A Comprehensive History of Norwich

by A. D. Bayne

The origin of the See of Norwich is attached to Sigebert, king of the East Angles, who, being in France about the year 630, brought over Felix, a priest of Burgundy, and constituted him bishop, fixing his seat at Dunwich, in Suffolk. About forty years afterwards the diocese was divided, Dunwich and North Elmham having each a bishop, and this continued till the year 870, when the two sees were again united under Wybred at Elmham. Owing to the devastations of the piratical Danes the see remained vacant nearly one hundred years, but was restored by Theodored, in 995 according to the common account; but there is evidence which tends to prove that he was bishop in 945, if not before. During the reign of William I. the see was removed to Thetford, and in the year 1094 it was finally settled in Norwich. This added greatly to the importance of the city, and made it the capital of East Anglia.

The diocese, as to its seat, has continued unchanged since 1094, and as to its extent and government has been but slightly modified. The most prominent bishops have been Losinga, who established the see at Norwich and founded the cathedral, and John Grey or Gray, who governed Ireland, divided it into counties, placed it under English laws, fought in France, and captured fortresses there,—for bishops were fighting men in those days; Pandulph, who excommunicated King John Lackland; W. Middleton, who acted as Guardian of the Kingdom; John Salmon and William de Ermine, who were Lord Chancellors; and Bateman, who founded Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Others less noted were Henry le Spencer, who fought as a soldier for the pope on shore, and as an English admiral at sea; Richard Courtenay, who died at the siege of Harfleur; John de Wakering, who was Lord Privy Seal; Nykke, known as the blind bishop, who conducted a traitorous correspondence with the pope; William Rugge, who deprived the see of its barony; Parkhurst, who was famous for entertaining Oxford scholars; Scambler, called “the scandalous;” John Jeggon, called “the wag;” Montague, called “the excellent;” Corbet, called the “merry wit;” Hall, “the saintly;” Overall and Sparrow, “the learned;” and Bathurst, “the good,” who pleaded for Catholic emancipation. Three of the dignitaries, J. Harpsfield, H. Prideaux, and T. Sherlock, became cardinals; one, John, became archbishop of Smyrna; and one, Montgomery, became bishop of Meath.

The cathedral establishment includes the bishop, the dean, three archdeacons, four canons, twenty-four hon. canons, four minor canons, and a chancellor. The income of the bishop is £4,500; that of each of the archdeacons is £200; and that of the other archdeacon is £184. The diocese comprises all Norfolk except the parishes of Emneth and Brandon, and all Suffolk except the deaneries of Thedwaster and Thingoe, and parts of the deaneries of Clare, Fordham, and Sudbury; and it is divided into the archdeaconries of Norwich, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Population, 743,000; acres, 1,994,535; deaneries, 41; benefices, 908; curates, 253; church sittings, 294,177. A few more particulars may be stated respecting some of the earlier prelates.

Herbert de Losinga	A.D. 1094.
Founder of the diocese andbuilder of the greater part of the Cathedral.
Eborard or Everard	A.D. 1121.
Divided the archdeaconry ofSuffolk into two, founded the hospital and church of St. Paul inNorwich. He either resigned or was deposed.
William Turbus	A.D. 1146.
A friend and advocate ofThomas à Becket, who induced him to excommunicate the Earlof Norfolk and some other nobles, for which he was forced to takesanctuary till he had appeased the wrath of the King, HenryII.
John of Oxford	A.D. 1175.
Took part with Henry II.against Becket, and built the church of the Holy Trinity atIpswich.
John de Grey	A.D. 1200.
Built a palace at Gaywood,near Lynn, made that town a free borough, and lent large sums toKing John, for which he received in pledge the royal regalia. After him the see was vacant sevenyears.
Pandulphus	A.D. 1222.
Obtained a grant of thewhole of the first fruits of the clergy in his diocese forhimself and his successors, which was not revoked till the timeof Henry VIII.
Thomas de Blandevill	A.D. 1226.
Ralfo (died soon after)	1239.
William de Raleigh	1244.
Translated toWinchester.
Walter de Suthfield	1244.
Obtained for the bishopric acharter of free warren to himself and successors, erected andendowed the hospital of St. Giles, and made a valuation of allthe ecclesiastical revenues for Pope Innocent.
Simon de Walton	A.D. 1258.
Roger de Skernyng	1265.
William de Middleton	1278.
Ralph de Walpole	1288.
Translated to Ely.
John Salmon	1299.
Enlarged the Palace andfounded the Charnel House School (now the Grammar HouseSchool).
Robert de Baldock	A.D. 1325.
Resigned the same year.
William de Ayrminne	1325.
Enclosed and fortified theCathedral and Palace with stone walls.
Thomas Hemenhale	A.D. 1337.
Translated to Worcester sameyear.
Anthony de Beck	1337.
Being of a quarrelsomedisposition, was poisoned either by the monks or his ownservants.
William Bateman	A.D. 1343.
Was a native of Norwich, andfounded Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Thomas Percy	A.D. 1355.
Youngest brother of the Earlof Northumberland; was only twenty-two years of age when heobtained the prelacy.
Henry le Spencer	A.D. 1370.
Was consecrated by the popein person. He took an active part in the warfare betweenthe Urbanites and Clementines. He was an enthusiasticzealot, and a fierce persecutor of the Lollards.
Alexander de Tottington	A.D. 1407.
Richard de Courtenay, LL.D.	1413.
John Wareryng	1416.
William Alnwick, LL.D.	1426.
Translated to Lincoln.
Thomas Browne, LL.D.	1436.
Translated from Rochester;he left money to pay the city tax, and founded exhibitions at theUniversities for poor scholars in the diocese.
John Stanbery, D.D.	A.D. 1445.
Chosen but neverconsecrated.
Walter Lyhart	1446
He repaired the Cathedral,and made many ornamental additions to the edifice.
James Goldwell	A.D. 1472.
Granted twelve years andforty days pardon to all who assisted him in beautifying theCathedral.
Thomas Jan	A.D. 1499.
Richard Nykke or Nix	1500.
Alienated the revenues ofhis diocese for the Abbacy of Holme, by agreement with HenryVIII., and was a cruel persecutor of the reformers, who, at thisperiod, begun to be numerous.
William Rugg D.D.	A.D. 1535.
Resigned the See for anannuity of £200 per annum.
Thomas Thirlby	A.D. 1550.
Translated from Westminster,of which he was the first and last bishop; and afterwards removedto Ely.
John Hopton, D.D.	A.D. 1554.
A sanguinary persecutor ofthe reformers, and is supposed to have died through fear ofretaliating vengeance on the accession of Queen Elizabeth. “Thus conscience cloth make cowards of us all.”

