The Town-hall, or Guild-hall, alias Trinity-hall, is an ancient building of stone and flint. It consists of divers apartments, the first of which is the stone-hall, where the county quarter sessions, as well as the town sessions are held. This hall, comprehending probably the principal part of the old Guild-hall, is 58 feet in length, by 27 wide, and proportionably lofty. There are in it the following portraits:—Full-length of Sir Robert Walpole, who is said to have been returned for this borough seventeen times; and so firmly was it attached to him, or so completely under his control, that even after he was expelled the House of Commons he still continued member for this place: Also half length of Sir Thomas White, the liberal benefactor to young tradesmen: Likewise a half length of Sir Benjamin Keene, the memorable ambassador to the Spanish Court, who was a native of this town.—The adjoining Ball-room is 60 feet long, 27 broad, and 22 feet high. The adjoining Card-room is 27 feet by 27, and 22 feet in height. Some have pronounced these rooms ill contrived and have observed that, as they are upon a line, it would have given them an uncommon elegance had the openings from one into another been in three arches in the centre, supported by pillars, instead of the present Glass-doors, which have a mean appearance. The eye, it has been further observed, would then at once have commanded a suit of one hundred and forty-five feet, which, with handsome lustres properly disposed, would have rendered these rooms inferior to few in England. The position of the music gallery has also been found fault with. But on these matters we will not enlarge: nor does it seem necessary to subjoin a particular description of the Council-room and other apartments or offices connected with this building. [1174]
As Lynn has not been much distinguished for its literature or bookishness, it can be no great wonder that it should not abound with public libraries. Till of late years there was here nothing of the kind, except in the two churches of St. Nicholas and St. Margaret, each of which was furnished with a library. That of the former is now no more: it was removed some years ago to the other church, by way of addition to that collection. Both being thus consolidated or united, form what is called the Church library. It may be said to be, on the whole, a respectable collection, consisting of the donations of divers individuals, at different times; but it has never been supported with much spirit, nor has it received any great addition now for many years; owing, perhaps, to the unliterary or unbookish character of our corporation, and of most of our great and wealthy families. St. Nicholas’ Library, it seems, was founded in 1617, and that of St. Margaret’s about 14 years later. This was much augmented in 1714, by the will of Dr. Thomas Thurlin, master of St. John’s College, Cambridge, and rector of Gaywood, who bequeathed to it 179 folios, 178 octavos and duodecimo’s, and 84 quartos; in all 441 volumes, valued then at 160l. which it is presumed was the best single donation ever made to this Library. This bibliothecal collection is the property of the corporation, and is under the care of a librarian of their appointment, with an annual salary of 2l. It is not open to the public at large, and is not therefore, strictly speaking, a public library. It contains about 1700 volumes.
Before the year 1797, our reading and bookish people chiefly consisted of the members of a few book-clubs, which then existed in the town; together with the subscribers to those circulating libraries, (made up mostly of novels,) which our booksellers had formed, and which constituted, if it do not still constitute, a lucrative branch of their trade; for novel-reading is carried on hereon a large scale, especially among the female part of our population; to which not a few of them probably owe all the polish, real or fictitious, which their manners have acquired.—But in the year 1797 a subscription Library was here founded, which has been hitherto in a thriving way, and it has at present upwards of a hundred members. The rules or orders of this society consist of about twenty, and are, on the whole, well expressed and adapted to the occasion. [1176] A general meeting of the society is held annually, on the first Monday in July, (the anniversary of the establishment of the Library in 1797.) Quarterly meetings are also held, on the first Mondays in October, January, and April, every year. Each subscriber may propose what books he pleases for the Library, (except such as ape merely professional, political pamphlets, or Novels,) by entering their Titles and Prices in a book kept for that purpose. But they must be so entered a week at least before the general or quarterly meeting, otherwise they cannot lawfully be then balloted: nor must the same book be balloted for more than twice in one year. A librarian, (who is also treasurer) and a sub-librarian, are annually chosen; the latter gives daily attendance at the library, from eleven to one, and from six to eight. The present number of different articles or works in this library amounts to about 600, and the number of volumes to near 1400; many of them very valuable and expensive. They are all new books.
