*BURY ST. EDMOND'S, (Suffolk) 20 m. from Newmarket and 64 cm. 75 mm. from London, where was an abbey, founded in honour of
St. Edmund, K. of the E. Angles, who was crowned and buried here, after being martyr'd by the Danes. 'Tis governed by an
ald. 12 capital burgesses, and 24 CC. is well built, much frequented by the gentry, and has 2 fine noble parish chs. both
in one ch. yard, with a grammar sc. founded by Edw. VI. Its Mts. are W. F. and S. and its Fairs are kept upon Angel-hill
on Good-Fr. Easter-Tu. Sept. 21. Nov. 11 and 20. The greatest of them, and perhaps the greatest in all England, is that
which begins on St. Matthew's day, viz. Sept. 21, and lasts a fortnight, during which there is raffling every afternoon,
with a play in the evening, from whence the company repair to an assembly, which is at some gentleman's house. For its
good air, beautiful situation and prospect, 'tis called the Montpellier of England. The r. Bourn or Lark, that runs on the
E. side of it is navigable from Lynn to Farnham, which is but 1 m. off. The chief publick buildings are the Guild-hall,
Wool-hall, and Shirehouse, besides the Abby-gate, which is still a fine monument of what the abby was once. Spinning is
almost the only mf. here. This T. was burnt to the ground by Sueno the Danish K. Stow says here was a mint in the R, of K.
John, and some of the pennys of Edw. I. and II. are still preserved here. This is the usual place for the assizes and
quartersessions: and here are 3 ch. scs. Including the suburbs, 'tis 1 m. and a quarter from E. to W. and 1 m. and a half
from S. to N. and contains 5 wards, 5 gates, and 34 streets, which are strait, spacious, well-pav'd, and generally cut one
another at right angles. St. Mary's, which is much the oldest Ch. was first built in 1005, and rebuilt in 1430. St.
James's was not quite finished till the ref. at which time here were 5 hos. one college, and above 40 churches and
chapels. They are both remarkable for their symmetry, large, beautiful windows, neat pillars and noble roofs. This place
has been famous for several conventions of the nobility and pts. The barons made their league here against K. John. Here
was a pt. in the R. of Hen. III. and another in that of Edw. I. In that of Edw. III. the townsmen broke open the abby,
carried off its treasure, books and charters, and made the abbot and monk their prisoners, till they had sealed a charter
of incorporation for the T. and given it the custody of all the T. gates, and the wardship of all its orphans; but 19 of
the rioters were executed, the T. fined 60000 l. and all the writings that had been extorted from the abbots made void. In
the R. of Hen. VI. a pt. met here, when Humphrey D. of Glocester, who had been regent during his minority, was basely
murdered here, which gave the first occasion to the war bet. the houses of York and Lancaster. In K. Edw. VIth's time,
here were reckoned about 3000 housekeepers, and in that of Q. Eliz. 4000 communicants. They petitioned her for the
privilege of sending members to pt. but could not obtain it till it was conferred on them by Ch. I. who also granted them
their charter of incorporation; and in 1608, when several hundred of their houses were burnt down, he gave them great
quantities of timber to rebuild them. In 1636 this T. was so depopulated by a plague, that the grass grew in the streets.
Here is a hos. or work-house for 30 boys and girls, which was formerly Moses's synagogue, where the Jews worshiped, who
were very numerous here till 1179, that for murdering a boy in derision of our Saviour's crucifixion, and for the like
offences elsewhere they were banished the kingdom.