Description
Woodbridge, a town and a parish in Suffolk. The town stands on the river Deben, with a station on the G.E.R , 77 miles from London, and 8 ENE of Ipswich, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office. It was known at Domesday as Udebryge; had an Augnstinian friary, founded in the 12th century by the Rouses, and given at the dissolution to the Wingfields; and was ravaged by the plague in 1666. It is a seat of sessions and county courts, occupies a hill-slope, wiih a fine view of the river to its mouth, 9 miles distant, and consists of four streets regularly built. It carries on boat-building, iron-founding, brick-making, rope-making, the export of corn, malt, and very fine white bricks, and the import of coal, timber, seeds, oil-cake, wine, spirits, and other goods; is accessible by vessels of 120 tons burden; and has two banks, two chief hotels, a town-hall, police station, lecture hall, and two reading-rooms. There is also an endowed grammar school, enlarged in 1894, almshouses, a dispensary, and a free library, these having a pint endowment of upwards of £5000 a year, arising from property bequeathed by Mr Thomas Sekeford, Master of the Rolls in the time of Queen Elizabeth. There are commodious wharves and quays, a weekly market on Thursday, and fairs on the first Tuesday of April and Michaelmas Day. The church of St Mary the Virgin is a fine specimen of Perpendicular architecture, with a handsome embattled tower of cut flint 108 feet high. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich; gross value, £290 with residence. The church of St John the Evangelist, a fine specimen of the Early English style, was erected in 1842. The living is a vicarage; net value, £240 with residence. There are Wesleyan and Congregational chapels, a Friends' meeting-house, and a Roman Catholic church. The parish and the town are regarded as mutually conterminate, and are governed by an urban district council consisting of fifteen members. Acreage, 1100; population, 4480; of the ecclesiastical parish of St John the Evangelist, 2414; of St Mary, 2066.
Woodbridge or South-Eastern Parliamentary Division of Suffolk was formed under the Redistribution of Seats Act of 1885, and returns one member to the House of Commons. Population, 56,543. The division includes the following:- Bosmere and Claydon-Akenham, Ashbocking, Badley, Barham, Barking, Battisford, Baylbam, Blakenham (Magna), Blakenham (Parva), Bramford, Bricett, Coddenham, Claydon, Greeting (All Saints), Greeting (St Mary), Greeting (St Olave), Crowfield, Darmsden, Flowton, Gosbeck, Helmingham, Hemmingstone, Henley, Mickfield, Needham Market, Nettlestead, Offton, Ringshall, Somersham, Stonham Aspall, Stonham (Earl), Stonham (Parva), Swilland, Westerfield (part of), Whitton (part of), Willisham; Samford-Belstead, Bentley, Brantham, Burstal, Capel (St Mary), Chattisham, Chelmondiston, Copdock, East Bergholt, Erwarton, Freston, Harkstead, Higham, Hintlesham, Holbrook, Holton, Raydon, Shelley, Shotley, Sproughton, Stratford (St Mary), Stutton, Tattingstone, Washbrook,Wenham (Magna), Wenham (Parva), Wherstead, Woolverstone; Woodbridge-Alderton, Ainesbourn Priory, Bawdsey, Bealings (Magna), Bealings (Parva), Blaxhall, Boulge, Boyton, Bredfield, Brightwell, Broineswell, Bucklesham, Burgh, Butley, Gampsey Ash, Capel (St Andrew), Charsfield, Chillesford, Clopton, Culplio, Dallingho, Debach, Eyke, Falkenham, Felixstow, Foxhall, Gedgrave, Grundisburgh, Hasketon, Havergate Island, Hemley, Hollesey, Iken, Kesgrave, Kirton, Levington, Martlesham, Melton, Nacton, Newbourn, Otley, Pettistree, Playford, Purdis Farm, Ramsholt, Rendlesham, Rushmere, Shottisham, Stratton Hall Farm, Sudbourn, Sutton, Trimley (St Martin), Trimley (St Mary), Tuddenham, Tunstall, Ufford, Waldringfield, Walton, Wantisden, Wickham Market, Witnesham, Woodbridge; and Aldeburgh, corporate town.
