IPSWICH,

WITH ITS SUBURBS, PRECINCTS AND LIBERTIES.

THE spot on which Ipswich stands is so happily situated, that it could not fail of inviting Inhabitants to settle here, soon after this corner of the island was peopled. To strangers who enter the town either by what is now the London road, or by the Yarmouth road, it seems to stand low but when a traveller approaches the town by the ancient London road, which was over, Cattiwade and Bourn bridges, upon Wherstead hill, he views it to more advantage; situated, as in fact it is, on the side of a hill, with a south aspect, declining by a gradual and easy descent to the quay where the foot of it is washed by the Orwell. The soil, is most healthy, which is sand, crag, or gravel. The hills which rise above it to the north and east, contribute greatly to the convenience of it; not only as they shelter the town from those bleak and inclement winds, but as they are well stored with springs of most excellent water; and may be considered, as perpetual reservoirs, deposited there by providence, to secure and protect the town from the dread

E

ful ravages of fire. To this happy circumstance, (such as few places can boast) we may in a great measure impute it, that though many fires have happened here within the memory of persons now living, not one of them hath raged to any violent degree.

The town of Ipswich takes its name from its being seated where the fresh river Gippen or Gipping empties itself into the Orwell. It is spelt in domesday, Gyppeswid, Gyppeswiz, Gyppewycus, Gyppewic; afterwards, by dropping the Guttural, it was written Yppyswyche; and then, as our spelling improved, by leaving out the superfluous letters, Ipswich.

Ipswich strictly speaking, that is, within the gates, was not of very large extent. It was inclosed with a rampart and ditch, which was broken down by the Danes, when they pillaged the town twice within the space of ten years, about the year of our Lord 991, and 1000. But this fortification was repaired and renewed in the fifth year of king John. There are not the least remains of more than three of the gates now standing; but, it is certain, there were more. For, in the ancient partition of the town into four Letes or Wards, as two of these were called North-gate-Lete, and West-gate-Lete, so the two others were called East-gate-Lete and South-gate-Lete.

We read likewise of Lose-gate, which stood

at the ford through the salt river, though the rampart hath in many places been broken through, and in some entirely levelled, there are still considerable remains of it; and it is easily traced from the bowling-green garden (or Grey-Fryers walk) St. Matthew's street. From the ruins it is plain that all the parishes of St. Austin, St. Clement, and St. Hellen, and great part of the parishes of St. Margaret and St, Matthew, were not included within the gates; and these are accordingly called in old writings, the suburbs of Ipswich.

But if we consider the borough in a larger sense as including not only the town with its suburbs, but the four hamlets of Stoke-Hall, Brooks-Hall, Wykes-Ufford, and Wykes-Bishop, which comprehends the whole precincts and liberties of the borough, the extent of it is very considerable. For it reaches from east to west, that is, from the place on Rushmere common, where the bounds of the liberties running past Rushmere hall-gate, and along the other lane cross the Woodbridge road opposite the gallows; to that place in Whitton-street, where the bounds come out of the lane leading from Bramford, cross to Norwich and Bury road, and then go into the lane leading to Whitton church, the distance is better than four miles. In like manner, from north to south, or near it, that is, from that place beyond Westerfield Green,

where the bounds enter the road leading from Witnesham to Ipswich, and so to Bourn bridge; it is about the same distance: but if, instead of going on the west of the Orwell, you go from the aforesaid place through St. Clement's street on the east side of it to Donham bridge by John's Ness the distance is greater.

These bounds of the liberties of the borough have been often ascertained; but the last determination concerning them was in 13 king Henry VIII. when a felon fugitive left goods behind him at his house in Whitton-street, which the bailiffs seized in right of the borough: but the exchequer for the crown in the county of Suffolk hearing of it, he took away the goods by force, pretending they were not within the liberties of Ipswich. The bailiffs complained of this violence, whereupon a commission was directed to the abbot of St. Edmundsbury, Robert Curzon, Knight, Lord Curzon, sir Robert Drury, sir Richard Wentworth, sir Philip Tilney, Lionel Talmage, Esq; and John Sulyard, Esq; to enquire how far the bounds of the liberties of Ipswich extend. So a jury was empannelled, and their return filed in Chancery; who, upon their oaths said, that the said liberties did extend according to the bounds in the said return above-mentioned; and the said B. B. and C. of Ipswich have enjoyed, the said liberties and fraunchises without mind of man.

Besides the precincts on land before mentioned, the borough of Ipswich did always claim, as appendant to the borough and parcel thereof, a precinct and jurisdiction by water on the Orwell; the extent of which hath likewise, more than once, been ascertained: particularly in 2 Richard II. when a commission was issued for that purpose, to John de Sutton, Knight, and Richard Walgrave, Knight, accordingly a jury was summoned at Shotley, who said upon their Oaths, that the port of the town of Ipswich doth extend itself from the said town to the Polleshead and had belonged time out of mind, and doth now belong, and is parcel of the said town, and of the farm which they hold of our Lord the King, &c.

The streets of Ipswich, like those of most other ancient towns, which have not been destroyed by fire and rebuilt, do not strike a stranger's eye, as they would if they were more regular; but they contain many good houses, which generally are better within, than their outward appearance gives reason to expect. One favourable circumstance is almost peculiar to this place, which is, that most of the better houses, even in the heart of the town, have convenient gardens adjoining to them, which make them more airy and healthy, as well as more pleasant and delightful.

The many walks and rides which abound