WEYMOUTH and 3IELCOAIBE REGIS, Dorsetshire, form together a municipal and parliamentary borough, market-town, and sea-port. They together also form a part of the Weymouth Poor-Law Union, which consists of 18 parishes and townships, with an area of 37,232 acres, and a population in 1851 of 22,017. The borough is situated on the shore of Weymouth Bay, in 50° 37' N. lat., 2° 26' W. long., distant 8 miles S. from Dorchester, and 123 miles S.W. from London. The population of the borough in 1851 was 9458. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, of whom one is mayor ; and returns 2 members to the Imperial Parliament. The living of Weymouth is a perpetual curacy iu the parish of Wyko Regis, that of Melcoinbe Regis is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Dorset and diocese of Salisbury.
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis were formerly distinct municipal and parliamentary boroughs, but were milted iu 1571, and Weymouth is now the general name for both places. Weymouth Bay here com municates by an arm of the sea with a small internal bay, about two miles long, called tho Backwater, which may bo regarded as tho .estuary of the small river Wey. The harbour is in tho arm of the sea which connects the Backwater with Weymouth Bay. Weymouth is on the south side of the harbour, and Melcombe Regis ou the north side : the two towns are connected by a handsome stone bridgo.
Weymouth proper is a very ancient place, and was of considerable commercial importance in the 14th century. It has now the appear ance of an old fishing-town. Melcombe is situated on a tongue of land between Weymouth Bay and the Backwater, very narrow on the north east, but becoming wider towards the harbour, where the width is about a third of a mile. The ground on which it stands ie low, a
considerable part of it having been reclaimed from the Backwater by embankment In front of Weymouth Bay a broad terrace, called the Esplanade, extends nearly a mile, with a gradual slope towards the shore ; the ranges of houses which face this Esplanade are handsome, and many of them large.
Weymouth was brought into repute as a bathing-place about 1763 by Ralph Allen of Bath. The Duke of Gloucester went there in 1780, and had a house built for his residence. George IlL paid his first visit in 1789 ; he had a royal lodge erected, and went there frequently. The climate is very mild, Weymouth Bay being sheltered to the north by surrounding hills, which have a gradual slope to the south towards the beach. There are two churches, one of which is in Weymouth; places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, and Roman Catholics ; National, British, and Infant schools; and a savings bank. Ship-building and rope-making are carried on. The construction of the Portland breakwater, which will afford shelter to vessels entering Weymouth Bay, is being proceeded with, and the works already afford much of the required protection.
The number and tonnage of vessels registered as belonging to the port of Weymouth onDecember 31st 1854 were:—Sailing-vessele under 50 tons 23, tonnage 705; above 50 tons 57, tonnage 6334; with 2 steam-vessels of 83 tons, and 1 of 61 tons. The number and tonnage of vessels which entered and cleared at the port during 1854 were— inwards, 441 sailing-vessels, tonnage 31,680; outwards, 113 sailing vessels, tonnage 6644.