Norwich in the Twelfth Century.
ABOUT the commencement of this century, a considerable addition was made
to the population of the city by a vast influx of Jews, who originally
came from Normandy, and were allowed to settle in England as chapmen for
the sale of confiscated goods. They afterwards became numerous, and were
so much in favour with William Rufus that he is said to have sworn, by
St. Luke’s face, his usual oath, that “If the Jews should overcome the
Christians, he himself would become of their sect.” In his reign the
present castle is supposed to have been built.
Henry I., on his accession to the crown, met with great opposition from
many of the nobles who were in the interest of his elder brother, Robert,
Duke of Normandy; but Roger Bigod strongly espousing his cause, became a
great favourite. In the first part of his reign, the king gave him
Framlingham in Suffolk, and continued him Constable of the Castle till
his death. He was succeeded by his son William Bigod, on whose decease
Hugh Bigod, his brother, who inherited his estate, was appointed Governor
of the Castle. In 1122, the king kept his Christmas in Norwich, when,
being pleased with the reception he met with, he severed the government
of the city from that of the castle, the constable of which had been
heretofore the sole governor. Henry I. granted the city a charter
containing the same franchises as the city of London then enjoyed, and
the government of the city was then separated from that of the castle,
the chief officer being styled Propositus or Provost. The liberties of
the city from the time of Henry I. to Edward III., were often suspended
and gradually enlarged. In 1403 the city was separated entirely from the
county of Norfolk, under the name of the county and city of Norwich; and
the first Mayor was then elected by the citizens. The old corporation
generally comprised a dignified body of men, who maintained the
hospitalities of the city. Under the ancient charter the corporation of
Norwich consisted of a mayor, recorder, steward, two sheriffs,
twenty-four aldermen, including the mayor, and sixty common councilmen.
The Municipal Reform Act transferred its government into the hands of a
mayor, a sheriff, and a town council consisting of forty-eight
councillors, and sixteen aldermen elected by the council, who unitedly
elect the mayor and sheriff. To these, and to a recorder, with an
indefinite number of magistrates appointed by the crown, the government
of the city is entrusted.
King Stephen, on his accession, granted the custody of the castle to his
favourite, Hugh Bigod, who was a principal instrument in advancing him to
the crown, by coming directly from Normandy where Henry I. died, and
averring that he on his deathbed had disinherited his daughter Maud, the
empress, and appointed Stephen, Earl of Bolyne, his heir. The citizens,
therefore, taking this opportunity, used what interest they could with
the king to obtain a new charter, vesting the government of the city in
coroners and bailiffs instead of provosts; but the affair took a
different turn to what they expected, for the king, upon a distrust of
Bigod favouring the cause of the Empress Maud, seized the castle and all
the liberties of the city into his own hands, and soon afterwards granted
to his natural son William, for an appanage or increase of inheritance,
the town and burgh of the city of Norwich, in which were 1238 burgesses
who held of the king in burgage tenure; and also the castle and burgh
thereof, in which were 123 burgesses that held of the king in burgage,
and also the royal revenue of the whole county of Norfolk, excepting what
belonged to the bishopric, &c. The whole rent of the city, including the
fee farm, was then about £700 per annum. The king restored the city
liberties for a fine in 1139.
During the reign of King Stephen more Flemings came over; and these
successive immigrations were a real blessing to the land. England had
not been a manufacturing country at all till the arrival of the Flemings,
who introduced the preparation and weaving of wool, so that, in process
of time, not only the home market was abundantly supplied with woollen
cloth, but a large surplus was made for exportation. The Flemings were
kinsmen of the Anglo-Saxon race, and were distinguished for that probity
in their commercial dealings which afterwards became the characteristic
of the English merchants at large.
Henry II., in the first year of his reign, 1155, took the city, castle,
and liberties from William, the natural son of Stephen; but, as a
recompense, restored to him all those lands which his father held in the
reign of Henry I. He also prevailed upon Hugh Bigod to yield up all his
castles, whereby the whole right became vested in the crown; the king
governing the city by the sheriff, who paid the profits arising therefrom
into the exchequer. About the year 1163 Hugh Bigod was restored to the
title of the Earl of Norfolk, and at the same time appointed Constable of
Norwich Castle, by which means he became sole governor of the city. In
1182, the citizens recovered the liberties of the city on paying a fine
of 80 marks to the king.
Richard I. was crowned September 4th, 1189, and a riot happened on
account of a Jew attempting to enter Westminster Hall contrary to the
king’s express command. Many of the Jews were killed, and their houses
plundered and burnt. A rumour was thereupon spread throughout the nation
that the king did not favour them, on which the people of Bury, Lynn, and
Norwich, took occasion to rise and rob great numbers of them. On
November 27th following, Roger, son of Hugh Bigod, was created Earl of
Norfolk, and steward of the king’s household. By his means the city
regained as ample a charter as London then possessed, for in 1193, the
king granted the city in fee farm to the citizens and their heirs, for a
fee farm rent of £180 yearly.