IXWORTH, a parish (formerly a market-town)
in the hundred of BLACKBOURN, county of SUFFOLK,
7 miles (N. E.) from Bury-St. Edmund's, and 77 (N. E.
by N.) from London, containing 952. inhabitants. This
place, anciently called Gisworth, at the time of the Norman
survey belonged to the family of Le Blund; and
about the year 1100 a priory of Augustine canons, dedicated
to the Virgin Mary, was founded here by Gilbert
le Blund, the revenue of which, at the dissolution, was
£204. 9. 5. The town derived its principal importance,
if not its origin, from this convent, on the site of which
has been erected the manor house, in which some of the
arches and other parts of the priory crypt may still be
traced. The town is pleasantly situated on the high
road from Bury to Norwich and Yarmouth, and is a
considerable thoroughfare: it is neither lighted nor
paved, but is sufficiently supplied with water from wells.
The market, now disused, was held on Friday; a small
fair is still held on May 13th. The magistrates hold
petty sessions here weekly; and courts leet and baron
are held occasionally for the manor. The living is a
perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Sudbury, and
" diocese of Norwich, and in the patronage of Richard
Norton Cartwright, Esq. The church, dedicated to St.
Mary, is a small structure, chiefly in the early style of
English architecture; within is an altar-tomb under
an arch, with sculptured brasses and an inscription. A
charity school for boys, and another for girls, are endowed
with the moiety of a benefaction of £1000 three
per cent, consols., by William Varey, Esq., who appropriated
the other moiety to the poor; there are also
some minor charitable benefactions.