Transcribed from the 1869 Jarrold and Sons edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org
A COMPREHENSIVE
HISTORY OF NORWICH
INCLUDING
A SURVEY OF THE CITY:
AND ITS PUBLIC BUILDINGS;
CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL HISTORY:
INCLUDING COMPLETE LISTS OF MAYORS AND SHERIFFS,
AND NOTICES OF EMINENT CITIZENS;
POLITICAL HISTORY:
INCLUDING COMPLETE ELECTION RETURNS AND LISTS OF MEMBERS
OF PARLIAMENT;
RELIGIOUS HISTORY:
INCLUDING MEMOIRS OF BISHOPS AND DEANS—RISE AND
PROGRESS OF NONCONFORMITY;
COMMERCIAL HISTORY:
INCLUDING THE SUBSTANCE OF PRIZE ESSAYS ON THE MANUFACTURES
AND TRADE OF NORWICH.
* * * * *
By A. D. BAYNE.
* * * * *
JARROLD AND SONS, 12, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON;
AND LONDON AND EXCHANGE STREETS, NORWICH.
MDCCCLXIX.
PREFACE.
SOME account of the sources of information should be given in the preface
to a history, in order to assure the reader of the authenticity of the
narrative. No one can have turned over a bookseller’s catalogue of local
historical publications without observing how few they are in comparison
with the extent and importance of the particular district in view. The
fact is, that most of the productions of the early authors are either
very scarce or are entirely out of print. No city or county can boast of
so many industrious topographers and antiquarians as Norwich and Norfolk.
If we arrange them in alphabetical order, we have:—Ames, Beatniffe,
Blomefield, P. Browne, Brettingham, Sir Thomas Browne, Chambers, Cory,
Cotman, Dixon, Eldridge, Sir Richard Elles, Forby, Sir John Fenn, Sir
Andrew Fountaine, R. Fitch, Gibson, Gillingwater, Hudson Gurney, Green,
Gunn, Gurdon, Harrod, Ives, Kent, J. Kirkpatrick, Le Neve, Lawrence,
Mackerell, Manship (both father and son), Marshall, Tom Martin, Matchett,
Neville, Nashe, Parkin, Prideaux, Quarles, Richards, Sir H. Spelman, Sir
John Spelman, Clement Spelman, Swinden, Dawson Turner, Wilkins, Watts,
Wilkinson, and the Woodwards (father and son). Most of these, however,
were antiquarians, and contributed more to archæology and topography than
to history.
Mr. J. Kirkpatrick, in the early part of the eighteenth century, was the
first who formed the plan of a regular historical narrative. He spent
the greater part of his life in making researches and collecting
materials for a history of Norwich; and he wrote an immense quantity of
matter in thick folio volumes, the whole of which he left in MS. to the
old corporation. They comprised—
No. 1. A thick folio volume of the Early History and Jurisdiction of the
City; date 1720.
No. 2. A similar folio volume, being an account of the Military State of
the City, its walls, towers, ponds, pits, wells, pumps, &c.; date 1722.
No. 3. A thick quarto.
No. 4. Several large bundles, foolscap folio; Annals of Norwich.
No. 5. A fasciculus, foolscap folio; Origin of Charities, and Wills
relating thereto, in each parish.
No. 6. Memorandum books of Monuments.
No. 7. Ditto of Merchants’ Marks.
No. 8. Ditto of Plans of Churches.
No. 9. Paper containing Drawings of the City Gates, and a plan of
Norwich.
No. 10. Drawings of all the Churches.
No. 11. An immense number of pieces of paper containing notes of the
tenure of each house in Norwich.
No. 12. A MS. quarto volume of 258 pages; the first sixty devoted to
notes upon the Castle at Norwich, the remainder to an account of
Religious Orders and Houses, and the Hospitals of the City.
After the new corporation was constituted, all Kirkpatrick’s MSS. were
dispersed into different hands. The late Hudson Gurney, Esq., obtained
possession of some of them, and published a very limited number of copies
of those relating to the castle and to religious houses. Mr. Dawson
Turner edited the last-named MS. (No. 12), and it was printed in 1845.
He says that all the other MSS. had disappeared, but that they were safe
in the custody of the old corporation, thirty years before (1815), when
Mr. De Hague held the office of town clerk.
Fortunately, Mr. Kirkpatrick was the contemporary of the Rev. F.
Blomefield, the historian of Norfolk, who appreciated his researches, and
bore this testimony to his merits:—
“Mr. Kirkpatrick was a most laborious antiquary and made great
collections for the city of Norwich, of which he published a large
prospectus. In pursuing his studies, he worked with Peter Le Neve,
Norroy; and as they were very intimate, they mutually exchanged their
collections for this place, Mr. Kirkpatrick giving all his draughts
to Mr. Le Neve, and Mr. Le Neve giving his to Mr. Kirkpatrick. To
the labours of both these gentlemen I am exceedingly obliged, and did
I not acknowledge my obligations in this public manner, I should
inwardly condemn myself as guilty of the highest ingratitude.”
Mr. Blomefield was, indeed, indebted to his deceased friend for the most
valuable parts of his History of Norwich, published in 1742. It is the
only part of his work which can be properly called history, the rest
consisting of topographical descriptions of different hundreds and
parishes in Norfolk. Mr. Blomefield began to print his “History of
Norfolk” at his own press in his own house at Fersfield, in 1739, by
subscription, and intended to publish a list of his subscribers when the
whole was finished. During his life the History came out in monthly
folio numbers; but he died when he had proceeded as far as page 678 of
the third volume. This volume was completed by the Rev. Charles Parkin,
rector of Oxburgh, Suffolk; and after his death was printed in 1769 by
Whittingham, bookseller at Lynn, by whom the “Continuation” was published
in two more volumes in 1777, these two volumes being very inferior to the
previous three. Blomefield’s work is of course the chief source of
information respecting Norwich, and it has been republished in many
abridged forms, the best edition being that printed by J. Crouse for M.
Booth, bookseller, in 1781, in ten vols., the last relating to Norwich.
Many smaller abridgements have also been published, carrying on the
narrative to a later date.
The most reliable authority for the whole of the eighteenth century is
the “Norfolk Remembrancer,” compiled with great care by Mr. Matchett. R.
Fitch, Esq., published a very full and accurate account of the Old Walls
and Gates from J. Kirkpatrick’s MSS., illustrated with views by the late
John Ninham. B. B. Woodward, Esq., F.S.A., librarian of the royal
library at Windsor Castle, has also been a contributor to the history of
the old city, but as yet we have only brief reports of his lectures “On
Norwich in the Olden Time,” as published in the local journals. He
directed attention to the purely fictitious accounts of the origin of the
city to be found in the early historians, who drew in all good faith on
their fertile imaginations. He gave a much more probable account, and
described the progress of the city at different periods, as quoted in the
following pages. Mr. Harrod, too, has contributed a good deal to more
accurate views of early periods, especially in relation to the
earth-works of the castle, and to the monasteries.
The chapters on the “Rise and Progress of Nonconformists in Norwich” in
this history, are the first given in any work of the kind, and supply
information which will readily account for the political condition of the
city. From a few hundreds in the seventeenth century, the Nonconformists
have so greatly increased that now they number many thousands, and have
at the same time attained to considerable wealth and influence.
The chapters on Trade and Commerce supply a new feature in Norwich
history, and are very important to men of business. The information on
this head, including the history of the Manufactures and of the Wholesale
Trade of the city, is for the most part taken from Essays, by the
compiler, to which the prizes were awarded at the Norwich Industrial
Exhibition of 1867.
The great length of the secular narrative must suffice as an apology for
the brevity of the ecclesiastical details, which occupy the greater
portion of Blomefield’s work. A full history of the churches in Norwich
would fill many volumes; indeed, Kirkpatrick’s account of the Old
Religious Houses occupies as many as 300 pages. But the general reader
would not be interested by such details.
A full history of Norwich, up to the latest date, has long been wanted,
and the present compiler has availed himself of all sources of
information, but he has been obliged to compress a great deal into a
small compass. He has introduced many notices of eminent citizens of
every period, including bishops and ministers of all denominations, who
exercised much influence in their day and generation.
Accurate views of local history afford the clearest insight into the
state of society at different periods. Thus the records of Norwich
Castle prove that nearly all the land in the country was either assigned
to bear, or was chargeable with, the castle guard of some castle or other
in ancient times. The castles being fortresses were the centres around
which large towns arose, and where people most congregated for protection
in lawless ages. The whole island was one vast camp during the feudal
period. Monasteries were the only places of refuge for travellers, or
for the destitute poor, and when the religious houses were dissolved, an
entire change took place in the state of society.
Local history, properly understood, is not a dry register of events, but
leads from particular conclusions to higher generalisations. The
predominance of certain ideas at different times produced all the events
of those periods. Norwich men took an active part in all the great
movements of the day,—in the Reformation, the Civil Wars, the
Commonwealth, and all the agitations of more modern times. Therefore,
the story of the city is interesting and important in every period, and
it is identified with the whole course of events in East Anglia. Indeed,
it is difficult to separate the history of Norwich, the capital of East
Anglia, from that of the whole district.
[Picture: Decorative mark]
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.
PART I.
PAGES
SURVEY OF NORWICH. Rise and Progress of the City—The 9–115
Modern City—Public Buildings—Parishes and Parish
Churches—Nonconformist Chapels.
PART II.
CHAPTER I.
The Ancient City—Old Walls and Gates—Desecrated Churches 116–145
and Chapels—Monastic Institutions—Monumental Brasses
CHAPTER II.
The Aborigines 146–151
CHAPTER III.
Norwich in the Roman Period—The Venta Icenorum 152–157
CHAPTER IV.
Norwich in the Anglo-Saxon Period 151–161
CHAPTER V.
Norwich under the Danes 162–164
CHAPTER VI.
Norwich in the Norman Period 165–168
CHAPTER VII.
Norwich in the Twelfth Century 169–172
CHAPTER VIII.
Norwich in the Thirteenth Century 173–176
CHAPTER IX.
Norwich in the Fourteenth Century 177–182
CHAPTER X.
Norwich in the Fifteenth Century 183–187
CHAPTER XI.
Norwich in the Sixteenth Century—Bilney’s 188–211
Martydom—Dissolution of the Monasteries—Kett’s
Rebellion—Queen Mary—Queen Elizabeth—Eminent Citizens of
the Period
CHAPTER XII.
Norwich in the Seventeenth Century—The Civil Wars—Eminent 212–240
Citizens
CHAPTER XIII.
Nonconformity in Norwich—The Independents—The 241–257
Baptists—The Methodists
CHAPTER XIV.
Social State of Norwich from Fourteenth to Eighteenth 258–267
Centuries—Trade Regulations, &c.
CHAPTER XV.
Norwich in the Eighteenth Century—Social 268–356
State—Nonconformity—Eminent Citizens—Norwich in the
Nineteenth Century
CHAPTER XVI.
History of the Norwich Navigation 357–365
CHAPTER XVII.
Leading Events of the Nineteenth Century 366–378
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Reform Era—Commission of Enquiry respecting the Old 379–404
Corporation—The Election of Stormont and Scarlett
CHAPTER XIX.
The Reign of Queen Victoria—Leading Events 405–415
CHAPTER XX.
The Murder of Isaac Jermy, Recorder of Norwich 416–428
CHAPTER XXI.
The Census of 1861—New Poor Law Act—Visit of Prince and 429–454
Princess of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen
of Denmark—The New Drainage Scheme
CHAPTER XXII.
History of the Triennial Musical Festivals 455–474
CHAPTER XXIII.
Eminent Citizens of the Nineteenth Century 475–540
CHAPTER XXIV.
Norwich Artists in the Nineteenth Century 541–551
PART III.
CHAPTER I.
Rise and Progress of the Manufacture of Textile Fabrics, 552–594
and Present State of the Trade
CHAPTER II.
Trade and Commerce of the City—Banks and 595–633
Banking—Wholesale Producers and Dealers—Cattle and Corn
Trade—Traffic by Rail and Water, &c.
PART IV.
CHAPTER I.
Political History—Elections for the City—List of Members 634–683
of Parliament
CHAPTER II.
Political History continued—Lists of Mayors, Sheriffs, 684–705
Stewards, and Recorders
CHAPTER III.
Ecclesiastical History—Origin of the See—Lists of 706–721
Bishops, Deans, and Clergy—Dignitaries of the
Diocese—Nonconformist Ministers
CHAPTER IV.
Religious, Educational, and Benevolent 722–735
APPENDIX.
City Authorities and Officials, &c. 736–738
[Picture: Decorative mark]
INDEX TO CONTENTS.
PAGE
Aborigines of the District 146
Act obtained for Paving and 291, 324
Lighting
Agricultural Implement Makers 611
Agricultural Society’s (Royal) 416
Visit
Agriculture, Chamber of 441
Alexander Rev. John 490
Alfred Prince, in Norwich 443
Alfred the Great, Reign of 159
Allen Thomas, M.A. 248
Anchorages or Hermitages 139
Ancient City, The 117
Anderson William, Notice of 307
Andrew’s, St. Hall—see St.
Andrew’s Hall
Angles, Arrival of 11
Anglo-Saxon Coins 160, 161
Anglo-Saxon Dynasty, Restoration 12
of
Anglo-Saxon Period, Norwich in 158
the
Archæological Society, (British) 433
Visit of
Artists of Norwich 541
Art, School of (in Free Library) 61
Assize Courts, City and County 50
Assizes removed to Norwich 381
Asylum, New Lunatic, contemplated 441
Austin Friars 138
Bank, the Crown 76
Banks and Banking 595
Baptist Chapels 110, 111, 112
Baptists in Norwich, History of 253
the
Barbauld, Anna Letitia 307
Barlow, Peter 307
Barracks, Cavalry 76
Bathurst Bishop 36, 300, 328
Bathurst Bishop, Memoir of 520
Bathurst Bishop, Professor 329
Taylor’s account of
Beechey, Sir William 307
Benedictine Priory 136
Bethel Built 270
Bible Society, Norwich Auxiliary 335
Established
Bignold, Sir Samuel 378, 381, 432
Bigod, Hugh 169, 170, 172
Bigod, Roger 163, 166, 168, 169, 172, 173,
174, 175
Bigod, William 169
Bilney, the Martyr 51, 191
Bishop Bathurst, monument of 36, 521
,, ,, mentioned in _Monthly 300
Magazine_
,, ,, elected 328
,, ,, Professor Taylor’s account 329
of
,, ,, Memoir of 520
,, Goldwell, tomb of 36
,, Hall, driven out 222, 227
,, ,, Memoir of 226
,, Hall’s palace 100
,, Herbert de Losinga (first 13
bishop)
,, ,, Norman statue of 39
,, Hinds, memoir of 524
,, Horne, monument of 36
,, Nykke, tomb of 34
,, Parkhurst, tomb of 35
,, Pelham, notice of 714
,, Stanley, memoir of 524
,, Wren and the “Book of Sports” 244
Bishop’s Palace, History and 43
description of
Bishops of Norwich, list of 708
Black Friars 138
Blomefield, the Norfolk Historian 127, 306
Blind, Hospital for the 327, 733
Blythe, Hancock 307
Board of Health 14, 429
Boleyn, Sir William, tomb of 37
Bombazines, manufacture of 204
introduced
Book of Sports 78, 244
Boot and Shoe Trade, Wholesale 601
Bourn, Samuel 297
Bracondale Lodge (Miss Martineau) 106
Brand, John, B.A. 307
Brasses, Monumental 140, 563
Bread Riots 286, 292, 340
Brethren of the Sac Friars 139
Brewers’ Mark, &c., Mr. R. Fitch 264
on
Brewers, Wholesale 616
Bridge, Carrow, first stone laid 333
,, Duke’s Palace, erected 347
,, Foundry, first stone laid 334
Bridge W., M.A. 245
British Archæological Society, 433
Visit of
,, Association for the 444
Advancement of Science, Visit of
Brooke, Sir James, educated at 45, 726
Grammar School
Brown, Rev. Robert 243
Browne, Sir Thomas, memoir of 230
Brush and Paper Bag Makers 620
Burial Ground—the Rosary 108
Bury and Schneider unseated 656
Buxton, Thomas Fowell 104
Caer Gwent or Guntum, Norwich 10, 157
called so by the Iceni
Caister, a village on the bank of 10, 11
the Taas
Caister and Norwich, Traditional 10
Couplet
Caister Camp 105, 157
Canons Honorary 718
Canute assigned custody of 152
Norwich Castle to Earl Turkel
Cardinal Wolsey visited Norwich 189
Carmelite Friars 137
Caroline, Queen, Address to 350
Carriage Manufacturers 620
Carrow Abbey 84, 139
Carrow Bridge, first stone laid 333
Carrow Works (Messrs. J. and J. 84, 605
Colman’s)
Carrying Trade 625
Carter, Rev. John, memoir of 239
Castle built 11, 163
,, burnt by Danes 12
,, description and history of 20
,, fortifications of 21, 22
,, ,, Mr. Woodward’s opinions 23, 119
,, ,, Kirkpatrick’s opinions 23
,, ,, Mr. Harrod’s opinions 24
,, made the public prison 178
,, Corporation, the 339
,, Hill, View from 47
Cathedral, additions and repairs 29, 30, 31, 276
by Eborard, John de Oxford,
Walter de Suffield, Ralph de
Walpole, &c.
,, Brasses destroyed during 37
Commonwealth
,, Chartists attended at 406
,, Cloisters, description of 41
,, Close, Upper and Lower 44
,, Dignitaries of the 717
,, Dimensions of 32
,, Edward I. and Eleanor at 29
,, Exterior, description of 39
,, Gateways 46
,, Injuries by fires, wind, and 29, 30, 189, 212, 323
lightning
,, Injuries by Reformers 31, 219
,, Interior description of 33
,, Monument of Bishop Bathurst 36
,, ,, Bishop Home 36
Cathedral, Monument of Sir 37
William Boleyn
,, Original Structure 28
,, Prideaux, Dr., Inscription in 34
Memory of
,, Queen Elizabeth dined in 43, 205
Cloisters
,, Tomb of Bishop Goldwell 36
,, ,, ,, Herbert de Losinga 37
,, ,, ,, Nykke 35
,, ,, ,, Parkhurst 35
,, ,, Miles Spencer 34
,, Yarmouth people ask for stones 31
for a workhouse
Catherine, Queen, visited Norwich 189
Catholic Apostolic Chapel 115
Cattle and Corn Trade 623
Cattle Food and Manure Trades 622
Cattle Market, cost of 49
improvements, &c.
Cavalry Barracks 76
Cemetery, Public (opened 1856) 101, 432
,, The Rosary 108
Census of 1861 435
Chamber of Agriculture 441
Chantrey’s, Sir Francis last work 37, 521
Chapel Field 98, 133
Chapels, Nonconformists’ 720
,, ,, Ber Street (Wesleyans) 112
,, ,, Calvert Street (Methodist 112
Free Church)
,, ,, Catherine’s Plain 113
(Primitive Methodists)
,, ,, Chapel-in-the-Field 110
(Independents)
,, ,, Cherry Lane (Baptists) 112
,, ,, Clement Court (Catholic 115
Apostolic—Irvingites)
,, ,, Crook’s Place (Methodist 112
Free Church)
,, ,, Cowgate Street (Primitive 113
Methodist)
,, ,, Dereham Road (Primitive 113
Methodist)
,, ,, Dutch Church (Free 114
Christian Church)
,, ,, Ebenezer (Baptists) 111
,, ,, French Church 114
(Swedenborgians)
,, ,, Gildencroft (Baptists) 111
,, ,, Jireh—Dereham Road 112
(Baptists)
,, ,, Lady Lane (Wesleyans) 112
,, ,, Octagon (Unitarians) 113
,, ,, Old Meeting (Independents) 109
,, ,, Orford Hill (Baptists) 111
,, ,, Pottergate Street 112
(Baptists)
,, ,, Princes Street 109
(Independents)
,, ,, Priory Yard (Baptists) 112
,, ,, Queen Street 114
(Swedenborgians)
,, ,, St. Clement’s (Baptists) 111
,, ,, St. Faith’s Lane (Jews) 115
,, ,, St. John’s Maddermarket 113
(Roman Cath.)
,, ,, St. Mary’s (Baptists) 110
,, ,, St. Peter’s Hall 112
(Presbyterians)
,, ,, Tabernacle (Lady 110
Huntingdon’s)
,, ,, Upper Goat Lane (Friends) 113
,, ,, Willow Lane (Roman 113
Catholics)
Chapels, Desecrated 133
Charing (Sherers’) Cross removed 275
Charitable Institutions 732
,, ,, Bethel 270
,, ,, Blind Hospital 327, 733
,, ,, Doughty’s Hospital 733
,, ,, Great Hospital (called also 79, 197, 279, 733
Old Men’s, St. Giles’, or St.
Helen’s)
,, ,, Jenny Lind Infirmary 430, 733
,, ,, Lying-in Charity 377
,, ,, Norfolk and Norwich 280, 733
Hospital
,, ,, Norwich Magdalen 733
,, ,, Orphans’ Home 733
,, ,, Public Dispensary 325, 733
Charles II. and Queen visited 223, 225
Norwich
Chartist Movements 406, 408, 653
Christ Church, New Catton 92, 405
Church Congress in Norwich 442
Church of England Young Men’s 732
Society
Churches, All Saints 96
,, Christ Church (New Catton) 92, 405
,, desecrated 127–133
,, despoiled by Reformers 219
,, Holy Trinity (Heigham) 102
,, list of 719
,, number of, in olden times 62
,, St. Andrew 70
,, St. Andrew (Eaton) 104
,, St. Augustine 87
,, St. Bartholomew (Heigham) 102
,, St. Benedict 75
,, St. Clement 91
,, St. Edmund 93
,, St. Etheldred 82
,, St. George Colegate 87
,, St. George Tombland 77
,, St. Giles 67
,, St. Gregory 68
,, St. Helen 80
,, St. James 9
,, St. John Maddermarket 69
,, St. John Timberhill 97
,, St. John Sepulchre 95
,, St. Julian 81
,, St. Lawrence 73
,, St. Margaret 75
,, St. Martin at Oak 86
,, St. Martin at Palace 79
,, St. Mark (Lakenham) 105
,, St. Mary at Coslany 88
,, St. Matthew (Thorpe) 106
,, St. Michael Coslany 85
,, St. Michael at Plea 77
,, St. Michael at Thorn 96
,, St. Paul 93
,, St. Peter Hungate 78
,, St. Peter of Mancroft 65
,, St. Peter per Mountergate 81
,, St. Peter Southgate 82
,, St. Philip (Heigham) 102
,, St. Saviour 92
,, St. Simon and Jude 79
,, St. Stephen 94
,, St. Swithin 73
,, Trinity, Holy (Heigham) 102
Cigar and Tobacco Trade 617
City and County of Norwich 170
City Jail 99, 355
City Library 61
City Officials, list of 736
City separated from County of 170
Norfolk
Civic Feasts 52, 197, 204, 378, 402, 403 _et
passim_
Civil Wars, the 216
Clabburn Thomas, monument of 87
Clarke, Dr. Adam, in Norwich 257
Clarke, Dr. Samuel, memoir of 236
Clergy, ignorance of, in 242
fifteenth century
Clergy of City and Hamlets, list 719
of
Close, Cathedral, Upper and Lower 44
Clothiers, Wholesale 601
Clover Joseph, artist 546
Coaches, Mail, to London 282
Coal Trade 622
Coins, Anglo-Saxon 160, 161
Coins of Iceni 149
Collinges Dr. 296
Commercial History 552
Commercial School 726
Compounding for Poor-rates 440
abolished
Cooper Henry 308
Corn Exchange (old) opened 372
,, description of 58
Corn Exchange, portraits in (Earl 59
Leicester & Jno. Culley, Esq.)
