Common-councilmen, who are alfo High-Conftables, and 12 of them Headboroughs, and 15 Petty-Conftables; and fends two Members to Parliament. Its Privileges are extraordinary; for the Bailiffs pafs Fines and Recoveries, hear and determine Causes, as well Criminal as Civil, arifing in the Town, and even Crown Caufes, preferably to any of his Majefty's Courts at Westminster. They appoint the Affize of Bread, Wine, Beer, &c. No Freeman can be obliged to ferve on Juries out of the Town, or bear any Offices for the King, without his own Confent, Sheriffs for the County excepted. Nor are they obliged to pay any Tolls or Duties in any other Parts of the Kingdom, having caft the City of London in a Trial at Law for Duties demanded by the City of Free men's Ships in the River Thames. They are intitled to all Waifs, Eftrays, &c. to all Goods caft on Shore within their Admiralty-Jurifdicton, which extends on the Coaft of Effex beyond Harwich, and on both Sides the Suffolk Coaft; and their Bailiffs even hold their Admiralty-Court beyond Landguard fort, &c. And by a folemn Decifion in their Favour by an Inquifition taken at Ipfwich, in the 14th of Edward III. they carried the Point, which Harwich contested with them, of taking Custom-duties for Goods coming into Harwich Haven, which was determined to belong folely to the Bailiffs and Burgeffes of Ipswich, as I before hinted. In King John's Reign was a Mint in this Town. I fhall juft mention, in this Place, though it be generally known, that the famous Cardinal Wolfey, Archbihop of York, was born in this Town, his Father being a Butcher in it; though, according to Dr. Fiddes, who publifhed his Will, he seems to have been a Man of Subftance for thofe Times. This Prelate rose to the higheft Pitch of Honour and Grandeur, that it was poffible for a Subject to attain to; and was fuddenly ftripped of all, having been caft in a Premunire, whereby he incurred a Forfeiture of all his Effects and Preferments; and being afterwards pardoned, and re ftored stored to fome Part thereof, particularly to the Archbifhoprick of York, he was arrested for High-Treafon at his Archiepifcopal Palace at Cawood in Yorkshire ; and died at Leicester Abbey, (as he was carrying to London) where he was buried. The French Refugees, when they first came over to England, began a little to take to this Place; and fome Merchants attempted to fet up a Linen Manufacture in their Favour; but it did not meet with the expected Succefs, and at prefent I find very little of it. The poor People are however employed, as they are all over the adjacent Counties, in fpinning Wool for other Towns where Manufactures are fetiled. The Country round Ipswich, as are all the Counties fo near the Coaft, is chiefly applied to Corn, of which a very great Quantity is continually fhipped off for London; and fometimes they load Corn here for Halland, efpecially if the Market abroad is encouraging. There is a great deal of good Company in this Town; and tho' here are not so many of the Gentry as at Bury, yet is has more than any other Town in the County. I take ĺpfwich to be one of the most agreeable Places in England, for Families who have lived well, but may be reduced to live within a narrow Compass; for, 1. Here are good Houses, at eafy Rents. 2. An airy, clean, and well-governed Town. 3. Very agreeable and improving Company, almost of every Rank. 4. Plenty of all manner of Provifions, whether Fifh or Flesh, good of the Kind, and cheap. 5. Eafy Paffage to London, either by Land or Water, the Coach going through in a Day. Thomas Fonnereau, Efq; Member of Parliament for Sudbury, has a fine Seat and Park in this Town; the Houfe indeed is built in the antient Tafte, but very commodious; 'tis called Chrift church, and was a C 3 Priory, Suffolk. Priory, or Religious Houfe, in former Times. The Green and Park is a great Addition to the Pleafantnefs of this Town, the Inhabitants being allowed to divert themselves there with Walking, Bowling, &c. In this Park are fome of the most beautiful Deer in the Kingdom; they are of a fine white Colour spotted with Black, like Harlequin Dogs, with bald Faces: thefe, intermixed with the fallow Deer, make a fine Variety in a Park. I cannot omit in this Place the following Account of an excellent Charity for the Relief and Support of the Widows and Orphans of poor Clergymen of the County of Suffolk, which was begun in the Year 1704. by a voluntary Subfcription of a fmall Number of Gentlemen and Clergy, in and about Ipfwich and Woodbridge, and has fince that time been carried on with Tuch Succefs, that the yearly Collection, which in 1704. was but 67. by gradual Advances every Year, amounted in the Year 1740. to 312l. 2s. 6d. and in the whole 37 Years, to the Sum of 44161. 