The History of Lynn, Vol. 1 [of 2]

by William Richards

Transcribed from the 1812 W. G. Whittingham edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

[ ]

THE
HISTORY
OF
LYNN,

Civil, Ecclesiastical, Political, Commercial, Biographical,
Municipal, and Military,
FROM
THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME;
INTERSPERSED
With occasional remarks on such national occurrences as may serve to
elucidate the real state of the town, or the manners, character,
and condition of the inhabitants at different periods.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED
A COPIOUS INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT
OF ITS
Situation, Harbour, Rivers, Inland Trade and Navigation,
the Ancient and Modern State
OF
Marshland, Wisbeach, and the Fens,
AND
Whatever is most remarkable, memorable, or interesting, in other
parts of the adjacent country.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

BY WILLIAM RICHARDS, M.A.

Honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society, for promoting the Abolition
of Slavery, and the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage.

VOL. I.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LYNN:
PRINTED BY W. G. WHITTINGHAM,
AND SOLD BY R. BALDWIN; PATERNOSTER ROW; LONDON.

1812.

PREFACE.

Materials for a history of Lynn have been collected as long ago as the reign of Charles II. by Guybon Goddard, then recorder of this town, and brother-in-law of Sir William Dugdale. At his death, which happened, if we are not mistaken, about 1677, those materials came into the possession of his son Tho. Goddard Esq; from whom our corporation soon after endeavoured to obtain them; but we cannot learn that they then succeeded; nor does it appear that they ever came into their hands. What became of them, whether still in being or not, we have never been able to learn: and it is presumed that all the present members of our body Corporate are equally uninformed. See p. 831.

About forty years after the death of Guybon Goddard, another attempt was made to produce or compile a history of this town, by a nameless person, but evidently a learned, ingenious, and industrious man. Unfortunately his attention was chiefly engaged about the churches, and especially the monuments and monumental inscriptions which they contained. These he took no small pains with, and made fair drawings of most of them. This work he carefully arranged, and fairly wrote out. It forms a moderate folio volume, and is now in the possession, or at least in the hands, of Mr. Thomas King of this town, for we are informed that Dr. Adams is the real owner of it. There are at the end of it some curious documents relating to divers ancient customs and occurrences, of which the compiler of the present history has in some measure availed himself. The volume was finished in 1724, and the author, it seems, died soon after.

Within a few years after his death, the work fell into the hands of Mr. B. Mackerell, who, after making a few paltry additions to it, actually published the greatest part of it verbatim under his own name, and it constitutes the bulk of that volume which has ever since been called, Mackerell’s History of Lynn. This act or achievement is disreputable to Mackerell’s memory; but the plagiarism has been scarcely known or noticed till now. He makes, in his preface, some slight obscure mention of the MS. but deigns not to tell the author’s name, though it must have been well known to him. He also boasts of his having had free access to the town records, and having “diligently searched and perused them, for a considerable time together.” For aught we know, this may be all very true; but if it be so, he must have laboured to very small purpose, as all the discoveries he has been able to make amount to very little, and may be comprised within a very narrow compass.

Parkin also, in his continuation of Bloomfield’s History of Norfolk, and in his Topography of Freebridge Hundred and Half, has published a history of Lynn, of above fifty large folio pages. It is in few hands, and little known; and though it contains much useful information, (very ill arranged,) it has no pretension to the character of a complete history of the town. The same may be said of what has since appeared, in the octavo history of Norfolk published at Norwich, and, more recently, in the Norfolk Tour, and the Beauties of England; the former from the pen of Mr. Beatniffe, and the latter from that of Mr. Britton. All these are mere Epitomes, and never fail to excite in their readers a wish to see a more copious and complete history of the place. Such a wish has been often and very generally expressed; and some years ago, a young man, of the name of Delamore, offered to gratify it, and supply this deficiency and lack of service. He accordingly circulated printed proposals for publishing, by subscription, a larger account of the town than any that had yet appeared. But not meeting with sufficient encouragement, he dropt the design, and soon after quitted this vicinity. What materials he possessed, or how competent he was for the undertaking, the present writer is not able to say. But it is very clear that the public were not disposed to favour his proposal.

