BURY ST. fenders recovering himself, mustered sufficient strength to crawl back to the house of this inhuman relative, where his appearance, so cruelly mangled and covered with blood, excited the utmost horror and amazement, and conThe plot founded the author of the barbarous deed. It was not long before he was discovered, discovered, and with his accomplice brought to trial, on the statute for de- and the offacing and dismembering, called the Coventry act. Mr. Crisp having found survived this outrage, Coke was so good a lawyer, and so hardened a guilty. villain, as to hope to save himself by pleading that he intended not to deface but to kill. This justification, little inferior in atrocity to the crime itself, availed him nothing; sentence of death was passed upon him, and the partner of his guilt;" and the law took its due course. Grand In the churchyard stands Clopton's hospital, a handsome brick building, with projecting wings, founded and endowed in 1730, agreeably to the will of the late Poley Clopton, M.D., as an asylum for six poor men, and as many women, three of either sex out of each parish. On the same side of the churchyard with the hospital, is a neat new building, the residence of John Benjafield, Esq. On the opposite side stands the shire hall, or sessions house, where the assizes for the county are held. It is a building of modern erection, on the site of the ancient church of St. Margaret, and contains two convenient courts, for criminal and civil causes. The grand abbey-gate opened into the great court-yard, in front of the abbot's abbey gate. palace. It is the only relic now left to attest the former magnificence of this establishment. Upon the destruction of the original entrance to the abbey, in the assault of the townsmen, in 1327, this gate was erected upon a plan, combining elegance with utility. Its form approaches a square, being forty-one feet by fifty, and sixty-two in height. The architecture is of the best period of the Gothic style. This gate, which is eminently entitled to notice, opens into the abbey grounds, still surrounded with the ancient lofty wall, and containing some massive detached fragments of the magnificent edifices, which once occupied part of their site. In the garden, included within this precinct, specimens of various pieces of antiquity have at different times been found. In the conventual church were interred many persons of high distinction; and many celebrated inhabitants of the monastery were also buried here. In 1772, some labourers, employed in breaking up a part of the ruins, discovered a leaden coffin, which had been enclosed in an oaken case, then quite decayed. "It contained an embalmed body, fresh and entire as at the time of interment, surrounded by a kind of pickle, and the face covered with a cerecloth. The features, the nails of the fingers and toes, and the hair, which was brown with some mixture of grey, appeared as perfect as ever. A surgeon examined the body, and made an incision on the breast; the flesh cut as firm as that of a living subject, and there was even an appearance of blood. The skull was sawed in pieces, and the brain, though wasted, was found inclosed in its proper membrane. The corpse was not in the least offensive, but, on being exposed to the air, it soon became putrid. The labourers, for the sake of the lead, removed the body from its receptacle, and threw it among the rubbish. It was soon ascertained, however, that the corpse was the remains of Thomas Beaufort, son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, by his third duchess, Lady Catherine Swinford, grandson of King Edward III., half-brother to Henry IV., by whom he was created Duke of Exeter, knight of the garter, admiral and governor of Calais, and lord high chancellor of England. On this discovery, the mangled remains were enclosed in a strong oaken coffin, and buried at the foot of the large north-east pillar, which formerly assisted to support the belfry." The Guildhall gives name to the street in which it stands. In the chamber over the entrance, the archives of the town are kept. Here the town sessions are held, &c. Abbot Sampson, in 1198, erected a school-house, and settled a stipend on the master, who was required to give gratuitous instruction to forty poor boys. This building An embalmed body found. The body of the son of John of Gaunt reinterred. BURY ST. EDMUNDS. Lancas terian school. library. stood near the present shirehall, and the street received from it the nam: of School-hall-street, which it still retains. The free grammar-school founded by Edward VI., seems to have been a revival of the former insti tution. Its original situation was in East-gate-street; but a new schoolhouse was erected in North-gate-street by public contribution. The bust of the founder stands over the door, in the front of the building. There are forty scholars on the foundation, and it is free for all the sons o towns-people or inhabitants. The number of pupils of the latter class amounts to about eighty. A school on the plan of Mr. Lancaster was opened in 1811, in College-street, and about 200 poor boys were admitted. The theatre, built in 1780, on the site of the old market cross, not being found sufficiently large or commodious, a