BRIDGEWATER, or BRIDGWATER, England, a municipal borough and port, 33 miles southwest of Bristol in the county of Somerset, on the river Parret. Although the town is about 10 miles from the sea, vessels drawing 19 feet of water can come up to the quay at springtides; but great inconvenience is sometimes caused by the bore. The river di vides the town into two parts, which are con nected by an elegant iron bridge of one arch. The houses are generally well built, and chiefly of red brick. Among the chief buildings are the parish church (Saint Mary Magdalene's), a handsome ancient structure, with a tower and spire ; Saint John's Church and the town hall, a handsome building in the Venetian style. There is a free grammar school, an infirmary and almshouses. A considerable shipping trade is carried on, chiefly coastwise. The imports are timber, grain, coal, tallow, esparto, linseed, etc.;
exports, timber, bricks, etc. The chief manu facturing industry is that of bath-bricks which are made here (and indeed nowhere else in great quantities. Bridgewater obtained its name, Burgh-Walter, from its having belonged to Walter de Douay, one of William the Con queror's followers. In the Civil War the in habitants embraced the cause of Charles I and defended the town resolutely against the Parlia mentarians, but surrendered (1645) to Fairfax. In the castle built by King John, the Duke of Monmouth lodged, and was here proclaimed king in 1685 before the battle of Sedgemoor, which was fought about three miles from the town, and succeeding Bridgewater became the theatre of Feversham's and Jeffreys' barbar ities. Up till 1870, when it was disfranchised for bribery, Bridgewater returned two members to Parliament. Pop. 16,802.