A Concise History and Directory of the City of Norwich for 1811 Part 2

The City Gaol, till the year 1597, occupied the east end of Guild-hall, at which time it was removed to its present situation, opposite the Guild-hall in the market, and had, until that time been a public inn, called the Lamb, which was purchased by St. George's company, to be converted to its present use.

The Guild-hall was originally a small thatched building, and in Edward the third's time, was called a toll-booth; about the same time, a small room was added, from which it acquired the name of the Guild-hall, and continued in this state till Henry the Fourth in 1406, granted the city, a charter for electing a Mayor, &c., at which time, a committee was formed, and a warrant granted them to raise money, and press all workmen for the erecting of a new Guild-hall, which business was so vigorously pursued, that in 1409, the roof was raised; in 1511 part of the roof at the east end fell down, and in 1635 it was near being demolished by the deputes' servants undermining its foundation in digging for saltpetre.

The windows of the Council chamber were formerly of painted and stained gla.s.s, which have been miserably mutilated.-This room is ornamented with portraits of various eminent persons, and also the arms of the great Norfolk hero, the late Lord Nelson, with the sword of the Spanish Admiral, taken by his Lords.h.i.+p in 1797, and presented by him to the Corporation.

The Common-council-chamber underwent a complete repair in 1806, at which time it was considerably enlarged: in this Hall the a.s.sizes, and quarter Sessions, for the city, are held. It contains also the Mayor's office for transacting daily business, the Town-clerk's and Chamberlain's offices; and all elections for Majors and other officers, and all questions of moment relative to the city, are here determined.

St. Andrew's hall, is a n.o.ble fabric, and was formerly a conventual church of Benedictine friars, it was founded in 1415, consists of a nave and two aisles, which remain nearly perfect; it had formerly a handsome steeple, which fell down in 1712; the aisles are separated from the nave by six elegant slender colomns which support the roof, they are half the width of the nave, and the same length, the whole is 120 feet long, and seventy wide; within the walls there are 45 windows, most of which were formerly ornamented with painted gla.s.s, which is chiefly removed or demolished. In the time of Henry the Eighth, through the interest of the Duke of Norfolk, the citizens obtained leave to make of the church, a fair and large hall for the Mayor, &c. to repair unto at a common a.s.sembly, &c.

The St. George's Company formerly held their feasts and meetings here.

This fraternity took its rise in 1385, and at one time amounted to 240 members; in 1416, they received a charter of incorporation: in 1731, the company resigned their charter into the hands of the Corporation; their plate and paraphernalia were sold, their debts paid, and their meetings entirely ceased. In 1544, the first Mayor's feast was held here, and in 1561, a sumptuous dinner, was given to the Duke of Norfolk, and a numerous a.s.sembly of n.o.bility and gentry, at which the Mayor's portion of the expence, amounted to l. 12s. 9d. The bill of fare exhibits a striking difference between the price of provisions at that period and the present, beef being 1s. 6d. per stone, flour 6d. per bushel, and double strong beer 2s. 6d. per barrel. King Charles the Second, and many of the n.o.bility, were entertained here in 1671. In 1774, this building, underwent alterations, and received some additions, among which were the present porch, and the room over it, fitted up as the City Library, in which the Court of Requests for the recovery of small debts, is held. In 1796, the hall was opened as a Corn-Exchange for which purpose it is used every Sat.u.r.day. It was new painted, and the pictures cleaned in 1806.

The walls are decorated with numerous portraits of those who from official situations or otherwise, have contributed to the welfare of the city, among which, at the upper end is an admirable portrait of the immortal Nelson, being the last, and it is considered the best for which he ever sat. It was painted by Sir Wm. Beechey, in 1801. Also, two fine historical paintings by Wm. Martin, of Edward and Eleanora, and the death of Lady Jane Gray, which he presented to his native city. At the lower end over the window is displayed, the ensign of the French s.h.i.+p, La Genereux, captured by Sir Edward Berry, in 1800. Every satisfactory particular, relative to this place, the pictures, artists, &c. may be learned from a late publication, "A Companion to St. Andrew's Hall, Price, 1s."

