726 
O R G 
O R F 
the weft end rifes a fquare embattled tower, having under 
it the principal entrance, which is adorned on the out- 
fide with fhields, and a crofs over the centre, and in the 
interior with kings’ heads, five on one fide, and fix on 
the other. The chancel, now much more ruinous than 
any other part of the church, and feparated from it by a 
wall, exhibits in its remains a very curious fpecimen of 
ancient architefture. In the more entire portions of this 
edifice the arches are in the pointed ftyle, and the win¬ 
dows are ornamented with beautiful tracery, in good 
prefervation. 
On an eminence on the weft fide of the town ftand the 
ruins of the caftle, which was molt likely founded foon 
after the Norman conqueft, though neither the exa£l pe¬ 
riod, nor the name of the founder, are recorded. This 
fortrefs is traditionally faid to have been the centre of the 
town in ancient times; a report rendered extremely pro¬ 
bable by the fafl, that many foundations of buildings 
are frequently difcovered in the furrounding enclofures, 
fome of which likewife retain the name of Jlreets annexed 
to their denomination of field. The prefent remains of 
the caftle confift chiefly of the keep. The figure of this 
building is a polygon of eighteen fides, defcribed within 
a circle whofe radius is twenty-feven feet, and flanked by 
three fquare towers, fituated at equal diftances on the 
weft, north-eaft, and fouth-eaft, fides. Thefe are em¬ 
battled, and overlook the reft of the edifice, which rifes 
to the height of ninety feet. The outer walls meafure 
twenty feet in thicknefs, and are folid towards the bafe, 
but galleries and fmall apartments are formed in them 
towards the upper part. Round the whole run two cir¬ 
cular ditches, which were formerly feparated by a circu¬ 
lar wall, now almoft entirely demolifhed. From the view 
of the caftle, however, publilhed by Grofe, we learn that 
this wall was forty feet high, and had a parapet and bat¬ 
tlements. The entrance into the fortrefs was on the 
fouth-eaft part of the polygon, through a building ad¬ 
joining to one of the towers. 
When mention of Orford-caftle firft occurs in hiftory, 
it belonged to the crown. In 1215, Hugh Bigod and 
John Fitz-Robert were appointed governors both of Nor¬ 
wich and Orford caftles; but were removed the fame 
year, and Hubert de Burgh nominated in their Head. 
After the battle of Lewes, at which Henry III. was taken 
prifoner by his barons, they conferred the command of 
this poll on Hugh le Defpenfer. It next pafl'ed into the 
cuftody of the defcendants of Peter de Valoines, one of 
whom, Cecilia, daughter of Robert de Valoines, married 
Robert de Uft’ord, who had a grant of the caftle and 
manor for life. William de Ufford died feifed of it in 
the reign of Richard II. and Ifabel, his wife, had it 
artigned among other things for her dowry. Upon her 
death, it reverted to Robert lord Willoughby, a defcen- 
clant, by the female line, from Robert de Ufford, and con¬ 
tinued in that family till the reign of Henry III. It de- 
fcended afterwards to Michael Stanhope, and, in his right, 
to vifcount Hereford, whofe truftees fold it to the father 
of the marquis of Hertford, the prefent owner. 
This leads us to fpeakof the corporation of this borough, 
as the marquis is the proprietor or patron of it. Dr. Willis 
fays, that it was fummoned to fend burgeffes to parlia¬ 
ment during all king Edward the Firft’s reign, from the 
time of the firft general fummons. But Mr. Prynne’s lift 
is only from the 23d of Edward I. and Mr. Holmes has 
added the 35th of Edward I. After this, we find it dif- 
continued till Henry the Eighth’s time; and it has fince 
been conftantly fummoned. The right of eleftion in this 
nominal borough is veiled in a mayor, recorder, eight 
portmen, and twelve capital burgeffes; but this number, 
we underlland, is never complete, and moftly compofed 
of non-refidents, who are the brothers and relations of 
the marquis of Hertford. The conftituent and reprefen- 
tative body being thus generally made up of this noble¬ 
man’s family, the ufual mode of canvarting is difpenfed 
with, and the ele&ion is made amongft themfelves, with- 
s 
out any hazard of conteft or oppofition, and even without 
expenfe. The prefent members (March 1820) are—the 
Hon. Horace B. Seymour, and John Douglas, efq. 