Corn, high price of 286, 293
Corn Trade 623
Corporation, Municipal 170
,, ,, First Mayor of New 402
,, ,, History of the 316
,, ,, Last Mayor of Old 401
,, ,, Members of, for 1869 736
,, ,, Present state of the 395
,, ,, Presents to the, by Lord 279
Howard, 223; Sir Robt. Walpole,
275; Sir Armine Wodehouse
Corporation, Old, _Commission of 381
Inquiry_
,, Evidence of Athow, John 395
,, ,, Bacon, R. M. 395
,, ,, Barnard, A. 391
,, ,, Bignold, S. (mayor) 383
,, ,, Bolingbroke, Alderman 383, 391
,, ,, Francis, John 391, 394
,, ,, Gurney, J. J. 383, 388, 392
,, ,, Newton, Alderman 386
,, ,, Palmer, George 392
,, ,, Robberds, J. W. 395
,, ,, Simpson, W. 383
,, ,, Stan, John Rising 390
,, ,, Wilde, William 389
,, ,, Willett, H. 393
,, ,, Wright Mr. 394
Cosin, Dr. John, memoir of 238
Costume of various periods 553
Cotman, J. S., artist 550
Council Chamber 50
County Jail (the Castle) 27
Crape Manufacture 581, 592, 593
Crome, John, artist (“Old Crome”) 89, 542
Memorial of
Crome, Miss, artist 546
Crome, J. B., artist 545
Cromwell and the Commonwealth 222
Cromwell, John 249
Crosse, John Greene, memoir of 530
Crotch, Dr. William 538
Crown Bank (Harveys and Hudson) 76
Crucifixion of a boy by Jews, 174
alleged
Dalrymple, William, memoir of 526
Danes, Incursions of 12
Danes settled in Norwich 162
Dean and Chapter 718
Dean and Chapter’s Library 44
Deans of Norwich, list of 715
Deave, Reuben 308
Denmark, Queen of, visit to 443
Norwich
De Dominâ Friars 138
De Pica or Pied Friars 138
De Sacco Friars 139
Desecrated Chapels 133
Desecrated Churches 127–133
Dignitaries of the Diocese 717
Diocese, Dignitaries of 717
Disfranchisement of Freemen 374, 402
Dispensary, Public 325, 733
Dissolution of the Monasteries 194
Dixon, W. R., artist 547
Domesday Book 12, 13, 165, 260
Dominican Friars 138
Doughty’s Hospital 733
Drainage, the New Scheme for 446
Drapers, Wholesale 616
Dress at different periods 553
Drill Hall 98
Duchess of Norfolk (died 1593), 70
monument of
Duke of Sussex visited Norwich 345
Duke of Wellington, Statue of 63
Duke’s Palace Bridge erected 347
Dungeon Tower 76
Dutch and Flemings, arrival of 166, 557
Dutch Church (Free Christian 114
Church)
Earlham Hall 103
Earlham, Hamlet of 103
Earthquakes felt in Norwich 278
Eaton, Hamlet of 104
Ecclesiastical History 706
Edinburgh, Duke of, in Norwich 443
Education in Norwich 726
Edward I. and Eleanor at 29
Cathedral
Edward III. and Philippa visit 178
Norwich
Edward VI. Commercial School 726
,, Grammar School 45, 726
Eighteenth Century, Norwich in 268
the
Eldon Club 641
Election, First under the Reform 662
Act of 1867
Election of Stormont and Scarlett
(see Stormont and Scarlett)
Elections since Reform Act of 650
1832
Elizabeth Fry 104, 503, 505
Elizabeth, Queen, visits of, to 43, 51, 205
Norwich
Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of 185
Edward IV., visits Norwich
Eminent Citizens, Notices of—
,, ,, Alexander, Rev. John 490
,, ,, Anderson, William 307
,, ,, Barbauld, Anna Letitia 307
,, ,, Barlow, Peter 307
,, ,, Bathurst, Bishop 520
,, ,, Beechey, Sir William 307
,, ,, Blomefield, Rev. F. 306
,, ,, Blythe, Hancock 307
,, ,, Brand, John, B.A. 307
,, ,, Browne, Sir Thomas 230
,, ,, Carter, Rev. John 239
,, ,, Clarke, Dr. Samuel 236
,, ,, Cooper, Henry 308
,, ,, Cosin, Dr. John 238
,, ,, Crosse, John Greene 530
,, ,, Crotch, Dr. William 538
,, ,, Dalrymple, William 526
,, ,, Deave, Reuben 308
,, ,, Enfield, Dr. 298, 309
,, ,, Fenn, Sir John 309
,, ,, Fry, Elizabeth 503, 505
,, ,, Goslin, John 239
,, ,, Gurney, John 499
,, ,, Gurney, Joseph John 503
,, ,, Hall, Bishop 226
,, ,, Hall, Thomas 309
,, ,, Hinds, Bishop 524
,, ,, Hobart, John 310
,, ,, Hooke, James 310
,, ,, Hooker, Dr. 536
,, ,, Kaye, John 210
,, ,, Kinnebrook, David 310
,, ,, Kirkpatrick, John 303
,, ,, Legge, Dr. 209
,, ,, Lens, John 310
,, ,, Lubbock, Dr. 311
,, ,, Mountain, Right Rev. J. 311
,, ,, Opie, Mrs. 537
,, ,, Parker, Archbishop 211
,, ,, Parr, Dr. Samuel 311
,, ,, Pearson, Dr. John 238
,, ,, Rigby, Dr. 311
,, ,, Robert, Viscount of 237
Yarmouth
,, ,, Saint, William 312
,, ,, Sanby, George, D.D. 312
,, ,, Say, William 312
,, ,, Sayers, Frank, M.D. 312
,, ,, Smith, Sir J. E., M.D. 312
,, ,, Stanley, Bishop 522
,, ,, Stevenson, William 313
,, ,, Taylor, John, D.D. 313
,, ,, Taylor, Professor Edward 475
,, ,, Taylor, William 313
,, ,, Thurlow, Edward, Baron 313
,, ,, Wilkins, William 314
,, ,, Wilkins, William, sen. 314
,, ,, Wilks, Rev. Mark 482
,, ,, Windham, William 314
,, ,, Wrench, Sir Benjamin 314
Enfield, Dr. 298, 309
Erpingham Gate 46
Erpingham, Sir Thomas 46, 51
Ethelbert Gate 46
Exhibitions, Great, (1851 & 1862) 430, 436
Norwich Contributors to
Exhibition, Norwich Industrial 443
Extent of Modern City 15
Fastolf Sir John, House of 46
Fenn, Sir John 309
Fifteenth Century, Norwich in the 183
Fires, serious injuries by 188, 277, 323
Fish Market 64
Fitch, R., Esq., on the Old Walls 121
and Gates
Flag of France taken by Nelson 58
Flemings, Arrival or 166, 171, 204, 557, 560, 567
Flemish Refugees banished 244
Flint Implements of Iceni 148
Flint Structure, curious specimen 72
of
Floods, violent, in Norwich 269, 279, 280
Flour Mills 621
Fortifications of the Old City 122
Foundry Bridge, first stone laid 334
Fourteenth Century, Norwich in 177
the
Fourteenth to eighteenth 258
Centuries, social state
Franciscan Friars 137
Fransham John 309
Free Christian Church 114
Free Library 61
Freemasons, Dean Prideaux, first 272
master here
Freemen, disfranchisement of 374, 402
French Church (Swedenborgian) 114
French Revolution commemorated 284
Friaries 136
Friars, Carmelites or White 137
Friars de Dominâ 138
Friars de Pica or Pied Friars 138
Friars de Sacco 139
Friars Franciscan or Grey 137
Friars of St. Mary 138
Friars, Preachers (Black Friars) 138
Friends’ Meeting House 113
Fry, Elizabeth 104, 503, 505
Fynch, Martin 249
Gates and Walls, old 121
Gateways of Cathedral 46
Gedge, Mr. G., promoted National 410, 412, 414
Rate
Goslin John, Memoir of 239
Grammar School 45, 726
,, Brooke, Sir James, educated at 45, 726
,, Lord Nelson 45, 726
,, Valpy Dr., once head master 45, 726
Grantham Thomas 253
Great Exhibitions (1851 and 430, 436
1862), Norwich Contributions to
Great Hospital (see Charitable
Institutions)
Grey Friars 137
Grocers, wholesale 617
Guardians, Corporation of 375, 438
Guild Feasts 52
Guild Hall, description of 50
,, memorials of Nelson in 51
,, Bilney the martyr confined 51
there
Guilds and Pageants 180, 208, 239, 274, 282, 403
Guild, the Tanners’ 74
Gurney Family 103, 498
,, Hudson, on Venta Icenorum 153
,, John 502
,, Joseph John 368, 509
,, ,, buried in Gildencroft 111, 518
Hall, Bishop, memoir of 226
Hall’s Bishop, Palace 100
Hall, Guild (see Guildhall)
Hall, St. Andrew’s (see St.
Andrew’s Hall)
Hall, Thomas 309
Hallett, Rev. J., on History of 251
Old Meeting House
Hamlets—Earlham 103
,, Eaton 104
,, Heigham 98
,, Hellesdon 103
,, Lakenham 104
,, Pockthorpe 108
,, Thorpe 106
,, Trowse, Carrow, and Bracondale 106
Harrod on Fortifications of 24
Castle
Hart, Rev. R., on Old Costumes 564
Harvey, Charles 353
Harvey, John 354
Harvey, Robert 339
Harvey, Sir R. J. H., Bart., 107, 597
Heigham, Hamlet of 98
Hellesdon, Hamlet of 103
Henry I. visited Norwich 169
Henry VI. visited Norwich 184
Henry VII. visited Norwich 186
Herbert de Losinga (first bishop) 13
,, tomb of 37
Hermitages or Anchorages 139
Hinds, Bishop, memoir of 524
Hobart, John 310
Hodgson, Charles, artist 547
Hodgson, David, artist 548
Holy Trinity, Church of the 102
Hooke, James 310
Hooker, Dr., notice of 536
Horticultural Implement Makers 611
Hospitals (see Charitable
Institutions)
Huntingdon’s, Lady, Connexion 110
Iceni, the 11, 147
,, Coins of 149
,, Flint Implements of 148
,, Woodward on 117
,, Sepulchral Urns 148
Independent Chapels 109, 110
Independents, History of the 247
Indigent Blind Hospital 327, 733
Indulgences to those buried in 137
“Pardon Cloister”
Industrial Exhibition 443
Innes, Rev. J. B. 251
Iron Trade 609
Irvingites’ Chapel 115
Jail, the City 99, 355
Jail, the County 27
Jenny Lind Infirmary 430, 733
Jermy, Isaac, Recorder, Murder of 416
Jews accused of crucifying a boy 174
Jews, first settled in Norwich 165
Jews, large influx of 169
‘Jews’ Synagogue 115
John’s (King) visit to Norwich 173
John of Gaunt visited Norwich 179
Kaye, John, memoir of 210
Kett’s Castle 136
Kett’s Rebellion 198
King (see Royal Visits)
King Edward VI. Commercial School 726
King Edward VI. Grammar School 45, 726
Kinghorn, Rev. J., Tributary 256
Lines by Mrs. Opie
Kinnebrook, David 310
Kirkpatrick, John, memoir of 303
Kirkpatrick—buried in St. Helen’s 80, 305
Church
,, on fortifications of Castle 23
Ladbrooke, Robert 548
Lady Huntingdon Chapels 110
Lakenham, Hamlet of 104
Law of Settlement and Removal 414
Legge, Dr., memoir of 209
Lens, John, M.A. 310
Library, City (at Free Library) 61
,, Dean and Chapter’s 44
,, Free Library 61
,, Literary Institution 60
,, Norwich Public 59, 298
Literary Institution, Norfolk and 60
Norwich
Lollards’ Pit (see also Martyrs) 136, 184, 193, 203
Lord Abinger 401
Lord Nelson 45, 51, 56, 288, 289, 330
Lubbock, Richard, M.D. 311
Lunatic Asylum, new one 441
contemplated
Lying-in-Charity, Established 377
Magdalen, or Female Home 733
Mail Coaches, first started to 282
London
Maltby, Dr. Edward 297
Manufacture of Bombazines 204
introduced
Manufacture of Worsted introduced 166
Manufacturers of the last century 302
Manufactures mentioned in “Paston 178
Letters”
Manufactures, Norwich, at Great 430, 436
Exhibitions
Manufactures, Norwich, presented 437
to Princess of Wales
Manufactures—Textile 553
Fabrics—History of
,, ,, in Eighteenth Century 569
,,, , in Nineteenth Century 578
Manure Manufacturers 622
Margaret of Anjou (Queen of Henry 185
VI.) visited Norwich
Market, Corn 58
Market Cross, the 188
Market, Cattle, cost of 49
improvements, &c
Market, Fish 64
Market Place, dimensions of 63
Market Place, formerly the Great 18
Croft
Martineau Family 106
Martyr, the Boy William 174
Martyr, Thomas Bilney 51, 191
Martyrs (see also Lollards’ Pit) 184, 191, 193, 196, 203, 206,
242, 243
Masons, Free, Dean Prideaux first 272
master here
Mayor and Sheriff, alternate 429
nominations of
Mayor, the first 72, 170, 684
Mayors and Sheriffs, complete 684
list of
Mayor’s Feast, curious speech at 53
a
Mayors’ Feasts (see also Civic 52, 204, 378, 403 _et passim_
Feasts)
Mayors’ Gold Chain 271
Members of Parliament first 176
elected for Norwich
Members for Norwich, complete 669
list of
Methodists, Calvinistic 256
Methodist Free Church Chapels 112
Methodist, Primitive, Chapels 112
Methodists, Wesleyan 112, 257
Miles Spencer, Tomb of 34
Ministers, Nonconformist 720
Modern City, situation and extent 15
of
Monasteries, dissolution of 194
Monastic Institutions 135
Monumental Brasses 140
Moore William (last Mayor of Old 401
Corporation)
Mountain, Right Rev. Jacob 311
Municipal Reform Act 170, 400
Murder of Isaac Jermy, Recorder 416
Museum, Norfolk and Norwich 60, 401
Musical Festivals 324, 333, 356, 403
,, History of 455
Mustard and Starch Manufactory 84, 605
(Messrs. J. and J. Colman’s)
National Rate advocated by Mr. G. 410, 412, 414
Gedge and others
Navigation, Norwich, history of 357
the
Nelson, Lord, educated at Grammar 45, 726
School
,, memorials of, in Guildhall 51, 288
,, portrait of, in St. Andrew’s 56, 289
Hall
,, statue of, in Cathedral Close 45
,, victory of, celebrated in 330
Norwich
New Catton (Christ Church) 92, 405
New Mills 74
Newspaper, first in Norwich 269
Nineteenth Century, Norwich in 315
the
Nonconformist Ministers, list of 720
Nonconformists (see Chapels) 109, 720
,, Baptists 110, 111, 112
,, Catholic Apostolic 115
,, Friends 113
,, Free Christian Church 114
,, Independents 109, 110
,, Irvingites 115
,, Jews 115
,, Lady Huntingdon’s Connexion 110
,, Methodist Free Church 112
,, ,, Primitive 112
,, ,, Wesleyan 112
,, Presbyterian 112
,, Roman Catholics 113, 114
,, Swedenborgians 114
,, Unitarians 113
Nonconformity in Norwich, history 241, 294
of
Norman Conquest 165
Norman Architecture, specimens of 62
Northwic, Norwich named so by the 11
Angles
Norwich—Aborigines 146
,, and Caister, traditional 10
couplet
,, “a Port” 357
,, Antiquities 116
,, Assizes removed to 381
,, became a Danish City 12
,, Bishops, list of 708
,, Clergy of City and Hamlets 719
,, Corporation of (see
Corporation)
,, Crape Manufacture 581, 592, 593
,, custody of, assigned by Canute 162
to Earl Turkel
,, Deans, list of 715
,, during Civil Wars 216
,, during Commonwealth 222
,, extract from Domesday Book 166
,, first represented in 176
Parliament
,, from fourteenth to eighteenth 258
centuries
,, in the Roman Period 10, 152
,, in the Anglo-Saxon Period 158
,, in the Norman Period 165
,, in the Twelfth Century 169
,, in the Thirteenth Century 173
,, in the Fourteenth Century 177
,, in the Fifteenth Century 183
,, in the Sixteenth Century 188
,, in the Seventeenth Century 212
,, in the Seventeenth Century, 224
Sir Thos. Browne and Lord
Macaulay on
,, in the Eighteenth Century 268
,, in the Nineteenth Century 315
,, Jews first settled in 165
,, made a Staple Town 178
,, Mayors and Sheriffs, complete 684
list of
,, Members of Parliament for, 669
complete list of
,, Navigation, history of the 357
,, Nonconformity, history of 241, 294
,, Recorder of, Isaac Jermy, 416
murdered
,, Recorders, list of 704
,, seriously injured by Fire 188, 277
,, Shawl Manufacture 587
,, Site of, formerly under the 9, 10
sea
,, Stewards, list of 705
,, supplies against Spanish 205
Armada
,, under the Angles n 11
,, under the Danes 162
,, under the Reform Era 379
,, Union (New Act) 438
,, Venta Icenorum of the Romans 11, 117, 153
Octagon Chapel (Unitarian) 113, 138, 295
Old Bridewell, a curious flint 71
structure (built about 1370)
Old Corporation (see Corporation)
“Old Crome,” artist 89, 542
Old Meeting House 109
,, Rev. J. Hallett on the History 251
of
Old Men’s Hospital 79, 197, 279, 733
Old Norwich 117
,, fortifications of 122
Old Walls and Gates—Mr. R. Fitch 121–127
on
Opie, Mrs., buried in Gildencroft 111
,, Notice of 537
Orphan’s Home 733
Paper Bag Makers 620
Paper Manufacturers 621
“Pardon Cloister” Indulgences 137
Parker, Archbishop, memoir of 211
Parishes and Parish Churches 62
Parliament—Norwich first 176
represented in
Parliamentary Reform, Movements 284, 341, 380, 643, 648
in favour of
Parr, Dr. Samuel 311
Parry, Capt. W. E., Freedom of 351
City presented to
“Paston Letters” on Norwich 178
Manufactures
Paving and Lighting, Act obtained 291, 324
for
Paving of Norwich, worst in 14, 291
England
Pearson, Dr. John, Memoir of 238
Pelham, Dr., present Bishop, 714
notice of
Perpendicular Architecture, 62
Specimens of
Peter, the Wild Youth 277
Physical Condition of Norwich at 9
an early period
Plagues and Pestilences 203, 206, 213, 214, 259, 377
Pockthorpe, Hamlet of 108
Police Introduced 403
Political History 635
Poor Law, New Act for Norwich 438
Poor Law Reform 410
Poor Law Removal Act 412
Population, &c., by Domesday Book 12, 13, 260
,, at various periods 13, 315, 375, 408, 430, 435
Portrait of J. H. Gurney, Esq., 60
in Museum
Portrait of Nelson by Beechey 56
Portraits and Pictures in St. 57
Andrew’s Hall
Portraits in Corn Exchange (Earl 59
of Leicester & J. Culley, Esq.)
Portraits in Shirehall (Lord 50
Wodehouse, Earl of Leicester, and
H. Dover, Esq.)
Post Office 62
Precedence, Questions of 213
Presbyterian (Scotch) Chapel 112
Presbyterians (Unitarians) 295
History of
Prideaux, Dr., Inscription in 34
memory of
Primitive Methodist Chapels 112
Prince Alfred in Norwich 443
Prince and Princess of Wales in 443
Norwich
Prince’s Street Chapel 109
Priories—Benedictine and St. 136
Leonard’s
Priory Yard Chapel 112, 253
Protestant Association 407
Established
Provisions, high price of 286, 293
Public Dispensary Established 325
Public Library 59
Publishers, Manufacturing 615
Pull’s Ferry 44
Puritans, their doings and 219, 243, 244
sufferings
Queen (see Royal Visits)
Queen Caroline, Address to 350
Railway Communications 15, 16, 409
Rajah of Sarawak, Educated at 45, 726
Grammar School
Read, Sir Peter, tomb of 65
Rebellion, Kett’s 198
Rebellion, Wat Tyler’s 178
Recorder of Norwich (Isaac Jenny) 416
murdered
Recorders of Norwich, list of 704
Reed, Rev. Andrew 251
Reed, Rev. Andrew, on the Rise of 247
Nonconformity in Norwich
Reformation, the 184, 206
Reform in Parliament, movements 284, 341, 380, 643, 648
in favour of
Reformed Parliament—first 650
election (1832)
Religious History of Norwich 722
Rifle Volunteers 433
Rigby, Edward, M.D. 311
Rise and Progress of the City 9, 11
River Wensum, rise and course of 16
River Yare 15
Robert, Viscount of Yarmouth, 237
memoir of
Roger Bigod 163, 166, 168, 169, 172, 173,
174, 175
Roman Catholic Chapels 113, 114
Roman Invasion 152
,, opinion of Rev. Scott Surtees 152
Roman Roads 117, 118, 119, 153
Rosary Burial Ground 108
Royal Agricultural Society’s 416
Visit
Royal Visits—Catherine 189
,, Charles II. and Queen 223, 225
,, Duke of Edinburgh (Prince 443
Alfred)
,, Duke of Sussex 345
,, Edward I. and Eleanor 29
,, Edward III. and Philippa 178
,, Elizabeth 43, 51, 205
,, Elizabeth Woodville (Queen of 185
Edward IV.)
,, Henry I. 169
,, Henry VI. 184
,, Henry VII. 186
,, John 173
,, Margaret of Anjou (Queen of 185
Henry VI.)
,, Prince and Princess of Wales 443
,, Prince Alfred (Duke of 443
Edinburgh)
,, Queen of Denmark 443
Rush, James Blomfield, murderer 416
of Isaac Jermy, Recorder
Saint William 312
Saints, All, parish of 96
Sampson and Hercules’ Court 46
Sandby, George, D.D. 312
Sandringham Gates, the 437, 612
Savings Bank opened 339
Say, William 312
Sayers, Frank, M.D. 312
Scarlett, Sir James, made Lord 401
Abinger
School, Commercial 726
,, Grammar 45, 726
,, of Art 61
Schools, Endowed and Charity 628
See, Bishop’s, origin of 706
,, removed to Norwich 13, 706
Separation of Norwich and Norfolk 170
Sepulchral Urns of Iceni 148
Settlement and Removal, Law of 414
Seventeenth Century, Norwich in 212
the
,, ,, Sir T. Browne & Lord 224
Macaulay on
Shawls made in Norwich 587
Sheriffs of Norwich, complete 688
list of
Shirehall, portraits in (Earl of 49, 50
Leicester, Lord Wodehouse, and H.
Dover, Esq.)
Shoe Trade, Wholesale 601
Shops, Warehouses, Banks, &c 18
Sixteenth Century, Norwich in the 188
Slavery, Abolition of 368, 371, 374
Smith, Sir James Edward 312
Soap Manufacture 621
Soc, Sac, and Custom 166
Spanish Armada, supplies against 205
Springfield, T. O. 373, 588
,, first Mayor of New Corporation 403
St. Andrew, Parish of 70
,, Andrew, Parish of (Eaton) 104
,, Andrew’s Hall, description and 51
history of
,, ,, dimensions of 54
,, ,, Flag of France taken by 58
Nelson
,, ,, Mayor’s Feasts in 52 _et passim_
,, ,, Musical Festivals 53, 324, 333, 356, 403, 455
,, ,, Portraits and Pictures in 57
,, ,, Portrait of Nelson, by 56
Beechey
,, ,, restored 281
,, ,, used as Corn Hall and 54, 272
Exchange
,, Augustine, parish of 87
,, Bartholomew, Heigham 102
,, Benedict, parish of 74
,, Clement, parish of 91
,, Edmund, parish of 93
,, Etheldred, parish of 82
,, George Colegate, parish of 89
,, George Tombland, parish of 77
,, Giles, parish of 67
,, Giles’ Hospital (see
Charitable Institutions)
,, Gregory, parish of 68
,, Helen, parish of 79
,, Helen’s Hospital (see
Charitable Institutions)
,, James, parish of 93, 108
,, John Maddermarket, parish of 69
,, John Sepulchre, parish of 95
,, John Timberhill, parish of 97
,, Julian, parish of 81
,, Lawrence, parish of 73
,, Leonard’s Priory 136
,, Margaret, parish of 74
,, Mark (Lakenham) 105
,, Martin at Oak, parish of 86
,, Martin at Palace, parish of 79
,, Mary, Friars of 138
,, Mary Coslany, parish of 88
,, Matthew (Thorpe) 106
,, Michael at Coslany, parish of 85
,, Michael at Plea, parish of 77
,, Michael at Thorn, parish of 96
,, Paul, parish of 93, 108
,, Peter Hungate, parish of 78
,, Peter Mancroft, parish of 64
,, Peter per Mountergate, parish 81
of
,, Peter Southgate, parish of 82
,, Philip (Heigham) 102
,, Saviour, parish of 92
,, Simon and Jude, parish of 79
,, Stephen, parish of 94
,, Swithin, parish of 73
Stanfield Hall, Murders at 416
Stanley, Bishop, Memoir of 522
Stannard, Alfred, artist 549
Stannard, Joseph, artist 548
Stannard, Mrs., artist 549
Staple Town, Norwich made a 178
Starch and Mustard manufactory 84, 605
(Messrs. J. and J. Colman’s)
Stark, James, artist 550
Stevenson, William, F.S.A. 313
Stewards of Norwich, list of 705
Stormont and Scarlett’s
Election—Commission of Enquiry
,, ,, Evidence of Bush, Henry 397
,, ,, ,, Cooper, William 397
,, ,, ,, Cozens, Mr. 397
,, ,, ,, Francis, J. 397
,, ,, ,, Hayes, John 397
,, ,, ,, Rust, Thomas 396
,, ,, ,, Turner, Alderman 397
,, ,, ,, Wortley, Mr. 397
Stracey, Sir H. J., Bart., M.P., 668
unseated
Street Improvements (London and 19
Opie Streets)
Streets named from Trades 121
Streets, names of, first put up 280
Surtees, Rev. Scott F., on Roman 152
Invasion
Survey of the City 9
Sutton, Dr. Charles Manners 328
Swedenborgians (French Church) 114
Sweyn, landing of 118
Tabernacle Chapel 110, 256
Tanners’ Guild 74
Taylor, Dr. John 295, 313
Taylor, Professor Edward 295, 344, 350, 458, 643
,, ,, Memoir of 475
Taylor, William 313
Telegraphic Communications 16
Textile Manufactures, History of 553
,, in Eighteenth Century 569
,, in Nineteenth Century 578
Theatre Royal 61, 322, 367
Thelwall, the Republican Orator 287
Thirteenth Century, Norwich in 173
the
Thorpe, Hamlet of 106
Thurlow, Edward Baron 313
Tillett, J. H., petitioned 668
against Sir H. J. Stracey, Bart.,
M.P.
Tobacco and Cigar Trade 617
Tombland, St. George’s 77
Towers of the Old City 124
Trade Regulations in Seventeenth 265
Century
Trade Stations and Rows in Olden 19, 121
Times
Trinity, Holy, Church of 102
(Heigham)
Trowse Millgate 106
Turnpike Roads opened 280
Twelfth Century, Norwich in the 169
Tyler’s Wat, Rebellion 178
Unitarian Chapel (Octagon) 113
Unitarians, History of the 295
Upholsterers, Manufacturing 619
Urns, Sepulchral, of Iceni 148
Valpy, Dr., Head Master of 45, 334
Grammar School
Venta Icenorum 11
,, Gurney, Hudson, on the 153
,, Woodward, B. B., on the 117
Volunteer Infantry 325, 326
Volunteer Rifle Corps 433, 738
Wales, Prince and Princess of, in 443
Norwich
Walloons settled here 204
Walls and Gates, old 121
Ward Elections, cost of contests 319, 320
Water Gate to Cathedral Precincts 44
Water Works 99
Wat Tyler’s Rebellion 178
Weavers’ Co-operative Society 441
Weavers, disturbances by 373, 406, 583
Weavers, number of (in 1839–1840) 584
Wellington, Statue of 63
Wensum River, rise and course of 16
Wesley, Revs. John and Charles in 112, 257
Norwich
White Friars 137
Whitlingham (Sir R. J. H. 107
Harvey’s)
Wilkins, William 314
Wilks, Rev. Mark 482, 637
William, “The Boy Martyr” 174
Windham, Major General, “Hero of 433
the Redan”
Windham, William 314
Wine, Spirits, and Beer Trade 615
Woodward, B. B., on 23
Fortifications of Castle
,, on Venta Icenorum 117
Wool Weaving Introduced 171
Workhouse, first act for erecting 269
a
Workhouse, New (built in 1859) 101
Workhouse, Old 327
Worship, Places of (see
“Churches” and “Chapels”)
Worsted Manufacture introduced 166
Wren, Bishop, and the “Book of 244
Sports”
Wrench, Sir Benjamin 314
Yarn Company, first stone of 403
factory laid
Young Men’s Christian Association 732
[Picture: Decorative graphic]
A SURVEY OF NORWICH.
Rise and Progress of the City.
IN tracing the rise and progress of the city, it is necessary to inquire
respecting the physical condition of the district around it at an early
period. Before the dawn of authentic history, it is in vain to expect
full information on this point; but the natural changes that have taken
place may be traced with tolerable clearness. Geologists inform us that
the whole area of Norfolk, including Norwich, was in remote ages under
the sea; that by the slow accumulation of alluvial matter islands were
formed in this estuary; and that the waters were divided into several
channels.
We may speculate as to the causes of these changes of the level of land
and water, but we cannot doubt the fact of such changes having taken
place. When or why the great body of waters retired to its great
reservoir in the bed of the ocean is unknown; but whatever the causes, it
is certain that between the first and the eleventh century the waters did
gradually recede till the river assumed a narrower appearance. The
higher part of the city from Ber Street up to Lakenham was probably, 2000
years ago, like an island surrounded by water flowing up the valley of
the Taas on that side, and over the valley of the Wensum on the other
side.
The existence of Norwich as a city during the Roman period from B.C. 50
till A.D. 400 or 500 is very doubtful. Camden says that its name occurs
nowhere till the Danish wars. If it did exist, it was only a fishing
station, for then a broad arm of the sea flowed up the valley of the
Yare, and covered a great part of the north side of the present city.
Indeed, for centuries after the Christian era this arm of the sea may
have flowed over the greater part of the ground on which the north side
of the city now stands. In the course of time, however, the arm of the
sea gradually silted up and left only the present narrow river Wensum
flowing into the Yare.
Tradition has handed down this couplet:
“Caister was a city when Norwich was none,
And Norwich was built of Caister stone.”
There is, however, no evidence that Caister was ever more than a village
on the banks of the Taas, where the Romans built a camp to overawe the
neighbourhood; while all the old Roman roads have always radiated from
Norwich, proving that it was a place of importance in the Roman period.
The _Iceni_ called it _Caer Gwent_, altered by the Romans into _Venta_,
so that it was the _Venta Icenorum_ of the Romans, who probably threw up
the mound on which a castle was afterwards built, in the Anglo-Saxon
period.
Norwich very likely took its rise after the departure of the Romans,
about A.D. 418, on account of the distracted state of the empire. Then,
the camp or station at Caister being almost deserted, the few remaining
Romans joined with the natives, and they became one people; and the
situation of Norwich being thought preferable to that of Caister, many
retired hither for the facility of fishing and the easier communication
with the country. Caister, however, though almost deserted, kept up some
reputation, till the river becoming so shallow, cut off all intercourse
with it by water and reduced it to a place of no importance.