Here in addition to what was before advanced, at pages [1164] and [1165], relating to our present population, it seems proper and necessary to say something further upon that subject, as West Lynn, or Old Lynn, and Gaywood, [1177] which may justly be denominated out suburbs, were not included in that reckoning. Now the population of these two places amounts to about 800, which added to 10,253, will make our whole population somewhat to exceed eleven thousand: and as this does not comprehend our sea faring people, who are very numerous, our whole or actual population may be very reasonably and safely supposed to be now no less than twelve thousand. Yet this is probably much below what it has been in former times.
In addition also to what was said of the pictures in the town-hall, it may be proper here just to add, that the Ball-room there contains two whole lengths, the one of his present Majesty in his coronation robes, and the other of the late Lord Nelson. The former a copy, from an original by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and the latter a copy, from an original by Hoppner—both done by Mr. Lane, son to our present collector, and said to do no small credit to the skill and talents of that young artist, who is supposed to be the very first native of Lynn that has ever promised to rise to eminence in that line.
Lynn Benefactions, or Charities.
Here it was intended to close the work, by a table or summary of remarkable events, chronologically arranged; but considering that our different benefactions and charities seemed to require to be more fully stated and particularized, it was thought proper to give first a cursory view of that subject—Among these charities the first place perhaps is due to the endowment of the grammar-school; which may probably be ascribed to one of the Thorsbys, sometime before the reformation, whose Will is noticed at page [1174], and who it is supposed was that same Thorsby mentioned before at p. 528, as founder of the college in this town. It is likely he might fit up the place over the charnel-house for a school-room, settle on the master a house to dwell in, and an annual salary. He was contemporary with Walter Coney, and like him wealthy, and also ready to employ his wealth in acts of liberality and charity, which has made his memory truly respectable.
Sir Thomas White, citizen and alderman of London, who lived in queen Mary’s time, was another of our early benefactors. He gave during his life 2000l. to the city of Bristol to purchase lands of the yearly value of 120l. for which it was agreed that the mayor and corporation of that city, in 1567 and the ten ensuing years, should pay the sum of 100l. which having for that time been allowed to accumulate, was to be thus expended: 800l. to be divided in loans without interest, among sixteen young Clothiers, freemen of that city, for ten years, upon sufficient security; at the aid of which time that sum to be lent to such other persons as the desire of the mayor, alderman, and four of the common council shall point out. The remaining 200 to be expended in the purchase of corn to be sold to the poor at prime cost. At the expiration of nine years at the feast of St. Bartholomew he directed that 104l. should be paid to the mayor and corporation of York, to be lent by them to four young freemen of that city, (clothiers always preferred.) The same sum the next year on the same conditions, to the city of Canterbury: the next to Reading, the next to the Merchant Tailors’ company; the next to Gloucester, and so on successively, to Worcester, Exeter, Salisbury, Norwich, Southampton, Lincoln, Winchester, Hereford, Oxford, Cambridge, Shrewsbury, Lynn, Bath, Derby, Ipswich, Colchester, Newcastle; and then to begin again at Bristol, and to proceed annually and regularly to the other places for ever.—Lynn first received this money (if we are not mistaken) in 1594; then in 1618, then in 1642; it next became due in 1666, but was put off for three years, till 1669, on account of the seat of the late rebellion (as it was said) having been where the estate lay. The rent was therefore lost for three years. The next payments was made in 1693. The next was received in 1724, the payment having been retarded because the corporations refused to allow taxes, which were unjustly insisted upon by the city of Bristol: at last however, rather than go to law, they agreed to allow those taxes. How many times Lynn has received this money since, we have not learnt; but suppose it has been paid pretty regularly; so that our corporation ought to have now in hand a large sum to lend to poor tradesmen. The present expence of stamps is said to have in a great measure destroyed the benevolent intention and use of this benefaction.