There is also a Jew's synagogue in St. Peter's Mancroft; two Catholic meetings, one in St. John's Maddermarket, erected within the last thirty years, the other in St. Swithins lane, of longer standing, and much smaller. A French church in Queen-street, near Tombland, and the Dutch church, so called, from having been formerly used by a Dutch congregation adjoining St. Andrew's hall, but which is now used for the poor belonging to the workhouse. Two Quakers' meetings, one of which is in St.

Augustine's Parish, on the south side the Gildencraft, which is a strong brick building with a large burying-ground; the other in the Goat-lane, near the market-place, which is much smaller and more generally attended.

There are several other places of wors.h.i.+p, used by the Protestant Dissenters, of which, that belonging to the Unitarians is by far the most elegant. It is an octangular building supported within-side by eight elegant Corinthian Pillars. The pews are wainscot, the cieling is an ornamented dome, and the effect of the whole, is remarkably striking.

The first stone of the Building was laid, by the celebrated Dr. Taylor, on the 25th of February, 1754. The expence of the building which was near 5000. was defrayed by the congregation, who can number among their Ministers, several of great literay celebrity, in particular Dr. John Taylor, Dr. Enfieid, Mr. Bourne, and Mr. George Morgan.

The Independents' meeting-house, stands a little to the east of the foregoing, in the parish of St. Clement's: it is a large handsome square building, and was finished about 1693. The limits of this design will not admit of a particular enumeration of all the places of wors.h.i.+p, belonging to the various congregations of Anabaptists, Methodists, &c. of which there are many, chiefly in the northern part of the city.

The Excise-office, is at the Bull, in Magdalen-street. The Permit-office, in St. Peter's Hungate, opposite the Church. The Stamp-office, St. Giles's Broad street, I. H. Cole, Esq. Receiver.

The Post-office is in the Tuns' court, near the market-place, where the Mails arrive from London, every forenoon, (Monday excepted), between and 12 o'clock, and are dispatched every afternoon, (Sat.u.r.day excepted), at four o'clock; the Mails from all the intermediate places branching upon the London road, arrive and are dispatched at the same time every day.

The Mail to Yarmouth, is dispatched immediately after the arrival of the Mails from London, and the Mail from Yarmouth, arrives here every day at four o'clock. The Mails from Cromer, Aylsham, North-Walsham, &c. arrive here every day, early in the forenoon, and are dispatched from twelve to one. G. Litchfield, Esq. Post-master.

Post-horse duty office, Rampant-horse street, St. Stephen's, Mr. J. M.

Murry, Collector.

Surveyor of a.s.sessed Taxes, Mr. C. Lay. St. Giles's, broad street.

Norwich market has for a long series of years, been held in the highest estimation, for the quant.i.ty and quality of provisions, with which it has been supplied, particularly for poultry, which are sent from hence, in considerable quant.i.ties to London, and various other parts of the kingdom. The market is under the regulation of a Committee from the Court of Aldermen, and Commons. Market-days, Wednesday and Sat.u.r.day.

Collector of the market, Mr. R. Harmar. The Fish-market, adjoining, is generally well supplied (from Yarmouth) daily, as is the butchery, with beef and mutton.

The Norwich cattle-market, held on the castle meadow, every Sat.u.r.day, has for many years been increasing, and is considered at this time, the first cattle-market in the kingdom, out of the metropolis. The Corporation, at an a.s.sembly held in September, 1809, ordered pens to be erected for pigs and sheep, more convenient places to be a.s.signed for beasts, horses, stalls, waggons, carts, &c.; and tolls were ordered to be collected, viz.

for pigs and sheep, 8d. per score; beasts, when sold 2d. each, by the purchaser; for horses, 6d. each; for waggons, brought for sale, 1s. each; for stalls, 6d. each; for every auction, 1s.; for calves and mules, 1d.

each. Here also is the weighbridge for Hay, &c., Mr. C. Hubbard, hay-weigher, and collector of the cattle-market.