After the departure of the Romans, the Angles from the opposite coast
made themselves masters of this part of the island, and to them is
chiefly owing the further progress of the city and its present name.
“Northwic” signifies a northern station on a winding river, and may have
been so called because of its being situated north of the ancient station
at Caister.
Norwich Castle was probably built in the reign of Uffa, the first king of
the East Angles, soon after the year 575. About 642 it became a royal
castle, and one of the seats of Anna, king of the East Angles, whose
daughter Ethelfred, on her marriage with Tombert, a nobleman or prince of
the Girvii (a people inhabiting the fenny parts of Norfolk), had this
Castle, with the lands belonging to it, given her by her father. About
677, this Tombert and his wife granted to the monastery of Ely, which
they had founded, certain lands held of Norwich Castle, by Castle guard,
to which service they must have been liable before the grant, for, by the
laws of the Angles, lands granted to the church were not liable to
secular service, unless they were at first subject thereto whilst in
secular hands, which proves that this was a Royal Castle in the time of
King Anna.
The Danes soon came over in such large numbers and so frequently, that
they at last got possession of the whole of East Anglia, and became the
parent-stock of the inhabitants of parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. In
1003, Sweyn or Swaine, King of Denmark, came over with his forces and, in
revenge for the massacre of the Danes in the previous year, burnt Norwich
and its Castle, as well as many other places. They afterwards rebuilt
the city and castle, and came hither in such large numbers, that Norwich
became a Danish city, with a Danish Castle, about 1011. After the
restoration of the Anglo-Saxon dynasty, the city entered on a new career
of prosperity, and according to the Domesday Book of Edward the
Confessor, it contained 25 churches, and 1320 burgesses, besides the
serfs or labourers. It was still the capital of East Anglia, with a few
hundred houses, but the greater part of the area round the Castle
presented only marshes and green fields. Two broad arms of the sea still
flowed up the valleys on each side of the city. The whole district all
around consisted of marsh, and moor, and woods, and yet uncultivated
land.
In 1094, Herbert de Losinga, then Bishop of Thetford, removed the See
hither, and began to build the Cathedral, from which time the city
increased yearly in wealth and trade. Domesday Book (1086) contains an
account of all the lands and estates in England, and also of all the
towns. Norwich was then next in size to York, and contained 738
families. Thetford had at the same time 720 burgesses, and 224 houses
empty. Thetford, therefore, was decaying and Norwich was rising. In
1377, a census was taken of several great towns in England, and Norwich
was found to contain 5300 people, for a migration hither of Flemings and
Walloons, who introduced the manufacture of woollen and worstead fabrics,
had increased the population. In 1575, the muster roll of men delivered
to the government capable of bearing arms contained 2120 names, which
would be the proportion for 15,000 people. The population in 1693
amounted to 28,881 inhabitants. In 1752 it had increased to 36,241, and
in 1786 to 40,051. In 1801 it had decreased to 36,832. In 1811 the
number was 37,256, and during the next ten years so large was the
increase that in 1821 the number was 50,288. In 1831, when the census
was taken, Norwich contained 61,116; in 1841, 61,796; in 1851, 68,713; in
1861, 74,414.
Notwithstanding the continued succession of wars from the revolution in
1688 to the conclusion of the peace in 1763, the city continued to
prosper, and its trade had become very great, extending all over Europe,
and Norwich manufactures were in demand in every town on the continent.
Indeed, the period of war, from 1743 to 1763, was the most prosperous era
in Norwich history. The prosperity continued till the disputes arose
between the government and the North American colonies, which commenced
in 1765 and became serious in 1774, and were not terminated till 1783,
when the independence of the United States was acknowledged. During this
period, in fact, the trade of the place was so good, that great numbers
of people came from the surrounding villages and obtained employment in
the factories. After the passing of the paving act in 1806, the new
paving of the city commenced, and proceeded very slowly. This necessary
work was interrupted at intervals from the want of money, and the
Commissioners got deep in debt. In forty years they spent £300,000, and
left Norwich the worst paved town in England. The drainage was very
defective, and the hamlets were not drained at all. The supply of water
was altogether insufficient, and in the hamlets was obtained from wells.
The Board of Health was established in 1851, under the powers of the
Public Health Acts, and since then its provisions have been carried out.
The sanitary condition of Norwich has subsequently greatly improved and
the rate of mortality decreased, owing to the wise and judicious measures
which have been adopted of late years. A fuller description of “the
Ancient City” will be found under the head of “Norwich Antiquities.”
The Modern City.
THE modern city, with all its improvements and extensions, presents a
very different aspect to what it did in former times, when it was
enclosed by high walls and gates. It stands for the most part on the
summit and sloping sides of a rising ground, running parallel with the
river Wensum on the southern side, above its confluence with the Yare.
Its greatest extent from St. Clement’s Hill (north) to Hartford Bridges
(south) is four and a quarter miles; and following the zigzag line of
boundary it is about seventeen miles in circumference, comprising 6630
acres of land. Within its jurisdiction, as a city and a county of
itself, it includes the picturesque hamlets of Lakenham and Bracondale on
the south, of Catton on the north, of Thorpe on the east, and of Heigham
on the west, in which direction Norwich is rapidly extending.
The city is situated in the eastern division of Norfolk, of which county
it is the capital. It is 20 miles distant from the sea at Yarmouth, 108
miles distant from London, 42 from Lynn, 22 from Cromer, 43 from Ipswich,
72 from Cambridge, and 99 from Lincoln; being in latitude 52° 42′ N., and
in longitude 1° 20′ E of Greenwich. The Great Eastern Railway system
places it in communication with all the towns before named, and all the
large towns of England. There is a railway station at Thorpe for the
Norfolk line from Yarmouth to Ely, and another station at St. Stephen’s
Gates for the Suffolk line from Norwich to Ipswich. Telegraphic lines
are established along both railways, and there is also another line from
London, viâ Norwich, to Cromer, on the northern coast of the county.
Navigation is carried on by river from Norwich to Yarmouth. The Wensum,
which rises at Rudham, enters the city on the N.W., and leaves it on the
S.E. It pursues a boldly serpentine course through the town, first
traces for a short space the western limits, then describes a semi-circle
round the left bank, then winds through a thinly-built part of the city,
and next traverses a compact eastern side. An eminence, that may be
called a hill, compared with the flatness of the surrounding country,
extends along the right bank of the river and terminates near its last
bend; and this eminence bears on its summit and its slopes all the more
ancient parts of the city, with a large portion of its present streets
and buildings. The outline of the area within the old walls somewhat
resembles the form of a cornucopia, with the narrow end twisted round
from the S. to the S.E., and has been aptly compared to the figure of a
haunch of venison. A strong flint embattled wall, flanked with forty
towers, pierced by twelve beautiful gates, and fortified by a broad
ditch, formerly surrounded the city, except at two places, where the
Wensum formed a natural defence; but having fallen into decay, and being
considered a hindrance to the growth and improvement of the town, it was
stripped of all its gates, its ditch was filled in, and the only portions
of walls which were permitted to remain are a few strips, here and there,
of crazy ruin. The city inside the walls is divided into thirty-five
parishes, and has five more and parts of two others within the county of
the city. Altogether it contains forty parish churches, exclusive of the
Cathedral, the French and Dutch Churches, and Christ’s Church, New
Catton; and upwards of twenty Nonconformist chapels. It formerly
included about twenty other parishes, but they have been consolidated
with some of the present parishes, and the churches either desecrated or
taken down. Among the chapels which have altogether disappeared may be
mentioned the Chapel of St. Mary in the Field, St. Catherine’s Chapel,
Hildebrand’s Chapel, Magdalen Chapel, St. Michael’s Chapel, (Tombland),
St. Nicholas’s Chapel, St. Olave’s Chapel, (near King Street gates), and
others.
The older portion of the city in most of its street arrangements is very
irregular; and its thoroughfares are narrow and winding, following in
some instances the line of the ancient walls. Some of its houses,
however, are handsome structures, and are often admired by strangers as
beautiful specimens of squared flint facings. The old street
architecture, however, is rapidly vanishing before the hand of
improvement. Many of the half-timber, lath and plaster houses,
remarkable for their grotesque gables and picturesque appearance, have
given place to plainer, but more comfortable and convenient dwellings;
some of which have handsome fronts, more especially round the Market
Place, and in the principal streets. We may, especially, notice the
warehouses and shops of Messrs. Chamberlin, Mr. G. L. Coleman, and others
in the Market Place; of Mr. Caley, Mr. Fiske, Mr. Livock, Mr. Dixon, Mr.
Sawyer, and Mr. Allen in London Street; the offices of the National
Provincial Bank in London Street; and of the Crown Bank on the Castle
Meadow.
THE MARKET PLACE.
The Market Place, which occupies the centre of the city, is one of the
most spacious in England; and being overhung by the singularly massive
square tower of St. Peter’s, and presenting several specimens of antique
houses of the gable-front construction, is very picturesque in its
appearance. It was formerly the great Croft, belonging to the Castle, on
the outer ditch of which it is supposed to have abutted. The first parts
built upon were the east and west sides and the north end. The other
portions were built by virtue of royal licenses. As already indicated,
it has been within the last few years greatly improved, by the erection
of new houses and fronts; and upon the whole it may be said to be well
paved—though as regards the paving of the city generally, there is still
room for improvement. The approaches to the Market Place, it should here
be mentioned, were formerly very narrow and difficult, and they are not
even now all that could be wished; but many improvements have
nevertheless been made at very great expense. Thus, London Street has
within the last few years been widened, at a cost of £20,000; and Opie
Street has been opened from London Street to the Castle Hill. Of course,
the principal places of business are mostly clustered together, either in
the Market Place or in the nearest streets; but in former times, every
business in Norwich had its particular row or station. Thus, in ancient
deeds, we read of the Glover’s Row, Mercers Row, Spicer’s Row, Needler’s
Row, Tawer’s Row, Ironmonger’s Row; also of the Apothecary’s Market, the
Herb Market, the Poultry Market, the Bread Market, the Flesh Market, the
Wool and Sheep Market, the Fish Market, the Hay Market, the Wood Market,
the Cheese Market, the Leather Market, the Cloth-cutter’s Market, the
White-ware Market; all of which we find mentioned before the reign of
Richard II.; for about the latter end of the reign of Edward III., trades
began to be mingled in such a manner, that many of these names were lost.
NORWICH CASTLE.
[Picture: Norwich castle]
HIGH over the centre of the old city, over all its churches, and towers,
and streets, rises the Norman Castle, frowning in feudal grandeur over
the whole district. It stands on the summit of a mound or hill, steep on
all sides, which appears to be chiefly the work of nature, with additions
by human labour. The embattled quadrangular keep, in its restored state,
retaining all the details of architectural decoration peculiar to the
Norman style, presents a faithful image, though without the grey
antiquity, of its original exterior, and is a noble striking object from
whatsoever point it is seen. The common history is, that a fortress
existed here during the Saxon period, and that Uffa, the first King of
the East Angles, formed one of earth, according to the rude method of the
times. In 642, Anna, another of the East Anglian kings, is said to have
resided here; and during the Danish wars, this fortress was often taken
and retaken. Alfred is believed to have repaired it, and to have erected
the first stone structure, which was destroyed by the Danes in 1004.
Canute probably erected another castle here about 1018, and after the
conquest it was much injured during a siege, and was rebuilt by Roger
Bigod. The plan of the fortifications has been a subject of some
controversy. According to the account commonly given of the fortress, it
consisted of a barbican or outwork to defend the entrance; three nearly
concentric lines of defence, each consisting of a wall and ditch, and
enclosing a ballium or court; and a great central keep, as the last
resort in the event of a siege. The area comprised a space of
twenty-three acres, and each ditch had a bridge over it similar to the
one now remaining. The barbican, or outwork of the fortification, was
situated beyond the outer ditch, if it ever existed. The wall commenced
at the opening called Orford Street, and gradually extended to the end of
Golden Ball Lane, the other extremity terminating in Buff Coat Lane. The
widest part is stated to have been forty yards broad, and gradually
decreasing at the extremities, the length being about 220 yards. Part of
the original form of the wall was supposed to be traceable from the
position of the buildings erected on its site in Buff Coat Lane. The
road to the castle from Ber Street was supposed to pass through the
barbican, exactly where Golden Ball Lane recently stood. The circuits of
the outer vallum and the middle vallum are minutely described by most of
the local historians; but unfortunately there is no sufficient evidence
in support of this old theory of three ditches round the castle—nothing
but a vague traditional story, filled up by imagination. The editors of
the history published by Crouse in 1768, say:
“This castle was defended by a wall surrounding it, built on the brow
of the hill on which it stands, and by three ditches; the outermost
of which reached on the west to the edge of the present Market Place,
on the north to London Lane, which it took in; on the east nearly to
Conisford Street, and on the south to the Golden Ball Lane. The
postern or back entrance into the works was on the north-east, by
which a communication was had with the earl’s palace, then occupying
the whole space between the outer ditch and Tombland. The grand
entrance is on the south, from which you passed three bridges in
going to the Castle. The first hath been immemorially destroyed; the
ruins of the second remained till the ditches were filled up and
levelled thirty years since; and the third still continues and
consists of one whole arch, exceeded by very few in England.”
Mr. John Kirkpatrick, who wrote an account of the Castle in the last
century, gives quite a different description of the earth works. He
notices the present ditch, and a second entrenchment lying between the
present ditch and the Shire house, which then stood near the old weighing
house on the hill. He also refers to the Shire house ditch as a distinct
entrenchment. He describes a bridge house on the inner side of the great
southern ditch in the middle of the present Cattle Market, and the line
of the houses forming the southern limit of the Cattle Market seems to
show the limit of the outwork.
Mr. B. B. Woodward, F.S.A., in his lectures delivered here on “Norwich in
the Olden Time,” adopted this view of the earth works, which he believed
did not consist of three concentric lines of defence. He described the
Saxon fortress as probably no more than a strong palisade carried along
the inner edge of two great trenches and the top of the steep bank of the
small stream called the “Cockey;” the buildings consisting of a great
timber hall with offices and stabling. He believed that the Normans
strengthened the outworks, cast up the great mound, dug the vast inner
ditch, and reared the noble donjon, which, before the “restoration” of
its exterior, was a fine feudal monument. After the Norman period the
earth works, Mr. Woodward thought, underwent great changes. The
horse-shoe trench on the east side disappeared and was built upon. This
horse-shoe trench enclosed the Castle Meadow. Another smaller outwork
was formed on the south side of the original great southern trench, both
of the last named being crossed by bridges. In support of this view, Mr.
Woodward referred to the account given by Kirkpatrick, who, as we have
said, described the second ditch as lying between the great circular
ditch and the Shire house, which then stood near the old weighing house.
The old way from King Street had been disused because the growth of the
city had so greatly altered the defensive character of the fortress. In
addition to this, there were the names of two churches, one of which was
St. Martin’s, (originally called “on the Hill,”) but afterwards “at
Bailey” or “at the Castle gate;” and the other, St. John, now Timberhill,
but then “at the Castle gate.” Unless a way existed through the outworks
to the castle hill, these churches could not have been properly called
“at the Castle gate;” and as the “Bailey,” was the space enclosed within
the intrenchments of the Castle, the other name of St. Martin would be
quite inappropriate. The Buckes, in their view of the Castle,
represented a ruined building, like a bridge house, on the inner side of
the great southern ditch. Before the end of the last century, the level
of the south side of the hill was raised to form a Cattle Market.
Mr. Harrod, some years since, at a meeting of the Archæological Society
held in the Museum, exploded the theory of three circular ditches by
showing from the city records that houses had always stood on the sites
of the supposed outer and middle ditches; the inner vallum was the only
one, and extended round the base of the hill on which the keep is
erected, and is plainly traceable at the present time. It is planted
with trees and shrubs, having a gravelled walk in the centre, and is
enclosed with an iron palisade. The area of the upper ballium is level
and comparatively high, and forms an irregular circle on the summit of
the hill, surrounded by an iron railing. The great Keep situated within
this area is a massive quadrangular pile, 110 feet in length from east to
west, 92 feet 10 inches in breadth from north to south, and 69½ feet high
to the top of the merlons of the battlements, and the walls are from 10
to 13 feet in thickness. From the basement to the top are three stories,
each strengthened by small projecting buttresses, between which the walls
are ornamented with semi-circular arches resting on small three-quarter
columns. In the upper story the backs of some of these arcades are
decorated with a kind of reticulated work, formed by the stones being
laid diagonally, so that the joints resemble the meshes of a net. To
give it greater richness of effect, each stone had two deeply chased
lines, crossing each other parallel with the joints, so as to present the
appearance of Mosaic. On the exterior of the west side are two arches
which appear to have been originally intended as a deception to the
enemy, giving an idea of weakness externally, where in fact was the
greatest strength; for the wall is not only 13 feet in thickness in this
place, but, within, it was additionally barricaded by two oblique walls
which were, long ago, taken down. On the east side of the keep there is
a projecting tower called Bigod’s tower, which was most probably built by
Hugh Bigod, third Earl of Norfolk, who succeeded his brother as High
Constable of the Castle, early in the 12th century. This tower, which
was an open portal to the grand entrance of the Castle, is of a richer
kind of architecture, and in the genuine Norman style, and since 1824,
has been entirely restored, so as now to exhibit its pristine aspect,
which is certainly different from the rest of the keep. The interior of
the keep has been so greatly altered in order to adapt it to prison
purposes, that the original arrangement of apartments cannot be traced.
The style of architecture has been a matter of dispute, as to whether it
is Saxon, Danish, or Norman. Mr. Boid, in his history and analysis of
the principal styles of architecture, ventures to challenge any one to
prove the existence of any monument in this country of real Saxon skill;
nor has any specimen been discovered. Mr. Wilkins, of Norwich, who has
described both the ancient and modern states of the fortress in Vol. xii.
of the Archæologia, believed, however, that the part which yet remains
might have been constructed chiefly in the reign of Canute, but that it
is notwithstanding in the style of architecture practised by the Saxons,
long before England became subject to the Danes, and is the best exterior
specimen of the kind. Other and later writers, with much better
evidence, believe the whole keep to be Norman, of the time of William
Rufus; for it is similar in style to Castle Rising, built in the reign of
that king, by Albini. The earth works and stone works are very similar.
The whole of the exterior of the keep has been refaced, the original
style being preserved. It is to be regretted that the work was not
wholly refaced with small square stones, in the Norman manner, instead of
commencing with the large massive freestone, which is coloured to
represent smaller stones. This defect, however, on being discovered was
remedied, for a great part of the exterior was finished after the Norman
fashion. The county jail stands on the east side of the keep, and was
built on the site of a previous prison in 1824–28 at a cost of £15,000.
It comprises a governor’s house and three radiating wings, and has room
for 224 male prisoners. Three bridges are, as we have said, thought by
some authorities to have crossed three ditches, but for more than a
century the present bridge has been the only one. This bridge consists
of one large semicircular arch. Mr. Wilkins supposed that it was the
original bridge built by the Saxons, but this is only conjectural like
the rest of his theory about the earth works. At the termination of this
bridge, upon the upper ballium, are the remains of two circular towers,
14 feet in diameter, which are supposed to have flanked the portal of the
ballium wall. The history of the castle will be given at some length in
subsequent pages. We shall now proceed to
THE CATHEDRAL.
THIS grand Norman pile is the great ornament to the city, but its
situation is so low that its goodly proportions can be seen only from one
point of view, namely from Mousehold Heath. From that elevation it
presents the dignity of a great work of architecture, and the spire may
be seen on a clear day, on the north, at a distance of twenty miles. The
noble tower, with its gracefully tapering spire, second in height only to
that of Salisbury, the flying buttresses, and the circular chapels at the
east end, are objects of interest to the attentive antiquarian observer.
The cloisters on the south side, and the bishop’s palace and grounds on
the north, and other premises, shut out from public view most of the
exterior, except the west front. A fine view of the splendid effect,
produced by a series of unbroken lines, may be obtained opposite the
south transept, where the whole pile, comprising the transept, tower, and
spire, blend themselves into one harmonious whole. The interior from the
west front entrance presents a most imposing appearance, and when
surveying the vast length of the nave, we feel that our forefathers
“Builded better than they knew,
Unconscious stones to beauty grew.”
We shall first give, in as complete a manner as our limited space will
permit, a sketch of the foundation and progress of the edifice, the
erection of which occupied a century, and then we shall describe its
different parts, exterior and interior, including the nave, the screen,
the choir, the transepts, and the cloisters.
The original structure was begun in 1096 by Herbert de Losinga, the first
bishop of the diocese. The portions he built comprise the choir, with
the aisles surrounding it, the chapels of Jesus and St. Luke, and the
central tower with the episcopal palace on the north side of the church,
and a monastery on the south. Bishop Eborard, the successor of Herbert,
added the nave and its two aisles, from the ante-choir or rood loft, to
the west end. The building, as left by Eborard, remained till 1171, when
it sustained some damage by fire, but was repaired by Bishop John de
Oxford, about 1197, who also added some alms houses to the monastery.
The Lady chapel at the east end, which has long since been destroyed, was
the next addition to the building, and was erected by Walter de Suffield,
the tenth bishop, who filled the See from 1244 to 1257.
In the year 1271, the tower was greatly injured by lightning during
divine service, and in 1272 the whole church was damaged considerably, in
the violent warfare which was at that time carried on between the monks
and the citizens; but in 1278, having been repaired, the church was again
consecrated by William de Middleton on the day he was enthroned Bishop of
Norwich, in the presence of King Edward I. and Eleanor his queen, the
Bishops of London, Hereford, and Waterford, and many lords and knights.
We can now form no idea of the grandeur of such a ceremony in that age.
The tower having been much injured and weakened by fire, a new one,
according to Blomefield, was begun and finished by Bishop Ralph de
Walpole; but this, says Britton, more properly applies to the spire, the
style of which, rather than of the tower, corresponds with that period.
Bishop Walpole ruled the diocese from 1289 to 1299. Before his
translation to Ely, which took place in the latter year, he commenced the
cloister at the north-east angle, and built the chapter house. He only
completed a small portion of the east aisles. The chapter house has
since been destroyed. The rest of the cloister was built by Richarde de
Uppenhall, Bishop Salmon, Henry de Will, John de Hancock, Bishop
Wakering, Jeffery, Symonds, and others, and was completed A.D. 1430, in
the 133rd year from the first commencement of the work.
In January, 1362, the spire was blown down, and the choir thereby much
injured; but under the auspices of Bishop Percy, the present spire was
erected and the choir repaired. In 1629, the upper part of the spire was
again blown down, and in 1633, at a general chapter, it was ordered to be
repaired. In 1843, seven feet were added to its elevation, with the
present finial which formed a consistent termination to the crockets.
In 1463, the church was much injured by fire, the wood work in the
interior of the tower having been ignited by lightning. Under Bishop
Lyhart, however, it was again repaired and ornamented. The splendid
stone roof of the nave was added, the cathedral was paved, and a tomb was
erected over the founder, which was afterwards demolished during the
great rebellion. About the year 1488, Bishop Goldwell built the roof of
the choir of similar but inferior work to that of the nave, adding the
upper windows and flying buttresses. He also fitted up the choir and the
chapels around it, and covered the arched stone work with lead. In 1509
the transepts having been much injured by fire, Bishop Nykke repaired
them, adding stone roofs to them in the same manner as the rest of the
church.
At the dissolution of the monasteries, the cathedral suffered greatly
from the zeal of the Reformers, much curious work being destroyed; and
several obnoxious crucifixes, images, niches, tabernacles, and paintings,
were removed. In 1643, the fanatics took possession of the church and
the adjoining palace, and plundered them of all that was valuable. The
Yarmouth people being in want of a workhouse, sent a petition to the Lord
Protector, praying that “that great useless pile, the cathedral, might be
pulled down, and the stones given them to build a workhouse.” Of course
the petition was not granted. Soon after the restoration, the church was
fitted up again. In 1740, the nave and aisles were newly paved, the
tower was repaired, and the church cleaned. In 1763, the floor of the
choir was again repaved, the stalls repaired and painted, and other
improvements made, not always in harmony with the original structure.
The edifice was extended, embellished, altered, and repaired by many
bishops and by wealthy families till it was completed about 1500.
Alternate dilapidations and restorations followed. The dilapidations
were sometimes sudden, sometimes gradual, and the restorations have
continued at frequent intervals almost to the present day. The entire
pile was repaired and beautified on an extensive scale in 1806–7. The
decayed ornaments of the west front were restored, and many improvements
in other parts were effected in 1818 and following years. The south
front was renovated, and several houses which had stood against the walls
were removed in 1831. The entire fabric was again restored, on the plan
of Edward Blore, about 1840–3; and some portions were repaired, some
embellishments were added, and some interesting ancient features were
brought into view between the years 1843 and 1868.
The pile as it now stands, comprises a nave of fourteen bays with aisles,
a transept of three bays in each wing, a central tower, a steeple, an
apsidal sacristy on the north-east side, a choir of four bays with
aisles, an apsidal end, and a procession path; also three chapels, in the
south side, the north-east side, and south-east side; and a cloister with
each alley of eleven panes to the south of the nave. The dimensions of
the Cathedral as taken from actual measurement are as follows:—
_Feet_. _Inches_.
Length of church 407 0
,, nave to choir screen 204 0
,, choir from screen 183 0
,, roof of nave 251 0
,, transept 178 0
Breadth of nave and aisles 72 0
,, choir from back of stalls 27 1
,, aisles of choir 15 0
Height of spire from ground 315 0
,, tower 140 5
,, spire from tower 174 7
,, roof of nave from pavement 69 6
,, roof of choir from pavement 83 6
_The Interior_.
We shall now proceed with our description of the interior, which contains
the finest specimens of Norman architecture in existence, and admired by
all men of taste. Nothing can exceed the grandeur of the lofty nave,
massive columns, and wide circular arches. The whole pile is chiefly of
the early Norman style, wherein the semi-circular arches and massive
short columns are the leading features. These are considerably varied in
size, moulding, and ornament, in different parts of the edifice.
The Nave comprises fourteen semicircular arches, ornamented with billet
and zigzag mouldings, and supported by massive piers. The arches of the
triforium are of similar style to those below. The magnificent roof, the
work of Bishop Lyhart, the rebus of whose name is of frequent occurrence
upon the vault and corbels, is ornamented with 328 historical figures,
curiously carved, in a kind of relievo peculiar to itself, being chiefly
composed of little figures, most exactly put together, said to be the
only work of the kind in existence, being a complete chain of sacred
history, beginning at the tower with the Creation of the World; the
different days of the creation being disposed of in the several figures
in the intersections of the arched work of the roof. The Fall of Man,
Noah’s Ark, and incidents in the lives of the patriarchs, are represented
in the first seven arches; the rest to the west end represent events
narrated in the New Testament. The interior of the nave looks much too
long in proportion to the rest of the pile, and the triforium is out of
keeping in consequence of its heavy circular arches being too high as
compared with those of the tier below, but the piers of the nave, with
the grand arches which they support, are splendid specimens of Norman
work and decoration.
The south transept is Norman work modified by a few innovations, and is
flanked by square turrets, arcaded at the top and terminating in
pinnacles. The north transept is of similar character. The side aisles
are low, and the roof of plain vaulting. The west window is of unusually
large size, and is of the same design, as regards the tracery, with that
in Westminster Hall. This window has been filled in with gorgeously
coloured glass, being designed as a memorial of Bishop Stanley, who was
buried in the middle of the nave.
