DUNWICH, a parish and sea-port and borough (formerly a market-town),
having separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Blything,
county of SUFFOLK, 29 miles (N. E.) from Ipswich, and 98
(N. E.) from London, containing 200 inhabitants. It
is supposed by some to have been a town of the Britons,
or a Roman station; this opinion having been chiefly grounded on the discovery
of some Roman coins. During the Heptarchy it was a
place of great importance, having been the metropolis-of
East Anglia, and the seat of a bishop's see. By the
Saxons it Was called Dommoc-ceaster, or Donmoc, whence
is derived its present appellation. Sigebert, King of the
East Angles, having been converted to Christianity in
630, founded a bishoprick at Dunwich, which was held
by Felix, a Burgundian, and a succession of prelates
till about the middle of the ninth century, when  this
part of the country was devastated by the Danes. At
the time of the Norman survey it was -a place of
considerable importance, having -an extensive herring
fishery, as the king received from the burgesses
annually £ 50, and 'sixty thousand herrings. The town
had anciently a mint j and William of Newburgh, who
wrote in the reign of Henry II., styles it a wealthy and
famous sea-port. In the reign of Richard I., a fine
of one thousand and sixty marks was levied on the
town, because the inhabitants had supplied the king's
enemies with corn; and Ipswich and Yarmouth were
fined two hundred marks each for the same offence;
whence an estimate may be formed of the relative importance
of this place. During the wars of the barons
with King John, it was fortified with a ditch and a
rampart} and that monarch bestowed on the town a
charter of incorporation, and a grant of sea wreck.
In the reign of Edward I. it maintained eleven ships
of war; and in 1359 it furnished six ships, and one
hundred and two mariners, for the siege of Calais.
Such was the ancient prosperity and importance of this
place that it contained more than fifty religious foundations,
including churches, chapels, priories, and hospitals,
but being situated on a hill composed of loam and
loose sand, it has yielded to the successive encroachments
of the sea, which has demolished its churches
and convents, ruined its haven, swallowed up its streets,
and reduced it to an-insignificant village.
The borough, as originally established by John, was
governed by a mayor; but the charter having been
renewed by Edward II., the corporation now consists
of a recorder, two bailiffs, two assistant justices, twelve
capital burgesses, a coroner, town clerk, and serjeant at
mace, with other inferior officers, who are all elected
annually on the 29th of August, and sworn into office
on the 29th of September. The bailiffs and assistant
justices (who are the bailiffs for the preceding year),
are magistrates for the borough, exercising exclusive
jurisdiction. The corporation are empowered to hold
courts of assize and session, the yearly sessions being
held in October. There is an admiralty court, at which
the bailiffs and assistant justices preside; also a court of
requests for the recovery of debts under 40s. within the
borough. The freedom of the borough is inherited by
the eldest sons of freemen, born while their fathers
possessed that privilege, or it may be obtained by gift
of the freemen at large. The borough has sent members
to parliament ever since the 23rd of Edward I. The
right of election is vested in the resident freemen not receiving
alms: the number of voters is fourteen. The bailiffs
are the returning officers. The market, which was held
on Monday, has been discontinued; but there is an annual
fair on the 25th of July. Several small boats are employed
in the herring fishery, and there are fish-houses, where
herrings and sprats are dried, and prepared for sale.
Dunwich anciently contained six parish churches, but
they have all been entirely destroyed, except that of All
Saints, of which only the walls and a square tower remain;
it is now reduced to a single parish, the living
of which is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of
Suffolk, and diocese of Norwich, and in the patronage of
Lord Huntingfield and Colonel Baine. The old church,
dedicated to All Saints, being dilapidated, the erection
of a new one was commenced in 1826; it is built of
white brick, with an octagonal tower, the expense having
been defrayed by subscription among the inhabitants.
An hospital for lepers, dedicated to St. James, was
founded here so early as the reign of Richard I., and
richly endowed: the revenue was reduced to £26
per annum, but is now £.80, which is divided among
a few of the indigent poor. There was another ancient
hospital, called Maison Dieu, a great part of the
property belonging to which having been lost, through
the encroachment of the sea, it has been united to
the other charity. A convent of Franciscan friars
was founded here in the reign of Henry III., of which
there are remains of the walls and two gateways; and
there were also a Dominican convent, and a house
of the Knights Templars, long since entirely destroyed.
Dunwich gives the title of viscount to the Earl of
Stradbroke.