The Romans entered this part of Britain when the valleys of the Yare,
Waveney, and Bure, as well as the sand-bank upon which Yarmouth stands,
were covered by the ocean.
100.
Burgh Castle, a Roman encampment, supposed to have been founded.
495.
Cerdic, a Saxon Prince, and Qenrick his son, with five ships, entered the
port of Yarmouth and named in Cerdic Shore. This Cerdic Shore seems to
have been a great sand-bank formed along the shore between two branches
or channels of the Yare called Havens, by which two channels the river
entered the sea, one running near Caister and the other near Gorleston.
633.
Between this and the year 640, a Saxon Monastery was founded at Burgh, by
Fursey, an Irish monk.
870.
Lodbrog, the Dane, driven by a sudden tempest from Denmark across the
sea, and, entering the Yare, landed at Reedham, where the Court of
Edmund, King of East Anglia, was then kept. Lodbrog is said to have been
received into Court favour, but was soon afterwards murdered in a wood by
the King’s huntsman (Bern) through jealousy. This led to the
imprisonment and execution of Edmund, and put an end to the Saxon dynasty
in East Anglia, after Hinguar and Hubba, two Danish chieftains, at the
head of 20,000 men, had ravished all East Anglia.
1008.
First houses and habitations erected in Yarmouth on Fuller’s Hill, that
being then the only dry land in Yarmouth.
1041–7.
Yarmouth belonged to the King in the reign of Edward the Confessor, and
had 70 burgesses, besides a number of soccagers.
1045.
Bishop Herbert born; and in 1091 was consecrated Bishop of Thetford.
1066.
Cocklewater, or Grubb’s Haven, stopped up with sand.
1100.
St. Bennet’s Church pulled down. It was built in the time of Edward the
Confessor.
Yarmouth governed by a Provost, the first constituted magistrate, whose
public office was in the _Congé_, North Quay. Foreigners were only
allowed to come to Yarmouth at the annual free-fair.
1101.
Bishop Herbert de Lozinga, the first Bishop of Norwich [translated from
the See of Thetford in the 7th year of William II. (Rufus), whose
Chamberlain he was], founded St. Nicholas’ Church, and re-built a Chapel
on the North Denes. He was made Lord High Chancellor to Henry I. of
England in 1104, and died August 11th, 1119.
1119.
St. Nicholas’ Church consecrated. Enlarged 1123, 1250, and 1338. The
last attempt after 10 years’ labour in trying to build a west aisle,
failing, the ruins were used in the building of a Chapel-of-Ease.
1199.
Forty thousand lives lost at sea during the war between King John and the
Barons; a great multitude washed ashore on Yarmouth beach.
1204.
Monastery of Black Friars founded by St. Dominica.
1205.
Yarmouth had three galleys or vessels of war. Two were manned with seven
score mariners.
1209.
First charter granted by King John, and Yarmouth incorporated as a
borough. The document is still preserved (1834).
1216.
All vessels in the port with Scottish property on board were arrested.
1257.
Henry III. granted certain franchises. In 1261 he granted licenses for
fortifying the town; and on Sept. 28th, 1262, granted a Charter for
enclosing the town with a wall and moat, so as to resist the power of an
invading enemy. (See 1396.)
1261.
The Tolhouse Hall, Middlegate Street, erected.
1272.
Yarmouth first called _Magna_ (Great) in the reign of Edward I., to
distinguish it from Little Yarmouth, or Southtown.
1275.
The town wall and fosse commenced at the north end of town.
1272.
St. Mary’s Hospital founded. It was a free Grammar School in 1551, and
fitted up as a school for poor children in 1634.
The Carmelites, or Whitefriars, founded at Yarmouth, and took the north
and some other parts of the town under their charge. (See 1509.)
1285.
King Henry’s Tower erected at the north-east corner of St. Nicholas’
churchyard.
1286.
St. Nicholas’ Church and churchyard consecrated by Bishop Middleton, of
Norwich.
1287.
The sea flowed into St. Nicholas’ Church 4 feet deep, and the town was
inundated.
1290.
