Tour through the Eastern Counties of England, 1722

In Short

This narrative record documents a journey through the eastern counties of England in the 1720s, examining towns, industries, natural harbors, and agricultural innovations. Combining direct regional observations with historical accounts of local sieges and commercial shifts, the text tracks how trade drives the growth, decay, and transformation of settlements. The work remains a foundational portrait of early modern Britain’s economic network, capturing a period when shifting markets and land improvements continuously redefined the nation's communities and geography.

The Story

The journey begins along the flat, marshy stretches of Essex, where rich soil yields profitable farming despite the damp, unhealthy air. At Barking, fishing smacks prove their utility not only for supplying London with fresh fish, but also for serving as press-vessels for the navy and specialized craft during wartime. Moving inland toward Maldon, the account pauses briefly over Roman antiquities before focusing on the active corn trade carried along local rivers.

Passing through quiet market towns like Witham, the route leads to Colchester, where the narrative pivots from contemporary trade to a detailed historical recount of the 1648 Civil War siege. The text reconstructs the fierce battles, sallies, night attacks, and eventual surrender that left the town reduced before returning to the present condition of its large population and past bouts with pestilence. Continuing along the coastline to Harwich, the observation turns to packet ships, parliamentary representation, and busy thoroughfares like Romford, Brentwood, and Chelmsford, where droves of cattle and goods move constantly toward the metropolis.

Entering Suffolk, the journey reaches Ipswich, a town whose once-flourishing shipbuilding industry shows signs of decline despite access to vast reserves of timber sent down to naval yards. In nearby inland settlements like Sudbury, the manufacture of textiles employs crowds of impoverished workers, illustrating the stark economic contrasts between wealthy masters and struggling laborers. Farther along the coast, shifting sands and ocean currents show their power: Orford decays as the sea retreats, while nearby Aldborough thrives without a formal port, and ancient Dunwich faces erosion into the sea.

In the agricultural heartland of Suffolk and Norfolk, the focus shifts to groundbreaking farm practices. The narrative records the revolutionary use of turnips to fatten sheep and black cattle for market, overcoming initial public skepticism about the taste of the meat. Huge droves of turkeys make their way on foot along the roads to London, while tens of thousands of Highland Scottish cattle are brought to the pastures near Norwich to be fattened on rich marsh grass.

After warning of the treacherous reefs, lighthouses, and shipwreck-littered shores near Yarmouth and Cromer, the route turns inland to Newmarket. Here, the text captures the high-stakes gambling of the horse races, contrasting the calculating nature of the jockeys with the beauty of the running horses. The journey culminates at the massive Stourbridge Fair near Cambridge, detailing the vast Duddery where wholesale woollen merchants exchange hundreds of thousands of pounds in goods and orders, before concluding with reflections on Cambridge University's authority over local trade and official legal definitions of the Port of London.

How It Unfolds

The marshes and coastal towns Surveying the lowlands of Essex, the route highlights the profitable marsh farms, the versatile fishing fleets of Barking, and the river commerce at Maldon.

The memory of Colchester The account details the 1648 siege of Colchester, tracing the advances, sallies, magazine explosions, and eventual execution of Royalist officers.

Suffolk's ports and declining trade Moving into Ipswich and coastal harbors, the narrative records decaying ports, shrinking shipbuilding trades, and the dramatic coastal erosion threatening older towns.

Agricultural supply lines Exploring High Suffolk and Norfolk, the focus turns to regional production, documenting turnip-fed cattle, vast herds of Highland runts, and droves of turkeys walking to London.

The hazards of the sea Examining the Norfolk coast near Cromer, the text describes dangerous currents, protective lighthouses, and local farms built entirely from shipwrecks.

Commerce and recreation at the fair Arriving at Newmarket's racing grounds and the vast Stourbridge Fair, the journey records high-stakes betting before analyzing the massive wholesale wool trade and university life.

The People

Daniel Defoe The curious and energetic narrator who observes the landscape, calculates regional trade, refutes inaccurate local legends, and tracks how commerce shapes society.

Lord Goring The Royalist commander during the siege of Colchester who leads the town's defense, rejects early offers of prisoner exchange, and eventually surrenders to Parliament.

Lord Fairfax The Parliamentary general who besieges Colchester, directs artillery batteries, surrounds the town's defenses, and orders the execution of key Royalist officers.

Dr. Rowland Taylor A Protestant martyr burned at the stake in Hadleigh during Queen Mary's reign, remembered by locals as a enduring pattern of charity and religious zeal.

Mr. Frampton The oldest and most calculating jockey at the Newmarket races, famous for losing or winning thousands of guineas in a day with absolute calm.

Sir R. Fagg A Sussex gentleman at Newmarket who repeatedly wins races by entering elite horses carefully disguised to look like clumsy, dirty cart-horses.

In Its Own Voice

"the fate of things gives a new face to things; produces changes in low life, and innumerable incidents; plants and supplants families; raises and sinks towns; removes manufactures and trade;"

Context: The narrator explains why a fresh description of the nation is necessary, noting how constant economic shifts alter the landscape.

"farmers and country people had scarce a barn, or a shed, or a stable... but what was built of old planks, beams, wales, and timbers, etc., the wrecks of ships"

Context: Passing near Cromer Bay after discussing marine dangers, the narrator observes how coastal locals build their property from destroyed vessels.

"they were all so intent, so eager, so busy upon the sharping part of the sport—their wagers and bets—that to me they seemed just as so many horse-coursers in Smithfield"

Context: Watching the nobility gather at the Newmarket horse races, the narrator criticizes how high-ranking gentlemen degrade themselves through ruthless betting.

What It's Really About

The text examines how human enterprise, market demands, and natural forces continuously reshape a nation's geography and social fabric. It argues that London acts as a massive economic engine, driving production across the countryside and dictating the flow of grain, livestock, and manufactured goods. Beneath the town descriptions lies an inquiry into trade as a primary historical force: harbors silt up, industries relocate, wealth shifts, and towns rise or fall based on their connection to commercial networks. The work demonstrates how practical ingenuity—from turnip farming to specialized boat design—sustains a growing national economy.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a vivid, eyewitness inspection of early eighteenth-century Britain just as it was entering a modern commercial era. Readers who enjoy social history, historical geography, and classic travel writing will appreciate its grounded, highly specific observations. Instead of focusing merely on castles and elite estates, the narrative concentrates on working ports, local markets, agricultural experiments, and the daily logistics of supplying a metropolis.

The reading experience feels energetic and direct, driven by a sharp journalistic eye for detail and statistics. The prose moves briskly from agricultural reports to military histories and sharp social critiques. Modern readers may occasionally find the lengthy town listings, historical digressions, and detailed descriptions of regional trade routes somewhat dense. However, the author's direct tone, dry humor regarding local myths, and deep interest in how ordinary people earn their living give the work an enduring freshness that rewards anyone curious about the roots of modern industrial life.