Part 1

Transcribed from the 1783 W. Chase and Co. edition by David Price, email [email protected] Many thanks to the Millennium Library, Norwich, and the British Library, London, for allowing their copies to be consulted.

[Picture: Public domain book cover]

THE NORWICH DIRECTORY;

OR, Gentlemen and Tradesmen’s Assistant.

CONTAINING

An alphabetical List of the principal INHABITANTS, their Address, Occupation and Residence: The Houses numbered.

With the following TABLES, viz.

Streets, Lanes, Markets, Churches, Meeting-houses, Gates, and public Buildings. Court of Aldermen, Sheriffs, Common-council, Committees, and other City Officers. The Bishop’s, Dean and Chapter’s, Excise, and Stamp Offices. Court of Request, House and Window Tax, Land Tax, and Post-office. Bankers, Physicians, Surgeons, Attorneys, and Saturday Merchants, &c. Coaches, Waggons, Inns, Coffee-houses, Carriers, Vessels, Port and Single-horse Chaises. Hospitals, Treasures, Court of Guardians, and Charity Schools. Fairs in Norfolk, Seats near Norwich, and Crown Officers. Lodges of Free-Masons, Societies, and Places of public Amusement.—Boarding Schools, Boarding and Lodging Houses, &c. The Trade, Manufacture, Poor-Rate, and Population of Norwich. London and Hull Traders, and Pack-Ships from Yarmouth. Parishes, Incumbents, and Patrons; Hamlets, and Bounds of the County of the City of Norwich, &c. &c.

To which is added,

A Sketch of the HISTORY of NORWICH,

AND HINTS for PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

With an engraved PLAN of the City; and References.

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NORWICH: Printed and Sold by W. CHASE and Co. March 22, 1783

Price One Shilling and Sixpence.

[Picture: Plan of the City of Norwich]

Alphabetical LIST of the Streets, Lanes, &c. in the City of Norwich; also of the Churches, Gates, and other public Buildings.

All Saints Green Fisher’s lane Pockthorpe street Almhouse-lane Fishgate Pottergate street Andrew’s St. Bridge Fuller’s lane Pudding lane street Andrew’s St. Fye-bridge quay Rampant-horse lane Chancel-str. Anne’s St. lane George’s St. Rampant-horse street Bridge-street Anne’s St. staith Gilden-gate Red-cow hill Augustine’s St. Gilden croft lane Red-lion lane street Back of the Inns Giles’s St. Hill Red-well plain Badding’s lane Giles’s St. street Red-well street Bargate street Giles’s St. Rising-sun lane Broad-street Beaumont’s Hill Giles’s St. road Rose lane Ber-street Goat-lane, Upper Rosemary lane Bethel street Goat-lane, Lower Rotten-row Bishopgate street Golden-Ball lane Sand-gate Blue-Boar lane Green’s lane St. Saviour’s lane Botolph street Gregory’s St. Schole’s green church-yard Bracondale Griffin lane Seven-coat row Brent lane Gun lane Sky-gate Brigg’s lane Haymarket Snail-gate Brigg’s staith Heigham street Soutergate street Bridewell alley Hellesdon lane, Storey’s staith Little Castle Ditches Hog-hill St. Stephen’s street Castle Meadow Holgate St. Stephen’s back-street Catherine’s St. lane Hospital lane St. Stephen’s church-yard Chapel-field Hospital yard St. Stephen’s road Chapel-field lane Hungate street Surry street Charing-cross Jenkin’s lane Surry street Mews Cherry-alley King-street Surry street, Upper Clement’s St. Lady’s lane Swan lane church-yard Close, Upper Lawrence St. lane St. Swithin’s lane Close, Lower Life’s green Tabernacle street Cockey lane London lane Timberhill street Cockey lane, Little Maddermarket Tombland Cockril lane Magdalen-street Tooley street Colegate street Margaret’s St. church Tubby’s lane yard Common Staith, Old Market lane Upper Market street Common Staith, New Market-place Wasile-gate Common-pump street Martin’s St. lane Water lane, St. George’s Cook street Martin’s St. plain Water lane, St. Martin’s Cook’s lane Martin’s St. street Water lane, King street Coslany street Mary’s St. plain Weaver’s lane Cow-cross Mews Westwick street, Upper Cowgate street Michael St. Westwick street, Thorn-lane Lower Dove lane Music-house staith Wherry staith Duke’s Palace Muspole street White-friar’s Bridge street Elmhill street New-mills lane White-lion lane Elmhill lane Norman’s lane Willow lane Excise-office street Pigg lane World’s-end lane Faiths St. lane Pitt street Wymer street Finket street

Reference to the Churches, in the Plan.

