,$ -; 55 0FCAIIF(%, ^0FCAL!F0% ^E-UNIVERJ//, 2 zztia > 55 y 0AMin^ y 0Aavu8iH* % lAINlJWV* ^lOS'ANCFlfjv '/,'. ^P - ^IIBRARYQ 5 IMli: <\\UIBRAM <\\UiBRA %, <.0F CA1 < L. ,.J \ ^ l \sCfIf[ fTfcr >^i vX\U!f yp^i ^7l3'JNV-S0 "%I1MN ..y '** n ^_- ^ ^ n ; g Cttfr-. V>? II: ^\\EUNIVER% W-SOl^ *2T sAUIBRARYQr ^UiBRARYtf/ o \ cr OJO^ Geographical DESCRIPTION OF ,THE COUNTY OF #otfolL Pro me : Ji merear, in me. NORWICH : PRINTED BY STEVENSON AND MATCHETT. bio k/LGX iVvVvVvVvVv^ <* FP* <> F"H * *"* <*> ft? t &K5& 4> Vc*/ *# Vcjrf <> 'et o ^OL, ^PU ^(k ** r*s ^(k r*v r*\ ,* r*k r*v *> Geographical and Hiflorical Defcriptioa o F T H E COUNTY of NORFOLK. Situation and Extent. THE county of Norfolk, exclufive of the city and county of Norwich, is divided into thirty-three hun- dreds, in which are upwards of feven hundred parifli- towns, befides, hamlets, &c. It is fituated, according to Sir Henry Spelman's Index Villarh, between 5 z Q 28' and 53^ 3' of north latitude, and between 9 13' and i 42' of eaft longitude; being precifely fixty-fix miles in extent from the meridian cf Yarmouth to that of W'ijlech, and about forty miles in breadth from the parallel of Billingford to that of Wells. Mr. Templeman, in his very ingenious, but inaccurate Survey, ftates the length of this county to be only fifty- feven miles* and its breadth thirty-five, and that it con- D tains ( -: ) tains 1426 fquare miles: But the productions of moil gt~ neral geographers are " errors multiplied by errors." The county of Norfolk, or the Kortbern-Folk*, is {o called with refpeft to Suffolk, or the Soutbern-Fclk, which, with part of Cambridge-iT.ire, compofed the Roman pro- vince of Ac/.'/, and Saxon kingdom of Eajl-Anglia. It is a maritime county, bounded on the north by the Britifh ocean, called (tho' very improperly) the German ocean, which wafhes a more cf one hundred miles, from Yar- mouth to the coaft of Lincolnfhire. On the fouth this county is divided from Suffolk by the rivers Waveney and Little Oufe, from Yarmouth haven to near Llt:uport y about feventy-four miles ; from. whence it is bounded by the Jjle cf Ely in Cambridge-fhire, to Gunthcrfe-JIuiee, (an irregular courfc of thirty-feven miles) where Holland, in the county of Lincoln, has the Crofs-keys Wajh be- tween it and Norfolk. The whole county nay be about two hundred and ten miles in circumference ; and, with refpefl to the general fituation of the kingdom, is ac- counted " in the Eail of England ;'' the centre of the county, Eaji Dereham, bearing a little S. of the E. from the centre of England, and North-nor-cafl from London, di.lant ninety-four miles. In Norfolk are, one city and four boroughs, befidcs twenty market-towns, and many considerable villages which formerly had markets, now in Jifaie. To the following alphabetical li.l of the Hundreds in the county of Norfolk, we add the number of Parishes in each; the general county-rate at a fix-hundred pound levy; and the number of votes polled at the con toiled eleclion for Knights of the Shire, March 23, In Latin, Bokeahs Porutvs, or the Northern people; in the Saxon, NuiproLo, ( 2 3 ) 1/68; Sir Armine Wodehoufe, hart, of Kimberley, Thomas de-Grey, Efq. of Merton, Sir Edward Aftley," bart. of Mclton-Conftable, and Wenman Coke, Efq. of Holkhara, being Candidates. Flundreds. Parishes. General Rate. Blbficld - - iq f. q 1 6 o Brother crofs Clackclofe Clavering Depwade Diis Earfliam Erpingham, North Erpingham, South Eynsford Flegg, Eaft Flegg, Weft Forehoe Freebridge-Lynn Freebridge-Marfhland Gallow Greenhoe, North, Greenhoe, South Grimfhoe Guiltcrofs Happing Henftead Holt Humbleyard Launditch Loddon Mitford Shropham Smithdon Taverham Tun (lead Walfham Wayland City and county of Norwich Pari foes. 9 10 34 20 22 16 i> 3 2 39 3' 12 24 36 16 34 16 24 *7 12 J 7 21 28 18 35 21 18 22 18 19 2 5 ! ?8 A- 9 9 3 19 2 3 17 *9 22 2 9 2 4 7 8 24 2 7 *7 18 1 / 21 '5 12 13 1 I 18 13 26 19 20 20 J 7 12 12 12 H o 3 4 1 1 5 l 9 3 6 18 H 13 18 12 9 1 10 3 4 3 9 18 9 r 9 19 12 9 8 10 3 1 2 18 13 o o 6 6 o 6 o o 6 o* o 3 of 3 6 o 9 9 3 6 9 6 o o o 6 3 + 3 o 6 o o Poll. 1 10 121 463 l8l 25O 245 279 2 7S 350 312 994 119 412 64.7 190 203 354 216 247 212 204 127 409 ioo 39 1 181 386. 435 2 *3 144 3 2 3 164 227 614 754 Total Votes polled by freeholders not county, and uncertainties 600 o o refidins: in the 82 1 D 2 Total 1 1 02 1 * Yarmouth, f Lynn-Reg 5, % Thetford, not aflefled to thn r*te. ( *4 ) The whole county pays to the land-tax 82,5521. 15s. 5d. *nd to the poor-rate 83,7391. 4s. icd. This county, fays a late defcriber, " is large and popu- lous, extending from eaft to weft full fifty miles, but from fouth to north not above thirty, and containing in circum- ference about 140 miles. In thefe are reckoned 1,148,000 acres, 47,180 houfes, thirty-two market-towns, and a great number of well-inhabited villages. Mr. Camden, indeed, gives but twenty-feven market-towns, and 625 villages* ; but, from the rate-books of the taxes at the Revolution, it appears that the villages are 711, and the market-towns, including the city and boroughs, thirty-two. The writer of the Englljh Gazetteer fays, " there are in Norfolk 283,000 inhabitants, and that the area is 1426 fquare miles;'' and the Englijb Traveller, publifhed in 1772, tells us, the length and breadth of the county is but twenty miles by twenty-nine, and that it has 660 vil- lages, and thirty-two market-towns, the whole circum- ference being 130 miles. But, from authorities of this na- ture, the reader is mis-lead in the firfl inftance, and con- founded in the fecond, third, &c. ad infinitum: And thi we more readily grant, fince WE, even we ! who have made a perfonal fcrutiny in toto, and in partibus, cannot determine the exatt number of towns or parifhes : Nay, the precife number of market-towns is yet a doubtful matter. By the bi (hop's regifter,' we find there are more than 800 Angle, confolidated and dilapidated church-benefices in Norfolk; and, by the lift of villages prefixed to each hundred in this hiftory, we find that what are now called TOWNS Tfeere ai, fays Camden, 660 parifh-churches in this county. < *5 ) towns amount to 7 16: the index to the poll-hook pub- lifhed in 1768, makes them 729, exclufive of the city and hamlets of Norwich. The Names and 'Number of Towns, having Markets, are at follcix : Attleburgh Aylfham Buckenham, New B urnham- Weftgate Dereham, Eaft Difs Downham Fakenham Harlefton Harling, Eaft Hingham Holt Loddon Lynn-Regi$ Norwich Reepham SwafFham Thetford Walfham, North Walfingham Watton Wells Wymondham Yarmouth Be/ides which are many others, as Acle, C aitle-Rifing, Cawfton, Cley, Cromer, Docking, Litcham, Methwold, Worftead, &c. now in difufe : Indeed, few lordfhips in the county but had a market granted, though this, we Imagine, to have been only a liberty to buy and fell. The county of Norfolk is, in fhape, of an oval form, and fo furrounded by water, that, except a fmall meadow near Lopham, it is an ijland of itfelf. [For a defcription of its ancient and prefent ftate ; its ecclefiaftic, civil, and military government; roads, rivers, cuftoms, produce, commerce, &c. we refer our readers to the particular head under which they are claflbd.] Eectefiajic ( 26 ) Ecclejiajlic Government . The Diocese of Norwich comprehends the counties of Norfolk and SufFolk, and a few parifhes in Cambridge- fhire, excepting Emneth in Freebridge-Marfhland, which belongs to the bifhopric of Ely; Hadleigh, Monks-Uleigh, and Moulton, in SufFolk, as peculiars to the Archbifhop of Canterbury, and Frekenham to the fee of Rochefter. It is divided into four Archdeaconries, and thofe fub- divided into deanries, parishes, parochial benefices, and medieties. Archdeaconries. Deanries. P, irijbes, Sec. Norwich - 13 365 Norfolk - 12 468 Sudbury SufFolk - 8 14 } 5 2 3 ARCHDEACONRY of NORWICH. Deanries, Parijbes, &c. Blofield - - 34 Breckles - - 7 Brifley T3 - 3* Flegg - - 28 Holt - 30 Ingworth - - 39 Lynn - - 62 Norwich - 36 Sparham - - 33 Taverhara - - 18 Thctfofd - - 6 Toftrces - - 12 Walfingham 18 ARCH ( 2 7 ) ARCHDEACONRY of NORFOLK. Deanries. Petrifies, SiC. / Brooke Burnham - - - 37 Cranwich - - 46 Depwade - - 25 Finch am 40 Hingham - 48 Hitcham - - - 21 Humbleyard 29 Redenhall - - 31 Repps - v - - 32 Rockland - 41 Waxton - - - 46 In the Archdeaconry of Sudbury arc eight Deanries, viz. Blackbourn Stow v Clare Sudbury Fordham Thedwaftre Hartefmere Thingoe the Archdeaconry of Suffolk has fourteen Deanries, viz. Bofmere Loes Carlford Lothingland Claydon Orford Colneis Samford Dunwich South Elmham Hoxne Wangford Ipfwich Willford The ecclefiaftical government of this diocefe is in the bifiiop of Norwich, affifted by the four Archdeacons, th Dean and Chapter, Chancellor, &c. at whofe refpettive offices bufmefs is done. SU ( 28 ) St. Felix, a Burgundian prieft, who landed at Ba- bingley in Norfolk, and converted the kingdom of the Eaff- Angles to Chriftianity, firft placed his fee at Dunwich about the year 630. In 673 Bifus, the fourth Bifhop, divided the diocefe, continuing one at Dunivich, who had jurifdiction over Suffolk, and fettled the other at North F.lmbam, whofe paftoral care was confined to Norfolk. About 870 the fees were united, and the Bifhop's refidence fixed at Elmham. In 1075 ^ e ^ ce was removed to Tbet- ford y and fo continued till 1094, when it was finally fixed at Norwich; and the Right Rev. Father in God, Philip Yonge, the prefent Lord Bifhop cf Norwich, is the fifty- eighth from Herbert Lozinga, who firfl removed the fe from Thetford, and founded the Cathedral church of Nor- wich. This firft Bifhop of Norwich* was extremely rich and powerful, being Lord High-Chancellor of England; as were alfo many of his fucccfTors. The Diocefan had but one Archdeacon till about the year 1124, when the Archdeaconry of Norfolk was erect- ed; that of Sudbury in 1 126, Suffolk in 1127, and Nor- wich in 1200. The Hiftory of Norwich, (to which wc refer our readers for further particulars of this bifhopric) dates the number of parifh-churches and chapels in the diocefe to be 1353, befides four peculiars ; 800 of which are in Norfolk, 537 in Suffolk, and 16 in Cambridge-fhiref, This diocefe is in the province of Canterbury, and con- fequently the bifhop a fuffragan to the Metropolitan or Archbifhop. The Bifhops of Norwich fit in the Houfe cf Peer* Herbert, furnamed Lofengja. Camden fays Liajunc in the Saxon fignines a lye, or trick j and this appellation he acquired by his fimoni- acal praclices. f Spelman, iohis Viulari Anglicvm, tells us, that the county ot Norfolk hath 660 pariflies, and that the Diocefe of Norwich contains Hji parifhei. Another writer pretend* to account for 6o vicarages Ifl Vorfefc. ( *9 ) Peers as Abbot of Holme* ; have their palace or chief re- sidence at Norwich, and the fee is charged in the King's books at 834I. lis. yd. The author of the Great IIiJ?o>-i- cal, Geographical and Poetical Dirfionary values it at S99I- 17s. jd. befides the tenth of the whole Clergy, which amounts to 1 1 , 1 1 7I. 13s. From the Regifier in the Sifhop's-office we have the fol- lowing memorandum : " Total of Papiils in the diocefe of Norwich is 1279, and in all England and Wales 67,916, as appears by returns made upon enquiry in 1767.'' " The number of eftablifhed Clergy refident within the diocefe of Norwich, as calculated in the year 1772, is k> follows, viz. Of the beneficed Clergy, about 550 Curates not beneficed, about - 150 And the annual amount of the revenues of the church, within the faid diocefe, (exclufive of the Bilhopric) is eili- mated at * * * * **." Civil Government. The civil government of the county is in the High-She- riff for the time being. He is annually appointed by the King> and prefides at the afrizesf, and other county- meetings. The Lent Affizes are held at Thetford in March, and the Summer Aflizes at Norwich in Auguil. E Before * The Bishop of Norwich is the only Abbot in England, and now fits in Parliament by virtue of the Barony of Holme-Abbey, the Barony for- merly belonging to the Bifhopric, it being in the Crown. N. B. Holme was a mitred Abbey, and as fuch its Abbots always fat in Parliament. f Assizes, affife, (a.TeiTio) anciently fignified in general, a court where the Judges or AiTeffors heard and determined caufes. The Juuges in their circuits have a commifiion of aflize directed to them, to which is now added commiflions of general gaol-delivery, of oyer and terminer, C 30 ) Before the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk had each of them a ieparate High-Sheriff, the ufage was for the Crown to appoint one year out of the Gentlemen of Norfolk, and the next out of Suffolk, and fo on alternately, as is the cuftom now in Cambridge and Huntingdon-fhire. The feparation took place in the 1 8th of Elizabeth, 1576, from which time till the 2d of Charles I. 1626, we do not find any regular lift of High-Sheriffs. J} correal Lift of the High-Sheriffs for the County of Norfolk, from the id Tear of the Reign of Charles the Firft to the prefent Time. CHARLES the FIRST. lf)26 Thomas Holl, efq. Heigham By Norwich 1627 Sir Charles le Grofs, knt. Croftxvick 1628 Framlingham Gaudy, efq. Croixis-hall in Debenham ibzg Sir Robert Gaudy, knt. Weft llarling 1630 Sir Roger Townfhend, burt. Raiuham 163 1 Francis Mapes, efq. Rollefty 16^2 Thomas Pettus, efq. Rackhcath 1633 Sir John Hobart, knt. and bart. Infivood 1654 William Heveningham, efq. Kctteringham 1635 Sir John Wcntworth, knt. Nettleftead, Suffolk 1636 Sir Edward Barkham, knt. and bart. Weft-acre 1637 William Pafton, efq. Oxncad 1638 Sir Francis Aftley, bart. Melt on-Con ft ahle, died John Buxton, efq. Tibbenham, fuccteded 1639 Augulline Holl, efq. Heigham by Norwich 1640 Thomas Windham, efq. Felbrigg 1641 of nifi prim, and of the peace. By the precept for the general gaol delivery, the Sheriff, Under-Sheriff, Juftices of the Peice, Mayors, Co- roners, T.fcheaton, Stewards, and all Chiof-Conftables and Bailiff, i hundreds aud liberties are commanded to attend. ( 3' ) 1 641 Robert Long?, efq. Reymerfion 1642 Sir Thomas Guybon, knt. Tbursford 1643 James Calthorpe, efq. Eaft Bar/bam 1644 John Coke, efq. Godzvick 1645 Sir Valentine Peli, knt. Derjingham 1646 Sir Ifaac AIey, knt. and bart. Mdton^ConJiabit- 1647 Thomas Berney, efq. Reedham J648 William Coke, efq. Godivick. CHARLES the SECOND. 1649 Gregory Gawfell, efq. Watlington 1650 Hugh Audley, efq. Old Buckenham 1 65 1 Sir Ralph Hare, bart. Stcw-Bardolph 1652 Charles Garneys, efq. Mourning-Thorpe 1 65 3 Thomas Wright, efq. Kil'verfione, died Sir Edward Aftley, bart. Melton-Conjiabh , fucceeded 1654 John Earle, efq. Hey don 1655 Sir Arthur Jenny, knt. Knattijball, in Suffolk 1656 Edward Ward, efq. Pofiavick 1657 Edward Ward, efq. Pcjiwick 1 65 8 John Sidiey, efq. Morley 1659 John Cremer, efq. Ingoldefiborpe 1660 Sir John Cremer, knt. Ingoldefiborpe 1661 Robert Suckling, efq. Woodton 1662 Richard Berney, efq. Reedbam 1663 Sir Thomas Meadows, knt. Great Yarmouth 1664 Sir Jacob Aftley, knt. and bart. Mel ton-Confi able 1665 Sir Thomas Pettus, bart. Rackheath 1666 Sir John Hobart, bart. Blickling 1667 Hatton Berners, efq. Lynn-Regis 1668 Sir Edward Barkham, bart. IVefi-acre 1669 Sir Robert Vyner, knt. and bart. London X670 Richard Berney, efq. Kirby-Bedon E 2 1671 ( r- ) 1 67 1 Robert Cony, efq. Walpole St. Peter 1672 John Mann, cfq. Norwich 16J3 Sir William Adams, bart. Sfroivjlcn 1674 Thomas Bifhop, efq. Ip/wich, in Suffolk 1675 Eliiha Philippo, efq. Norwich 1676 John Pell, efq. Derjir.gbam 1677 Chriftopher Layer, efq. Bcoton 167S Thomas P erfon, cfq. Wijbecb t in Camlridge-fiire 1679 John Jay, efq. Hokjcjlon 1680 Philip Harbord, efq. Stanniighall 168 1 Thomas Branfoy, efq. Ska:ijha?n 16S2 John Kncvet, efq. Jljknv dihor pe 1683 John Greene, efq. Wilky 1684 Henry Shclton, efq. Shelton. JAMES the SCO N D. 16S5 Sir Francis Gi:ybon, knt. Thursfcrd 1686 Sir Robert Nightingale, knt. North Biirlingha>;; X687 John Harbord, efq. Gvntcn 1688 Thomas Seaman, efq. Norwich. WILLIAM and M A R Y. 1SS9 John lie me, efq. Arminghall 1690 Erafmus Earlc, efq. Hrydcn 1691 Sir Auguftine Palgrave, bsrt. North Burlinghatr.. iGaz Richard Berncy, efq. Rcedham 1693 John Burkin, cfq. North Burlingham 1694 Sir Charles Adams, bart. Sproix-Jion. WILLIAM the THIRD. 169$ Francis Windham, efq. Cromer 1696 Sir James Edwards, bart. Rcedham 1697 Robert Dought,, efq. Hatrwortb 169S ( 33 ) 1698 RIcVard Mafon, efq. Neclon 1699 Matthew Long, efq. Dun/ion 1700 Edward Lombe, efq. Wefton 1 70 1 Robert Suckling, efq. Woodton. Queen ANNE. 1702 William Newman, efq. Baconjlhorpe 1703 Roger Crowe, efq. Norwich 1704 Richard Knights, efq. Attlebridge. 1705 James Hofte, efq. Sandringham 1706 Richard Dafhwood, efq. Cockley-Clej 1707 Beaupre Bell, efq. Out well 1703 Henry Framingham, efq. Burnham 1709 Henry Heron, efq. Ketteringham 1710 Sir Peter Seaman, knt. Norwich 171 1 John Fowle, efq. Broome 17 1 2 James Harcourt, efq. Carleton by Norwich 17 1 3 Thomas Wright, efq. Eajl Harling 1 7 14 Edward Lombe, efq. Great Melton. GEORGE the FIRST. 17 1 5 Thomas Durrant, efq. Scottonv 17 16 Thomas Rogers, efq. Du-juigham, died Thomas Rogers, efq. jun. Derjingham, fucceeded 17 17 William Berners, efq. Lynn-Regis 1 718 John Howes, efq. Mourning-Thorpe J7 19 John Colman, efq. Broome 1720 Peter Elwin, efq. Tcttington 1721 Nathaniel Life, efq. Sroaffham 1722 William Rootley, efq. Weji Barjhatn 1723 Grefham Page, efq. Saxthorpe 1724 Robert Clough, efq. Feltvsell 1725 Richard Whitaker, efq. Mailajk >7*6 ( 34- ) 1726 RiceWigget, efq. Geiftwici 1727 Roger Pratt, efq. Weft Rufton. GEORGE the SECOND. I-28 John Bedingfield, efq. Beefton St. Andre-xo 1729 Cyril Wych, efq. Hockixold cum Wilton 1730 Richard Tubby, efq. Brockdijb 1731 Thomas Cooper, efq. North Walftjam 1732 John Wilfon, efq. Stanhoe 1733 William Helvvys, efq. Mcrtott I-34 Edwin Cony, efq. Hougbtcn by Waljinghan 1735 George Smith, efq. Toper oft 1736 William Henry Fleming, efq. Watton 1737 Peter Rofier, efq. Pulham 1738 Thomas Bell, efq. Oulton I-39 John Parr, efq. Salthoufe l740*Henry Negus, efq. Hovcton St. Peter 1741 James Mackarel, efq. Ringland 1742 John Thurfton, efq. Bat-wick 1743 Edward Atkyns, efq. Ketteringham l744*Peter Barret, efq. Hcrjlead 1745 Barry Love, elq. Ormejby 1746 Sir Horatio Pcttus, bart. Rackbeath 1747 Charles Cooper Morley, efq. Baft Bar J. ' >j 1748 William Jermy, efq. Bayfield 1749 Thomas Sothcrton, efq. Tavcrbam 1750 Leonard Mapes, efq. Rollejby 1751 Robert Knopwood, efq. Tbrexton 1752 Francis Longe, efq. Spixivortb 1753 Hamilton Cuftance, efq. Wcfton 1754 Cotton Symonds, efq. Ormejby 1755 Miles Branthwayte, efq. Attlebridge 1756 John Barker, efq. Sbrcfrbam, died Philip Bedingfield, efq. Ditchingbam, fucceedtd 757 ( 35 ) 1 75 7 Ifrael Longe, efq. Dunfion 1758 Hammond Alpe, efq. Little Franjb am 1759 Richard Fuller, efq. Wbetacre-Burgb 1 760* John Berney, efq. Bracon-AJh. GEORGE the THIRD. 761 William Churchman, efq. Mangrecn 762 Sir Hanfon Berney, bart. KirbyBedon 763*Sir Edward Aftley, bart. Melt on-ConJl able 764 John Davis, efq. Watlington 705*William Wigget Bulwer, efq. Wood-Dalling 7 66 John Norris, efq. Great Witchingbam 767*Crifp Molineux, efq. Garbcldijham 7 63* William Woodley, efq. Eccles 76c;*Edmund Rolfe, (the younger) efq. Heacbatn 770"*John Micklethwaite, efq. Beeejion St. Andrew 77i*James Smyth, efq. Topcroft 772*John Lombe, Efq. Great Melton 773*Edward Hafe, Efq. Salle 774 Thomas Lobb Chute, Efq. South Pickenham 775*Brigg Price Fountain, Efq. Narford 776*Nicolas Styleman, efq. Snettijham 777*Charles Garneys, efq. Hedenbam 778*Sir Henry Peyton, bart. Narborough 779*John Berney Petre, efq. Wejlwick 78o*Sir Thomas Beauchamp Pro&or, bart. Langley 78 i*Robert Lee Doughty, efq. Han-worth. N. B. Thofe Gentlemen marked with an aflerilk * are now living, 178 1. The chief Officers of the county at this time, 1781, are, Lord Lieutenant, Vice-Admiral, and Cicfios Rotulorum, The Right Hon. George Earl of Ohford. High~ ( 36 ) High-Sheriff, Robert Lee Doughty, Efq. of Han worth. Under-Sherif, Mr. John Adey, of" Aylfham. Clerk of the Peace, Peter Finch, Efq. of Norwich. Receiver-general of the Land-Tax, Roger Kerrison, Efq. Alderman of Norwich, and Vv illiam Fisher, Efq. of Great Yarmouth. Receiver ef .'he Stamp-duty, John Gay, Efq. Alderman of Norwich. Coroners for the County, Capel Bringloe of Hingham, and Richard Eato of Bracondale-hill, Gents. Coroner for the Liberty of the Dutchy of Lane after, James Smyth, Gent, of Norwich. Coroner for the Liberty of the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Dove, Gent, of Kenninghall. At the time when Alfred divided the kingdom into coun- ties, hundreds, &c. he inflituted great and petty Officers for the regulation and good government of his people, as well as for carrying into execution that excellent body of laws formed by him, which, though now loil, is generally efteemed the origin of common m- The hundreds were divided into tythings, or dwellings of ten houfcholdcrs. Every houfebolder was anfwcrablc to the king for the good behaviour of his family, his fer- vants, and even of his gucfls, provided they continued with him above three days. A tything-man, headborough, or ber/holder prefided over each tydungj and all the ten h >nfeholder ( 37 ) houfeholders were mutually pledges for each other. If any perfon in the tything was fufpe&ed of an offencej he was imprifoned unlefs the headborough gave fecurity for him. If he made his efcape either before or after finding fure- ties, the headborough became liable to enquiry, and if the efcape was made in confequence of any neglect, ex- pofed to the penalties of the law. Any perfon who re- f ufed to enter himfelf into one of thefe tythings, was deem- ed an outlaw, and put to death. Nor could any one be received into a different tything, without producing a cer- tificate from that to which he before belonged. By this inflitution every man was obliged by his own intereit, to keep a watchful eye over the conduct of his neighbours, and was, in fome meafure, furety for the behaviour of thofe, who were placed under the divifion to which he be- longed. " This plan for the adminifiration of juffice was truly admirable. The headborough fummoned together his whole tything to affift him in deciding any leffbr differ- ences, which occurred among the members of this fmali community. In affairs of greater moment, in appeals from the tything, or in controveriies arifing between mem* bers of different tythings, the caufe was brought before the hundred, which confifted of ten tythings, or an hun* died families of freemen, and which v/as regularly affem- bled once in four weeks, for the deciding of caufes. Their m-thod of decifion deferves to be remembered, becaufe it was the origin of that great privilege peculiar to Engliih- men, of being tried by a jury cf their own Peers. Twelve freeholders were chofen, who being fworn, together with the bxndreder, or preliding magiftrate of that divifion, to adminifter impartial juftice, proceeded to the examination f that caufe ; which was fubmitted to thejr jurifdi&ion. F And ( 38 ) Andbefides thefe monthly r eetings of the hundred, there was an annual meeting appointed (o. a more general in- fpettion of the police of the difnicl; the enquiry into crimes, the corre&on of abufes in magiftrates, and the obliging every perfon to lhew the tything in which he was regiilered. " The court immediately fuperior to that of the hun- dred was the county-court, which met twice a year, after Michaelmas and Eafter, and confided of all the freeholders in the county, who poffeffed an equal vote in the decifion of caufes. The Bifhop prefided in this court, together with the Eorlderman Appeals lay to this court from thofe of the hundreds and tythings. And here alfo fuch contro- verfies as arofe between men of different hundreds were decided. The Eorlderman* formerly poffeffed both the civil and military authority; but Alfred, fenfible that this coalition of powers rendered the nobility dangerous and independent, appointed a Sheriff* in each county; who en- joyed an equal authority with the former in his judicial ca- pacity. His office alfo empowered him to guard the rights of the Crown in the county ; and to levy the fines impofed, and other Cervices of a fimilar nature. " From all thefe courts an appeal lay to the King him- felf in council ; and as the people, fenfible of the equity and great talents of Alfred, placed their chief confidence in him, he was foon overwhelmed with appeals from all parts of England. He was indefatigable in the difpatch of thefe caufes ; but finding that his time muff be entirely en- grafted by this branch of his duty, he refolved to obviate the inconvenience by correcting the ignorance or corrup- tion of the inferior magiftratcs, from whence it arofe. Accordingly, Much in the nature of our Lord Lieutenant* ( 39 ) Accordingly, he took care to have his nobility inftrufted in the laws; he chofe his Earls and Sheriff's- fiom among the perfons mod celebrated for knowledge and probity ; he punifhed feveral for malverfation in office ; and removed every perfon from his pod, as foon as ever he discovered him deficient either in abilities, or veracity." Tythingmen, borfholders, and headboroughs, anfwer to our conftable, and other peace officers of like degree. Over thefe are . cnftables of hundreds and franchifes, fmt ordained by Edward I. 13, anno \ 285 ; two to be chofe in each hundred and franchife. Thefe rre what we now call conjiabularii capitales, or high-conftables. The appoint- ment of a petty-conflable belongs to the lords of divers manors, jure feudi. The hundred er, or chief-magiflrate often tythings feems to have-poflefTed a power of deciding on local matters like unto our Juftices of the Peace, who were known in the 4th of Edward III. as Ccnfervators, or, Wardens of the Peace. They were formally initituted in 1344., and their power enlarged and fettled as at prefent, anno 1590. Juftices of the Peace are generally perfons of intereft and credit, nominated by the Cuftos Rotulorum of a county by virtue of the King's commiffion. Of thefe, fome are of the quorum, as without them no bufinefs of importance may be difpatched. Superior to the tythings and hundred-courts was the county-court, firft eftabliihed in 896, over which the High- Sheriff now prefides; though, before him, the Biihop and Eorlderman had the power and direction of all civil affairs, The Sheriff, or Sbire-reve, (vice comes J was anciently chofe by the people in the county : court; but he is now appointed by the king ; in order to which the Itinerant Judges every year nominate fix perfons for each county, F 2 whereof ( 40 ) hereof the Lord Chancellor, the Pnvy-coancu, &c. af- fembled in the Exchequer-chamber, make choice of three ; out of which number the King chufes one. He ferves far one year, and, bcf:dcs his minirterial office, has a ju- dicial ofHcc, whereby he holds two feveral kinds cf courts ; the one called the SberiJ'^ turn, held in divers places in tie county, to enquire of all offences againft common law net prohibited by any ftatute: The other is called the County-court, wherein, he hears and determines all civil caufes of the county under forty millings. He executes the King's orders, and is to attend and affilt the Itinerant Judges. The county of Norfolk is reprcfented in Parliament by two Knights, two Citizens, and eight Burghefles; it pays twenty-two parts of the land-tax, yet has but twelve de- legates to difpofe of it, v/hilft Cornwall has forty-four, yet contributes but eight parts. Scotland pays little more than half as much of the land-tax as Norfolk, yet fends forty- five Members to Parliment. EiTex pays twice the amount of Scotland, and fends only eight. Middlefex has eight Reprcfcntatives, yetraifes ten times the land-tax revenue of Cornwall. It is much to be wiflxed that reprefentation bore fome proportion to taxation ! ! ! KNIGHTS of SHIRE for the COUNTY of NORFOLK, ivitb the number cf Votes polled at each contefed Elcftion. 