COLCHESTER, a municipal and parliamentary borough and market-town of England, county of Essex, on the Colne, here crossed by three bridges. It stands on the Eastern Counties railway, 51 miles N.E. of London. The borough is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors, and returns two members to parliament. Registered electors (1851-2) 1258. Pop. (1851) 19,443. It is supposed to be the Camalodunum of the Romans; and there are few places in the kingdom where more Roman antiquities have been discovered. It was taken from the Danes in 921 by Edward
the Elder, who founded the castle; and in the reign of Colchicum Edward III. it sent five ships to the blockade of Calais. It Autumnale was ravaged by the plague in 1348, in 1360, and again in 1665. In 1648 it was taken by Lord Goring for Charles I.; but was retaken by Fairfax after a siege of 11 weeks, when Sir C. Lucas and Sir C. Lisle were put to death, and the castle itself dismantled. The walls which surrounded the town, forming an oblong of about 108 acres, with 4 gates and 3 posterns, and about 7 feet thick, still exist in part. Remains of the castle, built of flint and Roman brick, are still to be found; and among them are parts of the tower, Norman gateway, sally-port, and chapel. The remains of the church of St. Botolph's priory, founded in the early part of the twelfth century, present fine specimens of Norman architecture. Several of the churches and chapels are elegant buildings. It has also a free grammar-school with a scholarship at St. John's College, Cambridge, town-hall with jail underneath, corn exchange, house of correction, theatre, library, botanic garden, savings-bank, gas and water works, several hospitals and alms houses, bank, a large distillery, and literary, medical, and other societies. Baize was formerly made in the town to a considerable extent, but this branch of industry has been superseded by the manufacture of silk. The oyster fishery is extensively carried on. Vessels of 150 tons come up the river to Hythe, a suburb, and the port of Colchester. In 1852, 683 vessels of 52,329 tons (of which 657 vessels of 50,281 tons were in the coasting trade) entered; and 336 vessels of 16,174 tons (of which 305 vessels of 13,866 tons were in the coasting trade) cleared at the port. On 31st December 1852, 187 sailing vessels, under 50 tons = 3950 tons, 65 sailing vessels above 50 tons = 7156 tons, and 1 steam vessel of 23 tons, were registered as belonging to the port.