Norwich Public Library, was inst.i.tuted in 1784, and was held in the City Library-room adjoining St. Andrew's hall, till 1794, when it was removed to the building formerly the catholic chapel, Wymer-street, where books are delivered by the librarian to the subscribers, every day, between the hours of eleven and two, Sundays and a few holidays excepted. It contains upwards of 7000 volumes. Every subscriber pays two guineas and a half, on his admission, and an additional half-guinea, annually. There are about 500 subscribers, under the regulation of a President, Vice-president, and a Committee of 24, chosen from their body, half at each of their annual meetings for two years. A meeting of the Committee, is held on the second Monday of every month, and the annual meeting, the first week in September.

The a.s.sembly-rooms, usually called Chapel-field-house, where a.s.semblies, &c. are held, built in 1754. The rooms are s.p.a.cious and brilliant.

The Theatre was built in 1757, and much enlarged, and improved by the present Patentee, W. Wilkins, Esq. in 1800, at which time, distinct entrances were made to each part of the house; it is convenient, and tastefully fitted up. It contains two circles of boxes, besides those above which range with the gallery. The box-lobbies are commodious, and at the back of the upper-circle, is a bar-room, where refreshments of every kind may be procured. The stage is large, and the house has every necessary convenience of green-room, dressings-rooms, scene-rooms, painters-room, property-rooms, music-room, carpenter's shop, several rooms occupied by the person who keeps the house, &c. It will conveniently hold 130. and has been a nursery for many performers of celebrity, who have afterwards become favorites in the metropolitan theatres, among whom where Mr. Murray, Harley, C. Bannister, Powell, Townshend, Waddy, Blanchard, &c. The house when well filled, appears to the best advantage, and then any person who has a taste for theatrical amus.e.m.e.nts, neatness and elegance, cannot fail being agreeably entertained with the appearance of the audience, the performers and the house.

The princ.i.p.al place of Summer-amus.e.m.e.nt and resort, is Ranelagh garden, just without side the City walls, on the London road. Here is a large octangular building, the Pantheon, which is 70 feet in diameter and is fitted up with two tier of boxes, for the reception of company, and an orchestra with rooms behind, for the accommodation of the musicians, leaving a large area in the middle; it is capable of conveniently holding 1200 persons, and here on some public occasions, and annually in the a.s.size week, which in the regular way commences on the Monday, eight weeks after Trinity Sunday; the proprietor entertains the public with some of the princ.i.p.al vocal performers from the London theatres, and a suitable band. In the garden is also a bowling-green and an orchestra for the reception of a military band, and the garden and pantheon on this occasion is elegantly lighted up with thirty thousand lamps, in a style superior to any thing of the kind out of the metropolis; the pantheon is at other times occasionally used for very large dinner parties, and for the exhibition of performances, for which the theatre is not adapted.

The area is sometimes fitted up as a circus for equestrian exhibitions, for which it is better calculated than any place in the kingdom, out of London.

A garden and bowling-green, called Norwich Vauxhall, in Barrack-street, Pockthorpe, very pleasantly situated against the navigable river from Yarmouth; it is on a smaller scale than Ranelagh, is well furnished with boxes for company, and was tolerably frequented for two or three seasons after it was enlarged and fitted up in its present manner, but has been gradually falling in public estimation since, notwithstanding the proprietor has at several times brought forward a variety of amus.e.m.e.nts: and indeed it is not probable his exertions can be productive, its situation precluding it from a share of public favor.

The bowling-green near chapel-field, is much the largest in or near Norwich, and is well frequented by the tradesmen in the neighbourhood, and strangers, during the summer season.

The Adam and Eve garden, in St. Martin's palace, near the cathedral, is a pleasant rural spot, on the opposite side of the river to Vauxhall, it has a good prospect of the horse-barracks, and in the summer seasons is very well frequented.

At Bracondale and Carrow, are some pleasant gardens, commanding a beautiful general prospect, particularly towards Thorpe, over the river.

The village of Thorpe is delightfully situated on the navigable river to Yarmouth, and commands a charming prospect; here are several places of public resort which are well frequented during the summer season.