1708 Sir John Holland, Bart. Qjidenham Afli Wyndham, Efq. Felbrigg 1710, Oft. n, Sir John Wodchoufe, Bt. Kimberley 3217 Sir Jacob Aftley, Bart. Melton- Con ftable - - 3200 Afh Wyndham, Efn. Felbrigg - 2783 Robert Walpole, Efq. Houghton 2397 1715, Feb. C 4' ) 1715, Feb. iS, Thomas de Grey, Efq. Merton - 31S3 Sir Jacob Aftley, Bart. Melton- Conftable - - - 359 Sir Ralph Hare, Bt. Sto\v-Bardo]ph 2840 Erafmus Earle, Efq. Heydon - 2635 1 72 2 Sir John Hobart, Bart. Blickling Thomas Coke, Efq. Holkham 1-27 Sir Edmund Bacon, P. Bart. Gar* boldimam Harbord Harbord, Efq. Gunton 1734, May 22, Sir Edmund Bacon, P. Bart. Gar- boldifham - 3 22 4 Wm. Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimberley 3153 William Morden, Efq. Gunton - 3147 Robert Coke, Efq. Holkham - 3081 1736 Armine Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimbsr- ley, vice William Wodehoufe, Efq. deceafed 174.1 Edward Lord Coke, fon to the Earl of Leicefter Arm. Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimberley 1747 Hon. George Townfhend, fon to Lord Vifcount Townfhend Arm. Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimberley 1754, May 8, Hon. George Townfhend Armine Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimberley 176 1 Hon. George Townfhend Arm. Wodehoufe, Efq. Kimberley 1764 Thomas de Grey, Efq. jun. Mer- ton, vice The Hon. George Townfhend, now Lord Ft/count Tovunjhsnd 1768, March 23, Sir Edward Aftley, Bart. Melton- Conftable - *977 Thomas de Grey, Efq. Merton 2754 Six ( 4* ) Sir Armine Wodehoufe, Bart. Kutn berley - - - . 2680 Wenman Coke, Efq. Holkham 2610 1774, OS. Sir Edward Aftley, Bart. Melton- Conftable Wenman Coke, Efq. Holkham 1776, May 8, Thomas William Coke, Efq. Holk- ham, vice Wenman Coke, Efq. decea/ed 1780, Sept. 20, Sir Edward Aftley, Bart. Melton- Conftable Thomas Wm. Coke, Efq. Holkham. In the year 1258 counties firft fent Knights to Parlia- jnent ; before this the Knights met only in their own counties. Knights of the Shire, or Knights of Par- liament, are two Gentlemen of worth, chofen on the King's writ in plen* comitatu, by fuch of the freeholders as can expend 40s. per ann. Thefe, when every man who kad a Knight's-fee was cuftomarily conftrained to be a Kmigbt, were of neceflity to be milites gladio cindi, for fo the writ runs to this day ; but now cuftom admits Efquires to be chofen to this important truft. They muft have at leaft ccol. per annum, and their expences, properly, are to be defrayed by the county, though this is now feldom re- quired. A Knight of the Shire is, and has ever been, eftecmed the moft independent Member of the Er.gliih Houfe of Commons; becaufe, being chofen by the volun- tary fuffrages of a large body of the people, whofe minds and interefts are free from the venal and limited influence of power and party, the object of that choice muft always held fentiments congenial with his virtuous conftituents. ( 43 ) It is fuppofed there are 6000 freeholders in the county of Norfolk, who fend two Reprefentatives to Parliament. The city of Norwich, and the boroughs of Lynn-Regis, Great Yarmouth, Thetford, and 'Caille-Rifing, alfo fend two each. The Members chofen for the New Parliament in Sept. 1780, are, as called over in the Houfe of Commons : Norfolk, Sir Edw, Aflley, Bart. Melton-Conflable Thomas William Coke, Efq. Holkham. Lynn-Regis, Hon. Tho. Walpole, Carfhalton, Surrey Crifp Molineux, Efq. Garboldifham. Great Yarmouth, Right Hon. C. Townlhend, Honingham Hon. Richard Walpole, London. Thetford, Charles Fitzroy Scudamore, Efq. Holme- Lacey, Herefordlhire Rich. Hopkins, Efq. Oving, Bucks. Cafle-Rifng, John Chetwynd Talbot, Efq. Robert Mackreth, Efq. Ewhurils, Hants. Norwich, Sir Harbord Harbord, Bart. Gunton * . Edward Bacon, Efq. Earlham. Military Governme?jt. The military and marine government of this county is committed to the care of a Lord-Lieutenant and Vice- Admiral, who is alfo Cuftos Rotulorum. The Lord-Lieut, is the locum tenens of the King, and, as his Vice-roy, governs in the county. It is an office of great diftin&ion, appointed by the King for managing the {landing militia in the county, and all military affairs therein. He has the power of com- miffioning all officers in the militia, (his Majeily's appro- bation, as a mere matter of form, being obtained); he appoints the Deputy-Lieutenants, whofe names mull alfo be C 44 be prefented by the King. As Cuftos Rotulorum, he puts fuch gentlemen as are properly qualified into the cornmif- fion of the peace, and is fuppofed to have cuftody of the rolls, or records of the feffions of peace. In both thele ca- pacities he appears rather a Minilter than a Judge, though he is, in his own perfon, a Jultice of Peace and Quorum. Lord-Lieutenants of counties were firlt initituted July 24, 1549. Deputy-Lieutenants regulate the ballot, and pafs the militia-men to their refpeftive regiments ; and if in the commiiTiun of peace, provides, by ftatute, for the wives and families of fuch men as are in aclual fervice. Two Right Honorable Peers now living, and refiding in this county, were the original promoters of the militia bill, parted in 1757; which eftablifhment, though ftrongly op- pofed at that time, has fmcc proved of great national im- port ; and, by the endeavours of men zealous in the true interefts of their country, hath rofe progreffivcly to a fyltem of military difcipline and tactics not inferior to the moft regular troops. This county hath alfo the honor of having raifed the firll battalion, which marched out of the county, and did duty at Hillea-barracks, near Portfmouth, in 759- From a quarto volume, called M A Plan of Difcipline, compofed for the Ufe of the Militia of the County of Nor- folk,'' publifticd in 1759, by the late William Windham, Efq. Lieutenant-Colonel of the firft battalion, we beg leave to quote a paffage of Lord Townlhend's dedication. ' Our military fceptics now dirett their whole tirallerie againft the military part of the aft; to obviate, therefore, the objections on this fide, a worthy gentleman of Norfolk", though The late William Windl^DJ, Efq. of Felbrijj. ( 45 ) though no regular bred foldier, nor the offspring of the parade, has endeavoured to prove, how eafily an healthy robuft countryman, or a refolute mechanic, may be taught the ufe of arms; and how very attainable that degree of military knowledge is, which will enable a country gentle- man to command a platoon ; confequently that, under pro- per encouragement, it is very poffible for this kingdom t (the -cenftant rival of the molt powerful nation in the world, and engaged often for its own fake to defend the liberties of others) to eftablifh fo numerous and permanent a force, as may enable it all times to aft with fuperiority abroad, without endangering its own fafety or liberties at home. Such undoubtedly maybe the confequence of in- truding, to a certain degree, the body of the nation in the ufe of arms; for if the common people be made only half foidiers, and the gentlemen by a certain degree of appli- cation become only half officers ; yet by a timely multipli- cation of the number of militia, as well as by the rotation prefcribed by the ad, and that further additional difcipline which would refuit, from the militia's b -ing put into attuai fervice, previous to an invafion ; this country will have a better fecurity againlt the calamities of war, than any other in the world, Switzerland alone excepted." And now, we hope, we fhall beexcufedfor adding to this fe&ion of our general hiflory, a lift of thofe gentlemen ferving at this time, 1781, in the militia of this county. WEST NORFOLK REGIMENT, Kingjlon upon Hull. Colonel, George Earl of Orford Colonel in the Army. Lieutenant Colonel, Knipe Gobbet. Major, Richard Lloyd. G C apt aim* ( 46 ) Captains. Chriftopher Girling Edward Coke William Earle Bulwer John Micklethwaite George Montgomery-Molineux George Prefton George Cubit. Captain-Lieutenant Robert Suckling. Lieutenants. William Thome William Gordon John Alderfon Moftyn John Armftrong James Beevor David Williams James Ward Guy Lloyd Thomas Walpole. Enfigns. , _ Gordon Robert Colvin ft- John Girling William Girling _ Crozier Maurice William Suckling Henry Falkner James Pleftow Hawkins Hamilton. Adjutant, William Gordon. $uarter-MaJ!er, Robert Suckling. Surgeon, John Alderfon. Srj VAf",-David William*. j g ^ ( 47 ) E J ST NORFOLK REGIMENT, Camp at Harwich. Colonel, Sir John Wodehoufe, Bart. Lieutenant-Colonel, Hon. Horatio Walpole. Major, Richard Ward. Captains. Edmund Mapes Hammond Alpe John Smith Thomas Bullock Jacob Aftley. Captain-Lieutenant , Thomas Cubit. Lieutenants. David Ingerfol Nicholas Boylftone William Tapp F. Bedingfield Thomas Hatch Thomas Martin . Wright John Gibfon. Enjigns. Thomas Penrice Thomas Crompton John Tooke. Adjutant, William Tapp. Quarter Mafier, Henry Hawke, Surgeon, Thomas Penrice. Surgeon' s-Mate, Thomas Crompton. Gz Of ( 48 ) Of fortifications, or land-defence, we have very little to fay, in Norfolk. The danger and difficulty of navigating a force on this coail has been always looked on as its belt fecurity ; but, in the prcfent fituation of affairs, fome be- gin to think it lefs invulnerable, fhould an enemy be pi- loted by any of thofe infernal wretches, who, from fmug- glers, become parricides ! robbers ! pirates ! Yarmouth, indeed, hath a platform of guns, called a Fort, at the en- trance of the harbour ; but certainly a place of fo much importance in itfelf, and, as the key to the whole county, it ought to be better fecured. Royal Engineers have been down lately to examine the grounds, and, wc are told, to conilruft fome additional works on the walls of the town, on the Denes, and on the heights of Gorlcftone. At Lynn-Regis the harbour was formerly guarded by a battery, called St. Ann's, which was fince dismounted, but lately fupplicd with canon, and repaired : However, the naviga- tion of Lynn channel is fo extremely precarious, that little danger need be apprehended by a hoflile vint from our na- tural enemies in that quarter. The apprehenfion of a defcent on our coaft by any of the maritime powers now at war with us, and the late dreadful ini'urrc&icn in London, hath operated ftrongly with fome public-fpirited pcrfons at Lynn, and at Yarmouth, to form themfelves into military aflbciations. Some other towns in the county have each made a feeble effort to learn the military exercife and difciplinc to little purpofc. The Vice- Admiral of a county is an officer appointed by the lord High-Admiral, with Judges and Marfhals fub- ordinate to him ; for the excrcifing of jurifdiftion in ma- ritime affairs, within his rcfpe&ivc limits : From his deci- fion and fentence, appeal lies to the Court of Admiralty IB ( 49 ) in London, from the Lords Commiffioners of which a Vice- Admiral receives his inftruclions. Hi/lory and Antiquity. To enter into the field of civil, military, and political af- fairs of the kingdom at large, would juftly be deemed an idle parade of information which may be found in works better adapted to thatpurpofe; we (hall, therefore, only trouble the reader with fo much as appears necefTary to lead us into what more materially concerns this county : Nor (hall we hetein (as far as our recollection will ferve us) repeat thofe general remarks which occur in the de- fcriptioas- of the towns and hundreds. At what period of time Britain was firft peopled by the Celts, a tribe of Gauls, is uncertain ; as is alfo what paiTed among them till the invafion of the Romans under Julius Cxfar, who landed at Deal, in Kent, Auguft 26, fifty-five years before Chrift; nor was it till 145 years after this, that Britain was difcovered to be an Ifland. The firft inhabitants of this county, which we read of, were the Iceni, who are generally thought to have poffeir. as much more as afterwards formed, with this, the kingdom of the Eaft-Angles. Their name remans in feveral towns of this county, Suffolk, and Cambridge-Qiire ; and the Icknidd-Street paflks through them all. Mr. Camden de- rives their name from their fituation along the ocean in form of a wedge, which is the meaning of the Britiih word Iken. Tacitus informs us they were a valiant people, and having fubmitted to the Romans, remained undif- turbed till the reign of Claudius Caeiar, when, OHorius, the ( 5 ) the Roman General, disarming them, forced them to re- bel. They were fcarce reduced before they revolted a fe- cond time. Their King Prafutagus thinking to fecure tranquillity to his people and family, bequeathed his king- dom to the Emperor Nero. But this was in fact only leaving it as a prey. It was prefently plundered by every officer in the Roman army, and the honor of his family vi- olated in the perfon of his wife Boadicea, and daughters. Enraged at this ufage, which was heightened by the ufu* rious exactions of the celebrated philopher Seneca, the Iceni took up arms under their Queen Boadicea, the widow of Prafutagus, and entering into an alienee with the Tri- nobantes and other Britons equally aggrieved with thera- felves, they attacked the Romans, flew 8o,coo, razed the colony of Camalodurum and the municipium of Verulam, and routed the 9th legion under Catus Decianus. Sueto- nius-Paulinus the Roman legate was at that time abfentj but returning foon after, rallied hi* fcattered legions and met Boadicea in the field at the head of 230,000 Britons. After a vigorous refiftance, the Britons were defeated, 80,000 flain, and their magnanimous Queen died foon after of poifon, anno Dni. 59. From this time we hear no more of the Iceni under the Romans, till the decline of the empire; when their coafls lying open to the continent cf Saxony, were fo much infefted by pirates of that nation, that an officer was appointed on purpofe to defend them, under the name 1 of Comes litoris Saxenici, or Count of the Saxon fhore. In 426, the Romans entirely quitted our ifland. The Britons, after foliciting the aid of Valenti- nian, by a letter written in the molt abjeft llrain, and in- fcribed, " the Groans of the Britons," entered into an al- liance with the Saxons, whofc afliilance they were in ab folutc need of, againit the invaflons of the Scots and Pitt*, ( 5i ) Piels. In 449, the Saxons, to the amount of i,6co men, landed from three fmall vefTels in the Ifie of Thanet, and gradually getting footing in Britain, founded feven king- doms, known by the name of the Hsptarchy, afTumed the crown ; but, in the fame year, Canute the Great returned, and was proclaimed. Thefe competitors agreed to divide the kingdom, and the Dane held EaiUAnglia, Mercia, Oid Northumberland, by cenqueft. In 1017 Edmund was Ii 2 aiTaffinated ( 56 ) aifafimatcd by Eiric his brother-in-law, and Canute reigned alone. He divided England into four govern- ments : Eall-Anglia, with the title of Duke, he gave to Turketel, whom he afterwards banifhed, and levied a land' lax, amounting to Sz.oool. to reward his Danifh follow- ers. In 1034. he founded the abbey of St. Bennet in the Holme, and died November 12, 1036, being fucceeded by his ?1 dell fon, Harold I. furnamed Hare-foot, who died in 1039. His brother, Canute, or Hardy-Canute, next mounted the throne, bat died fuddenly in 1041 ; and Ed- ward the ConfeJJor, fon of Etheldred II. was proclaimed King: He married Editha, daughter of Earl Godwin, whofe fon, Harold, was Duke of Eail-Anglia and Effex. Edward abolilhed the Dane-gclt, and expelled the Danes-. la 1051 William Duke cf Normandy paid him a vifit, on whom he fettled the fucceihon, but Earl Godwin had in- fluence enough to fecure it for his own fon, Harold, who, on the death of Edward*, January 5, 1066, was crowned. In October following William Duke of Normandy landed at Pavcnfey, in Suflex, and on the 14th defeated and flew Harold II. at the battle of Hastings. Thus far we have endeavoured to ground the reader in the general hnlory of the Anglo-Saxon and Danim Sove- reigns. Of William the Conqueror and his fucceflbrs, and the fcveral changes in public affairs, property, &c. our lo- cal defcriptions arc fufhciently copious ; we will, therefore, only add a lift of fuch of the Norman followers as had lord- (hips and principal manors in this county granted to them by the Conqueror. To * He wa canonized for a S/ist, beeaufe he firft took upon himfetf to touch tor the cure of the i vm , now called the King's. ( 57 ) To Hugh de Arbrances, his Mer's fon, by Richard, furnamed Goz, he, gave the Earldom of Chefter, to hold by the fword, and with it twelve manors in Norfolk. To Odo, Bifhop of Baieux, in Normandy, by the mo- ther's fide his brother, whom he made a Count-palatine* and allowed him power over all the Earls of England and other great men, and to make laws, and adminifter them as Jujiiciarius Anglice ; and more particularly constituted him Earl of Kent ; befides other large poffeffions, he en feofted him with twenty-two manors in Norfolk. To Alan Rufus, or Fergaunt, fon of Eudo, Earl of Bre- taigne, whom he made Earl of Richmond in Yorkshire, he gave, as the reward of his valor, eighty-one manors in Nor- folk. To Walter Giffard, fon of Ofborn de Bolbec, and Ave- lin, his wife, filler of Gunnora, the Conqueror's grand- mother, whom he made Earl of Bucks, twenty-eight ma- nors in Norfolk. To Ralph Waher, or Guader, fo called from his caflle of Guadcr, in France, whom he coniHtuted Earl of Nor- folk and Suffolk, he gave nine manors in Norfolk. To William, Earl Warren in Normandy, nephew to the Countefs Gunnora before-mentioned, whom he made Earl of Surrey and Arundel, he gave, for his valor, 1 39 lordlhips in Norfolk. To Eudo de Rhye, fourth fon of Hubert de Rhye, who, for his fidelity to him, he made his deputy in Normandy, and whofe elder fon, Hubert, he made Governor of the caftle of Norwich, he gave nine manors in Norfolk. To ( 53 ) To-Will.'am de Alcini, Pincerna, fon of Roger de Aibinf, whom he made his butler, he gave four manors in Norfolk, the pedefiiens of one Edwin, a Dane ; bendes the land- which he had in this county with Maud, the daughter of Roger Bigot, his wife, which were ten Knight's fees. He held his manor of Buckenham by the fervice of being " butler to the Kings of England at their coronation.'* To Hnmphry de Bohun, or, With the Beard, whom he made Earl of Hereford, being a kinfman of the Con- queror's, and attending him in his expedition hither, he gave one lordfhip in Norfolk. To Ralph de Limefi one manor.~To Peter de Valoines twenty lordihips. To Ralph de Baynard forty-four ma- nors. And to Ralph de Tony, fon of Roger de Tony, flandard-bearer of Normandy, for his eminent fervices, nineteen lordfhips in Norfolk. The Conqueror having parcelled out the lands and eftates of the Engliih, and fixed hlmfelf on the throne, he ordered a general furvey, in imitation of the roll of Win* chefler by Alfred, to be taken * of all the lands in the kingdom ; their extent in each hundred, or diilrict ; their proprietors, tenures, and value ; the quantity of meadow, pafture, wood, and arable land, which they contained j and, in fome counties, the number of tenants, cottages, and vaffals of all denominations who lived upon them. He ap- pointed Commiflioners for this purpofe, who entered every particular in their regifter by the vcrdid of juries ; and after a labor of fix years, they brought him, in 1086, an exaft account of all the landed property in the kingdom. This monument, called Doomsday-book, the moil valu- able piece of antiquity poflciTed by any nation, is flill pre- ferred in the Exchequer.'' arls ( 59 ) "Earls and Dukes of Norfolk, Under the Saxon monarchy, this county, as well as others, was committed to the government of certain per- sons of quality, called Aibelings, (nobles) and Etfrls, now Earls; thefc were titles both of honor and office ; and im- plied that the parties who bore them, had the charge and cuilody of the county, and administered juftice in it. They were allowed the third penny, or third part of the pleas of the county ; the other two parts being received by the Vicecomes, or Earl's deputy, (anfwering to the prefent High-iherifF) for the King's ufe, and by him accounted for in the Exchequer. We have a catalogue of thefe Earls from the time of Edgar to the Conquer!, by the name of Earls of the Eaft- Angles, or Norfolk. i. .rEthelftan, furnamed Half -King. His wife, Alfwen, was nurfe to King Edgar; and he had by her four fons, Ethelwold, Alfwold, Ethelfin, and Aylwin. He ended his days in Glailonbury-abbey, and his wife founded Chat* tens nunnery in Cambridg:fhire, where fhe was buried. 2. Ethelwold, fon of the former, being employed by King Edgar to folicit the affe&ion of Elfrida, daughter of Orgar, Earl of Devon, he deceived his mailer, and took her for his own wife. But fome time after, inviting the King to the chriftening of his fon, Edgar became fo ena- moured of Elfrida, that he retted not till he found a pre- tence of getting rid of the Earl by fending him with a public commiffion into the North, and caufing him to be affaffinated on his way thither. He then publicly married his widow, and had her crowned, notwithstanding the re- proaches ( 6o ) proaches of Dunflan, Archbiihop of Canterbury. She bore the King two fom ; E imund, who died in his infancy, and Ethelred, furnamed t ; .e Unready, his fucceflbr. 3. Aylwin fucceeded hi- eldeft brother, Ethelwold, in this earldom. He was Alderman of all England, an i in 969^ founded Ram ey-abbey in Huntingdon-ihire, where his fta- tute, inferibed Totius Anglia AUermannus, is fti:l to be feen. He died in 993, navmg had three wives; Ethelflede, who died in 977 ; Ethe giva, who died in 9S5 ; and Uigiva, who died in 991. He was iucce^d^d by 4. Ulfketel, who in 1004, when Sweyn, King of Den- mark, invaded England, and burnt Norwich, found him- felf fo unprepared to repel the invader, that he made peae with him : But wlu-n Sweyn perfidioufly burnt Thet- ford he attacked him, and though he did not gain the victory, he gave the enemy a fevcre check. He attacked them again in joio, with the fame fuccefs, and loft his life in the memorable battle of Afhdown, anno Dni. 1016, which left Canute in pcfleflion of the kingdom. 5. The next Earl was a Dane, Turketel, or Turkil ; who fought with his predecefTor in 10 10, and afterwards went over from Sweyn to Ethelred, for whom he defended London againlt the Danes in 1013. Canute, on his acccf- fion, advanced him to the earldom, and created him Duke ; but the time of his death is uncertain. 6. The fixth Earl was Harold, afterwards King of England, and (lain at the battle of iiaftings, October 14. 1066. 7. On Harold's fucceeding to the government of Wef- fex, Kent, &c. Alfgir, fon of Lcofric, Duke of Mercia, was created Earl of Eail-Anglia. William ( 6i ) William the Conqueror conferred the earldom of Nor- folk on tme Waher, or Guader, who foirte of our hifto-* Hans make a native of the county; others, with more pro- bability, of Bretaigne. He confpired againft his bene- faftor, and when fome of the confpirators repented and dif- cloied the defign, he perfifted in it, and raifed forces, which were defeated, and himfelf obliged to flee to Den- mark. There he perfuaded the King's fon to come over with a fleet j but finding William prepared for them, they landed in Flanders. He afterwards took upon him the crofs, and died at jerufalem, in the crufade, under Robert Curthofe, IHike of Normandy. Doomfday-boolc mentions the manors held by him in this county. He left two fons and one daughter, but his eftates in this kingdom were forfeited. The title of Earl of Norfolk was next in the great fa- mily of Bigot*. The firft of this family that fettled in England was Roger, who held feveral lordlhips in this county at the furvey, and revolted againft William Rufus, in behalf of his brother Robert, but adhered faithfully to Henry I. He founded Thetibrd-abbey, where he was bu- ried, 1 107, in the ift of Henry I. He was fucceeded by his fon, William Bigot, appointed Steward of the Houlhold to that King, and Ihipwrecked with the royal children in their paflage to Normandy. His brother, Hugh Bigot, fucceeded in his office, whom King Stephen I for i," * Bigot, or Bygod, comes from the German, Bey, and Gott, or the Englifh, by God! Cam-ten relates, that the Normans were firft called Bigots, on occaiion of their Duke Rollo, who receinog GiiFa, daugh- ter of King Charles, in marriage, aid v/ith her the inveftiture of the Dukedom, refufed to kifs the King'; foot in token cf fubie&jon, un- kfs he would hold it out for that purpofe : and being urged ta it by thofo prefent, anfwered haftily, No ! by God !" w'ieroupo-1 the Kinj turning about, called him Bigot j which name p.T/Tcd from him to his people. ( 6 2 ) for his ferviccs in advancing him to the Crown of England, ha.d before created Earl of the EaU-Angles. He was^after- wards advanced to the dignity and title of Earl of Norfolk by Henry II. 12. anno Dni. 1 166. Roger Bigot, before-mentioned, came over with the Conqueror from Normandy, and had the capital manor and lordfhip of Forncct, with all its royalties, &c. granted for his eminent fervices at the battle of Hallings ; but as that lordfhip has ever fince pafTed with the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk, we mufl refer the reader to the account of Forncet, in Depwade hundred, for particulars: Suffice it, in this place, to give an epitomical fucceflion of the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk to theprefent time. 1. Hugh Bigot, created Earl of the Eaft- Angles by King Stephen, 6. 1 141 ; and afterwards Earl of Norfolk by Henry II. 12. 1166. He died in 1 177, attainted. 2. Roger Bigot, his fon, reflored to the Earldom, &c. by Richard I. in 1 189, and died in 1220, Henry III. 4.* 3. Hugh Bigot, his fon, third Earl of Norfolk, died it 1224, Henry III. 8. 4. Roger Bigot, his fon, fourth Earl of Norfolk, died in 1270, Henry HI. 54. 5. Roger Bigot, his nephew, fifth Earl of Norfolk, died in 1305, Edward I. 33. without iffue, leaving the King his heir, who bellowed the Earldom of Norfolk, and eltates, on I. Thomas Plantagcnet de Brotherton, his fifth fon, who died in 1338, Edward III. 12. 2. Margaret, * Roger was one of the Barons who obtained that glorious palladium f Englifh liberty Magna Charta," from King John, at Runny-mead. ( 63 ) 2. Margaret, his daughter and heirefs, married to John Lord Segrave, of FolkftoUe, in Kent, and created Duchefs of Norfolk for life, in 1398, Richard II. 21. She died March 24, next year, leaving Elizabeth, her daughter and heirefs, married to John Lord Mowbray, whofe fon, t. Thomas Mowbray, the firft Duke of Norfolk, created by Richard II. before 1386. He was banifhed in 1398, and died at Venice in 1400. Thomas, his eldeft fon, was beheaded In 1407, and 2. Joha Mowbray, his brother, was reftored to the Dukedom, &c. in 1425, and died Odlober 19, 1433, Henry VI. 1 1 . 3." John Mowbray, his fon, had a confirmation of th# title, &c. and died in 1461, Edward IV. 1. 