A beautiful ship built at Yarmouth for King Edward II., and sent to
Norway for the King’s daughter, upon her proposed marriage with the then
Prince. She was heiress of Norway and Scotland.
1291.
No one allowed to draw wine after the Curfew bell had rung.
1294.
Yarmouth first summoned to send four Burgesses annually to Parliament.
1295.
Sir J. De Botetourt, a Norfolk Knight, had command of a Yarmouth fleet of
fifty-three vessels. Fresh herrings sold for 37s. per last.
1297.
Simon Blaking, of Martham, fled into St. Nicholas’ Church, and confessed
to having broken open a house at Hemsby and the prison at Southtown, and
to having killed W. F. N. Blaking. The law in those days was, if a
murderer could reach a church or churchyard before being apprehended, and
confessed his crime to a coroner, justice, &c., he was set at liberty
without taking a trial.
1299.
William Fastolf and H. Rose, Esqs., returned to Parliament, held at
Lincoln.
1300.
Leather was not only used for various military purposes, but formed a
considerable part of the common dress of the people before the
introduction, and during the infancy, of the woollen manufacture.
1305.
Yarmouth claimed a free Borough by the Burgesses.
1307.
William Fastolf and H. Rose, Esqs., again returned to Parliament, held at
Nottingham.
Price of pipe (120 gals.) of “red wine,” 20s.
1308 to 1472.
During the reigns of Edward II. and III., Richard II., Henry IV., V., and
VI., and Edward IV., upwards of 160 Burgesses were returned to
Parliament, 72 of which were held at Westminster, 6 at York, 1 at London,
Ripon, and New Sarum, and 2 at Gloucester.
1314.
Two Parliaments held, but not represented by the same Burgesses.
1330.
A Castle stood on the site of the King Street Independent Chapel, but was
demolished in 1621.
1332.
Great disputes between the Barons of the Cinque Ports and the Bailiffs of
this Borough, concerning the _free_ fair which the former attempted to
remove.
1333.
Burgesses exempted from serving on Juries, Inquests, or at Assizes,
within the Borough.
1337.
Blackfriars’ Tower completed.
Forty ships of war ordered to Yarmouth roads.
The Yarmouth navy, comprising 20 men-of-war, had orders to proceed to the
port of Dort, to convoy the King’s four plenipotentiaries to the Court of
Hainault from those parts to England. On their return they took two
Flemish ships and their cargoes. The Bishop of Glasgow, who was on board
one, died of his wounds at Sandwich.
1338.
Thomas De Drayton, a Yarmouth man, who had held the office of bailiff
fifteen times, was appointed Admiral of the North Fleet.
Yarmouth magistrates, &c., fitted out a fleet of men-of-war, well
equipped, at their own cost and charge, to go against the enemy at sea
for the space of a month.
1340.
John Perebrown, a burgess of Yarmouth, led the King’s North Sea Fleet in
the great battle of Sluys, and did great service; 230 ships and 30,000
Frenchmen were lost.
1342.
Oct. Edward III. embarked on board the Yarmouth squadron in his
unsuccessful expedition to Brittany.
The principal inhabitants fined 1000 marks for committing trespasses,
&c., on the sea coast.
1346.
The first Haven cut.
1347.
Yarmouth assisted Edward III. at the siege of Calais with 43 vessels of
war and 1,075 mariners, which was 18 ships more than London sent, and
more than any other port, except Fowey.
1348–9.
Plague carried off 7,052 persons out of the then population of 10,000.
1352.
Yarmouth gave to the St. George’s College of Windsor by charter, a last
of red herrings, to be delivered annually for ever on St. Andrew’s day,
concerning which many disputes have since arisen.
1353.
Passenger boat from Yarmouth to Norwich sunk near Cantley, and 38 persons
drowned.
1354.
Fastolf, father of the renowned Sir John Fastolf, one of the bailiffs.
1365.
Six Yarmouth vessels captured and burnt in the Bay of Brittany.
1368.
John Lawers hung for not paying the Custom House dues.
1369.
Yarmouth first appointed a staple port.
1372.
August 22nd. Kirkley Road united to the town and port of Yarmouth by
charter of Edward III., but repealed four years afterwards.
