Bury St. Edmunds
[key], town, Suffolk, E central England. It is the market and processing
center for the surrounding rich farm region. The town also has engineering
works, a brewery, timber yards, and a beet-sugar factory. In 903 the remains
of King Edmund were interred here in a monastery, founded c.630, which later
became a famous shrine and Benedictine abbey founded by Canute. In 1214, English barons
struggling against King John took an oath in the abbey to compel him to
accept their demands. The result was the Magna Carta (1215). Among the buildings
of historical interest in the town are a Norman gate, ruins of St. James
Cathedral, and a 15th-century church. Moyses Hall, a Norman residence, has
been made into a museum.
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