Dorchester in 1613 was the town to which all the residents of the county of Dorset for miles around could be expected to visit sometime during their life. Dorchester was a town of about 2000 persons.  It was the county and assize town, a parliamentary borough, and the richest place in Dorset.  It was the regional market town.  It had three major summer fairs.  It was a center of the English cloth industry, with perhaps more sheep than any other area of similar size.  Through the nearby port of Weymouth, Dorchester's merchants traded busily with the continent. In short, Dorchester had top importance in Dorset, and it had importance in the country of England.

The history of Dorset as a prime place of trade with Europe made Dorset residents resent any attempts by the King to prevent trade with France, or to tax trade with the continent.  Smuggling was a part of life in Dorset, and Dorset men were common in English merchant ships.

Dorchester in the 17th century is best described in David Underdown's book, Fire from Heaven (London, Yale Univ. Press, 1992).  This is a detailed and delightful history of the people of Dorchester and their transformation of Dorchester in the 1600's to make it the most Puritan town in England.