Evolution of the Town and its Maritime Trade
Woodbridge Priory was founded in 1193. Thirty four years later, it was granted the right to hold a market. By 1300 all the towns on the map on the right had markets but only those at Woodbridge and Wickham Market survived beyond the start of the sixteenth century.
Across the country the markets which survived were the ones that had good transport links to the main urban centres. The long navigable estuary made Woodbridge the natural outlet for the coastal Sandlings and the heavy clay lands of "High Suffolk".
Woodbridge Priory was granted the right to hold a market in 1227. By 1300
all the towns on this map had markets but only those at Woodbridge and
Wickham Market survived beyond the fifteenth century
In 1350 the first records emerge of Woodbridge as a trading port. At that time ships were taking wheat to Canterbury, consigned to the Prior of Christchurch. The images of ships on seals from this period suggest that the trading vessels were similar in form to the Hansa Cog.
The image of a ships on seals in the 14th century (left) suggest that the ship from Woodbridge that took wheat to Canterbury in 1350 was similar in form to the to the Hansa Cog (right).
A tax return of 1327 provides evidence of the how the collective wealth of the inhabitants of Woodbridge compared with that of other Suffolk towns and villages.
In the list the towns and villages are ranked in order of the total tax paid by their inhabitants. Ipswich, the wealthiest town, is at the top and Woodbridge is 23 places below it. All the ports are shaded blue.
Woodbridge had about 300 inhabitants and thus just about satisfied the criteria that historians used to define a town. It was, however, much smaller than Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds which had about 5,000 to 7,000 inhabitants respectively.
Suffolk towns and village listed in order of their wealth in 1327. The ports are shaded blue.
Last edited 15 Sept 21