Great Northern ward, subdivided into three small wards, viz.—Coslany ward contains the parishes of St. Michael, St. Mary and St. Martin. Colegate ward contains the parishes of St. George’s Colegate, and St. Augustine. Fye Bridge ward includes the parishes of St. Edmund, St. James, St. Paul, St. Saviour, and St. Clement. Each of the small wards have the right of electing two Aldermen, and one of the Nominees for the Common Council; the rest of the Common Council being chosen by the Nominees. Great Conisford ward, including the Nominees, choosing twelve,—Great Mancroft ward sixteen,—Great Wymer ward twenty,—and the Northern ward twelve. In ward elections the resident freemen only have at right to vote, and the election for Nominees takes place on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, before passion-week.
The City is governed by a Mayor, Recorder, Steward, two Sheriffs, twenty-four Aldermen, (of which the Mayor is one,) sixty Common Council-men, a Town-clerk, Chamberlain and Sword-bearer, attended by suitable officers.
The Mayor is elected by the freemen, on the first day of May, and sworn into office on the guild-day, which is on the Tuesday before Midsummer, except Midsummer-day fall on a Wednesday, in which case the guild is kept the Tuesday se’nnight before the Mayor is chosen from among the Aldermen, is a Justice of the quorum during his mayoralty, and afterwards Justice of the peace.
On the death or resignation of an Alderman, the Mayor on receiving notice thereof, must within five days, and not less than two; and giving not less than twenty-four hours notice to the freemen in the great ward, in which the small ward belongs, to elect another.
The Sheriffs are chosen—one by a letter from the court of Aldermen, in the early part of July, and returnable if a full assembly can be made, within fourteen days, upon paying a fine of £80 to the corporation, till the 10th of August; on which day, whoever holds it must serve the office. The other Sheriff is elected by the freemen on the last Tuesday in August, and they are both sworn into office on Michaelmas-day. The Mayor with the Sheriffs, hold courts every Wednesday and Saturday, to hear complaints, and to do every other act tending to the peaceable government of the city.
The Recorder assists in the Mayor’s court as chief Judge, as does the Steward in the Sheriffs’ court, they must both be barristers, and are always Justices of the quorum, and Council for the city.
The quarterly assemblies are held on February the twenty-fourth, May the third, the day before guild-day, and Sept. the twenty-first.
There are three Fairs in Norwich,—one on the Thursday before Easter, on Tombland;—one on Easter-Monday and Tuesday;—and one on Whit-Monday and Tuesday, by Bishop-bridge.
Here are several Insurance-offices, viz.—The Norwich Insurance Fire-ffice, on Orford hill, opened in November 1792.
The Union office for insurance against loss by fire, corner of Briggs’s lane, near the market, established in March 1797;—and at the same place The Union office, for the insurance of lives, and granting Annuities and Endowments for children.