T H K 



to mark tlifir fcitcs. Of tlu- twenty churches, three only arc 

 prefervcd ; St. Peter's, and St. Ciithberl's, on the Norfolk 

 fide of the river; and St. M.iry the Lefs on the Suffolk 

 fide. St. Peter's, commonly called the Black church, from 

 its bein^ conftruftcd chiefly of flint, conlills of a chancel, 

 nave, two aides, and a tower. Tiic latter was rebuilt in 

 17S9, when a great part of the church was alfo re-edified. 

 The battlements on the fouth fide, and the buttrcffes, are 

 decorated with allufive ornaments and large letters inlaid in 

 the flint work. 



The Nunnin was founded by Uvius, the firll abbot of 

 St. Edmund's Bury, in the reign of king Canute ; in com- 

 memoration of the number of pcrfons who fell at Snaref- 

 hill, near this town, in the fang\iinary confliA between king 

 Edmund's army and the forces under the Danifh leaders 

 Ingwar and Ubba. A few monks were placed in this 

 monallery, which was then confidered as a cell to Bury 

 Abbey. In the year 1 176, the monks, being reduced to 

 two, religned, by the requeil of tlie abbot of Bur)', who 

 placed in their Head a convent of nuns, who had previoufly 

 rcfided at Lynn. At the diflolution, the revenues and fcite 

 were granted to fir Richard Fulmerilon, who made this 

 houfe nis rcfidcnce. It was afterwards let to a farmer, and 

 fomc years fmce the greater part was taken down : a new 

 farm-houfe was built of the materials, and the conventual 

 church converted into a barn. Some of the walls, with 

 buttreffes, windows, &c. ftill remain. 



The Priory or Abbey was founded by Roger Bigod, in the 

 year 1 104, for monks of the Cluniac order. This was a 

 pecuharly privileged houfe ; for other Cluniac monafteries 

 wcre^bjeft to have their res'enues feized, on a war break- 

 ing out between England and France, becaufe being de- 

 pendant on the abbey of Clugny, in Burgundy, the monks 

 were confidered as foreigners ; but the religious perfons of 

 this monaftery were naturalized, and treated as other fub- 

 jefts of the realm. At the fuppreffion the revenues were 

 granted to the duke of Norfolk, and are now the property 

 of lord Petre. The ancient gateway, conllrufted with 

 frecftone and black flint, with parts of the church, &c. iUll 

 remain. This monaftery had been the burial-place of the 

 feveral noble families who had fuccefiively borne the title of 

 earls of Norfolk. 



St. Aujl'm^s Friary was founded by John of Gaunt, duke 

 of Lancaller, in the year 1387, for friars mendicant of the 

 Augurtine order. The fcite, granted to fir Richard Ful- 

 merflon, is ftill called the Friar's Clofe. 



The Monajlery of St. Sepulchre was founded in 1 109, by 

 William, earl of Warren and Surrey, for canons of the 

 Auguftine order, and additionally endowed by king 

 Henry II. The fcite is ftill called Canons : part of the con- 

 ventual church, yet ftanding, has long fince been ufed as a 

 barn. The gate of the porter's lodge, and fome other parts 

 of the buildings, remain. Of the other four religious Iioufes, 

 no veftiges are now left. In the Suffolk part of the town, 

 near St. Mary's church, is a free grammar-fchool. In the 

 year 1566, fir Riciiard Fulmerfton bequeathed property for 

 the ereftion of a free-fchool, with dwelhng-lioufes and fala- 

 ries for a mafter and uflier ; and alfo habitations andv^-eekly 

 penfions for two poor men and two poor women. The 

 benevolent defign of the donor, however, was not carried 

 into effea till the time of James I., when it was enaftcd by 

 authority of parliament, that there fhould be for ever a free 

 grammar-fchool and hofpital ; and that the mafter, ulher, and 

 the four poor people, ftiould be a body politic, under the 

 title of "The mafter and fellows of the fchool and hofpital 

 at Thetford, founded by king James the Firft, accoj-ding to 

 the will of fir Rachard Fulmerfton, kat." 