In the seventh arch of the north side are the remains of a doorway, with
a stone bench, formerly leading into the monks’ preaching yard, now part
of the bishop’s garden. Even after the Reformation, and up to the time
of the great rebellion, sermons were preached here before the Civic
Authorities and the Members of the Cathedral. Between the sixth and
seventh pillars is an unpretending inscription to the memory of the
learned Dr. Prideaux, formerly Dean of Norwich, author of the “Connection
of the Old and New Testaments,” who died November 1st, 1724. The tomb
between the corresponding pillars on the opposite side is that of Miles
Spencer, Chancellor of the Diocese in 1537. Between the seventh and
eighth pillars is the low tomb of Bishop Nykke, who died in 1535. At the
eighth pillar a pulpit formerly stood. Bishop Parkhurst’s tomb stands in
the next space, between the eighth and ninth pillars.
The Screen was originally the division between the rood-loft and the
chapel of our Lady of Pity. Bishop Lyhart erected the rood-loft, and
upon it the principal rood or cross was placed with the representation of
the Holy Trinity, to whom this church was dedicated; together with the
images of the Blessed Virgin and St. John, and such other saints as were
esteemed here. The rood or crucifix, of full proportions, was made of
wood, and in most churches was placed in a loft constructed for the
purpose over the entrance from the church into the chancel. The nave
represented the Church Militant, and the chancel the Church Triumphant.
Those, therefore, who would pass out of the former into the latter, must
go under the loft; that is, must go under the cross and suffer
affliction. But no rood was complete without the images of the Virgin
and St. John on either side of the cross, in allusion to St. John xix.
26,—“Jesus saw His mother and the disciple standing by, whom He loved.”
The Choir contains sixty-two stalls according to the number of the old
foundations, namely, a prior, sub-prior, and sixty monks. They are
adorned with rich and quaint carvings and canopies, as far as the west
pillars of the tower. The “misereres” (projecting brackets on the under
side of the seats of stalls in churches), are richly carved and present a
great variety of design. Among the stalls the Rev. R. Hart discovered
upwards of sixty _misereres_, and he described them very minutely. In
every example that he had seen the space under the ledge is carved in a
bold relief, with an ornamented boss on each side to balance, as it were,
the centre, whatever it might have been. As may be supposed scriptural
or legendary designs are not often found in such a position. There are,
however, a few examples.
The interior of the tower, which is raised on four massive arches,
presents three arcades, the upper and lower forming galleries, and the
former containing the lower windows of the lantern, which are filled with
painted glass. The clerestory and roof of the chancel are the work of
Bishop Goldwell. Here is an admirable specimen of engrafting a later
style upon the Norman architecture, with as little violence to the eye as
possible.
The tomb of Bishop Goldwell stands within the chapel, formerly dedicated
to St. James, and with its canopy forms a rich specimen of ornamental
sculpture and architecture. On the east side of the fifteenth north
pillar is the monument to the memory of the learned Bishop Home, author
of an excellent “Introduction to the Study of the Bible.” In the space
between the seventeenth and eighteenth pillars was the chapel dedicated
to St. Anne, and in the next space was the seat occupied by Queen
Elizabeth, when she attended divine service during her visit to this
city. The monument to the late Bishop Bathurst now occupies the spot, a
sitting statue sculptured in white marble. Not only for its intrinsic
merits is this statue of great value, but also because it is the last
finished work of Sir Francis Chantrey, who visited Norwich for the
purpose of fixing it only a few days before his death. Opposite to this
monument is the altar tomb of Sir William Boleyn, now despoiled of its
brasses. Sir Thomas Browne tells us in his “Repertorium,” that, during
the Commonwealth, “more that a hundred” brasses were reeved in the
Cathedral alone,—a greater number than the whole county of Norfolk could
now supply. Hence our readers may easily understand what an immense
number of these interesting memorials must have been lost, independently
of the number that have been partially despoiled by the removal of their
canopies.
At the foot of the altar steps, in the middle of the chancel, is the tomb
of Bishop Herbert de Losinga, erected by the Dean and Chapter, in 1682,
in the place of one destroyed during the civil wars. It has been
levelled with the pavement and presents a long Latin inscription from the
pen of Dean Prideaux. The east windows of the clerestory were the gift
of the Bishop, the Misses Morse, and the Dean and Chapter of the
Cathedral, and were erected between 1840 and 1847. The lower one in the
triforium is an obituary window to the memory of the late Canon Thurlow,
placed there by his friends. This space had before been occupied by a
window with a pointed arch, representing the Transfiguration. The window
was removed to the south transept, and the arches of both windows have
been restored.
The bishop’s throne, ascended by three steps, was originally placed at
the east end of the church, behind the altar, and raised so high that
before the partition was made between the altar and the entrance to Our
Lady’s chapel, the bishop had an uninterrupted view from his throne
directly in a line through the whole church. The custos, or master of
the high altar, annually accounted for the offerings made there, which
produced a large sum; and at the annual processions of the city and
country clergy, on the feasts of the Holy Trinity and St. Paul, something
considerable was realized.
The stone roof of the south transept, as well as that of the north, was
raised by Bishop Nykke, about 1501. At the same time, probably, the old
Norman arch leading into the chancel aisle was filled with the rich and
numerous mullions and tracery, which characterise the last period of
pointed architecture. The adjoining aisle leads to the chapel of our
Lady the Less, otherwise called Bawchyn’s Chapel, having been dedicated
to the Virgin and all the Saints, by William de Bawchyn, about the middle
of the fourteenth century. The founder is buried in an arched vault
under the chapel. This chapel is now used as the Consistory Court.
Adjoining is St. Luke’s Chapel, sometimes used as the parish church of
St. Mary in the Marsh, that church having been demolished. Strictly
speaking, the circular part only is the chapel dedicated to St. Luke, but
the adjoining aisle, as far as the most eastward point, is now enclosed
and fitted up for the use of the parish. It is part of Bishop Herbert’s
original foundation. The font was brought from the parish church; it is
richly carved with designs of the seven sacraments, &c. Passing round at
the back of the altar we come to the Jesus Chapel.
The north transept is similar to the south. From the east wall of it
there was a doorway leading to a chapel, said to be the ancient Vestiary.
The arch has been filled up, and the entrance is from a small door on the
outside. Over the exterior of the door leading to the Bishop’s palace is
a niche, containing a figure, said to represent Bishop Herbert, one of
the few specimens extant of a Norman statue.
_The Exterior_.
THE exterior of the Cathedral is not very imposing. The west front was
the work of Bishop Alnwick, in the reign of Henry VI. It is divided into
three compartments, forming the termination of the nave and the aisles.
The central division presents the grand entrance doorway, and a large
central window filled with coloured glass, which we have already
described. It rises into a gable, formerly pierced with a small light,
now a niche, flanked by two turrets with spirelets and round-headed
single panels, and surmounted by a cross. The doorway is formed by a
bold deep-pointed arch, and is much enriched in the spandrels and side
fasciæ with mouldings, niches, pedestals, statues, and other decorations.
The central window is divided, both horizontally and vertically, into
three leading compartments, and subdivided by small mullions; and has
good decorations of perpendicular character. Each of the two lateral
divisions of the west front exhibits pure Norman work, and is of three
stories; the first pierced with the doorway; the second pierced with four
windows separated only by small columns; the third displaying three blank
arches, and flanked with a small staircase turret. At each side of the
great window, and at the extremities of the side divisions, are Norman
turrets, lately restored and substituted for very debased cupolas.
Engravings are extant representing this front with high and slender
pinnacles where the Norman turrets now stand.
The north and south elevations of the nave show a three-storied aisle;
and a clerestory and triforium, with an embattled parapet in each,
exhibit a great height, and tiers of blank arches or arcades with some
later perpendicular windows. On the exterior of the nave will be
observed many traces of alterations in times long subsequent to the
original building. The lowest tiers of windows are of comparatively
modern insertion, and intersect the string course of a billet moulding,
all round the exterior of the edifice. Next above is the arcade of blank
arches, with semicircular mouldings, having regular bases and capitals,
and continuing round the whole structure. Above these was the tier of
original windows now closed up, but surmounted by windows of the
sixteenth century. The exterior of the side aisles is here terminated by
a plain embattled parapet of the same date as the windows before
mentioned. The windows of the clerestory are, however, Norman, and have
blank arches on each side, and continue the same all round the upper part
of the nave and transept. They are surmounted by a parapet similar to
that of the side aisles. The exterior of the south transept has been
lately restored, and various old houses that blocked up the entrance have
been cleared away.
The tower is grandly Norman in four stages, each adorned with arcades,
columns, and tracery mouldings. It has, at the corners, square turrets
with their angles cut off, and is surmounted by decorated battlements and
crocketted pinnacles. The spire is decorated English octangular,
elegantly proportioned, enriched with bands, and boldly crocketted in
ribs running up its angles. It terminates in a handsome finial, and is
the loftiest in England except that of Salisbury. The base of the spire
is supported by projecting buttresses at each angle, terminating in a
small pinnacle.
THE CLOISTERS.
The Cloisters, which are entered by a tasteful modern door on the south
side of the nave, form one of the most beautiful quadrangles in England.
They comprise a square of about 174 feet, and are 12 feet wide. They
were commenced by Bishop Walpole about 1297, but were not completed by
succeeding prelates till 1430. The style of architecture is the
decorated, with traces of the perpendicular. The eastern part is the
most ancient, and a progressive change may be observed in the tracery of
the windows, commencing at the north-east corner, continuing through the
south and the west, and terminating with the north sides. The roof is
much admired for its exquisitely beautiful groining, and its bold yet
elegant bosses, with their sculptured subjects and tasteful foliage. The
doorway leading from the eastern aisle of the cloisters to the nave is
deserving especial notice, being a pointed arch with four columns on each
side, having archwolt mouldings, in front of which are seven canopied
niches, with richly-sculptured crockets containing figures. Above the
door, at the south-west corner, are carved figures of “The Temptation of
our First Parents.” In the first two arches on the west side of the door
are two lavatories, where the monks used to wash their hands before going
into the refectory or common eating hall. Over each of these are three
niches, where images formerly stood. The cloisters are surpassed by none
in beauty of architecture and solemnity of effect. They branch off from
the south transept, and enclose a square court or area. There are eleven
noble windows or arched openings on the western side, twelve on the east,
eleven on the north, and eleven on the south. All these windows are
divided into three lights by two columns, and are decorated with a
variety of beautiful tracery. They are of decorated architecture, except
eight on the north side, which have perpendicular tracery in decorated
arches. The upper portion of the tracery of all the windows appears to
have been once filled with stained glass.
The pavement of the north side of the cloisters was torn up in the great
rebellion, and relaid by William Burleigh, Esq. In this alley Queen
Elizabeth dined in public when she visited Norwich in 1578. In memory
thereof, her Majesty’s arms and those of the nobility who attended her
were painted on the wall of the church, and properly blazoned with
supporters, etc., but they were entirely effaced a century ago.
The dormitory of the monks adjoined the cloisters on the south. At a
short distance from the cloisters are the only remains of the Priory
founded by Bishop Herbert, consisting of three massive clustered columns,
the capitals of which are curiously carved.
THE BISHOP’S PALACE.
The Bishop’s Palace stands on the north side of the Cathedral Church, to
which there was in former times a passage from the door of the north
transept, arched over with stone similar to the cloisters. The original
palace was founded by Bishop Herbert, but has undergone so many repairs
and alterations, that but little of the first building remains, and that
part adjoins a new structure, in a similar style of architecture. In the
garden there is a fine ruin, said to be remains of the grand entrance
into the great hall, which reached to the site of the present episcopal
chapel, and was 110 feet long, and 60 broad. This chapel was restored in
1662, and in it are monuments of Bishops Reynolds and Sparrow. The
entrance to the episcopal residence is from St. Martin’s Plain, by the
palace gate, built by Bishop Alnwyck about 1430. It has a large pointed
arch of several mouldings, and the spandrels are filled with tracery; but
it has suffered materially from injudicious repairs. Over the arch is a
series of pannelled compartments with the letter M crowned. On the west
side is a small door, on which, amongst other ornaments, are a heart and
mitre, the supposed rebus of Bishop Lyhart.
THE CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS.
The Cathedral Precincts include the Upper and Lower Close, and a large
portion of garden ground, with good houses on the south side. The Upper
Close was formerly used as a play ground to the Grammar School; it is now
enclosed with palisades. At the south-east corner is the Audit Room,
which contains the library of the Dean and Chapter. The Lower Close was
enclosed by Dean Lloyd, in 1782, and converted into a garden. At the
extremity of the Lower Close, near the edge of the river, still stands a
double arch of black flint, which is considered the roughest bit of
picturesque in Norwich, and has been frequently sketched. It was
formerly the Water-gate to the precincts, and is now known as “Pull’s
Ferry.”
THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
[Picture: The Free Grammar School]
The Free Grammar School, near the west end of the Cathedral, was founded
by Bishop Salmon, in 1325, and annexed to a small Collegiate Chantry. At
the dissolution of this college, the Corporation, by their Hospital
Charter, were required to find a master and usher, and to remunerate them
out of the ample revenues assigned to them by that charter. This trust
was transferred, in 1836, from the Corporation to the Charity Trustees.
There are generally a little more than a hundred pupils at the school.
The celebrated Dr. Valpy was once the head-master; and in addition to
many eminent scholars, the celebrated “Norfolk hero,” Lord Nelson; Sir
James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak; and other noted characters, were
educated here. Opposite the school is a colossal marble statue of
Nelson. It was executed by Mr. Milne, of London, and has been highly
commended as a work of art. Of this school, and also of the Commercial
School, which is under the same trust, we shall have more to say in
subsequent pages.
The Gateways to the Cathedral on the west side are deserving of notice.
THE ERPINGHAM GATE
is situated directly before the west front of the Cathedral, and is in an
excellent state of preservation. It was built in 1428 by Sir Thomas
Erpingham, (who lies buried in the choir of the Cathedral) as a penance
for having espoused the cause of Wickliffe. It consists of a lofty
pointed arch, in the mouldings of which are a series of thirty-eight
statues in canopied niches. The spandrels are highly decorated with
tracery mouldings and shields, the whole being enclosed in a kind of
square frame with semi-circular buttresses, each of which is divided into
four compartments with statues, niches, pedestals, and shields. As a
matter of some interest, it may here be mentioned that over against the
front of this gate is a large block of buildings, enclosing what is
commonly called Sampson and Hercules’ Court. The grotesque wood figures,
designed to represent these personages, formerly supported the portico,
but are now placed in the paved court. The one holds a club, and the
other the jawbone of an ass. The house itself was formerly owned by Sir
John Fastolf, and afterwards by the Countess of Lincoln; and in the time
of Henry VII. by Elizabeth Duchess of Suffolk, who used it as a city
house for herself and family. It is now in the occupation of Messrs.
Pratt and Hancock, wholesale grocers and cheese factors, who have covered
in the whole court.
THE ETHELBERT GATEWAY
leads to the south end of the Upper Close. It was built by the citizens
as an atonement for the injuries done in a quarrel which they had with
the monks in 1272. The chamber over the arch was formerly used as a
chapel dedicated to St. Ethelbert, the church of that name having been
destroyed during the riots. The west front has a modern pediment of
stone tracery, inlaid with flint. Beneath is a series of blank niches
with a statue in the centre. In the spandrels of the arch are figures,
in basso relievo, of a man with a sword and round shield attacking a
dragon. The east front consists of stone tracery and flint with painted
windows.
THE VIEW FROM THE CASTLE HILL.
We shall now return to the Castle-hill Walk, which is favourable for a
view of the whole city, with all its churches and towers. If we take our
position on the eastern side we shall see the broad vale of the Yare,
where the Romans came up in their galleys and landed on that side of the
river, then very wide. We shall see also where the first street (King
Street,) extends southward the whole length of the city, with tall
chimnies of great breweries sending forth volumes of smoke. Northward
the same street extends to an open space called Tombland; beyond which,
Wensum Street and Magdalen Street lead in a straight line to Catton and
the village of Sprowston. The circle of vision includes the Cathedral,
the Grammar School, St. Helen’s Church, Mousehold Heath, Kett’s Castle,
Lollards’ Pit, the hamlet of Thorpe, the churches of St. Peter per
Mountergate, St. Julian, and St. Peter Southgate, in King Street.
Walking round to the west side, we have before us the spacious Market
Place, and the noble church of St. Peter Mancroft, with a mass of
buildings. From the Market Place we see several lines of streets running
in a direction from east to west; Bethel Street, leading to St. Giles’
Church, and St. Giles’ Street, in a straight line to Heigham. Here in
the foreground, the Guildhall is a conspicuous object. More on the right
we have London Street, Prince’s Street, St. Andrew’s Street, Pottergate
Street, and St. Benedict’s Street, running in lines from east to west.
Here, the chief objects are the churches of St. John’s Maddermarket and
St. Gregory; and in the distance, St. Lawrence, St. Margaret’s, and St.
Michael’s at Coslany. From the north side of the Castle walk we see
Exchange Street, Post Office Street leading into St. Andrew’s, and St.
George’s Street, Pitt Street, and St. Augustine’s, and St. Martin’s at
Oak, all the lower parts of the town, full of close narrow streets,
yards, and courts. The principal objects in view are St. Andrew’s Hall,
the churches of St. Martin at Oak, St. Mary, St. Augustine, St. George’s
Colegate, St. Saviour, St. Clement, St. Peter Hungate, St. Michael at
Plea, St. Paul, St. Simon and Jude, St. Edmund, and St. George Tombland.
THE CATTLE MARKET.
The Cattle Market, on the south side of the hill, has been greatly
extended, and presents the most extensive area for the purpose in
England. On the east side whole blocks of old houses have been cleared
away, and great additions made to the space for the display of horses,
cattle, sheep, and pigs. The improvements cost the city over £50,000.
Every Saturday the hill presents a busy and highly interesting scene, and
a vast amount of business is transacted here in the space of a few hours.
The area has recently been further enlarged by the demolition of some old
houses at the corner of Golden Ball Street. A line of new houses has
been built on the east side, ending with the handsome show rooms of
Messrs. Holmes and Sons, the well-known Agricultural Machine Makers, who
have won many prizes for their implements.
THE SHIREHALL.
The Shirehall, on the Castle Meadow, was erected from a plan by William
Wilkins, Esq. It was commenced on September 9th, 1822, and opened
September 27th, 1823, and is a poor imitation of the Tudor style of
architecture. It stands on the north-east side of the Castle, and is a
substantial brick edifice, possessing all the usual accommodations. It
comprises Crown Court, Nisi Prius Court, and rooms for witnesses and
others. The county assizes and sessions are held in these courts. Near
the crown court there is a small room communicating, by a shaft, with the
prison above, whence prisoners are brought down for trial. The grand
Jury room is a large apartment, and the walls are adorned with fine
portraits of the late Lord Wodehouse and the late Earl of Leicester,
painted by Sir T. Lawrence. There is also a portrait of the late Henry
Dover, Esq., for many years Chairman at Quarter Sessions.
THE GUILDHALL.
The Guildhall is a large antique building, chiefly of flint, at the north
end of the Market Place. It was completed in 1413, when the windows of
the Council Chamber were glazed chiefly with stained glass; but all these
ornaments have disappeared, except in three east windows. The furniture
of this room is of the time of Henry VIII., and the wood work is
ornamented with the linen pattern. The room has been much improved of
late years. The principal court is on the ground floor, where the city
assizes and sessions are held. The Police Court is in a room above,
opposite the Council Chamber. The Town Clerk and City Treasurer have
offices in the building. The Police Station is on the ground floor of
the east side.
The interior of the hall is decorated with portraits, some interesting
trophies of the battle of St. Vincent, presented by Nelson, the city
regalia, and the buskins of a famous dancer, who danced from London to
Norwich in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. When that Queen visited the
city in 1578, there was a magnificent banquet given in the Council
Chamber, and a pageant devised for her amusement was exhibited. In one
of the cells at the bottom of the building, the martyr Thomas Bilney was
confined, and there tested his powers of endurance by holding his finger
in the lighted flame of a candle, to prove his willingness to suffer his
approaching doom. In 1660, the lower court at the west end, now used as
an assize court, was set apart as a cloth hall, and the room above as a
place for the sale of yarn. During the present century the hall has been
much improved on the south side. New windows should be inserted on the
north side.
ST. ANDREW’S HALL.
St. Andrew’s Hall stands in the centre of the city, in the parish of St.
Andrew. It was originally the Church of the Convent of the Blackfriars,
the building of which was begun about the year 1415, by Sir Thomas
Erpingham, who died in 1428, before it was finished. It was completed by
his son, Sir Robert Erpingham, who was rector of Bracon Ash, in Norfolk,
a friar of the order of St. Dominic, and a member of this convent. This
convent extended from St. Andrew’s Street to the river from south to
north, and as far as Elm Hill on the east. The cloister was on the north
side of the church, with a burial place in the middle. The convent
kitchen was at the north-west corner. Between the nave and choir of the
church there was a neat sexangular steeple, which had three large bells
in it and a clock. It was built about 1462, and fell down on November
6th, 1712. A turret was afterwards erected in its place, in which a
clock bell hung. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, the
citizens applied to Henry VIII., through the interest of the Duke of
Norfolk, for a grant of the convent for the use of the city, and
requested that he would allow them to make the church into “a large hall,
for the mayor and his brethren, with all the citizens to repair unto at
common assemblies,” to make a chapel of the choir, and to appropriate the
rest of the building to other purposes. This was complied with, and the
petition is dated June 25th, 1540. After this, the guilds of the several
companies in the city, twenty in number, used to hear mass in the choir,
and make their offerings in that place; and most of them held their
feasts in the hall.
In 1544, Henry Fuller, Esq., being then mayor, kept the first mayor’s
feast in grand style in the new hall. In 1561, the Earls of
Northumberland and Huntingdon, the Lord Thomas Howard, and Lord
Willoughby, with many other lords and knights, came to Norwich to visit
the Duke of Norfolk, and they lodged at the Duke’s palace. At that very
time the mayor’s feast was held; and William Mingay, then mayor, invited
the noble lords and their ladies to the banquet. They accepted the
invitation, and were entertained in princely style; and they expressed
great satisfaction with their reception. After dinner, Mr. John Martin,
a wealthy citizen, delivered the following characteristic speech:—
“Maister Mayor of Norwich, and it please your Worship, you have
feasted us like a King. God bless the Queen’s Grace. We have fed
plentifully; and now, whilom I can speak plain English, I heartily
thank you Maister Mayor; and so do we all. Answer, Boys, Answer.
Your Beer is pleasant & potent, and will soon catch us by the
_caput_, and stop our manners: And so Huzza for the Queen’s Majesty’s
Grace, and all her bonny-brow’d Dames of Honour. Huzza for Maister
Mayor and our good Dame Mayoress. His noble grace, there he is, {53}
God bless him, and all this jolly company. To all our friends round
county, who have a penny in their purse, and an English heart in
their bodies, to keep out Spanish Dons, and Papists with their
faggots to burn our whiskers. Shove it about, twirl your cap cases,
handle your jugs, and Huzza for Maister Mayor, and his brethren,
their Worships.”
On many subsequent occasions, the hall was the scene of grand civic
festivities, to which we shall have to allude hereafter.
The Triennial Musical Festivals are held here. And, formerly, the
assizes for the city; the nomination of candidates to represent the city
in Parliament; and the mayor’s feasts, which were generally given on the
day when he was sworn into office, were also all held in this spacious
building; and on some festive occasions, nearly 1000 ladies and gentlemen
have dined here, including most of the principal families of the city.
Several times between 1650 and 1700 the hall was proclaimed “a public
exchange for the despatch of business between merchants and tradesmen.”
The last time was in 1725, when it was used only one year. It was opened
in October, 1796, as a corn exchange and continued to be used as such
every Saturday till 1828. Under the superintendance of Mr. Barry, the
City Surveyor, a complete restoration of the hall was effected in 1863.
The exterior of the hall, as seen from the plain, presents an imposing
appearance, chiefly owing to the fine effect of its long range of
clerestory windows, of which there are fourteen on each side. The five
westernmost windows on the south side are each of three lights, of
decorated character, being of earlier date than any of the other windows.
The sixth or easternmost window is of four lights, perpendicular in
style. On the north side are six beautiful perpendicular windows of four
lights, probably the most elegant in style in the eastern counties. The
principal entrance is through the new porch on the south-west, which is
similar in style to the original building. A large entrance door is
provided in the centre of the west front, and above this there is a large
and beautiful five-light window, producing a fine effect in the interior
of the hall. The interior consists of a nave, 124 feet by 32 feet; and
north and south aisles, 124 feet by 16 feet, each being divided from the
nave by six lofty and handsomely-moulded stone columns, supporting seven
elegant stone arches. Above these arches are the clerestory windows,
fourteen on each side, perpendicular in style, and somewhat later in
character than the other windows. The roof, which is of chestnut, is of
hammer-beam construction, with moulded spandrel brackets and circular
shafts. From the hammer-beams spring moulded arch ribs. The rafters,
which were originally visible, are plastered on the underside, giving the
effect of panelling; the ground-work being intense blue with gilded
stars. The hollows in the whole of the timber are coloured vermillion,
and gilded pateræ are inserted within these hollows at stated distances.
The circular ribs are finished with a bead on the underside, which is
decorated by spiral bands, alternately drab and oak colours. The
intersection of the main timbers at the apex of the roof is distinguished
by carved bosses, richly gilt. The aisle roofs are similarly decorated,
but without the gilded pateræ. At the east end the orchestra is placed
within a recess, under a fine deeply-moulded stone arch, of large size.
The nave and aisles are lighted at night by nine polished brass coronæ,
of characteristic design, pendant from the centres of the arched ribs of
the roof. When lighted up at night, during the Choral Society and
Festival Concerts, the interior presents a very brilliant appearance.
Amongst the principal attractions of the hall are the portraits of city
worthies and some historical paintings. A fine work of art, Queen
Eleonora sucking the poison from her husband’s wound; and another, the
Death of Lady Jane Grey, by Martin, a native of this city; may be seen at
the west end. Large sums have been offered for them. The two oldest
portraits in the hall are Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark. A
fine portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson, painted by Sir William Beechey, was
the last for which the illustrious “Norfolk Hero” sat after his return to
England in 1801. It is allowed to be an admirable likeness. He is
standing on the quarter deck of a man of war; the tri-coloured flag of
France is lying at his feet; and the flag of Spain lies on a cannon;
leaning against which is the sword of the Spanish Admiral, Don Xavier
Winthysen, surrendered to him on February 14th, 1797. On the hero’s hat
is the magnificent diamond Aigrette, or Plume of Triumph, and under it
the rich pelisse of sable fur, both of which were presented to him by the
Grand Seigneur. He is decorated with the red riband as Knight of the
Bath, and with the blue riband and medal suspended therefrom, which are
the Insignia of the Order of St. Ferdinand. On his breast are stars of
the most honourable Order of the Bath, of the Grand Cross, of the Order
of St. Ferdinand, and of the Imperial Order of the Crescent Suspended
from his neck by a riband, hang two gold chains, and another is affixed
to his button hole on the right side, all of which had been presented to
him, at various times, for his unparalleled naval victories.
“Such honours England to her hero paid,
And peaceful sleeps the mighty Nelson’s shade.”
This superb painting may be seen at the west end of the hall on the north
side. Gainsborough painted the portrait of Sir Harbord Harbord,
afterwards Lord Suffield, considered one of the best in the hall.
Amongst the other portraits in the building are some painted by
Gainsborough, Beechey, Heins, Smith, Bardwell, Stoppelaer, Adolphe, Opie,
Clover, Hoppner, Lawrence, and Thompson. The following is a list in
chronological order, with names of the painters.
_Name_. _Artist_. _Date of
Picture_.
Queen Anne 1705
Prince George 1705
Benjamin Nuthall Mayor Heins 1721
Robert Marsh Mayor Heins 1731
Francis Arnam Mayor Heins 1732
Timothy Balderstone Mayor Heins 1736
Thomas Vere, M.P. Mayor Heins 1736
Thomas Harwood Mayor Heins 1737
Robert Harvey Mayor Smith 1738
William Clarke Mayor Heins 1740
Hon. Horace Heins 1741
Walpole, M. P.
