CHAP. IV.

BRADING HAVEN, ISLE OF WIGHT.

83

CHAPTER IV.

HUGH MYDDELTON (continued) — HIS OTHER ENGINEERING AND MINING WORKS

AND DEATH.

SHORTLY after the completion of the New River, and the organization of the Company for the supply of water to the metropolis, we find Hugh Myddelton entering upon a new and formidable enterprise-that of enclosing a large tract of drowned land from the sea. The scene of his operations on this occasion was the eastern extremity of the Isle of Wight, at a place now marked on the maps as Brading Harbour. This harbour or haven consists of a tract of about eight hundred acres in extent. At low water it appears a wide mud flat, through the middle of which a small stream, called the Yar, winds its way from near the village of Brading, at the head of the haven, to the sea at its eastern extremity; whilst at high tide it forms a beautiful and apparently inland lake, embayed between hills of moderate elevation covered with trees, in many places down to the water's edge. At its seaward margin Bembridge Point stretches out as if to meet the promontory on the opposite shore, where stands the old tower of St. Helen's Church, now used as a sea-mark; and, as seen from most points, the bay seems to be completely landlocked.

The reclamation of so large a tract of land, apparently so conveniently situated for the purpose, had long been matter of speculation. It is not improbable that at some early period neither swamp nor lake existed at Brading Haven, but a green and fertile valley; for in the course of the works undertaken by Sir Hugh Myddelton for its recovery from the sea, a well, strongly cased with stone, was discovered near the middle of the haven, indicating the

CHAP. IV.

RECLAMATION OF BRADING HAVEN.

85

existence of a population formerly settled on the soil. The sea must, however, have burst in and destroyed the settlement, laying the whole area under water.

In King James's reign, when the inning of drowned lands began to receive an unusual degree

of attention, the project of reclaiming Brading Haven was again revived; and in the year 1616 a grant was made of the drowned district to one John

Map of Brading Harbour.

Gibb, the King reserving to himself a rental of 201. per

The owners of the adjoining lands contested the grant, claiming a prior right to the property in the haven,

whatever its

worth might

FORELAND. be. But the verdict of the

Exchequer went against

the landowners, and the right of the King to grant the area of

the haven for the pur

pose of reclamation was maintained. It appears that Gibb sold his grant to one Sir Bevis Thelwall, a page of the King's bedchamber, who at once invited Hugh Myddelton to join him in undertaking the work; but Thelwall would not agree to pay Gibb anything until the enterprise had been found practicable. In 1620 we find that a correspondence was in progress as to "the composition to be made by the Solicitor-General

with Myddelton touching the draining of certain lands in the Isle of Wight, and the bargain having been made according to such directions as His Majesty hath given, then to prepare the surrender, and thereupon such other assurance for His Majesty as shall be requisite.”*

A satisfactory arrangement having been made with the King, Myddelton began the work of reclaiming the haven in the course of the same year. He sent to Holland for Dutch workmen familiar with such undertakings; and from the manner in which he carried out his embankment, it is obvious that he mainly followed the Dutch method of reclamation, which, as we have already seen in the case of the drainage of the Fens by Vermuyden, was not, in many respects, well adapted for English practice. But it would also appear, from a patent for draining land which he took out in 1621, that he employed some invention of his own for the purpose of facilitating the work. The introduction to the grant of the patent runs as follows:

:

"WHEREAS wee are given to vnderstand that our welbeloved subiect Hugh Middleton, Citizen and Goldsmith of London, hath to his very great charge maynteyned many strangers and others, and bestowed much of his tyme to invent a new way, and by his industrie, greate charge, paynes, and long experience, hath devised and found out 'A NEW INVENČON, SKILL, OR WAY FOR THE WYNNING AND DRAYNING OF MANY GROUND WHICH ARE DAYLIE AND DESPERATELIE SURROUNDED WITHIN OUR KINGDOME OF ENGLAND AND DOMINION OF WALES,' and is now in very great hope to bringe the same to good effect, the same not being heretofore knowne, experimented, or vsed within our said realme or dominion, whereby much benefitt, which as yet is lost, will certenly be brought both to vs in particular and to our common wealth in generall, and hath offered to publish and practise his skill amongest our loving subiecte... KNOWE YEE, that wee, tendring the weale of this our kingdom and the benefitt of our subiecte, and out of our

6

* Domestic Calendar of State Papers.' Docquet, 13th August, 1620.

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RECLAMATION OF BRADING HAVEN.

87

princely care to nourish all art, invencions, and studdies whereof there may be any necessary or pffitable vse within our dominions, and out of our desire to cherish and encourage the industries and paynes of all other our loving subiect in the like laudable indeavors, and to recompence the labors and expences of the said Hugh Middleton disbursed and to be susteyned as aforesaid, and for the good opinion wee have conceived of the said Hugh Middleton, for that worthy worke of his in bringing the New River to our cittie cf London, and his care and industrie in busines of like nature tending to the publicke good . . . . . doe give and graunt full, free, and absolute licence, libertie, power, and authoritie vnto the said Hughe Middleton, his deputies," &c. to use and practise the same during the terme of fowerteene years next ensuing the date hereof.

No description is given of the particular method adopted by Myddelton in forming his embankments. It would, however, appear that he proceeded by driving piles into the bottom of the Haven near Bembridge Point where it is

*The above view represents the | Brading Haven. A wide ridge of present state of the entrance to drifted sand lies across it, in front