4. John Mowbray, his fon, died in 1465, Edward IV. 15. leaving an only daughter, Anne, married to 3. * Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, fecond fon of Edward IV. who, in her right, became Duke of Norfolk, Sec. but being, with his bfOther, Edward V. murdered in the Tower, by their uncle, Richard III. June 18, 1483, the honors and eftates devolved on Margaret, a daughter and coheirefs of Thomas Mowbray, the firft Duke of Norfolk, married to fir Robert Howard, knt. whofe fon, 1. Sir John Howard, knt. was created Duke of Norfolk by Richard III. June 28, 1483, and killed in Bofworth- field, Auguft 22, 1483, with that King, and attainted. 2. Thomas Howard, his fon, was reftored in blood, and ereated Duke of Norfolk, February 1, 1513. He died May 1, 1524, Henry VIII. 15. - I 2 3. Thomas * Third of the Plantagencts, Earls or Dukes of Norfolk. ( 6jy ) 5. Thomas Howard, his fon, the third (Howard) Duke of Norfolk, was attainted in Parliament, and died in 1554,. Mary, 1. His eldeil fon, Henry Earl of Surrey, was be headed in 1547. 4. Thomas Howard, fon of Henry Earl of Surrey, being reftcred in blood, fuccceded his grandfather as fourth Duke of Norfolk, but was beheaded June 2, 1573, Elizabeth, 15. 5. Thomas Howard, fon of Philip Earl of Arundel, who was alfo attainted, and died November 19, 1595, was re- flored in blood by James I. 1602, and created Earl of Nor. folk, June 6, 1644, Charles I. 20. He died in Italy, September 14, 1646, aged6i* 6. Henry Howard, k.s fon, fucceeded as Earl of Nor- folk, See. and died April 17, 1652, Charles II. 4. 7. Thomas Howard, his fon, was created Duke of Nor- folk, Odlober 19, 1672, Charles II. 24. and died without ilTue, in 1678. 8. Henry Howard, his brother, fixth Duke of Norfolk, died January 1 1, 1683, Charles II. 35, aged 55. 9. Henry Howard, his fon, feventh Duke of Norfolk, died April 2, 1 701, William III. 13. without iflue, aged 47- io. Thomas Howard, eldeft fon of Lord Thomas How- ard, brother of the laft Duke, fiuceeded his uncle as eighth Duke of Norfolk, Sec. and died without iffue, De- cember 23, 1732, George II. 5. aged 49. 11. Edward Howard, his brother, ninth Duke of Nor- folk died without iflue, September 20, 1777* George III. 18 It. Charlet < 65 ) 12. Charles Howard, defcended from Charles, broths f Thomas, the fifth Duke, fucceeded as tenth Duke of Norfolk, and is now living. His Grace is premier Duke, Earl, and Baron of England. The Liberty of the Duke of Norfolk. As this liberty is of great extent in the county, and a. matter of general information, we will here give an ac count of its rife and privileges, rather than annex it to any particular town of the liberty. ' Edward IV. by letters patent under the broad feal of England, dated at Weftminfler, December 7, 1468, in th^ 8th year of his reign, granted to John Duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth, his wife, and their heirs for ever, the re- turn of all writs whatfoever, and of all bills, fummons, precepts, and mandates, of the King, and of all acting under him, within the liberty, manors, and hundreds, fol- lowing, viz within the manors and demefnes of Forncet, Framlingham Parn/a, Ditchingham Pawa, Ditchingham, Loddon, SilUnd, Halvergate, South- Waliham, Cantley^ Strumpfhaw, Caftor, Winterton, Dickleburgh, Beighton, and Bayfield ; alfo within the whole hundred of Earfham, and the half-hundred of Guiltcrofs, in the county of Nor- folk ; and alfo in the towns, parifhes, and demefnes, of Kel- fale, Bonnagaie, Peafenhall, Calcote, Stonham, Den* nington, Brundifh, Ilketfhall, and Cratfield, in Suffolk: In the rapes of Lewis and Bramber, arid all the parts and parcels thereto belonging, and in the hundred and lordfhip of Bofeham, and the town of Stoughton, in SufTex; in the manor and lordfhips of Reygate, and Barking, in Surrey; and the town, manor, and lordfhips of Harwich, and Dovercourt, in Effexj and in all parcels, precincts, and jurifdiction* ( 66 ) jnrifdiciions of all the aforefaid rapes, hundreds, towns manors, and lordihips, fo that no Sheriff, or any other offi- cer whatfoever, fhould enter the faid liberty, but that every thing fhould be tranfatted by the officers of the faid Duke, appointed for that purpofe. Furthermore, the King granted to the Duke and his heirs, all manner of fines, profits, amerciaments, penalties, &c. of all refidcnts in the faid liberty, with all other things that mould accrue to his Royal Crown and dignity, with full power for the Duke's officers to feize for any of them, in as full a manner as the King's officers fhould have done, if this grant had not been made. Further, the King granted to the faid Duke and his heirs, all waifs and flrays, felons goods, and forfeitures; and alfo, that the refidents in this liberty lhould not be fued, or forced to anfwer in any other court than that of the liberty, for any fum under 40s. And fur- ther, the King granted to the faid Duke, full power and authority to have his own Coroners and Clerks of the mar- kets in his liberty, with the fame power that thofe officers cf the King have in any other place; together with a Steward of the liberty, who fhall have power to determine all aclions under 40s. fo that they arife within the liberty ; all which privileges the King confirmed to him, in ex- change for the caflle, manor, lordihip, and burgh of Chep- flowc, the manor of Barton, and the manor and lordihip of Tuddenham, in the Welfh Marines, to which all the aforefaid privileges (and much greater) belonged, and had been enjoyed by the Duke and his anceflors, time out of mind ; but were now by the Duke, at the King's earncfl Tequcft, conveyed to William Earl of Pembroke, and his heirs, and a fine levied accordingly : all thefe liberties and privileges were enjoyed by the faid Duke and his fucceffor* till the time of Queen Elizabeth, and then were exempli- fied ( 6; ) fitd under feal, at Weftminfter, the 4th day of July, in the year 1558, at the requeft of Thomas Duke of Norfolk, who was then feifed in fee, and fo continued till i;63, when he fettled this, among other large cfrates, on truftees., to his own ufp for life ; but upon the attainder of the Duke, and Philip Earl of Surrey, it was feized by the Crown, where it continued till James I. by letters patent, dated at Weltminfter, in the year 1602, gave and granted to his faithful Counfellors, Thomas Lord Howard, Baron of Walden, and Henry Howard, brother of Thomas late Duke of Norfolk, and fon of Henry late Earl of Surrey, and their heirs, this liberty, with the honor, lordr fhip, and manor of Forncet, and the manors of Earl's, or Little Framlingham, Halvergate, Ditchingham, Sifland, Dickleburgh, Loddon, and Launditch hundred, in Nor- folk ; the caftle, foke, and manor of Bungay, and manor of Cratfield, in Suffolk, (all being part of the poffeffions of the late attainted Duke) together with all law-days, amer- ciaments, views of frank-pledge, &c. the one moiety to Thomas Lord Howard, and his heirs, the other to Henry Howard, and his heirs; and on April 3, the year following, the King by other letters patent, granted to Thomas How- ard, Earl of Suffolk, Lord Chamberlain of his Houfho'd, and to Henry Compton, Earl of Northampton, Guardian of the Cinque Ports, (thofe titles being conferred on them in the mean time) and their heirs, the manors and advow- fons of Ditchingham, and South- Waliham, late the at- tainted Duke's ; and by other letters patent, dated at Well* minfter, November 22, in the 6th year of his reign, he gave them the half-hundred of Guiltcrofs, in Norfolk, and Cratfield and Kelfale manors, in Suffolk, late the faid Duke's, with all their liberties, &c. together with the barony, bu^gh, and manor of Lewes, in SufTex, and the barony and manor of Bramber, with the office of Itinerant Bailiff, ( 68 ) Bailiff, and of Clerks of the Markets within (he faid ba- ronies in Suflex, together with Darking cum Capell ma nor, in Surrey, with all the liberties of the late Duke cf Norfolk, as leets, views of frank-pledge, law-days, aflizc of bread and beer, pleas, waifs, ftrays, forfeitures of felons, fugitives, deodands, knight's-fees, efcheats, heriots, free- warren, return of all writs, precepts, &c. in as full and am- ple a manner as ever Thomas Duke of Norfolk enjoyed his liberty before his attainder; by means cf which grant each of them was feifed of a moiety, all which premifles they divided by indenture, dated the 13th day of May fol- lowing: The manors of Forncet, Ditchingham, Loddon, Sifland, Halvergate, South-Waliham, Launditch hun- dred, and the half-hundred of Earfham, with the ma- nor of Bungay, were afligned to the Earl of Northamp- ton, and his heirs, of which he died feifed in 161 3, and they defcended to Thomas Earl of Arundel and Surrey, (who was reftored in blood in a Parliament at Weftminfler, March 19, 1602) as coufin and next heir: and after this Henry Earl of Arundel and Surrey, by indenture dated March 1, 1617, purchafed to him and his heirs, of the Earl of Suffolk, all his part, right, and eftate, in the hun- dred of Guiltcrofs; Kelfalc and Cratfield manors, in Suf- folk; the rapes of Lewes, and Bramber, and No-man's- land, in Suflex; Darking and Capell manors, in Surrey; the barony, manor, and burgh of Lewes, with the office of" Bailiff Itinerant; the manors of Lewifburgh, Rymer, II- ford, Seaford, Meching, Middleton, Brighthelmfton, the Free-chafe called Clers, liberty of the Sheriff 's-turn called No-man's-land, Sheffield and Grimftead manors, the ba- rony and manor of Bramber, with the Itinerant Bailiff there, the burgh of Horiham, burgh of Shoreham, and and Beding New-Park, the burgh of Stcyning, and the manor ( 69 ) manor of Somptlng-Abbots, the office of Clerks of the Markets in Lewes and Bramber baronies, Sheffield and Lingfield manor, the fourth part of Barking and Capell manors, the Toll-booth of Southvvark, and Guildford in Surrey, and all privileges that Thomas late Duke of Nor- folk had in the letters patent of Queen Elizabeth ; and particularly all thofe liberties, commonly called the Duke of Norfolk's liberty, by virtue of which Thomas Earl of Arundel and Surrey aforefaid was feifed of the whole in fee, and fo continued till the 12th ofAugufl, 1641, and then he and Alathea Countefs of Arundel, his wife, and Henry Lord Mowbray and Maltravers, their eldeft fon, and heir apparent, and their truftees, fettled it (among many other eftates) on others in truft, in order that they mould make fale of all, or any parcels of the faid baronies, lands, tenements, hereditaments, liberties, advowfons, &c. aforefaid, and that the money from thence raifed mould be by them applied to pay the debts of Thomas late Earl of Arundel and Surrey, and the overplus to re- main to the Lord Maltravers, and whatever remained un- fold after the debts paid, they were to ftand feifed of to the ufe of the Lord Maltravers, and his heirs ; and foon after, 1669, (the debts being paid) it was again vefled in the Howard family, the Duke of Norfolk being now Lord, who nominates a Steward and Coroner, and keeps a gaol for debtors, either in Lopham or elfewhere, as he pleafes*. K. Liberty * This account is taken from a mamifcript, containing an exemplifi- cation of all the grants of the privileges of the liberty, which is now in the hands of the Steward. Liberty of the Duchy of Lancafter. Befides the liberty of the Duke of Norfolk in this county, there is that of the Duchy of Lancafter, the court of which is kept at Aylfham. Curia ducatus Lancajirienjis. " It continued in the Crown till 1371, when it was firft made parcel of the Duchy of Lancafter by the King's giving it to his fon, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancafter, and the heirs of his body, and from that time Aylfliam be- came the head, or principal town of that Duchy, in this county. " This John took his name from the town of Gaunt, where he was born, being fourth fon to Edward III. and was created Earl of Richmond in 1342, the revenues of which Earldom he then exchanged with the King : This man was King of Caftile and Leon, Duke of Guienne, Acquitaine, and Lancafter, Earl of Richmond, Derby, Lincoln, and Leicefter, and High-Steward of England: he had three wives ; firft, . " Blanch, daughter and coheirefs of Henry Duke of Lancafter, by whom he had, id, Henry, afterwards King of England; 2d, Philippa, wife to King John of Portugal ; 3d, Elizabeth, married to John Holland, Duke of Exeter. ' His fecond wife was Conftancc, daughter and one of the cohtircflcs of Peter King of Caftile, by whom he had ifl'ue, Cailic. inc, married to Henry, fon of John King of Spain, with the title to the kingdoms of Caftile and Leon. " Hit ( 7i ) " His third wife was Catherine, daughter of Pain Roet, ttlias Guien, King of Armes, and widow of Sir Otes Swyh- ford, Knt. by whom he had iffue before marriage, ift, John, furnamed Beaufort, Earl of Somerfet, and Marquis of Dorfet; 2d, Henry Beaufort, Bifhop of Winchefter, Cardinal of St. Eufebius, and Chancellor of England ; 3d, Joane Beaufort, firfl. married to Ralph Nevile, Earl of Weftmoreland, and after to Lord Robert Ferrers. " He died feifed of the Duchy in the 22d of Richard II. 1398, being the greatcft fubjeft of the Englilh crown; fe great, that " as great as John c/"Gaunt" then was, and Hill remains, one of our Englilh proverbs. At his death, Catherine, his widow, held it for life, and at her death, Henry Plantagenet, fon and heir of John of Gaunt, inherited it, who being crowned King by the name of Henry IV. united the whole inheritance of Lancafter unto the Crown, fi nee which, the ducal title of Lancaiter hath been drowned in the title of the regal dignity. But, in honor of the Houfe of Lancafter, this King inftituted the Duchy-Court; to the end, the lands belonging to the Puchy might in all following times be diftinguifhed and known from the lands of the Crown.'' Ayllham being the capital manor of the Duchy, the Duchy-Court hath been always held there; and whereas, the privileges belonging to thofe tenants are large, it will not be amifs tofpeak of them here. " Upon the erection of the Duchy-Court by Henry IV. May 4, in the 3d year of his reign, anno 1401, the charter of the Duchy was confirmed by King and Parliament, which fets forth, that K 2 " Edward C 7^ ) " Edward III. granted for him, and his heirs and fuc- ceflbrs, to John of Gaunt, Duke of Acquitaine and Lan- ** caller, and Blanch, his wife, that they and the heirs of . '* their bodies, and all their tenants of the lands and fees, *' which were in the pcfTeffion of Henry Earl of Lancafter, " in thefixteenth year of Edward III. anno 1341, mould *' be for ever free from panage, paflage, paage, laftagc, " flallage, tallage, carriage, pefage, picage, and ferage, " throughout all England, and other places in the King's " dominion ; and Richard II. granted to the faid Duke all fines, forfeitures, and amerciaments, of what kind or " nature foever, of all his men and tenants in the faid " lands or fees, and all eftrap and waftes whatfoever in the *' faid fees; together with all forfeitures for murder and " felony committed in the faid fees, or by tenants in the " fees in other men's lands; and alfo all the goods of " felons de fe , and forfeitures to the Clerk of the Markets, " in as ample a manner as the faid King had them before " this grant; and further, the faid King granted the aflize " of bread, wine, and beer, and all victuals, to be under *' a Clerk of the Markets, appointed by the faid Duke, " and that the King's Clerks of the Markets fhall not " enter the fees to exercife any jufifdiction there, and that " the faid Duke ihould have the chatties of all fugitives " and outlaws in the faid fees; the faid Duke was alfo to " have execution by his own officers of all writs, fum- *' mons, proceflcs, extracts, and precepts, fo that no She- " rifF, Bailiff, or other officer of the King, was to enter ' into the liberty, or exercife any office or jurifdidion " therein, unlefs in default of due execution by the pro- *' per officers of the liberty; the 'faid Duke was alfo to ' have waif and ftray, deodands, and treafure found in M the liberty, &c. and Henry IV. confirmed the whole by " confent of Parliament, and ordained for himfelf and " heira, ( 73 ) *' heirs, that in the whole Duchy of Lancafler all thefe '** royal franchifes, privileges, and grants, fhould for ever *' ftand valid, and in full force, and be executed by the " proper officers of the Duchy ; and Edward IV. in th " firil year of his reign, confirmed all the liberties to the " tenants of the Dnchy, as did many of the fucceeding " Kings, fo that there are now proper ofHctrs, as Co- ? " roners, Stewards, Clerks of the Markets, &c. ap- " pointed for the liberty of the Duchy in the feveral coun- *' ties it extends into." The chief town of the barony or honor of Rhye, or de Rhia> in this county, is Hingham: The court of the fee or capital lordftiip of Richmond 'is held at SwafFham, and, the honor of Clare is a liberty lately revived. Air, Soil, Produce, Manufactures, Manners, &c. &c. The air of this county is of various temperatures in the feveral parts thereof. By the fea-fide it is unwholefome and aguilh, particularly fo in the hundreds of Flegg and Freebridge-Marfhland, where the foil is boggy and oufy; (fo that it is common to fay of a ftranger, at his firil com- ing into the county, that he is arrefed by Bailiff of Marjh- land) and not much better in the towns bordering oa^ Lynn-deep ; but as to thofe parts of the county lying upon the fea-fhore, there is no great reafon to fuppofe them very unhealthy, becaufe the fea-coafts are for the moll part fandy, and do not fuck in nor retain the fait water, at the marihes in EfTex and Kent do, which makes the air fo corrupt. The inland part of the county being open, is extremely pleafant and falutary, as may be inferred from th many feats of the Nobility and Gentry in it. The foil ( 74 ) foil in Norfolk is fo cxtremsly various, that it has bee* confidered as an epitome of the whole ifland. Every part of the county, however, produces either corn or paf- ture j fo that even the word: foil is far from unprofitable. Great quantities of corn are annually produced from the well-cultivated fields. As to the foil, Dr. Fuller fpeaks very truly of it, faying, " All England may be carved out of Norfolk, being re- " prefented in it, not only as to the kinds but degrees " thereof; for here are fens and heaths, light and deep, " {and and clay-grounds, meadow-lands, paftures, and " arable, wood-lands andwoodlefs, fo taking the country " altogether, it affords enough for pleafure and profit; '* that being fupplied in one part which is defective in " another." The fens and marfh-lands are exceeding pro- fitable. The plain, fays Camden, called Tilney-Smeeth, not above two miles over, affords fuiEcient feed for the larger cattle of feven villages and three thoufand fheep. It is (o boggy, that it is made ufeful only by a multitude of cuts and drains, over which there are laid one hundred and ele- ven bridges. The heathy and fandy lands are barren, but ferve for two purpofes that enrich the inhabitants: Firft, for harbouring and nourifhing rabbets, whofe flefh is not only a tender and delicate food, but their (kins valuable: I Uy, for feeding fheep, which loving a fhort grafs, delight much in fuch places. Among our fheep-maftcrs there feems to be a kind peculiar to this county, commonly called Nor/olks, which are an hardy drong fheep, and bear good fleeces : thefe fheep in general have black nofes and bl::ck feet. The heaths, by maintaining great flocks of them, which are continually on them, grazing and folded, are ( 75 ) arc maJc almoft as profitable to the people as the tilled ground, fupplying them with good mutton and wool ; and at the lame lime fo enriching the ground by their dung and folding, that being ploughed up it produces good quantities of corn. ** Some villages keep 5000 fheep, the woollen manufac- ture of this county being a great encouragement to huf- bandmen to enlarge their flocks ; and rabbets being a pro- per improvement for hilly and rocky grounds. The people alfo are diligent in nourifhing and increafing bees, info- much that honey in thefe parts is very plentiful. " The light, deep, and clay-grounds are very fruitful in divers fort of grain, as rye and peafe, wheat and barJev; and near Walnngham it produces very good fafFron*. About Winterton, in Well Flegg, the fields are looked upon by the fkilful in hufbandry to be the fattell: and lighteir. in all England, as requiring the leaf! labor, and bringing the greatefl increafe ; for they plough with but one horfef , yet feldom fail of a plentiful crop. By the rivers, which are four or five principal ones, (beiides many rivulejp and brooks) as the Yare, the Sure, the Thurn, the Waveney, the greater and leffer Oufe, there are many fine meadows and pattures. Near the towns are many fprings, groves, and copfes, but the champaign country is bare of wood. Mines or minerals here are none, not fo much as of coals or #one, but we meet with a fort of clay almofl of equal va- lue. A gentleman of this county digging by chance in his grouad, turned up a fine clay, which fome fkilful per- fons * Of this Mr. Camden muft have been mlfmformed. Erafmus calls Wdfingham Parathalassa, from its nearnefj to the fea. f As Pliny fays of Bizacium in Africa, " it may be ploughed wUH a hwis of any fort a and an old woman drawing againft hira." ( ?6 ) fens obferving, difecvered the value of it to him ; where- opon fending it into Holland, where they made a choice fort of earthen ware of it, he made io.oooI. fterling of a piece of ground net forty yards fquareV Dr. Fuller tells this ftory, but fufpecls the fum, as having a cypher too much, which, though true, does not altogether detracl from its worth. Camden mentions " the catching of hawks, the abund- ance of fifh, with the jett and amber commonly found upon the coaft of Hunitanton." Of the natural produce of this county, rabbets is no in- confiderable article. At Methiuold the beft rabbets in Eng- land are bred, and are called by the poulterers " Mewill rabbets." It has been remarkable for breeding thefe crea- tures ever fince the reign of Canute, (1016 to 1036*) and at prefent fends great numbers of them to the London mar- kets. From Beecham-well the markets in Norfolk ar fupplied. Great numbers are alfo bred about Caflle- Riting, Thetford, Winterton, and Sherringham. The rabbets of this county are of a fine filver-coloured bluifh-grey, the fur or wool of which in the ftrength and ftaple of it, is not equalled by any other, Lincoln except- ed, and is therefore procured by all manufacturers, in or- der to mix with the produce of other counties, more clofcly to unite and itrengthen the manufacture of hats. The butter and wool markets in Norfolk are very con- flderable, particularly at Downham, Watton, Stoke-Ferry, Swaffham, Wilbcch, and Brandon. Wymonoham t Here fJn,^re think, Mr. Camden muft err. ( 77 ) "Wymondham was remarkable for its rmmufature of wooden-ware, as fpindles, fpoons, fpiggots and faucets, &c. but the inhabitants are now principally employed in the Norwich fluff trade. Reepham, and many places in this county, are famous for making barley-malt, of whin great quantities are bought by the London dealers. We wi(h we could fay as much in praise of the malt-liquor brewed in Norfolk. Nop.wich, .though one of the firft manufacturing towns in England, hath a great part of the labor done in the country towns all ever the county of Norfolk, and even in Suffolk. Here vaft quantities of wcrfted-ftuffs, bays, ferges, fhallocns, crapes, camblets and druggets, duffields and fearnoughts are made, befides many other cunous articles j from the fale of which above two hundred thou- fand pounds are annually received by this city. [The reader will find this more fully explained in our Hlilory of Norwich, vol. X. of this work.] Yarmouth is renowned for its filhery of herrings and mackarel, befides cod, haddocks, &c. in their proper fea- fens. Great quantities of herrings are cured here, and the (hipping carry on the trade of the Norwich nia r fac- tures to the Baltic, Oftend, &c. Imrnenfe quantities of flour, malt, &c. are exported, and the import Js very conii- derable, of coals, deals, wine, groceries, and naval ilores. Aylsham is faid to carry oa a confiderabJe manufaclare in making of irockings. L Cromer, ( 73 ) Cromer is noted for its plentiful fifliery of lobfterr, which are fent to the markets in Norfolk, and to London, &c. Burn ham produces an oyfler of a large fize m abun- dance, which is fent into feveral counties weft of Lynn. This and the neighbouring ports carry on a good corn trade. Worsted, now a fmall town, gave name to the manu- facture of that fluff, but is now quite deftitute of employ. Dornicks, cameric, calecut, &c. had in like manner their denomination from the places they were firft invented and made. Br. ax caster exports corn and malt, and here is the largeft malt-houfe in England. Blakeney and Cley are alfo fifhing towns. Lynn-Regis is a port of great trade: the very valuable cargoes of wine, timber, coal, and foreign fpirits, brought in here is immenfe, as is alfo the export of corn, &c. and its commerce by inland navigation is equal to any in the kingdom. Spelman fays of Lynn, M that Ceres and Bac- chus foem tohaveeitablifhed their magazines here.'* Thetford carries on a confiderable branch of the woollen trade. It has alfo a paper-mill, and does a good deal of bufincfs by the navigation of the Oufe river. Swap fh am, fay many geographers, was famous for a confiderable manufactory in the making of fpurs, but this do*s not now, and, we believe, never did exift but in the brain i 79 > brain of fome ill-informed writer, Phyficians call this place " the Montpellier cf England.** Wells carries on a ccnfiderable corn trade v. hen the ports are open for exportation, as vaft quantities arc fold by the farmers to the merchants here. The coal and raff- trade is alfo good. Fa ken ham, fays an Englifh traveller, was noted in former times for its falt-pits, although it is ten miles from the fea. Nothing yet appears to induce us to believe this. Diss, Harleston, and Harling, are remarkable nly for the manufacture of linen yarn and cloth. Fires have done more towards beaut' fying many of the towns in Norfolk than any other caufe. Without this ca lamitous element neither SwafFham, Eaft-Dereham, Wat- ton, Hingham, nor Wymondham, would have been re* marked for their neatnefs, handfome buildings, or fafhion- able inhabitants. As a fudden inundation of water fome- times carries away bridges which were perilous to tra- vellers, fo an accidental conflagration levels buildings, which a tafle for improvement and perfonal fafety had long yearned to fee removed. The waters, both fait and frefh, yield very great conve- nience to the inhabitants by fifli and navigation. On the fea-coafts is the herring-fifhery, which brings fo much trade and wealth to Yarmouth. It begins in September, when that fifh * generally fwarms upon thefe fhores. L 2 They Herrings, for fo they generally call them, fays Camden, though the learned think them to be the Chaicjpss and thf Lsvcoman jp*,i. ( So ) They come by the north of Scotland in vaft (hoals, an I pafs through the narrow leas by the Land's-end of Corn- wall, and what are not catched return into the north again. TMackarel here are alfo catched in the fpring in great numbers; fo that the fea brings this county, befides the ordinary and daily markets f jr fifh in the villages and towns by the fea-fide, two great fairs of hcniivgs and mackarel. Nor do the frefh waters of this county yield lefs profit to the inhabitants. The Bure is full of fi(h, and by its over- flowing the lower grounds, makes not only rich meadows, but many noble fifheries. In it are found a moll excellent fort of perch. The inhabitants of Ranwofth, which ftands near to the river, report, that one hundred and twenty bufhels of filh were catched tkere by two nets at one time. The like are the Oufe, Waveney, and Yare, in whi:h laft there is a peculiar fi(h, called a ruffe ; and becaufc the Englifh by that word exprefs the Latin a/perum, John Caius termed it A/predo. The body of this fifh is all over rough, with fharp prickles and prickly fins. It delights in fandy places like the perch, and is of nearly the fame big- nefs. Its colour on the back is brown and dufkifh, but on the belly it is of a pale yellow. It is marked on the jaws with double femicircular rings; the upper part of the eye of a dark brown colour, the lower yellow, and the ball of it black ; and a line goes along the back, and is fail* ened to the body, as if it were a thread ; the tail and fins arc fpotted with black. When this fiih is angry the fins (land up ftiff, and fall flat again when its anger is over. The flefh of it is very wholefome, and eats tender and fhort, being ia this laft refpect. much like a perch. It is Yry rarely found in any other rivers. The ( 81 ) The inhabitants of this county are {Iron?