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East Anglia's District of
Ipswich
District Leader:
Position is currently vacant
Ancient Gipeswic, also known as Gippeswick, is the modern city of Ipswich, once the center of the Kingdom of East Anglia.
The city of Ipswich, was once known as Gippeswick or Gipeswic, has been the site of settlement centuries. During the Stone Age and the Iron Age, the area was sparsely setttled. It was not until the withdrawal of the Romans, their evidence of occupation includes a Roman villa, that settlement in the area increased when its position on the North Sea proved a convenient harbor for the Saxons. In fact, Ipswich is often claimed to be the first Anglo-Saxon town. At one point, Ipswich was the center of the Kingdom of East Anglia. In 991, the town was sacked by Vikings.
By 1086, Ipswich townsmen had the privilage of burgesses and Ipswich's first business charter was granted in 1200 by King John. This charter exempted
the town from tolls and similar customs and granted the town a gild merchant. For the next four hundred years, the area gained wealth by trading Suffolk cloth with the European continent. During the Middle Ages, the area was a popular pilgrimage location, including for royals, drawn to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Grace.
The Ipswich School was founded in 1528 by one of the city's most famous figures. Thomas, Cardinal Wolsey, a political ally of Henry VIII, was born in Ipswich circa 1475. In 1555, Ipswich was the location of Protestant burnings. The nine people burned in front of Ipswich Town Hall, are known as the Ipswich Martyrs. From 1811 to 1634, Ipswich served as a major center for those immigating to the New England region of North America. Ipswich is the setting of Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers. Lord Nelson became a resident of Ipswich in the late 1790s and in 1800 was appointed High steward of Ipswich.
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