A Comprehensive History of Norwich

by A. D. Bayne

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 4s. 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.

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.