Editing Eye, Suffolk (section)

==History==
There have been [[Palaeolithic]], [[Mesolithic]], [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]] finds in and around Eye, but the earliest evidence of settlement dates from the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] period. It includes buildings and coins from about 365 CE.<ref name=rob/> A large [[Anglo-Saxon]] cemetery with many urned cremations and some furnished inhumations, in use in the 6th century, was excavated near the Waterloo Plantation in 1818.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF3973|title=Monument record EYE 003 - Waterloo Plantation (Saxon)|publisher=Suffolk Heritage Explorer|access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

In 1781 labourers unearthed a lead box by the river at Clint Farm in Eye, {{convert|3|mi|km}} south of [[Scole]] and {{convert|2|mi|km}} south–west of [[Hoxne]]. It contained some 600 Roman gold coins from the reigns of [[Valens]] and [[Valentinian I]] (reigned 364–375), [[Gratian]] (375–383), [[Theodosius I]] (378–395), [[Arcadius]] (395–408) and [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]] (393–423).<ref name=rob>{{Citation|last=Robertson |first=Anne S. |editor=Hobbs, Richard |title=An Inventory of Romano-British Coin Hoards |page=404 |publisher=Royal Numismatic Society |year=2000 |isbn=0-901405-48-5}}</ref>

Eye before the [[Norman Conquest]] was one of numerous holdings of Edric of Laxfield, a wealthy, influential Saxon, who was the third largest landholder in [[Suffolk]].<ref name=domes>[http://opendomesday.org/place/TM1473/eye/ Open Domesday Online: Eye]</ref> After the Norman Conquest, the town's regional importance was confirmed when the Honour of Eye was granted to [[William Malet (Norman conquest)|William Malet]], a Norman lord.<ref name=castle>{{cite web|url=http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/east/eye_castle.html|title=Eye Castle|publisher=Castles, Forts, Battles|access-date=18 April 2022|archive-date=18 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418192818/http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/east/eye_castle.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1066–1071, Malet built a castle as his military and administrative headquarters and started a market that initiated the urbanisation of Eye. In 1086–1087, William's son [[Robert Malet]], tenant-in-chief of the Honour of Eye in the hundred of [[Hartismere]],<ref name=domes/> founded [[Eye Priory]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Remains of Eye Priory at Abbey Farm|num=1020174| access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Eye Castle - geograph.org.uk - 712956.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Eye Castle]], a [[motte and bailey castle|motte-and-bailey fortification]]]]
Eye began to lose its strategic importance after 1173 when the [[Eye Castle|castle]] was attacked by [[Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk]] during a rebellion against [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], and later during the [[Second Barons' War]] of 1265, after which it never regained its former status. Its prison continued in use up until the early 17th century, despite a programme of demolishing most of the castle buildings in the 14th century. A [[windmill]] built in 1561–1562 stood on the [[motte-and-bailey|motte]] until a circular mock keep was built there in 1844.<ref name=castle/>

Eye was once the smallest borough in the country, its claim based on the 1205 [[Charter]] of [[John of England|King John]]. The charter was renewed in 1408, then by [[Elizabeth I]] in 1558 and 1574, by [[James VI and I|James I]] in 1604, and by [[William III of England|William III]] in 1697.<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Eye (Municipality) |display=Eye |volume=10 |page=91}}</ref> However, in 1885 the [[town clerk]] of [[Hythe, Kent|Hythe]] proved that the original charter belonged only to [[Hythe, Kent|Hythe]] in Kent, the error having arisen from the similarity of the early English names, the error was confirmed by archivists in the 1950s but borough status was not discontinued until 1974. In 1835 Eye became a [[municipal borough]] which became part of the administrative county of [[East Suffolk (county)|East Suffolk]] in 1889, the district contained the parish of Eye.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10001420|title=Relationships and changes Eye MB through time|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=1 July 2024}}</ref> On 1 April 1974 the district was abolished and became part of Mid Suffolk in the [[non-metropolitan county]] of Suffolk.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1972/2039/schedule/part/35/made|title=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|publisher=[[legislation.gov.uk]]|accessdate=1 July 2024}}</ref> A [[successor parish]] was formed covering the same area as the former district and its parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1973/1110/made|title=The Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order 1973|publisher=legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=1 July 2024}}</ref> Eye retained a Town Council, a Mayor and its insignia. From 1571 to 1832 Eye returned two [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs), then after the [[Reform Act 1832]], a single MP until 1983, when the [[Eye (UK Parliament constituency)|Eye Constituency]] became the [[Suffolk Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Suffolk Central constituency]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/subjects%20images/government%20publications/pdfs/parliamentaryconstituencies.pdf|title=Parliamentary Constituencies|page=129|publisher=British Library|access-date=18 April 2022|archive-date=18 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418194103/https://www.bl.uk/britishlibrary/~/media/subjects%20images/government%20publications/pdfs/parliamentaryconstituencies.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The notable Cornwallis family was established at nearby Brome Hall in the 14th century. Individuals from the family, such as [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis]], represented [[Suffolk]] county{{what|date=March 2024}} in the [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]] over the next three hundred years.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

The Lordship of the Manor of Eye (Sokemere) and Constableship of the Castle is held by the Palmer family of [[Haughley]] in Suffolk. The current Lord is Kieron Palmer of Haughley, succeeding his father Kenneth Palmer. The Manor was held by the Malet family in Norman times, Henry Earl of Brabant, the De Ufford, De la Pole, Cornwallis and Kerrison families as well as King Stephen, Edward I, Mary I and Thomas Beckett in previous years. Known as the Honour of Eye, it consisted of 129 manors and had the right to a court of ''pie poudre'' at its Whit Monday market fairs and those of Thrandeston and Finningham.<ref>''Whites Directory'', 1844, p. 330/331.</ref>

The earliest mention of industry in Eye records that in 1673 "the women's employ in this town is making of bone [[lace]]" and in 1830, "the humbler class of industrious females employ themselves in lace making." It would appear that Eye was at the centre of a localised lace-making industry for many years. In 1846 Eye Borough Council failed in its attempt to route the new London-[[Norwich]] railway line through Eye. The line, completed in 1849, went instead through [[Diss, Norfolk|Diss]], which was ensured growth in prosperity and population, while the importance of Eye waned. [[Eye (Suffolk) railway station|Eye railway station]], at the end of a branch line from [[Mellis]], closed to passengers in 1931 and to freight in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF35056|title=Monument record EYE 135 - Eye Railway Branch|publisher=Suffolk Heritage Explorer|access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

Eye Airfield, to the north-east of the town, began as [[RAF Eye]], occupied by the [[490th Bombardment Group|490th]] Bomb Group of the [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]]'s VIII Bomber Command during the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanairmuseum.com/place/117 |title=Eye    |publisher=American Air Museum in Britain|access-date=7 March 2015}}</ref>