Francis Blomefield

“ This year, on St Jerom's day, the court held a general commemoration, or anniversary obit, for the souls of all the deceased benefactors to the city, whose names and gifts, were all read out of a bead-roll kept for that purpose; it was held at the chapel of the college of St. Mary in the Fields, to which the court always went in precession, viz. the mayor, sheriffs, aldermen, common council, the twentyfour constables of the city, then thirteen poor people in one sort of clothing, who had 2d. each to pray for them, then nine chaplains to perform the exequies or service, each of which had 4d. ”

“ This excellent art soon spread over all Europe, and for its universal service in promoting knowledge and learning, met with deserved encouragement, it being esteemed one of the greatest blessings vouchsafed to mankind, for keeping up arts and sciences to all ages; for before, when books were all written at much expense, few could be owners of any, but men of fortunes, and consequently knowledge could not be sufficiently propagated, as was evident from the low ebb that learning was at when printing made its first appearance in the world ”

“ Thomas Catworth, citizen of London and Norwich, was made warden by the King's commission, which was read in the Gild-hall to the aldermen and commons, the sheriffs being continued in their office; and by another commission, the Bishop of Norwich, the warden, William Yelverton, John Heydon, Tho. Ingham, John Jenny, junior, John Gerard, Ric. Brasier, and Ralf Segryme, were made justices of peace for the city, who were all friends to it, unless Heydon, and he was not to be much feared now, by reason that the year before, Thomas Browne Bishop of Norwich, and Tho. ”

“ And on the day of the conversion of St.Paul, for lack of good government of the governours of the city, they rang the bells, and the said mayor and commonalty, with 3000 other citizens and persons unknown, assembled by the said ringing, with force and arms, viz. with bows, swords, arrows, helmets, &c. in a warlike manner, and went to the Priory of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity at Norwich, in the county of Norfolk, calling out, "lett us burne the priory, and kille the Prior and monks." ”

“ The aldermen shall support the mayor, and walk with him on principal days in procession, "or to any lord or lady or person of worship into ani place in the cite," or pay 6d for default.
5. No alderman shall quarrel or sue his fellows, before he hath complained and shown his grievance to the mayor and aldermen, his council, under 20s. penalty.
6. No alderman shall be an arbitrator against any alderman under the same penalty.
7. The aldermen shall be in clothing as the mayor appoints, under 20s. penalty, and being put out of the clothing and council of the twenty-four aldermen. ”

“ Tonge, and many others, and daily deliver such as are not agreeable to the standard, and will not suffer the people to sell in the city by the standard, but hinder them so doing by force and arms, when they have no such liberty. ”

“ And also, that they may for the future elect the under-sheriffs, town-clerks, and sheriff's bailiffs, at their pleasure, as freely as the city of London doth, because for such officers they are answerable. ”

“ In 1453, William Cotton, receiver-general of Margaret Queen of England, received of the sheriffs of Norwich an hundred marks sterling, it being an annuity out of the fee farm of the city, granted last year in the parliament at Reding, to the Queen for life.
In 1454, Ralf Segrym and Thomas Elys were chosen to treat with Master John Wigenhale, clerk, one of the executors of Tho. Browne or Brounse, late Bishop of Norwich, either for payment of the 40l. given to the city by the Bishop, or else for security for it, which was again demanded in 1460. ”

“ In 1427, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester was here, being joined in commission of oyer and terminer, and general jail delivery, with the mayor, &c. and several felons were tried before him.
William Sedman, late mayor, at his death left 22l. to the poor of Norwich county, and 40l. a year, for three years after his decease, to be distributed among the blind, lame, and most needy in the city. ”

“ About the latter end of February it was resolved, that all the city gates should be kept shut and looked day and night, except five, which should be constantly guarded with soldiers, viz. 3 at Berstretegates, 5 at Nedham-gates, 4 at Westwyk-gates, 3 at Coslany-gates, 3 at Fibrige-gates; and at Bar-gates and Bishop-gates the wickets shall be kept by a soldier, who shall attend to let people in and out, and all the gates every night shall have a good guard and watch set, as well as in the towers, at the discretion of the mayor and aldermen. ”

“ Iselham, late city sheriffs, and the commonalty, granted to Will. Worsted, predecessor of the now prior and his successours, for ever, a certain annuity of 4s. to be paid by the mayor and sheriffs every Michaelmas, for ever, and that the mayor, sheriffs, &c. should hold no personal pleas or sheriff's turn, or exercise any jurisdiction in Cunesford meadows, or in the towns of Brakendale, Eton, Lakenham, and Erlham, over any of their lands or tenants in the said places. ”

“ Dalling of the same, coteler, and twenty-four others, went on horseback before him, with coronets on their arms, and bows and arrows in their hands, like valets of the crown to our sovereign lord the King, and 100 others unknown, on horseback and foot with bows and arrows, then and there following the said John Gladman, and calling the citizens to arms, in a riotous manner. ”

“ The sheriff that makes a false return forfeits a 100l. and a year's imprisonment without bail or mainprise, and the persons returned lose their wages. And had not the intention of this most excellent act been enervated by process of time, which by the difference of value of lands hath rendered us subject to the same grievances that this was made to preyent, I am apt to believe the many inconveniences that we see arise in our elections had been in a great measure stopped and hindered ”

“ That such as wear cowls, or be anointed, or shorn, are the lance-knights and soldiers of Lucifer, and that they all because their lamps are not burning, shall be shut out into utter darkness, when the Lord cometh. ”

“ In 1457, proclamation was made, that all men should provide arms of their own according to their degree, for this year the French, who always sought to annoy the English, fitted out two fleets to invade the sea coast towns ”

“ There was also another contest between the people of Yarmouth, and the city, concerning a publick crane new erected in that port, which affair was carried on strenuously, but the city recovered, for I find 4l. 2s. 10d. paid to serjeant Yelverton, and serjeant Godrede, their counsel at London, for removing the crane, and confirmation of their charter of liberties, and 13l. 19s. ”

“ Walsham and John Wychingham, monks there, to deliver them a certain evidence of the said priory, sealed with the common seal of the city, in which among other things, it was contained that Robert Baxter, late mayor, John Sipater and Will. ”

“ The substance of the aforesaid plea pleaded in their defence by Del Rowe was,
1. That the mayor and city never favoured or designed any insurrection, in which point they put themselves on their country; and Tho. Gresswold, who prosecuted for the King, continued the prosecution. ”

“ Phelip, and to each of them, commanding them, or some one of them, to come in person to Norwich, to settle all divisions in the city, which would otherwise be its ruin, and to certify the cause thereof, in order to correct and punish the authors, according to law; upon which, Will. de Pool Earl of Suffolk came down, and had an assembly held on Thursday before Lady day, at which the mayor, sheriffs, Wetherby, Grey, sixteen aldermen, and thirty-six of the common council appeared, and submitted to the final arbitration of the said Earl, who determined as follows,
1. ”

“ Mary, they appear in one sort of clothes or livery of their own buying, for the more decency, and make what offering they like to support the light, &c. and never caused or made any riot, or any thing like it.
6. And as to the river and mills they say, the bailiffs were, and the now mayor, sheriffs, &c. ”

“ And that no Bakere, beye none qwete in the market beforn x of the clokke, and that alle Brewsters, and Gannokers, selle a gallon ale of the best be measure a selyd for 1d. ob. and a gallon of the next for 1d. and other as it hath be forn tyme ben used, upon peyne that is ordeyned in the Cite, and that all manner Taverners selle a galon of Redwyne of Gascoyne, of the beste, be mesured a seled for vjd. ”