But one of the principal charities belonging to this town is that which bears the name of Mr. John Crane, an apothecary of Cambridge, about the time of Charles the First and the Common Wealth. It consists of 147 acres and one rood of land, at Fleet in Lincolnshire, or rather arises out of the rental of that land, which now amounts to 395l. 10s. a year, which comes to Lynn by rotation every five years, as it belongs successively to the town of Cambridge, the university of Cambridge, the town of Ipswich, the town of Wisbeach, and the town of Lynn. The rental being originally only 62l. was appropriated to each of these places successively, till each of them should receive to the amount of 200l. From each payment the sum of 20l. a-piece was to be lent to three young tradesmen, without interest, for 20 years. The odd forty shillings to be given to the minister who should be appointed to preach, at the place which received the money, a commemoration sermon to stir up others to the like charitable deeds. Afterwards the benefaction to continue to each place for ever, and supplied as follows; viz. to relieve honest old men and women in distress, and release from prison poor men confined there for debt. The testator changes those entrusted with the management of this concern (as they will answer it before God) to relieve the most honest and most religious men and women in their several places, who had lived well, had a good report, and had been reduced by mere misfortune, or through no fault of their own: and he cautions them against applying any part of his benefaction to the relief of dissembling hypocritical persons. The chief part of this statement the author has drawn, with some abridgement, from a MS. account, once the property of a former alderman. He has not been able to learn how this charity is now applied by our corporation: only that it is at the disposal of the mayor and the four senior aldermen.
Other charities are as follow—15l. given by Robert Boston alias Tyler, to be lent from year to year to deserving objects.—Also John Strogers of Lynn, Cook, by will, 25 April, 1670, gave 45l. to the mayor and burgesses, that 20s. per annum might be paid to the minister of St. Margaret’s to preach a sermon the 1st. of January, and 14s. to 14 widowers and widows in Trinity-Hall ward, and 10s. to ten poor women in Stonegate ward upon the 20th. of December; and 10l. to the mayor and burgesses to buy a piece of plate.—Also Edward Robinson, born and educated in this town, by will, dated April 12, 1770, gave a capital tenement, in Lath Street, to the mayor and burgesses, and their successors forever, upon the trusts, and to the uses, intents, and purposes following—viz. To pay 1l. to the curate of St. Margaret’s church, to preach a sermon there every Good Friday for ever—and to pay to 12 poor decayed seamen, or other decayed aged men, that the mayor, aldermen, and common-council shall elect, for life, upon each Good Friday, ten shillings apiece:—and (after paying one pound on St. Thomas’s day to the minister and church wardens of Thornham,) to distribute the remainder of the rents among such 12 poor men as shall be placed in the Broad Street Almshouse, above 60 years of age.—Also Mr. John Horn, the memorable master of the Grammar-school, by his Will dated 27 April 1731, after sundry Legacies given to his relations, directed the residue of his estate to be sold, and the produce to be paid to the mayor and aldermen, to be by them put out at interest, and that interest to be by them yearly for ever employed for binding out of poor children apprentices.—Moreover, of late years, Mary Leake, widow, of this town, bequeathed 200l. to the mayor, aldermen, and common-council, to be put out at interest, and the produce applied, as before, to bind poor children apprentices:—also her sister Catherine Barwell, bequeathed 300l. to the same trustees, the interest whereof to be laid out in purchasing coals, to be given away to such industrious poor women as receive no parish relief.—The last, but not the least of all our benefactions, is that of the late Mr. Cook of London, who bequeathed 5000l. 3 per cent stock, in trust to the mayor and burgesses, the interest whereof to be applied for the benefit of the three almshouses in the town: viz. that of 2300l. to the Bede-house, that of 700l. to the South-Lynn almshouse, and that of 2000l. to the almshouse in Broad-Street.