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Sudbury in Suffolk County England History and GeographySUDBURY, a borough and market town, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Babergh, county of SUFFOLK, 22 miles (W. by S.) from Ipswich, and 56 (N.E. by N.) from London, containing, according to the last census, 3950 inhabitants, which number has since increased to nearly 5000. This place, which was originally called South Burgh, is of great antiquity, and at the period of the compilation of Domesday-book was of considerable importance, having a market and a mint. A colony of the Flemings, who were introduced into this country by Edward III., for the purpose of establishing the manufacture of woollen cloth, settled here, and that branch of trade continued to flourish for some time, but at length fell to decay. The town is situated on the river Stour, which is crossed by a bridge leading into Essex. For some years after its loss of the woollen trade, it possessed few attractions, the houses belonging principally to decayed manufacturers, and the streets being very dirty: it has, however, within the last few years, been greatly improved, having been paved and lighted in 1825, under an act obtained for the purpose, and some good houses built. The town hall, recently erected by the corporation, in the Grecian style of architecture, is a great ornament to the town, in which is also a neat theatre. The trade principally consists in the manufacture of silk, crape, and buntings used for ships' flags: that of silk was introduced by the manufacturers from Spitalfields, in consequence of disputes with their workmen, and now affords employment to a great number of persons, about one thousand five hundred being engaged in the silk, and four hundred in the crape and bunting, business. The river Stour, navigable hence to Manningtree, affords a facility for the transmission of coal, chalk, lime, and agricultural produce. The statute market is on Saturday, and the corn market on Thursday: fairs are held on the 12th of March and 10th of July, principally for earthenware, glass, and toys. The first charter of incorporation was granted by Queen Mary, in 1554, and confirmed by Elizabeth, in 1559: another was given by Oliver Cromwell, but that under which the corporation derives its power was bestowed by Charles II. The government is in a mayor, six aldermen, and twenty-four capital burgesses, with a recorder, town clerk, bailiff, chief constable, and subordinate officers. The mayor is elected from among the aldermen by the capital burgesses, with the assent of twenty-four freeholders, and the capital burgesses are elected by the court. The mayor and his immediate predecessor are justices of the peace, the former holding courts of quarter session, and a court of record, every Monday, for the recovery of debts to the amount or damage of £20, the jurisdiction of which is co-extensive with the borough. The freedom is obtained by birth, apprenticeship, purchase, or gift of the corporation. The borough first sent members to parliament in the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth, when the elective franchise was vested in the body corporate; but it has since been decided to be in the freemen, who are about eight hundred in number: the mayor is the returning officer. Sudbury comprises the parishes of All Saints, St. Gregory, and St. Peter, in the archdeaconry of Sudbury, and diocese of Norwich. The living of All Saints' is a discharged vicarage, rated in the king's books at £4. 11. 5½., endowed with £400 royal bounty, and £1200 parliamentary grant. Henry Sperling, Esq. was patron in 1811. The living of St. Gregory's is a perpetual curacy, with that of St. Peter annexed, endowed with £400 private benefaction, and £1400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of Sir Lachlan Maclean. The churches are all of considerable antiquity, and are spacious and handsome structures, mostly in the later English style of architecture, of which they present some fine specimens, though generally much defaced. St. Gregory's, which is the most ancient, was formerly collegiate, until Henry VIII. granted its site and other possessions, for a sum of £1280, to Sir T. Paston, Knt.: it contains a very magnificent font, and in a niche in the wall of the vestry-room, enclosed with an iron grating, is a human head, supposed to be that of Symon de Theobald, alias de Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of Richard II., a native of this town, who was beheaded by the mob in Wat Tyler's rebellion. One hundred and thirty free seats have been added to the church of St. Peter, towards defraying the expense of which the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and chapels gave £30. The free grammar school was founded, in 1491, by William Wood, who endowed it with a farm, called the School farm, in the parish of Little Maplestead, in the county of Essex, worth about £100 per annum; a good house is provided for the master, with a large school-room, and about one acre of land, for which he pays a moderate rent: there are six boys on the foundation, whose parents must be inhabitants of Sudbury. There is also a National school, with a small endowment, in which about one hundred and thirty children are instructed. The hospital of St. Leonard, for lepers, was founded by John Colneys, and endowed, by Simon Theobald de Sudbury, with about five acres of land, a chapel, and a dwelling-house: it is now in the possession of the corporation of the poor, and is applied towards their maintenance. From a bequest by Thomas Carter, fifty poor men receive coats and fifty poor women gowns annually on St. Thomas' day, and there are several other smaller charities for the benefit of the poor. The college of St. Gregory, for Secular priests, founded by Simon de Theobald, was richly endowed, and valued, at the period of the dissolution, at £122 per annum: its only remains are the gateway, and portions of a wall now forming a part of the workhouse. A gateway, part of a monastery of Augustine friars, standing in Friars'-street, also exists. About half a mile from the town is a spring of exceedingly pure water, which, from its supposed efficacy in curing many painful diseases, is called by the inhabitants 'Holy water.' Sudbury is the birthplace of Gainsborough, the celebrated painter. It gives the inferior title of baron to the Duke of Grafton. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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