Several churches and chapels, the names only of which have come down to us, were once extant in Ipswich, adding other evidence of its former sacerdotal character. St. Edmund a Pountney The Church of Osterbolt The Chapel of our Lady Trinity Church. Little beyond traditional knowledge exists with respect to the site of the first two. The Chapel of our Lady stood at the upper west corner of Lady Lane, St. Matthew's, and in it a miraculous image of the Virgin was enshrined, afterwards taken to London and burnt in Smithfield. No trace of the building remains. St. George's Chapel stood in Globe Lane, upon the site of a line of houses now called St. George's terrace. In the last contest for Popish supremacy, Bilney, a protestant, afterwards burnt at the stake, was plucked, while preaching, from the pulpit of this chapel. It has been pulled down within twenty years. Trinity Church was most probably the church belonging to Trinity Priory, though no documents state this. No remains exist. The site of St. Mildred is occupied by the present Town Hall. The ancient Liberties of Ipswich were extensive. The Admiralty jurisdiction included, and still includes, the whole of the Orwell, and beyond the harbour of Harwich to Polles Head, or "Polles Hinnell." The extent of jurisdiction by water was guarded with the greatest jealousy, and gave rise to many old quarrels. The inhabitants of Ipswich declared a right of jurisdiction to "Polles Hinnell," as early as the 3rd of Richard II, 1379, and contending that they had held the district in fee farm time out of memory, though not expressed in their charter in titular words, their claim was confirmed by the king. Polles Hinnell, or Polles Head, was a point of land jutting into the sea beyond Langar Fort, but now submerged. The water liberties of the town were in the keeping of the Corporation, who held courts on the banks of the Orwell, and also when necessary at Polles Head. All land to low-water-mark is considered by the Corporation to be under their jurisdiction, though disputed by the lords of manors on the banks of the river. The Corporation have kept up the custom of "sailing the liberties," to the present time. The town is governed by a Corporation, which, as previously observed, dates to the early days of John, when the constitution of the body was settled by his charter. Before that era however, the town had been placed under some description of municipal government, no doubt as competent to the purposes required as that which followed it. This is evident, as town courts were established in Ipswich by Henry I, in the 1st year of his reign 1100, to be held monthly. These had been held from before the time of the Conqueror, four times each year only. It is therefore evident that the charter of John merely legalized the government of Ipswich, or re-organized on some general basis that which had been previously in existence, and in effective operation. The chief officers of the Corporation before the change introduced by the Municipal Reform Bill, (5 & 6 Will. IV, cap. 76,) were the two bailiffs, who performed the same duties as are now filled by the mayor. The other members of the corporate body were the high steward, 12 portmen, 24 councilmen, (who appointed a recorder,) head boroughs, a town clerk, town treasurer, coroners, 3 clavigers, marshalsea treasurer, 4 town attornies, a lecturer or preacher, 2 chamberlains, town surveyor, treasurer, guide to the hospital, water bailiff, 4 sergeants at mace, 2 beadles, a town crier, ale conner, flesh wardens, leather sealer and searcher, clerk of the market, and marsh keeper. Most of these offices have now been abolished, or changed by the operation of the act. The mayor takes the place of the two ancient bailiffs. The company of portmen and the "twenty-four," are destroyed, and in their place sit 30 common councilmen and 10 aldermen, elected according to the provisions of the act on the first and ninth of November in each year. A high steward, town clerk, treasurer, and coroner are retained. The measure not recognizing the legality of Corporations holding possession of church patronage, the town council have abolished the office of lecturer, and sold their interest in the rectory of Gedding, a part of their possessions. last lecturer was the Rev. W. Howorth. The A local governing body exists called the Lighting and Paving Commissioners, the name of which will afford an insight into the nature of their duties. A Dock Commission governs the affairs of the dock. A Court of Request takes cognizance of small debts. As in many other ancient towns, the poor of Ipswich are the recipients of numerous charities, and as it is necessary, for the protection of the gifts themselves, that the particulars should be constantly brought before the public, as well as to do honour to those by whose bounty the indigent and unfortunate 62 are removed from the recurrence of chances which afflicted them in the stir and bustle of the world, a synopsis of the gifts and legacies bestowed on the town is subjoined. Ipswich is connected with the metropolis, from which it is distant 69 miles, by a continuous railway, though vested in two companies, namely the Eastern Counties Company, which carry their line from London to Colchester, and the Eastern Union Company, who commenced their undertaking from that point to the town of Ipswich. The Eastern Union company began the formation of their line in 1845, and opened the road to the public in 1846. The population of Ipswich at the last census stood as follows: Total .... 210 200 255 346 422 10402 13670 17186 20454 24423 Ipswich returns two members to Parliament. The town has been represented since 1307. |