* and robuft, fharp and cunning. The food of the commonalty confilts much of puddings and dumplings, which has produced the proverb of Norfolk dumplings, as the eating beans fo much in Leiceftermire has proverbially nick-named the people Leicejferjbire Bean-bellies, and in LincolntTiire Yel- low-bellies. Nor need they be afhamed of their food, it being certainly the wholefomeil and moil nourishing to the human boty. " The inha itants of Norfolk, fays the writer of iiv Englifli Traveller, have been long celebrated for the healthy confutations, which is faid t > be owing to their eating fuch vail quantities of dumplings, that the expref- fion, dumpling, of late has become a proverbial phrafe, when the people in other parts fpeak of a Norfolk man. It is no uncommon thing for them to take a dumpling, af- ter it is well boiled, and having dipped it in goofe's grcafe, immediately eat it, as pleafantly as if it were the moft de- licious morfel in the univerfe. " It is, however, a rule, both in phyfic and the Materia Medico, that if people will habituate thcmfelves to the eating of groffer forts of food than common, they mull join to it ftrong exercife, otherwife there immediately en- fues a flagnaticn of the fluids, which either ends in a cor- ruption of the internal parts, or operates on the external furface, in fuch a manner as to deform the appearance, and render the whole of the human body extremely difa- greeable. However, for ail that, the people in Norfolk are as healthy z~ any of their neighbours; but whether in confequrnce of an additional degree of exercife, or from what other caufe, we are not able to 160.'' * Mr. Char a, near Heydon. The inhabitants of Norfolk are fo much attached to the /ports of the field, that the turf is not much encouraged. Few or no Gentlemen in the county keep running-horfes, and the annual races at Swaffhara, and at Thetford, are at- tended chiefly by Ladies and Gentlemen on parties of plea fure, and, as a feftive meeting more than to pick pockets; for fuch we deem all games bat games of chance. Cock- fighiing (for the honor of Norfolk) i not much folio.* ed : Nor do we find any irrational exercife, if we except kemp- ing and wrellling, in practice. By the bye, we do not feel a penchant for hunting, (hooting, nor fiftnng as sports: Nor do wo think they can be juftified on any principle of natural or revealed reafon : But fajbion, that hydra of folly, and cuflom, that cftablilhed law of fools, will re- concile ( 85 ) concile the g'vea'tefl: abfurdities ! Religion and morality for bid taking any life "wantonly, yet leave a difcretionary power of doing it necejfarily. Thofe fierce and fanguinary animals that inhabit the fore ft are fair game for man, but what have we to apprehend from the affrighted hare, the frefti-water fifh, the beautiful pheafant, or partridge ? Nature, nay ; humanity, recoils at the idea of their defcruc- tion in /port. That their lives fhould be taken necejfarily we admit, but let it not be done in /port. The untutor'd native of the Afiatic plains, or mountains of America, would not killbut for food and for raiment, or in felf- defence. The author of a late dramatic production has portrayed the character of a tenacious " Lord of the Manor," with refpeft to game, in colours fo juft and lively, that we can- not forbear adding his to our own obfervations. " Searchum, get warrants immedi- ately for feizing guns, nets, and fnares, let every dog in the parifti be collected for hanging to-morrow morning- give them a tafte of Norfolk difcipline. _ ^ , _ 4 " I hope, Sir, you will be better advifed than to proceed fo rafhly. i. . i < Where is your qualification ? - ' "In my birth-right as a free-man. Nature gave the birds of the air in common to us all; and I think it no crime to purfue them, when my heart tells me I am ready, if called upon, to eaercife the fame gun againil the enemies of my King and country. . " Take notice that I require un- conditional fubmimon in my fupremacy of the game. M in ( 86 ) - - . " In what manner, Sir i . " The county gaol fhall teac& tranfgrcfTors thanks to my fellow fportfmen in the Senate, we have as good a fyftem of game laws as can be found in the moll gentleman-like country upon the continent. . " By gentleman-like I am afraid. Sir, you mean arbitrary. . " In France the infignia of a Lord Paramount of the chace are gallowfes, with his arms upon every hill in his eftate they embellifii a profpett better than the finelt clump Browne ever planted." * * * Befides the eftabliihed church, there are in Norfolk meet- ing-houfes for Prefbyterians, Anabaptilts, Quakers, Inde- pendents, Mcthodifts, &c. and in Norwich there is 2 church for the Dutch, and another for French-Flemings : alfo, chapels for Roman Catholics. The quartcr-fefiions for the county of Norfolk are held in the Shire-hcufe on the Caftle-hill of Norwich four times a year, viz. in January, April, July, and October. The fummer afilzes, and monthly county-courts, are alfo held in the Shire-houfe. The Caille is the county-gaol for debtors and felons, and although in the centre of Nor- wich, belongs to, and is within the jurifdi&ion of Nor- folk only. It was firft committed to the cuftody of the High-merift' of the county of Norfolk, as a common prifon, in the ift year of Edward IV. 1460. In 1284, Edward I. 12. a ftatute paffed, making the hundreds in each county anfwerable for all robberies com- mitted in day-time. la 1 25 1, Henry III. 35. this county, and molt parts of England, was vifitcd by a feverc drought, fucceeded by damps ( 87 ) iamps and foul air, which brought on contagious diforders amongft the cattle, and ruined the ha; veil; in ib much, that a dreadful famine and plague enfued. The following are the prices of certain articles at dif- ferent periods of time, ejlimated according to the value of the pre/cnt money : In 930, a fheep, 12s. 6d. the fleece, 5s. an ox, 3I. 15s. a cow, 2I. 10s. a horfe, 1 81- nurfmg of a child the firft year, 4I. In 966, an acre of land, 10s. a palfrey, 61. In 980, an ox, 3I. 15s. a cow, 3I. In 1252, a good horfe, 15I. In 1327, an ox, lean, 2I. 8s. fat, 3I. 12I. a fat hog, two years old, 10s. a fat weather-iheep, un- fhorn, 5s. (horn, 3s. 6d. a fat goofe, yd. ~ ditto capon, 6d. ditto hen, 3d. two chickens, 3d. four pigeons, 3d. twenty-four eggs, 3d. In 1450, wheat, 3I. 6s. 8d. per quarter barley il. iol. In 1547, beef and pork, d. per lb. mutton and veal, \d. per lb. In 1620, the pay of a foot fo!dier,.8d. a day a Lieutenant, 2s. an Enfign, js. 6d. a cock turkey, 4s. 6d. a hen ditto, 3s. a goofe, 2s. a capon, 2S. 6d,- a pullet, is. 6d. a rabbet, 8d. a dozen pigeons, 6s. wheat, 32s. per quarter. barley, 16s. wool, a third more than the prefent price a yard of velvet, il. 2s. fine Holland, 8s. per yard. N. B. From the Ccnqueft to the reign of Elizabeth, money was nearly ten times its prefent value ; from Eliza- beth to the prefent time, nearly equal. Norfolk is, generally fpeaking, a cheap and plentiful county. The gentry live in a fplendid and holpitable manner; the tradefmen and farmers exceed thofe of any other county, in what is termed good living ; and the la- borer and mechanic come in for a comfortable fhare of the M a leaves V (. 88 ) loaves andfjhes. The inhabitants of Norfolk, fays Mr. B. Martin, are remarkable for the fprightlinefs of their genius, induftry, and riches, and are, for the moft part, lirong, healthy, and well made. The markets are regularly and plentifully fupplied with provifions of every kind, and no county in the kingdom produces poultry in fuch abundance, nor of fuch quality $ as few of the citizens of London but can teilify. Poul-> try and game to an immenfe value are lent in prefents an- nually from the inhabitants of this county to their friend* in London, and its environs, particularly at Chriilmas. The pork of this county is much admired by the epicurean connoiffeurs ; and culinary vegetables and roots (if we ex- cept potatoes) are excellent. We have already obferved that the malt liqucr of Norfolk is worfe than in moil other counties, but this mud be undcrf.cod of the common breweries ; as no better ale can be met with in any part of the kingdom than is made at the houfes of private families. For the better fupport, maintenance, and relief of the poor of both fexs and all ages, Houfes of Indufiry have been crcfted and regulated by Adts of Parliament, at Greflen- hall for the hundreds of Launditch and Mitford, at Wicklewood for Forchoe, at Rollefby for Eaft and Weft Flegg, and at Hcckingham for the hundred of Loddon. Mr. Gilbert* has lately brought into Parliament a bill for extending, and for better regulating Houfes of Induftry throughout the kingdom, which, we doubt not, will meet with that invedigation and improvement a bufinefs of fo much importance merits, from the guardians of the people. Norfolk hath produced as many great and eminent per- fonages in war, law, learning, and politics, as moll coun ties; Member for Litchfield, / ( 89 ) ties ; and very few can 'boaft fo many ancient and honora- ble families : Indeed, this remark receives additionalluftr* when \vc confider, that perfonal worth and great abilities, and not high-founding titles, are the diftinguiming caft which characterizes the gentry of Norfolk, Lord Chief- juftice Coke was perhaps the greateft lawyer, and Sir Robert Walpole the greateft ftatefman any country N hath bred. Sir Henry Spelman as an antiquary, Sir John Faftolf as a warrior, and Sir Roger L'Eftrange as a poet, will live in the annals of this country to perpetuity. The particular hiftory of each town in the county will furnim the reader with anecdotes of the lives, atchieve- ments, and writings of thofe men who were born, or in- herited property therein. Of the ancient families of Nor- folk many are now quite gone, and their names extinct : others are fo far removed, and fpread into collateral branches, as fcarcely to leave a trace to the origin. Although Norfolk hath the fewyft Peers rejlding in it of any county of its fize and confequence in the kingdom, yet it can boaft of having the Premier Duke, Earl, Barom, and Baronet, of England. It was obferved to us by a very refpe&able gentleman, lately deceafed, that there are in Norfolk more rejident proprietors of four hundred pounds a year, landed eftate, than in any other county in England; for which he in- ftanced the number of gentlemen qualified to be Deputy Xieutenants. Amongft the feats of the nobility and gentry in Norfolk, none are more worthy of particular notice than Houghton, Holkham, Rainham, Blickling, Melton-Conftable, Wol- terton, < 90 ) terton, and Kimberley, for dignity, elegan-e, and extent, Langley, Gunton, Felbrigg, Garboldifham, Buckenham- houfe, Weftacre, Cofiey, Hethel, Heydon, Merton, Ox- burgh, Kirby-Bedon, Narborough, Narfcrd, Weft-Tofts, Bixley, Ditchingham, Harling, Quidenham, Elmham, Weftwick, Beefton St. Lawrence, Witton, Earfham, Shad- well-Lodge, Warham, Lynford, Honingham, Rackheath, Raveningham, Pickenham, Sandringham, Eccles, and many others, are defervedly efteemed for the tafte in whicb they are cmbellifhed. This county abounds with many ancient caftles and ma- norial-houfcs, formerly the feats of great and able men ; who, according to the cuftom of the times, lived in that flile of magnificence which their wealth, power, or difpofi- tion, rendered habitual. The unfettled ftate of public af- fairs, the extreme ignorance of the bulk of the people, and the vaft powers given to the Lord over the feudatory, were ftrong incentives to acts which would now be con- temned as arbitrary and unconftitutional ! The bare men- tion of villainage, and liberty cf gallows, makes a modern Briton fh udder with indignant fympathy for thofe mortals who were obliged to bend to the manners of the feudal times. How much happier are we in the prefcnt age, who feel a confequence which neither wealth, power, nor difpolltion, can annoy even in the humbleft ftate of fo- cicty. Though Kenninghall, Caftle-Rifing, Wood-Rifing, and Blickling, have occafionally been the refidence of royalty fince the Conqucft, yet Thetford fecms to have been the only fcite of a palace. Henry J. built a country feat there, whicii remained till the reign of James I. when it < 9 ) it was pulled down, and one more magnificent built in its room, ftiil known by the name of the Kings-Houfe. The Bifhops of Norwich had formerly a palace at Lad- ham, which was granted to the fee by Henry VIII. but on Auguft 10, 1611, it was confumed by fire, and the diocefan palace is now at Norwich. Of the moft remarkable buildings in the county we have illuftrated their defcriptions by views, drawn and engraved for that purpofe. Perfpeclive delineations of the religious and cafteiled houfes, now ruinous, have alfb been published by S. and N. Buck, F. Groffe, Millecent, T. Kirkpatrick, &c. and others are now publifhing. Mr. Richard Gough, in his " Anecdotes of Britifh To- pography," hath gi^en the world a very copious colle&ion of man ufcripts and prints of the hiftory, antiquities, fur- veys, &c. of Norfolk, which we, at firlt fight, meant to have methodized and improved for a fedion of this work ; but we afterwards found the materials fo difFufe, and many of them trifiingy to an extreme difgraceful to polite litera- ture, that we laid alide our intention -to make room for more ufeful information. This county not only contains the greateit number of parifh-churches of any in the three kingdoms, but alfo ex- ceeds any other in population ; and the vaft refources the army finds by the recruiting fervice is almoft beyond con- ception : And no men make better foldiers. Though longevity is one of thofe bleffings which are the refult from a light foii and pure air, yet we do not find instances of very long life in Norfolk: People live to what is called * good round figs. At Rome, anno Dni v 4,7, federal ( 9* ) feveral perfons were found, on examination, to be from 100 to 140 years old, and two were advanced to 150. In 1635 Thomas Par died in England, aged 153. He lived in ten reigns. Lands, Culture, &c* Thi? county may he confidered as naturally confifting of four different forts of land, fy/lem. That air Is necefTary to vegetation is certain, but tire ingredient in it of the beft quality is not fo well -underllood. Water through the atmofphere is preferable to pump or river water, and all plants expofed, abforb a nutriment with the atmofpherical air in their phlogiflicated flate. We (hall here take the liberty of adding fome obfer- yations on the influence of climate on animal bodies. Dr. Wilfon obferves, on the theory of the operation of putrid effluvium from marfhes, '* that animal bodies have a ftrong natural tendency to putrefaction, and would actu- ally run into it, unlefs prevented by the difcharge of their moil putrefcent parts.'' Dr. Prieftly on air, fhews " that air inhaled by infpiration receives a charge of phlo- gifton from the blood, which is difcharged by expira- tion." Dr. Alexander endeavours to prove, " that effluvia from marfhes act. as antifeptics and correctors of putrefac tion," but Dr. Wilfon denies this pofition. " All marfhy grounds (fays he) and ftagnated waters, emit a fmcll more or lefs difagreeable from the vegetable fubftanccs which ferment and rot in them; this mixture of humidity, fixed air, and putrid vapour, contains a certain degree of phlo- giflon in this climate," " Thofe vapours impregnate the furrounding atmofphere, and difable it from carrying oft* from the lungs the putrid vapour and phlogifton in fuch abundance as may be necefTary to prevent an accu- mulation in the body ; in confequence of which, putrid difeafes come on, not from the matter taken into the body, but from that retained which ought to be expelled, and would actually be fo in a purer air." " The ftrong antifeptic qualities of the air difcharged by the vegetable fermentations, feem fully to counteract the C 93 ) the feptic tendency of the putrid effluvium from marfiies, when applied to dead animal fubflance, even fhould there be fmall portions of putrid animal matter, in fwampv or marfhy grounds ; yet thefe fubftances will exceedingly contribute to the impregnation of the air, and confe- quently to its bad effects on living animal bodies, by refpi- ration. Fixed air is unfit for the purpofes of refpiration, though an antifeptic of very confiderable efficacy. The foil of Norfolk is in general a very light fandy loam, which in years that are more inclined to wet than drynefs, throws out immenfe crops, the very wetteft that can come is not too much for their lands: everyone, we believe, will allow that the chances of the feafons, in this moid climate, are infinitely more in their favor, than if their foil was of the heavy call. Marling hath wrought great improvements ; for, under the whole country run veins of a very rich foapy kind. Farms are large, and the rents low in fome places ; but we muft confefs, that the times are much againfl farmers. Monopoly of farms, and encreafe of rent, are not the only evil; prodigality and temerity hath taken pofieffion of the honefl, plain, induftrious tenant; the confequences are tatal to many. Societies for the encouragement of agriculture have been eflablifhed in many parts of the kingdom, particularly at Bath, in Yorklhire, and in Norfolk; and the focicty for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce, inftitutcd at London in 1753, have liberally, and very be- neficially, bellowed premiums/or planting and hnjbandry. Xtrftlk ( 99 ) Norfolk Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture. " As it is found that the fociet'y eftabliihed in London for the encouragement of agriculture cannot adapt itfelf to the feveral circumftances of different counties, and as few far- mers can receive any advantage from it, a focletyis formed, the whole attention of which will be directed to the county of Norfolk. " Great benefits have been experienced from focieties of this kind, instituted in other parts of England ; in which by raifing a fpirit of improvement, agriculture has received great advantages. Equal advantages, it is prefumed, may be received in this county. Notwithftanding the progrefs made here in the turnip hufbandry, and in the excellent management of light arable lands, there are many other branches of hufbandry to which we have not paid equal attention. But fuppofing the Norfolk hufbandry to be equally perfect in all its parts, who will be fo hardy as to affert that we are now arrived at the ne plus ultra of im- provement. The objects of this fociety are, to raife by premiums a fpirit of emulation and improvement in fuck parts of hufbandry .as feem molt to require it; to endeavour toencreafe the national produce of corn, by bringing into cultivation in the leaft expenfive and moft effectual manner fuch lands as are at prefent barren ; particularly by drain- ing, and the- introduction of various forts of vegetable food for cattle, and by diftributing rewards to thofe who fhall raife the largeft and beft crops of the feveral fpecies of grain ; to promote the knowledge of agriculture, by en- couraging and directing regular experiments on thofe fub- jefts ( io ) je&s which arc of mofl: importance in it ; to extend this knowledge by publifning the refult of thefe experiments in the county papers. And by a correfpondence with the provincial focieties eitablifhed for this or the like purpofes in other parts of the kingdom, to acquire and difFufe the beft and moft certain method of proceeding in every branch of hufDandry. The degree in which thefe objefls can be obtained, muft depend upon the degree of encourage- ment which the undertaking" fhall receive from the public; It is therefore requeued that ail fuch gentlemen, farmers, and others, as are dilpofed to fupport it, will lignify their intention with fuch fums as each perfon may refpeftively choofe to fubferibe to the Treafurer, or to Meflrs. Alday and Kerrifon, Bankers, in Norwich. Rules and Orders of the Socitty. I. That there be one Prefident, twelve Vice-Prcfdents, one Treafurer, and Secretary ; To be chofen at the an- nual meeting in the aflize-week, at Norwich. II. That there be an annual meeting on the Saturday in every afoze-week, in Norwich, and alfo that there be a quarterly meeting on the Saturday in each county-feffions week, at twelve o'clock prccifely. III. An extraordinary general meeting may be called at any time, notice being given by advertifing two fuccceding weeks in the Norwich Papers, at the rcqueft, and under the fignatureof ten fubferibers. IV. That a committee of the whole fociety fliall meet nt the CofTec-houfc in Norwich, on the Saturday preced- ing each general meeting, at four o'clock in the afternoon, ia ( ioi ) in order to prepare bafine's, and that any three members be a committee. V. That the committee may adjourn if necefary. VI. None to be admitted at meetings but members of the fociety without leave of the majority of the members prcfent. VII. At all meetings bufinefs mall begin with reading the minutes of the preceding meeting, but no part of fuch minutes fhall be difcuffed till the whole has been read through. The minutes fhall then be read a fecond time, and no new matter {hall be propofed till the faid minutes have been difcuffed article by article, and all parts of the minutes which fhall not be objected to at the fecond reading fhall ftand confirmed, and be figned by the then prefiding member. VIII. That any perfon paying the Aim of ten guinea^' to the fociety fhall be a member for life. IX. The annual fubferiptions to commence from the i ft day of January, 1774, and new fubferiptions in fucceeding years to commence from the ill of January preceding. X. No perfon to be a member, or to have a right to vote, if his fubfeription is more than three months in ar- rear. XI. All members fhall take their places when the fo- ciety proceeds to bufinefs ; and when any member (peaks he fhall addrefs himfelf to the chair. XII. No queftion fhall be put on any motion unlefs the motion be feconded. 6 XIII. No ( 1C2 ) XIII. No motion that h-s been rejected fliaJJ be made again in Icfs than twelve months from the time of its be- ing rejected. XIV. No premium fhall be offered till it has been ap- proved by a general meeting. XV. No premium or bounty (hull be giver, to any candi- date unlefs recommended to the general meeting by a com- mittee. -> XVI. When two or more members offer to fpeak toge- ther, the prefiding member fhaii determine who fhall fpeak, firft. XVII. At all meetings of the fociety no member fhall fpeuk more than twice upon the fame quelticn, unlefs called, upon to explain himfelf by the prefiding member. XVIII. When any matter is in debate, if a member fhall fpeak to new bufinefs, the prefiding member Qiali call him 10 order. X$X. The member who fpeaks to order fhall be firft hca-d. XX. All claims of premiums, petitions, and memorials, to be lodged with the Secretary, at leaft 14 Wifbech, Thfar (or StiiFkey) Creak, Cley, Mundefley, Grefham, Taiis, Loddon, Broome, GrefTenhall, Eyne, Tud, befides feveral namelefs rivulets. The river Wek- 8om, Wentfar, or Bariden, hath its fource near Whif- fonfet, in Launditch hundred; bending round by Rain- ham, receives a branch from Rudham, and another from Sculthorpe; and paffing by Fakcnham and Elmham, i joined at Worthing by an united ftream, the one from Bittering and Bectley, the other from Wendling and Gref- fcnhall: Above this, a fmall brook runs into the Wenfom from Foulmam. Below Lenwadc-Bridge it receives the Eyne from I ley don and Reepham, and oppofite to Hel- lefdon, the Tud from Mattifhall and Coflcy. Running through the city of Norwich, it is joined by the Tare and Taiis at Trowfe. The Yare rifes in Hingham, and run- ning ( 107 ) ning by Kimberley, Marlingford*, Bawburgh, and Eatoa, meets the Tails at Lakenham. The Taiis hath three branches; one comes from New Buckenham, a fecond from Pulham, and the third from Hempnall, all of which unite at Tafbargh, to which a finaller brook is added from Tacolneftone, and another from Wrenningham. Thefe ccme down by Shottilham, and meet the Tare at Laken- ham, below which (at Trowfe) they form a junftion with the Wenfom, and then take the name of Yare. The Yare|, which is navigable from Norwich, hath its courfe by Poitwick, Surlingham, Bockenham, and Reed- ham, where it receives a ftream from Mundham and Lod- dcn. From thence it meanders through the marfhes to Bray dent, at the upper end of which it meets with the Waveney, and both being joined by the Bure, or North River, at Yarmouth, influx with the Britifh ocean, two miles fouth of the town. The corporation of Norwich confervate the river down to Hardley-Crofs, from whence to its mouth the corporation of Great Yarmouth have the jurisdiction ; alfo up the Bure and Waveney to the bridges at Acle and St. Olave's. The river Bure arifes near Hindolvefton, and running by Saxthorpe and Blickling, becomes navigable at Aylfham; from whence it proceeds to Oxnead and Lammas, where.it is joined by a conhderable branch from Roughton, Suffield, Sec. The Burs then goes by Coltilhall, and receives a ri- vulet from Horsford above Wroxham, pafTes through Wroxham- f A branch from Wymondham joins at Kimberlcy, and one from Garvefton at Barford. This laft is properly the Yare. -J- Garienis, Gueme, Gerne, or Jere. J Braidon, or Brayden, called in a record, Henry VI. 6, Aqua de Brething, and anciently Baradan. It is marked fl. Braydyng u a map on vellum, fuppofed to be drawn in the reign of Edward III. Wroxham-Bridga to St. Bennct's Abbey, where the Ant (which fprings from Antingham and Thorpe-Market, and bending iroond North Walfliam, to Honing, Wayford- Bridge, and Ludham) meets it. from St. Bennet's the Sure glides on to Thurne, where it is joined by a river called the Thurne, having its fource in Happifourgh, and channel by Hickling-Priory, and Heigham-Potter Bridge, above which a navigable llream from Hickling- Broad, and one from Winterton, unite : Thus, the Ant and thurne being confo'.idated with the Bure, they pafs through Acle-bridge, and receiving fome water from Hemefby and Filby, worm through the marines, and meet the Yare at Yarmouth. The Wavekey filters from a piece of meadow -ground at Lopham, (out of which alfo the Lefftr Ou/e takes its courfe westward) and palling though the bridge at Scole, runs by Billingford and Harlefton, below which it is aided by a brook from Puliiam. It makes a bend round Bungay in form of a ho. fe-fhoe, and at Ellingham receives a ftrcam. from Hedcnham and Broome ; then warning the north fide i/i Beccles, it communicates, oppofite BurghSt. Peter, with the ebb of Mutford -broad, and continuing its navigable courfe through the marines by St. Olave's, is joined, oppo fite Burgh-Caftle, by the Tare, both of which, with the 'Bure, empty their contents into the feaat Yarmouth haven. The Waveney is navigable from Bungay-bridge, through the bridges at Beccles, and St. Olave's, to Yarmouth. The Ouse Parva, or Brandon river, hath its rife from the fame meadow at Lopham, that the Waveney proceeds a contrary way ; and running by Gafthorpe and Rufhford, meets a river from Ixworth, in Suffolk. Above Thetford it receives the Thet, one branch of which rifes at Old Buckcnham, ( 9 ) fcuckenham, and being joined at Snetterton by a rill from Breckles and Larlingford, meets another branch from Quidenham-meer at Eaft HarKng; and thus the Thet being. formed, pafles between Brettenham and Shadwell- Lodge to Thetford > where the O use hath a bridge, and becomes navigable. From thence it meanders through the '" fandy defarts'' to Brandon-bridge, and Healing on "in folemn tragic pace" through the level of fens, is ** wedded" to the greater Ouse at Prieft-bridge, four miles below Littleport, in Cambridgefhire. From Prieft-bridge the Ouse hath its courfe by Southery- ferry to Hilgay-creek, where the Wissey, or Stoke river, meets in contact. TheWissEY rifes from Bradenham, and from Hingham, the latter branch running by Watton, meets the former at Crefiingham, whence leading paft Langford by a fweep to Oxburgh, is there joined by a ftream from Beecham-well. From thence the Wisse y is na- vigable through Stoke and Hilgay bridges to the Ouse at Hilgay-creek. About one mile and a hv, If below, the Ouse pafTes through Denver-fluice, where it is immediately joined by the Bedford rivers from Erith, and the Nene from Upwell and Outwell. Here, indeed, the Ouse becomes formidable, by receive ing the waters and produce of feveral counties ; for, the greater Ouse (formerly called Ufa, or Ifa) fprings from Brackley, in Northamptonfhire, and paffing through Buck- ingham, Bedford, Huntingdon, and Cambridge-fhire, ad- mits the Grant, or Cambridge, and Mildenhall rivers, at Ely. The Nene rifes in Northamptonshire, dividing that county from Huntingdon, and running through a part of Cambridge-fhire and Norfolk, influxes with the Ouse as above. The tide formerly flowed a confiderable way up P thefe ( no ) thefe rivers, but is now checked by fluices at Denver, be- low which the Ouse pafTes through Downham, Stow, Magdalen, and German bridges, and being joined by the Nar, and a multitude of cuts, drains, dikes, lodes, &c. in its way hither, empties its vaft contents into the bay, called by Ptolemy Metaris ^Estuarium, or the Wa'-h*, two miles below the port of Lynn-Regis. The Ouse, according to Badeflade, runs a courfe of 160 miles f. The Nar hath its fource in Mileham, and palling by Litcham and Caftle Acre, becomes navigable at Weftacre, from whence it takes its courfe by Pentney and Setchy- bridge to Lynn-Regis, where it is fwallowed up by the Oufe. The Wisbech river is a cut from the Nene, at Peterbo- rough, and running through Morton's-leam and Wifbech- bridge, empties itfelf into the Crofs-keys wafh, and bay of Metaris ALjluarium. Till the thirteenth century the Greater Oufe and Cam had their out-fall by Littleport, Welney, Well, and Wifbech ; but it was then judged right to divert its natural courfe into the Lynn channel. {For the particulars of this revolution, and its eonfequences, J ) broad extends a mile and a half, but is (o (hallow, narrow K and ill-lhapen, tha: nothing more need be faid of it. By the river Bure art.