After the Reformation the following were the bishops of Norwich in the 16th century:—

Richard Cox	A.D. 1558.
Translated to Ely.
John Parkhurst, D.D.	1560.
A friend of Oxfordscholars.
Edmund Freke, D.D.	1575.
Translated from Rochesterand afterwards removed to Worcester.
Edmund Scambler, D.D.	A.D. 1584.
Translated fromPeterborough.
William Redman, D.D.	1594.

The following were bishops of Norwich in the 17th century:—

John Jeggon, D.D.	A.D. 1602.
In his time a fire broke outin the palace at Ludham and consumed the whole of the library,and many valuable documents respecting the diocese.
John Overall, D.D.	A.D. 1618.
Translated from Lichfieldand Coventry.
Samuel Harsnett, D.D.	1619.
Translated from Chichester,and afterwards became archbishop of York.
Francis White, D.D.	A.D. 1628.
Translated from Carlisle,afterwards removed to Ely.
Richard Corbet, D.D.	A.D. 1631.
Matthew Wren, D.D.	1635.
Translated from Hereford andafterwards removed to Ely. He was father of the celebratedarchitect, Sir Christopher Wren.
Richard Montague, D.D.	A.D. 1636.
A distinguished scholar,translated from Chichester.
Joseph Hall, D.D.	A.D. 1641.
Translated fromExeter. During the civil wars he was sent to the tower forasserting his right to vote in the house of peers; and parliamentdeprived him of his temporalities, and prohibited him fromexercising any spiritual jurisdiction. The See was vacantfour years.
Edward Reynolds, D.D.	A.D. 1660.
Was a liberal benefactor tothe city of Norwich, and paid much attention to the comforts ofthe parochial clergy.
Anthony Sparrow, D.D.	A.D. 1676.
Translated from Exeter.
William Lloyd, D.D.	1686.
Translated fromPeterborough. On the accession of William III., refusing totake the oath of abjuration against James II., he was deprived ofhis bishopric.
John Moore, D.D.	A.D. 1691.
Translated to Ely. Hecollected a large library of rare books, which, at his death, waspurchased by George I. and presented to the University ofCambridge.

The following were the bishops of Norwich in the 18th century:—

Charles Trimnell, D.D.	A.D. 1707.
Translated toWinchester. He was a native of Norwich, and greatlyassisted the Protestant emigrants who fled to his diocese fromthe Palatinate on the Rhine, through the irruptions and exactionsof the French. Many of these emigrants were artisans, andgreatly increased the general welfare of the city and county.
Thomas Green, D.D.	A.D. 1721.
Translated to Ely.
John Leng, D.D.	1723.
William Baker, D.D.	1727.
Translated from Bangor.
Robert Butts, D.D.	1732.
Translated to Ely.
Sir Thomas Gooch, Bart., D.D.	1738.
Translated from Bristol andafterwards removed to Ely.
Samuel Lisle, D.D.	A.D. 1748.
Translated from St.Asaph.
Thomas Hayter, D.D.	1749.
Translated to London.
Philip Yonge, D.D.	1761.
Lewis Bagot, LL.D.	1783.
Translated from Bristol andafterwards removed to St. Asaph.
George Horne, D.D.	A.D. 1790.
Author of a“Commentary on the Psalms,” and other works ofconsiderable merit, more especially an “Introduction to theStudy of the Bible.”