William Wiggett Mayor Heins 1743
Robert Earl of Heins 1743
Orford
John Lord Hobart Heins 1743
Simeon Waller Mayor Heins 1746
William Crowe Mayor Bardwell 1746
Thomas Harvey Mayor Heins 1749
Thomas Hurnard Mayor Heins 1752
John Press Mayor Bardwell 1753
John Gay Mayor Bardwell 1755
Peter Columbine Mayor Stoppelaer 1755
Jeremiah Ives, Sen. Mayor Stoppelaer 1756
Nockold Thompson Mayor Heins 1756
John Goodman Mayor Bardwell 1757
Robert Rogers Mayor Bardwell 1758
John Spurrell Mayor Smith 1758
Sir Thomas Mayor Bardwell 1761
Churchman, Knt.
Jeremiah Harcourt Mayor Bardwell 1762
Benjamin Hancock Mayor Adolphe 1764
John Dersley Mayor Bardwell 1764
James Poole Mayor Bardwell 1765
Thomas Starling Mayor Williams 1767
Jeremiah Ives, Jun. Mayor Catton 1781
Sir Harbord Gainsborough 1783
Harbord, Bt., M.P.
Robert Partridge Mayor Beechey 1784
Edward and Eleonora Martin 1787
Lady Jane Grey Martin 1787
John Patteson Mayor Beechey 1797
John Harvey Mayor Opie 1797
John Herring Mayor Opie 1799
Horatio Lord Nelson Beechey 1801
Rt. Hon. Henry Opie 1802
Hobart, M.P.
Rt. Hon. W. Hoppner 1803
Windham, M.P.
Charles Harvey, Recorder Lawrence 1804
M.P.
Thomas Back Mayor Glover 1809
Barnabas Leman Mayor Glover 1813
William Smith, M.P. Thompson 1814
Sir J. P. Yallop Mayor Clint 1815
William Hankes Mayor Clint 1816
Crisp Brown Mayor Glover 1817
Robert Hawkes Mayor Haydon 1822
J. S. Patteson, Mayor Beechey 1823
Jun.
Henry Francis Mayor Lane 1824
William Simpson Town Clerk Phillips 1826
Charles Turner Mayor Briggs 1835
T. O. Springfield Mayor Westcott 1852
Sir Samuel Bignold, Mayor J. P. Knight 1853
Knt.
Rt. Hon. Lord J. P. Knight 1868
Stafford
And over the west window is festooned the Flag of France taken by Lord
Nelson from the ship _Genereux_ in 1800.
THE CORN EXCHANGE.
The Corn Exchange is situated in Exchange Street, which commences at the
north end of the Market Place. The original building, which was erected
in 1828, at a cost of £6000, being found too small, was taken down in
1861, and the present spacious edifice was built by a company at a cost
of £16,000, including the site. The exterior is massive in its effect.
The key stone of the large window has a carved head of Ceres. The
interior is well lighted from the roof, the superficial area of the glass
being equal to the area of the hall. The inside measurement is 125 feet
by 81 feet. The height from the floor is 66 feet. At the east end are
portraits of John Culley, Esq., the originator of the Exchange, and of
the late Earl of Leicester, who was justly regarded as the greatest
farmer in Norfolk. A large amount of business is transacted here every
Saturday afternoon.
THE NORWICH PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Norwich Public Library is located in a spacious room built for the
purpose at the end of an avenue opposite the Guildhall. The first
meeting of subscribers was held there on September 7th, 1837. The
library contains about 30,000 volumes, including many old books of
divinity and archæology. The yearly subscription is one guinea paid by
shareholders, and 26s. paid by others; and subscribers are entitled to
borrow two sets of books at a time. The library is open from 10 a.m.
till 9 p.m. Besides the large room which contains the books, there are
smaller rooms for the convenience of readers. Mr. Langton is the
librarian.
THE NORFOLK AND NORWICH MUSEUM
is a fine building, erected in 1839, in Broad Street, St. Andrew’s. It
contains very valuable collections in geology, ethnology, and entomology,
but chiefly in ornithology. The specimens in ornithology comprise nearly
all the varieties of the raptores or birds of prey, mostly supplied by J.
H. Gurney, Esq. A large new room in the adjoining building is filled
with specimens of British birds, also contributed by J. H. Gurney, Esq.,
whose portrait adorns the room. The fossil remains of mammalia, for the
most part discovered in Norfolk, are extremely interesting. Two other
spacious rooms have just been added to the Museum, one of which is filled
with Elephantine Remains, contributed by the Rev. Jno. Gunn; and the
botanical department has been enriched by the late J. D. Salmon’s
well-arranged specimens, bequeathed by him to this institution, which is
open free on Mondays and Saturdays.
THE NORFOLK AND NORWICH LITERARY INSTITUTION
occupies the upper part of the same building as the Museum, and a large
room in the adjoining one. It was established in 1822, and contains more
than 20,000 well-selected volumes in the various departments of
literature. It is supported by several hundred subscribers who pay two
guineas yearly, and the shareholders pay a guinea and a half yearly.
Every member has the privilege of borrowing two books, and a pamphlet and
review at the same time. A greater number is allowed to country members,
as well as a longer time for reading. The rooms are open from 10 a.m.
till 9 p.m. Mr. F. Quinton is the librarian.
THE FREE LIBRARY.
This is a large building at the corner of St. Andrew’s Broad Street;
erected in 1856, and opened in 1857, under the Free Libraries and Museum
Act, by the Corporation, at a cost of £10,000. It includes large rooms
for the Museum and the Free Library, the Literary Institution, and the
School of Art. The Free Library, in the lower room, contains about 4,000
volumes, and the Old Collection called the City Library. The middle room
above is fitted up as a lecture hall. The School of Art is located at
the top of the building, where rooms are furnished for about 200 pupils,
who receive instruction in drawing, designing, and decorative art. There
is a committee of management for the Free Library, another for the
Museum, and another for the School of Art. Mr. Harper is the librarian.
THE THEATRE ROYAL
is situate at a short distance from the Market Place, in Theatre Street.
It is a very plain building, erected in 1826, but the interior is quite
commodious enough for the limited number of patrons which Norwich
furnishes to the drama.
THE POST OFFICE
is a large, but by no means handsome building; situate in Post Office
Street, near the Market Place. There are two deliveries from London
daily, and mails daily to all parts of the kingdom.
THE PARISHES AND PARISH CHURCHES.
Norwich appears to have taken the lead in the erection of religious
edifices. At a very early period, before the reign of Edward the
Confessor, the city contained 25 churches, and in the eleventh century,
55 existed in or near the town. After the conquest, 43 chapels were in
the patronage of the burgesses, most of which were afterwards made
parochial. In the reign of Edward III., 58 parish churches and chapels
were within the walls, besides 19 monastic institutions and cells,
anchorages, &c. Norwich still contains a greater number of churches and
parishes than any other city in England except London. Many of the
present churches are excellent specimens of ancient architecture.
Several of them are built of squared flints. Besides the cathedral there
are three undoubted specimens of the Norman style, and there are also
many examples of the decorated or florid which succeeded the lancet
style, of the transition style, and of the perpendicular. This later
perpendicular style, which prevailed during the 15th and 16th centuries,
is the chief characteristic of the city churches. The best examples of
this style are the churches of St. Peter Mancroft, St. Andrew, St.
Stephen, St. Giles, and St. John Maddermarket; also St. Andrew’s Hall.
Of all these churches complete restorations have been lately effected.
The original designs have been faithfully adhered to by the architects
and contractors, which is the highest praise that can be awarded them.
In this age we can only restore or rebuild; we cannot invent new orders
of architecture. All our restorations take us back to the middle ages,
and the spirit of those ages seems to be again revived in our parish
churches.
We shall now proceed to describe the parishes and parish churches, in
four districts, west, east, north, and south.
WESTERN DISTRICT.
The western district is the most prominent, comprising the Market Place,
the parishes of St. Peter at Mancroft, St. Giles, St. Gregory, St. John’s
Maddermarket, St. Andrew, St. Margaret, St. Benedict, St. Swithin, and
St. Lawrence. Nearly all the public buildings are situated in this part
of the town—the Guildhall, the Corn Hall, the Post Office, the Museum,
the Free Library and School of Art, the Public Library, and the Literary
Institution. The Market Place is about 200 yards in length, and 110 in
breadth, but part of that area is occupied by the Guildhall, and St.
Peter’s church. A handsome bronze statue of the Duke of Wellington, 8 ft
6 in. high, was erected, at a cost of £1000, in the middle of the Market
Place in 1854. This statue is placed on a granite pedestal, surrounded
by a low railing with lamps at the corners. The new Fish Market is on
the western side of the Market Place. It consists of two rows of shops
with an open space between, and was built, a few years ago, at a cost of
£6000. On Saturdays the Market Place presents a highly animated scene,
and is well supplied with provisions of every kind. It is generally
crowded from morning till night by the citizens, and by the vendors of
the produce of the field, the garden, or the dairy. It is surrounded by
handsome shops, warehouses, hotels, and taverns.
_St. Peter of Mancroft_.
This parish was, at the beginning of the Confessor’s reign, an open
field, that part of it which is now the Market Place, being the great
croft of the Castle or Magna Crofta. Towards the end of the Confessor’s
reign it began to be built over and inhabited; and at the survey of 1086,
the whole field was owned and held by Ralf de Guader, Earl of Norfolk, in
right of his castle, who granted it to the King in Common to make a new
burgh between them, which burgh contained the entire parishes of St.
Peter of Mancroft and St. Giles. The Earl Ralf founded the church of St.
Peter and St. Paul at Mancroft, and gave it to his chaplains. On his
forfeiture, Robert Blund, the Sheriff, received an ounce of gold, yearly,
from the chaplains; and on Godric’s becoming sheriff, the Conqueror gave
it to Wala his chaplain, at which time it was worth £3 per annum.
Sir Peter Read, though not certainly known to be a native of this city,
yet deserves to be mentioned here, because he was buried in St. Peter’s
Church, having this inscription on his monument:—
“Hereunder lieth the corps of Peter Read, Esq., who hath worthily
served not only his prince and country, but also the Emperor Charles
the Fifth, both at his Conquest of Barbary, and his siege of Tunis,
as also in other places, who had given him, by the said Emperor, the
Order of Barbary, who died on the 29th December, in the year of our
Lord God 1566.”
If it be demanded why the title of “knight” was not put on his tomb, but
only “esquire,” it may be answered that he was knighted by the Emperor
Charles V., and Queen Elizabeth would suffer no foreign honour to be worn
by her subjects in her dominions, saying, “Her sheep should be known by
her mark only.” The knight lies buried in the east corner of the north
aisle of this church. His effigy in complete armour is on a brass plate
on the stone. He gave £4 4_s._ yearly from the rental of houses in St.
Giles’, that the great bell of St. Peter’s Mancroft Church should ring at
four o’clock every morning and eight in the evening for the benefit of
travellers.
The following epitaph in this church is a specimen of good versification
for the time in which it was written, 1616:—
“Here Richard Anguishe sleepes for whom alyve
Norwich and Cambridge lately seemed to strive;
Both called him son as seemed well they might;
Both challenged in his life an equal right:
Norwich gave birth and taught him well to speake
The mother English, Latin phrase, and Greeke;
Cambridge with arts adorned his ripening age
Degress and judgment in the sacred page;
Yet Norwich gains the vantage of the strife,
Whiles there he ended where began his life.
September XXIII. Ao Dni. 1616.”
The church is a large handsome cruciform structure of freestone mixed
with flint, begun in 1430 and finished in 1455. It is a good example of
the perpendicular style, and is the finest parish church in the city. It
is 212 feet in length, and 70 feet in breadth, with a noble tower 98 feet
high, covered with paneling, and containing an excellent peal of 12
bells, a clock, and chimes. The bells weigh 183 cwt. 2 qrs. 14 lbs., and
were exchanged for an old peal of ten in 1775, at a cost of £800 raised
by public subscription.
The clustered pillars supporting the roof, with the arches surmounting
them, are lofty and slender, and the windows are large and numerous, so
that the whole interior has a light and airy appearance. The roof of the
nave is of fine open timber work, with a sort of wooden vault over each
window, like a stone roof. The Clerestory has seventeen fine windows on
each side, with short transoms in the heads, and good tracery. The
vaulting shafts are brought down to the bottom of the clerestory windows,
and have niches under them. There is a chancel or small transept on each
side of the nave. The font stands under a perpendicular canopy,
supported by pillars, and forming a baptistry on a raised platform, with
room to walk round the font. The east window is filled with beautiful
stained glass, mostly ancient. There are some fine paintings in the
vestry. The church was restored, the old pews were replaced by open oak
benches, and a new pulpit, reading desk, and altar rail, handsomely
carved, were purchased in 1851. During the alterations, a vault four or
five feet deep was discovered under the stalls of the choir. The outer
wall of this vault supported the screen dividing the choir from the nave
and aisles, and contained a range of about a dozen earthen jars, placed
on their sides with their mouths open to the vault. The use of these
jars has never been ascertained. The benefice is a perpetual curacy
certified at £10, and now valued at £87. It was augmented in 1746 with
£200 given by the Rev. J. Francis, with £100 of royal bounty from 1742 to
1810, and with £400 subscribed by the minister and parishioners in 1818.
The Rev. C. Turner, M.A., is incumbent.
_St. Giles_.
St. Giles’ Street, west of the Market Place, is one of the best built in
the city, and leads to the small parish of St. Giles. The church, near
the top of the street, was founded in the reign of William I. by Elwyn
the priest, who gave it to the monks of Norwich. Consequently it is now
in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. It is frequently called “St.
Giles on the Hill” in ancient records. It is a fine structure in the
perpendicular style, and is one of the handsomest old churches in the
city. It was wholly rebuilt in the reign of Richard I., but after 1581
the old chancel was demolished. A new chancel has been recently built,
and the church completely restored. The nave is of five bays, and has a
good open timber roof, supported by angels bearing shields, emblazoned
with the arms of England, France, and Castile. The clerestory windows
have been modernised. The south porch has a fine groined vault with fan
tracery, and is surmounted by a parvise, and a rich parapet and cornice.
The nave and aisles are 81 feet long, divided by slender pillars, and are
lighted by large and elegant windows. The tower is 120 feet high, and
contains a clock and eight bells. The church estate consists of small
tenements given by Thomas Parker in 1534. The perpetual curacy, valued
at £70, was augmented from 1744 to 1791 with £1000 of Queen Anne’s
bounty. The Rev. W. Nottidge Ripley, M.A., is the incumbent.
Passing from the Market Place to Pottergate Street we come to the parish
of
_St. Gregory_.
The church is a fine structure of great antiquity, in the perpendicular
style. The chancel was rebuilt in 1325, and the whole pile has received
many modern repairs. The nave and aisles, with the two chapels at the
east end, were new leaded in 1537. In 1597, a timber spire covered with
lead was erected on the tower, and was the only spire in Norwich, except
that of the Cathedral, but being unsafe, it was taken down. The tower
contains a clock and six bells, the latter given by the parishioners in
1818. The tower arch is very lofty, and across it is the original stone
gallery for the singers, with groined vaults above and beneath, the lower
part forming a western porch opening into the north and south porches,
which are also groined. There are four well moulded arches on each side
of the nave, with clustered shafts having embattled caps. The rood stair
turret remains on the north side of the edifice. The clerestory windows
have decorated tracery, and the windows of the aisles are of a mixed
character under arches recessed in the walls. In 1861, Mr. Wm. Smith,
and the incumbent collected £800 for the purpose of restoring the church
and reseating it in oak. The perpetual curacy was certified at £3, and
is now valued at £120. It was augmented from 1747 to 1812 with £1400 of
royal bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The present incumbent
is the Rev. J. Wortley.
_St. John’s Maddermarket_.
is a very populous parish near the Market Place, between Pottergate
Street and Charing Cross. The church is a large handsome edifice in the
perpendicular style, consisting of a nave, two aisles, two porches, and a
fine tower, under which is an arched rood, and on the top are four
figures at the angles. The fine decorated east window is of five lights
with flowing tracery. The north porch has a richly-groined vault, and
its outer doorway is deeply recessed. The roofs of the chapel of All
Saints at the east end of the north aisle, and of St. Mary the Virgin in
the south aisle, are boarded under and painted with angels holding books
and scrolls, with sentences from the Te Deum, the Angelical Salutation,
&c. The church has been completely restored recently at a cost of £1200.
Lady Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk, (second wife of the Duke, who was
beheaded in Elizabeth’s reign,) died at the Duke’s Palace, in this
parish, in 1563, and was interred with great pomp on the north side of
the choir, where a mural monument was erected to her memory in 1791 by
Lord John Howard of Waldon. The benefice is a discharged rectory, valued
in K. B. at £7 10s. 2d., and now at £110. It was augmented from 1714 to
1814 with £1800 of royal bounty. It is in the patronage of New College,
Oxford, to which it was granted by Henry VI. The Rev. G. F. Price is the
present incumbent.
_St. Andrew_.
The parish of St. Andrew is extensive, and populous, and improvements
have been made in some of the streets, where large premises have been
built. The church in Broad Street, to which it gives its name, is a fine
large perpendicular structure, consisting of nave, chancel, aisles,
clerestory, and tower. The latter, which has seven bells and a clock,
was rebuilt in 1478, and the nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1606. The
window at the east end is filled with stained glass. There are sedilia
for three priests in the chancel, and several old stalls with
“misereres.” The interior contains many ancient as well as modern
monuments and inscriptions. The whole of the interior has been recently
restored and renovated, and furnished with open benches instead of the
old pews. The gallery, which obscured the noble tower arch, was removed
in 1863, and the fine screen work, so long hidden, brought to light.
There is no chancel arch, but the rood stair turret still remains on the
south side; and under the east window, externally, are some good niches
and panels. A beautiful carved stone reredos was erected in 1850 by
subscription in memory of the late Rev. James Brown, B.D., who was the
esteemed incumbent of this parish from 1807 to 1856. The benefice is a
perpetual curacy valued in 1831 at £90, and augmented from 1756 to 1786
with £800 of Queen Anne’s bounty, and with a grant of £600 in 1815. The
church estate is let in long leases, for £22 16s. yearly. The
parishioners are the patrons. The Rev. A. C. Copeman, M.A., incumbent.
In this parish, on St. Andrew’s Hill, stood one of the oldest churches in
this city, dedicated to St. Christopher. It was destroyed by fire in the
reign of Henry VIII. Remains of old vaults may be traced in a line of
vaults and crypts under the City Arms Tavern, and on the premises of Mr.
Harman, Wine and Spirit Merchant, higher up the street on the east side.
The Old Bridewell, in this parish, was built by Bartholomew Appleyard
about the year 1370. The north wall is 79 feet in length and 27 feet in
height, and is considered one of the greatest curiosities of the kind in
England. The flints are squared to such a nicety, that the edge of a
knife can scarcely be put between them. Most of them are about three
inches square. The surface is very smooth, and no brickwork can appear
more regular. The building was nearly destroyed by fire on October 22nd,
1751, and again much damaged by fire on July 28th, 1753, but this curious
wall sustained little injury. Mr. Talman says, “That the Jews introduced
the art of squaring flints;” and Dr. Cromwell Mortimer, Secretary to the
Royal Society, states that the gate of the Austin Friars at Canterbury,
that of St. John’s Abbey at Colchester, and the gate near the Whitehall,
Westminster, are in the same taste, but the platform on the top of the
Royal Observatory at Paris, built in 1667, which is paved with flint in
this manner, is an instance in proof that the French had recovered this
art exemplified in the Old Bridewell here. William Appleyard, son of the
builder, the first mayor of Norwich, occupied this house in 1403. After
passing through many hands, it became the property of the late Mr.
Newbegin, who converted it into a tobacco factory. His son, Mr. J.
Newbegin, now holds the property, and has lately built a handsome
wholesale tobacco warehouse on the premises next to the alley.
In Broad Street, St. Andrews, stood the ancient church of St. Crucis. It
was dedicated to the honour of the Holy Cross, and was erected before the
year 1272. It was desecrated in 1551, and the parish united to St.
John’s Maddermarket.
St. Lawrence.
St. Lawrence Church stands upon the very spot to which the arm of the sea
rose in former times, when Norwich was merely a fishing town, and this
spot was the quay or landing place for all herrings brought into the
city. After the water had receded, the church was founded on the same
site in the reign of Edward the Confessor, in the 10th century. In 1460,
the original building was taken down, and the present one was erected
twelve years afterwards. It consists of a nave, chancel, aisles, north
and south porches, clerestory, and a tower 112 feet high, with six bells.
The roof of the church is supported by clustered columns, the inside is
light and regular, and the windows are large and well filled with
tracery. They were formerly decorated with stained glass, all of which
was demolished by the Puritans in 1643. There is here an ancient
octangular font, ornamented with shields, angels, &c. In the spandrels
of an arched door, in the western side of the church, are two ancient
carvings, one representing the martyrdom of St. Lawrence broiling on a
gridiron, and the other a number of Danish soldiers shooting arrows into
the body of King Edmund, whose head is seen lying in a thicket, as
described in the old legend. The Rev. E. A. Hillyard is the present
incumbent.
_St. Swithin_.
St. Swithin’s Church, situated between upper and lower Westwick Street,
is a neat building, containing a nave, two aisles, and tower. One side
of the nave is supported by pointed arches on columns, and the other by
round arches and square piers. The Chapel of St. Mary, at the east end
of the north aisle, had an altar, and the guild of the Holy Virgin,
called the tanner’s guild, was kept there. The rectory was anciently in
the donation of the See of Norwich, and in the year 1200 was annexed to
the deanery of Norwich, as were the churches of St. Simon and Jude, and
Corstweyt, and the deanery of Taverham, and so held till 1329, when the
deaneries were separated from the churches which were then perpetually
united. But notwithstanding this union, in 1546 Bishop Rugge separated
the advowson from the bishopric, and granted it to William Farrar and
others. In 1608, John Ward was patron, who suffering a lapse, was by the
bishop collated to it; and entry being made that the bishop had collated
him in full right, it has ever since been supposed to be in the bishop’s
patronage, and held by sequestration or license at the bishop’s
nomination. During the cleaning of this Church in 1834, an ancient
portrait of Edward the Confessor, painted on a panel, was found beneath
one of the seats, where it is supposed to have been placed during the
civil wars. The altar piece contains portraits of Moses and Aaron, and
the church has an ancient font. The rectory, valued in K. B. at £6 3s.
4d., has been augmented, and is still in the patronage of the bishop.
* * * * *
The New Mills, as to a principal part of them, are in this parish.
Formerly all the city bakers were obliged to grind here, and the miller,
as a public servant, had a livery and badge given him every year. The
mills are still the property of the city, and in 1706 were let, with the
baker’s grant thereto belonging, for the term of 87 years, at the yearly
rent of £200, but reduced in 1708 to £180. The Mills are now let to Mr.
Wells, and produce a large quantity of flour weekly. Steam mills are now
also at work in this locality, in the occupation of Messrs. Barber and
Sons, who are also proprietors of Hellesdon Mills.
_St. Margaret_.
St. Margaret’s Church, in Westwick Street, has a square tower with a
spacious nave, chancel, and south aisle. It is a plain building of the
perpendicular period. The rood stair turret remains on the north side of
the church, and on the south side of the altar is a small pedestal on
which the bell that was rung at mass stood in former times. The rectory
is valued at £80. The bishop is the patron, and the Rev. J. W. Cobb is
the rector. The church which has been for some time disused, being in a
very ruinous condition, has just been restored.
_St. Benedict_.
St. Benedict’s Church, at the end of the street to which it gives its
name, is a small building with nave, chancel, north aisle, and round
tower. The tower contains three bells, and in the chancel is a piscina.
The church was repaired and re-roofed a few years since, at a cost of
£150. The living is a perpetual curacy valued at £95, and was augmented
by royal bounty. The Rev. J. Dombrain is the incumbent.
THE EASTERN DISTRICT.
This side of the city has been greatly improved by the formation of a new
road called Prince of Wales’ Road, from Foundry Bridge to the Castle
Hill. Handsome houses have been built on each side, and broad pavements
laid down. Rose Lane has been widened and improved. The Castle Meadow
has been adorned by the erection of a new bank called the Crown Bank, a
very handsome building in the Corinthian style of architecture. This is
the finest building of the kind in the eastern counties.
The Cavalry Barracks are situated in Barrack Street on the east side of
the city, on the site of an old manor house. They were built by the
government in 1791 at a cost of £20,000. The buildings are of brick, and
form three sides of a square, the centre being for the accommodation of
the officers. The wings accommodate the soldiers to the extent of 320
men, and 266 horses. The high wall which surrounds the entire barracks,
including the parade ground, encloses an area of ten acres.
The Dungeon Tower is opposite the barracks, on land called “The Hospital
Meadow.” It is a large round tower of brick, originally surrounded by a
battlement. It was built as a prison for the cathedral precincts. The
Norfolk Railway Station stands in the hamlet of Thorpe near the Foundry
Bridge.
_St. Michael at Plea_.
The Church of St. Michael at Plea is at the top of Queen Street. This
church was so named from the Archdeacon holding his pleas or courts
there. It is a cruciform church with a low flint tower, and a modern
bell turret. Its transepts were formerly chapels dedicated to St. John
the Baptist and the Virgin Mary. It contains several old paintings of
the crucifixion, resurrection, &c., in the panels. About two years ago
the tower was restored at a cost of £250. The rectory, valued in K. B.
at £6 10s., and in 1831 at £85, was augmented with £600 of Queen Anne’s
bounty from 1774 to 1791, and with a parliamentary grant of £1000 in
1816. The lords of the manors of Sprowston and Horsford are patrons
alternately. The Rev. C. Morse, LL.B., is the incumbent.
_St. George Tombland_.
The Church of St. George Tombland stands at the end of Prince’s Street,
and is so named from the open space near it having formerly been used as
a burying place. It has a handsome square tower which contains five
bells, and was erected by the parishioners in 1445. The nave, aisles,
and chancel are covered with lead, and have some spacious galleries and
ornamental inscriptions of ancient and modern times. The building is
chiefly of the perpendicular period, but some portions are of an older
date. Three new memorial windows were recently inserted on the north
side. Messrs. J. and J. King, Prince’s Street, put in the stained glass.
The Rev. W. Bridge was ejected from the incumbency of this parish for
refusing to read the Book of Sports. He afterwards became pastor of the
Old Meeting House. The churchyard has been planted with shrubs, and if a
neat iron railing were substituted for the present wall, it would greatly
improve the appearance of Tombland. The Rev. K. Trimmer is the
incumbent.
_St. Peter Hungate_.
St. Peter Hungate Church is in the same street at the top of Elm Hill.
The original church was demolished in 1458, when the present one was
built. It was built by John Paston and Margaret his wife. It is of
black flint in the form of a cross, having a nave, chancel, transepts,
and square tower with two bells. The roof of the nave is ornamented with
figures of angels. In 1861 the interior was much improved. The rectory
of St. Peter Hungate, valued in K.B. at £3 1s. 5½d., and now at £63, was
augmented from 1743 to 1810 with £600 of royal bounty. The Lord
Chancellor is patron, and the Rev. S. Titlow, M.A., has been rector since
1839.
_St. Simon and Jude_.
St. Simon and Jude’s Church in Wensum Street has a nave, a chancel, and a
low flint and stone tower, with five bells. It is in the perpendicular
style, and is of great antiquity. It contains a few old brasses, and
several monuments of the Pettus family, in one of which lies, in complete
armour, the figure of Sir J. Pettus, the first of the family who was
knighted. The Rev. J. F. Osborne is the incumbent.
