LYME-REGIS, a sea port town of Dorsetshire in
England, 148 miles from London. It lies near the
sea, on the very borders of Devonshire, in a cavi-
ty between two rocky hills, which makes it diffi-
cult of access. It is about five furlongs long, and
contains about 200 houses. As it lies on the decli-
vity of a hill, the houses make a good show, one
above another; and some of them are built of free-
stone, and covered with blue slate. The corporation
consists of a mayor (who is justice of peace during his
mayoralty and the year after, and in the third year both
justice and coroner), a recorder, 15 capital burgesses,
and a town clerk. This place had formerly a very
flourishing trade to France, Spain, the Straits, New-
foundland, and the West Indies; during which, the
customs amounted some years to 16,000l. But it stands
on such a high steep rock, that the merchants are ob-
liged to load and unload their goods at a place a quar-
ter of a mile off, called the Cobb, originally built in
the reign of Edward III. which costs a great sum to
maintain, but forms such a harbour as perhaps is not
to be equalled in the world, the ships being sheltered
by a high thick stone wall, raised in the main sea Lyngton
a good way from the shore, broad enough for car-
riages and warehouses, and the customhouse officers Lyncuriam.
have one upon it. The cellars of the low part of the
town, near the sea, are however often overflowed by
the spring tides 10 or 12 feet. There are guns planted
for defence both of the Cobb and the town, the shore
here being very proper for batteries. The customhouse
stands on pillars, with the corn market under it. There
is an almshouse in Church street, also Presbyterian and
Anabaptist meeting-houses. The town hall is near
Broad-street. The church stands at the east end of
the town on a rising ground. The market here is
Friday, and there are two fairs in the year. We read,
that in 774, the Saxon king Kinwulf gave land here-
abouts to the church of Sherborn, for the boiling of salt
there to supply its necessities. At this place the duke of
Monmouth landed in 1685. A few years ago above
200l. worth of gold and silver coin of Char. I. and II.
were discovered by some labourers.