In the same year we find Lynn to be in a great measure a manufacturing town, especially in the worstead line, and to have many hands employed in that branch; as appears from the following note in the Hall-books. “December 2. 1670, The worstead weavers petition to procure an Act of Parliament for the liberty of a Dyer and Callender to live in the town for the better [or the benefit of the] trade.” Those weavers must have been pretty numerous, and their trade hopeful and promising, to warrant or justify such an application. Still it must seem rather odd that they should think the obtaining of their object required the aid of an act of parliament. It does not appear, however, that an application was actually made to the legislature on this occasion.
Section III.
Account of the king’s intended visit to Lynn, in 1671, with divers other occurrences relating to this town, in that and some of the subsequent years.
The king, who used frequently to visit Newmarket, where he had it royal Lodge or Palace, purposed in the autumn of 1671 to make an excursion into Norfolk, and to visit Lynn in the course of his tour. This appears from the following Note from the Hall-books—“1671, August 11. Ordered that 100l. be paid into the Chamberlain’s hands for defraying disbursements on account of his Majesties entertainment, who Sir Robert Stewart writes intends to visit Lynn next month, in his progress.”—Great preparations were accordingly made by our Corporation for the reception and entertainment of their sovereign. But it so happened that our good townsmen were disappointed at last, for his majesty never came; so that the great expense they had been at, in preparing for his reception was, in a manner, all thrown away.
It is not said what it was that prevented his majesty’s coming, or frustrated his royal intention of visiting his Lynn subjects at that time. But it seems most probable that the very foul weather which happened in that month, and the terrible inundation which then overwhelmed the country about Lynn, were the principal, if not the sole causes of the relinquishment of his purpose. The tide rose so high on the 17th. of September, as we learn from one of our MSS. that the country about Lynn was all under water, “the haycocks swam about the fields to the first house in Gaywood, and several boats were rowed from the East Gate to that Village, many Ships were lost, Marshland was all overflowed, great numbers of sheep perished, and an immense loss sustained.” In short, it seems to have been here such another disastrous flood as that which lately devastated the Lincolnshire Coast. The roads must, in many places, have been broken up, so that the approaches to the town must have been rendered difficult, if not impracticable. On the whole, therefore, we cannot wonder that this royal visit was given up. As to the whole of the provisions and dainties that had been prepared for the intended august visitor, it does not appear how it was disposed of at last; but as to what had been procured from the Metropolis, its final disposal is plainly enough suggested by the following Note from the Hall books:—“November 10, 1671. Ordered that the mayor have the whole banquet lately sent from London, he paying tenn pounds.”—So much for this intended royal feast at Lynn.
In the same year, we find Lord Townshend tampering with the Corporation, with a view to the introduction of one of his friends to be chosen one of the Lynn representatives in parliament: hence we find it thus noted in the Hall books—“1671. August 7. Whereas Lord Townshend hath by his Letters to this House recommended Sir Francis North knight, his Majesties Sollicitor General, as a person of great worth and honor, and upon all occasions fitt to be usefull to this burgh in their most important concernments: It is therefore this day ordered, that the said Sir Francis North Knight, shall have his freedom of this Burgh gratis.” He soon after became, as had been previously projected, one of our parliamentary delegates.
Early in 1672 an order was issued from the Hall, which shews that the occupiers of houses in the Tuesday Market-place were not then allowed to let their shops during the Mart, unless they paid rent for the same to the mayor and burgesses. The following note in the Hall books will serve to elucidate this circumstance—“January 19. Whereas severall persons (who have usually lett their shops in the Tuesday market-place during the time of the Mart, and have therefor paid a rent for the same to the mayor and burgesses) have of late refused to pay the accustomed rent, it is this day ordered that the chamberlains doe demand the arrears, and in case of refusal to cause blinds or bootes to be built up against the Shops.” Such appears to have been the case formerly; but this claim, we apprehend, is no longer made. We have not learnt, however, how it came to be relinquished.
In July 1675 Mr. John Turner was admitted or chosen into the Hall, as common-council-man. Of him it is said that “he was chosen common-council-man, alderman, new-elect mayor, parliament-man, and captain of the trainbands, all in the course of two years.” From him sprung the family of that name which afterwards bore great sway in this town for a whole century. It is no disparagement to this family that it arose from a low origin; for where is that great family that has not so arisen? The noble, the royal, and the imperial not excepted. Many of whom are known to have sprung from and owed their rise to desperate Adventurers, captains of bands of robbers and ruffians, men, or rather demons, who defiled themselves with the foulest deeds, and made their way to power and greatness in defiance of all laws human and divine. To the founder of the Turner family no infamy has been imputed. Report has said that he was originally a waiter at an Inn at Cambridge, which cannot justly be considered as any disgrace to his descendants.
In 1676, according to one of the MSS. were first erected the new buildings, in Broad Street, designed for an Almshouse for twelve poor men, “at the cost and charge of one John Heathcote of Lynn.” Mackerell calls this person Helcote. Whatever his right name was, it is now almost forgotten, while that of Framingham is in everybody’s mouth: and yet the poor men owe, perhaps, as much to the memory of the former as they do to that of the latter, who has engrossed all the praise and credit of this charity. For had not this Helcote or Heathcote erected these buildings it is very doubtful if Framingham, rich as he was, had ever thought of endowing an almshouse. He was a man of low birth, [820] and became afterwards rich and ostentatious. The death of the founder gave him an opportunity to become the endower of this almshouse, and transmit his name to posterity, which he took care to ensure by having his Will publickly read, and a commemorative Sermon preached annually. Upon the whole, it is highly probable that vanity and ostentation had a larger share than charity, or pure benevolence, in the endowment of these Almshouses. That, however, cannot lessen the comfort or enjoyment of the poor men there admitted. The endowment does them as much good as if it had sprung from the worthiest motive, or most virtuous principle.
“On the 29th of August, 1677, Ben. Holly Esq. one of the aldermen, was fined 40l. for refusing to accept of the mayoralty, being thereunto chosen.” The reason of this refusal is not mentioned; but the alderman was not poorer, probably, at the end of the year than he would have been had he accepted the office.—About the close of the same year, (or early, in the next, as we reckon,) a step was here taken, the result of which the present writer has often wished to ascertain, but without success. The step or circumstance alluded to is thus expressed in the volume of extracts from the Hall books so often referred to in this work—“February 4th.” (1677, 8) “Ordered that a Letter be wrott to Th. Goddard, Son to Guybon Goddard Esq. late Recorder of this Burgh, to confer his Father’s labours about the antiquities and antient priviledges of this Corporation, and that he have a gratuity of 21l.” This shews that Mr. Guybon Goddard had collected materials for a history of Lynn: the same has been also affirmed by his brother-in-law, Sir William Dugdale, in some part of his works; so that the fact is beyond all doubt. But the question is, what became of those materials? If our Corporation obtained them, they seem to have been lost long ago. No one now in the Hall, it seems, not even the town-clerk himself, knows any thing about them. It is probable Mr. Th: Goddard did not choose to part with them. What became of them after his time, or whether they are now in existence or not, there is perhaps very little chance of discovering. Had they fallen in the present writer’s way, there can be no doubt, from the known character of Guybon Goddard, but he would have found them of considerable use in this undertaking.