1527, (or 1528, according to other accounts) Mary, queen dowager of France, and sister of Henry VIII, with the duke of Suffolk, her second husband, came to Lynn, and lodged (as Mackerell says,) at Mr. Coe’s place: but nothing further is said of Coe’s place, or yet of Coe himself.
1531. A maid servant boiled to death in the market-place, for poisoning her mistress.
1535. A Dutchman burnt in the market-place for reputed heresy; in other words, for presuming to think for himself, and acting conscientiously—which was deemed a crime in former times, and is so deemed still in some places.
1536. The four great orders of Friars, together with the other religious orders, were here suppressed, which was followed by the dissolution of the convents and other religious houses, which diminished in a great measure the respectable appearance of the town.
1537. William Gisborough, a friar, was hanged here, and his father at Walsingham, for attempting to relive their order, in opposition to the royal decree.—Two marts or fairs were also then instituted here, one at the assumption, the other at the purification of the Blessed Virgin.
1540. The town much afflicted with hot burning agues and fluxes, on which account there was no mart kept.
1541. The East Gates repaired, and the king’s arms set up there.
1546. The Gilds and Chauntries suppressed, and their possessions seized by the king:—His majesty now also granted his licence for uniting South Lynn to the borough, it being before unconnected with it, and a separate jurisdiction. This however seems not to have been brought to full effect till about ten or eleven years after, in the reign of Philip and Mary.
1549. St. James’s church demolished, (all perhaps but the cross aisle which still remains; though there is said to be some further demolition of it in 1623.)—also what is called Kett’s rebellion now occurred: one body of the insurgents had a camp at Mousehold heath, by Norwich, and another body of them had a camp here on Rising Chase. Lord Willoughby in the meantime was governor of Lynn, which he secured against all the attempts of the insurgents to obtain possession of it.
1553. Lord Audley came to Lynn, and proclaimed Lady Jane Grey queen of England, the mayor and corporation concurring with him: but Jane’s party did not prevail—the voice of the nation being decidedly in favour of Mary.