_St. Martin at Palace_.
St. Martin at Palace Church stands opposite the entrance to the Bishop’s
Palace. It has a nave with aisles, chancel with aisles, clerestory, and
a tower with five bells. It is of the plain perpendicular style, and
contains a good panelled octagon font. The east window of the chancel is
filled with stained glass, representing the adoration of the magi, the
annunciation, the crucifixion, the resurrection of our Saviour, &c. The
living is a perpetual curacy valued at £70, and augmented from 1743 to
1813 with £1800 of royal bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The
Rev. R. W. Barker is incumbent.
_St. Helen_.
The parish of St. Helen is situated on the east side of the cathedral,
and nearly the whole of the parish belongs to the Great Hospital, which
is an extensive range of buildings, comprising the antique remains of the
dissolved hospital of St. Giles, and several modern additions erected at
various periods, for the accommodation of the alms people who have been
increased in number progressively with the augmentation of the income.
In 1850, ninety-two men, and eighty-two women were lodged, fed, and
clothed at the expense of the charity, which also supports a master and
ten nurses. The alms people must be of the age of 65 years or upwards
before their admission. They are clothed in dark blue, and allowed
sixpence per week each for pocket money.
St. Helen’s Church in Bishopgate Street belonged to the monks, who
demolished it and consolidated the cure with the church of St. Giles’
Hospital, now called the Great Hospital, on the opposite side of the
street, soon after the foundation of the latter by Bishop Suffield in
1250. The whole of this hospital church, which serves as the parish
church of St. Helen, is still standing. It has a square perpendicular
tower at the south-west corner, containing one bell. The greater part of
the pile has been converted into lodgings for the alms people. The
church is fitted up with gothic carved work and open seats. Kirkpatrick,
the antiquary, is buried here. The perpetual curacy received by lot £200
of Queen Anne’s bounty in 1816, and was valued in 1831 at £16 exclusive
of the glebe house, but is now worth £200 per annum. The City Charity
Trustees are patrons. The Rev. W. F. Patteson, incumbent.
* * * * *
In King Street are the churches of St. Peter per Mountergate, St. Julian,
St. Etheldred, and St. Peter Southgate, all ancient edifices.
_St. Peter per Mountergate_.
St. Peter per Mountergate derives the latter part of its name from a gate
formerly placed near the churchyard, at the foot of the Castle mount.
The old church is in the perpendicular style, and has a nave, chancel,
south porch with parvise, and a square embattled tower, with five bells
and a clock. The building has been recently restored and fitted up with
open benches, those in the nave being stained deal, and in the chancel
oak. The famous Thomas Codd, who was Mayor of Norwich during Kett’s
Rebellion, and who was a great benefactor to the city, was interred in
the nave. The benefice is now a perpetual curacy, valued at £78, and
augmented with £200 of Queen Anne’s bounty in 1766, and with a
parliamentary grant of £800 in 1812. The Dean and Chapter are patrons.
The Rev. John Durst, incumbent.
_St. Julian_.
St. Julian’s Church, in King Street, is a very small ancient structure,
founded before the conquest, and comprises nave, chancel, north porch,
and tower. It is principally of the Norman period, and most of the
windows are decorated and perpendicular insertions. The tower, which is
ruined, has a deeply recessed Norman arch, slightly pointed, and having
shafts with caps and bases. It has also a small Norman loop window in
the thickness of the wall splayed both inside and outside. The south
doorway is a very fine specimen of Norman architecture, and was restored
in 1845, when the chancel was rebuilt and the church thoroughly restored
at a cost of £500. The east window was at the same time filled with
stained glass, representing our Saviour seated and surrounded by the
evangelists. The font is perpendicular in style, cup-shaped and
panelled. There was a hermitage for a female recluse in the churchyard,
but it was demolished at the dissolution. The rectory, certified at £19
3s. 1d., has been long consolidated with All Saints. The Rev. C. F.
Sculthorpe, M.A., is patron.
_St. Etheldred_.
St. Etheldred’s Church, in King Street, is supposed to be one of the
oldest structures in the city, and had in its burial ground a very
ancient anchorage, which continued till after the Reformation. It is a
small building with a nave, chancel, and tower. The benefice is a
perpetual curacy, certified at £2 14s., and valued at £77. It was
augmented from 1745 to 1802 with £800 of Queen Anne’s bounty. The
Trustees of the Great Hospital are patrons. The Rev. W. Bishop is the
present incumbent.
The parish of St. Etheldred seems to have been one of the parishes of the
Anglo Saxon period, and in it formerly were the houses of many families
of distinction, including the residences of Sir Thomas de Helgheton, of
Henry de Norwich, of the Abbot of Wymondham, of Sir James Hobart, and of
Sir Robert de Sulle, who was killed by the rebels in the reign of Edward
III. No remains of these houses now exist. All along the east side of
King Street, next the river, there is a line of vaults, which seem to
have formed the foundations of old churches now demolished. The Old
Music House still stands in King Street, in the parish of St. Etheldred,
and on its site formerly stood the house of one of the rich Jews, who
settled here in the reign of William Rufus. It afterwards became the
property of his grandson Isaac, at whose death it was escheated to the
crown. Henry III. gave it to Sir William de Valeres, Knt., and in 1290
it was the residence of Alan de Frestons, Archdeacon of Norfolk, who had
a public chapel there. In 1626, it belonged to John Paston, Esq., and in
1633 it was the city house of Chief Justice Coke. The present house is
not older than the 17th century. Under it there are very extensive
vaults of a more ancient date, now occupied by Messrs. Youngs, Crawshay,
and Youngs, as ale stores.
_St. Peter Southgate_.
St. Peter Southgate, near the south end of King Street, is an ancient
church, with a nave, chancel, north chapel, south porch, and a square
flint tower, in which are three bells. The windows are chiefly square
headed, and the architecture is of the late perpendicular period. There
is a good cross on the east gable. Part of an old screen remains in
front of the north chapel. The Rev. W. Bishop is the incumbent.
* * * * *
Carrow Works, at the top of King Street, are the most extensive in
England for the production of flour, starch, mustard, and blue. The
works cover an area of five acres. They are conveniently situated on the
banks of the Yare, and are permeated by trams from the Great Eastern
Railway. Here are large flour mills, starch mills, and mustard mills, in
which 1200 hands are employed. Steam engines to the enormous amount of
400 horse power are used to drive the machinery. About 100 tons of goods
are produced here weekly, and sent away by rail to all parts of England,
Europe, and America. A large number of hands are engaged in making the
tins and wooden boxes in which most of the mustard is packed. We visited
Carrow Works chiefly to see the mustard, starch, and blue factories; but
we were tempted to take a peep at the great flour mill which has been
erected by Messrs. J. and J. Colman, and which for magnitude and
completeness has few equals. The machinery in this mill is driven by a
magnificent pair of engines of 80 horse power. The Mayor for the present
year, 1868, J. J. Colman, Esq., is the principal proprietor of these
great works, and he has built many houses all around for his work-people,
and also schools for their children at a cost of £2000.
A Nunnery formerly stood outside of King Street Gates, and was called
Carrow Abbey, from “carr” a watering place, and “hoe” a hill. This abbey
was dedicated to St. Michael and St. John. It was founded in the year
1146 by two ladies named Leftelina and Seyna. It was richly endowed by
King Stephen, and consisted of a prioress and nine benedictine black
nuns, afterwards increased to twelve. The site within the walls
contained about ten acres of land, and the revenues and possessions were
extensive. At the dissolution the abbey and lands became private
property. J. H. Tillett, Esq., is the present occupier.
THE NORTHERN DISTRICT.
This district includes all the parishes from the north-west to the
north-east side of the river Wensum; and comprises the parishes of St.
Michael at Coslany, St. Martin at Oak, St. Augustine, St. Mary, St.
George’s Colegate, St. Clement, St. Saviour, St. Paul, St. James, and St.
Edmund. On the north side we enter the oldest part of the city, which
seems to have been always chosen by the poorest portion of the
population, near the great factories, which stand high above all the
surrounding poverty-stricken dwellings.
_St. Michael at Coslany_.
St. Michael at Coslany, commonly called St. Miles’, is a spacious church,
with a lofty square tower and eight musical bells. The nave was rebuilt
by John and Stephen Stallon, who were sheriffs in 1511 and 1512. The
south aisle was begun by Gregory Clark, and was finished by his son, who
was Mayor in 1514. The interior is handsomely decorated. At the east
end of the south aisle there is a chapel, founded by Robert Thorp in the
reign of Henry VII., encrusted externally with black flints, like inlaid
work. The altar piece, by Heins, represents the Resurrection and the
Four Evangelists, and the floor is paved with black and white marble,
brought from the domestic chapel at Oxnead. There are a few ancient
brasses and modern mural monuments. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £13
6s. 8d. and now at £117, was augmented in 1738 with £200 bequeathed by
the Rev. E. Brooke; in 1818, with £200 given by the late rector; and from
1738 to 1818 with £1000 of royal bounty. Gonville and Caius College,
Cambridge, had the patronage of the living, which was usually given to
the oldest bachelor of that college. It has recently been purchased by
the Rev. E. Hollond, Benhall Lodge, Suffolk. The Rev. R. H. Kidd is the
incumbent.
_St. Martin at Oak_.
The parish of St. Martin at Oak, in Coslany Street, and the whole
neighbourhood, is a very old part of the city, full of very poor people.
The church derived its name from a large oak which formerly stood in the
churchyard. This was much visited during the reign of superstition, and
many legacies were given towards painting, repairing, and dressing the
image of St. Mary in the Oak. Another oak was planted on the same spot
in 1656, but that now growing was planted eight years ago. The church is
built of flint and stone in the perpendicular style, and contains some
good piers. In 1852, the chancel was rebuilt and a new organ was placed
in the church; and in 1862, plain open benches were substituted for the
old pews in the chancel. There are a few monuments and brasses in the
church, and in one of the former are effigies of Jeremiah Ravens and his
wife in alabaster. She died in 1711, and he in 1727. The south porch is
now used as a vestry, and the outer doorway is built up. The benefice is
a perpetual curacy, certified at 20s., and now valued at £102. It was
augmented with £200 given by William Nockells in 1722, and £1000 of royal
bounty obtained from 1723 to 1824. The Dean and Chapter are patrons.
Rev. C. Caldwell, B.A., the esteemed incumbent, is much respected for his
kindness to the poor.
_St. Augustine_.
From St. Martin at Oak we pass onward into St. Augustine’s, where we find
various factories and a very populous neighbourhood. The church, on the
east side of the Gildencroft, is in the perpendicular style, and consists
of a nave with aisles, chancel with aisles, south porch and tower. The
tower contains a clock and three bells. The roof of the north aisle of
the chancel is finely carved, and the clerestory is built of flint. In
the south aisle of the nave is a marble monument in memory of Thomas
Clabburn, manufacturer, who died in 1858. It was erected by the
subscriptions of more than 600 weavers of Norwich as a tribute to his
many virtues. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £6 7s. 8½d. and now at
£150, was augmented in 1781 with £200 of Queen Anne’s bounty, and in
1810, 1811, and 1821, with £1400 in parliamentary grants. The Dean and
Chapter are the patrons. The Rev. Matthew John Rackham is the incumbent.
_St. Mary Coslany_.
From St. Augustine’s we pass down Pitt Street to the parish of St. Mary,
inhabited chiefly by poor people. The church is a cruciform structure
with a tall round tower of flint, containing six bells. There are no
aisles. The south porch has a good groined vault and a richly moulded
doorway, with a parvise or chamber above. The chancel has a panelled
ceiling with rich perforated work. The pulpit is ancient and has tracery
in the upper part of the panels, with the linen pattern below, and a
perforated iron projection for the book rest. The font is octagonal, and
has painted shields of arms in its upper panels. The rood-stair turret
is at the intersection of the north transept and chancel. At the west
end of the nave there is an old parish chest, and in the south transept
there is a square-headed foliated piscina. Several ancient stalls are
remaining, and in the north wall of the chancel there is a tombstone of
the Elizabethan era, dated 1578, and having incised figures of Martin
Vankermbeck, M.D., and his wife. The perpetual curacy was augmented,
from 1733 to 1824, with £2200 of royal bounty, and is valued at £124.
The Marquis of Townshend is patron. Rev. C. Morse, LL.B., is incumbent.
_St. George Colegate_.
We pass on eastward to the parish of St. George’s Colegate, wherein are
some of the best built streets on this side of the city. The church is a
large structure rebuilt at different periods, viz., the tower and nave
about 1459; the chancel in 1498; the north aisle with the chapel of St.
Mary in 1504; and the south aisle with the chapel of St. Peter in 1513.
The tower is lofty and has a clock and three bells. The rood-stair
turret still remains on the south side. The east window is of three
lights, and is filled with painted glass by Mr. Swan, with figures
representing Faith, Hope, and Charity. The living is a perpetual curacy,
valued at £98, and augmented from 1737 to 1792 with £1000 of Queen Anne’s
bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The Rev. A. W. Durdin,
incumbent. The memorial to John Crome, familiarly known to Norwich
citizens, and to artists and connoisseurs in paintings as “Old Crome,”
one of the most esteemed of our Norwich “worthies,” has just been placed
in the church of St. George Colegate, in which parish he passed the
latter years of his life, and in which he died soon after being chosen
churchwarden, in the year 1821. The idea of erecting a monument to the
memory of Crome originated in 1841, amongst some of his fellow-citizens
who were lovers of the fine arts, but the subscriptions received up to
1844 appear only to have amounted to about twenty-six pounds. At the
death of Mr. Lound, who had been receiving the subscriptions, in 1861,
Mr. J. B. Morgan, determining to carry out the object of the subscribers,
recommended the work of canvassing for subscriptions, which ultimately
reached the sum of about £100. Funds having been raised, a committee of
amateur artists was formed, who consulted Mr. Bell, an eminent sculptor,
of London, and a native of this city, by whom a handsome mural tablet has
been placed at the east end of the south aisle of St. George’s Church to
the memory of Crome. This tablet, which is of white marble, is divided
into three panels, the centre panel containing a bas-relief profile bust
of John Crome. Judging from the portrait of Crome recently hung in the
Council Chamber, this is an admirable likeness of the Norwich landscape
painter. Beneath are the name “John Crome” in gold letters, and a
palette and pencils; and above an elegantly carved laurel wreath. On one
panel is the following: “Near this spot lie the remains of one of
England’s greatest landscape painters, born in this city, December 21st,
1769, and died in this parish April 22nd, 1821;” and on the right-hand
panel, “This memorial is erected forty-seven years after his death by
admirers of his art, principally connected with Norfolk, his native
county.”
St. Clement’s parish includes St. Clement Within and St. Clement Without.
The population increased from 853 inhabitants in 1801 to nearly 4000 in
1861. This large increase occurred chiefly in the northern suburb of the
city, called New Catton, which, in 1842, was constituted an
ecclesiastical district, and assigned to Christ Church, a new edifice
built there. Some centuries ago, several old churches, called St. Anne’s
Chapel, All Saints, St. Botolph, and St. Margaret, existed in this
parish, but no vestiges now remain.
St. Clement’s Church, in Colegate Street, is one of the oldest in the
city, and belonged to the manor of Tokethorpe. It has a square tower
with three bells, a nave without aisles, and a chancel, all in the
perpendicular styles. The chancel contains four dedication crosses, and
is separated from the nave by a fine arch. The tower arch is blocked by
the organ and gallery. The communion plate weighs 88 ozs., including a
silver gilt cup given by S. Sofyld in 1569. Three parish houses are let
for £26 10s. yearly, which is applied with the church rates, except a
reserved yearly rent of 3s. 4d. payable to the Great Hospital, pursuant
to a lease granted in 1569 for 500 years. The rectory valued in K.B. at
£7 9s. 2d., and now at £96, was augmented in 1738 with £200 of Queen
Anne’s bounty, and £200 bequeathed by the Rev. Edward Brooke. It is in
the patronage of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and incumbency of
the Rev. R. Rigg.
_Christ Church_.
Christ Church in New Catton was consecrated by Bishop Stanley amid a
disturbance caused by the chartists. It is a chapel of ease in the
improving parish of St. Clement. It is a neat structure of flint and
brick in the early English style, comprising nave, chancel, transepts,
and a bell turret at the west end. It was finished in 1841 at a cost of
about £2500, and has sittings for 600 people. It was built by
subscription, and by the same means £800 have been invested for its
endowment, and £200 for its reparation. The rector of St. Clement’s is
patron of the perpetual curacy, valued at £150, and it is now in the
incumbency of the Rev. Robert Wade, B.A.
_St. Saviour_.
St. Saviour’s Church, in Magdalen Street, is a small structure, and has a
square tower with two bells. It has some modern monuments. The south
porch is now used as a baptistry. The font has an octagonal panelled
basin, and is supported by four shafts resting on lions’ heads, and
carried through ogee canopies with pinnacles between. The perpetual
curacy was certified at £3, and is now valued at £103. It was augmented
from 1729 to 1813 with £1800 of royal bounty. The Dean and Chapter are
patrons. The Rev. W. Harris Cooke, M.A., incumbent.
_St. Edmund_.
St. Edmund’s Church, in Fishgate Street, was founded in the reign of
William I. It comprises a nave, chancel, south aisle, and tower with one
bell. The arches of the nave are nearly flat, and the sub-arches are
carried on shafts with moulded caps. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £4
6s. 3d., and now at £165, was augmented in 1726 with £200 given by Rev.
W. Stanley and Rev. R. Corey, and from 1726 to 1819 with £1000 of royal
bounty. The Rev. T. Taylor is the incumbent.
_St. James_.
St. James’ Church, in Cowgate, includes Pockthorpe in its parish, and was
a well endowed rectory till 1201, when it was appropriated to the
Cathedral Priory. It is now a peculiar of the Dean and Chapter. The
Rev. A. D. Pringle, incumbent.
_St. Paul_.
St. Paul’s Church, in the square called St. Paul’s Plain, is an old
dilapidated building with a small round tower, the upper part of which
was octagonal, but was rebuilt about 1819 of white brick with stone
coping. It has some decorated windows, but is chiefly in the
perpendicular style. There is a north aisle, and at the east end a
parclose, the two screens of different patterns, but both in the same
perpendicular style. The perpetual curacy was certified at only £2, but
was augmented from 1745 to 1749 with £200 of Queen Anne’s bounty, and is
now worth £150. The Dean and Chapter are patrons, and the Rev. Bell
Cooke is incumbent.
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT.
_St. Stephen_.
The parish of St. Stephen’s, on the south side of the city, is extensive
and populous. The streets present some good shops and places of
business. The principal streets are Rampant Horse Street, St. Stephen’s
Street, and Surrey Street. The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital is at the
top of St. Stephen’s Street, and the far-famed Norwich Union Fire and
Life Office is in Surrey Street.
The church, at the west end of Rampant Horse Street, is a handsome
edifice of the late perpendicular style, of the 16th century, with a nave
and clerestory, two aisles, a chancel, two small chapels, and a square
tower. The nave is divided from the aisles by fluted columns with
pointed arches. The windows are large and numerous, and that at the east
end is filled with stained glass representing the life of the Virgin
Mary, and dated 1610. This church was founded before the Norman
Conquest, but has been all rebuilt at different periods, the chancel
about 1520, and the nave in 1550. The roof is a fine specimen of open
timber-work, and is richly carved. The tower stands on the north side of
the church, and beneath it is the porch. In 1859, the interior was
thoroughly restored at a cost of £1500, and a new carved pulpit and a
reading desk were put up at the same time. Under the superintendence of
Mr. Phipson, the county architect, ten new windows have been lately
inserted in this church, five on each side. They are in the
perpendicular style corresponding to the style of the building. They are
glazed with cathedral glass and a ruby border. There is also a new
window over the south door of the chancel. It is glazed with painted
glass of a geometrical pattern, put in by the London firm that produced
the work in the large western window, representing the death of St.
Stephen. That window cost £300. The benefice is a discharged vicarage,
valued in K.B. at £9, and now at £212. It was augmented from 1715 to
1812 with £1000 of royal bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The
Rev. C. Baldwin, vicar.
_St. John Sepulchre_.
St. John Sepulchre is a large church at the top of Ber Street, dedicated
to St. John the Baptist and the Holy Sepulchre, and founded in the reign
of Edward the Confessor. It consists of a nave, chancel, a sort of
transept chapel on each side, and a lofty tower with five bells and a
clock. The font is octagonal and is ornamented with angels, lions, &c.
The east window is of three lights filled with stained glass, the centre
light presenting a figure of St. John the Baptist. The window is in
memory of the Rev. Samuel Stone, M.A., incumbent of this parish, who was
a great friend of the poor, and died in 1848. Here is a fine mural
monument of the Watts family. The rood-stair turret still remains, and
in the south side of the chancel is a fine consecration cross. The
living is a perpetual curacy, certified at £9 1s., and now valued at
£144. It was augmented from 1737 to 1812 with £1600 of royal bounty.
The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The Rev. W. T. Moore, incumbent.
_St. Michael at Thorn_.
This part of the city includes the parish of St. Michael at Thorn, so
called from the “thorns” formerly growing in the neighbourhood, of which
there is one now in the churchyard. The Rev. A. Davies is incumbent of
the parish. The church is remarkable for its antiquity.
_All Saints_.
At the bottom of Ber Street we may turn to the left into the parish of
All Saints, where the church stands in an open space called All Saints’
Green. The church is a small structure, having a nave, chancel, porch,
and tower containing three bells. The chancel contains some decorated
windows, but the other portions of the church are perpendicular. The
east window is modern and filled with poor stained glass, but there are
some fragments of ancient stained glass, containing heads of bishops,
&c., in the windows of the aisles. The font is octagonal and in the
perpendicular style. There are three monuments with merchant’s marks
upon them. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £3 14s. 7d., is consolidated
with St. Julian, valued in K.B. at £5. The joint benefices are now worth
£300 per annum. They were augmented with £300 of Queen Anne’s bounty in
1769 and 1810, and with £200 given by John Drinkwater, Esq., and £500
given by S. Thornton, Esq., in 1800. The Rev. C. F. Sculthorpe, M.A., is
patron, and the Rev. G. S. Outram is incumbent.
_St. John Timberhill_.
St. John’s Timberhill, at the north end of Ber Street, was founded soon
after the priory of Norwich, to which it was appropriated, and it was
dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It has a nave, chancel, south porch
with parvise, and two aisles with chapels at their east ends. That on
the north, a part of which is now used for the vestry, was called our
Lady’s Chapel. There is a hagroscope or squint on the south side of the
chancel, and near it is a small decorated piscina. The font is circular
and Norman. The whole building needs restoration. The square tower fell
down on August 20th, 1784, and damaged the west end of the church. Its
foundations still remain, but the bells were sold to pay for the repairs.
The perpetual curacy was augmented from 1738 to 1813 with £1000 of royal
bounty, and valued in 1835 at £31. The Dean and Chapter are patrons.
The Rev. S. Titlow, M.A., has been the incumbent since 1831.
_Chapel Field_.
There is yet left unnoticed a small district lying south of St. Giles’,
and which is generally known as Chapel Field. Near this field once stood
a college called St. Mary in the Fields, founded about the beginning of
the 13th century by John Le Brun. Soon after its establishment its
benefactors were so numerous that in a short time it became a very noble
college, having a dean, chancellor, precentor, treasurer, seven
prebendaries, and six chaplains. Miles Spencer, the last dean, persuaded
the college to resign its revenues for small pensions, after he had
obtained a grant of the whole for himself from Henry VIII. at the
dissolution. The property afterwards passed through several hands, and
the field is now the property of the corporation. It has recently been
enclosed by a massive palisade, and much improved as a place of
recreation; and a large Drill Hall has been built at the north-west
corner for the use of the Volunteers. The Drill Hall was opened by the
Prince of Wales in 1866.
THE HAMLETS.
_Heigham_.
The hamlets have, of late years, been greatly increased in extent and
population, and are likely to leave the old city in the shade. Heigham,
on the west side of the city, has become a town, with two churches, and
another about to be built, three chapels, and several large schools.
Since 1801, the population has increased from 544 to 15,000 souls. Many
new streets have been laid out between the Dereham and Earlham Roads;
long rows of new houses have been built, and are nearly all occupied.
The National School-house, on Dereham road, was built in 1840 at a cost
of £1000, and is attended by about 270 children.
* * * * *
The CITY JAIL, an ugly building, stands in this hamlet at the corner of
St. Giles’ Road. It was built in 1827 from a design by Mr. Philip
Barnes, of Norwich, at a cost of £30,000. The front elevation is massive
and is supported by Tuscan columns. The whole building encloses an area
of 1 acre 2 roods 34 poles, and contains 114 cells. The house of the
governor stands in the centre and commands a view of the entire prison,
which is well ventilated and supplied with water pumped by the
tread-wheel.
* * * * *
The NEW WATER WORKS are in this hamlet, and supply the city with water
from the river Wensum. After filtration the water is forced up by steam
power to the distributing reservoir at Lakenham, at a height of 134 feet
above the level of the river at Carrow Bridge, whence it flows by
gravitation to all parts of the city and the suburbs. The present
company has a capital of £60,000 in £10 shares, and was incorporated
under an act of parliament passed in 1850, the powers of which have been
enlarged by subsequent acts, so that wholesome and pure water is now
constantly supplied at very low terms. Excellent provision has also been
made for a plentiful supply for extinguishing fires, by fixing hydrants
at every 100 yards.
_Bishop Hall’s Palace_.
[Picture: Bishop Hall’s Palace]
The OLD PALACE, where the celebrated Bishop Hall resided, (now known as
the Dolphin Inn,) is in this hamlet. Here he retired after his expulsion
from the bishop’s palace by the republican party in 1644. The house,
which is fast going to decay, displays the peculiarities of the domestic
architecture of the time of James I. The front presents two projecting
bays, one on each side of the door, which afford a light to the lower and
upper rooms. The doorway deserves a passing notice, and some curiously
carved heads will be found in the interior, as well as the remains of an
ancient piscina in the wall at the entrance. There is a large parlour on
the right hand, wainscotted all round from the floor to the ceiling.
* * * * *
The NEW WORKHOUSE was erected in 1859 at an expense of £33,000 exclusive
of £680 paid for about nine acres of land. It is an extensive range of
brick buildings in the Tudor style of architecture, having room for about
1000 inmates, but it has never had so many as yet, though the number is
increasing every year. The debt on the building was £22,000, and will be
gradually paid off by instalments.
* * * * *
The NEW CEMETERY. The greatest improvement effected in Norwich during
the present century was the closing of all the churchyards for burials,
and the opening of a new cemetery for the dead. It was opened in 1856
and is pleasantly situated on high ground next the Earlham Road; the
whole area being divided into two parts, one side being consecrated and
the other unconsecrated. The whole comprises 35 acres of land prettily
laid out and planted. It was formed at a cost of £7000 by the Burial
Board. There are entrances from the Earlham and Dereham Roads. The two
principal chapels are of early English architecture with porches and
apsidal terminations. There is also a small chapel for the use of the
Jews.
* * * * *
The long contemplated division of this extensive hamlet into three
parishes, has at length been carried into effect. The old church of St.
Bartholomew is to be the parish church of the new parish of that name on
the north side next the river. The estimated population is 5,600. The
Rev. J. G. Dixon is rector. The central part of the hamlet, lying
between the Dereham and Earlham Roads, with a population of 4,400, is to
form the new parish of St. Philip; but a church has not been yet built.
The third parish, the incumbency of which is retained by the Rev. C. T.
