1233. King Henry 3. granted his first charter to this town, in confirmation of that of his father, 28 years before.
1268. The same sovereign granted our corporation a second charter with more ample privileges, in consideration of the faithful and laudable service, and valiant assistance which our burgesses had rendered him in the late troubles of his kingdom.
1271. Lynn said to be then a fortified town: but it was probably so ever since, or very soon after it received its first charter, if not before.
1330. The queen dowager Isabel took up her residence at Rising Castle by Lynn, where she continued to reside afterwards as long as she lived, which was 28 years; in the course of which time her son Edw. III. his queen Philippa, and their son the black prince, repeatedly visited her there: and there can be no doubt of their having also frequently visited this town in the mean time.
1340. The king and queen were at Rising for some time, as appears by the account rolls of Adam de Reffham and John de Newland of Lynn, who sent his majesty at the same time a present of wine.—Previous to the king’s arrival the queen dowager sent her precept to the mayor of Lynn, for 8 carpenters to assist in making the necessary preparations.
1344. The king and his court were here for some time, as appears from certain letters which he sent from hence to the bishop of Norwich, then at Avignon, to be there delivered by him to the pope.
1349. A dreadful plague or pestilence, which had broke out in the north of Asia, made its destructive way soon into Europe, and now to England. It is said to have raged so much in some countries that scarcely a tenth part of the population escaped. It was called the black death, and is said to have swept away in Norfolk alone, 57,374 persons, from January to July, and 7000 of them in the town of Yarmouth. We cannot find how many perished then at Lynn, but the number was doubtless very great, as the disorder then raged terribly throughout the whole county. Most of the clergy seem to have then perished; hence we are told that 850 persons were, by the bishop of this diocese instituted and collated to benefices which had now become vacant—50,000 persons were carried off in London, and as many at Paris.—see p. 358 of this work, and Andr. 1. 372.
1369. An order was made that no Roadsman should charge more than 3s. 4d. for pylotting in any stranger’s ship from the channel to the town.
1380. The pope granted his license for christening in St. Nicholas’s chapel; which must of course, in the public estimation, have added greatly to the sanctity and dignity of the place.
1381. An ordinance made for the inhabitants of this town to merchandise.—Another account says—it was an order, or ordinance for settling of merchandise in this town—both seem too ambiguous and mysterious to make out. But it was in the reign of Richard 2. when many strange ordinances were made, and many vile measures pursued. Except his mother, and especially his queen, whom his subjects used to call the good queen Ann, [1190] there was about his court but little that could be deemed respectable. His favourite method of raising money was by a loan: a few instances of the respective sums he demanded of his subjects as they stand in the Fædera, will shew the comparative wealth of Lynn, and other places at that period.—From London 10,000 marks: from York, Gloucester, Salisbury, and Lincoln, each 200 ditto.—From Cambridge, Canterbury, and Southampton, each 100 ditto.—From Bristol, 300 ditto.—From Norwich, 500 ditto.—From Lynn, 400 ditto.