The town was enfranchised in 1571 Originally it had been strongly influenced by the
Howard family and although the family lost some power due to their Catholicism the Arundel family were still nominating MPs in the seventeenth century. It gradually fell under the control of the
Tory Henry Johnson who with his brother represented it for 30 years from 1689 although
Whig political influence was growing and after unsuccessful challenges in 1708 and 1713 the borough was captured after the brothers' death by the Whigs at a reputed cost of £9,000. By the mid-18th century it had been "stolen" from being a Government influenced seat by a City of London merchant,
Thomas Fonnereau: and later came under the control of his cousin
Philip Champion Crespigny who sold it for £39,000 and eventually it devolved to the control of the
Marquess of Hertford. It was described as "a venal little borough in Suffolk". == Boundaries ==