Cinque Ports

Cinque Ports, a confederation of English Channel ports in southeast England, originally comprising Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, Romney (now New Romney), and Hastings. They were chartered as an organization during the 11th century by King Edward the Confessor. William I subsequently granted these ports, known as head ports, the privileges of an almost independent state, under command of a constable with a court at Dover Castle. By the 14th century Winchelsea and Rye had been added to the group. Until the formation of the Royal Navy during the reign (1485-1509) of Henry VII, the chief function of the Cinque Ports was to provide the English crown with ships and men to patrol the channel in return for tax exemptions, the right to return members of Parliament (retained until the 19th century), and the honor of attending the monarch at the coronation. In 1268 a warden of the Cinque Ports was created as an extension of the powers of the constable. During the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) the ports provided 57 fully equipped ships and frequently extended their powers to include equipping piratical expeditions. The importance of the ports declined with the silting up of their harbors, and after the revolution of 1688 their privileges were gradually abolished. The jurisdiction of the lord warden ceased in 1835, and the title became honorary.