Chapel-field, which is on the south-west part of Norwich, was formerly a place of much resort as a promenade, particularly on Sunday afternoons; but within the last few years a reservoir has been made, and a large tower built, which by a steam engine, at the New Mills, (which were first erected in 1430, improved in 1695, and brought to perfection in 1802,) and a subteraneous conveyance, is constantly suplied with water, some of which is by machinery conveyed from the reservoir to the tower, for the supply of such parts of the city as are above the level of the reservoir, from whence it is distributed by cylinders and pipes of different materials. The reservoir and tower have however, in some degree, spoil'd its appearance, and together with military parades being generally in the Market, or on the Castle-hill, and Meadow, have occasioned those places to become the princ.i.p.al promenades.

The horse-barracks, about a quarter of a mile north-east of the City, were erected in 1792, and are well worth the observation of a stranger; they are capable of holding about 230 horses and men; the foot barracks, just on the northern side of Coslany-bridge, are calculated to contain about 740 men.

There are five public bridges over the river Wensum, besides one at the New Mills, generally used by sufferance, which is of wood; four of the others, viz.-Blackfriars', Fye-bridge, Whitefriars, and Bishop-bridge, of stone, and Coslany of iron.

Among the miscellaneous buildings, &c. worthy the attention of the antiquarian or stranger, is Kett's castle, so called from the famous Norfolk rebel of that name, who encamped there in 1549, at the head of 20,000 insurgents, whose numbers were continually increasing. From this place he attacked the city, where he committed every kind of outrage, wantonly destroying many of the princ.i.p.al inhabitants, merely because they were gentlemen, and burning and plundering most part of the city and country adjacent. Every possible means were used by government to disperse them by lenient means in vain; after which, a sufficient military force was sent to subdue them, which was not effected till many battles and skirmishes had taken place, with great slaughter to the insurgents, and some loss to the army. After the main body were subdued, pardon was again offered to a smaller party who remained in reserve, and who presently complying with the offer, and with one voice cried out "_G.o.d save King Edward_."

Kett and his brother were soon taken and committed to the Tower of London, where they were tried and convicted of high treason, and shortly after executed on gibbets, and hung in chains, one on the top of Norwich castle, the other upon Wymondham steeple, Wymondham being the place of their nativity, and nearly three hundred others of the ringleaders suffered. It is computed that Kett's rebellion cost the nation at that time near 20,000. This Castle was founded by Bishop Herbert, about seven hundred years since, as a Chapel dedicated to St. Michael, some small ruins of which are yet standing: it is situate on the brow of Mousehold hill, just over Bishop bridge, near to which, close by the river on the left hand, flows a spring of pleasant water, formerly much resorted to, and over which was erected a handsome freestone conduit, by Sir John Pettus, in 1611. A little further to the left, on the other side of the river, stands the tower in the Hospital meadow, called the Dungeon, or Cow's tower; it is a circular building, about fifty two feet in height, and twenty four in diameter, with a round spiral staircase reaching to the top; is supposed to have been originally built as an advanced post and watch tower to the castle; Blomfield thinks it was built in order to levy the tolls then belonging to the prior and the church, and says it was used as a prison for the jurisdiction of the Cathedral. The present tower is stated to have been built in 1390, at the expence of the city.

In St. James's parish, opposite the church, is an old house, said to have been built by the celebrated Sir John Fastolf, and termed in antient records his palace, or city house.

Just within side of the walls near Ber-street, stands St. Catherine's hill, on which is Mrs. Burroughes's house, the sight of which will well repay the trouble of a walk. The buildings in Surry-street, among which is Surry-house, a curious specimen of domestic architecture, the windows of which were emblazoned on gla.s.s, with many armorial bearings. There are also a number of good houses in St. Giles's-street, Messrs. Gurneys'

Bank, in St. Michael's Plea; the Flour mill, by steam, in St. Andrew's; Mr. Patteson's brewery, in Pockthorpe, and many others, which will arrest the attention of the stranger in his perambulation about the city.

