Tour through the Eastern Counties of England, 1722

In this lively series of letters, a keen‑eyed observer walks the flat, wind‑swept counties of eastern England as they existed in the early 1720s. He records towns, rivers, markets and the everyday habits of farmers, merchants and gentry, noting how geography and trade shape the landscape. The narrative reads like a conversational guide, full of anecdotes that bring the roadside inns and bustling ports to life.

Among the most striking scenes are the sprawling marshes of Essex, where poor health and a grim pattern of serial marriages become a local dark joke, and the lingering scars of the Civil War at Colchester. He paints the fortunes of Ipswich—once a proud ship‑building hub now in gentle decline—and recounts a dramatic, almost theatrical, attempt on a family member’s life in Bury St. Edmunds. The writer’s blend of personal curiosity and practical suggestions offers a vivid snapshot of a region in transition.