For some years after the last mentioned occurrence, there was no talk or expectation of a new history of Lynn. But somewhat more than seven years ago, a sudden and severe domestic affliction (from the effects of which he has never recovered) obliged the present writer to seek in solitude some alleviation of his sorrow, which he despaired of finding in the way of social intercourse, and even found himself incapable of attempting it, without offering unbearable violence to his feelings. Thus shut up in retirement, and buried among books, he tried to beguile his melancholy, by forming and pursuing certain literary projects; among which was an ecclesiastical history of Wales, which had often before employed his thoughts; and likewise a general history of Lynn, which has been his place of residence now near forty years, and whose history had also, not unfrequently, engaged his attention. In both these works he made some progress; which coming to the knowledge of his friends, they urged him to publish, but they were not agreed which should be published first: some called for the former work, of which some hundreds of copies were soon subscribed for; others advised him to complete and publish the History of Lynn first, and these prevailed—it being more convenient for him just then to attend to this than to the other. An agreement was consequently made with one of the book-sellers for its publication; and the public manifested a disposition to encourage the undertaking.

When the work was sent to the press, it was fully intended that it should all be comprised in one volume; and this intention was persisted in, till 7 or 800 pages had been printed off. By that time the author had received a large and unexpected quantity of new matter, much of it very curious and interesting, which many of his subscribers wished him to make use of and insert. He was therefore induced and constrained to depart from his original design, and extend the work to two volumes. But as it was then too late to have the pages numbered accordingly, they were of course continued in a regular series through both volumes, so as to amount in all to above 1200.

The enlargement or extension of the work, beyond the original design, has occasioned some derangement of the author’s first plan, so as to give the latter part of the work somewhat of the appearance of disorder and confusion; which the author sincerely regrets, but it was perhaps unavoidable, as the case stood. Had he possessed at first all the materials he has since obtained, he flatters himself that the task he undertook had been much better executed. Some of the latter or lately received documents were found to cast a new light on divers facts previously stated, so as to convince the author that he had been in several instances mistaken. He therefore never failed to seize the earliest opportunity to rectify those mistakes; for he was fully resolved to make his history the vehicle of truth, as far as it lay in his power. Of this he thinks he has given frequent proofs. Yet even this very practice, of rectifying, without loss of time, any mistakes which he found he had previously fallen into, will probably be classed, by some, among the defects of this performance. Be it so. He is more desirous of being classed among honest men, and lovers of truth, than among polished writers, or methodical and elegant historians.

As to the Critics, annual, and quarterly, as well as monthly, he has but little to say to them. He is very sensible of the defects of the work; many of which however were unavoidable, in existing circumstances, or in a first attempt like his, where many of the necessary materials were not in his possession, or at his command, and seemed for a long while unobtainable. Should the work come before their high tribunal, he asks no favour. They will doubtless see in it many defects, but not more perhaps than he is himself conscious of. They are welcome however to be as severe as they please, provided they deal fairly, or with reason and justice. It may be less cruel to exercise their severity here, than upon some young authors, who are in quest of, and panting for popular applause, or literary fame; neither of which has ever been sought for by the present writer.

The work being now finished, after many unforeseen delays, the author respectfully submits it to the examination and judgment of the candid and intelligent reader, by whom, he doubts not, both its merits and demerits will be rightly estimated. Whatever may be said or thought of the execution, he thinks it must be admitted, that there is here brought together such a mass of interesting information relating to this town, as few people could have expected to see, when the design of this publication was first advertised. So that there may now be obtained as much knowledge of the ancient and modern affairs of this town, as of most towns in the county, or in the kingdom. He regrets that so many typographical errors escaped him in revising the sheets; the chief of which he has now pointed out, in a table of errata, (which will be found in each volume,) by the direction of which he requests the subscribers forthwith to correct the reading.

It may have been expected, that this work would contain a list of our mayors; but as no such list was known of, that might be depended upon for its correctness, it has been omitted: nor did it seem to be at all material, unless it had also been accompanied with lists of the recorders, and other functionaries, which appeared unobtainable.—It was intended to add an alphabetical Index; but as it would take up some time, and increase too much the size of the concluding number, (already almost three times as large at any of the others,) the design was given up. The Table of contents it is hoped, will supply, in a great measure, the want of an index. Be that as it may, the work is now left to take its chance and make its own way in the world—the author consoling himself with the consciousness of having faithfully and honestly performed the task he had undertaken.

Lynn, July, 1812.