A St. Martin’s at Oak B St. Augustine’s C St. Mary’s D St. George’s Colegate E St. Saviour’s F St. Paul’s G St. James’s H St. Edmund’s I St. Clement’s K St. Michael’s Coslany L St. Swithin’s M St. Margaret’s N St. Lawrence O St. Benedict’s P St. Gregory’s Q St. John’s Maddermarket R St. Andrew’s S St. Peter’s Hungate T St. Michael at Pleas U St. George’s Tombland V St. Simon and Jude W St. Martin’s at Palace X St. Helen’s Y St. Giles’s Z St. Peter’s Mancroft I. St. Stephen’s II. St. John’s Timberhill III. All Saints IV. St. Michael’s at Thorn V. St. John’s Sepulchre VI. St. Peter’s Southgate VII. St. Etheldred’s VIII. St. Julian’s IX. St. Peter’s per Mountergate

Public Buildings and Offices.

French church Quaker’s meeting Dutch church Guildhall Grammar school Fish-market Methodist meeting Stamp office Deanery Bethel Excise office Theatre Royal St. Giles’s hospital Assembly-house Boy’s hospital Cattle, county goal, and shire-house Girl’s hospital Norfolk and Norwich hospital Doughty’s hospital Private lunatic house Court of Request office Bridewell Presbyterian new meeting Post-office Independent meeting St. Andrew’s work-house Anabaptist meeting Roman Catholic chapel Duke’s Palace work-house St. John’s work-house City goal

Gates on the City Walls.

St. Martin’s Pockthorpe Ber-street St. Giles’s St. Augustine’s Bishop’s Brazen Doors St. Benedict’s Magdalen Conisford St. Stephen’s Heigham

‡*‡ _A Person will be sent to paint the Numbers_ (_as pointed out in this Directory_) _on Houses in any Street of the City_, _at_ 3_d_ or 6_d_ _each_, _by applying at the Publishers_, W. CHASE _and_ Co. No. 12, Cockey-Lane.

Introduction.

The utility of a DIRECTORY in so extensive and populous a city as Norwich, is so very obvious, that little need be said on its eligibility. The contents are so fully expressed in the title-page, and the arrangement of matter so well adapted to every capacity, that any explanation here would be offering an insult to the understandings of our fellow-citizens; as well as to the intelligent stranger, and inhabitant of any of the commercial towns, among whom, no doubt, a work of this kind cannot fail of being in great request.

This city, though abounding in opulence and fashion, has long laboured under great inconvenience on account of the difficulty of ascertaining, precisely, the address of its inhabitants, whether in trade or independent: and this has been chiefly owing to want of PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. The vague and general name of a parish being the only direction to persons of every denomination; so that the enquirer may perambulate the boundaries of three or four adjoining parishes before he can ultimately determine; as it frequently happens that one side of a street is in one parish, the other in another. To remedy this, in some degree, the names of the streets have been put up in a few of the parishes; but even this has been done in so partial and improper a manner, that little benefit can accrue to the complainant.

That spirit of improvement so generally felt, has been greatly damped by the attention to, and gloomy appearance of, national affairs; but now that PEACE, the much-favoured handmaid of Heaven, smiles on the industry of the citizens of Norwich, we hope they will, again, turn their thoughts to that very desirable object. We are well aware that there are persons who, holding every species of rational and polite advancement in contempt, are willing to creep through life without a single ray of light, that does not center in their own narrow focus of human perfection! To these, as lumber thrown from the stock of mankind, we recommend an emigration to the sandy plains of Arabia, or to the craggy mountains of Lapland. To be serious: the present publication has not only the merit of being highly useful to the mercantile and curious of _this day_, but may _hereafter_ be remembered as having tended to the ease and ornament of posterity.

To find fault with the present without amending the future, is like discovering an evil we cannot specificly cure. We stoop not to such negative virtues; but will freely and respectfully submit our ideas to the consideration of the Police of this city, and to such other bodies and individuals as are therein concerned—under the appellation of

_Hints for Public Improvements_.

1. Every STREET, lane, and thoroughfare, should have its proper Name, distinctly and correctly painted, and put up at the corner or entrance of each. To ascertain this, the church-wardens ought to consult authentic records and history, and not to be guided by the vulgar or temporary adoption of ill-informed persons. We have endeavoured, as much as possible, to be correct on this head; and, if found so, hope to be the humble means of governing this regulation.