piece of ground was bought, in the winter of 1818, for the purpose of building a new one, which is now in progress. On the Hog-hill, or Beast-market, stands the common bridewell, formerly a Jewish synagogue, in old writings, called Moyse Hall. At the upper side of the market are the Wool-halls, where great quantities of wool used to be annually deposited, when that article was the principal source of employment of the poorer inhabitants of Bury, and its vicinity. In Churchgate-street is a meeting-house for the Dissenters, and in Whiting-street another for Independents. The Quakers have a neat place of worship in the Long Brakeland. At the south side of the Angelhill, stand the assembly-rooms, of simple exterior, erected some years ago. The ball-room is well proportioned, seventy-six feet in length, forty-five in breadth, and twenty-nine feet high. Adjoining to it is an apartment, used as a card and supper-room, thirty-seven feet by twenty-four; and the building contains also a subscription news-room. The Suffolk Public Good public Library, formed by the union of two libraries, the one instituted in 1790, and the other in 1795, is situated in Abbey-gate-street. The Angel inn, one of the most conspicuous buildings in the town, stands on the west side of the Angel-hill. The vaults underneath it are supposed to have formerly belonged to the abbey, and to have once had a subterraneous communication with that establishment. A mile from the centre of the town stands the new gaol, which, in Mr. Buxton's very popular pamphlet on prison discipline, is spoken of in terms of the highest praise, for situation, construction, and management. "This gaol, which has a neat stone front, wrought in rustic, was completed in 1805." In the vicinity of Bury, an elegant seat was built in 1773, by John Symonds, LL.D., professor of modern history and languages, in the university of Cambridge, who gave it the appellation of St. Edmund's-hill, from the beautiful eminence on which it stands. A little to the southward of the town, a brick edifice, with two small detached buildings was erected subsequently to the commencement of the late war, as a magazine for arms and ammunition. Bury had five gates till about fifty years ago, when they were all taken down to afford a more convenient passage for carriages. At each of these gates was formerly an hospital, or some religious foundation. Beyond the north gate, on the east side, and contiguous to the Thetford road, are the ruins of St. Saviour's hospital, the most celebrated in Bury, which must have been a very extensive building, if, as it is said, the parliament assembled here in 1446. Not far from the east gate of the abbey stood St. Nicholas' hospital, some remains of which are yet to be seen, converted into a farm-house. Just without the South-gate was the hospital of St. Petronilla; the chapel of which, still pretty entire, is now used as a malthouse. At the West-gate formerly stood Our Lady's chapel, and a hermitage, now a cow-house. Close to Risby-gate was formerly a chantry, now the Cock public-house. At a small distance is an octangular stone, the pedestal of a cross. About the year 1677, the cavity at the top being filled with water, the country people who resorted to Bury-market, then held without Risby-gate, because the small pox raged in the town, were accustomed to wash their money lest it should convey the infection to the Ruins of St. Saviour's EDMUNDS. Charter of Queen of visited the neighbouring villages. A religious establishment caled Jesus College, in BURY ST. College-street, was founded by Edward IV. It is now converted into a work-house. The Vine-field, eastward of Bury, commands a charming. view of the town. This spot derives its name from the vineyard belonging to the abbey, which was situated on this declivity. The river Larke has been rendered navigable to within a mile of Bury; but the inhabitants derive little benefit from it in proportion to what they might receive from its extension. James I. in 1606, granted this town a charter of incorporation, with numerous extensive privileges. The donations for public and charitable purposes are very considerable. The September fair usually incorpora tion, 1606. continues three weeks. Its charter was granted to the abbot in 1272, and it was formerly one of the most celebrated marts in the kingdom. It was then held, as it is now, on the Angel-hill, where rows of booths were assigned to the manufactures of Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, London, &c. and even to some foreigners, especially the Dutch. On this occasion the abbot kept an open table; while those of inferior rank were entertained in the refectory by the monks. The widowed queen of France, sister to Henry VIII., came every year from her residence at Westhorpe, with her noble consort the Duke of Suffolk to attend this fair, where she had a fairs. magnificent tent for the reception of the numerous people of rank, who resorted thither to pay their respects to her, and a band of music for their) diversion. Bury was frequently honoured with the presence of Edward the Confessor. In 1132, Henry I. returning to England after his interview at Chartres with Pope Innocent III. was overtaken by a violent tempest. As soon as he