In 1799, October 28th, the Guards and several other regiments, to the number of 25,000 cavalry and infantry, landed at Yarmouth from Holland. Next night the Grenadier Brigade of Guards, commanded by Col. Wynward, marched into Norwich by torchlight, and were soon afterwards followed by upwards of 20,000 more troops. Through the exertions of John Herring, Esq., mayor, and the attention of the citizens in general, these brave men received every accommodation that their situation demanded. The mayor soon afterwards received a letter from the Duke of Portland expressive of the high appreciation by the government of the mayor’s loyalty and activity on this occasion, and of the humanity of the citizens who supplied the wants of the soldiers. The mayor was afterwards presented to his Majesty at St. James’, and offered the honour of knighthood, which he declined. The Duke of York, Prince William of Gloucester, and several other officers employed in this unsuccessful expedition, also passed through the city on their way to London. The sum of £18,000 was raised this year for the maintenance of the poor of the city.
On January 23rd, 1800, John Herring, Esq., then mayor, summoned a general meeting of the inhabitants at the Guildhall, to consider the propriety of applying to parliament for an act for the better paving, lighting, and watching of the city, for removing and preventing annoyances and obstructions, and for regulating hackney coaches. At this meeting a committee was appointed to consider the plan proposed, and to report to a future general meeting. This committee held several meetings, and at length made a report, which was laid before a general meeting of the citizens on March 3rd. The estimated cost of lighting, watching, paving, &c., was only £2770. The produce of the tolls was estimated at £1715, and of a rate of 6d. in the pound at £3000; making the total receipts £4715, and leaving a balance of £1945 for the commencement of the work, which sum would have been increased by some annual payments. The general meeting adopted the report, and a petition was signed by most of the inhabitants of the city in favour of a bill to carry out the improvements. Unfortunately, however, the petition could not, from some unforeseen circumstances, be presented that session. The project was, for a time, postponed; but an act was obtained in 1806 to carry out the object, and commissioners were appointed for the purpose. This body consisted of the dean and prebend, the recorder, 28 members of the corporation, and 24 parochial commissioners, annually elected, in all 136. This heterogeneous body continued for about forty years, and after spending over £300,000, left Norwich the worst paved town in England, and also left a debt of £17,000, which still remains as a legacy to the city!
Social State of the City in the Eighteenth Century.
Before the end of the 18th century, various improvements were made, among which may be mentioned, the demolition of the old gates, the widening and opening of several streets, and the erection of a new flour mill, worked by steam power, near Black Friars Bridge, for better supplying the people with flour. Still, large numbers of the poor appear to have been for a long time in a very destitute condition. Famines were of frequent occurrence, and riots often took place on account of the high prices of every kind of food. In 1720, on September 20th, a dangerous riot broke out, and rose to such a height, as to oblige the sheriffs to call in the aid of the Artillery Company, at whose approach the rioters instantly dispersed. Again, in 1740, riots occurred in several parts of the country, and in most of the towns in Norfolk. The magistrates of this city called the military to their aid, and six or seven lives were lost before the rioters could be quelled. Again, in 1766, in consequence of the great scarcity and advanced price of provisions of every sort, some dangerous riots broke out in several places. In this city the poor people collected on September 27th, about noon, and in the course of that day and the next, committed many outrages by attacking the houses of bakers, pulling down part of the New Mills, destroying large quantities of flour, and burning to the ground a large malthouse outside of Conisford gate. Every lenient measure was tried by the city magistrates to pacify the poor starving people, but to no effect. The magistrates therefore were compelled to repel force by force. On Sunday afternoon they, with the principal inhabitants, attacked the rioters with such vigour, while they were demolishing a house on Tombland, that they were dispersed. About thirty of the ringleaders were taken and tried, and eight of them were sentenced to death, but only two were executed. They suffered the extreme penalty on January 10th, 1767.
Strange as it may seem, Norwich was, at this time, in a more flourishing state as regards trade than it has ever since been known. Wages were not high, but employment was universal. On April 25th, 1796, fine flour having risen to 70s. a sack, a mob attacked several bakers’ shops in the city. The magistrates and inhabitants assembled and proceeded to the places against which the attacks of the populace were directed, but the mob did not disperse till after the riot act had been read and three persons apprehended. On May 17th, a dreadful affray took place near Bishop Bridge, between the soldiers of the Northumberland and Warwickshire regiments of Militia. Several were terribly bruised and others wounded with bayonets before their officers could part them. Education was, at this time, at a very low ebb, and the clergy neglected the poor. Few schools were yet opened for their children, who grew up in ignorance and vice. Working-men spent their hard-earned money in drunkenness, or indulged in the most brutal sports, such as prize-fighting or cock-fighting. They were also demoralised by bribery and treating at contested elections. In fact, ward elections were so frequent that the city was kept in a perpetual state of agitation and turmoil. We can now form no notion of the misery, poverty, and vice, which these local elections inflicted on the city. It was often said that a single ward election did more harm than all the sermons in all the churches and chapels did good. These local contests at length prevented capital being employed in manufacturers, and made politics the first object of all the influential citizens, who, if they were not, strove to become, members of the old corporation, not from any consideration of public duty, not to promote the welfare of the citizens, but to serve their own political or personal interests. There is abundant evidence that the prosperity of the city, and private friendships, were alike poisoned by the party spirit, engendered by frequent ward elections; at the same time the moral character of the whole working population was greatly deteriorated, and the working classes themselves greatly depraved.
Nonconformity in the 18th Century.
During this 18th century the Nonconformists became very numerous and powerful in the city and county. Methodism imparted a healthful stimulus to the revival of religion. It aroused the church and all denominations. Besides the very flourishing bodies of Wesleyans and Baptists, the Independents made great progress. Within two centuries, in place of one, several chapels arose; and throughout all England, few towns exhibited a greater increase of Nonconformists than Norwich. We have already given an account of their rise and progress in the 17th century, but we have not yet noticed the Unitarians. A history of the Octagon chapel in Norwich, by Mr. John Taylor, formerly of this city, and continued by his son, Mr. Edward Taylor, contains a full account of the rise and progress of the Unitarians here. They were at first called Presbyterians, but that name was inappropriate, as they never had the Presbyterian polity nor doctrine. Mr. John Taylor says, the first Presbyterian chapel was built in 1687, on a piece of ground, formerly part of the great garden or orchard, “sometime belonging to the prior and convent of the late friars’ preachers,” of whose deserted walls the Dissenters took possession. The building was so constructed that it might be converted into dwelling houses in case their preachers were compelled to abandon it.
Blomefield, in his History of the City, says:—
“In 1687, the Presbyterians built a meeting house from the ground, over against the Black Boys; and at the same time the Independents repaired a house in St. Edmund’s formerly a brew house.”
After the passing of the Toleration Act, in 1689, this meeting house, which, had not been long finished, was duly licensed. Dr. Collinges, a learned Presbyterian minister, was the first pastor appointed to preach by the congregation. He had a considerable hand in the “Annotations to the Bible,” which were begun and carried on by Mr. Matthew Poole, and which go under his name.