Rust, includes all that part of Heigham which lies between Earlham Road
and the boundary of St. Stephen’s. The population is about 6,400. The
church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, in Essex Street, is the parish
church. The church of St. Bartholomew stands on an eminence above the
Wensum, and is a small structure in the perpendicular style, with a nave,
south aisle, north porch, chancel, and a square tower, in which are three
bells. It has a mural monument to the pious Bishop Hall, who was buried
here in 1656. The living is a rectory valued in K.B. at £6 13s. 4d., and
now at a little over £200. Trinity Church, near Unthank’s Road, was
built by subscription, and consecrated in August 1861, to supply the
great want of church accommodation which had long been felt in this part
of the hamlet. It is a large building in the decorated style, and
consists of nave, transepts, and apsidal chancel, with a tower containing
one bell, and surmounted by a slated spire 120 feet high. The total cost
was £7000.
In 1861, an ancient lead coffin, containing the remains of a female
skeleton, was discovered about four feet below the surface on a chalk pit
at Stone Hills, Heigham. It was perfectly plain, and appeared to have
been formerly enclosed in an outer case of wood, and was probably of the
Roman period. Near it were found two bronze torque rings of a twisted
pattern, encrusted with a fine green patina, and evidently of the
Anglo-Saxon period.
_Hellesdon_.
Hellesdon, adjoining Heigham, is a small and pretty village on an
eminence two miles north-west of the city, but the parish is partly in
Taverham hundred. It adjoins the river, which is here crossed by a
cast-iron bridge, built by the corporation of Norwich in 1819. The
common was enclosed in 1811. The Bishop is lord of the manor and owner
of a great part of the soil.
_Earlham_.
Earlham is a very pleasant village, situated at the end of the Earlham
Road. The ivy-mantled church is a very ancient building of small size.
The hall, situated in a park, is associated with the honoured name of
Gurney, and will long be an object of deep interest. Amongst other
members of that distinguished family who resided here was the deservedly
esteemed Joseph John Gurney, who often entertained many of the
celebrities of his day. It was here that Wilberforce, Chalmers, and a
host of worthies, well known to fame, visited one of the happiest of the
homes of England, where the sterling character of Thomas Fowell Buxton
was formed and matured, and where he met with the partner of his future
life. It was the birthplace of Elizabeth Fry the philanthropist, of whom
there is yet no monument in this city.
_Eaton_.
The hamlet of Eaton, two miles south-west of Norwich, is in the vale of
the Taas. The manor is about 1300 acres, and belongs to the Dean and
Chapter, but the soil is let to a number of lessees, many of whom have
handsome houses in the Newmarket Road, one of the finest approaches to
the city. Indeed, this road may be called the “west end” of Norwich.
Eaton church is dedicated to St. Andrew, and is a long ancient building
covered with thatch, and having an embattled tower with three bells. It
was originally a Norman structure, but it appears to have been rebuilt in
the early English period, and to have been considerably altered in the
15th century. About two years ago the church was thoroughly restored at
a cost of about £400, when a number of beautiful mural paintings were
discovered, some of them well preserved. The living is a vicarage not in
charge, valued at £87, and augmented in 1732 with £200 given by the Earl
of Thanet, and £200 of Queen Anne’s bounty.
_Lakenham_.
Lakenham is the next hamlet on the south side of the city, and the roads
to it are favourite walks of the citizens. Caister is an adjoining
village, where may be seen extensive remains of a Roman camp, built
before Norwich existed. The configuration of the camp may still be
traced as a parallelogram, enclosing an area of 32 acres, sufficient for
a force of 6000 men. On the western side, which was washed by the Taas,
formerly stood the water gate, with a round tower, where vessels used to
unload. A very large number of Roman coins have been dug up here.
Returning to the hamlet of Lakenham, we ascend a hill called Long John’s
Hill. Lakenham church stands on high ground above the river Taas, and is
a small structure dedicated to St. John the Baptist and All Saints. It
has a tower with three bells. The benefice is a vicarage united to
Trowse Newton, and with it valued at £261, in the patronage of the Dean
and Chapter, and incumbency of the Rev. Alfred Pownall, M.A.
St. Mark’s Church, in Lakenham, was consecrated September 24th, 1844, and
is a neat structure in the perpendicular style, comprising a nave without
aisles, and an embattled tower with turrets, pinnacles, and three bells.
It was built by subscription at a cost of £4000, and contains 900
sittings, most of which are free. The interior has commodious galleries,
and is neatly fitted up. Ladies presented the communion table, plate,
books for divine service, font, &c. The population in this hamlet has
increased from 428 in 1801 to 4866 in 1861. The perpetual curacy, valued
at £150, is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter. The Rev. N. T.
Garry, M.A., is incumbent.
_Trowse-Millgate_, _Carrow_, _and Bracondale_.
Trowse-Millgate, Carrow, and Bracondale, extend southward from King
Street to the river Yare, opposite Trowse Newton. They form one hamlet,
though each division had formerly a parochial chapel. Miss Martineau
owns the greater part of the soil, and lives at Bracondale Lodge, a
handsome mansion with delightful pleasure grounds. The late P. M.
Martineau collected here many remnants of Gothic architecture in 1804,
and used them in the erection of a lofty arch and an edifice,
representing a small priory with windows filled by stained glass.
_Thorpe_.
The hamlet of Thorpe, one of the most delightful suburbs of the city,
lies on the south-east side, opposite Foundry Bridge, and extends to
Mousehold Heath. It contains many handsome villas, which are mostly
surrounded by gardens. Many of the city gentry reside in this pleasant
hamlet, which now contains about 3000 inhabitants. The church, dedicated
to St. Matthew, was built in 1852 at a cost of £2300, for an
ecclesiastical district, comprising that part of Thorpe parish within the
city liberties, containing about 2500 inhabitants. It is a neat
structure in the Norman style of architecture, from a design by Mr. Kerr,
formerly architect of this city. It consists of a nave, transepts, and
apsidal chancel, and is a unique structure. The five windows of the
chancel are filled with stained glass. The rector of Thorpe is patron of
the perpetual curacy, valued at £130, which is now held by the Rev.
George Harris Cooke, M.A., who has a handsome parsonage house, erected in
1863 at a cost of £1400, in the Tudor style.
The road from the Foundry Bridge to Thorpe village is a favourite walk of
the citizens. Thorpe lodge (the entrance to which is guarded by couchant
lions, and is a conspicuous object on the left,) was the residence of the
late John Harvey, Esq., “a fine old English gentleman,” who was a great
promoter of manufactures, and of aquatic sports. Its present proprietor
and occupant is Donald Dalrymple, Esq. The old hall, the name by which
the manor house is now known, stands at the entrance to the village. It
was formerly the country seat of the bishops. Adjoining are the remains
of a chapel, now used as a coach house and stable. On the south side of
the river, which was once reached by the ferry boat, stands the village
of Whitlingham, where the citizens formerly resorted by thousands in the
summer months. The grounds in this locality present a pleasing variety
of hill and dale, wood and water, and the view from the White House
includes the windings of the “bonny Yare,” the opposite village of
Thorpe, the spire of the Cathedral rising above the distant hills, and
the frowning aspect of the old Norman Castle. The whole of the land here
now belongs to R. J. H. Harvey, Esq., M.P., who has greatly improved an
estate of 2000 acres next the river. He has often thrown the grounds
open to the citizens.
The Rosary Burial Ground, in Thorpe hamlet, was established in 1819 by
the late Rev. Thomas Drummond, for the use of Dissenters. Being aware
that many of the burial grounds attached to their chapels are held on
leases under the corporation, he urged the necessity of a general
cemetery on freehold land, so securely vested in trust that it could not
be converted to other uses at any future time. The Rosary occupies eight
acres of land in a good situation. It is divided into sections separated
by plantings of trees or shrubs, and contains a small chapel. It is not
consecrated, and ministers of any denomination may officiate at funerals.
In this beautiful resting-place for the dead are deposited the remains of
many of the worthiest of the Norwich citizens.
_Pockthorpe_.
Pockthorpe was originally part of Thorpe, but when severed in the time of
the Conqueror, with the parishes of St. James and St. Paul, took the name
of Paucus Thorpe or Little Thorpe, corrupted into Pockthorpe. The place
is apparently wedded to poverty, with no Divorce Court to grant it
relief. It is chiefly inhabited by poor weavers or spinners, who still
adhere to an old pastime, the rearing of pigeons, as appears from many
coops at the broken windows. The brewery here is an old well-established
concern, and sends out about 100,000 barrels of beer yearly.
NONCONFORMISTS’ CHAPELS.
The OLD MEETING HOUSE, Colegate Street, was erected in 1693 by the
Independents, a congregation of which body had existed in Norwich since
the Commonwealth. They had originally assembled in a brewery in St.
Edmund’s, and afterwards in the “west granary” of St. Andrew’s Hall. Mr.
Bridge, the first pastor, who was incumbent of St. George’s, Tombland,
seceded from the church in the reign of James II., and sat in the
Westminster Assembly of Divines. The building is a large structure of
red brick, fronted with four Corinthian pilasters. It contains sittings
for 700 persons, and has spacious schoolrooms adjacent. The Rev. John
Hallett is the present minister.
* * * * *
PRINCE’S STREET CHAPEL (Independent) was erected in 1819. It is a
handsome building of white brick, and has been enlarged and almost
rebuilt at a cost of £2000, under the superintendence of Mr. Boardman,
architect, of this city. It will now accommodate 1000 persons. The new
front presents an elevation in the modern Italian or composite style,
with seven windows of ornamental design. The roof has been raised and
new windows inserted, eight on each side. New galleries have been
erected with cast-iron columns, and ornamental iron front. A new apse
has been added, and a vestry or retiring room at the back. The whole
interior has been reseated with plain open benches. The entrances,
staircase, hall, and avenues, are laid with tessellated tiles. At a
short distance from the chapel there is a spacious schoolroom, with class
rooms on each side. The Rev. G. S. Barrett is the present minister.
* * * * *
THE CHAPEL IN THE FIELD, (Independent) opened in 1858, is a handsome
edifice with two imposing spiral turrets. Its arched interior has a fine
effect, increased by the introduction of four painted windows in the
apse. The building affords sittings for 900 persons. Adjoining are
spacious schoolrooms in a similar style of architecture. The Rev. Philip
Colborne is the present minister.
* * * * *
THE TABERNACLE (Lady Huntingdon’s Connexion) is situate near St. Martin’s
at Palace. It was built by the Calvinistic Methodists, under Mr.
Wheatley, in 1772, at a cost of £1752. In 1775, the Tabernacle was sold
to the Countess of Huntingdon, who visited Norwich in the following year,
and vested the building in trust with four clergymen and three laymen of
the same connexion to appoint ministers whose preaching and sentiments
are according to the articles and homilies of the church of England. It
contains 1000 sittings. The Rev. Burford Hooke is the present minister.
There is also another chapel of the same connexion on the Dereham Road,
of which the Rev. John Joseph James Kempster is the minister.
* * * * *
ST. MARY’S CHAPEL (Baptist) was originally erected in 1714, but was
rebuilt in its present style in 1811 and enlarged in 1838. Rev. Joseph
Kinghorn was pastor from May 20th, 1791, till his death, on September
1st, 1832. Rev. William Brock was pastor from 1833 to 1848, when he
resigned his charge and went to London, where he preaches at Bloomsbury
chapel. Since 1849, the Rev. G. Gould has been the pastor. Spacious
schoolrooms adjoining the chapel are now in course of erection.
* * * * *
ST. CLEMENT’S (Baptist) was erected in 1814 and contains 900 sittings,
and there is a spacious schoolroom adjacent. The celebrated Mark Wilks
was once the pastor. The present minister is the Rev. T. Foston.
* * * * *
EBENEZER CHAPEL (Baptist), on Surrey Road, was built in 1854, the
minister being the Rev. R. Govett, who some years since seceded from the
established church.
* * * * *
THE GILDENCROFT (Baptist), in St. Augustine’s, formerly occupied by the
Society of Friends, was erected in 1680. There is a spacious burial
ground attached, in which lie the remains of Joseph John Gurney, Mrs.
Opie, and other eminent Friends. The Rev. C. H. Hosken is the minister.
* * * * *
ORFORD HILL CHAPEL (Baptist) was opened as a chapel in 1832. The Rev. J.
Brunt is the present minister.
There are also Baptist Chapels in Cherry Lane, (Rev. W. Hawkins); this
was formerly a Wesleyan Chapel in which the Rev. John Wesley preached;
Priory Yard, (Rev. R. B. Clare); Pottergate Street, (Rev. H. Trevor); and
Jireh Chapel, Dereham Road, (no regular pastor).
* * * * *
THE PRESBYTERIANS recently purchased St. Peter’s Hall, in Theatre Street,
as a place of worship. The hall contains about 700 sittings, which are
generally all occupied. The Rev. W. A. Mc Allan was ordained minister in
1867, and he preaches with great success to large congregations.
* * * * *
WESLEYANS. The Revs. John and Charles Wesley paid their first visit to
this city in 1754, but their followers had no settled place of worship
here till 1769, when they built a small chapel in Cherry Lane, where the
late Dr. Adam Clarke was stationed in 1783, and began to display that
vast genius which afterwards astonished the religious world. The
Wesleyan Methodists have two chapels, one a very spacious edifice in Lady
Lane, and the other, just finished, in Ber Street.
* * * * *
The UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH has two chapels. That in Calvert Street
was erected by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1810, and is a large brick
edifice with about 1200 sittings, and two houses for the ministers. The
other is in Crook’s Place, Heigham, and was opened in 1839, and contains
800 sittings.
* * * * *
THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS have chapels on St. Catherine’s Plain, Cowgate
Street, and Dereham Road. The first named, called Lakenham Chapel, was
built in 1835, and contains 600 sittings. The second, in Cowgate Street,
was built about 20 years since, and contains 300 sittings. The third, on
Dereham Road, was built in 1864, on the site of a smaller one, at a cost
of £1316, raised by subscription. Sunday schools are connected with all
these chapels.
* * * * *
THE UNITARIANS occupy the OCTAGON CHAPEL, St. George’s, a handsome
building, of the shape implied by its name. It is surmounted by a dome,
supported by eight Corinthian pillars. It was erected in 1756, on the
site of the old Presbyterian Meeting-house. Dr. John Taylor, and Dr.
Enfield (compiler of the Speaker) preached in this chapel. Rev. D. H.
Smyth is the minister.
* * * * *
THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS have a meeting-house in Upper Goat Lane, a fine
white-brick structure, with Doric portico, and lighted by a dome lantern.
* * * * *
The ROMAN CATHOLICS have two chapels. In the last century there was a
chapel connected with the palace of the Duke of Norfolk on the site of
the present Museum, but it was lost when that property was sold by him.
The Roman Catholics raised a subscription and built their present chapel
in St. John’s Maddermarket in 1794. It is merely a plain building, but
the altar is very handsome. It contains sittings for about 600 people.
The services here are carried out with great solemnity, and with a strict
adherence to the ritual of the Church of Rome. There is generally a
large congregation at divine service. The Rev. Canon Dalton is the
officiating priest. He resides near the chapel in a very ancient
building that was occupied by the City Sheriff in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth. The chapel in Willow Lane, called the Chapel of the Apostles,
is a handsome building, erected in 1828. The windows are of stained
glass, and the interior decorations are very striking. This chapel is
served by Fathers of the Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits. It
is the custom of that order to change the officiating clergy every few
years. The Rev. Mr. Lane of the order was a contemporary of the Rev. Mr.
Beaumont, the first priest of St. John’s chapel, during the greater part,
if not all, of that gentleman’s lengthened ministry of 62 years, and died
about the same time. The congregation is generally larger than at St.
John’s Chapel.
* * * * *
FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The Dutch Church, in St. Andrew’s Hall,
originally the Conventual Church of the Black Friars, was granted to the
Walloon congregation; but they now have service only once a year, when a
sermon is preached in Dutch and afterwards in English. During the rest
of the year the place is used by the Free Christian Church—Rev. J.
Crompton, minister.
* * * * *
THE FRENCH CHURCH, Queen Street—originally the parochial church of St.
Mary Parva, and afterwards a cloth exchange—was granted, in 1637, to the
French Protestant refugees. It is now occupied by the receivers of the
doctrines enunciated by Emanuel Swedenborg. Mr. E. D. Rogers, leader.
* * * * *
THE JEWS—who were formerly very numerous in this city—have a handsome
synagogue in St. Faith’s Lane, erected in 1849, at a cost of £1600. Rev.
S. Caro, minister.
* * * * *
The CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC CHURCH (Irvingites) occupy a building in Clement
Court, Redwell Street. The present minister is the Rev. Arthur Inglis,
B.A.
Since the 17th century Nonconformists have increased from a few hundreds
to 10,000 in this city.
PART II.
CHAPTER I.
Norwich Antiquities.
THE Castle, Cathedral, and churches already described are the chief
antiquities of the city, but other remains are worthy of notice, and have
been described by Blomefield, Kirkpatrick, Taylor, Harrod, S. Woodward,
B. B. Woodward, the Rev. R. Hart of Catton, R. Fitch, Esq., and other
antiquaries, who have explored every part of the old city. They nearly
all agree in their accounts of the rise and progress of Norwich, and of
its condition at different periods.
THE ANCIENT CITY.
B. B. Woodward, Esq., F.S.A., delivered two lectures on “Norwich in the
Olden Time,” to the members of the Church of England Young Men’s Society,
at the Assembly Rooms, some years since. He showed a thorough knowledge
of all the previous authorities, with whom he sometimes differed. He
exhibited four large maps, presenting views of the Old City at different
periods, from A.D. 400 to A.D. 1400. He stated that he had derived the
greater part of his materials for them from the series of maps of ancient
Norwich made by his father, the late Mr. S. Woodward, but he had
corrected and completed them from the publications of various
Archæological Societies since they had been constructed, and he hoped
that they would serve to illustrate the growth and progress of the
ancient city with general fidelity to facts. Directing attention to the
first map, which represented the condition of the _Venta Icenorum_, A.D.
400, Mr. Woodward pointed out the purely fictitious character of the
earliest accounts of Norwich to be found in the older historians, who
drew, in all good faith, on their fertile imaginations, and both
persuaded themselves that they were writing history, and that they were
believed to be doing so by others.
The old-established tradition, that the sea came up to Norwich, he
stated, was undoubtedly to be accepted, but not as having occurred within
the historic period. From various facts, and particularly from the
occurrence of a Roman road at Wangford, near Bungay, near the edge of the
present stream, he concluded that in the times of the Romans, the valleys
of the Eastern Counties did not present a very different aspect from
their present one, though of course where there was now meadow, marsh
existed formerly, and many small streams have disappeared. Mr. Woodward,
on this point, differed entirely from all the local historians and
antiquarians, and his opinion is not supported by any evidence. The
existence of a Roman road at Wangford, near Bungay, if such there be, has
nothing to do with the river Yare. Mr. Woodward offered no proof that it
is a Roman road. All the local historians state that a broad arm of the
sea flowed up to Norwich till the 11th century, when Sweyn came up with a
great fleet and landed an army here. Parochial records prove that the
river came up to St. Lawrence Steps at a later period. We may therefore
dismiss this singular opinion as untenable.
Mr. Woodward regarded Norwich as the _Venta Icenorum_ of the Romans for
several reasons, and particularly because it was plain from the
occurrence of these Ventas in Britain, and none in any other part of the
Roman world, that this was the name of a British town, which its being
called the Venta of the Iceni strongly confirmed—even, in fact, a British
stronghold, constructed according to the custom of that people in parts
of the country without hills. In hilly countries the strongholds were
entrenchments round the summits of the hills, but then there were small
tracts of land surrounded by marshes. Such were the British strongholds
on Bungay Common, and that at Horning, and such he believed was the
_Venta Icenorum_. They were not intended for permanent occupation, but
as places of safety for their wives and children, and for their cattle,
in case of the attack of another tribe; and they could rarely be held
against the enemy for any length of time. In this instance, the trench
was drawn in a horse-shoe form, from the eastern slope of the ground on
which the Castle now stands to the western side, the steep bank of the
little stream, called the Cockey, being rendered more steep by art,
whilst the Wensum and marshes protected the other sides. The position of
the Roman camp, as the map showed, was determined by its being the
fittest for keeping in check the _Iceni_ of _Venta_, and preventing them
from marching against the southern part of the island; and it might
probably have been placed there after the disastrous experiment of what
the _Iceni_ could do under such a leader as their famous Queen Boadicea.
In the latter part of the Roman period it would seem that the conquerors
had less occasion for mere military force here, for the remains of a
Roman villa had been found in the northern side of the camp at Caister.
Mr. Woodward said the Map of Norfolk still showed traces of Roman roads
radiating from Norwich. The principal roads were—one entering the
stronghold in the western side, now St. Stephen’s Street; another
entering it on the east, now known as King Street. This last crossed the
river by a ford at Fyebridge, and was the origin of Magdalen Street and
St. Augustine’s Street; another road left the fortress on the western
side, near the river, and was called St. Benedict’s Street; and the last
crossed the river at Bishopbridge by another ford, and sent off branches
to the north-east and east of Norfolk. He believed that nearly all the
main lines of road originated with the Romans, but this is at least
doubtful. Norwich must then have been a very large town to have required
so many main lines of roads; but its very existence as a town is
uncertain during the Roman period.
Mr. Woodward’s second map exhibited the entrenchments round the fortress
as already described, at the time of the Conquest. Map the third
exhibited the condition of the city in the time of the Domesday Survey,
or about A.D. 1100, when 54 churches and chapels existed. Map the fourth
showed the state of the city A.D. 1400, when Norwich was described as at
the acme of its splendour and importance, and second only to Bristol,
after London. This arose from its being the capital of East Anglia, and
the residence of so many of the clergy and gentry. Mr. Woodward pointed
out the sites of some of the old monasteries in this period. The
Bishop’s palace was then within the precincts of the close. Besides the
monastery there, and that of St. Leonard’s, there were then several
others in Norwich. In King Street, to the south of St. Faith’s Lane,
were the Austin Friars, and to the north of Rose Lane the Grey Friars.
Both these monastic communities were said to have encroached on the
adjacent streets, churchyards, &c., by extending their precincts; which
accounted for the changes around them. The Carmelites occupied the whole
angle of the city between the river, the walls, and Bargate Street. But
few traces of these establishments now remain. The case of the Black
Friars was very different. Their magnificent church is still almost
entire; much of the convent is still standing in St. Andrew’s Hall, and
the Dutch or Walloon Church, and the oldest parts of the former
Workhouse. In addition to these, there had been several smaller monastic
orders which were merged in the others before the 15th century. In this
period, most of the streets on the north side of the town were in
existence, and some on the south side.
Formerly, as already intimated, some of our streets were named from the
trades of those who occupied them. Thus there were Saddlers’ Gate, now
White Lion Street; Wastelgate, now Red Lion Street; Cordwainers’ Row, now
part of the Walk; Goldsmiths’ Row, north side of the Market; Hosiers’
Row, in part of London Street; Cutlers’ Row, in part of London Street;
Hatters’ Row, now St. Giles’ Street; Dyers’ Row, in St. Lawrence Street;
and Pottergate Street, still so called. The Cloth Hall stood in the
Haymarket; and on the west side were the Butchery, the Fishmarket, and
various other rows, where articles of food were sold.
OLD WALLS AND GATES.
R. FITCH, ESQ., is the very best authority respecting the old walls and
gates, of which he made a study for many years; and in 1861 he published
a very handsome illustrated volume entitled, “Views of the Gates of
Norwich made in the years 1792–3, by the late John Ninham; with an
Historical Introduction, Extracts from the Corporation Records, and
Papers by the late John Kirkpatrick, contributed to the Transactions of
the Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society, by Robert Fitch, F.S.A.,
F.G.S.” The author says:—
“The history of the walls of Norwich is a history of the gate houses,
and in speaking of the origin of the first we include that of the
second. In 1294, being the 23rd Edward I., the first mural tax was
granted, and continued three years. A second tax succeeded this, and
in 1304 a third tax was imposed, to continue in operation for five
years. In the 11th of Edward II., a fourth tax of the like nature
was allowed; and in two years after, namely in 1319, the walls of
Norwich were completed.”
“When the thickness and extent of the fortifications of this city are
considered, it cannot be thought surprising that a period of 25 years
elapsed before these mural defences were finished, so far as to
render no additional tax necessary. It must not, however, be
considered that no other pecuniary assistance was required towards
the work. The citizens themselves manifested the greatest interest
in the subject; and the ancient books of account contain not only
entries of money expended on the walls and gates, but also register
the private contributions of persons towards the same object and for
necessary reparation.”
“It has been previously observed, that in 1319 the walls of the city
were said to have been completed; but something more was required to
render them adequate to the purpose for which they were designed.
Neither towers nor gates could be of use unless properly furnished
with munitions of war and the implements then in use for their
projection. This does not appear to have taken place until 23 years
after completion, namely in 1342, in 16th Edward III., when a
patriotic citizen, Richard Spynk, for the honour of the monarch and
the safety of his fellow citizens, gave thirty espringolds to cast
stones with, to be kept at divers gates and towers; 100 gogions, or
balls of stone, locked up in a box; a box with ropes and
accoutrements; four great arblasters, or crossbows, and 100 gogions
for each arblaster; two pairs of grapples, to bring the bows to the
requisite tension for discharge; also other gogions, and some
armour.”
After stating other acts of this citizen, Mr. Fitch proceeds:—
“From this long recital of gifts, it must be concluded that Richard
Spynk was virtually the fortifier of the city; for it is clear that
until his munificence made the gates and walls complete, they were
imperfect. Nor did he suffer his work to fall into decay; but by the
adoption of rules and regulations, he preserved to the city the full
benefit of what he had done.”
“Before proceeding further with an outline of the history of the
Walls and Gates, it should be stated that Norwich had been previously
surrounded by a ditch and bank for protection.” * * * * *
“One benefit produces another, and to Richard Spynk was the City not
only indebted for its safety from aggression, but also for an
extension of its liberties.
“It is recorded that Queen Isabella induced the king, her son, in
consideration of the costs and charges for the Walls which had been
raised without call on the Government, to grant a charter to the
Citizens, that they, and their heirs and successors, dwelling in the
said City, should for ever be free from jurisdiction of the Clerk of
the Market and of the household of the King, and his heirs, so that
the said Clerk or his officers should not enter the City, or fee or
make assay of any measures or weights, or to exercise or do anything
belonging to the said office of the Clerk of the Market.
“In this King’s reign, according to the Customs’ Book, there is an
account of the battlements on the various gates, towers, and walls.
These were numbered, in order that each parish might be made
acquainted with its responsibilities of repairs in this respect.
Beginning from the river to Coslany Gate, there were 112 battlements,
and 10 on the gate itself. From that point to St. Augustine’s Gate,
were 69 battlements, and on the gate, 12. Thence to Fibrigge Gate—on
the walls and towers were 153 battlements, and on the gate, 13;
thence to Pockthorpe Gate—on the walls and towers were 178, and on
the gate, 10; and from this gate to the river were about 40. From
this point to the tower of Conisford Gate, the river chiefly protects
the city, but the tower bore 12 battlements; and from the tower on
the city side of the water to Conisford Gate, were 26 battlements
with 14 on the gate. Thence to Ber Street Gate, were 150; on the
gate and its wicket were 27; and from thence to St. Stephen’s Gate
were 307 (here were some strong towers); and on this gate and wicket
were 28.
“From St. Stephen’s to St. Giles’ Gate were 229 (here again were
several strong towers), and on the gate and wicket were 15; and from
St. Giles’ to St. Benedict’s Gate were 100, and on the gate itself
and wicket were 16; thence to Heigham Gate 79, and on the gate 4—and
from this gate to the tower and wall on the river were 16
battlements; in all, 1630. At this period (1345, according to the
Domesday Book of the City) there was a tax called ‘Fossage,’ to
defray the great charges of the walls and ditches.” * *
“In 1385 a general survey was made, and all the walls and gates were
placed in good repair, with a sufficient number of men appointed to
guard them. It was also agreed that churchwards should be chosen
annually, whose duty it should be to prevent any decay or permanent
injury to the fortifications by timely repair or by reconstruction.
