sea, the ten marks to be disposed of by my attornies, (or execu tors) where they think best." About 1510 two legacies were given towards building a pier against St. John's church. The last institution to it was in 1537. The inhabitants, to prevent its being washed away by the sea, took it down about the year 1540. In the chancel was a large grave stone, under which was discovered a stone coffin containing the corpse of a man, that fell to dust when stirred. On his legs, we are told, "were a pair of boots, picked like Crakows,' ,"* and on his breast stood two chalices of coarse metal. He was conjectured to have been one of the Bishops of Dunwich. +

St. Martin's, likewise a rectory, is thought to have stood on the east side of the town. The last institution to it, was in 1335.

St. Leonard's was an impropriation. It probably stood eastward of St. John's, and was early swallowed up by the sea, for in a will dated 1450, the testator devised his house in the parish anciently called St. Leonard's.

St. Nicholas, a cross church, the tower, or steeple, standing in the midst of it, distant twenty rods south-east of the Black Friars. The last institution to this rectory was in 1352. utmost bounds of its cemetery were washed away in 1740.

The

St. Peter's, also a rectory, stood about sixty rods north-east of All Saints, and had a chapel on the north side of it called St. Nicholas's. This edifice, on account of the proximity of the sea, which daily threatened its overthrow, was by agreement of the parishioners in 1702, stripped of the lead, timber, bells, and other materials. The walls which alone were left standing, being soon afterwards undermined by the waves, tumbled over the cliff. The church-yard was swallowed up by the devouring element, not more than twenty years before Gardner published his History. All Saints is the only church of which any portion is now standing. It was built of flint and free-stone. The square tower

Shoes with long pointed toes bent upwards.

↑ Tanner's Coll.

is

is still pretty entire, but of the body of the church nothing but a portion of the exterior walls remains, and cattle graze within its area. It appears from Gardner, that about the year 1725, part of this edifice was demolished, and its dimensions considerably reduced. In the south aisle, which was then pulled down, were magisterial seats, decorated with curious carved work, and the windows were adorned with painted glass, which, through the carelessness of the glazier was broken in pieces. Most of the grave-stones had brass-plates with inscriptions, all of which were embezzled by the persons employed in the work. We find that in 1754, divine service was performed here once a fortnight, from Lady Day to Michaelmas, and monthly during the rest of the year: but when it was discontinued we are not informed. Recent inscriptions in the church-yard, shew that it is still used as a place of interment for the parishioners.

In the time of the Conqueror, all the churches then erected, or to be erected in Dunwich, were given by Robert Malet, to his priory at Eye, in his charter of endowment. The prior and convent accordingly presented to all instituted churches, and had tithes out of most of them, together with all the revenues of such as were impropriated, finding a secular priest to serve the cures. According to the Register of Eye, Dunwich had two other churches dedicated to St. Michael and St. Bartholomew, which are there recorded to have been swallowed up by the sea before 1331; when the prior and convent of Eye, petitioned the Bishop of Norwich to impropriate the church of Laxfield to them, alledging, among other reasons, that they had lost a considerable part of their revenues at Dunwich, by the irruptions of the ocean. Besides these churches, Weever mentions three chapels, dedicated to St. Anthony, St. Francis, and St. Katherine. The site of the first is unknown. The second stood between Cock and Hen Hills, and as well as St. Katherine's, which was in St. John's parish, is supposed to have fallen to decay in the reign of Henry VIII.

In this town was anciently a house belonging to the Knight's Templars,

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Templars, and afterwards to the Hospitallers, endowed with a considerable estate in Dunwich and the contiguous hamlets of Westleton and Dingle. To this establishment belonged a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. John Baptist, built for the use of the tenants of the manor, whose houses were all distinguished by crosses, the badge of the Knights.

Here were also two monastic institutions, belonging to the Franciscans and Dominicans, or Grey and Black Friars. The first was founded by Richard Fitz-John, and Alice his wife, and its revenues were afterwards augmented by Henry III. The area encompassed by the walls of this house, which yet remain, is upwards of seven acres. They had three gates; one of these, the eastern, is demolished; but the arches of the other two, standing close together to the westward, continue nearly entire. They have nothing remarkable in their construction, but being covered with ivy, form a picturesque object. The largest of these gates served for the principal entrance to the house, and the other led to the church. A barn is the only building now standing in this enclosure.