THE 



Thetford, though a very ancient burgh, is comparatively 

 a modern corporation. In the time of the Conqueror, the 

 town was governed by a conful and other inferior officers. 

 Not being a free burgh, it fuffercd greatly at times by the 

 oppreffion of the officers nominated by the crown. But in 

 the year 1573, queen Ehzabeth granted a charter, by which 

 a mayor, ten aldermen, twenty common-councilmen, a re- 

 corder, town-clerk, fword-bearer, and two ferjeants at mace, 

 conftitute the corporation. The mayor for the time being 

 is clerk of the market, and in the year after his mayoralty 

 officiates as coroner. The corporation had alfo permilfion 

 to fend two burgefles to parliament, " provided they were 

 difcreet and honeft men, and were elefted at the expcnce of 

 the borough." This charter was furrendered to the 

 crown in the thirty-fourth year of Charles II., and a very 

 imperfeft one obtained in its ftead. But in 1692 an order 

 was procured from the court of chancery for cancelling tlic 

 furrender, and procuring a tranfcript of the charter granted 

 by Elizabeth, under which the town is at prefcnt governed, 

 Thetford has been honoured with the prefence of many of 

 our fovereigns, particularly Henry I. and II. Several 

 charters, granted by the former, bear date from this 

 town. When the manor fell with the duchy of Lancafter, 

 of which it formed a parcel, to the crown, the ancient feat 

 of the earls Warren became the royal palace. This was 

 rebuilt in the time of queen EHzabeth, who occafionally re- 

 fided here. King James I. made it one of his hunting 

 feats ; but being difgufted with the abrupt remonftrance of 

 a farmer, over whofe lands he had been hunting, he gave the 

 palace to fir Philip Wodehoufe : it has been rebuilt, and is 

 now the property of a private gentleman ; but ftill bears 

 the appellation of the " King's Houfe." The old guildhall 

 or council-houfe being in a dilapidated condition, fir Jofepli 

 Williamfon, fecretary of ftate to king Charles II., eretied 

 at his own expence the prefent council-chamber, and the 

 apartment for tlie juries. Thetford has been much im- 

 proved within the laft twenty years. A new bridge has 

 been built, the principal ftreet paved, and feveral handfome 

 houfes have been erecled. The navigation of the river has 

 been attended to, and by this communication fome mer- 

 cantile bufinefs is tranfaCled in the corn and coal trade. 

 Five fairs are held annually, and a market weekly on 

 Saturdays ; but, compared with its former greatnefs, it is 

 now a very inconfiderable place. The population in the 

 return of the year 181 1, was ftated to be 2450, occupying 

 530 houfes. 



Near to Thetford is a mineral fpring, the waters of which 

 poflefs confiderable virtues, though their celebrity has by 

 no means been commenfurate with their acknowledged ef- 

 ficacy. Thomas Paine, well known for his political and 

 theological trafts, was a native of this town, and received 



his education in the grammar-fchool Blomefield's Eftay 



towards a Topographical Hiftory of Norfolk, vol. ii. 

 Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xi. bv John Britton, 

 F.S.A. Hiftory, &c. of Thetford, by Thomas Martin, 

 4to. 



Thetford, a town of the United States, in the county 

 of Orange, Vermont ; 10 miles N. of Hanover; containing 

 1735 inhabitants. 



THETIS, in Mythology, the name of the moft beautiful 

 of the Nereids. 



THEVACOURCHY, in Geography, a town of Hin- 

 dooftan, in the Carnatic ; 20 miles W.S.W. of Tiagar. 



THEUDORIA, in Ancient Geography, a town of 

 Achaia, from which the Macedonians were driven by the 

 Romans. 



THEUDURUM, a towry of Lower Germany, on the 



route 