- feveral broads, as Wroxbam, Ho-veton, Wood-bajhrick., Ranzuortb, and South Waljham, ai! of which are fai J to cover 500 acres. >uidenham, Di/s, and Hi ng- bam, have each a mere, but they are fmall with refpect ta thofe above mentioned. It was fome years ago propofed to render the river Wcn- fom navigable from Norwich up to Fakenham, but the difficulty and expence of the work it was found would far exceed the partial benefit to the country. A navigable cut from Norwich, by Hingham and Watton, to Oxburgh, was alfo propofed, which would have opened a communi-. cation with the Oufe, &c. but this, like the other, ap- peared but in embryo ; and in the prefent ftate of public af- fair?, it is not probable that any improvement of this kind, will be put in execution. Fairs in the County of Norfolk, fptxifying the Days on which they are held, 1781. Aldeburgh, June 21 Attlcburgh, April 1 1, May 24, Auguft 15 AyMham, March 23, September 25 Banham, January 22 Bromhall, May 28, November 30 Broomhill, July 7 Burnham, March 15, Auguft 1 Caftlc Acre, April 18, July 25 ,_*, Cawfton, January 10, April 14, Auguft 2! Cley, July 13 Cokululi, June 4 Creflmgham ( "3 ) Creflingham Magna, Auguft 12 Cromer, June 4 Dereham, Eart, February 3, September 2$ Difs, October 28 Down ham, April 27, November 2 Elmham, April 5 Harling, Eaft, May 4, October 24 St. Faith's, the week after Old Mich. Oct. 17 Feltwell, November 20 Fincham, March 3 Forncet, September 1 1 Foulfham, May 1 Frettenham, April 13 Fring, May 10, November 30 Gay wood, June n, October 6 Giffing, July 25 Greflenhall, December 6 Harlefton, July 5, September 9 Harpley, July 24 Heacham, Auguft 3 Hempnall, June 4, November 22 Hempton, June 5, November 22 Hingham, March 6, May 26, October 2 Hockham, April 5 Hockwold, July 25 Hot, April 25, November 25 Horning, Auguft 6 Ingham, July 11 Kenninghall, July 7 Kip- Am, Auguft 24 Loddon, April 16, November 27 Litcham, November 1 Lynn-Regis, February z Magdalen, near Norwich, Auguft z Maffingham, ( "4 ) Maffingham, April ic, November 8 Mattifhall, June 6 Methwolu, April 25 New Buckenham, May 29, O&ober 22 Northwaliham, May 24 Northwoid, November 30 Norwich, April 12, June 2 and 9 Oxburgh, Marck 25 Pulham St. Mary Magdalen, May 21 Reepham, Juvie 29 Rodham, May 17, October 2, Scole, April 17 Scottow, April 17 Shouldham, September 19, October 10 South-Repps, July 25 Sprowfton, Auguft 2 Stoke-Ferry, December 6 Stow- bridge, iVlay 29 Swaff'ham, May 12, July 21, November 5 Thetford, May 14, Auguft 2, September 25 Walfingham, June 4 Watton, June 18, September 29, October 2S Weafenham, January 25 Worried, May 3 Wvmondham, February 2, May 6, September 7 Yarmouth, April 19, 10. Origin a?id Vfe of Seals. The Saxons ufed no fcals, onfy figned the mark of a cnifs to their inftruments, to which the fcribc affixed their names, by which they had a double meaning ; firft, to denote their being Chriilians, and then as fuch to confirm it ( "5 ) it by the fymbol of their faith : The firtt fealed charte* we meet with, is that of Edward the Confeflbr, to Weft- minlter-Abbey, which ufe he brought with him from Nor- mandy, where he was brought up, and for that reafon it was approved of by the Norman Conqueror, though feal- ing grew into common ufe by degrees, the King at firil only ufing it, then fome of the Nobility, after that the Nobles in general, who engraved on their feals their own effigies, covered with their coat armour; after this the Gen- tlemen followed, and ufed the arms of their family for difference fake ; but about die time of Edward III. feals became of general ufe, and they that had no coat armour, fealed with their own device, as flowers, birds, beafts, or whatever they chiefly delighted in, as a dog, a hare, &c* and nothing was more common than an invention, or rebus r for their names, as a fwan and a tun, for Swanton, a hare, for Hare, &c. and becaufe very few of the commonalty could write, (all learning at that time being among the re- ligious only) the perfon's name was ufually circumfcribed on his feal, fo that at once they fet both their name and feal, which was fo facred a thing, in thofe days, that one man never ufed another's feal, without its being particularly taken notice of in the inilrument fealed, and for this rea- 1 fon, every one carried their feal about them, either on their rings, or on a roundell, fattened fometimes to their purfe, fometimes to their girdle ; nay, oftentimes where a man's feal was not much known, he procured fome one in public office to affix theirs, for the greater confirmation. Thus Hugh de Schalers, or Scales, a younger fon of Lord Scales's family, parfon of Harlton, in Cambridgefhire, upon his agreeing to pay the prior of Berne well 30s. for the- two- third parts of the tythe corn, due to the faid prior, out of feveral lands in his parifli, becaufe his feal was known to few, he procured the A chdeacoa's official, to- put ( li6 ) put his feal of office, for more ample confirmation ; and wheA this was not done, nothing was more common than for a Public-notary to affix his mark, which King regi^crcd, at their admiffion into their office, was of as public a nature as any feal could be, and of as great fandlion to any inftru- ment, thofe officers being always fworn to the true execu- tion of their office, and to affix no other mark than that they had regiftered, to any inllrument, fo their teftimony could be as well known by their mark, as by their name ; for which reafon they were called Public-notaries, nota, in Latin, fignifying a mark, and publid, becaufe their mark was publicly regiftered, artd their office was to be public to all that had ahy occafion for them to ftrer.gthen their evidence ; there are few of thefe officers among us now, and fuch as we have, have fo far varied from the original of their name, that they ufe no mark at all, only add N. P. for Notary-public at the end of their names*. Thus alfo the ufe of feals is now laid afide, we mean the true ufc of them, as the diftinguifhing mark of one family from ano- ther, and likewife of one branch from another; and was it enjoined by public authority, that every 6iie in office fhould, upon his admiffion, choofe, and appro- priate to himfclf a particular feal, and regiftcr a copy of it publicly, and fhould never ufe any other but that alone, under a fevere penalty, in a fhort time we fhould fee the good The ufe of thefe mark* were found fo beneficial, that at that time all merchant* of any note had their peculiar m.irkt, with which they marked all their ware, and bar; in fhields impaled with, or inftead of arms, wit ne^ the abundance of merchant marks to be found on the houfes, windows, and gravc-Aones, in all cities and great towns, as Norwich, Lynn, Sec. by which the memory of their owners is ftill prefcrved, it being very obvious to all that fcarch into the records of thofe places, to find who ufed fuch a mark, and then, if we fee it on a houfe, we may con- clude it to have been that man's dwelling ; If on a difrobed grave- ftone, that it was hit grave ; if on a church window, or arty other public building, that lie was a benefactor thereto, and nothing is of greater ufc than ancient deeds to make out their marks by, for they always fcalca with them. ( "7 ) good effe&s of It ; for a great number of thofe vagabonds that infefl our country, under pretence of certificates, fign- ed by proper Magiltrates, (whofe hands'are oftener coun- terfeit than real) would be dete&ed ; for though it is eafy for an ill-defigning perfon to forge a hand writing, 'tis di- reclly the contrary as to a feal ; and though it is in the power of all to know magiftrates names, 'tis but very few of fuchfort of people that could know their feals ; fo that it would in a great meafure (if not altogether) put a fcop to that vile practice, and it would be eafy for every Magiftrate to know the feals of all others, if they were entered pro- perly, engraved, and publifhed ; and it might be of fervice if all the office feals in England (or in thofe foreign parts that any way concern the Realm) were engraved and pub- lifhed, for then it would be in every one's power to know whether the feals of office affixed to all pafles, &c. were genuine, or not ; for it is well known that numbers travel this nation under pretence of paffes from our Confuls and agents abroad, and fometimes even deceive careful Ma- giftrates with the pretended hands and feals of fuch, it being fometimes imnoffible for them to know the truth, which by this means would evidently appear. And thus much, and a great deal more, may be faid to encourage the true and original ufe of that wife Conqueror's pra&iqj, who can fcarce be faid to have put any thing into ufe, but what he found was of advantage to his Government. Blomejield. ' The great feal of England was firft ufed in 1050, and Lambard, in his perambulation of Kent, juftly odferves, that feals were not in common ufe anno Dni. 1294, and therefore, to make a conveyance in the moft folemn and public manner that could be, the deed was read to the pariih after fervice, in the church-yard, that all might Q know know it, and be witneffes, if occafion required. ]|ffTiav- feen the copy of a grant made by Malcolm III. King of Scotland, about the year io3o, wherein he fays, V and for the mair j'uithj I byte the white Wax with my Tooth, before thir luitneffet three" &c. Of Romany Anglo-Saxon, and Daniflj Antiquities. In Norfolk, the remains are fo fully defcribed in the to- pography of the hundred they refpcclively belong to, that little more need be faid here than juit to mention names. Thetford was the Sitomagus of the Romans, Yarmouth, Garianomim,' Caftor, Venta-Icenorum, Tafburgh, Ad Taum, Brancafter, Brannodunum, and Ickborough, Jciani. At Brampton, and many other places in the county, Ro- man coins have been difcovered. The Roman 'camps at Caftor, Tafburgh, and Brancaftcr, arc eafily traced, but theftation at Burgh, near the Brayden, is the moft entire of any in Iceni. The North of England and South of Scotland abounds in thofe ocular evidences of antiquity which carry with them conviclicn : Roman fiations, roads, and exploratory camps are frequent; and veftiges of cir- cumvallations raifed by the Scots and Pifts, Danes and Britons, are every way to be met with. Indeed, many of the latter are creduloufly believed Reman by Gordon, Horfley, and other itinerant dellneants, " whofe imagina- tion (fay an author) heated by a fuperior warmth of eru- di:ion, fondly foftered every appearance that bore a refeto- blance to antiquity, and claimed an indifputable credit from their /wWdifquifitions." That all Roman fortifi- catiorfs < H9 ) nations were quadrilateral is beyond difpute : It is equally afcertained that thofe of the Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and Britifh, were circular; then, how the latter could be mif- t:iken for Roman is to us more than wonderful '. Thetford, Yarmouth, Elmham, Norwich, and Deopham, were towns well known to the Saxons. At a place, called J21ood-gate, in South Creak, are vefliges of a Saxon fortification, where a fevere battle was fought between the Anglo-Saxons and Danes. A fmall circular fort is yet viable at Narburgh ; thrown up, moft likely, when the Danes landed on the coaft of Norfolk, anno Dni. 1003. At Burnham-Depdale are feveral Saxon funeral monuments; and near Weeting is a bank and ditch, called the Fofs; near it is Grime's Graves ; and not far from thence the Walftngham Way is pretty perfect. The principal military ways of the Romans in this ifland are thofe now called Watling-ftreet, Ickenield-ftreet, Stone- flreet, and the FofTe-way, which are vifible in many parts of South Britain, on which moft of the Roman cities and flations flood, and confequently moft of the remains of Roman antiquity found in Britain have been difcovered. Thefe four principal ways croffed each other at Tilbury- fort, and there palling the river Thames, extended in their feveral directions to the extremities of the Roman poflef- fions in England and Wales. Befides the principal ways, there are many remains of vicinal ways, or fuch as were called by the Romans, Chemini minares ; Some of thefe are faid to pafs into Norfolk, but of this we are doubtful; notwith Handing it is generally allowed that the Romans made roads of communication to ail their ftations*. The Q_2 road, * Military ways, vi.t mil i tares, are trie large Roman roads for the more convenient marching of troops and conveyance of carriages, Ajrippa ( 120 ) road, called the Peddars-tuay, running from Thetford, by Ickborough, Swaffham, Caftle Acre, Harpley-dam, Fring, and Ringftead, to the fea at Holme, has mod the appear- ance of Roman of any we have met with in the county ; for, what is called Walfingham; or the Milky-way, is only a road of pilgrimage to our Lady of Walfingham. The road leading by Long Stratton to Tafburgh might poflibly be Roman, but we fee nothing like Roman roads to Caitor, Elmham, nor Brancaiter; the Venta-Icenorum, and Brannodunum of the Romans. In this, as in other counties, are to be met with in many parts, artificial heaps of earth and Hone, commonly called Sorrows, from the Saxon word byrigh, and from which the Englilh word bury is alfo derived. Thefe were called by the Romans tumulus : in Scotland they are called cairns, and in Ireland curroughs ; in Wales they are termed tom- mens, or hillocks* Barrows are found in motl countries; but in the Britifh dominions they are very numerous, oc- casioned by the practice of the Druids, who burned and then buried their dead ; though afterwards barrows were made ufe of for other purpofes than protecting the remains of the dead: Sometimes as places of worfbip, for holding judicial courts, feitival folemnitics, and election of inferior magiitrates. Dr. Stukely is clearly of the fame opinion with us, " that the ancient Britons had the cuftom of burning the bodies of their dead, before they had ever heard of the name of Rome." In thefe barrows, or burial-places, are found human bones intermixed with wood-aihes, and enclofcd by a par- cel of (tones fct in fome order ; or, by urns of brick-day. Along Agrippa procured thefe roads to be made through the empire in the time t AuguAua. ( 1*1 ) Along with thefe are frequently found InftrumentJ of vrar* pledge, or facrifice. When thefe barrows were not very large, and the burying places of private perfons only, they were fituated near public roads, to put travellers in mind of the common deiHny ! If they were the fepulchres of common foldiers, they were thrown up generally on the eld of battle where the foldiers fell, and are found in ftiait lines, ftretching along the plains, which have been, the fcenes of great actions, as regularly as the front of an army. The fize of thefe fepalchral monuments is various, Lut generally large, in proportion to the quality of the de- ceafed, or the vanity, aifection, and power of the fur- vivors ! In this manner do we find a great many barrows lh Norfolk, near Anmer, Sedgeford, Rudham, Stifkey, Creak, Long Stratton, Wretham, Weeting, &c. fome of which have been opened, and difcovered relics, which the reader will find topographically defcribed in the faid parts of this hiltory. Bifhop Gibfon, amongft his additions to Camden's Nor- folk, fays, " Towards the fea-fide are carl up all along little hills, which are doubtlefs the burying places of the Danes and Saxons, upon their engagements in thofe parts. Sepulcbrum, fays Tacitus, concerning the Germans, cefpes erigit. Thofe two ufed to bury the whole body, and af- terwards raife a hill upon it ; The Romans, as appears in Virgil by the burial of Mezentius, made their heap of turf, but only buried the afhes ; fo that whether they alfo might not have fome fliare here (efpecially Brannodu?fum t being fo near) cannot be difcovered but by digging. How- ever, our learned Knight* from thofe circumftances has railed. * Sir Henry Spelmaa. ( lit ) aifed thefe three obfervations : firft, that the perfons bu- ried hereaboats muit have been Heathens, becaufe the Chriftians followed the Jewiih way of burying in low places*; for though our word bnry (comes from the Saxon hyrigan, and that from bevrg, a bill) denotes a rifing ground, as well as the Latin tumulare, yet this is to be reckoned amongft thofe many words which Chriilians have borrowed from the Heathens, and applied to their own rites and conftitutions. Secondly, it is remarkable, that thofe parts which are now very fruitful in corn, were then uncultivated f, becaufe the fuperftition of the Heathens Vrould not allow them to bury in 6elds. Thirdly, that this muft have been a fcene of war between the Danes and Saxons; for in the fields near Creak there is a large Saxon fortification, and the way that goes from it is to this day called Blood-gate, as a mark of the {laughter." The Monajleries and Religious Honfes in Norwich, and the County of Norfolk, at the Time of the general DiJJblution by Henry VIII. anno Dni. 1535, are as follow: Norwich Convent, or Ca- Aldby Priory thedral Attleburgh Chantry St. Mary in Norwich Bcefton Priory St. Francis, ditto Baton St. Dominic, ditto Binham St. Auguftinc, ditto Blackborough in MiJJleto* St. Giles, ditto Blakcney, or Snitterley St. Paul, ditto Buckenham Broomhill In foflie^ f Cic de Leg. Tub fin. ( 1 Broomhill near Brandon Broomholme in Bafton B urnham- Weftgate Bedlam Black Canons Carew, Carrbwe, or Carhow Carbrooke Caftle Acre Cafior College Coxford in Rudham Crabe-houfe in Wiggenhall Dereham, Eaft Dereham, Weft F'itcham Hevcringland Mount-Joy Hempton near Fakenham Herringby Hilderlandt Hickling Horfham St. Faith's Holme St. Benedict Ingham Langley St. Mary near Norwich Marmound Marham, or Markham Lynn-Regis Carmelite Friars in Lynn Black Friars, ditto Grey Friars, ditto Cell to Norwich, ditto Hofpital, ditto Maffingham Mendhaja 2 3 ) Pentney Peterftone near Hoikham De Prato, or North Creak Abbey Raveningham R.u(h worth Shouldham Thetford Houfe of Friars Monaftery of Auguftirie- Friars in ditto St. Sepulchre, ditto Priory of St. Mary and St. John, ditto St. Gregory, ditto St. Andrew, ditto St. Mary, ditto St. Mary Magdalen, dittir Toftrees Thomfon Waborne Walfingham Wells Wendling Weft-Acre Wymondham Witham, or Winwald Weybridge in Acle Wormegay Yarmouth, a Cell to Nor- wich St. Mary, in Yarmouth St. Dominic, ditto St. Francis, ditto By C "4 ) By the above lift we find, t!i~t rhe Dtfen J < r of thr Faith difFolved no lefs than f_venty-feven reiigic. and charitable houfes in this county. lienry \ III. being excommuni- cated by the Pope for denying- his fupremacy, . n for other offences, he fuppreffed n^o monafteries, &c in England, whofe revenues amounted to 183,707!. per annaoi. Lord Cromwell was made Vicar-gc.ieral, and vihted the reli- gious foundations tuilb pLguc, feftihntt y and famine y and the lando were fold at eafy rates. In 1539 a ltatute pa/Ted .for con firming the furrender of 645 abbeys, 152 co. s, and 129 hofpitals. The order of the Knights Templers of $t. John of Jerufalem were alfo fuppreiied, in the year following. Befidcs thefe religious houfes, Norfolk contained feveral alien priories and decayed hofpitals, which were diffolved before the reign of Henry VIII. of ecclefiaitic memory, a> at Chofely, Downham, Hilgay, Hubbies, Horitead, Leflingham, Lynn, Newbridge in Ickborough, Narford, Norwich, Sherringham, Slevcfholm in Methwold, Setchye, Sporle, Thetford, Thorpe-wood, Toft-monks, Walfing.* Bam, Wereham, &c. We alfo read of pilgrimages to our Lady at Rcepham, to St. Spyrit, St. Parnel at Strat- um, St. Leonard without Norwich, St. Wandred of Bixlcy, St. Margaret ot HorJlead, to our Lady of Pity at Horftead, St. John's Head of Trimmingham, and to the Holy Rode cf Croftwick: And feveral ma- nors, lands, &c. in Norfolk, belonged to, or were held of religious houfes not in the county. The firft monaflery in the world was founded in 270, where the filter of St. Anthony retired. The diftinclion of abbey, priory, convent, free-chapel, chantry, friary, col- lege, collegiate-church, hofpital, preceptory, cell, dormi- tory, hermitage, guild, houfes of alms, and for lepers, were ( i S ) were afterwards given to ecciefl.ifi.ic er charitable inilkn- tl.ins, whether independent or fubordinate. Hofpitals or precept vies for the Knights Timplers of St. John of Jeru- fiiem v. --re peculiar.'.. Cells were houfes that belonged to great-abbeys, or monafteries. Into thefe cells the Monks of the abbess fent colonies when they were too much crouded, or afraid of an infectious difeafc at home. The Mc.ks were originally cenf.ncd to drink milk end veto-, but thev fooii gave up that diet for ixi ne and ale , Seme of thefe were rkhly endowed, and luxury kept pace with their iicreafmg wealth. In length of time they became pof- fc'Jcu of a third part of all the lands in England, when pride, magnificence, and licentioufnefs, with all their train, entered their facred walls, and hadened their dLToiution. Erafmus tells us many dories of the deceptions aad enor- mities practifed by the canonical gentry of his day, and Spelman denounced hereditary imbecility en the purcha- fers of abbey-land?'. De non tcmcrajidis Ecclejlis. But both thefe writers, whatever the authority of their names may be, a r e fond of the maf ve Ileus i and Cambden, the belt chorographer of the lad century, admits many of thefe miracles. Wa! (Ingham, in this county, was famous throughout England for pilgrimages to the Virgin Mary; io;-, whoever had not made a vifit and prefent to the BierTed Lady of this place, was looked upon as impious and ineli- gious ; and here ';he Prietts carried on as lucrative a irade % by deceiving die ignorant multitude, as the monks of Can- terbury, who were in poiiefnon of the fhrina cf Beckct. .'indeed it was the practice in England, as it is llill in Italy a..ii other popifn countries, for thottfands of people to'go there annually to vifit the Jbrine of our Lai.J, as it was called; and they had in bdgcr.ces granted diem in i-rcper- R thn tion to the fums given to the priefts ; for the reader mu.1 not fuppofc th.it it was from motives of piety that they went thither. " On the contrary, fays theEnglilh Travel- ler, we have feen proceflions of thofe pilgrims in different parts of Europe, and, without the leaif. exaggeration, they may be reduced to the following clafTes : Suppofing the whole body to confift of fifty of each fcx, twenty couple are generally on love intrigues, the fecond twenty are idle lazy 'vagabonds and -wbires, whillt the lait ten couple may be partly devotees, and partly pbilofopbers, who go to laugh at the depravity of human nature, and the bare-faced wickednefs of the Priefh.'