9s. 9d. and has gone on equally profperously ever fince. Befides the yearly Subfcriptions, there have been divers Gifts and Legacies given to the faid Society, to the Ufes above mentioned, to the Amount of 554. 175. which Sum is laid out in South-Sea Annuities, and kept for raifing a capital Stock for the general Benefit of the Charity; and the Interest arifing from it hath been, and still is, every Year applied to the Relief and Support of the said Widows and Orphans. From Ipfwich, I took a Turn to Hadley, famous for the Martyrdom of Dr. Rowland Taylor, who was burnt at Aldham-Common, Anno 1555. On the Place where he was martyred, I obferved a Stone, with this Infcription: Anno 1555. Dr. Taylor, for defending what was good, It has been a Town Corporate, governed by a Mayor, &c. But a Quo Warranto being brought against their Charter, in the Reign of King James II. it has not been renewed fince. Here are two weekly Markets, and two annual Fairs. It deals much in Corn, and abounds with all manner of Provifions. The Town is large, and tolerably well built; but being in a Bottom, is generally dirty. Its Church is a handfome Building, graced with a Spire-Steeple; and being near the Middle of the Town, is an Ornament to it. 'Tis of fome Note ftill for the Manufacture of Woolen Cloths, but not of fo much as it was formerly. A little to the South-west lies Neyland, a large Market-town, in a Bottom, upon the Stour, over which is a good Bridge. The Bays-trade is carried on here too. Higher up to the North-weft ftands Sudbury, fituate upon the fame River, which is now made navigable for Barges from Maningtree hither, and gives a great Addition to their Trade. It is a very ancient Town, governed by a Mayor; and at prefent confifts of three diftinct Parishes, which have each an handsome and large Church; though one of them is rather a Chapel of Eafe. This Town is pretty well built, but the Streets, being unpaved, are dirty. It has an handfome Bridge over the Stour, leading into Effex. This Town was one of the first Places where King Edward III. placed the Flemings, whom he allured hither to teach the English the Art of manufacturing their own Wool, of which before they knew nothing; and here the Woolen Trade hath continued ever fince in a flourishing Way. The Inhabitants at prefent employ themfelves in making Says, Perpetuanas, &c. Simon Theobald, furnamed Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury, tranflated thither from London, Anno 1375. was a Native of this Town. He was murdered at € 4 the the Infligation of one John Ball, a feditious and fanatical Preacher in Wat Tyler's Rebellion. He was a Prelate of good Character for Learning and Charity. He built the upper End of St. Gregory's Church in Sudbury, where his Head is ftill fhewn: it was, not long fince, intire, covered with the Flesh and Skin dried by Art, the Mouth wide open, occafioned by Convulfions thro' the hard Death he died, having fuffered eight Blows before his Head was cut off. He founded in the Place where his Father's Houfe ftood a neat College, which he furnished with Secular Priefts and other Ministers, and likewife endowed it bountifully. Near Sudbury is Melford, a pleafant Village, and perhaps the largeft in England, being about a Mile in Length. The Church is a fine Edifice, and ftands at the North-end of it. Melford has an annual Fair, divers good Inns, many handfome Houfes, and creditable Inhabitants. Here lived the unhappy Mr. Drew, who, in the Year 1739, was barbaroufly murdered; and his Son, Mr. Charles Drew, executed for it; who effected it either with his own Hands, or by thofe of another Perfon, whom he procured to do it, for the fake of enjoying his Eftate. This Parricide was attended with Circumftances of great Horror. In my Way from hence to St. Edmund's bury, I paffed due North through Lavenham, or Lanham, a pretty good Town, ftanding upon a Branch of the River Breton. It has a fpacious Market-place, which was formerly of much better Account than at prefent. It had many Years ago great Advantage from its Trade in blue Cloths; but though this is loft, yet it has a good Trade for Serges, Shalloons, Says, &c. made here; fpins a great deal of fine Yarn for London, and has of late flourished much, by fetting up an Hall for felling Wool, the Town being conveniently fituated for that Purpose. The Church and Steeple here are juftly accounted the fineft in the County. It is fituate on an Hill on the |