Norwich, including the Hamlets, is divided into four great wards, viz.-_Conisford ward_, _Mancroft ward_, _Wymer ward_, and _Great Northern ward_; each of which is again subdivided into three small wards; _Great Conisford_ containing _South Conisford ward_, in which is comprized the parishes of St. Peter per Southgate, St. Etheldred and St. Julian, and the hamlets of Trowse-milgate and Carrow; _North Conisford ward_, in which is the parish of St. Peter per Mountergate. _Ber-street ward_, in which are the parishes of St. John at Sepulchre, St. Michael thorn, St.

John Timber-hill, All Saints, and the Hamlet of Lakenham. _Great Mancroft ward_ contains the Parishes of St. Stephen, St. Peter per Mancroft, and St. Giles, each parish being a small ward in itself, including the hamlets of Eaton, and part of Earlham and Heigham.

_Great Wymer ward_, is subdivided into three small wards, viz.-_West Wymer ward_, contains the parishes of St. Benedict, St. Swithin, St.

Margaret, St. Lawrence and St. Gregory, with part of the hamlets of Earlham and Heigham. _Middle Wymer ward_, contains the Parishes of St.

John at Madder-market, St. Andrew and St Michael at Plea. _East Wymer ward_, contains the parishes of St. Peter at Hungate, St. Simon and Jude, St. George Tombland, St. Martin at the Palace, and St. Helen.

_Great Northern ward_, subdivided into three small wards, viz.-_Coslany ward_ contains the parishes of St. Michael, St. Mary and St. Martin.

_Colegate ward_ contains the parishes of St. George's Colegate, and St.

Augustine. _Fye Bridge ward_ includes the parishes of St. Edmund, St.

James, St. Paul, St. Saviour, and St. Clement. Each of the small wards have the right of electing two Aldermen, and one of the Nominees for the Common Council; the rest of the Common Council being chosen by the Nominees. _Great Conisford ward_, including the Nominees, choosing twelve,-_Great Mancroft ward_ sixteen,-_Great Wymer ward_ twenty,-and the _Northern ward_ twelve. In ward elections the resident freemen only have at right to vote, and the election for Nominees takes place on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before pa.s.sion-week.

The City is governed by a Mayor, Recorder, Steward, two Sheriffs, twenty-four Aldermen, (of which the Mayor is one,) sixty Common Council-men, a Town-clerk, Chamberlain and Sword-bearer, attended by suitable officers.

The Mayor is elected by the freemen, on the first day of May, and sworn into office on the guild-day, which is on the Tuesday before Midsummer, except Midsummer-day fall on a Wednesday, in which case the guild is kept the Tuesday se'nnight before the Mayor is chosen from among the Aldermen, is a Justice of the quorum during his mayoralty, and afterwards Justice of the peace.

On the death or resignation of an Alderman, the Mayor on receiving notice thereof, must within five days, and not less than two; and giving not less than twenty-four hours notice to the freemen in the great ward, in which the small ward belongs, to elect another.

The Sheriffs are chosen-one by a letter from the court of Aldermen, in the early part of July, and returnable if a full a.s.sembly can be made, within fourteen days, upon paying a fine of 80 to the corporation, till the 10th of August; on which day, whoever holds it must serve the office.

The other Sheriff is elected by the freemen on the last Tuesday in August, and they are both sworn into office on Michaelmas-day. The Mayor with the Sheriffs, hold courts every Wednesday and Sat.u.r.day, to hear complaints, and to do every other act tending to the peaceable government of the city.

The Recorder a.s.sists in the Mayor's court as chief Judge, as does the Steward in the Sheriffs' court, they must both be barristers, and are always Justices of the quorum, and Council for the city.

The quarterly a.s.semblies are held on February the twenty-fourth, May the third, the day before guild-day, and Sept. the twenty-first.

There are three Fairs in Norwich,-one on the Thursday before Easter, on Tombland;-one on Easter-Monday and Tuesday;-and one on Whit-Monday and Tuesday, by Bishop-bridge.

Here are several Insurance-offices, viz.-The Norwich Insurance Fire-ffice, on Orford hill, opened in November 1792.