Cinque Ports

[L. Lat. quinque, portusj five ports.] Five (now seven,) ports or havens on the S. £. coast of England, towards France, formerly esteemed the most important in the kingdom. They are Dover, Sandwich^ Romney, Hastings and H3rthe; (sometimes called in the old books, Doure, Sandwyz, Romual, Hastings and Heya; Bract, fol. 118;) to which Winchelsea and Rye have been since added. They have similar franchises, in some respects, with the counties palatine, and particularly an exclusive jurisdiction (before the mayor and jurats, [corresponding to aldermen,] of the ports,) in which the king's ordinary writ does not run.

3 Bl, Com. 79.

They have a governor called the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, who is always the constable of Dover castle. Id. ibid. P. Cyclopoedia. See Warden of the Cinque Ports. The members returned from these ports to parliament are termed barons of the cinque ports. Brande, The superior importance of these haven towns dates from a remote period, and originally grew out of their local situation, it being considered necessary from their proximity to France that they should be guarded with peculiar vigilance against invasion. CowelL In the time of the Saxons there were but three, which are mentioned in Domesday book, namely, Dover, Sandwich and Romney; to these the Conqueror is said to have added Hastings and Hythe, making the number which has ever since given them their name.

Crabb's Hist, Eng. Law, 141.

Their franchises are expressly mentioned by Bracton, and, with some exceptions, are still preserved; although the towns themselves have long since lost their ancient importance. Bract. fol.

118. Municipal Corporation Act, Stat. 5 & 6 WilL IV. c. 76. cl. 134, 135.