2. The HOUSES in each street, &c. should necessarily be numbered. The mode of doing this, with precision, we have adopted, and doubt not but it will also become the general rule:—Beginning from the Market-place on the right hand, and returning on the left. It may, however, be found proper in some instances (as in streets remote, and in a contrary direction, from the market) to be guided by convenience and situation. We have had due regard to this; and have affixed the numbers accordingly.—☞ The best and cheapest mode of distinguishing the number of each house or shop, is by painted figures on the door, above, or on each side.

3. The hanging SIGNS in every part of the city should be taken down: they are not only very dangerous and disagreeable in windy weather, but interrupt the view, and impede the free circulation of air:—an object of the first consequence in a great town.

4. The WATER-SPOUTS have been chiefly removed; but we wish to have them totally abolished; as indeed we do every public nuisance.

5. This, and most other ancient towns are horridly paved: and it is difficult, as well as expensive, to produce an alteration of so much consequence, as that of raising the cause-way in the middle, with channels and foot-paths (flag’d) on each side. Many of the streets in Norwich are too narrow to admit of this, but surely St. Giles’s Broad-street, St. Stephen’s-street, Ber-street, King-street, Magdalen-street, Coslany-street, Colegate-street, Upper Westwick-street, &c. &c. might be rendered handsome and commodious by a pavement, in the manner of Upper Surry street.

6. The improvement lately made in the Lower Close, though it met with much popular clamour and opposition, is very much to the honor of the worthy gentleman who formed the inclosed area, now called _Lower Close_, or _Dean Square_. If the stables on the south side were to give way to uniform dwelling-houses, the buildings would be more complete.

7. The ground that has been levelled and cleared in front of St. Andrew’s Hall, is one of the few improvements this city has lately received. Had the area been still more open and extended, the alteration had been more perfect.

8. As the road through the city is both difficult, dark, and dangerous, we would propose opening and widening such parts as might render the whole airy and easy of access. To this end, the great entrance to the _Market place_, through _Brigs’s-lane_, should be opened; at least, the turn from the Rampant-horse-street, or Horse-market, should be rounded, by taking away the corners. From the _Market-place_ to the _Red Well_, the _Cockey-lane_ and _London-lane_ is so narrow and irregular, that frequent interruptions, and sometimes accidents, happen by carriages meeting. Persons on foot must squeeze themselves into a dark alley, or burst into a shop, to avoid being run over or crushed against the walls; whilst, in wet weather, you are drenched by torrents of water from the houses, or plunged into a gutter, knee deep.

If the _Back of the Inns_ would admit of carriages, from the_ Hog-hill_ to _London-lane_, it would be a safer thorough-fare. The houses and stables on the west side are of little value, comparatively with the advantage; and the rents of good houses and shops on that side, would amply recompence the trouble and charge of rebuilding the street, at 25 or 30 feet width.

But, the readiest passage from _St. Stephen’s_ to _Tombland_ would be made by opening the lane above the Bell Inn on Hog-hill, across the _Castle Ditches_, to the _Red Well_. The houses on the west side of the lane, by Gurney’s bank, are much in decay: their removal, therefore, would be attended with every advantage of profit and ornament.

9. Supposing the communication to the _Red Well_ opened, the area of waste ground, called the _Castle Meadow_, between the _Castle-hill_ and _King-street_, would admit of buildings, on three sides, to form a very spacious and handsome square. This should be continued from the new buildings behind Gurney’s Bank to the Griffin-yard, where a large opening into King-street is much wanted. From this, the east side will extend along the back of King-street, and the south side terminate at the Duke Tavern. Within this, a considerable space might be pallisaded, and laid out in shrubbery and pleasant walks: leaving a foot-pavement and carriage road on each side. As neat and convenient houses of 15, 18, and 20 pounds yearly rent are much wanted in Norwich, for genteel small families, we have no doubt but CASTLE-SQUARE would soon be inhabited by desirable tenants. Many other improvements might and would be made on the south-east side of the _Castle Ditches_, provided the above hints were adhered to.

10. It hath been proposed to inclose the _Upper Close_, in like manner as the Lower, but this, we understand, has not been done, on account of its being the _Play-ground_ of the _Grammar School_. The _Prebend’s Walk_ here is now become the fashionable MALL.

11. The most eligible situation for a public walk is _Chapel-Field_. Here every thing that taste and judgment could suggest might be done. Trees planted; walks raised and gravelled; seats placed at certain distances, and even a piece of water formed in the center. The inner parallel of the triangle railed, and a good carriage road on the outer.

