HARWICH, a municipal and parliamentary burgh and seaport town of England, county of Essex, on the extremity of a tongue of land projecting into the estuary of the Stour and Orwell, 15 miles N.E. of Colchester. It consists of three principal streets, well paved and lighted with gas. The church of St Nicholas is a large brick edifice, in the perpendicular style, with stone buttresses and steeple, erected in 1821. There are also chapels for Independents, Wesleyan-Methodists, and Baptists; a grammar school; town-hall; gaol; theatre; assembly-rooms; baths; and custom-house. Shipbuilding and the fisheries are extensively carried on; and Roman cement is largely manufactured from a stone dredged at the mouth of the harbour. In summer it is much frequented for sea-bathing. The harbour is one of the best on the E. coast of England, being at once safe and capacious, and having water sufficient to float the largest ships of war. The entrance is, however, encumbered with rocks, and dangerous without a pilot. It is marked by two lighthouses, and is defended by a strongly-garrisoned fort and battery. It has been made a harbour of refuge. On 31st December 1854, the vessels registered as belonging to the port were—under 50 tons, 66, tonnage 1974; above 50 tons, 53, tonnage 5068. During that year 519 vessels of 37,069 tons entered, and 425 of 19,896 tons cleared, in the coasting trade; 1 vessel of 28 tons entered, and 11 of 535 tons cleared, in the colonial trade; and 70 vessels of 5869 tons entered, and 169 of 9494 tons cleared, in the foreign trade. Harwich is governed by a mayor, 4 aldermen, and 12 councillors, and returns 2 members to parliament. Pop. (1851) 4451.