* This college of Walfingham had fcarce any revenues befides the prefents made to the BlefTed Virgin : The mod valuable gifts only were preferved ; the frnaller being ap- propriated to the maintenance of the prior and convent. In the church vas a little narrow chapel of wood, into which the pilgrims were admitted on each fide by a fmall door. There was no light but that of the wax tapers, which had a grateful fmell : " But, fays Erafmus, if you look in, you'll fay 'tis the feat of the Gods, fo bright and mining is it all over with jewels, gold, and filver.'' Yet, woe to tell ! that very Prince who walked one mile and a half bare-foot to prefent a rich necklace to the Lady of Wal- fingham, foon after reduced her Ladyfhip and her valuable train to their original value in bullion ! The road of pilgrimage through this county is ftiil vifible in many parts, and is called Walfingham Way, or the Milky Way. There were formerly fcvcrai convents and hofpitals for leprous perfons. The people of England in thofe times mult have been fcrcly afflicted by that loathfome difcafe in confequence of their not wearing linen, but flannel, and other ( *7' ) other woollen cloth, next their fkin, which rauil naturallj have produced vermin, and at lait turned into what was then called the leprofy, and thought incurable, although nothing is more eafily performed in this age. Indeed we are fcarce able, in this enlightened age, to form any notion of the mnnner in which our anceltors lived about five cen- turies ago; for, in the reign of Henry I'll, we find " draw full ufed for the King's bed, anno Dm. 1242:'' And at that time the Court of Henry III. was confidered as the ftandard of politenefs for all the other nations in Europe. How different the prefent times ! Eminent Men. We have already obferved, that " Norfolk hath produ- ced as many great and eminent perfons* in war, law, learn- ing, and politics, as moll counties," among which we (hall make biographical mention of the following : Sir John Fafcolff was born at Yarmouth* 1377, and mar- ried the Lady Calllecomb in Ireland, with whom he re- ceived a great fortune. In 1415 he accompanied Henry V. in his expedition to France, and was appointed Go- vernor of Harfleur, in Normandy. At the famous battle of Agincourt, he behaved with the greateft bravery, and affifled in taking the Duke of Alencon prifoner. As a re- ward for his bravery the King granted him fome lands in Normandy, and conferred upon him the honor of Knight- hood. When Henry V. died, he accompanied John Duke of Bedford, regent of the kingdom, to France, and was pre- fent at moll of the engagements in which that hero was R 2 concerned k, . _* * Writer! differ about the place of his birth, ( I2S ) e*:ncrned, upon which ho was made a Baron and Knight of the Garter. When the Lnglih bcfiegcd Oilcans in 14 23, he con- ch - ~lr J a convoy of provisions th :'icr, which was of great fcrvicc to tUe array, and in i.p.o, he was appointed O.;- V'-rnor of Caenj in Normandy, ;< place of great importance it; that time. About two years afterwards he was fent in conjunction with the Lo;d Wiiloughby againfl the Fiench, under the command of the Duke of Akncon, and obtained Xeveral confiderabic victories. In i4-;o hr returned to his native country , where he be- feme as illuftiious for his private vliturs, as he had been io"ir.erly For his patriotifrn and valor; for P.-ace prefents *n opportunity for greatnefs to difplay itfeif equally, if not more than the field. He continued in the exercifes of generofity and benevolence to tlie lail, and having lingered fome time with an ailhma, he paid ids lail debe to nature 1459, aged 82. Many have thought that Shnkcfpeare had this hero in view when he wrote his character of Falftafr, but nothing is more improbable, as the one is rcprcfented as a bafe pol- troon, whilil the other was adorned with every virtue. Richard Taverncr, Efq. was born in Norfolk 1505, and inftructc-d in grammar learning at the free-fchool of Nor- wich, after which he was catered in Bennet's College, Cambridge, but removed from thence to Cardinal Wolfcy's New College at Oxford, fince called Chrilt's Church, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and after- wards fettled in the Inner Temple to (ludy the municipal I England. A late author tells its, that while he re- mained in the Temple, he ufed to cite paCages from fuch of ( >*9 ) bf the law bocks as are in Greek, but it is well known that there never was a treatife on the laws of England in that language, and therefore it mull be meant of the Julti* nian inititutions. It doej not appear that he ever was called up to the Bar, for in 1534 he went into the fervice of Lord Cromwell, who procured him the place of Cierk to the Signet, when he publilhed a new edition of the Bible, corrected from the beft manufcripts. When Cromv/ell was beheaded, Taverner was brought into trouble, and committed to the Tower, but foon after releafed and reftored to the King's favor, which he enjoyed during the remainder of Henry's reign. Edward VI. granted him a licence, although a Layman, to preach in any church in England, which was then ne- ceffiry, as few Proteilant Miniilers could be had. During the reign of Queen Mary he concealed himfelf to avoid perfecution, but on the accefiion of Queen Elizabeth, hft was taken into favor, appointed High-Sheriff and a Juflice of the Pc:ice for the county of Oxford. Whilft he enjoyed thefe offices, he continued to preach againll the idolatry of the Papilts, and one time being in the pulpit of St. Mary's, he began his fermon with the following words : ** Arriving at the Mount of St. Mary's, " in the ftony ftage, where I now Hand," (St. Mary's pulpit was then built of ftone) " I have brought you fom " bifcuits, baked in the oven of charity, carefully con- " ferved for the chickens of* the church, the fparrows of ' the fpirit, and the fweet fwallows of falvation." Such ( *3& ) Such was the vicious tafte of thofe time*, when pe- dantry patted for learning, and affe&ation for genuine fim- plicity. He was a very zealous encourager of the Refor- mation, and not only preached, but wrote and tranflated feveral books, in order to promote it. He died at Wood- Eaton, in Oxfordflure, 1575, aged 70. John Baconthorpe, commonly called the Subtil DoBor, was born at Baconfthorpe, and educated in a monaftery of Carmelites at Blakeney, after which he went to Oxford, and from thence to Paris, where he diftinguifhed him/elf for his knowledge in metaphyfics, at that time the common jargon of the fchools. Upon his leturn to England he was appointed principal of his order, and fent to Rome to deliver his opinion con- cerning fome points then in difpute, concerning marriage, when he declared " that the Pope had an inherent right to difpenfe with the laws of God ;*' for which he was feverely cenfured by his brethren* and obliged to fign a formal re- cantation. He was a ftrong ftickler for the philofophy of Avcrrocs, and wrote many books, which are now little re- garded by the learned. He was a perfon of fo univerfal and profound thought and knowledge, that he was highly admired by the Itali- ans, among whom he commonly went by the name of The Rrfolutt Dtfttr, which induced Paulus Ponfa to write after this manner of him : " If your inclinations lead you to fcarch into the nature of Almighty God, no one hath writ more accurately upon his eftence : If one has a mind to fcarch intothe caufes of Things, the cffe&s of nature, and the various motions of the Heavens, and the contrary qualities of the element*, his books prefent us with a magazine. This ( iji ) This one Refolute Doflor has furniihed the Chriflian reli- gion with armour againll the Jews, ftronger than any Vul- can's," &c. He died in the year 1346. William Bateman was born at Norwich, fome time in the reign of Edward I. and ftudied the civil and canon law at Cambiidge, where he took his Doctor's degree before he was 30 years of age, a thing very uncommon in thofe times. In 1328 he was appoi ted Archdeacon of Nor- wich, and fome years after advanced to the Deanry of Lin- coln. In 134.3 the Pope, by virtue of his ufurped right, confecrated him Bifhop of Norwich, in which office he was confirmed the next year by order of Edward III. He was a very hofpitable prelate, and founded Trinity-hall, in Cam- bridge, for theftudyof the civil and canon laws. In 1354 he was fent to Rome, in order to treat cf a peace in the prefence of the Pope, between England and France ; but that journey proved fatal to him ; for he died at Avignon, and was buried with great folemnity in the cathedral church of that city. Our hiftorians have related a ftory concerning this prelate, which will give the reader fome notion of the power of Clergy in the dark ages of Popery. Lord Morley having killed fome of the Biihop's deer, and abufed his Park-keeper, that Nobleman was obliged to do penance, by walking barefooted through the city of Norwich with a wax candle of fix pounds weight in his hand, and kneel down before the Bilhop in the cathe- dral to afk his pardon. All this he was obliged to comply with, although the King had fent an exprefs order to ths contrary. He was a great lover of learning, and promoter of the. udy pf it, as appears from hence : 1. That in his travels beyond ( 132 ) beyond fea he perceiving that our common law was there in no requeft, and thinking it neceflary that the Englifh mould have (kill in the canon and civil laws, (for the ma- naging of foreign negociations at leait) erected a College in Cambridge, called Trinity-hall, for the fliidy of it. z. He a I fo was the perfon who induced Dr. Gonvile," then Profeflbr of Divinity in the fame Univerfuy, to build ano- ther college, which from him was called Gonvile-hall, which D.. Caius afterwards changed into a college. Matthew Parker, D. D. was the fon of a trudefman in Norwich : when he was about twelve years of age his fa- ther died, but his mother took particular care of his edu- cation, and in 1520 he was admitted a Student in Corpui Chrifti College, Cambridge, of which fociety he was elect. - ed a Fellow, and became Chaplain to Anne Boleyn, whom he attended to the fcarTold, and received particular infrac- tions from her " to fee that her daughter Elizabeth wa.; brought up in the fear of God." He became a zenlous pro- moter of Reformation during the reign of Edward VI. who promoted him to the Deanry of Lincoln ; but on the ac- ceflion of Queen Mary he was deprived of his benefice, and obliged to conceal himfelf privately from the rage of the Papifts, who had marked him out for deftruttion. On the acceflion of Queen Elizabeth his circumftances were happily altered, and he was raifed to the archiepifco- pal fee of Canterbury. The Papifts invented a ftory, that he was confecrated by Laymen at the Nag's Head, in Cheapfide; and although the records of his confecration have been publiihcd by Mafon, Burnet, and Strype, yet the ignorant vulgar are ftill taught to believe the flory. In 1727 a learned French Priclt, and a (launch Roman Catholic,- { 133 ) Catholic, publifhed four volumes in refutation of this (lander invented by his own brethren. Parker having b^en thus placed at the head of the church, and we'l knowing that he would have all the art of the Papiils to contend with, took care to have the fees filled with the moil learned men, and the univerfities put under fuch regulations, as mould prevent Papifts from fet- tling there to poifon the minds of the youth. He was at great expence in rebuilding his palace at Canterbury, and founded a free-fchool at Rochdale, in Lancafhire. He was chiefly concerned in tranflating and publishing the Englilh Bible, which was the firft Englifh tranflation done from the Hebrew and Greek, the former one having been moilly from the Latin of Erafmus. This Bible was appointed, and continued to be read in all the churches and chapels in England, till the reign of James I. when the prefent tranflation was undertaken by order of that Prince, although the Pfalms of the former Bible are ftill ufed in the pubic fervice of the church. After a life fpent in many noble and pious works, he died at Lambeth 1575. With all thefe qualifications as a divine and fcholar, he has been juftly blamed for his feverity to the Puritans; but it mail be confidered that the people's minds in that age were narrow and contracted, they having but lately been brought over from Popifh idolatry. Parker was buried under an altar monument in Lambeth ehapel, but during the civil wars one Colonel Scot having got poflefiion of it, he pulled down the tomb, and took up the coffin, which he found to be lead, and fold it to a 8 plumber, ( '34 ) plumber, after having tumbled the bedy into a hole near an out-houfe, where poultry was kept. John Knye, or, as he is fometimes called, Cains, was born at Norwich in 1 510, and ftudied in Gonviie-hall, Cambridge, from which he removed to vifit foreign coun- tries, and took his degree cf Doftor of Phyfic in the uni- verfity of Padua. In the reign of Edward VI. he re- turned to England, and was appointed principal Ph'y'fician at Court, a place which he likewife enjoyed under both the Queens, Mary and Elizabeth-. The College of Phyficians in london c'ccled him one of their Fellows, and he prefixed at the head of that bodv feveral years. Being very rich, and dcilrous to promote learning as far as was in his power, he procured a char ter from Queen Elizabeth, dated 1565, to turn Conyile-Jiall into a college, and endowed it with the grcatcft part of his cftatc. He lived as an ornament to his profeflion till Julv, 1 --3, when he died at Cambridge, aged 63. He wrote an excellent book of the Antiquities of Cam- bridge, which when he prefented to James I. as he paflcd through his college, the King faid, " Give me rather Caius de Canibus :" A work of his, as much admired, but hard to be got. He was Mailer of his college fome time j but in his old age having refigned the Malterlhip to Dr. Lfgg, he lived a Fcilow-Commoncr in his college, where, having built him a feat in the chapel, he conftantly at- tended the prayers. He lies buried in the chapel, under a plain tomb, with no other epitaph but this, FUI CJIUS. His fucccflbr in his Mafterfhip was Thomas ( *35 ) Thomas Legg, Doctor of Laws, wlio was alfo a native of Norwich. lie was bred in Trinity College, where he was Fellow, as alfo at Jefus, till he was chofen by Dr. Kaye, then living, the nineteenth Mailer of Gcnvile-hr.ll, but fecond Mailer of Kaye's College. He was 'Dean of the Arches, one of the Mailers of Chancery, twice Vice- Chancellor of the univerfity of Cambridge, and thirty- four -/ears Mailer of this college. Julius Lipfius gives him a character, thas he was a very excellent antiquary, and ah oracle of learning, able to refolve all doubts in that kind. He was a great benefactor to this college, bequeathing 6ool. for the building the Eafl part thereof, befides feveral lefTer liberalities. Thomas Bacon, the fifteenth Mailer of Gonvile-ha!l, had done great wrongs to it, and left it in debt ; but this Doctor, and his two fucceflbrs, Doctors Brainthwaite and Goflin, going in Kaye's Heps, (all natives of Norwich) repaired all loffes, acting not fo much like Mailers as Stewards for the houfe. H,e was a ferious man, and to gratify himfelf'he wrote two tragedies, viz. The de- ftruSlion of Jemfahm, and The Life of King Richard III. which lait was acted before Queen Elizabeth with applaufe, in St. John's College-hall. This Doctor died July 12, 1607, u-tat. 72, leaving the college his heir, in which he was buried. John Aylmer, D. D. was born at Aylmer-halJ, in the parifh of Tilney, 1527, and educated in the univerfity of Cambridge, where he took his degrees, and became tutor to Lady Jane Gray, daughter of the Marquis of Dorfet. His firil living in the church was the Archdeaconry of Stow, and in the convocation, which met in the beginning of the reign of Queen Mary, he was one of the fix divines who offered to difpute with all the Popifh Clergy in de- fence of the Proteilant religion. But he foon found that the fuprcme power did not intend to argue by words, but ^S 2 by ( 156 ) by force. He was obliged to ablcond, and having the good fortune to get beyond the feas, there he remained till the acceffion of Queen Elizabeth, when he returned to England, and was made Archdeacon of Lincoln. He waa afterwards promoted to the Biihopric of London, 1576, -which he held till his death in 1594. There is a Orange inconfiflency in the characters of fome men. Aylmerhada confiderable fhare of learning, and had fuffered much for his oppofition to Popery ; but no fooner was he raifed to the epifcopal office, than he perfe- cuted the Puritans with the greateft feverity ; for thofe people, among whom were many learned men, having wrote fome pamphlets againft the Bifhop, he took the fame method in anfwering them as the Papifls had done with himfelf, namely, that of calling in the affiltance of the civil power, by which many of them were thrown into prifon, where they fuffered great hardfhips. This conduft of the Bifhop's was entirely oppofite to thf fpirit of Chriflianity, which allows of no other force bc- ftdes rational conviclion. He left a great eftate to his eldeft fon, Samuel Aylmer, who was High-Sheriff of Suffolk in the reign of Charles I. and one of his youngeft fons, Dr. Aylmer, Re&or of Had- dam, in Hertfordfhire, was one of the mod learned and reverend divines of his time. Sir John Grcfham was born at Holt, in this county, in 1507, and brought up at the univerfity of Cambridge, from whence he removed to London, and entered into part- ncrfhip with his brother, Sir Richard Grelham, an eminent mercer and merchant. He ferved the honorable office of Sheriff of London during the year his brother was Lord Mayor, ( 137 ) Mayor, 1537, and founded a free-fchool at the place of his nativity, which is under the direction of the Company of Fiihmongers. Both he and his brother continued to flourifh in trade, and projected the fcheme of building an Exchange in Lon- don, which was afterwards compleated by Sir Thomas, fon of Sir Richard. He was Lord Mayor in 1547, and died in 1556, aged only 49. Sir Thomas Grefham, Knt. was born at Grefham, and being bred a mercer and merchant in the city of London, God fo blefled his diligence and care in trading, that he became one of the wealthieft men in England, and by God's grace proved one of the richeft in good works; for he founded, 1. The Royal-Exchange, a kind of college for merchants for the improvement and benefit of trade. ' He laid the firfl ftone, June 7, 1566, and it was finifhed No- vember, 1567. The city provided and cleared the ground for this building, and this good and wealthy man erected the whole at his own charge. It was built of brick, and covered with flate, and named by Queen Elizabeth The Royal Exchange, when on January 27, 1570, fhe entered into it, and with found of trumpet caufed an Herald fo to call it, as ordering it to bear that name in all future ages* But this is not the building that is now fo called, and is ftanding in Cornhill, London, bearing the fame name now; for the great fire in 1666 confumed Sir Thomas Grefham's, with the greateft part of the city. The prefent edifice, or burfe, was erected at the charge of the city and Mercer's Company, in 1669, who were at the equal expence, and> cofl about 50,000!. 2, Grefham \ ( 138 ) . 2. Grcfham College, which was feme time his dwelling- houfe, which, with the profits of the cellars, fhops, vaults, warehouses, offices, cvc. of the Roya.1 -Exchange, he gave to the Mayor and Commonalty of London, and the Com- pany of Mercers, to be equally divided and enjoyed upon the following conditions, viz. " That the Mayor and Commonalty of London do provide four qualified perfons to read lectures of Geometry, Divinity, Mufic, and A- ftronomy, every day in Term-time, and allow them each 50I. per ann. as alfo to pay yearly to eight alms- folk in his alms-houie, in the pr.rifh of St. Peter le Poor, 61. 13s. 4d. and iol. each to the prifoners cf Ludgate, Newgate, the King's-Eench, Marlhalfea, and Wccdiireet- Compter, to be diftributed among the poor in thofe places. As alfo that the Company of Mercers do find three readers out of their moiety for the faid college, viz. of Civil Law, Phytic, and Rhetoric, to read lectures in the faid fciences ever)' week in Term-time, and allow them 50I. a year each, and 50I. per ann. to the Hofpitals cf Chrift-Church, St. Bartholomew, Bedlam, and South- wark, and the Poultry- Compter iol. in money, or other provifions, ordering and appointing further, that the faid feven Ledurers ihall have the occupation of all the faid houf.-, with the appurtenances, there to inhabit, ftudy, and duly to read the faid fevcral lectures; which condi- tions, if the faid Mayor, &c. and Company of Mercers, do truly obfervc, they lhall enjoy the Royal-Exchange for ever, otherwife it fhall revert and return to his heirs. Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief-jultice of the Kipg't Bench, and the grcatcil Lawyer that ever lived in England, was born at Milcham 1550, and educated in Trinity Col- lege. Cambridge, where he remained about four years, and ( ! 39 ) and then removed to ClisTord's Inn, London, where his fa- ther, who was an eminent Barrifter, had chambers. The next year lie was entered a Student of the Inner Temple, where he applied himfelf fo affiduouily to his ftudies, that his merit foon became cb'nfpicuous ; for a cafe having been ftarted concerning the privileges of the Coofce, it puzzled all the Benchers, till Mr. Ccke dif- cuffed it in the clearer! manner, for which the fociety or- dered him to be called up to the Bar before the ufual time. When admitted a Counfellor his bufinefs continued to increafe, and he was chofen reader of the lecture of Lyon's- Ir.n, which' was much frequented by the young Nobility and Gentrv at thst time. He married an heirefs, Bridget Pafton, with a fortune of thirty thoufand pounds, who bore him ten children, and the cities of Norwich, London, and Coventry, each elected him their Recorder, In the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, he was chofen Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, having been returned Knight of the Shire for Norfolk, and foon after appointed Solicitor-General. In 1596 his Lady died, and the year following he married Lady Hatton, widow of Sir William Hatton, with whom he received a confiderable fortune: and when the Earl of Effex was indicted for higk treafon, he was appointed Attorney-General, in order to carry on the profecution againft that unfortunate Peer. Upon the acceffion of James I. he received the honor of Knighthood, and carried on the profecution againff. Sir Walter Raleigh with fo much vehemence, that many have blamed him for being fo fevere, but we may naturally im- pute his zeal to pride, and an earneft deiire of prefer- ment , ( H ) Bient. When the Gun-powder PIt was difcovered, he gained reputation by the fagacity and vigilance he {hewed in unravelling all the dark fcenes of that helli(h contri- vance, for which the King ordered him to be called up to the degree of Serjeant, when he gave the following motto n his rings, Lex eji tutijjima ClaJJis, i. e. The law is the fafeft helmet. He was foon after railed to the dignity of Chief-juftice of the Court of Common-pleas, which he held about fix years, and was then made Lord Chief-juftice of the King's-bench. When it was difcovered that the Earl of Somerfet and his Lady were concerned in the nn rder of Sir Thomas Overbury, Lord Chief-juftice Coke granted his warrant for apprehending them, which was ferved upon the Earl while he was at fupper with the King at Theobald's. So merfet claimefl his Majefty's protection, but the King an- fwered in his vulgar manner, ' Gude faith maun, I canno *' help it, for if Coke fend for me, I mull gang to him as " well as you.'* The King was apprifed of the fcheme, but although the murderers wereconvi&ed, yet they were not executed. In 1 6 1 6 he was fufpended from his office becaufe he would not countenance any incroachments on the liberty of the fubjeft. During the remainder of the reign of King James he continued to ferve in Parliament, and acted as a Privy Counfcllor; but having fpoken with great freedom in the lloufe of Commons, his Chambers in the Temple were broke open, all his papers feized, and himfelf committed to the Tower. On ( Hi ) On the acceflion of Charles I. \vhei> it was found necef- fory to call a new Parliament, he was pricked down Sheriff of Buckiiigham-fhire> left he mould have been returned one of the reprefentatives ; fo that the man, who had been Chief-juftice of England, was obliged to attend as a Bailiff on the Judges* In 1628 he was returned Knight of the Shire for the tounty of Buckingham, and argued warmly for the redrefs of grievances, and likewife drew up the petition of rights, upon which all our liberty is founded. Having done every thing in his power to ferve his country, he retired to his houfe at Stoke-poges, in Buckingh.".m*ihire, where he fpent the remainder of his days in tranquillity, and died 1634,. with the utmoft refignation and piety, aged 83. *< Sir Edward Coke, Knt. was a perfon of admirable parts (fays Mr. Cambden) than whom, as no man ever applied b'imfelf clofer to the ftudy of the common law, fo never did any man underftand it better j of which he has given a convincing proof to England by his difcreet management for many years together, while he was Attorney-general* and executed the office of Lord Chief-juftice of the Com- mon-pleas with the greateft prudence. Nor has he given a lefs demonftration of his abilities in his Commentaries upon our Laws, whereby he has obliged not only his own age, but pofterity." But State-policy values nothing when it ftands in the way of its defigns. This wife Judge would do nothing againft law while he was in fo great a ftation, and therefore he was difplaced in 1615, and retired to his feat at Godwick, where he triumphed in his own inno- cency, and rejoiced in his misfortunes, which gave him leu Aire to look into himfelf; for now he reviewed all his writings, had conftant prayers in his houfe, relieved the T poor poor daily, fupported Sutton's Hofpital and Thetford Free- fchool, and founded a fchool at his own charge in this place. He had when he was a private Lawyer fecured fome lands to the church of Norwich, which had like to Lave been lofl ; and when he was retired, hearing that a Peer had called the fame lands in queftion, and was labor- ing to get them, he weat to him aud defired him to defift from that attempt, telling him, " that if he did not, he would put on his gown and cap, and plead in any Court in Weltminfter-hall in j unification, of what he had done.'