Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood. William Finch-Crisp
Middlesex, and Prebendary of Windsor. During the civil wars he was so zealously attached to Royalty that he sent all he had to the King, so that when the rebels came to plunder him he had nothing, for which he was imprisoned, first in Newgate, and afterwards in the Fleet Prison, where he died.
June 6th. Yarmouth sent 5 members to the “Little” Parliament summoned by Cromwell. Resigned Dec. 12th.
Aug. 29th. General Monk granted a warrant to free Yarmouth fishermen from being pressed into the service of the State.
Lord Henry, youngest son of Oliver Cromwell, High Steward of the Borough.
Norfolk sent ten members to Parliament.
Dec. 16th. Oliver Cromwell proclaimed in the Market Place Protector of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom.
Colonel William Goffe and Thomas Dunne, Esq., were elected Burgesses to Parliament by 3 Aldermen and 26 Common Councilmen.
William Burton and C. G. Cock, Esqs., elected to Parliament.
W. Burton and C. G. Cock, Esqs., re-elected to Parliament.
Yarmouth people sent to Southwold 30 coombs of wheat and 10 coombs of rye for the sufferers from a fire which consumed the greater part of that town.
Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, High Steward of the Borough.
A “Healing Parliament” called, and Sir J. Palgrave, Bart., and Miles Corbet, Esq., elected.
Sir William D’Oyley, Bart., and Sir W. Coventry, Bart., Secretary to the Admiralty, returned to Parliament.
Contention and bloodshed through concurrent jurisdiction ceased, when the Cinque Ports dissolved government with Yarmouth.
Dec. 10th. James Smith was fined £10 for saying of Sir Thomas Medowe, a Bailiff, “He is a fool, and I have killed a bull of 80s. that had better brains than Sir Thomas have.”
Jan. 22nd. Rev. John Brinsley, sen., lecturer in Yarmouth, died, aged 64.
Two thousand five hundred persons died of plague, including two ministers of St. Nicholas’ Church. (See 1349, 1550, and 1579.)
June 3rd. Great sea fight off Lowestoft, when the Dutch Admiral (Opdam) was defeated.
Every person receiving parish relief ordered to wear a pewter badge on the left arm, which was called “the badge of poverty.”
John Carter, twice Bailiff, and one of the Elders, died, aged 73.
Town farthings coined by the Overseers “for the use of the poor.” In 1673 they were cried down, and the town fined £90 for setting up a local mint. Lord Townshend petitioned the King on their behalf that he would pardon their offence.
Twenty-two thousand seven hundred and sixty chaldrons of coal imported.
An Act of Parliament passed appointing Haven Commissioners, viz., three for Norfolk, three for Suffolk, two for Norwich, and two for Yarmouth.
April 21st. Mitchell Mew, twice Bailiff, and once Mayor, died, aged 71 years.
Sep. 27th. Charles II. visited Yarmouth, accompanied by the Dukes of York, Monmouth, and Buckingham, and publicly entertained at a cost of £1,000. – The Corporation presented the King with four golden herrings and a chain, value £250. The King knighted three gentlemen of the Council.
May 28th. Duke of York, commander of the English fleet, defeated the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter, in Sole Bay, or Southwold Bay. The guns were heard at Yarmouth, and the sick and wounded afterwards brought here. Yarmouth sent presents of wine, sheep, lambs, lemons, fowls, and fish to the Duke of York, previous to the engagement.
April 8th. William Burton, sen., twice Bailiff of the town, died, aged 65 years.
Son of Sir William Paston created Baron Paston and Viscount Yarmouth; also created Earl of Yarmouth in 1679. In 1676 he was shot at and wounded while in his coach. He died in 1682.
Robert Paston, Viscount Yarmouth, chosen High Steward of the Borough.
The famous “Yarmouth Troll Cart” in use. At this date they were known by the name of “Yarmouth Coaches,” being more elegantly made, and let out to pleasure parties.
Bell factory supposed to have existed.
Haven expenses this year, £2,099 9s. 6d.
Grand celebration in Yarmouth on the marriage of William III., Prince of Orange, with Princess Mary.
Captain Booth executed in the town for stabbing a seaman.
The ground between the walls and the east side of the town, from the Market Place, along King Street to the Friars’ Lane, was sold for £2,265 17s. 6d., to sundry persons to build upon.
Bonfires, by order of the Corporation, made in the Market Place and other parts of the town, on the passing of the “Test Act” by both Houses of Parliament.
Sir W. Coventry, Knt., re-elected to Parliament, with Lord Huntingdon.
Richard Huntingdon and George England, Esqs., returned to Parliament.
Oct. 21st. Sir William Gooch, Bart., born at Yarmouth. Early in life he entered the army, and distinguished himself in the Rebellion of 1715. George I. made him Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia in 1727; and in 1740 he was appointed Colonel of an American Regiment, and assisted at the memorable siege of Carthagena. For his services he was promoted, being first made Brigadier and then Major-General, in which capacity, in 1747, he commanded in the expedition to Quebec. Died at Bath, Dec. 17th, 1751.
The whole body of Freemen claimed a right of electing members for the town, and accordingly chose Sir James Johnson, Knt., and George England, Esq. Before this, the Corporation had usually taken upon themselves this business, sometimes by a majority of the assembly, and sometimes by an inquest of six Aldermen and six Common Councilmen.
H.R.H. the Duke of York entertained to a sumptuous dinner in Yarmouth; afterwards embarked in the frigate “Gloucester,” but (May 6th) the vessel striking on the Leman and Ower sand, 12 leagues from Yarmouth, she filled with water, and the Duke escaped in a shallop, with Colonel Churchill, Earl of Aberdeen, Duke of Montrose, and a few other distinguished personages.
William Paston, Earl of Yarmouth, High Steward of the Borough.
Spire of St. Nicholas’ Church, being of wood and lead, set on fire by lightning. John Grice received from the Corporation a piece of plate, value £10, for extinguishing it.
April 26th. First Yarmouth Fair held.
May 7th. John Hall, Esq., died, aged 61 years. He was a merchant, Alderman by the old and new charters, and twice Bailiff of the town.
July 22nd. The charter granted by which a Mayor was substituted for the 2 Bailiffs, 18 Aldermen instead of 36, and 36 Common Councilmen instead of 18. By Charles II. a High Steward, a Recorder, a Sub-Steward, 2 Coroners, 2 Chamberlains, and a Clerk of the Courts were also appointed. Southtown was added to the liberties of the Borough. (See 1608, 1687, and 1763.) This charter also empowered them to hold two fairs yearly. The instrument was brought from London by the eldest son of the Earl of Yarmouth to Haddiscoe, and given to George Ward, Esq., the first Mayor elected. He, accompanied by a large train of carriages, and from 300 to 400 horsemen, proceeded to Haddiscoe to receive it. Great rejoicing in the town.
Lady Yarmouth, wife of the above Earl, died.
The Corporation Sword of Justice, carried before the Mayor, adopted.
Sir Thomas Medowe, Mayor, being the second elected the same year. Bailiffs prior to this year were chosen instead of Mayor.
Lord Huntingdon and George England, Esq., returned to Parliament;