CHAPTER VII.

Norwich in the Twelfth Century.

ABOUT the commencement of this century, a considerable addition was made to the population of the city by a vast influx of Jews, who originally came from Normandy, and were allowed to settle in England as chapmen for the sale of confiscated goods. They afterwards became numerous, and were so much in favour with William Rufus that he is said to have sworn, by St. Luke’s face, his usual oath, that “If the Jews should overcome the Christians, he himself would become of their sect.” In his reign the present castle is supposed to have been built.

Henry I., on his accession to the crown, met with great opposition from many of the nobles who were in the interest of his elder brother, Robert, Duke of Normandy; but Roger Bigod strongly espousing his cause, became a great favourite. In the first part of his reign, the king gave him Framlingham in Suffolk, and continued him Constable of the Castle till his death. He was succeeded by his son William Bigod, on whose decease Hugh Bigod, his brother, who inherited his estate, was appointed Governor of the Castle. In 1122, the king kept his Christmas in Norwich, when, being pleased with the reception he met with, he severed the government of the city from that of the castle, the constable of which had been heretofore the sole governor. Henry I. granted the city a charter containing the same franchises as the city of London then enjoyed, and the government of the city was then separated from that of the castle, the chief officer being styled Propositus or Provost. The liberties of the city from the time of Henry I. to Edward III., were often suspended and gradually enlarged. In 1403 the city was separated entirely from the county of Norfolk, under the name of the county and city of Norwich; and the first Mayor was then elected by the citizens. The old corporation generally comprised a dignified body of men, who maintained the hospitalities of the city. Under the ancient charter the corporation of Norwich consisted of a mayor, recorder, steward, two sheriffs, twenty-four aldermen, including the mayor, and sixty common councilmen. The Municipal Reform Act transferred its government into the hands of a mayor, a sheriff, and a town council consisting of forty-eight councillors, and sixteen aldermen elected by the council, who unitedly elect the mayor and sheriff. To these, and to a recorder, with an indefinite number of magistrates appointed by the crown, the government of the city is entrusted.

King Stephen, on his accession, granted the custody of the castle to his favourite, Hugh Bigod, who was a principal instrument in advancing him to the crown, by coming directly from Normandy where Henry I. died, and averring that he on his deathbed had disinherited his daughter Maud, the empress, and appointed Stephen, Earl of Bolyne, his heir. The citizens, therefore, taking this opportunity, used what interest they could with the king to obtain a new charter, vesting the government of the city in coroners and bailiffs instead of provosts; but the affair took a different turn to what they expected, for the king, upon a distrust of Bigod favouring the cause of the Empress Maud, seized the castle and all the liberties of the city into his own hands, and soon afterwards granted to his natural son William, for an appanage or increase of inheritance, the town and burgh of the city of Norwich, in which were 1238 burgesses who held of the king in burgage tenure; and also the castle and burgh thereof, in which were 123 burgesses that held of the king in burgage, and also the royal revenue of the whole county of Norfolk, excepting what belonged to the bishopric, &c. The whole rent of the city, including the fee farm, was then about £700 per annum. The king restored the city liberties for a fine in 1139.

During the reign of King Stephen more Flemings came over; and these successive immigrations were a real blessing to the land. England had not been a manufacturing country at all till the arrival of the Flemings, who introduced the preparation and weaving of wool, so that, in process of time, not only the home market was abundantly supplied with woollen cloth, but a large surplus was made for exportation. The Flemings were kinsmen of the Anglo-Saxon race, and were distinguished for that probity in their commercial dealings which afterwards became the characteristic of the English merchants at large.

Henry II., in the first year of his reign, 1155, took the city, castle, and liberties from William, the natural son of Stephen; but, as a recompense, restored to him all those lands which his father held in the reign of Henry I. He also prevailed upon Hugh Bigod to yield up all his castles, whereby the whole right became vested in the crown; the king governing the city by the sheriff, who paid the profits arising therefrom into the exchequer. About the year 1163 Hugh Bigod was restored to the title of the Earl of Norfolk, and at the same time appointed Constable of Norwich Castle, by which means he became sole governor of the city. In 1182, the citizens recovered the liberties of the city on paying a fine of 80 marks to the king.

Richard I. was crowned September 4th, 1189, and a riot happened on account of a Jew attempting to enter Westminster Hall contrary to the king’s express command. Many of the Jews were killed, and their houses plundered and burnt. A rumour was thereupon spread throughout the nation that the king did not favour them, on which the people of Bury, Lynn, and Norwich, took occasion to rise and rob great numbers of them. On November 27th following, Roger, son of Hugh Bigod, was created Earl of Norfolk, and steward of the king’s household. By his means the city regained as ample a charter as London then possessed, for in 1193, the king granted the city in fee farm to the citizens and their heirs, for a fee farm rent of £180 yearly.