had landed, he repaired to Bury to perform his devotions at the shrine of St. Edmund. Soon after the treaty concluded by Stephen, with Henry, son of Maud, by which the latter was acknowledged his successor, Stephen's son, Eustace came to Bury, and demanded of the abbey and convent considerable supplies of money, &c. On the refusal of the abbot, the prince ordered the granaries of the monastery to be plundered, and many of the farms belonging to it to be ravaged and burned. In the midst of these proceedings, he was seized with a fever, and expired at Bury on St. Lawrence's day, 1153, in the eighteenth year of his age. During the contest in which Henry II. was engaged with his sons, a considerable army was assembled at Bury, to support the cause of the sovereigns; and, at Fornham St. Genoveive, on the 27th of October, 1173, a bloody engagement took place, and terminated in the total defeat of the rebels. In this engagement the sacred standard Bloody enof St. Edmund was borne before the royal army, which now made Bury its head quarters. In this reign the Jews, who were very numerous at Bury, had a synagogue there. In 1179, having, as it is said, murdered a boy of this town, named Robert, in derision of Christ's crucifixion, and committed the like offences in other parts of England, they were banished the kingdom. Richard I., previously to his departure for the Holy Land, paid a devotional visit to the convent and shrine of St. Edmund; and Royal deon his return he offered up the rich standard of Isaac, King of Cyprus, at the shrine. The foundation of Magna Charta is known to have been a charter of Henry I. A copy of it having fallen into the hands of Stephen Langton, archbishop of Canterbury, was by him communicated to the principal nobles of the kingdom, a meeting of whom was convened at Bury to deliberate on the subject. On this occasion, each of the persons present went to the high altar of the church of St. Edmund, in which the assembly was held, and there swore, that if the king should refuse to abolish the arbritary Norman laws, and restore those enacted by Edward the Confessor, they would make war upon him until he complied. The king, on his return from Poitou, in 1214, met his barons at Bury, and with. the utmost solemnity confirmed this celebrated deed; binding himself, by a public oath, to regulate his administration by the grand priniples which it established. Henry III. paid several visits to Bury. In gagement. votional visit. BURY ST. EDMUNDS. Hoyal adoations to the shrine of St. Edmund. Henry VI. celebrated Christmas here, 1433. 1272, he held a parliament here, and then proceeded to Norwich to punish the authors of a violent insurrection against the prior and monks of that city. He returned to this town, where he was seized with the disorder, which soon afterwards terminated his reign and life. In 1296, Edward I. held a parliament at Bury. In the reign of Edward II., his queen Isabella, being dissatisfied with the conduct of the Spensers, favourites of that monarch, obtained the assistance of the Prince of Hainault, and landed with a force of 2700 men, furnished by him at Orwell haven; on which she marched to this town, where she continued some time to refresh her troops, and collect her adherents. Edward III. and Richard II. visited Bury, and paid their adoration at the shrine of St. Edmund. In 1381, soon after the insurrection of Wat Tyler, the people of Norfolk and Suffolk, and Jack Straw, committed excessive devastations. Proceeding to Cavendish, they there plundered and burned the house of Sir John de Cavendish, the lord chief-justice, whom they seized and carried to Bury; where they struck off his head, and placed it on the pillory. They then attacked the monastery. Sir John Cambridge, the prior, endeavoured to escape by flight, but being taken and executed near Mildenhall, his head was set up near that of the lord chief-justice. Sir John Lakenhythe, the keeper of the barony, shared the same fate. The insurgents then plundered the abbey, carrying off jewels to a considerable amount, and doing much mischief to the buildings. In 1433, Henry VI. celebrated Christmas at the monastery of Bury. In 1446, a parliament was held in this town, at which that monarch presided. Another parliament met at Bury, in 1448; and in 1486, the town was honoured with the presence of Henry VII., in his progress through Norfolk and Suffolk. In 1526, an alarming insurrection of the people of Lavenham, Hadleigh, Sudbury, and the adjacent country, was quelled by the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk who met for that purpose at Bury, whither many of the ringleaders were brought and appeared before those noblemen in their shirts, and with halters about their necks, when they received the royal pardon. On the death of Edward VI. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, having procured Lady Jane Grey to be declared the heir to the crown, marched with an army into Suffolk, and made Bury the rendezvous of his troops. Mary was meanwhile proclaimed queen by the council, who ordered the duke to return to Cambridge. During the reign of Mary, Bury witnessed several of those scenes, which disgraced various parts of the kingdom. James Abbes, was here Execution burned for a heretic on the 2d August, 1555; Roger Clarke, of Mendlesham, in 1556; and Roger Bernard, Adam Forster, and Robert Lawson, on the 30th June, the same year. In like manner, John Cooke, Robert Miles, Alexander Lane, and James Ashley, suffered for the same cause, shortly before the queen's last illness; and Philip Humphrey, and John and Henry David, brothers, were here brought to the stake only a fortnight before Mary's death. Elizabeth, in her journey through Norfolk and Suffolk, in 1578, paid a visit to this town. During the reign of her successor, this town experienced a destructive calamity, thus recorded by Stow" In the year 1608, April 11th, being Monday, the quarter sessions was held at St. Edmund's Bury, and by negligence, an out malt-house was set on fire; from whence, in a most strange and sudden manner, through fierce winds, the fire came to the farthest side of the town, and as it went, left some streets and houses safe and untouched. The flame flew clean over many houses, and did great spoil to many fair buildings farthest off; and ceased not till it had consumed 160 dwelling houses, besides others; and, in damage of wares and household stuff, to the full value of £60,000." King James, who was a great benefactor to the town, contributed vast quantities of timber towards rebuilding it. In 1636, the plague so depopulated the town, that the grass grew in the streets. Four hundred families lay sick of that distemper at the same time, and were maintained at the public charge, which is said to have amounted to £200. of heretics. Awful conflagration. witch-finder a week. In the seventeenth century, when James I. had excited the BURY ST. popular zeal against the imaginary crime of witchcraft, Bury exhibited EDMUNDS. some disgraceful instances of this persecuting spirit. In 1644, one Matthew Hopkins, of Manningtree, in Essex, who styled himself, witch- Matthew finder general, and had twenty shillings allowed him for every town he Hopkins, visited, was, with some others, commissioned by parliament to perform general. a circuit for the discovery of witches. By virtue of this commission, sixteen persons were hanged at Yarmouth, forty at Bury, and others at different parts of the country. Mr. Lawes, an innocent aged clergyman, of Brandeston, a cooper and his wife, and fifteen other women, were all condemned and executed at one time at Bury. Hopkins used many arts to extort confession from suspected persons, and when these failed, he had recourse to swimming them, which was done by tying their thumbs and great toes together, and then throwing them into the water. If they Tried by his floated they were guilty of the crime of witchcraft, but their sinking was a proof of their innocence. This method he pursued, till some gentlemen, indignant at his barbarity, tied his own thumbs and toes, as he had been accustomed to tie those of other persons, and when put into the water, he himself swam, as many had done before him. By this expedient the country was soon cleared of him. Bury, however, witnessed another execution for witchcraft, on the 17th March, 1664, when two poor widows were tried before Sir Matthew Hale, and sentenced to die, Sir Matthew, far from being satisfied with the evidence, proceeded with such extreme caution, that he forbore to sum it up, leaving the matter to the jury, with a prayer to God, to direct their hearts in returning a verdict. Market, Wednesday and Saturday.-Fairs, Easter Tuesday, Oct. 2d, for three weeks, for butter, cheese, and millinery; Dec. 1, for cattle. * BUSHY. A small village near Watford, rendered worthy of note from the unfortunate fate of its ancient owners. Its first Norman possessor Geoffrey de Mandeville, having incurred the displeasure of the pope, was obliged at his death, to be suspended in lead upon a tree in the neighbourhood of the Temple, Christian burial being inhumanly denied to persons under those circumstances. Edmund Woodstock, another of its owners, was beheaded through the machinations of Queen Isabella and her paramour, Mortimer, on a suspicion of intending to restore his brother,| Edward II. to the throne, and so greatly was he beloved by the people, that he stood from one till five in the afternoon before any one could be found to undertake the office of executioner; and then an out-law from the Marshalsea performed the detested duty. Thomas, Duke of Surrey, was beheaded at Cirencester, for rebellion against Henry IV. Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, after obtaining considerable renown in the campaigns in France with Henry V., was killed by a splinter of wood being driven into his face by a cannon ball, at the siege of Orleans. Richard the stout Earl of Warwick, another possessor, was killed at Barnet. George, Duke of Clarence, was drowned in a butt of malmsey. Richard III. its next owner, died on the battle plain; and Lady Margaret de la Nole, at the advanced age of seventy-two, was beheaded by the cruel policy of Henry VIII., in revenge for a supposed affront by her son the cardinal. In this parish, alsò lived Colonel Titus, the author of the celebrated pamphlet, entitled "Killing no Murder." own test Execution of two poor widows for witchcraft. Denial of Christian burial. Death of the Earl of Sa lisbury. |