Sudborne-hall, a feat of the marquis, Hands about a 
mile north-eaft from the town. It is a plain building, 
and chiefly ufed as a fporting-refidence, for which pur- 
pofe it is excellently fituated, the park and neighbour¬ 
hood abounding with game. 
At Butley, two miles weft of Orford, was a priory of 
canons regular, founded by Ranulph de Glanville, chief 
juftice of England in 1171, to the honour of the Bleffed 
Virgin. The ruins of the abbey, which are Hill to be 
feen, Ihow it to have been very large, and the gale-houfe 
is a magnificent building: it remains entire, and is em- 
bellifhed in the front with many coats of arms, finely cut 
in Hone. Wilkes’s Britifh Dire&ory. Suffolk Traveller, 
1764. Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xiv. 
OR'FORD, a poll-town of America, in Grafton-coun- 
ty, New Hamplliire, on the eaft bank of Connedlicut- 
river, about fifteen miles north of Hanover, and oppofite 
to Fairlee in Vermont: incorporated in 1761, and con¬ 
taining 1265 inhabitants. Here is the foap-rock, which 
has the property of fuller’s earth in cleaning cloth, alum 
ore, free-ltone fit for building, and a grey Hone much 
ufed for mill-ftones, and reckoned equal in quality to the 
imported burr-ftones. 
OR'FORD, a townlhip in Lower Canada, weft of Af« 
cot, having about thirty inhabitants. In the northern 
part is a confiderable lake ; and another in the fouthern 
part of the townlhip.—A townlhip in Suffolk county, 
Upper Canada: to the north and fouth is the refidence of 
the Moravians. On the fouth it is bounded by lake Erie, 
and towards the north watered by the Thames. 
ORFORD NESS', a cape of England, on the fouth-eafl 
coaft of the county of Suffolk, in the German Sea, where 
a light-houfe is eredled for the direction of lliips. Lat. 52. 
4. N. Ion. 1. 6. E.—A cape on the eaft coaft of New Hol¬ 
land. Lat. 11. 15. N. Ion. 218. 9. W. 
ORFO'TA, J'. in botany. See Mimosa. 
OR'FRAYS,/! [orfrais, old Fr. aurifrifium , aurifrigium, 
low Lat. from auruni fraflam.'] Fringe of gold; gold em¬ 
broidery. Obfoletc. —Item, a faire cope of clothe of golde, 
with an orphrefe of clothe of fylver, and a running or- 
pkrefe embrodered. Life of Sir T. Pope, by Warton. 
Of fine orfrais had Ihe eke 
A chapilet. Chaucer . 
ORFYRE'US’s WHEEL. See Motion (perpetual), 
vol. xvi. p. 115. 
ORGA'BRA, a town of Africa, in the kingdom of 
Magadoxa. 
OR'GAL, or Argal, f Lees of wine. Ainfworth. 
OR'GAN, f [organe, Fr. opyxvov, Gr.] Natural inftru- 
ment; as the tongue is the organ of fpeech, the lungs of 
refpiration.—For a mean and organ, by which this opera¬ 
tive virtue might be continued, God appointed the light 
to be united, and gave it alfo motion and heat. Raleigh. 
—Theaptnefs of birds is not fo much in the conformity 
of the organs of fpeech, as in their attention. Bacon. 
When he lhall hear Ihe died upon his words, 
The ever-lovely organ of her life 
Shall come apparell’d in more precious habits 
Than when ihe liv’d indeed. Shakefpeare. 
An inllrument of mufic, confining of pipes filled with 
wind, and of Hops touched by the hand. See the ar¬ 
ticle Music, vol. xv. p. 367. 
While in more lengthen’d notes and flow 
The deep majeftic folemn organs blow. Pope. 
Mod of his majefty’s liege fubjefls fouth of the Tweed 
are fully perfuaded that, while the clerk, and his coadju¬ 
tors the pfalm-fingers, are kept in time and harmony by 
the operation of this moll powerful wind-inftrument, the 
grandeur and impofing folemnity of public worlhip are 
promoted by its rich and impreflive tones. In Scotland, 
■ this 
