and in "fuch perfons as pay to church and poor, " in respect of their real eftates within the "borough."