In 1386, the expectancy of invasion caused general fear throughout
the realm, and particularly in the eastern counties. The king sent
nearly a thousand men to Yarmouth for the defence of the coast; and
so imminent was the peril, that the king commanded the authorities of
Norwich to place the walls, towers, and gates in full and able
condition to repel all who might appear in opposition to the king’s
authority, or crush a design to injure the city. The towers were
therefore filled with engines of defence, the walls rendered perfect,
and the ditches made as wide and as deep as the necessities of the
case demanded.” * * * *
The author proceeds to show the anxious attention which was paid to the
preservation of the walls and gates, by copious extracts from a roll,
dated 1386. He then gives a full history of the fortifications, from
which we shall make some extracts in our narrative of events at different
periods. He thus concludes his historical sketch:—
“Not a fragment of the gates now exists, but the certain indications
of where, in some instances, they once stood, are yet accidentally
preserved.”
With a short notice of these, the account is concluded:—
“CONISFORD GATE. A fragment of the wall of the east side of this
gate still exists, attached to the west of the ‘Cinder Ovens’ public
house at the south end of King Street, and also on the opposite side
of the street.
“BER STREET GATE. No portion of this gate remains; but where the
structure stood is sufficiently evident by the high wall on the west
side of the upper end of Ber Street.
“BRAZEN DOORS. Not a fragment remains.
“ST. STEPHEN’S GATE. No portion left.
“ST. GILES’ GATE. The house against which the south side of this
gate abutted still stands, and part of the lower walls of the
building can be seen. {126}
“ST. BENEDICT’S GATE. Here a corresponding house or abuttal of this
gate stands perfect, with one of the strong iron staples, on which
hung one of the doors, projecting from the wall.
“HEIGHAM GATE. Very slight remains left.
“ST. MARTIN’S GATE. A portion of the north side of this gate is left
erect and firm, with small tenements abutting against it
“ST. AUGUSTINE’S GATE. No fragment is left. A large portion of the
ditch between this gate and St. Martin’s is clearly seen, very few
buildings having been erected on its site.
“MAGDALEN GATE. No portion left, but the form and interior of the
city wall is well seen at this point.
“BARRE or POCKTHORPE GATE. Indications are left of where the gate
stood, with fragments of the wall on the right and left
“BISHOP’S GATE. Nothing of the gate exists, but the exact site may
be seen by the necessary increased width of the bridge.
“The precise spot where each gate stood may be found by tracing a
line of the city wall, where it crossed a street; the gates being of
course integral portions of the wall perforated for traffic and
fortified with extra work for adequate defence.”
DESECRATED CHURCHES.
The Rev. Francis Blomefield, of Fersfield, who flourished in the first
half of the last century, was the chief of Norfolk historians and
antiquarians. He was great in genealogy and heraldry, and very elaborate
on monuments and epitaphs, while he altogether passed over more important
matters. We might almost wish that he had known less of heraldry and
more of history; but his great work must ever be the foundation of local
history in Norwich and Norfolk. A perfect copy of his work, being very
scarce, is now worth at least £20. It contains most of the documentary
antiquities of the city, such as charters, acts of parliaments,
proceedings of public bodies, and other official sources of information,
of which he has made a good use. He has given full details from the
records of every parish, and of the old corporation. He states the great
changes which took place in the city and county at the time of the
Reformation, and the dissolution of the monasteries, when nineteen of
those institutions existed in Norwich.
Blomefield notices several large conventual churches, which were
desecrated at the Reformation, and many parish churches which have been
demolished, their parishes being incorporated with those now existing.
* * * * *
ALL SAINTS’, situated in Fyebridge Street, was at the north corner of the
street called Cowgate, at its entrance into Magdalen Street, and was
built before the Conquest. At the foundation of the cathedral it was
appropriated to the convent, and at the Reformation to the dean and
chapter. It was said to have had a very fine font, erected in 1477. In
1550 the church was taken down, and the parish, with that of St.
Margaret, was annexed to St. Paul’s.
* * * * *
ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S, in Ber Street, was in the patronage of the prior of
Wymondham, and at the Dissolution was consolidated with St. John’s
Sepulchre, and the church taken down.
* * * * *
ST. BITTULPH’S stood in Magdalen Street, a little north of Stump Cross.
It was founded before 1300 and was taken down in 1548, and the parish
united to St. Saviour’s.
* * * * *
ST. CHRISTOPHER’S stood on the east side of St. Andrew’s Hill, and was
one of the oldest churches in the city. It was burnt down in the reign
of Henry III. The greater portion of the parish was united to St.
Andrew’s and a smaller part to St. Michael’s at Plea.
* * * * *
ST. CRUCIS, or St. Crowches, stood in Broad Street, St. Andrew’s. It was
dedicated to the honour of the holy cross, and was erected before the
year 1272. In 1551 it was desecrated, and the parish united to St.
John’s Maddermarket.
* * * * *
ST. CLEMENT’S, in Conisford, situated in King Street, was a very ancient
church, founded long before the Conquest. It was united with St.
Julian’s in 1482.
* * * * *
ST. CUTHBERT’S was situated at the north end of King Street, near
Tombland. About 1492 it was united to the church of St. Mary the Less at
the monastery gates, and was demolished in 1530.
* * * * *
ST. EDWARD’S stood on the west side of King Street, near St. Etheldred’s
church. About the end of the 13th century it was united to St. Julian’s.
All along King Street there are many vaults and crypts, which seem to
have formed the foundations of old churches and monasteries.
* * * * *
ST. FAITH’S or ST. VEDAST’S was situated near the place where Cooke’s
hospital now stands, in Rose Lane. It was founded before the Conquest
and was taken down in 1540, the parish being united with that of St.
Peter per Mountergate. The latter is a corruption of the old name
“Parmenter Gate,” which should be restored by authority. It was the old
Tailor Street.
* * * * *
ST. FRANCIS’ belonged to the Grey Friars, whose convent stood near the
site of Cooke’s hospital. It was a noble church, 300 feet in length and
80 feet in breadth, with cloisters and a large chapter house. At the
Dissolution it was, with the convent, granted to the Duke of Norfolk.
* * * * *
ST. JAMES’, CARROW, belonged to the nunnery there, and with it became
private property at the Dissolution, the parish being united to Lakenham.
* * * * *
ST. JOHN’S IN SOUTHGATE stood at the north corner of Rose Lane, and about
1300 was annexed to St. Peter Parmenter Gate. The Grey Friars pulled it
down and annexed the site of it to their convent.
* * * * *
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST’S stood on the site of the present Octagon chapel.
It was originally a parish church; but when the Dominicans, or Friars’
Preachers, settled here in 1226, it was given to them, and the parish was
united to St. George’s at Colegate. They immediately built a convent in
this place and the church was used by them as a chapel, till they removed
to their new convent in St. Andrew’s, where they dedicated their church
also to St. John the Baptist. The church is now St. Andrew’s Hall, and
the chancel (formerly the Dutch church) is now the place of worship of
the FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
* * * * *
ST. MARGARET’S, IN FYEBRIDGE, was a church of ancient foundation,
situated on the west side of Magdalen Street, near the gate. There is no
account how long it has been dissolved. The parish is now united with
St. Paul’s.
* * * * *
ST. MARGARET’S AT NEWBRIDGE, anciently called St. Margaret’s at Colegate,
was situated near Blackfriars’ bridge, on the west side of the street.
The parish was depopulated by the great pestilence, in 1349, when the
church ceased to be parochial, and the parish was annexed to that of St.
George’s Colegate. The church occupied the site of Weston’s brewery, now
demolished.
* * * * *
ST. MARTIN’S in BALLIVA was situated near the spot where, until lately,
the Golden Ball tavern stood, on the south side of the Castle Hill. The
church was on the right hand of the entrance into Golden Ball Lane. In
1562, this church was demolished and the parish united to St. Michael’s
at Thorn. Formerly all persons dying in the castle, and all criminals
executed, were buried in this churchyard, but this right, after the
desecration of the church, was conferred upon St. Michael’s at Thorn.
* * * * *
ST. MARY THE VIRGIN’S was situated in Conisford, and belonged to the
Augustine Friars, being also dedicated to St. Augustine. It was a noble
structure, 450 feet long and 90 feet wide, with cloisters on the north
and south sides. After the Dissolution it became private property in
1547, when the church and conventual buildings were demolished.
* * * * *
ST. MARY UNBRENT stood on the west side of Magdalen Street, near Golden
Dog Lane. The church was demolished at the dissolution, and the parish
united to St. Saviour’s. “Unbrent” means unburnt. The church was called
St. Mary _in combusto loco_, or in that part of the city burnt in the
great fire in the time of William I. Blomefield thinks that the church
was then consumed, and afterwards rebuilt; and that it was erroneously
written in ancient documents _uncombusto_, instead of _in combusto_.
* * * * *
ST. MATTHEW’S, near the palace, was a small church. The parish has,
since the great pestilence of 1349, been united with that of St. Martin’s
at Palace.
* * * * *
ST. MICHAEL’S in Coslany was sold to the Austin Friars in 1360, and
shortly afterwards the parish was united to that of St. Peter Parmenter
Gate, when the church was demolished and a cloister erected on its site.
* * * * *
ST. OLAVE’S, or St. TOOLEY’S, stood on the east side of Tooley Street,
next to the corner of Cherry Lane. It was demolished in 1546, and the
parish consolidated with St. George’s Colegate.
* * * * *
ST. CATHERINE’S in NEWGATE was situated on St. Catherine’s Hill. In 1349
the whole parish was almost depopulated by the pestilence, after which
the church was deserted and converted into a chapel, the parish being
united with that of All Saints. At the Dissolution the chapel was
granted to Sir John Milton, and in 1567 conveyed to the city for the use
of St. Giles’ hospital. Thus a large amount of Church property was
applied to secular purposes.
DESECRATED CHAPELS.
Blomefield gives an account of different chapels dedicated to various
purposes, most of which were destroyed at the Dissolution.
* * * * *
ST. CATHERINE’S CHAPEL stood upon Mousehold, about a mile north-east of
the barracks, was founded about the time of the Conquest, and was deemed
a parochial chapel while it was standing. At the Dissolution this chapel
was demolished and the parish united with that of St. James.
* * * * *
THE CHAPEL OF ST. THOMAS A BECKET, which was not parochial, stood near
the same place. No traces of the building can now be discovered.
* * * * *
THE COLLEGE OF ST. MARY IN THE FIELDS, originally called the Chapel in
the Fields (whence the present name of Chapel Field was derived), was a
chapel dedicated to Mary the Virgin. It was founded about the year 1250,
by JOHN LE BRUN, as an hospital, but its benefactors were so numerous and
munificent that in a very short time it became a noble college,
consisting of a dean, chancellor, precentor, treasurer, and seven other
prebendaries. Six chaplains or chantry priests were afterwards added.
The dean was collated by the bishop in right of the see, or by the king
during a vacancy. The premises were very extensive, and were granted at
the dissolution to Miles Spencer, LL.D., the last dean. After passing
through many hands the property came into possession of shareholders, who
built Assembly Rooms on the site of the college. Bond Cabbell, Esq.
subsequently bought the whole building for a Freemasons’ Hall.
* * * * *
GUILDHALL CHAPEL adjoined the south side of the hall, and was dedicated
to St. Barbara. It served as a chapel for the prisoners as well as for
the Court to attend divine service when they assembled on public
business. It was pulled down long since, and the present porch was
erected on its site.
* * * * *
ST. MICHAEL’S CHAPEL, TOMBLAND, stood on the site of the obelisk, and was
one of the most ancient religious buildings in Norwich. It was founded
by the Earl of the East Angles long before the Conquest and prior to the
building of the Cathedral; served as a chapel for the use of their
palace, which stood facing the south side of the chapel-yard; and
occupied the south end of Tombland, from the monastery gate to the chapel
ditch. Bishop Herbert demolished it, and the whole site was laid open
for the improvement of the monastery, and a stone cross was erected on
the spot. Instead of this, the Bishop built another chapel on the summit
of the hill outside of Bishopgate, and dedicated it to St. Michael.
* * * * *
ST. NICHOLAS’ CHAPEL, Bracondale, was situated at the corner of the road
now leading to Carrow Bridge. It was much frequented by fishermen and
watermen, who were then numerous, and who made offerings there to St.
Nicholas, their patron saint. It was founded before the Conquest and was
parochial; but in the time of Edward II. the parish was returned as
belonging to Lakenham, with which it is now united.
* * * * *
ST. OLAVE’S CHAPEL, near King Street Gates, was a parochial chapel long
before the Conquest, and in the reign of Edward III. the parish was
united to that of St. Peter Southgate. The chapel was demolished before
1345.
MONASTIC INSTITUTIONS.
Mr. Taylor’s _Index Monasticus_ contains the fullest account of the old
monasteries which, at one period, were very numerous in the city. Many
of them possessed large churches, great wealth, and considerable power.
They comprised Priories, Friaries, and Nunneries, which were situated in
or near King Street, or St. Faith’s Lane, or the Cowgate. Formerly all
the west side of the river was called the Cow-holm, where cows fed on the
meadows, and Cowgate consisted of open fields.
PRIORIES.
The Benedictine Priory at the cathedral was founded by Bishop Herbert as
already noticed. The Priory of St. Leonard’s was founded by Bishop
Herbert before he built the cathedral, and here he placed the monks while
the priory was being built. It was situated on Mousehold Heath, opposite
Bishop’s Bridge, and served as a cell to the cathedral priory till the
Dissolution. At the Dissolution it was granted by Henry VIII. to Thomas,
Duke of Norfolk, whose son Henry, Earl of Surrey, erected on its site a
splendid house, called Surrey house, which has long since fallen into
decay. St. Michael’s Chapel, built by Bishop Herbert, was near the
priory, and served by monks. It was demolished by the rebel Kett, who,
with his followers, encamped near it, so that it has since been called
Kett’s Castle. Near the remains of this chapel, in the valley beneath,
was Lollard’s Pit, the spot where many of the early Reformers were
burned.
FRIARIES.
This class of monastic institutions consisted of houses erected for the
Friars, of orders grey, or white, or black. The monasteries were seldom
endowed, because the Friars were, by profession, beggars, and lived on
what they could get. They obtained a great deal of money in the ages of
superstition. Many of their buildings were large and stately, and
connected with noble churches in which great personages were frequently
interred. Most of the monasteries were houses of refuge for the
destitute poor in the middle ages.
* * * * *
THE GREY OR FRANCISCAN FRIARS seem to have been the first who settled
here near the site of Cooke’s Hospital about 1226. This convent was a
place of great resort, and the church, as already stated in our notice of
the Desecrated Churches, was a large building 300 feet in length, and 80
feet in breadth, with spacious cloisters and conventual buildings; not a
stone of which now remains. One of the cloisters of this convent was
called “Pardon Cloister,” on account of the pope granting indulgences to
all who were buried there, a source of revenue to the monks. At the
Dissolution the possessions were granted to the Duke of Norfolk.
* * * * *
THE WHITE FRIARS or CARMELITES had a flourishing convent near White
Friars’ Bridge, which was founded by Philip de Cowgate in 1256. He
assumed the name from his estates, being the principal person in those
parts of the city. The monks were called White Friars from their dress,
and Carmelites from the monastery of Mount Carmel in Palestine, the place
of their first residence, from which they were driven by the Saracens
about the year 1238, after which they settled in different parts of
Europe. The monastery has been long demolished, and the site built upon.
* * * * *
THE BLACK FRIARS, sometimes called the Dominican Friars or Friars’
Preachers, settled here about 1226, in the church of St. John the
Baptist, which formerly stood in Colegate Street, on the site of the
Octagon Chapel. They afterwards removed into the parish of St. Andrew,
where they built a large monastery. The name of the church is now St.
Andrew’s Hall.
* * * * *
AUSTIN FRIARY. The possessions of this convent were bounded on the north
by St. Faith’s Lane, and extended as far as the river. At the
Dissolution they were granted to Sir Thomas Heneage.
* * * * *
THE FRIARS DE DOMINA arose in 1288, and in 1290 were introduced here.
They had a house on the south side of St. Julian’s Churchyard, where they
continued till the reign of Edward III., when, all the brethren dying of
the great pestilence of 1348, their convent became private property.
* * * * *
THE FRIARS OF ST. MARY occupied a house situated in the yard of the
desecrated church of St. Martin in Balliva, where the Golden Ball Tavern
stood. They joined the order of White Friars.
* * * * *
THE FRIARS DE PICA or PIED FRIARS, so called from their black and white
garments, lived in a college at the corner of the churchyard of St. Peter
Parmentergate. They joined one of the other orders.
* * * * *
THE FRIARS DE SACCO, or BRETHREN of the SAC, settled here about 1250 in a
house opposite to the church of St. Peter’s Hungate. The whole premises,
bounded by Bridge Street on the west, by the river on the north, and by
the street leading to Hungate on the south, were settled on them, where
they built a church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, on the site of which
St. Andrew’s Hall now stands. The Black Friars were united with them in
1307, when the convent was greatly enlarged, extending to the river on
the north side, and to Elm Hill on the east side.
* * * * *
A NUNNERY formerly existed at Carrow Abbey, dedicated to St. Mary and St.
John. It was founded in the year 1146 by two ladies named Leftelina and
Seyna. It was richly endowed by King Stephen, and consisted of a
Prioress and nine Benedictine Nuns, which number was afterwards increased
to twelve. The site within the walls contained about ten acres of land,
and the revenues and possessions were great. At the Dissolution the
abbey and lands became private property.
* * * * *
ANCHORAGES or HERMITAGES were connected with several of the monastic
institutions in the city, and even inhabited by recluses. Anchorets were
a sort of monks, so called from their shutting themselves up in
anchorages or cells. Of these there were male and female, the eremite or
hermit, who pretended to follow the example of John the Baptist, and the
anchoress, who professed to imitate the conduct of Judith. All these
anchorages were abolished at the Dissolution or at the Reformation.
THE MONUMENTAL BRASSES OF NORWICH AND NEIGHBOURHOOD.
To Archæologists, and particularly to those directing their attention to
Monumental Brasses, the following list of Brasses in Norwich and the
principal villages in the neighbourhood, may be considered useful. They
are classified under their distinctive characters, namely—1st,
Ecclesiastics; 2nd, knights; 3rd, civilians and ladies; 4th,
miscellaneous. The list specifies those consisting of effigies generally
perfect, with their inscriptions, unless otherwise mentioned.
An alphabetical list of the churches, with the various brasses in each,
is also appended.
ECCLESIASTICS.
1389. Richardus Thaseburgh, rector of _Hellesdon_.
Hellesdon.
1437. Galfridus Langley, installed Prior _St. Lawrence_.
of Saint Faith the Virgin, at
Horsham, 1401.
1450. John Alnwik, in academic costume. _Surlingham_.
1487. Roger Clarke, priest. _St. Peter at
Southgate_.
1497. Walter Goos, priest. _St. Swithin_.
1499. John Smyth, priest—chalice. _St. Giles_.
Henry Alikok—chalice. _Colney_.
Thome Coke, rector of _St. Michael at
Bodham—chalice lost, inscription Coslany_.
only remaining.
An individual unknown—chalice. _Poringland Magna_.
Randulphus Pulvertoft—inscription _The Cathedral_
only. (_Jesus’ Chapel_).
1531. William Richies, vicar of _Bawburgh_.
Bawburgh.
1545. Thome Capp, vicar. _St. Stephen_.
KNIGHTS.
c1460. John Toddenham. A small figure, _St. John in
with scroll from the mouth. Maddermarket_,
_Norwich_.
1499. Thome Heveningham, and Anne, his _Ketteringham_.
wife. This is a beautifully
executed brass, and is placed
under a canopy upon an altar tomb.
He died 1499. The blank intended
for the date of the death of his
wife still remains.
1559. John Corbet, and Jane, his wife. _Sprowston_.
He died 1470. The blank left for
the date of her death still
remains.
1565. Sir Edward Warner. _Plumstead Parva_.
1568. Sir Peter Rede. Discovered to be _St. Peter Mancroft_,
a Palimpsest, in 1851. _Norwich_.
CIVILIANS AND LADIES.
_c_1380. Richard de Heylesdone, and _Hellesdon_.
Beatrice, his wife.
1384. John de Heylesdone, and Johanna, _Hellesdon_.
his wife. An inscription only.
1412. Walter Moneslee, and Isabella, his _St. John in
wife. Maddermarket_.
1432. Robert Baxter, and Christiana, his _St. Giles_.
wife.
1435. Robert Brasyer, and Christiana, _St. Stephen_.
his wife. A celebrated
bell-founder.
Roberti Brasyer (mutilated). _St. Stephen_.
1436. Richard Purdaunce, and Margaret, _St. Giles_.
his wife.
1436. John Asgar, the younger. _St. Lawrence_.
_c_1445. Alice Thorndon. _Frettenham_.
1460. Thomas Bokenham, and wife. _St. Stephen_.
_c_1460. A Lady (unknown). _Frettenham_.
1470. Jane Corbet, in Brass, of John _Sprowston_.
Corbet, and Jane, his wife—see
“Knights.”
1475. William Pepyr, and Joan, his wife. _St. John in
Inscription and four shields lost Maddermarket_.
1475. William Norwiche, and Alicia, his _St. George at
wife. A Bracket Brass. Canopy Colegate_.
mutilated.
1495. John Horslee, and Agnes, his wife. _St. Swithin_.
1499. Anne Heveningham, in Brass, of _Ketteringham_.
Thome Heveningham, and Anne, his
wife—see “Knights.”
A Lady (unknown). There are two _Ketteringham_.
Inscriptions, with a figure of a
Child, inserted with this Brass,
in the wall of the church, which
do not relate to it.
1591. Richard Ferrers, Mayor of Norwich, _St. Michael at
in the years 1473, 1478, 1483, Coslany_.
1493, 1498. Merchant’s mark and
inscription only remaining.
1502. Thomas Cook. _St. Gregory_.
1503. Edward Ward. _Bixley_.
1505. William Dussing, and Katherine, _Kirby Bedon_.
his wife. In winding sheets.
1505. Thome Tyard. In winding sheets. _Bawburgh_.
_c_1510. Juliane Anyell. _Witton_.
1514. Margaret Pettwode. _St. Clement_.
1515. Henrici Scolows, and Alicia, his _St. Michael at
wife. In winding sheets, with Coslany_.
four evangelical emblems.
1524. John Terri, and Lettys, his wife. _St. John in
An elaborate Brass, with twenty Maddermarket_.
lines of English verse.
_c_1527. John Gilbert. Fragments of canopy _St. Andrew_.
and inscription only remaining.
1528. Edwardus Whyte, and Elizabeth, his _Shottisham St.
wife. Mary_.
_c_1538. William Layer, and wife. _St. Andrew_.
Inscription lost.
1540. Nicholas Suttherton. An _St. John in
inscription and shield. A Maddermarket_.
palimpsest, now in the church
chest, formerly at east end of
nave.
1546. Bel Buttry. _St. Stephen_.
1558. Robarte Rugge, Mayor of Norwich, _St. John in
and Elizabeth, his wife. Maddermarket_.
1560. Helen Caus, wife of Thomas Caus, _St. John in
Mayor of Norwich. This is one of Maddermarket_.
three effigies which represented
Thomas Caus, Mayor in 1495 and
1503, and Johanna and Helen, his
wives, and is a late example of
the pedimental head dress. The
other effigies are lost.
A Mayor of Norwich, and his Wife. _St. John in
Name and date unknown. Maddermarket_.
Inscription lost.
1577. Anne Rede, wife of Sir Peter Rede _St. Margaret_.
(whose Brass lies in St. Peter of
Mancroft Church).
1600. Mary Bussie. Lost since 1850; _St. Peter of
formerly in the church of Mancroft_.
1605. Mis Anē Claxton; an inscription _St. Mary at
and shield. Coslany_.
1649. Clere Talbot, and his Wives. _Dunston_.
1818. Mary Elizabeth, wife of Edward _The Cathedral_
South Thurlow. A cross, brass, (_north side of
with a border inscription; laid Choir_).
down within the last few years.
MISCELLANEOUS.
1452. Thomas Childes. A skeleton _St. Lawrence,
figure, inscription lost. Norwich_.
An individual unknown. A heart _Kirby Bedon_.
with three scrolls.
A small figure in winding sheet; _Bawburgh_.
comparatively modern.
LIST OF THE CHURCHES WITH BRASSES.
_St. Andrew_, _Norwich_.
John Gilbert 1527
William Layer, and wife 1538
_The Cathedral_, _Jesus’ Chapel_, _Norwich_.
Randulphus Pulvertoft 1499
Mary Elizabeth, wife of Edward South Thurlow 1818
_St. Clement_, _Norwich_.
Margaret Pettwode 1514
_St. George at Colegate_, _Norwich_.
William Norwiche 1475
_St. Giles_, _Norwich_.
Robert Baxter, and Christiana, his wife 1432
Richard Purdaunce, and Margaret, his wife 1436
John Smyth, priest 1499
_St. Gregory_, _Norwich_.
Thomas Cok 1502
_St. John in Maddermarket_.
Walter Moneslee, and Isabella, his wife 1412
John Toddenham _c_1460
William Pepyr, and Joan, his wife 1476
A Mayor of Norwich, name unknown
John Terri, and Lettys, his wife 1524
Nicholas Suttherton 1540
Robarte Rugge, and Elizabeth, his wife 1558
Helen Caus 1560
_St. Lawrence_, _Norwich_.
John Asgar, the younger 1436
Galfridus Langley 1437
Thomas Childes 1452
_St. Margaret_, _Norwich_.
Anne Rede 1577
_St. Mary at Coslany_, _Norwich_.
Mis Anē Claxton 1605
_St. Michael at Coslany_, _Norwich_.
Richard Ferrers 1501
Henrici Scolows, and Alicia, his wife 1515
Thome Coke
_St. Peter of Mancroft_, _Norwich_.
Sir Peter Rede 1568
The Brass of Mary Bussie, date 1600, has been lost
since 1850
_St. Peter at Southgate_, _Norwich_.
Roger Clarke 1487
_St. Stephen_, _Norwich_.
Robert Brasyer, and Christiana, his wife 1435
Thomas Bokenham and wife 1460
Roberti Brasyer
Thome Capp, vicar 1545
Bel Buttry 1546
_St. Swithin_, _Norwich_.
John Horslee, and Agnes, his wife 1495
Walter Goos, priest 1497
_Bawburgh_.
Thome Tyard 1505
William Richies—chalice 1531
A small figure, in winding sheet
_Bixley_.
Edward Ward 1503
_Colney_.
Henry Alikok
_Dunston_.
Clare Talbot, and his wives 1649
_Frettenham_.
Alice Thorndon _c_1445
Lady (unknown) _c_1460
_Hellesdon_.
Richard de Heylesdone, and Beatrice, his wife 1380
John de Heylesdone, and Johanna, his wife 1384
Richardus Thaseburgh 1389
_Ketteringham_.
Thome Heveningham, and Anne, his wife 1499
Lady (unknown)
_Kirby Bedon_.
William Dussing, and Katherine, his wife 1505
An individual unknown. A heart with three scrolls
_Plumstead Parva_.
Sir Edward Warner 1565
_Poringland Magna_.
An individual unknown—chalice
_Shottisham St. Mary_.
Edwardus Whyte, and Elizabeth, his wife 1528
_Surlingham_.
John Alnwick 1450
_Sprowston_.
John Corbet, and Jane, his wife 1470
_Witton_.
Juliana Anyell _c_1505