The General Equitable assurance office, for insuring property from fire, in Bank street, established Michaelmas, 1807. The Anchor fire office, Back of the inns, established in June 1808; besides various agencies, viz.—
Sun fire office agent, Mr. John Taylor, St. Andrew’s;—Royal Exchange, Mr. J. Woodrow, St. George’s Colegate;—Phœnix, Mr. H. Francis, Surry street;—Suffolk, Mr. Marsh, Bank street;—British, Mr. L. F. Boyce, St. John’s Maddermarket;—Imperial, Mr. Charles Norton, King street.
A gentleman desirous of spending a few days in Norwich, cannot help being gratified by seeing the various employments of its extensive manufactories in Stuffs, Cottons, Shawls &c.—the first and last of which are here carried to a perfection no where else to be met with in England.
Norwich adds greatly to the trade of Yarmouth, by the importation of about 40,000
chaldrons of coals yearly; wine, fish, oil, Irish yarn, and all heavy goods which come from thence by the river Yare: and in Peace the exportation of its manufactures to Russia, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Italy, &c. The keels and wherries which navigate between Norwich and Yarmouth are acknowledged to be superior to any other small craft in England, for carrying a larger burthen, and being worked at a smaller expence;—their burthen is from fifteen to fifty tons; they have but one mast, which lets down, and carry only one large square sail, are covered close by hatches, and have a cabin superior to many coasting vessels, in which oftentimes the keelman and his family live; they require only two persons to navigate them, and sometimes perform their passage (thirty-two miles) in five hours.
Norwich has experienced of late years, a number of improvements; the lighting is much more brilliant, and better regulated than formerly; the paving also, which is in great forwardness, and the alterations consequent thereon, have already much improved many parts, and will when finished, add greatly to the beauty of the city, and to the convenience and comfort of the inhabitants and occasional visitors. The act for paving the streets, &c. was obtained in June 1808, and empowers the commissioners to levy on all houses laid to the poor-rate, four shillings in the pound on the half-rental, and one shilling and four pence in the pounds on such houses &c. as do not pay to the poor-rate, computed on half their annual value;
also by a frontage of two-pence per running foot. The commissioners under the paving act are one hundred and thirty-six in number; sixty-three permanent, besides the Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Recorder, Steward, the Speaker of the Commons, the Rev. the Dean and Prebendary, in all thirty-one, and forty-two Parochial Commissioners, chosen annually. Clerk’s office on Elm-hill, there are also a surveyor and four collectors of the rates.
Among the modern institutions of the city is one which serves to shew that the fine arts are encouraged even at this distance from the metropolis; this is a “Society of Artists,” the members of which have made an annual public exhibition of their pictures, for the last few years, during the Assize and following week, at their room in Sir Benjamin Wrenche’s court, St. John’s Maddermarket, where they also hold a meeting once a fortnight. If societies of this kind were more encouraged, instead of that deformity, which disgraces many modern alterations, beauty, consistency, and propriety would be introduced.
Two mail coaches run daily between London and Norwich; a double bodied coach, called the Expedition, by Newmarket daily, and a post coach by Bury three times a week;—they all leave Norwich in the afternoon, and arrive in London the following morning. A Lynn and Norwich Expedition by Dereham and Swaffham, leave Norwich on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning at seven o’clock, and arrive at Lynn the same evening, returning
to Norwich on Wednesday, Friday and Monday, in winter time it runs only twice a week, viz. on Tuesdays and Saturdays.