*IPSWICH, (Suffolk) 55 cm. 68 mm. from London, is an ancient, neat, well-built, populous T. 1 m. long, but broader,
forming a sort of half-moon on the bank of the r. Orwell, over which it has a stone-bridge, leading to its suburb Stoke-
Hamlet. Mr. Camden called it the eye of this Co. It has a harbour, which was more commodious formerly than now; and the
number of its ships, as well as its trace by sea, is thereby considerably lessened, as well as its Chs. which were 21, and
now but 12; though there are 2 chapels in the corp. liberty, besides meeting-houses. It had charters and a mint, so early
as the R. of K. John; but the last charter was from K. Cha. II. 'Tis incorporated by the name of 2 bailiffs, a recorder,
12 portmen, of whom the bailiffs are 2, a T.-clerk, 2 chamberlains, 2 coroners, and 24 C.C. The bailiffs and 4 of the
portmen are justices of the peace. 'Twas plundered, in 991, by the Danes, who demolished the ditch and rampart of the T.
and forced the inh. to pay 10,000 l. They plundered it again, 9 years after. And K. Stephen demolished the castle itself,
which had been built by Will. the Conq. Cardinal Wolsey, who was a native of this place, and the son of a butcher, began
to erect a college on the ruins of one of its mons. which, though he did not finish, bears his name. Here were 6 other
religious houses, the ruins of which are still to be seen. One of them is converted into a mansion-house, lately the seat
of Viscount Hereford, and now of Mr. Claude Fonnereau, with a park and bowling-green in it, which are a great addition to
the pleasantness of Ipswich. At another, the quarter-sessions are held, and part of it is a gaol. This T. enjoys several
considerable privileges; as the passing fines and recoveries, trying causes both criminal and capital, and even crown
causes among themselves. They appoint the assize of bread, wine, beer, &c. No freeman can be obliged, against his consent,
to serve on juries out of the T. or bear any office for the K. sheriffs for the Co. excepted; nor are they obliged to pay
any tithes, or duties, in any other part of the Km. They are entitled to all waifs, strays, and all goods cast on shore,
within their admiralty jurisdiction, which extends, on the Essex-coast, beyond Harwich, and on both sides the Suffolk-
coast; and the bailiffs even hold their admiralty court beyond Landguard-Fort, &c. In the R. of Edw. III. it was
determined, at a trial, that the bailiffs and burgesses had the sole right to take the custom duties, for goods coming
into the port of Harwich. Here is a convenient key and custom-house; and no place in Britain is so well situate for the
Greenland-trade, because, besides its conveniency for boiling the blubber, and erecting store-houses, &c. the same wind,
which carries them out of the mouth of the harbour, will carry them to the very seas of Greenland. Ships of 500 tons have
been built here. The tide rises generally 12 foot, and brings great ships, within a small distance of it, but flows a very
little way higher. At low water the harbour is almost dry; which made the D. of Buckingham say to Cha. II. " that here was
a r. " without water." And, as for the T. he added, " that here were streets " without names, and the asses wore " boots."
The meaning of the 2 last is, that the T. is divided into 4 wards, and called by their names, instead of streets; and that
the bowling-green, above-mentioned, used to be rolled by asses in boots, that their, hoofs might not make an impression on
the green. Here are a T.-hall, council-chamber, a shire-hall for the Co. sessions; a palace for the Bp. of Norwich; a fr.
sc. a good library, adjoining to a work-house, or hos. for poor lunaticks, where rogues, vagabonds, &c. are kept to hard
labour; and a noble foundation, by Mr. Tooley, in 1556, for poor old men and women. Here are other almshs. 3 ch. scs. in 2
of which are 70 boys, and in the 3d 40 girls; and an excellent charity was begun here, in 1704, for the relief of poor
clergy's widows and orphans of this Co. by a subscription which is risen to near 5000 l. Tho' Ipswich is thought to be one
of the cheapest places in England to live at, because of easy house-rent, the best of inns, plenty of all manner of
provisions, and easy passage, either by water or land, the coach going through to London in a day; yet a late author
compares it to a noble old house, which has stood long untenanted, and out of repair, the houses being built in the
antique fashion, the streets large, and few people to be seen in them. 'Tis certain, however, that here are more gentry,
than in any other T. in the Co. except St. Edmundsbury. It has Mts. on Tu. and Th. for small meat; on W. and Fr. for fish;
and on S. for provisions of all kinds. In the midst of the Mt.-place is a fine cross. It has a great Cattle-Fair Aug. 11
and 12, and one on Sept. 14 for butter and cheese, besides other Fairs on Good-F. Apr. 23, May 7 and 8, and July 25. It
gives title of Visc. as well as Thetford does, to the D. of Grafton. The adjacent country is cultivated chiefly for corn;
of which a great quantity is continually shipp'd off for London, and sometimes it is exported to Holland. This part of the
Co. also abounds so much with timber, that, since its trade of ship-building is abated, they send great quantities to the
K's.-yards, at Chatham; to which they often run, from the mouth of Harwich r. in one tide. The r. here is best known by
the name of Ipswich-Water; and the passage by it to Harwich is about 12 m. There is Lavington-Creek in it, where are
prodigious shoals of muscles to be seen at low water; and near it was a fine seat and manor of Sir Sam. Barnardiston, now
divided into many branches. The French refugees attempted formerly to erect a linen mf. here, but it did not answer;
however, the poor people are employed in spinning wool for other places, where the mf. is settled.