bishop of Rochester. The Diocesan had but one archdeacon, till about A. D. 1126, when Richard archdeacon of the whole county of Suffolk, being made a bishop in France, Eborard or Everard then bishop of Norwich, divided the county into the archdeaconries of Sudbury and Suffolk, and made the western part of it (together with such parishes in Cambridgeshire as belong to the diocese of Norwich, on account of their having been anciently part of the kingdom of of the east-angles) subject to the archdeacon of Sudbury. The archdeaconry of Sudbury is subdivided into eight deanries, viz. those of Sudbury, Stow Thingoe, Clare, Fordham in Cambridgeshire, Hartísmere, Blackbourn, and Thedwastre; and the archdeaconry of Suffolk into fourteen, viz. the deanries of Ipswich, Bosmere, Claydon, Hoxne, Southelmham, Wangford, Lothingland, Dunwich, Orford, Loes, Willford, Carlford, Colnies, and Samford.

The Civil Government is in the high sheriff for the time being; and in this respect the couaty is divided into the geldable and the franchises. In the geldable part of it, the issues and forfeitures are paid to the king; in the franchises, to the lords of the liberties. The geldable hundreds are Samford, Bosmere and Claydon. Stow, Hartesmere, Hoxne, Blything, Wangford, and the two half-hundreds of Mutford, and Lothingland; for these the sessions are

holden at Beccles, and Ipswich; viz. at Beccles, for Wangford, Blything, Mutford, and Lothingland; and at Ipswich, for the hundreds of Hartesmere, Hoxne, Stow, Bosmere, Claydon, and Samford.

The franchises are, first, the franchise or liberty of St. Ethelred. belonging anciently to the prior and convent, and now to the dean and chapter of Ely; it contains the hundreds of Carlford, Colnies, Willford, Plomesgate, Loes, and Threadling; for which the sessions are holden at Woodbridge. The prior and convent had this liberty in king Edward the confessor's time, and when the prior and convent were changed into a dean and chapter, A, D. 1541. it was said to be of the yearly value of 20 £.

Secondly, the franchise or liberty of St. Edmund, which was given to the abbey of Bury by king Edward the confessor; it contains the hundreds of Cosford, Babergh, Risbridge, Lackford, Blackbourn, Thedwastre, and Thingoe, and the half-hundred of Ixning; for which the sessions are holden at Bury.

Thirdly, the duke of Norfolk hath also a liberty (by letters patent of king Edward the fourth, dated 7th December, 1468,) of returning writs, and having a coroner; and all fines and amercements, &c. within his manors of Bungay, Kelsale, Carlton, Peasenhall, the three Stonhams,

Dennington, Brundish, the four Ilketsals, and: Cratfield.

There is but one assize for the whole county; but, at every assize, there are two grand juries; one for the geldable, and the other for the libererty of Bury St. Edmunds. Suffolk and Norfolk were formerly under the government of one high-sheriff, till the 17th. year of queen Elizabeth; when Robert Ashfield, of Netherhall in Pakenham, Esq; was made the first high-sheriff of this county, distinct from the county of Norfolk.

The ancient kingdom of the east-angles contained little more than the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and from hence arose that close connexion which so long subsisted between them. William the conqueror granted the earldom of Norfolk and Suffolk, to his cousin Roger Bigod: it continued in that family to the thirty-fifth year of king Edward I. when Roger Bigod, earl Marshal, died without issue; having first surrendered all his honours, manors, &c. to the king; from whom he received them again by a regrant, with a limitation to himself and Alice his wife, and the issue of their two bodies; and, for want of such issue with remainder to the king and his heirs. But this county did never give a separate title till the eleventh year of king Edward the third; when that king created Robert de Ufford, earl of Suffolk. He was

succeeded by his son William, who died without issue male, and the title became extinct.

King Richard II. in the ninth year of his reign created Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk he was succeeded by Michael his son, who was slain in the battle of Agincourt. William de la Pole, son of the last Michael, was created by king Edward VI. marquis, and afterwards duke of Suffolk; but was unlawfully beheaded on the gunwale of the boat that was carrying him to France. John the son of William succeeded to his Father's honours; having married Elizabeth, sister of king Edward IV. He left many children, and was succeeded in his honours and estate first by John his son, who was killed in the battle of Stoke-upontrent, in 1487; and then by Edmond his second son who being too nearly related to the crown, was in 5 king Henry VIII, beheaded in the tower, and the title became extinct.

King Henry VIII. then created Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk he left two sons, and both died without issue, under age. But Henry Gray marquis of. Dorset, who married the lady Frances, eldest daughter of Charles Brandon by Mary the French queen, was created Duke of Suffolk 11th October, 5 Edward VI. the lady Jane his daughter, was on the demise of king Edward, proclaimed queen; who suffered for the rashness of her friends; and her father was

himself beheaded 23rd February, 2 queen Mary I. and the title was once more extinct. It continued so till 1 James I. when Thomas Howard, a younger son of Thomas the second duke of Norfolk, was made earl of Suffolk; and in this family the earldom hath continued ever since.

Suffolk returns sixteen members to Parliament, two for the county and two for each of the towns of Aldborough, Dunwich, Eye, Ipswich, Orford, Sudbury and Bury. St. Edmund's.

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A stranger coming from London to visit the eastern, or geldable part of Suffolk, would probably enter the county at Stratford or Cattiwade bridges, in the hundred of Samford. therefore shall begin with that hundred, and then take the several hundreds that lie in or near the road leading from Ipswich to Yarmouth, viz. Carlford and Colneis, Loes, Willford, Plomesgate, Blything, Mutford, and Lothingland. Then returning to Beccles, we shall take the remaining geldable hundreds, viz. Wangford, Hoxne, Threadling, Hartesmere, Stow, Bosmere and Claydon. The hundreds in the liberty of St. Edmondsbury will be taken in this order, Thingoe, Thedwastre, Blackbourn, Lackford, Risbridge, Baberg, and Cosford, but, that any place may be more easily found, the towns and villages in each hundred will be placed alphabetically.