Fix this text
THE CINQXJlü PORTS AND SIR ROBERT MENZIES
Fix this textTh o Historie Office of Lord Uarden
Fix this textSir Robert Menai es was appointed Lord Larden of the Cinque
Fix this textPorts last year, and he is now sailing with us to Lover where ho is
Fix this textto be installed ceremonially* No doubt most of us know that this is
Fix this textsome sort of honour bestowed mainly upon elder statesmen - but what we
Fix this textshould realise is that it is a, unique honour, and one that is essentially
Fix this textNaval in origin. It is given to only the most distinguished men, and Sir
Fix this textRobert Manzi os, the first Lord Warden appointed from overseas, is no
Fix this textexception to the rule* He follows such men as William Pitt, the Duke of
Fix this textWellington, Lord Palmerston and Sir Winston Churchill, to mention only
Fix this texta few of the famous men who have held the post in the last 700 years.
Fix this textThe Cinque Ports
Fix this textThe Cinque Ports, so named because there were originally
Fix this textfive of them - namely Lover, Hastings, Hythe, Romney and Sandwich -
Fix this textformed a confederation whose duty it was to provide the King with a fleet
Fix this textwhen called upon. Its origin goes back nearly 1000 years, to before
Fix this textWilliam the Conqueror, although it was not known as the Cinque Ports
Fix this textuntil much later. In the 12 th Century Winch el sea and Rye were added,
Fix this textand in order to keep the neme ”Cinque Ports” these laete additions were
Fix this textcalled the ”Ancient Towns”, end the full title became ”the Cinque Ports
Fix this textand the Ancient Towns”. Thirty other towns and villages were associated
Fix this textwith the confederation, and helped by providing men and money. They were
Fix this textknown as ”Limbs ” of the seven ”Head Ports”. Many of these ”Limbs” no
Fix this textlonger exist, but Lead, Ramsgate, Paversham, Folkestone, Margate, Lydd
Fix this textand Tent erden still survive.
Fix this textNaturally the ports did not supply a fleet for nothing.
Fix this textThey enjoyed many valua-ble privileges such as tax exemption, free a,ccess
Fix this textto markets, their own Court of Justice presided over by the Lord Warden,
Fix this textand all the freeman of the Ports were called ”Barons” with places of
Fix this texthonour at Coronations. They aiso had the right to land and sell their
Fix this textcatches of fish on tho boa,ch at Yarmouth, a valuable concession much
Fix this textresented by the natives. They claimed another distinction which sounds
Fix this textstrange todays for severed centuries ships from other ports (even './est
Fix this textCountryilleni) had to dip their topsails when passing a Cinque Port or a.
Fix this textCinque Port ship.
Fix this textThe Cinque Ports won many battles over the years, including
Fix this textthe Battle of South Foreland in 1217 and the Battle of Sluys in 1340.
Fix this textHowever as the Ports became less prosperous, mainly due to the silting up
Fix this textof their harbours, they were less able to fulfil their duties, and in 1583
Fix this textthey could supply only five ships to meet the Armada - the West Countrymen
Fix this texthad taken over their job with a vengeance.
Fix this textToday only Lover of the original seven remains a port, and
Fix this textsome of the ·others arc* well inland.
Fix this textThe Ships
Fix this textThe type of ship provided by the Ports in their heyday
Fix this textdeserves a mention. They were generally fishing boats of some 20 to 30
Fix this texttons with a single square rigged mast in the centre. For battle, they
Fix this textwere fitted with ”castles” fore and aft with a smaller castle mounted
Fix this textat the masthead. Fighting was a simple affair - the earn was to get
Fix this textalongside and board and capture the enemy. Their weapons were the sword
Fix this textand the longbow - the cannon and the ”line of battle” ships were to come
Fix this textlater when the Ports were on the decline.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2811111216
Select the images you want to download, or the whole document.
This image belongs in a collection. Go up a level to see more.
You can order a copy of this work from Copies Direct.
Copies Direct supplies reproductions of collection material for a fee. This service is offered by the National Library of Australia
Unknown
Copyright status could not be determined due to data in the record being incomplete or inaccurate.
For more information please see: how copyright status is determined.
Copy and paste one of these options to share this book elsewhere.