the annual free-fair.

1101.

Bishop Herbert de Lozinga, the first Bishop of Norwich [translated from the See of Thetford in the 7th year of William II. (Rufus), whose Chamberlain he was], founded St. Nicholas’ Church, and re-built a Chapel on the North Denes.  He was made Lord High Chancellor to Henry I. of England in 1104, and died August 11th, 1119.

1119.

St. Nicholas’ Church consecrated.  Enlarged 1123, 1250, and 1338.  The last attempt after 10 years’ labour in trying to build a west aisle, failing, the ruins were used in the building of a Chapel-of-Ease.

1199.

Forty thousand lives lost at sea during the war between King John and the Barons; a great multitude washed ashore on Yarmouth beach.

1204.

Monastery of Black Friars founded by St. Dominica.

1205.

Yarmouth had three galleys or vessels of war.  Two were manned with seven score mariners.

1209.

First charter granted by King John, and Yarmouth incorporated as a borough.  The document is still preserved (1834).

1216.

All vessels in the port with Scottish property on board were arrested.

1257.

Henry III. granted certain franchises.  In 1261 he granted licenses for fortifying the town; and on Sept. 28th, 1262, granted a Charter for enclosing the town with a wall and moat, so as to resist the power of an invading enemy.  (See 1396.)

1261.

The Tolhouse Hall, Middlegate Street, erected.

1272.

Yarmouth first called Magna (Great) in the reign of Edward I., to distinguish it from Little Yarmouth, or Southtown.

1275.

The town wall and fosse commenced at the north end of town.

1272.

St. Mary’s Hospital founded.  It was a free Grammar School in 1551, and fitted up as a school for poor children in 1634.

The Carmelites, or Whitefriars, founded at Yarmouth, and took the north and some other parts of the town under their charge.  (See 1509.)

1285.

King Henry’s Tower erected at the north-east corner of St. Nicholas’ churchyard.

1286.

St. Nicholas’ Church and churchyard consecrated by Bishop Middleton, of Norwich.

1287.

The sea flowed into St. Nicholas’ Church 4 feet deep, and the town was inundated.

1290.

A beautiful ship built at Yarmouth for King Edward II., and sent to Norway for the King’s daughter, upon her proposed marriage with the then Prince.  She was heiress of Norway and Scotland.

1291.

No one allowed to draw wine after the Curfew bell had rung.

1294.

Yarmouth first summoned to send four Burgesses annually to Parliament.

1295.

Sir J. De Botetourt, a Norfolk Knight, had command of a Yarmouth fleet of fifty-three vessels.  Fresh herrings sold for 37s. per last.

1297.

Simon Blaking, of Martham, fled into St. Nicholas’ Church, and confessed to having broken open a house at Hemsby and the prison at Southtown, and to having killed W. F. N. Blaking.  The law in those days was, if a murderer could reach a church or churchyard before being apprehended, and confessed his crime to a coroner, justice, &c., he was set at liberty without taking a trial.

1299.

William Fastolf and H. Rose, Esqs., returned to Parliament, held at Lincoln.

1300.

Leather was not only used for various military purposes, but formed a considerable part of the common dress of the people before the introduction, and during the infancy, of the woollen manufacture.

1305.

Yarmouth claimed a free Borough by the Burgesses.

1307.

William Fastolf and H. Rose, Esqs., again returned to Parliament, held at Nottingham.

Price of pipe (120 gals.) of “red wine,” 20s.

1308 to 1472.

During the reigns of Edward II. and III., Richard II., Henry IV., V., and VI., and Edward IV., upwards of 160 Burgesses were returned to Parliament, 72 of which were held at Westminster, 6 at York, 1 at London, Ripon, and New Sarum, and 2 at Gloucester.

1314.

Two Parliaments held, but not represented by the same Burgesses.

1330.

A Castle stood on the site of the King Street Independent Chapel, but was demolished in 1621.

1332.

Great disputes between the Barons of the Cinque Ports and the Bailiffs of this Borough, concerning the free fair which the former attempted to remove.

1333.

Burgesses exempted from serving on Juries, Inquests, or at Assizes, within the Borough.

1337.

Blackfriars’ Tower completed.

Forty ships of war ordered to Yarmouth roads.

The Yarmouth navy, comprising 20 men-of-war, had orders to proceed to the port of Dort, to convoy the King’s four plenipotentiaries to the Court of Hainault from those parts to England.  On their return they took two Flemish ships and their cargoes.  The Bishop of Glasgow, who was on board one, died of his wounds at Sandwich.

1338.

Thomas De Drayton, a Yarmouth man, who had held the office of bailiff fifteen times, was appointed Admiral of the North Fleet.

Yarmouth magistrates, &c., fitted out a fleet of men-of-war, well equipped, at their own cost and charge, to go against the enemy at sea for the space of a month.

1340.

John Perebrown, a burgess of Yarmouth, led the King’s North Sea Fleet in the great battle of Sluys, and did great service; 230 ships and 30,000 Frenchmen were lost.

1342.

Oct.  Edward III. embarked on board the Yarmouth squadron in his unsuccessful expedition to Brittany.

The principal inhabitants fined 1000 marks for committing trespasses, &c., on the sea coast.

1346.

The first Haven cut.

1347.

Yarmouth assisted Edward III. at the siege of Calais with 43 vessels of war and 1,075 mariners, which was 18 ships more than London sent, and more than any other port, except Fowey.

1348–9.

Plague carried off 7,052 persons out of the then population of 10,000.

1352.

Yarmouth gave to the St. George’s College of Windsor by charter, a last of red herrings, to be delivered annually for ever on St. Andrew’s day, concerning which many disputes have since arisen.

1353.

Passenger boat from Yarmouth to Norwich sunk near Cantley, and 38 persons drowned.

1354.

Fastolf, father of the renowned Sir John Fastolf, one of the bailiffs.

1365.

Six Yarmouth vessels captured and burnt in the Bay of Brittany.

1368.

John Lawers hung for not paying the Custom House dues.

1369.

Yarmouth first appointed a staple port.

1372.

August 22nd.  Kirkley Road united to the town and port of Yarmouth by charter of Edward III., but repealed four years