THE CINQUE PORTS.
"The five great ports on the Coast of Sussex and Kent lying -- opposite to France Hastings, Dover, Hythe, Sandwich, and -- Romney were of considerable importance during the Anglo-Saxon period ; and in a charter of Edward I. we find a reference to a previous document granted them by Edward the Confessor. But it was subsequent to the Battle of Hastings that the Conqueror, in order that he might wield the resources of the seaports with greater vigour, constituted this whole line of coast into a jurisdiction entirely separate from the counties of Sussex and Kent, and erected it into a sort of County palatine, under a Warden or Guardian, the seat of whose administration was at Dover Castle. The Warden, whose office corresponded to that of the ancient Count of the Saxon Coast, exercised jurisdiction, civil, military, and naval, uniting in his single person the functions of sheriff, custos rotulorum, lord-lieutenant, and admiral. Privileges equal to those originally bestowed on the Cinque Ports were subsequently extended to the so-called ancient towns of Winchelsea and Rye ; and all the seven municipal towns except Winchelsea had subordinate ports and towns attached to them, which were called limbs or members. In place of the Saxon terms of aldermen and freemen, those of jurats and Baron of the Cinque Ports were introduced, and the latter term has always been applied to the representatives of the Cinque Ports in Parliament.
Their chief function in early times was to furnish such shipping as was required for the purposes of the State, the Crown having possessed no permanent navy previous to the reign of Henry VII. In the time of Edward I. they were bound to provide no less than fifty-seven ships, fully equipped and manned at their cost limited to fifteen days, and if extended beyond fifteen days, then after at the cost of the Crown. The ports in return for their services enjoyed many privileges, such as exemptions from tax and tallage, the right to make their own by-laws, etc., and curious rights over the affairs of Yarmouth during the great herring fair which lasted forty days.
In consequence of the warlike navy which they were thus compelled to maintain, the Cinque Ports became so confident and audacious as not only to undertake piratical expeditions, but even to make war and form confederacies as independent states. Previous to the Revolution of 1688 (James II.) the lord-wardens nominated one and sometimes both of the parliamentary representatives for each of the Cinque Ports ; but in 1689 (William III.) an Act was passed to 'declare the right and freedom of election of members to serve in Parliament for the Cinque Ports.' The Acts of 1832 and 1885 reduced the number of members sent to Parliament by the Cinque -