12. In so large and opulent a city as this, we have long wondered that no attempt has been made, nor encouragement given, towards erecting a neat and commodious suite of BATH ROOMS. The field behind the _Bowling-Green_, and fronting _Chapel-field_, is a proper situation for such a building; and bathing and exercise are equally conducive to health. To support the expence of these rooms, (which should consist of two cold or pleasure baths, and two Matlock, or warm baths, six or eight dressing-rooms, a hot bath, vapour bath, and a sweating-room; a public room for each sex, and other separate conveniencies) a perpetual or annual subscription should be entered into; and the terms, attendance, &c. put under such regulation, as might render the place fashionable, delicate, and salubrious.

13. If the _City Gates_ were totally erased, the air and prospect, to and from the town, would be much improved. When cities were surrounded by walls and gates, the state of the times made such precautions necessary; but now that the system of war, and the police of the country is better understood and practiced, they become a nuisance, that smells rank in the nose of modern improvement! At least, if taking down the _Gates_ be not thought necessary, the _Walls_, it is hoped, will be levelled.

14. Another great evil to be met with here, and in most towns, is, the church yards being consecrated to receive the bodies of the deceased. This practice is not only inconvenient and displeasing, but has often been the cause of pestiferous disorders. The putrid state of certain diseases, and natural decay of bodies, contribute to an infection, by air and humidity, that operates (though imperceptibly) on the lungs. If _burial grounds_ were appropriated on _Mousehold heath_, and properly secured, the areas in which the churches now stand might be formed into handsome grass-plats, both for use and ornament.

15. The _Water-works_ at the _New-Mills_, if raised to a given height, by such methods as are in used such cases, would convey a supply of water to every part of the city, without the expence, trouble, and inconvenience of reservoirs on _Tombland_, in _Chapel-field_, &c. The supply would be more certain, defeats easier discovered, and, consequently, repairs sooner made. Beside, _Tombland_, cleared of that filthy building, would become a very elegant square. And here, speaking of this subject, we should also recommend the _Red Well_ to be taken away, and the pump fixed elsewhere.

16. An opening to the _Castle-ditches_, from the east end of the _Cockey lane_, is much to be wished for: also one at the end of the _White-lion-lane_.

17. All the _Bridges_ in the city are very narrow and decayed, and the avenues leading to them equally incommodious. New bridges of one arch each, and open streets, would be rendering the trade of this city, by land and water carriage, an essential service. At _Black-friars_, we are told, a new bridge is now under consideration. A bridge cross the water at the _Duke’s Palace_, would open a communication from the market, through _the Dove-lane_ and _St. John’s_, to _Colegate_. But, at no place is a bridge more wanted than at _King’s-street Gate_; by which the time and trouble of going round by _Bishopsgate Bridge_ would be saved to many.—N.B. The _Island_ formed by the river at _Coslany bridge_, has been found to collect the filth of that neighbourhood, and, therefore, as a nuisance, ought to be removed.

18. Though Norwich has many excellent _Inns_, yet none of them are handsome or spacious. The _Coffee-houses_ are sufficiently good, and the _Boarding-houses_ reasonable; but there is great want of a _Hotel and Tavern_, to accommodate genteel families, parties, or persons of rank.

19. In the MARKET-PLACE, the _Lower_, or _Gentleman’s Walk_ should be flag’d and posted off from the carriage way, for a parade, exchange, or place of business and pleasure. This, tho’ it might cost something considerable, would very much enhance the value of the shops and dwellings on the walk, and afford gentlemen and merchants an opportunity meeting to transact business, or to amuse themselves in walking and conversation. If a piazza or colonade was raised in front of the Guildhall, it would greatly add to the beauty and convenience of the market-place: as would also the taking away the houses on the east side of _Weaver’s-lane_; and, if possible, opening _St. Peter’s Church_.

20. The Saturday MARKET of Norwich has been long acknowledged the most commodious and plentiful in England; but if the different articles of provision on sale were classed and ranged methodically, into rows or lanes, crossing each other at right angles, such regulation would be attended with ease and satisfaction both to the buyer and seller.

Rome certainly was not built in a day, neither do we expect to see every thing done in Norwich that might and ought to be; but, we hope, no local or private consideration of emolument or prejudice, will be an impediment in the way of PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT! Though the elegant plan of Sir Christopher Wren, for rebuilding the city of London, after the dreadful fire in 1666, was, through prejudice and ignorance, rejected, the citizens of London have seen, and regret, the evil consequences of narrow minds, and narrow streets! and have done as much towards the embellishment of that city, as time and opportunity would permit. That they are wealthy we allow, but then Norwich has its proportion of wealth, as well as its men of taste and talents to execute.

THE NORWICH DIRECTORY.

A.