CONTENTS.
OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

PARTI.—INTRODUCTION. CHAP. I. Site of Lynn—account of its harbour, and thatof Wisbeach—ancient and present state of itsrivers—inland navigation—drainage—projects ofimprovement—state of its shipping, commerce,and population, at different periods.
	Page
SECT. 1. Situation of the town—its distancefrom the sea. &c.—its harbour—river Ouse and itstributary streams.	[1]
SECT. 2. Further account of the riverOuse—remarkable phenomenon—the poetCowper—supposed etymology of the name of Wisbeach—theOuse diverted from its ancient course and outlet—kingJohn’s disastrous passage over that river, in his lastprogress from Lynn—Extracts from Vancouver.	[8]
SECT. 3. Effects of the desertion of the Ouse andNene, on Wisbeach and parts adjacent.	[15]
SECT. 4. Effects on Lynn and its harbour andnavigation, of the great accession of fresh waters in the reignof Henry III.	[22]
SECT. 5. Eaubrink Cut and other projects of formertimes—with slight hints on the comparative state of theshipping, commercial consequence and population of Lynn atdifferent periods.	[27]
CHAP. II. Of Marshland and adjoiningparts, or great Fen Country—View of their situationand revolutions in remote ages, or sketch of their ancienthistory.
SECT. 1. Account of their state before and after thearrival of the Romans—character of thatpeople—establishment of their power here—improvementsmade by them in these parts.	[32]
SECT. 2. Further strictures on the ancient state ofthis country, and on the wonderful change it appears to haveundergone at a very remote and unknown period; from DeSerra’s account of a submarine forest on the coast ofLincolnshire.	[37]
SECT. 3. Further observations from samepaper—Epoch of the destruction of the saidforest—agency by which it was effected,&c.—similar appearances eastward along the Norfolkcoast.	[42]
SECT. 4. Some further geological observationsrelating to the fens, extracted from Dugdale’s Letters toSir Thomas Browne.	[49]
SECT. 5. Concise view of the ancient and modernhistory of the Fen country, from Pennant’s Preface to his3rd. vol. of Arctic Zoology.	[52]
SECT. 6. Further account of the Fens, from theBeauties of England.	[58]
SECT. 7. Of the Fens from the time of Henry VIII, orrather that of Elizabeth, to the Revolution; giving an account ofthe different projects of improvement proposed and carried onduring that period.	[64]
SECT. 8. Same subject continued to the presenttime	[70]
SECT. 9. Miscellaneous observations on the presentappearance, produce, and state of the Fens.	[74]
SECT. 10. Miscellaneous observationscontinued—fen-reeds and theiruses—starlings—tame geese, and singular management ofthem—insalubriousness of Marshland—ancient celebrityof the smeeth—decoys.	[77]
SECT. 11. Brief remarks on the parish churches ofMarshland and Holland; with a short sketch of the history of thecastle and town of Wisbeach.	[87]
SECT. 12. History of Wisbeach continued.	[99]
SECT. 13. Additional account ofMarshland—Parkin—bishop of Ely’s manor inTerrington—queen Henrietta—admiralBentinck—cross keys demolishers of banks prosecuted andsuppressed—high tides—destructiveinundations—principal divisions of Marshland.	[112]
SECT. 14. Biographical sketches of some of the mostdistinguished personages of other times in Marshland and itsvicinity.	[121]
CHAP. III. Of the parts about Lynn,on the eastern side of the Ouse.
SECT. 1. Aspect of the country—its agricultureand rural economy—Wayland wood—memoir ofShuckforth—parish churches and other edifices, ancient andmodern.	[135]
SECT. 2. Further account of cables, edifices, andplaces of ancient note in theseparts—Brancaster—Rising—Hunston—Castle-acre—Wormegay—Middleton—Gaywood,&c.	[146]
SECT. 3. Account of modern palaces, and othernotable mansions in theseparts—Houghton—Holkham—Rainham—Narford—Narborough—Oxborough	[162]
SECT. 4. Biographical sketches of some of the mostcelebrated or memorable personages who were of this part of thecountry—Coke—Sir Henry and Sir JohnSpelman—L’Estrange—Walpole—Fountain—Folkes—HoraceWalpole—Nelson—Bewley.	[174]
SECT. 5. Of the animals, and particularly the birds,of this country	[193]
SECT. 6. Brief account of places hereabout, beforeomitted—Sechey—Runcton—Downham—Denver—Helgay—Southery—Feltwell—Methwold—Stoke,&c. Feltwellnew-fen-district—Fincham—Swaffham—Babingley—Sharnborne—greatmalthouse—Hunston Light-house &c.	[201]