* He had many benefices in his gift, and freely gave them to fuch men as he thought worthy of them, faying, in Jiis law-language, church-livings Ihould always pafs by livery and feifin, not by bargain and fale. He was a man of admirable parts, and of a comely- countenance, delighting in good cloaths, faying, The nea:- mefs of the body might denote the purity cf the foul. He died worth ten thoufand pounds a year, fo that though he had many children, they might be faid to be all heirs. His laft words were, Lord! Thy Kingdom come! Thy -will he done! Sir Henry Spclman fays, " the birth of this great man might prefage his wonderful excellency ; for his mo- ther was delivered of him fo fuddenly, by the fire-ftde, that (he could not be foon enough carried up to her bed, which flood in the room above;" and adds, that Sir Ld- ward fhewed him the very place. He lived partly at God- wick and at Milcham, his birth-place, where the houfe i* Hill to be fecn. It has been advanced by thofe whofe minds were never inlarged with reading and ftudy, that the law is a dry, Tifelefs, infignificant feience; but we think that even infa- nity could never advance fuch an afiei tion. All that i -dear or valuable to the free born fubjccUof this nation, ia fecured ( Hi ) fcecured by the municipal law, and if the moft prejudice^ reader will only look over the inftitutes, and reports of cafes adjudged by Lord Coke, they will be convinced, that of all fciences in the world, that of the law is the molt ra- tional, as being fuited to the nature of man, confidered as a member of fociety. Without it the ends of government mull be defeated, and all the order and regularity amongft the different ranks of beings become an univerfal chaos, and return to its original ftate ofconfufion. Sir Henry Spelman, the great Oracle of the Law, Pa- tron cf the Church, and Glory of England, one of the greateft Antiquarians that ever lived in this riation, was born at Congham in 1562, and educated in Trinity CoL lege, Cambridge, from whence he removed to Lincoln's- Inn, and ftudied the laws of his country, rather as a fcience than with any profpett of gain, for he had a eonfiderable eftate of his own, and married a lady with a great for- tune. In 1606 he was pricked down High-fheriff for the county of Norfolk ; and the year following appointed one of the Commiffioners to regulate difputes between the pre- tenders to freehold eftates in Ireland. After this he retired from public bufinefs, and fpent the remainder of his days in ltudying the hiftory and antiquities of his country, of which he has given the world a noble fpecimen in his GlofTary, which explains all the ancient cuftoms and terms ufed by our Saxon anceftors, and ought to be had in the library of every perfon who ftudies either Law or Hiftory, He died in 1641, aged 79, and was buried in Weftminfter Abbey. John Cofm, D. D. was born in the city of Norwich 1594, and nnifhed his ftudies in Caius' College, Cam- T^ bridgf, ( 144 ) Wfcge, where he took itis laft degrees. When he entered into holy orders, he was prefented to a Prebenda:y in the Cathedral church of Durham, and appointed Arch- deacon of the Eafl-riding of Yorkmire ; but the civil v, ;irs breaking out. and Cofin having been very a&ive in ei:a- blifhing Popifh rites and ceremonies, he was ejected from all his preferments, and obliged to feek refuge abrcad, till the reftoration of Charles II. 1660, when he returned to England, and was promoted flril to the Deanry of Pe- terborough, and then to the Bifliopric of Durham. We have feen feveral of his compofitions, which fcera to have been written on the plan of the Popiih myftics, and during the eleven years that he was Bifhop of Dur- ham, his fole fludy was to promote fuperflitions, by mak- ing the people conform to all the ridiculous riies made ufe of by idolatrous Papifts. He died at Durham 16/2, aged 78. John Pearfon, D. D. was thefon of a Clergyman in Nor- folk, where he was born 1613. He received the firft rudi- ments of grammatical learning at Eaton, from whence he was removed to King's College, Cambridge, where he finilhcd his ftudic, and took his degrees. His firft ecclefiaftical preferment was a Prebendary of Saliibary; and foon after he was chofen Rc&or of St. Cle- ment's, Eaft- cheap, wh?re he remained till the Reftoration 1660; for hr complied with the ruling powers during the ufii r p.-uion of Oliver Cromwell. It was during his refi- dencc in that parilh that he wrote his elaborate and learned explanation of the Creed, which is now in high repute in all the Proteftant nations in Europe, and remains a ftriking proof of his vaft abilities and erudition. At ( 145 ) At the Reftoration he complied with the Aft of Un formity, aid was appointed Archdeacon of Surrey? and on the death of the learned Dv. Wilkins, he was promoted to the fee of Chefier. where he continued till his death 1 6 3 6 . B fides his learned expofition of the n Creed, he published a vindication of St. Ignatius's epiftles, which we think was the worR thing he cou'd have attempted, as thofe epilties are undoubtedly forgeries. Sir Roger I'Eftrange was born at Hunftanton i6ir, and when the civil wars broke out, he obtained a comnnihon in the Royal army, but having afted as a fpy for the King, during the fiege of Lynn-Regis, he was apprehended, and CDndemned to lofe his life, but was afterwards reprieved, although he fufiferci a long imprifonment in the gaol of Newgate. Having obtained his liberty, he went abroad, but re- turned again during the ufurpation of Cromwell, when he was taken into cuftody ; but upon a remonftrance made to the ProteJlor, he was fet at liberty. Upon the reftoration of Charles II. he fet up a news-paper, which was continue^ till the Gazette was begun, under the direction of Sir Jo- feph Williamfon. When the difputes began in the Houfe of Commons, concerning the Exclufion Bill, l'Eftrange be came a zealous partizan for the Duke of York, and wrote a periodical paper, called the Obfervator. He was con cerned in all the dirty work carried on to promote Popery, and arbitrary power, during the reign of James II. al- though it does not appear that ever he became a convert to Popery. He executed the fcandakms office of Licenfer to the Prefs, which was abolifhed at tne Revolution, when Sir Roger loil all his employments ; and not having been one ( H6 J of the belt ceconomifts, lie was obliged to fpend the re mainder of his days in writing and translating for the bookfelters. He was certain!/ a man of great abilities ; but learning be'iowed on a time-ferring wretch, is like beauty intrufted with a prollitute. Thomas Shadwell was born in this county 1640, and educated in Caius and Gonvile College, Cambridge, from whence he removed to the Middle Temple in London, to ftudy the law of England ; bat not liking fo laborious a profeflion, he went abroad, and fpent feveral years irf France and Italy. Upon his return to England he became acquainted with the moil celebrated wits at the debauched Court of Charles II. and commenced a writer for the ftage. At the Revolution, when the celebrated Mr. Dryden wa turned out, Mr. Shadwell was appointed Poet-Laureat in his room, and likewife Hiftoriographer Royal, which brought upon him the indignation of bis predeceflbr, who ridiculed all his performances in the poem called Mach-fleckno. He enjoyed thefe employments only a few years, for he died 1692, aged 52, and fmce his death a monument has been eretted to his memory in Weflminfter Abbey. His works were published in four volumes octavo. Robert Brady, M. D. was born in Norfolk, fome time in the laft century, and educated in Caius and Gonvile Col- lege, Cambridge, where he took his degree of Mailer of Arts, and foon after entered his name on the phyfic line. Having taken his Doctor's degree, he was appointed Phyfi. cian in Ordinary to Charles II. and Regius Profcflbr in the vniverfity of Cambridge. He was likewife made Keeper f the Records in the Tower, and acquired a confiderable d egret < H7 ) degree of knowledge concerning the conftitution of trt& country ; but having unhappily imbibed notions inconfiftent with the freedom of the fubjett, he wrote a Hiftory of Eng- land, in three volumes folio, wherein he endeavours to eftablifh the doctrine of non-refiftance and pafiive obe- dience. This work has been animadverted on by Lord Lyttelton, in a manner becoming the abilities and patriotifm of that noble author. Dr. Brady died 1700. Sir jCloudfley Shovel was born of poor parents at Cley,. or at Cockthorpe, 1650, and bound apprentice to a fhoe- maker, whom he foon after left, and went as a cabbin-boy on board one of the King's mips. Being of a very tracea- ble difpofition, he foon acquired the knowledge of naviga- tion, andwhilft very young, was promoted to be a Lieute- nant by Sir John Narborough, who then commanded the fleet. In 1674 he was fent into the Mediterranean to demand refritution of fome fhips which were detained by the Dey of Algiers, where he behaved with fo much refoiution and bravery, that on his return to England he was advanced t the command of a larger veflel. During the reign of James II. he adhered to the intereft of his country, and although he was fent to command one of the fhips in that fleet, deiUned tp oppofe the Prince of Orange, yet he did not al, but immediately joined with the popular party. During all the wars in the reign of King William, he behaved with fo much bravery, that he rofe to the dignity #f an Admiral; and Queen Anae honoured him with Knighthood,. ( i 4 8 ) Knighthood. He continued in a ftate of activity, as %, gallant naval officer, till his death, which happened in the following manner ; Being appointed to conduct a fleet of fhips from Gibral- tar to England, 1707, he proceeded as far on his voyage as Scilly Iflands, where his fhip was unfortunately loll, and him&if, with the whole of his crew, amounting to nine hundred men, drowned. Such was the end of one of the braveft men that ever commanded the Engluh- navy ; but the Queen, out of refpeft to his memory, caufed a fine monament to be ere&ed for him in Wefiminfter Abbey. Htrmpm-y Hody was bom in Norfolk 1658, and finifhed Km ftudics in Wadham College, Oxford, of which he was ehofen a Fellow, and foon after became Chaplain to the learned Doctor Stillingfieet, Biihop of Worcefter. By the interett of Doctor Tennifon, Archdeacon of Canterbury, he was advanced to fevcral confidcrable livings ; and the univerfity of Oxford elefted him Profeffor of the Greek language. He was a very learned man, and fpent fevcral years irt ftudyrng the Scptuagint tranflation of the Old TeP.ament, and in writing notes on Arifteas's hiftory of that celebrated work. He died at his chambers in Oxford 1706, aged 48* and was buried in the chapel of Wadham College. Samuel Clarke, D. D. was the fon of Edward Clarke, Efq. one of the Aldermen of Norwich, where he was born 1675, and educated at the Free-fchool of that city, hi* father being at that time one of the Reprcfentatives in Parliament. ( '49 ) Xn L691 he was entered as a Student in Caius College, Cambridge, where his impatient third and great capacity Tor learning began to (hew themfelves. The fyftem of x)es Cartes was then the favorite dodtrine of the fchools, but Mr. Clarke was not fatisfied with the dreams of that author, but fet himfelf to ftudy the principles of Sir Ifaa'c Newton, to which he joined the knowledge of the mathematics. He did'not, however, forget to attend to that learning neceflary to the profefHon for which he was ddigned, but applied himfelf with great diligence to ac quire a perfett knowledge of the Old and New Teftament, and published his firft three differtations concerning bap- tifrn, confirmation, and repentance^, together with fome re- flections on Toland's Amyntor. Upon his entering into holy orders he became Chaplain to the learned Doctor Moore, Bilhop of Norwich, with whom he lived in great efteem, having the advantage of the fine library of that gentleman. In 1704 he was called to an office, worthy of all his learning and knowledge, namely, that of preaching the lecture founded by the Honorable Mr. Boyle, which he performed with fuch fuc- cefs, that his fermons on that occafion, concerning the evi- dences of natural and revealed religion, will always be eonfidered as one of the ftrongelt and cleareft proofs of thofe important principles. Soon after his preaching the fermons at Boyle's lectures, he was prefented to the liv- ing of St. Bennet's, near Paul's Wharf, London, and preached conltantly without notes. In the fame year he tranflated the optics of Sir Ifaac Newton into elegant La- tin, which was fo acceptable to that great man, that he prefented Mr. Clarke with five hundred pounds, being one hundred to each of his children. U He < r$o ) He was foon after made one of the Chaplains in Ordi- nary, and in 1709 Qneen Anne prefentcd him to the rec- tory of St. James's, Weftminfter; when he went to Cam- bridge, and took his degree of Doctor in Divinity. On the acceffion of the prefent royal family he was ho- nored with many marks of their efteem, and might have been raifed to the higheil dignity in the church ; but he was certainly unfatisfied with fubferiptions. His zeal for true religion, integrity of manners, unaffected humility, were as eminent as his vaft knowledge; and he united the various falents of mathematician, philofopher, critic, me*, taphyfician, and divine, to fuch a degree, that he might have rtione with a diftinguilhed 1 nitre in any one of thofe characters. This truly great and learned man was feized with a pleurify on Sunday morning, May 11, 1729, and died the Saturday following, aged 54. Thomas Herring, D. D. was the fon of a country Cler- gyman in Norfolk, where he was born 1693. He was in- ftrufted in grammar learning at the Free-fchool of Wif- bech, in the Ifle of Ely, from whence he removed to Jefus College, Cambridge. He entered early into holy orders, and having gone through a variety of ecclefiaftical preferments, he was promoted to the Biihopric of Bangor 1737. In 1743 he was tranflated to the fee of York, ar*i whem the rebellion broke out, he was very inftrumental in keep- ing the gentry throughout his province iq fubjedtion to the government. In 1747 he was advanced to the fee of Canterbury, which high dignity he enjoyed till his death, 1757. Dr. Herring was one of the bed men that perhaps ever lived in England. C 151 ) England. The higher he rofe in the church, the greater was his diligence, not only to difcharge the duties of the paftoral office, but alfo to fupport his afflicted fellow-crea- tures, and when he died he had fcarce any money left ; but he was rich in good works ! He died aged 64 years. Robert Bale, a Norfolk man, was Prior of a fmall mo- naitery of White Friars, or Carmelites, at Burnham-Welt- gate. He was in his youth entered among the Carmelites at Norwich, but fpent moft of his time among thofe at Oxford and Cambridge, for his improvement in Di- vinity. At length he became Prior of the Carmelites here, and was held in great veneration by all for his great love of learning and learned men. He was affiduous in reading divinity and hiflories of all kinds, and for that end got together a confiderable library of books, which he left to his houfe here. He wrote Annahs perbre/>fs, to fhew the juil complaints they had againft him. But the greateft inftance of his zeal for the Popifh doctrines and church, which we meet with, was this : When one John Peke, of Earl-Stoneham, in Suffolk, was burnt at Ipfwich, Dr. Rending declared, that to as many as fhould enft in a ftick into the fire, for the burning of this heretic, this Bi/hop of Norwich had granted by. him forty days of pardon ; where- upcii Sir John Audley, Knt. Barne Curfon, Efq. and many others of eftimation being there prefent, did rife from their feats, and with their fwords cut down boughs, and threw them into the fire, which example the multitude followed. He jefigned his Bifhopric January, 1549, and j J.. d September, 1550. Sir Simon de Felbrigg, Knt. of an ancient and nume- rous family at Felbrigg, married Margaret, the daughter of the Duke of Theife, niece to the King of Bohemia, in right of which Sir William Tyndal, Knt. their great- grandfon, was declared heir of the kingdom of Bohemia, in the reign of Henry VII. William Pafton, Efq. fon of Clement Pafton, Efq. of ~Pfton, was learned in the laws of this nation, and wa firtt nude Serjeant to Henry VI. and afterwards by the umc King raifed to be id Judge of the Court of Common- rjlcas ; ( 155 ) pleas; and being much in favoi- with that Prince, he wai allowed by him, befides the ordinary falary given the otheY Judges, one hundred and ten marks, and two gowns yearly, to be taken out of the Exchequer. Thefe pre- ferments were but the continued marks of his virtue and learning in the former reigns, for he was created Serjeant at Law by Henry IV. and of his council for the Duchy of Lancauer ; and in the reign of Henry V. Sir John Faf- tolf, Knt. appointed him one of hi* feoffees, and enabled.., him, by a writing under his hand, to recover de'bts from the executors of Henry V. He married the daughter and heirefs of Sir Edmund Berry, by whom his family gained not only a great acceffion to their eftate, but a confiderable advancement in honor and blood, being rightly entitled to the arms of the families of Hctherfet, Wachefham, Cra- ven, Gerbridge, Hemgrave, and Kerdeflon. He died at London, Auguft if, 1444. Sir Clement Pafton, Knt. was a great foldier, and as fuch did many noble exploits ; for he was at the burning of Conqueft, in France, in the reign of Henry " III, and be- ing made a Captain by that King of one of his fhips of war, he, in a fea-fight with the French, took a galley witk Baron Blancard, the French Admiral, in it, and kept him at Caftor, near Yarmouth, till he received 7000 crowns for jhis ranfom, befides the fpoil of the galley, which was a cup and two fnalces of gold, with many other things of value, which he ufed on feflivals as long as he lived, and at his. death left to his pofterity. He was left for dead at the bat- tle of MufTerborough, in Scotland, and ferved at New- haven, having the command of fome fhips there. He lived to be very old, having been PenfiOner to two Kings and two Queens fucceffively, and having fpent his old age in quiet and good houfekeeping, he died at Oxnead. Sir f jS<5 ) Sir Robert Pafton, of Pafton, Bart, who in forme* troublcfome times greatly diftinguiftied himfelf by his loyalty to Charles I. not fearing to hazard both life and fortune in aflitcing his Majefty to reduce his rebellious fubjecls to their obedience ; and though difappointed of that by his Majefty's not only falling into, but falling by the hands of his diiloyal and capricious fu bjedts, yet he was not difheartened from Uling his utmoit endeavours and power to effeft his fon's Reftoration, and till that could be accomplished, willingly engaging his eftate to fupply his neceflities : In confideration of which loyalty and fervices^ Charles II. did by his letters patent create him Lord Paf' ton, of Pafton, and afterwards Vifcount and Earl of Yar- mouth. He died in 1682, and left William, his eldeft fon, his fucceflbr in honor and eftate, who married Charlotte, furnamed Fitz-Roy, natural daughter of Charles IL Sir Thomas Erpingham, of Erpingham, Knight of the Garter, accompanied Henry Duke of Lancafter when he returned from bariiihment, and attempted to gain the kingdom, and going with Henry V. to the battle of Agin- court, call the rod, as a fortunate prefage of a fuccefsful battle. Sir William Woodhoufe, of Waxham, Knr. was the jefter of James I. He was the firft perfon that erefted duck- traps, commonly called decoys among us, which he thus contrived. He drew from a large pond compafled with reeds m the one fide, a long canal, which was very narrow at the farther end. In this canal certain ducks are kept, and taught to draw in others. Thefe fly up and down all the Country, and being joined by flocks of their own kind, bring them into this pond, and after a while lead them into the canal, which is fpread over with net:.. When they < '57 ) tyey have iwam in it a little way, a dog trained up for that tmrpofe appears to drive them up to the end of the net, where, when they are near arrived, the tame ducks dive behind the wild, and the wild rifingare taken in the decoy- man's nets. As many ducks are catched this way in one year as have been io!d for fome hundreds of pounds. The German 1 ; will not allow them., becaufe they hinder the plcafures of the gentry. Arthur Wilfon-, Efq. born at Yarmouth, wrote the life hnd reign of James I. with fo much freedom, that he is often cenfured for it; nay more, is faid$ inftead of an hif- tory, to have written an infamous pafquil. He had an op- portunity of knowing the traiifaclions of James I. and his Court, beeaufe he was an attendant for many years upon Robert D'Evereux, Earl of Effex, and his friends , whom he favours very much all along in his hiftor.y, as he does alfo Robert Earl of Warwick, whofe Steward he was after the Earl of Eflex's death. The great fault of his hiftory is, that he hath in many things endeavoured to make the world believe, that James, and his fon after him,' were in- clined to Popery, and defigned to bring that religion int<> England; which to effect he is guilty of many mifreprefen- tations of both fpeeches and adtions, and built much upon conjectures and furmifes, inftead of authentic papers an$ records. He died at Felftead, in Effex, anno 1652. Thomas Whitfield^ who was the author of divers books againft Lay-preachers ; The Ar mini an Tenets concerning Elec- tion, Redemption, Sec. printed at London, 1649; Of Liberty of Confcience ; The Extent of God's Pro-vidence, printed ib. 1 65 1, &c. was Minifter of Yarmouth. He ran with the times when the King and Epifcopacy were outed; but X conformed ( 15* ) conformed at the Reiteration of Charles II. when he ob- tained the Re&ory of Bugbrooke, in Northampton-fhire. Dr. Thomas Soame was born in Yarmouth : He was the fon of a fiiherman, but defcended of an eminent family of that name ; his coufin, John Soame, being a man of (o good an eftate, that he paid a compofition of 143-0I. for it, and was then dwelling at Burnham, in this county. He was, after he had palled his fchool education, breJ up in acade- mic learning in Peter-houfe, Cambridge, where his uncle, Robert Soame, was Mailer, and being admitted into holy orders, became Minifte- of Staines, in Middlefex, and Prebendary of Windfor. He was, in the times of rebel- lion, a firm royalift, and fo much compafiionated his Ma- jefty's want in his war with the Parliament, that he was not mindful of his own ; for he fent all he had to the King ; fo that when the Rebels came to plunder him, they found : nothing to take but himfelf ; which they accordingly did, and imprifoned him firft in Ely-houfe, and then in Newgate, and in the Fleet, becaufe he had fo much of the primitive religion in his excellent fermons, and fo much of the primitive practice in his looks, demeanour, and life, being reckoned a bleflingin thofe fad times to all the places wherever he came, by his fatherly afpett and zealous prayers, as well as by his divine, and in many things pro- phetical difcourfes. rfc died not long before the Rcflo- ration of Charles II. Ralph de Waher, or Guader, born in this county*, of French parentage, was conflituted Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk by William I. He was owner of the caftle of Guader, in Brctaigne, in France, and had nine manors of the Probably at Halvcrgate, or Halfriate. ( *59 ) the Conqueror's gift, in Norfolk, yet rebelled, and died in banifhmcnt. Breton, Biihop cf Hereford, was born, at Witch- ingh m, as wns alio John Breton, who was fo much men- tion -I in the reign of Henry III. Sir Godfrey de Mellers, 3Cn . a perfon well defccnded, and a good foldier, fought to ae with t:*e daughter of John Breton; which fhe having acquainted h r father with, appointed a night when the Kiight fliould Ileal privately into her chamber. Being laid wait for, and taken, he was firft grievoufly wounded, then whipped fevetely, being drawn up by the feet to a beam, and la.liy, had his privy members cut off, as a cer- tain dainty Clergyman was ferved about the fame time; which, when the King heard of, he was concerned, and earned it to be proclaimed, " That no man fliould maim any adulterer in his privities, but for corrupting his wife." Godfrey Bullen, or Boleyn, born at Sail, the fon of Jeffrey Bullen, a mercer, in London, who was Lord Mayor of the laid city in the year 1457. He was a fecond fen, and fo was fent to London to get an eflate, while his elder brother inherited one ; but this alfo came to him, be- caufe his brother died without iffue male, and fo he be- came very rich, which made him rich in good works : for he, by his Teftament, gave liberally toprifoners, hofpitals, and lazers, befides a ioool. to poor houfe-keepers in Lon- don, and 200I. to thofe in Norfolk: But his greaterl ho- nor was, that he was great-grandfather, by the mother's fide, to Queen Elizabeth. Nicholas of Lynn, born in Lynn-Regis, and bred at Oxford, generally accounted a Francifcan Friar, though Bale will have him a Carmelite, becaufe he was fo himfelf. He was an excellent mufician, mathematician, and aftro- X z logei, e 160 ) Joger. He is faid to have failed in 1330, by th? help oi* his afirolabe, as far as the Arctic-pole, and to have wrote a book of his difcoveries there, which is intitled, JnTje.ntio Fortunata. Sure it is that our Chaucer, th? poet, Jiad a great elleem for him, filling him " Frere Mich. Linn, a Reverend Clerk." He died about the year 1360, and was buried at Lynn, the place of his nativity. Alan of Lynn was alfo born in Lynn-Regis, and being- educated at Cambridge, where he obtained the degree of Do&or of Divinity, hecam'e a Carmelite Friar in this town. He was a diligent reader of many voluminous au- thors, and that others might reap fome benefit by his la- bors, he compofed indexes to moll, or all the authors he perufed. Bale gives us a fpecimen of his Herculean fa?-. bors in fctting down the writers to which he made indexes, as he faw them in the Carmelite library at Norwich. 1. -Egidius. 2. Alcuinus. 3. Ambrcjius. L. Anfelmus. r>ey, not knowledge, purchafing them. The university was Co fenftble of this abufe, that they appointedDr. Cran- mer Pofer-general of all candidates in divinity, who ilopped this our Barret for infumciency. Barret quick- ened with this difgracc returns to Lynn, and there applied himfelf lb diligently to his iludy, that in a fhort time h& became an admirable fcholar, and having commenced Doc- tor with due applaufe, lived many years a painful preacher in Norwich, ever fpeaking of Dr. Cranmer honorably, as the only means of his happbaefs. Bale fays, " That in the reign of Queen. Mary he became a zealous Papift;'* which if true (though Bale's praifes are better believed than his invectives) we may hope, that though he com- plied in times of perfecution, he returned to the truth in. the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in the beginning of which, he died. William Watts, M. A. of Caius College, Cambridge, aa admirable critic and divine, was born in or near Lynn- Regis. Jo. Ger. Voflius calls him DotliJJimm & ClariJJt- mus Watfius qui optime de Hijiorid meruit, &c. He by his travels' became mailer of divers languages, and at his return was made C iaplain to Charles I. Minifter of St. Alban's Woodilreet, in London, and Prebendary of Wells ; but being fequeftered, plundered, and his wife and childrest turned out of doors, he fled to the King, ferved under Princjg ( i& ) Prince Rupert, an.- 5 , was in moftof the battles fought with the Parliament force*, U. on die declining of the Ring's came, he iluck liiii to the Prince and ierved at fea, till, being blocked up w.th him in the harbour of Kinfiil Irelasd, he was overtaken with an incurable diiiemper. of which he died in 1649. He was a c nii.lerable writer, and liad er\ efpt-cial hand in Sir Henry Spelm ilary, jujc* corrected, added notes to, ar>d pub j/h Mrtt.:c-iv Paiis's Hijloria Major in i6[0; . alfo divm 1 English, as the hiftcry of Gujiavus Adolphm ; Mertijl Jpofiolical ; a trcatife on the Pajfions, Sec. William Gale, a Norfolk man born, tcok upon him t.. Jiabit of the Auguflin Friars in Lynn-Regis. He dudied among the brethren of his order at Oxford feverai years, and proceeded Do&or of Divinity in that univeiftty. He was made at length Provincial of all his order ii England, being accounted a molt eminent pcrfon for literature and piety, and a prime example of virtue among them. He left to poftcrity thefe books : 1. LeSione: in YhcjJcgia. 2. Di/pulationes Far'ue, 3. A courfe of Sermcns for the whole year, preached to the people. He died in 1507, in the 23d of Henry VII. Foalix, the Apoftlc of the Eaft-Angles, having landed from Burgundy at Babingley, anno Ihti. 630, he converted the inhabitant* to Chriftianity, and built the Jirft church there that was ercfted in thofe parts. He was brought into England by Sigibcrt, King of the Ealt-Anglos, who became a convert to the Chrifttan religion in France, and "d bapiifm of Foelix. Foelix having fprcad and efta- blifhcd the faith in many parts of England, formed a re- gular fyftcm of church doclrinc, and fixed his epifcopal fee ( i6 3 ) fee at Dunwich, then called Siltheftow. He fat feventeeti years, and died in 647, the 13th of King Anna. Thomas Thorowgood, one of the affembly of divines, was Minifter of Grimfton. He publiihed thefe books: I. jfenvs in America. 