This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1813 edition. Excerpt: ... chap. xvi. The court of Lodemanage. Its origin. Title. Laws, and judicial proceedings. The court of Lodemanage may be considered as a branch of the admiralty court for the Cinque Ports; and the admiral anciently presided at it; and it was held under his authority, after it was separated from the parent stock. The jurisdiction of the court was at first confined to the regulating of the hire for the piloting of ships; and the wages of the pilots were named the lodemanage, from their managing and guiding the vessel. The members of this society were called lodesmen, and Jootsmen, and leadmen, from the Belgic word loot, which signifies lead; and they were also called pail lootes, or men, who measured the depth of the water, over shoals in the narrow seas, by heaving the lead. They were distinguished by their name, from those who navigated ships in the open ocean; and they acquired their knowledge of bays, and the entrance into harbours, by sounding, and remarking how much water there would be, at any given time, both during the flowing and the ebbing of the tide. They were also capable of conducting ships clear of sand banks, between Dover and the rivers Thames and Medway; and to the ports of Flanders, Holland, and the East country. A few ancient mariners had formed themselves into a society, for conducting ships to the abovesaid ports, and rivers, before they had received any delegated authority from the admiral; but the rules and orders, by which they regulated their proceedings, are unknown to us. While a small number of ships were sufficient to convey our commerce to the capita, there was but little inducement for competitors to disturb the peace of this infant society, to partake of their profits; but time, which had been gradually...