Part II. Of the origin and antiquity of Lynn,with a sketch of the history from its firstrise to the norman conquest. CHAP. I. Of Lynn while Britain formed apart of the Roman empire.
SECT. 1. Present town or borough of Lynn of no greatantiquity—its site not the same with that of the originaltown—the probable site of the latter, and era of itsorigin.	[213]
SECT. 2. Digression relating to the firstintroduction of Christianity into Britain—Bardism.	[216]
SECT 3. Ancient history of Lynn continued—townsupposed to have been founded by a colony of foreignersintroduced by the Romans—etymology of itsname—mistakes of Camden, Spelman, &c.	[220]
SECT. 4. Lynn the mother-town of thefens—further account of its supposed founders and originalinhabitants—remarkable works executed by them—greatimprovers of the country—account continued to theextinction of the Roman power.	[223]
CHAP. II. Immediate consequence of the abdication of the country bythe Romans, and probable fate of Lynn.
SECT. 1. Character of the Anglo-Saxons, with generalobservations on the invasion and conquest of this country bythem, and their barbarous treatment of the inhabitants.	[228]
SECT. 2. Of the Angles,from whom England and the English language derive theirnames—they seize on the parts about Lynn, and the wholeprovince of the ancient Iceni, whichreceives the denomination of East Anglia, and forms one of thekingdoms of the Heptarchy—revival of Lynn in the meantime—with remarks on the adjacent country.	[235]
SECT. 3. Of the Saltworks formerly at andabout Lynn—paucity of appropriate materials to elucidatethat subject—apology.	[239]
CHAP. III. Of the religious profession of the first Anglianinhabitants of Lynn—their renouncing heathenism, andassuming the christian name—account of theirconversion, and character of their Christianity.
SECT. 1. Heathenism the religion of this town at thecommencement of the Heptarchy—our townsmen and the rest ofthe East Angles, with the other branches of the Heptarchy, becomeprofessors of Christianity—account of their conversion.	[241]
SECT. 2. Effects of the conversion of the EastAngles, and the sister kingdoms—character of theirChristianity.	[244]
SECT. 3. Christianity of the ancient inhabitants ofLynn and of this country further characterized—whether verymaterially improved during the reign of Alfred—remarks on thatreign—papal instructions to the first missionaries.	[248]
CHAP. IV. Miscellaneous observations, on the socialdistinctions and the general state of the community among theAnglo-Saxons.
SECT. 1. State of society at Lynn, and in thiscountry, before the conquest.	[253]
SECT. 2. Of the Wittenagemote and othercourts—maxims of jurisprudence—institution oftythings—nuptial and funeral rites—sacerdotal,domestic, and other customs among the Anglo-Saxons.	[258]
SECT. 3. State of learning, and of the medicalprofession, among the Anglo-Saxons.	[264]
SECT. 4. Expressive and remarkable names of themonths—state of the coinage or currency—general valueof different commodities in this country before theconquest—slavery—comparison with the present courseof things.	[266]
SECT. 5. Probability that Lynn was formerlyconcerned in the exportation of slaves—comparison betweenthe ancient and modern English slave dealers—slavesand horses the chief exports of this country in thosedays—corn not then exported, though it had beenformerly—imports, commerce, miscellaneous hints andobservations.	[270]
SECT. 6. Population of Lynn and the country ingeneral, before the conquest—condition of the bulk of theinhabitants in the mean time—sufferings of the inhabitantsof Lynn and the adjacent country from theDanes—intrepid and ferocious character of thatpeople—instruments of vengeance on theAnglo-Saxons—their despotism and character not much changedby their conversion to Christianity, so called—remarkableinstances of imposition, superstition, and credulity.	[277]
SECT. 7. Of the Heptarchy and itshistory—remarks on Egbert, Alfred, and theirmost renowned successors—character of Canute andEdward the Confessor—the latter the first of ourmonarchs that touched for the Evil—remarks on thatcircumstance, and the prevalence of that complaint in theseparts.	[284]