2. Moderation jfufifed. 3. A Faff Sermon on Phil. iv. 5. before the Houfe of Commons in 1644, St. Goderick the Hermit, of whofe life and miracles M. Paris gives a relation at large, was a native of Wal- pole. Of the many great and eminent perfons of the illuftrious family of Howard, we muft refer our readers to the parti- cular genealogy given at Forncet, in Depvvade hundred; at Wiggenhall, Lopham, Caftle-Rifing, &c. John Colton, D.D. born at Terrington, was made, for his excellent endowments, Archbifhop of Armagh, Pri- mate of Ireland, by Richard II. for, as Leland fays, he was plus quam mediocriter doclus 5? bonus. He was Fill? Chaplain to William Bateman, Bifhop of Norwich, and appointed the Firft Mailer of Gonvile-hall, (now Cains College) in Cambridge, by the founder of it. He wats employed in an embaffy to the Court of Rome, about the Schifm made in it by Urban VI. and Clement VII. which gave him occafion to write a learned treatife, De Caufa Scbifmatis, ad a little after another, De Remediis ejufdem. He refigned his Archbiihopric a little before his death, which happened in 1404. Sir William Yelverton, Knt. of the Bath, of Rougham, was Lord Chief-juftice of the Court of King's-bench in 1444: Sir Chriftopher prefided in the faid Court under Queen ( i6 4 ) ^ueen Elizabeth, and Sir Henry in the reign of Charles h This laft's relation to Sir Thomas Overbury brought him into the Ea'rl of Somerfet's favor, whofe intere!t with the King preferred him to be firit one of his Counfel, and then his Attorney-general ; but by whom he got it for the fame he loft it; for when the Earl of Somerlct was to be tried for poifoning Sir Thomas Overbury, he refufed to do his office in impeaching his patron, and ruin him, who made himfelf, which was fo much refented by the Kin* and Council, that he not only difplaced, but imprifoned him in the Tower. The Duke of Buckingham knowing his abilities, after fome time get him releafed, and ad- vanced him to the Judge's Bench; but his nicenefs and narrownefs could not keep it, being too good a man to follow Court meafures, and fo he was put out. Andrew Perne, born at Eail Bilney, who being bred up in Peter-houfe, was Fellow and Mailer of the faid college, Pro&or and Vice-chancellor of the univerfity, and Dean of Ely. He was very bountiful to his college, in which he founded a Fellowship and fome Scholarships, and acquired many rare manufcripts which he put into the library; In Queen Mary's perfecution he fltreened the univerfity by his flexible principles, fo that no gremial of the univerfity fuffercd martyrdom. He is indeed blamed for altering his religion four times in twelve years, but it may be faid for iiim, that if his compliance was faulty, his charity was lingular, who endangered himfelf to fave others, who had fife been persecuted, and perhaps had fell more foully. Withburga, the daughter of King Anna, who divorcing Jierfclf entirely from all luxury and levity, lived a Virgin all her days, and was buried at Dereham ; (he being much admired for her fanctity, was by oar anccftors canonized for a Saint. ft ( i6'5 ) Sir Richard Southwell, of Wood-Riling, Counfellor to Edward VI. and his brother, Robert Southwell, Efq. at the fame time Mailer of the Rolls. Of the fame family was Sir Robert Southwell, Principal Secretary of State for the kingdom of Ireland, and Prefident of the Royal-So- ciety, who by Charles II. had been employed in ftveral ne- gociations abroad. The Rev. Chriftopher Sutton, Minifter of Wood-Riling and Cran worth, was educated at Oxford, and having en- tered into orders, was not only the Minifter of thefe places, but was made Prebendary of Weilminiter by James I. for his excellent and florid preaching. In his cures he was a great promoter of piety, and for that enl wrote feveral books, as i. Di/ce 1626, in which ftation he died about eight years after, and was buried under a brafs monument on the South-fide of Weftminiter-Abbey. Sir Jacob Aitley, who ferved his Majefly Charles I. as Major-general of his royal army in the battles of Kineton, Brainford, Newberry, Leftwithiel, and feveral other fharp encounters with the Parliament forces, and was Governor of Oxford and Reading for feme time ; for which great and faithful fcrvices he was created Baron Aftley, of Reading, in Berkfhire, November 4, 1644. He was the fon of Ifaac Aitley, of Melton-Conftable. Walter de Norwich, who in the 5th of Edward II. was made one of the Barons of the King's Exchequer, arid had fummons to Parliament in the 8th year of the fame reign, was a perfon much in favor with his Prince, arid befides the grant he obtained of him for a free-warren in all hi* de'mefne lands in this and other counties, he was made Treafurer of the Exchequer, and held that office fome years. Sir John de Norwich, Knt. who was fummoned to Par- liament as a Baron in the 16th of Edward III. was Ad- miral of the King's whole fleet to the Northwards, and was feveral times in the wars againft Scotland and France, in which he did fo many fignal fervices, that the King gave him two allowances out of his Exchequer; the one of fixty pounds fourteen millings, and the other of fifty marks per ann, &c. . . Sir Tho. Browne, born at St. Michael's Cheap, London, but chiefly admirable for his practice of phyflc in the city f Norwich, where he fettled himfelf in 1637, was much Y 2 re for ted ( *68 ) r.eforted toby patients for his extraordinary (kill, and prac- tifed w th good fuccefs many years. With re:pec~t to his great worth he was made a Socius Hontrarius of the Col- lege of Phyficians in London, and in 1671 had the ho- nor of Knighthood conferred upon him by his Majefty Charles II. who was then at Norwich. He died October 19, 1682, and lies buried in the chancel of St. Peter's of Mancroft y but will ever live in the efteem and admira- tion of the learned, for the feveral writings he hath pub- limed, as Religio Medici, i. e. The Phyfecian's Religion : A book fo much valued, that it has been tranilated into French, Italian, Dutch, German, A:c. and perufed by many cu- rious and learned men of thofe nations, as well as Eng- land, with great delight. .Alexander Roflc, a Scotchman, anfwered it in a book, intitled Mtdicm Medicatus ; but Sir K.enelm Digby thought it worth his time to make. fome. Englilh annotations upon it. It was printed at London in 1642. Pfeudodoxia Epidemica; or, An Enquiry into fucb common find vulgar errors, as ordinarily pafs for received Truths, Firft printed at London, in 1646, and laft in 1673, much enlarged by the author, with many explanations, additions, and alterations. This book was alfo anfwered by Alex- ander Rofle, in his Arcana Microcafmi, and John Robinfon's Eudcxa. Urn Burial ; Or, A Di/cour/0 of Sepulchrial Urns lately found in Norfolk. Printed at London, in 1658. To which is added, The Garden of Cyras; or, The Shtincunical Loz/nge, and Network Plantations of the Ancients, Attifi- t tally, Naturally, and Myfitellj confidered t -with Ohfer-. vmtitns. Certaim, ( 6 9 ) Certain Mifcellar.y Trails, No. 13. Printed at London, in i636. With an Epifile prefixed by the Puhlijher, Dr, Thomas Tennifon, afterwards Ar^hbifhop of Canterbury. All thefe works, and fome few more, were printed toge- ther, in folio, in 1686. Richard Foulfham, a Monk of the city of Norwich, was a perfon much beloved by Thomas Arundel, Archbi- fhop of Canterbury, for his fingular piety and extraordi- nary learning. It is probable he had been a great traveller ; for all that we find of his writings is only two books of epiltles, many of which are written to his correfpondents at Rome. He flouriihed in 1410. John Stow, a Benedi&ine Monk of the monaftery of St. Saviour, in Norwich, and Do&or of Divinity of Ox- ford. It appears by his works that he was at the Council of Bafil. Thofe works are, The Acls of the Council at Bajil; Various Collections, and Solemn Difputations, &c. He flourished in 1440. John Mear, a Monk of Norwich, and Do&or of Divi- nity of Oxford, was a perfon of fubtle wit for explaining difficulties. He is faid to have been Divinity-reader in feveral monafteries, and to have been a frequent preacher. His works were preferved in the library of Norwich, till the fuppreflion of monafteries; but now we have only thefe titles of them : On the Majler of the Sentences and Sermons. When he died it doth not appear. Thomas Brinton, or Brampton, another Monk of Nor-, wich, who had attained to fuch an eminency for learning is the fchools of England, that his fame was fpread abroad beyond fea, and he was fent for by the Pope to Rome, where he often preached before him in Latin, and being firit ( *7 ) fifft made hi:; Penitentiary, was afterwards raifed-tc the fee of Rochefter. His fermons preached before the Pope were pub- liUied with fome others. Edward Browne, fon of Sir Thomas, born in Norwich, at firft a great traveller, and after his return became a Fel- low of the Royal Society, and of the college of Phyficians, (where he was Cenfor in 1683) and Phyfician in Ordinary to his Majefty Charles II. He hath written and published, I. A brief Account of his Travels in Hungaria, Ci>V. ivith fome Observations on the Gold, Silver, &c. Mines, Baths, and Mineral Waters in thofe Parts. 2. An Account of his Travels through a great Part of Germany, in four Journeys. Printed at London in 1679. 3. He has feveral Difceurfes alfo in the Philofophical TranfaSiions and Collcclions. And 4. He has tranjlated the Lives of Themijlocles and Sertorius out of Plutarch's Greek into Englijh. Printed at London, in 1683 and 1684. John Goflin, born in Norwich, was firft Fellow, and then Matter of Caius College, in Cambridge, Prottor of that univcrfity, and twice Vice-chancellor thereof, a gene- ral fcholar, eloquent Latinift, and a rare Phyfician, in which faculty he was Regius Profeflbr. He was a great benefactor to Catherine-hall, bellowing on it the Bull-inn, of confiderable value, which being now added to the col- lege, makes it very fpacious, which before was clofe, and? almoft fuftocating. He died in the Vicc-chancellorfhip in 162c. Robert Watfon was born in Norwich alfo. He was ex- cellently well /killed in the laws, and was Steward of the Courts of Archbifhop Cranmer, as Bale tells us, De- fcript. Brit. Ctnt. q, Nc. $1. Being imprifoned for his religion in Queen Mary's time, he often difputcd, during hi rellraint, with fcvcral Papifts concerning Tranfubttan- tiation ; ( i-7 x ) tiation ; and having at length gained his enlargement, h wrote a treatife in elegant Latin, (dedicating it to fueh as with him had fufFered baniilancnt, or imprifonment, for religion) wherein he relates the aqcidents of his life, Sir Peter Read, though not certainly known to be a na- tive or inhabitant of Norwich, yet may deferve a place here, becaufe he lies buried in St. Peter's church there, having this infeription on his monument : " Hereunder licth the corps of Peter Read, Efq. ould be known by her fi7* J in 1529, and was buried in his monallery, leaving behind him a rare example of piety. # Henry Howard, youngeft fon of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and brother to Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, .was born at Shottifham. He was bred a ferious Student for many years in King's College, Cambridge, and aftewards in Trinity-hall, where waviag the advantages of an ho- norable birth, he proceeded by the ordinary fteps to the degree of Mailer of Arts. He, by his diligence, became a great and general fcholar, as he proved himfelf to be by his large and learned work, intitled, A Di/pen/ation againji ibt Poifan of fuppofed Prophecies y which he dedicated to .Sir Francis Walfingham, then Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth, with what defign is not known ; but with what- ever it was, he Jived privately all that Queen's reign ; but v. hen James I. came to the Throne, he being noted for his learning, was drawn from his retirement, and highly preferred by that Prince; for in the id year of his reign he was conltituted one of his Privy-co**ncil, Warden fthe Cinquc-ports, and Conftable of Dover-caftle, and in the end of the fame year advanced to the honor of a Baron of this Realm, by the title of Lord Howard, of Marnhill, and Earl of Northampton, and not long after appointed one of the Commiflioners for exercifing the office of Earl Marfhal of England, and inftalled one of the Knights of "the mod noble order of the Garter, and a year or two af- ter made Lord Privy Seal : All which preferments being heaped upon him, not fo much for his noble pedigree, as for his learning, fucked from the brealls of his mother, the -rfity of Cambridgr, which relation obliged that learn- ed body to chufe him their Chancellor. He ( 173 I He was left a younger brother's eftate by his father, which, was but fmail, and before his preferments, by his elchft brother, Thomas Duke of Norfolk's death, was at one time reduced to fo low a fortune, that when he wanted a dinn. j- in London, and had no monoy to buy one, he was forced to dine with Duke Humphrey in St. Paul's; but fortune hanging in James's reign, he attained to great wealth ;; nor, and command. He never married, and fc h-'.:ng children to provide for, he perpetuated his ;; ~mory by noble and pious works, which is much the bell way of ufing riches; for befides a noble houfe at Cftaring-crofs, which he built for himfelf out of the ruins of a certain religious-houfe that flood there, called Rownceval, he founded and endowed an hofpital for twelve poor women, and a Governor, at Caftle-Rifing, in Norfolk, as is there related ; and another for twelve poor men, and a Governor, at Clun, in Shroplhire ; and ano- ther at Greenwich, in Kent, for a Governor and twenty poor men, eight of which are to be chofen out of the vil- lage of Shottifham, where he was born. He died at his houfe near Charing-crofs, June 15, 1614, and was buried in the church of Dover-Caftle, under a goodly monument of white marble, with an epitaph, briefly comprehending what is before mentioned memorable of ,him in elegant Latin, either contrived or compofed by John Griffith, his Secretary. Sir James Hobart, of Hales-hall, near Loddon, Attor- ney-general to Henry VII. who knighted him, with his fon, the Prince of Wales. By his many charitable and public 4 - fpirited a&s, he deferved well of the church, the common- wealth, and his country. Sir Henry Hobart, a Judge in James the Firft's reign, was collaterally defcended from Z him. ( 17+ ) him. He was one of the firft of the polite orators of his. time, and his reports are efteemed by the lawyers the beft for fmoothnefs of language. He was made a Baronet at the firft creation, and llands the ninth in the lift. He was. Attorney-general, and afterwards Lord Chief-juftice of the Common-pleas ; Chancellor to the Prince of Wales, Mem- ber in Parliament for Norwich, and Governor of the Char- ter-houfe. His defcendant, Sir Henry Hobart, was feveral times Knight of the Shire for this county, but was fome years ago killed in a duel by Mr. Le Neve. Th Baronetage is now in the Right Hon. the Earl of Bucking- hamfhire. JohnLeman, an eminent fifhmonger, fon of John Le- man of Gillingham, was Lord-mayor of London in the year 1616. John de Thorp, born at Thorp- Abbots, was bred a Carmelite Friar in Norwich, and commenced a Doftor at Cambridge. Logic feems to have been his chief piece of learning, in which he moft delighted, for he wrote a book, which he intitlcd, The Labyrinth of Sopbifms, and another, which he called The Rule of Confequences, for which he got the title among the academics of Doftor Ingeniojm : But Dr. Fuller fays, if he was ingenious he was not inge- nuous ; to every pound of wit he had hardly a drachm of good nature ; for he was of a cruel difpofitioa, and a vio- lent perfecutor of William White, and other godly follow- crs of WicklifFe. He died anno Dni. 1 440. Sir WilliaM Le Neve, Clarencieux King of Arms, of Afla&on, was educated at Caius College, in Cambridge, and being made his Majefty't fervant, cloiely adhered to fcis cauft, and often ran the hazard of his life in the civil watfs, in furamoning garrifoni to furrender to the King, and ( .T5 ) and upon dental proclaiming them traitors, as well as loft his eitate. He was very fkilful in his art, and made many colleftions of ceremonies, funeral-infcriptions, &c. often, quoted by Elias Afhmole, Efq. in his book of the inftitu- tion of the Order of the Garter. He was in his latter days lunatic, and dying at Hodfden, was buried at St. Ben- net's Paul's-wharf, London, Auguit 15, 1661. We fup- poi'e the late Peter Le Neve, Efq. of the Herald's-office, was defcended from him. John Skelton, tiie King's Orator and Poet-Iaureat, is an honor to Difs, being the Minifter of it. 'Tis probable he was born in this county, becaufe it is well known there has been a Family of that name long fixed here, but the place not being found out, we choofe to fpeak of him Where he was Minifter. Erafmus, a man of unquestion- able judgment, gives this charafter of him in his letter to Henry VIII. Brilannicarum Literarum Lumen & Decus, i. e. The light and honor of the Britifh learning. Indeed he was fcholar enough, and no bad poet, unlefs for himfelf; for giving himfelf too much to fatire, he created three fuch enemies as ruined him both in reputation, liberty, and eftate. William Lilly, the great Schoolmafter, and author of our Latin grammar, he reflected upon as a bad verfe- ftaker, to which Lilly replied, Skeltone, dum tibi parare famam, Et do&us fieri, ftudes poeta, Do&rinam nee habes, nee es poeta. That is, Whilfi Skelton thou to get tfieem A Uarned foet fain luouldji feem t Z 2 Skelton ( I7 ) Skeltott thou aft, lei all men &ns8o ) Anne Boleyn, Queen Confort of Henry VIII. was borii at Biickling, the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltihire, by a daughter of the Duke of No;foik; .he was married November, 1532, was crowned June 1, 1553, tried by order of the King on a charge of inceft with her brother, and, though not guilty, convicted, aud beheaded May 14, 1536, aged 29. Edwin, the Dane, came over with Canute, and marrying the heirefs of the Saxon Lord Thoke, became Lord of Sharnboume, which name he then took ; but thi; eftitc being given by the Conqueror to William Earl Warren, he fo ably pleaded his priority of right, and neutrality of conduct, in perfon before the Conqueror, that the King or- dered the inheritance of Edwin de Sharnbourne to be re- ftored to him. This is an inflance of temerity of the fub- jec\, and judiceof the Soverign, not ufual in thofe barba- rous times. This very ancient family are lately extinct. Of Sir Robert Walpole we need fay nothing more than, that he was born at Houghton, Auguft 26, 1674, and in 1700 was chofen Member for Lynn-Regis, for which place he ferved till 174-2, excepting one feffions, 171 1, when he v.ai expelled the Houfe. He filled the offices of a Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of War, and Treafurer of the Navy, but was removed from his employments in 1710. Lie cane again into office in 1714, but in April, 1717, re- signed. In 1721 he held the fame places again; was a Knight of the Bath, 1725 ; Knight of the Garter, 1726;* (iovernorof the Charter-houfe, 1727; and High-fteward t Lynn-Regis, 1738. In December, 1741, he refigned all his places at Court, and was created Earl of Orford, Sec. and died in London, Mvch 18, 1746* ged 70. In the hundred of Gallow the reader ( m ) reader will find a more particular account of the life and family of this great Statefman. Perfons of Note in this County, whofe birth- place, or abode, are not known, or if known, not mentioned before. Gilbert Berkley was a native of this county, defcended f the ancient Barons of that name, as his arms fhew. He was confecrated Bifhop of Bath and Well-> in the ift of Eli- zabeth, and fat therein twenty-two years. He died of a lethargy, November 2, 158 1, in the 80th year of his age, and lies buried on the north fide of the communion-table in the Cathedral there. John Towers, born in this county, Fellow of Queen's College, in Cambridge, and Chaplain to the Earl of Northampton, who bellowed on him the benefice of Caftle- Afhby, in Northamptonfhire, and further recommended him to his Majefly Charles I. to be his Chaplain , by which means he came to be firft Dean, and then Biihop of Peter- borough in 1638. He was one of the Protefting Bithops, and fent with the reft to the Tower, where they all conti- nued (but the Bifhops Moreton and Hall) eighteen weeks before they obtained their liberty ; after which he betook himfelf to his Majeily at Oxford, and having remained there till the furrender of that place, he returned to Peter- borough, where he found his revenues all feized, and the people fo fet againft him, that he was continually alarmed with threatenings and moleftations to the time of his death, which happened but twenty-one days before his Royal Matter's martyrdom. He underwent many and great af- flictions from the times, and felt great wants, having many A a children, ( 182 ) children, and little to fupport them ; but he had learnt to bear with patience what Providence brought upon him, and died in obfeurity, but was buried in the Cathedra!. William Ward, father of Humble Lord Ward, a weal- thy geld fmith, of London, and jeweller to Queen Mary, was defcended of an ancient family of that name in this county. He left a large cftats to his fon, Humble, much about the time that Charles I. fell into his diftrefs by the unparalleled defection of his fubjects, ar.na 1642, which this Gentleman taking as a feafonable opportunity of (hew- ing both his duty as a fubjeft, and gratitude as the fon of his fcrvant, fent feveral fupplies of money to his Majefty, which the King having then no way to requite but confer- ring titles of honor, did, in confideration that he had mar- ried Frances, the niece and heirefs of Edward Lord Dud- ley, firft make him a Knight, at Oxford, January 24, 1643, and then a Baron by the name of Lord Ward of Birmingham, March 23 enfuing. Sir Robert Venile, Knt. of whom Sir Richard Baker, Cbron. 3 Ed. III. page 181, gives this account; " Here muftHOt be forgotten Robert Venile,. Knt. a Norfolk man, who when the Scots and Englifh were ready to give battle^ a certain (tout champion of great itature, commonly called Tournhall, coming out of the Scotch army, challenged any Englifhman to meet him in a fingle combat. This challenge Robert Venile accepted, and in his march to^ wards the chsxnpion, meeting a black maftifF-dog, which waited Oil the champion, he fuddenly with his fword cut hi 1 in two at the reins, and afterwards did more to the chan ui'eLf, cutting his head from his moulders." Dr. Fulicr tells us, " he could not by all his induftry find tku ( i8 3 ) ibis relation of fo famous a man in any other hiftoriaii,'' and fo the credit of it depends upon the author. Edmund Gourney was born and beneficed in this coun- ty, but the place is not known. He was bred in Queen's and Bennet's Colleges, Cambridge, where he commenced Bachelor of Divinity. He was an excellent fcholar, and could be merry or ferious as he pleafed, but never was pro- phane towards God, or injurious to his neighbour, in his jells, and fo might be allowed to pleafe himfelf, if he gave ho one elfe caufe of difpleafure. He was a found Anti- papift, as his books againft. Tranfubftantiation, and upon the fecond Commandment, both of them learnedly and judicioufly written, do teilify. He died in the begin- ning of the civil wars. Henry Walpool, elder brother to Michael and Richard Walpool, Jefuits, was educated at Cambridge, and then thought to be inclined to Puritanifm, but being retired from that Univerfity, became a zealous Roman Catholic, and going to Rome, entered himfelf into the Society of Jeius in 1584, and being fent into England in 1593, to make converts, he was, feized on at his firft entry, and im- prifoned at York, for denying the Queen's fupremacy over the church of England, where while he lay, feveral books compofed by him of a treafonable nature were feized, as J be Martyrdom of Edmund Campian, &c. of which being convicted, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered there, April 17, 1595. William Stafford, a Norfolk man born, and nobly de- fended, was a Student of Chrift Church, Oxford. He was a Member of the Houfe of Commons for a time, and wrote a little piece, intitled, An orderly and plain Narra- tion of the Beginning and Caufes of this war, tvitb a confci- A a 2 entious ( i4 ) thus ke/olution againji the Parliament Side. He died in Gloucefter-fhire, about anno 1683, 25 ) The Right Hon. George Walpole, Earl of Or ford, ij Vifcount and Baron Walpole, and Baron of Houghton, in Norfolk. The Right Hon. John Hobart, Earl of Buckingham- ihire, is Baron Hobart of Blickling, in Norfolk. The Right Hon. George Townfhend, Vifcount Town- fhend of Rainham, is alfo Baron Townfhend of Lynn- Regis, in Norfolk The Right Hon. Horatio Walpole, Baron Walpole of Wolterton, in Norfolk. The Right Hon. Thomas de Grey, Baron Walfingham, in Norfolk. The Peerages of Norfolk now extinB are, NORFOLK. Hugh Bigot had a charter as Earl of Norfolk in the reign of Henry II. which, in the 35th of Edward I. re- verted to the Crown, for want of heirs male. Thomas Plantagenet, or de Brotherton, fifth fon of Ed- ward I. had this Earldom conferred on him, and he dying in the 12th of Edward III. without ifTue male, his daugh- ter, Lady Margaret, was made Duchefs of Norfolk for life, and died March 24, 1399. Thomas Mowbray next inherited the Dukedom, but it was afterwards poiTeffed by Richard Plantagenet, (in right of his wife) fecond fon of Edward IV. who died without ifTue. NORWICH. ( i6 ) Norwich. fcif Edward Denny, Baron Denny of Walrhani, wad treated Earl of Norwich by Charles I. 1626, and died without heirs male. George Goring, Baron Goring, nephew of Sir Edward Denny, was created Earl of Norwich by Charles I. 1644 ; but his Tons failed in ifTue. WALSINGHAM. Melefinade Schulenbergh was created Baronefs of Wal- fingham, &c. April 7, 1722, by George I. She married the late Earl of Chefterfield, and died in the year 1780, without iflue. YARMOUTH. Sir Robert Paflon, Bart, of Paflon and Oxnead, was created Baron Paffon and Vifcount Yarmouth by Charles II. Auguft 19, 1673, and Earl of Yarmouth July 30, 1679; but his fon, who fuccecded him, died without male iffue. Amelia Sophia Walmoden was created Baronefs and Ccuntefs of Yarmouth, for life, by George II. April 4, 1740, and died October 26, 1765. Befides thefe, wc read of feveral Barons of this county who had fummons to Parliament, whofe titles are long face loft. The title of Baron was called by the Saxons, Thane, and, %n their language, fignificd man. Feudal Barons were the defcendents of thofe Barons, amongfl whom William the Cpnqucror divided (he lord/hips and manors of this coun- ty. ( i*7 ) try, to bo held cf him by Knight's fervice. Barons V ?^ 315 ivsn 3 o l -w V ^ 3 1158 00837 8712 >: iiMlffilS REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A A 000 098 637 HAUF0% 5 Ft I ^RMVEftf// .p* ->' .1." ' *J JfcrnniMfc yji e %a3AiNaj^ --Of i>^| '%83A!NH 3\V <^- iV^n "x C s- .^OF-CAlIFORfe, * /"At