On April 26th, 1786, the Norwich and Norfolk Benevolent Medical Society was instituted. In May, an exact account of the inhabitants of Norwich was taken from house to house, and the population was ascertained to be 40,051 souls, exclusive of those living in the precincts of the Cathedral, being an increase of nearly 4000 since 1752. This entirely contradicts the statement of Mr. Arthur Young, in his Tour of England, published in 1770, to the effect that 72,000 persons were then employed in manufactures in this city.
On November 5th, 1788, the centenary of the glorious Revolution of 1688 was celebrated in this city and county by illuminations, bonfires, public dinners, &c., but more particularly at Holkham, where Mr. Coke, the late Earl of Leicester, gave a grand fête, ball, and supper, and a display of fireworks, &c. The citizens appear to have been more sensible then than they are now of the immense benefits they derived from that great change in the British constitution and government.
Next year (1789) a revolution broke out in France and astounded all Europe. It caused a mighty commotion and a general war, which lasted many years, and destroyed millions of men. Norwich, like every other city in England, was affected by it, and lost nearly all its foreign trade during the terrible conflict. On July 14th, the Revolution was commemorated by republicans at the Maid’s Head Inn, in this city. Among the toasts of the day after a dinner were “The Revolutionary Societies in England,” “The Rights of Man,” and “The Philosophers of France.” The Revolution, however, had not advanced very far in its atrocities when most people regarded it in a very different light, and associations were formed here against “Levellers” and “Revolutionists.”
On December 5th, 1792, the mayor, sheriffs, and seventeen aldermen of Norwich, pledged themselves to support the constitution of Kings, Lords, and Commons, as established in 1688. Meetings of the inhabitants were also held in this city, and in Yarmouth, Lynn, &c., and declarations of loyalty and attachment to the constitution were unanimously agreed to and signed; for men had begun to be alarmed by the “Reign of Terror” in France.
In 1793 a petition for parliamentary reform, signed by 3741 inhabitants of Norwich, was presented to the House of Commons by the Hon. H. Hobart, but was not received, it having been printed previous to presentation. This indicated a great advance in liberal opinions towards the end of the last century, chiefly amongst the Nonconformists, who had greatly increased in numbers, whilst the church was asleep. The vast expenditure in the long war against France caused a great increase in taxation.
On April 12th, 1794, a great county meeting was held at the Shirehall, to consider the exertions which should be made at that crisis for the internal defence and security of the kingdom. The High Sheriff, T. R. Dashwood, Esq., presided. The Honble. C. Townshend moved resolutions, supported by the Marquis Townshend, Lord Walsingham, Mr. Buxton, Mr. Windham, and Mr. Joddrell, for forming volunteer corps of cavalry, and for entering into subscriptions to maintain the same. Mr. Coke condemned the war in toto, and insisted that it might have been avoided, or at the least brought to a conclusion, by a negociation for peace, and he moved as an amendment:
“That it is our duty to refuse any private subscriptions for public purposes and unconstitutional benevolences.”
So much altercation and confusion ensued, that when the High Sheriff put the question, it was impossible to tell which party had the majority; and a division being deemed impracticable, the chairman proposed that such gentlemen as chose to subscribe would retire with him to the Grand Jury Room, which was agreed to. Nearly £6,000 was subscribed, and the amount was afterwards increased to £11,000!
On October 21st, 1795, a memorial was transmitted from the court of mayoralty of Norwich to the representatives of the city on the high prices of every necessary of life, requesting them to support such measures as might have a tendency to reduce them, and to facilitate the restoration of peace. Prices of corn and provisions had risen to an alarming height; wheat to 100s., barley to 30s., and oats to 30s. per quarter, and symptoms of rioting had in consequence appeared in Norwich market.
At a county meeting held on July 20th, 1796, in the Angel Inn (now the Royal Hotel) it was resolved to petition parliament for the removal of the Lent assizes from Thetford to Norwich, and a petition was presented accordingly. The bill brought for this object into the House of Commons was strongly opposed, and finally rejected; but afterwards the assizes were removed to the city, and have been held there ever since. This year the sum of £24,000 was collected for the maintenance of the poor in Norwich, while the population was under 40,000, or half the present number.