SECT. 8. State of Lynn in the confessor’stime—chief sway borne here then by Stigand, Ailmer, andHarold—great power of the latter, and sketch of hischaracter—obtains the crown at the confessor’sdeath—is soon disturbed by two formidable invasions; onefrom the Danish or Norwegian shores under Halfagar, whomhe vanquishes; the other from France, under William the Normanbastard, in opposing whom he is himself vanquished and slain, whichplaces the conqueror on the English throne without furtherstruggle, through the defection and machinations of our bishopsand clergy.	[289]
SECT. 9. Sketch of the practice of the royaltouch in England, or a historical essay on the memorableempiricism of our English sovereigns, from Edward theconfessor to George the first—credulity of Whistonand Carte—quackery, medical, political, andtheological still prevalent among us, though that of the royaltouch has ceased—Richard Brothers, JoannaSouthcote, and William Pitt—memoir of theDumb doctor.	[298]
Part III. History of Lynn from the establishment of theFrench or Normans in England to the Reformation. CHAP. I.
Observations on the Conquest—account of the changesthen introduced—their effects on the kingdom in general,and on Lynn and its vicinity in particular.	[327]
CHAP. II.
Further remarks on the revolutionary effects of theConquest, throughout the whole kingdom as well as atLynn—Catalogue of bishops to whose civil rule the town usedto be subject, or who bore temporal sway here till theReformation.	[342]
CHAP. III.
State of Lynn previously and subsequently to its becominga corporate town, or free burgh; or general remarks on thatevent, and on the progressive state of society in the cities andtowns of this country, as well as at Lynn, in thosetimes—John, Henry III, and Henry VIII, great benefactors tothis town; the latter of whom put an end to the temporaldomination of the bishops here, and ought to be held in gratefulremembrance.	[374]
CHAP. IV.
Further observations on the history of Lynn during thesame period—horrid treatment of the Jewshere—probable state of the town as to its internal policeand municipal economy previously to its being declared a freeburgh and receiving its first royal charter—changesresulting from that event—statement of subsequentoccurrences.	[390]
CHAP. V.
State of society at Lynn during this period—thesubject elucidated from documents relative to the ancientgilds—observations on the nature of thoseinstitutions—very common in the country before thereformation—names and number of those of Lynn.	[408]
SECT. 1. Observations on the origin of thegilds.	[411]
SECT. 2. Names and number of the Lynn gilds, withadditional observations.	[415]
SECT. 3. More particular account of some of ourgilds.	[419]
SECT. 4. Account of the gilds continued.	[439]
SECT. 5. Account of the Holy Trinity company, orgreat merchant’s gild.	[450]
SECT. 6. Account of the remaining gilds, andparticularly those of St. Francis and St.William.	[474]
CHAP. VI. Account of the monasteries andreligious houses formerly here.
SECT. 1. Account of the house of Benedictinesin priory lane, with a sketch of that religious order.	[489]
SECT. 2. Account of the convent of theCarmelites or White Friars, with a sketch of thatorder.	[493]
SECT. 3. Account of the convent of theFranciscans, Friars Minors, or Grey Friars, with a sketchof that order.	[498]
SECT. 4. Account of the convent of theDominicans or Black Friars, with a sketch of thatorder.	[503]
SECT. 5. Account of the convent of the Augustinians,or Austin Friars, with a sketch of that older.	[513]
SECT. 6. Of the Friars de Penitentia, or brothers ofrepentance, and their convent here—also the college ofPriests, and the hospital and church of St. John.	[519]
SECT. 7. Account of St. Mary Magdalen’sHospital, Lazar Houses, St. Lawrence’s Hospital&c.	[530]
SECT. 8. Of the Red Mount and ourLady’s chapel there—also her chapel by the Bridge,and the chapels of St. Ann, St. Catherine, and St. Lawrence.	[554]
SECT. 9. Account of St. James’s Chapel(now the Workhouse) from its first erection, in the 12th.century, to the present time; including an account of themanagement of the in-door pensioners there, as well as theout-door ones, and our present enormous poor-rates.	[564]
CHAP. VII.
Brief Biographical notices of the mostremarkable and distinguished personages who appeared among theinhabitants of Lynn in the intervening period between theConquest and Reformation. Nicholas—Sawtre—Alan—Wallys—Baret—DeBittering—Wentworth—Petipas—Miller.	[585]
Postscript or supplement to the History of the RoyalTouch

PART I.
INTRODUCTION.