Bury St Edmunds is a town in the county of Suffolk, England, and was formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is also the seat of the East of England Regional Assembly. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and is probably most famous for the ruined abbey that stands near the town centre. The town is closely associated with Magna Carta, in 1214 the barons of England are believed to have met in the Abbey Church and swore that they would force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, the document which influenced the creation of the Magna Carta. It was also the setting for two Witch trials, the first under the direction of the Witchfinder General the second used as a reference in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693. During the Second World War, the USAAF operated an airfield outside the town. The Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of St Edmund is The Marquess of Bristol.