The monastery of the Black Friars was founded by Sir Roger de Holish. In the eighth year of Richard II. the sea having washed away the shore almost up to this house, some attempts were made to remove the friars to Blithburgh. They nevertheless continued here till the dissolution, when the site of this house, as well as that of the Grey Friars, was granted among other possessions to John Eyre. Both of these monastic establishments had handsome churches belonging to them.

Besides these religious edifices, Dunwich contained two hospitals. St. James's hospital, to which belonged a large, handsome church or chapel, was founded for a master, and several leprous brethren and sisters, in the reign of Richard I. by Walter de Riboff. By the generosity of the founder and other benefactors, this establishment enjoyed ample revenues, till several sordid 'masters, for their private interest, alienated lands and other donations, to the great detriment of the fraternity, who being thus

defrauded

defrauded of their subsistence gradually decreased, and their edifices fell into irreparable decay. Thus the large income of this once celebrated hospital is now dwindled to a trifling sum, which is applied to the maintenance of a few indigent people, who reside in a wretched house, being all that is left of their original habitation, except some remains of the church and chapel.

The other hospital, denominated Maison Dieu, or God's House, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was, as early as the time of Henry III. abundantly endowed with houses and lands, for a master, six brethren, and several sisters. The revenues, reduced through the same mismanagement as those of the hospital of St. James, to a mere trifle, are divided among a few poor people, who with the master, reside in two old decayed houses, which, with a small part of the church, are all that remains of this institution.

In former times a wood, called East Wood, or the King's Fo rest, extended several miles south-east of the town, but it has been for many ages destroyed by the sea. The land must conse quently have stretched far out, and have formed the southern boundary of the bay of Southwold, as Easton-ness did the northern. Weever says, that the men of Dunwich, requiring the aid of William the Conqueror against the rage of the sea, affirmed that it had devoured great part of the Forest; and Gardner informs us that he had seen manuscripts mentioning that this monarch gave permission to the Rouses of Baddingham, and other gentlemen in the neighbourhood, to hunt and hawk in his forest at Dunwich. The same writer also relates, that in the furious irruption of the sea in 1739, its impetuosity exposed the roots of a great number of trees once growing there, which appeared to be the extremity of soine wood, and was in all probability the ancient forest. Contiguous to the latter was another wood, from its relative situation denominated Westwood.

HALESWORTH is a well built town, situated near the river Blith, which has been made navigable up to this place. It coutains 258 houses, and 1676 inhabitants, many of whom are em

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Historical Account of Dunwich, &c. p. 38.

ployed

ployed in spinning linen yarn, great quantities of hemp being grown in the neighbourhood. Its market is on Thursday, and it has a yearly fair on the 29th of October. Though a place of considerable antiquity, it contains nothing worthy of notice, except a handsome Gothic church, and a charity-school. Sir Robert Bedingfield, who was lord-mayor of London, in 1707, was a native of Halesworth.

SOUTHWOLD, anciently Sudwald, or Southwood, was probably thus named from a wood near it, as the western confines still retain the appellation of Wood's-end marshes, and Woods-end creek. It is pleasantly situated on an eminence overlooking the German Ocean, but nearly surrounded on every other side by the river Blith, which here discharges itself into the sea. This town was made corporate in 1489, by Henry VII. according to whose charter, confirmed by several succeeding sovereigns, it is governed by two bailiffs, a recorder, and twelve aldermen. In 1801 it contained 266 houses, and 1054 inhabitants. The market on Thursday is well attended, and there are two fairs, on Trinity Monday, and the 24th of August.

Though Southwold is not of such high antiquity as Dunwich, Blithburgh, and some other neighbouring places, yet the inha bitants were enabled, not only to enter into competition with those towns, but in time to surpass them in navigation and traffic.

Alfric, Bishop of the East Angles, who possessed this lordship, gave it, among other donations, to the abbey of Bury St, Edmund's, by which it was held as one manor for the victualling of the monks. It had half, and a quarter of the other half of the sea belonging to the manor, before the Conqueror's time paying 20,000 herrings; but after the conquest, 25,000. From the dimensions of this manor given in Domesday survey, Gardner calculates that the sea has since gained upon this coast one mile, one furlong, and nineteen perches.* In the 43d Henry III. the manor of Southwold was exchanged, by Simon, abbot of Bury, for other possessions, with Richard de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, who,

Hist, of Dunwich, &c. p. 189, 190.