Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood Part 14

1652.

Admiral Blake sent several s.h.i.+ps to Yarmouth, which he had captured from the Dutch.

Dr. Thomes Soame died. He was the son of a fisherman at Yarmouth, but related to a wealthy family of the same name at Burnham. He lived in the reign of Charles I., and having entered holy orders he became minister of Staines in Middles.e.x, 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.

1653.

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.

16534.

Norfolk sent ten members to Parliament.

1654.

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.

1656.

William Burton and C. G. c.o.c.k, Esqs., elected to Parliament.

1659.

W. Burton and C. G. c.o.c.k, 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.

1660.

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, High Steward of the Borough.

A "Healing Parliament" called, and Sir J. Palgrave, Bart., and Miles Corbet, Esq., elected.

1661.

Sir William D'Oyley, Bart., and Sir W. Coventry, Bart., Secretary to the Admiralty, returned to Parliament.

1662.

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."

1664.

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.)

1665.

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."

1667.

John Carter, twice Bailiff, and one of the Elders, died, aged 73.