GUARDIAN, or WARDEN, of the Cinque ports, is an officer who has the jurisdiction of the cinque-ports, with all the power that the admiral of England has in other places.
Camden relates, that the Romans, after they had settled themselves and their empire in our island, appointed a magistrate, or governor, over the east parts where the Cinque-ports lie, with the title of comes littoris Saxonici per Britanniam; having another, who bore the like title, on the opposite side of the sea. Their business was to strengthen the sea coast with munition,
against the outrages and robberies of the barbarians; and that antiquary takes our warden of the Cinque-ports to have been erected in imitation thereof. The wardenship is a place of value, supposed worth 7000l. per annum.