SUDBURY, 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 Jxuy, 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 twentyfour
capital burgesses, with
a recorder, town clerk, bai-
liff, 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 £4.11.5.,
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 pri?
vate benefaction, and £ 1400 parliamentary grant, and
in the patronage of Sir Lachlan Maclean, jThe 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 echool-room, and about one acre of land, for which
he pays a moderate rent; there are eix boys on the
foundation, whose parents must be inhabitants of Sudr
bury. 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, anda 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
pf 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 ex:
ists. 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.