season for Yarmouth people.

1579.

May to Sept.  Great plague; 2,000 persons died, and the Grammar School shut up for six months.  (See 1349 and 1550.)

1580.

August 2nd.  Dinner provided for 43 gentlemen on a sandbank out at sea, called Scratby Sand.  In 1582 it was swept away by a strong easterly wind and tide, much to the disappointment of Sir Edward Clare, Knt., who had made a claim to it.  Valuable wreckage was often found there.

2,000 lasts (2,640,000 single fish) of herrings brought in on one tide.

1582.

Large fish, 17 yards long, the jaw 3¼ yards long, body 4½ yards thick, caught at Caister.

1583.

No one could be elected a Burgess in Parliament unless he was an Alderman.

1585.

The Privy Council requested the town to provide ships for the transport of 400 soldiers into the Low Countries.  To raise funds, every Alderman advanced £5, and every Common Councilman £2 10s., the rest of the money being raised by assessment.

1586.

Pulpit erected at the west-end of St. Nicholas’ Church; removed in 1635.  Another erected in the south-east comer of the south aisle, which was also removed in 1846.

Number of “tippling houses” in Yarmouth restricted to 16.

1588.

John Stubbs and Roger Drury, Esqs., elected to Parliament.

William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, K.G., High Steward of the Borough.  In 1578 he visited Yarmouth in company with the Earl of Leicester.

Preparations to receive the Spanish Armada.  The fortifications put into the best state of defence, a boom thrown across the Haven at the south gates, and a mound of earth raised higher than the walls, called the “South Mount,” on which was placed several pieces of ordnance.  Another mound, the “New Mount,” was afterwards thrown up near St. George’s Chapel, and a warlike ship fitted out at the town’s expense to annoy the enemy at sea, and preparations made to lodge and provision a garrison of 1,000 men.  The sum of £1,355 4s. 9d. was assessed on the County.

1589.

No victualler or innkeeper allowed to retail any “strange beer” under pain of forfeiture.

1591.

An ale-house or tavern could only be kept by a Freeman or the widow of a Freeman.

Two Yarmouth ships required to carry out 150 soldiers to Normandy.

1592.

T. Damett, Esq., again returned to Parliament with John Felton, Esq.

1593.

The fishing nets used by boat owners valued at £50,000.

1596.

John Felton, Esq., again returned to Parliament with Sir H. Hobart.

Elizabethan House on the Quay, built by Benjamin Cowper.  It was sold to John Carter, a friend of Oliver Cromwell.  The supporters of Cromwell frequently assembled in this house, and it is supposed that the death of Charles I. was here determined on.  It was for many years previously to Feb. 26th, 1867, the residence and property of the late Charles J. Palmer, Esq., F.S.A.

Arthur Wilson born at Yarmouth.  He published an account of the life and reign of James I, written with much freedom, and displaying a thorough knowledge of Court intrigues; but the liberties he took in exposing the propensities of that monarch and his son towards the Catholic cause, brought upon him the vehement censure of the friends of the Stuart family, who said that he had written from conjectures rather than from records, and that his work was more like a pasquinade than an authentic history.  He was for many years an attendant on the Earl of Essex, and afterwards steward to the Earl of Warwick.  He died in 1652.

1597.

Seven hundred vessels in the Haven at one time.

1598.

The number of Rows was seven score (140).

The south side of the Hospital School used as a House of Correction.

Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, K.G., High Steward of the Borough.

1599.

Rev. Thomas Nash published the “Lenten Stuffe,” containing a poetical and satirical description of Yarmouth, &c., and a play in “Praise of a Red Herring.”  He was born at Lowestoft in 1567, and died in 1600.  He was called by Dr. Lodge “the true English Gifford or Aretino.”  His name is mentioned by Michael Drayton, and also in the play, “Return from Parnassus.”  (Vide page 486, Pimperley’s “Encyclopædia of Literary and Typ. Anecdote.”)

One penny per swill by day and 1½d. at night were charged for carting herrings from the beach.

1599 to 1660.

Caister Castle deserted as a residence.

1600.

Sir Henry Hobart and T. Damett, Esq., again returned to Parliament; the latter, with John Wheeler, Esq., also returned on the accession of James I.

The Dutch Chapel, South Quay, built, and afterwards converted into a Theatre.

Every Alderman, or his deputy, with a constable, ordered to visit all ale-houses and taverns twice a week, and make inquiries respecting the customers.

1601.

The washing and rinsing of nets near the public wells forbidden.

The town required to provide and provision ships for transporting 600 soldiers to the Low Countries.

Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, K.G., Lord High Admiral of England, elected High Steward of the Borough.

1604.

A third Market Cross erected.

1607.

The three local rivers frozen over for 40 days.

1608.

James I. made Yarmouth a free Borough by charter, by the title of Bailiff, Aldermen, Burgesses, and Commonalty; which charter in 1683 (Charles II.) was surrendered to the King.  (See July 22nd, 1684.)

1611.

Drapers, mercers, grocers, and haberdashers prohibited from having stalls in the market.

Herring Fair held.  A great scarcity of herrings this year—a last of Windsor herrings being sold for £15 5s.

1612.

Great damage done to the Piers by a raging tide.

Aldermen who had held office as Bailiffs, compelled to wear scarlet gowns with tippets, under pain of a 40s. fine.  (See 1541.)

1613.

The present Haven completed at a cost of £38,682, and from this date to 1770 inclusive, £215,644 had been expended about the Haven and Piers.

1614.

Sir Theophilus Finch and G. Hardware, Esq., returned to Parliament, but the former was succeeded soon after by Sir Henry Hobart.

One hundred jacobuses (a gold coin struck in the time of James I.) presented to King James I. by the town, as a mark of loyalty and affection.

1615.

At Corporate meetings no gentleman allowed to make uncomely and indecent speeches out of time and order, or create a disturbance when touching upon any public good, or even allowed to make a remark till the previous speaker had sat down, under penalty of fine or dismissal.

1616.

About 50 Yarmouth fishermen laid up their vessels, having no licenses for exportation.

1617.

License granted for the export of 600 lasts of herrings, which was annually renewed till 1624.

1618.

The Cage or Stock-house set up.

An ordinance made that all doors