In the middle ages Suffolk appears to have abounded with religious establishments. Tanner (' Notitia Mouastiea') enumerates 50 abbeys, priories, hospitals, or collages. The interesting remains of Bury Abbey and the monastic ruins of Bungay are noticed in our accounts of those towns. There are remains of Butloy Abbey, betweeu Woodbridge and Orford ; Sibton Abbey, near Yoxford ; lierringfleet Auguatiuian Priory, near Lowestoft ; Leiston Premonatrateusiau Abbey, near tho coast, between Dunwich and Aldeburgh ; and Meudham Cluniac Priory, on the Waveney. There are also monastic ruins at Eye, Dunwich, and Clare. Of castellated remains the most remarkable are Framliugham, Orford, Clare, Bungay, Mettingham, and Wingfield. Mettingham Castle Is near Buagay ; a considerable portion of the gate-tower and fragments of the walls are standing. Wffesglicld is near Eye : the south or entrance front is still entire ; the west side has been made into a farm-house. Of old mansion-houses, with which tho county abounds, Flixton Hall near Bungay; Giffard's Ilan, at Stoke-by-Nayland, on the Stour; Helmingham Hall, near Debenhani; Hengrave Hall, north-west of Bury ; Kentwell Hall and Melford Hall, near Sudbury ; and Parham Hall, near Framlingham, may be mentioned.
Few events connected with the great civil war of Charles I. occurred in this county. In the Dutch war of Charles IL two fierce engage ments were fought on the coast. The first was fought 3rd June 1665 off Lowestoft. The English fleet consisted of 114 ships of war and a number of fire-ships and ketches, under the Duke of York (after wards James IL), and the Dutch fleet, of above 100 ships of war, besides small vessels, under admirals Opdam, Cornelius van Tromp, and others. After a severe battle the Dutch were beaten with the loss of 18 men-of-war taken and 14 sunk or burned. The English lost one ship. The second battle was fought in Southwoid Bay in 1672. A combined fleet, consisting, according to the lowest statement, of 05 English and 35 French men-of-war, under the Duke of York as commander-ha-chief, was lying in the bay in careless security, in spite of the warning of Lord Sandwich, who bad pointed out the danger of their being surprised, when a Dutch fleet of 75, or, according to some accounts, of 91 men-of-war and a great number of smaller vessels, under De Rnyter as commander-in-chief, came unexpectedly on them on the 28th of May. A severe but indecisive action ensued. The
English lost six ships of war, two burned, three and one taken. The) Earl of Sandwich was killed, and a number of officers and 200 men were killed and wounded.
Statistics: Religious Worship and Education. —According to the Returns of the Census of 1351, it appears that there were then in the county 895 places of worship, of which 519 belonged to tho Church of England, 163 to four sections of Methodists, 91 to Baptists, 90 to Independents, 8 to Quakers, 4 to Roman Catholics, 3 to Plymouth Brethren, 3 to Unitarians, 3 to Mormons, and 1 to Jews. The total number of sittings provided was 224,810. The number of Sunday schools in the county was 54], of which 375 belonged to the Church of England, 61 to Independents, 57 to three sections of Methodists, 41 to Baptists, 3 to Unitarians, and I to Roman Catholics. The aggregate number of scholars was 37,470. Of day schools there were 1070, of which 393 were public schools, with 27,3S7 scholars, and 672 were private schools, with 13,944 scholars. Of evening schools for adults there were 83, with 835 scholars. There were 15 literary and scientific institutions, with 1960 member; and libraries containing 19,355 volumes.
Sarings Banks.—In 1653 the county possessed 13 savings banks, at Bungay, Bury St. Edmund; Coddenham, Eye Fmmlingham, Had leigh, Halesworth, Haverhill, Ipswich Ipswich (Quay parish), Lowestoft, Sudbury, and Woodbridge. The amount duo to depositors on 20th November 1853 was 442,6481.18s.
SUHL. [Emma's.]