1378.
Price of coal, including freight, 5s. 6d. per chaldron.
1381.
The memorable rebellion of Wat Taylor. The town attacked by 20,000 rebel
archers or bowmen, who plundered houses and did much damage, but who were
defeated after much bloodshed.
1382.
June 20th. Violent shock of an earthquake, and much damage done.
June. King Richard II. visited Great Yarmouth.
1384.
Market Place paved, and a Cross and Pillory built.
1385.
William Bardolf, Baron Bardolf, died. He had large estates near
Yarmouth.
1386.
Sir Henry Percy and Fauset Percy sent to Yarmouth with 300 men-at-arms
and 600 archers, to guard the coast, an invasion from France being
apprehended.
1392.
A Horse Ferry at Gorleston existed.
1393.
The second Haven made, and a third in 1408.
1395.
Several small Yarmouth and other ships taken by Danish pirates in a sharp
conflict off the coast. Lost £20,000 in specie.
1396.
After a lapse of 111 years the fortifications of the town were
completed—20 towers, 10 gates, and the wall, 2,280 yards in extent. (See
1544.)
1400.
Coals first imported here from Newcastle. Wood was used as fuel before
this.
1403.
Henry IV. granted, by the consent of Parliament, that the shipping,
weighing, and packing of wool, hides, and skins, should be done at
Yarmouth, it being a frontier town.
1408.
Third Haven cut.
1427.
The annual election of four Bailiffs, reduced to two, and so continued
until a Mayor was appointed in their stead.
Yarmouth Bridge, with 8 arches, built, before which a horse, cart,
cattle, and foot ferry-boat existed. This was replaced by 4 successive
drawbridges, i.e., 1553, 1570, 1785, and 1836. (See 1849.)
1428.
About 60 pilgrims sailed from Yarmouth in the ship “Falcon,” for the
shrine at Santiago, in Spain; and in 1434, 20 more left.
1440.
The freedom of the Borough purchased for two marks.
1448.
Ralph Wadiswyke was made Comptroller of the Customs for taking Lord
Doisemond, a French lieutenant, prisoner.
1450.
Caister Castle supposed to have been founded by Sir John Fastolf, K.G.
He was born in 1377, and died in 1459 in his Hall at Caister, aged 82
years, and was buried in the Abbey Church of St. Bennet, at Holme,
leaving his estate to John Paston, Esq.
1459.
July 24th. Lord Lieutenants of Counties first appointed.
1462 to 1586.
Sacred Dramas and Mysteries performed in St. Nicholas’ Church.
1463.
John Pedle, labourer, of Yarmouth, executed for coining and uttering 18
groats, made of copper and lead, as good and lawful money of England.
1465.
Our Lady’s organ in St. Nicholas’ Church built; the old and new organs in
1485; great old organs in 1486; and Jesus’ organ in 1550.
1466.
John Paston died in the Fleet Prison, after the seizure of his estates.
1467.
Fourteen persons hanged at one time upon a gallows erected on the beach.
1469.
The Duke of Norfolk, at the head of 3,000 men, laid siege to Caister
Castle, which was surrendered to his Grace. He died in 1475, and Caister
Castle again reverted to the Paston family.
1475.
Yarmouth threatened by the French fleet. 200 armed men sent from
Norwich.
A whale came ashore south of Grubb’s Haven, which was cut to pieces and
carried away in carts.
1488.
The Bailiffs feasted Sir John Paston, son of the late John Paston, on
porpoise, then a royal fish.
1493.
May 16th. By charter of Henry VII., Burgesses were empowered to
constitute Justices of the Peace.
1508.
The fourth Haven made; and the fifth Haven cut in the reign of Henry
VIII., 1529.
1509.
House of Carmelites, or White Friars, destroyed by fire; founded in
Edward I.’s time, 1278.
1511.
Southtown united with Gorleston.
1515.
Queen of France and her husband, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk,
entertained here three days.
1525.
Church of the Dominicans burnt down.
1528.
Great dearth of corn. The extravagant sale price then was 26s. 8d. per
quarter. Several men were hanged for taking part in a riot arising from
the same.