A Concise History and Directory of the City of Norwich for 1811 Part 4

No. 166 Wild Man, St. Andrew's Steps, first Monday.-_Ancient Masons_.

No. 192 Union Lodge, Gate House, Tombland, last Friday,-February 11th, 1766.

No. 294 Lodge of Union, city of Norwich, St. Stephen's, second Sunday and fourth Monday.-_Ancient Masons_.

No. 563 Norwich Theatrical, at the different Theatres in the circuit, second Friday,-June 26th, 1797.

Royal Arch Masons, Knight Templers, and Grand Chapter of Harodim, Gate House Tombland.

_Also Three Lodges of ODD FELLOWS_, _inst.i.tuted in_ 1804.

At the _Norwich Volunteer_, in St. Stephens, and since removed to the _Duke of York_, on the Cattle Meadow, called the YORK LODGE-they have near 400 names enrolled on their books.

The TRAFALGAR LODGE, inst.i.tuted in 1808, at the _Three Tons_, near St.

Andrew's Steps

The PRINCE OF WALES LODGE, inst.i.tuted in 1809, at the _Old Lobster_, in Lobster-lane.

There is likewise a LODGE OF DRUIDS, at the _Rose_, in St. Augustines.

A sketch of the actions and characters of those persons born in this city, who have distinguished themselves by their talents or application, would furnish ample materials for an interesting volume; yet, to pa.s.s over so important a topic entirely, might be censurable; brief particulars of some few of the most eminent are here given:-

William Bateman, commonly known as William de Norwico, was born in the beginning of the 14th century, (his father represented the City in Parliament in 1326;) he received the rudiments of education at Norwich, and afterwards at Cambridge studied the civil law, and was early noticed for his literary acquirements, Bishop Ayremine recommended him to Rome, where he soon acquired several offices of trust and honor; he was sent as Nuncio, to mediate for peace between Edward III. and the King of France, and was honorably received on his return to England in 1345: he is said to have been tenacious of the perquisites and privileges of office; he founded and endowed Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1347; in 1354, being sent by Edward III. to acquaint the Pope with the nature of the King's claim to the Crown of France, he died at Avignon, then the residence of the Pope, and was buried in the Cathedral there in 1354.

Matthew Parker, was born in St. Saviour's parish, August 6th, 1504, he received his education in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he made rapid progress in almost every kind of learning; he was appointed Chaplain to Queen Ann Boleyn, and through her interest obtained several preferments;-and on her being brought to the scaffold, the Princess Elizabeth, with a solemn injunction, was put under his care. He was shortly after made Vice Chancellor of the Cambridge University; he was appointed Chaplain to King Edward the VIth. and in 1552 preferred to the Deanery of Lincoln; he withdrew from his native country in Queen Mary's reign, but was recalled on her death, and appointed to the See of Canterbury by her successor. In his character he combined learning and religion, in his household he was hospitable and courteous, of his charity his liberal benefactions bear ample testimony; he collected many valuable ma.n.u.scripts, which he gave to the library of the College where he received his education: he was a profound Antiquarian, and was the author of _Antiquitates Britannicae_; he caused many valuable records where copies were scarce to be printed; he published some other works, and superintended a translation of the Scriptures from the original tongue, known by the name of the Bishops Bible; he died at his palace in Lambeth, May 17, 1575.

John Kaye or Cains, was born in Norwich, in 1510, and received his education at Cambridge. He finished his studies on the Continent, where he wrote many books, and formed numerous valuable literary acquaintance; on his return to England he practised as a Physician in Norwich with great success, and in 1557 he was considered the most able pract.i.tioner of medicine in the kingdom: he was physician to King Edward VI. and held the same office to Queen Mary, with whom he was in high favor; in the latter part of his life he retired to Cambridge, but being called to London on some urgent business, he was taken ill, and died in July, 1573, and was buried in Caius College Chapel, Cambridge; he exercised his pen on almost every branch of learning, and left upwards of four-score different treatises on various subjects.

William Cuningham, was born in Norwich, in 1531; he studied physic, and graduated at Heidelburgh; he wrote several treatises on Astronomy, Chronology and Medicine, particularly the Cosmographical Gla.s.s-printed in 1559, at the close of which year he died.

Thomas Legge, born in 1535, was student at Cambridge, and succeeded his friend Caius in the masters.h.i.+p of Caius College; he was a great and distinguished Antiquarian; having attached himself to the Law, he was appointed King's legal professor, and twice filled the vice Chancellor's chair; he was also a dramatic writer, he died in 1607.

John Cosin, was born in Norwich, in 1594, he studied in Caius College, Cambridge; he was promoted to several church preferments, which, at the commencement of the civil wars, he was deprived of, being the first clergyman who suffered that species of punishment for his loyalty. On the return of King Charles the II. he was appointed to the deanery of Peterborough, and soon afterwards called to the Bishop.r.i.c.k of Durham, and died in 1672; he wrote some pieces on polemical divinity.

Edward Brown, was born in this city about the year 1642, he was educated at the grammar school, and in 1665 took the degree of Bachelor in Physic, at Cambridge, and was soon after admitted at Oxford, where he in 1667 obtained a doctor's diploma; he then travelled over great part of the Continent, and on his return, published an account of his travels, which contain some valuable information of Natural History, particularly on Minerology and Metallurgy; after settling in London, he was appointed physician to King Charles the II. and in 1705, became president of the College of physicians, which office he held till his death; he was well versed in the living and the dead languages; he died in 1708, at his seat at Northfleet, in Kent.

Doctor Samuel Clarke, the son of Edward Clarke, esq. an alderman of Norwich, and for several years one of its representatives in Parliament; he was born in 1675, and completed his studies at Cambridge, where he soon distinguished himself, particularly in the Mathematics; the Newtonian Philosophy attracted his notice, and by his ill.u.s.tration of that theory, he obtained very considerable credit at the early age of 22; he afterwards applied himself to divinity, and was appointed to some church preferments, but from his attachment to Mathematical knowledge, he was unwilling to admit any thing for truth which did not allow of that kind of demonstration; this gave a bias to his judgment, which is apparent in all his writings. In 1706, he published a Latin edition of Sir Isaac Newton's Optics, on the credit of which, he was noticed by Queen Ann, and appointed to the valuable rectory of St. James's, Westminster; in 1710, he published Caesar's Commentaries in royal folio, (one of the most magnificent Books ever printed in England,) elucidated with eighty-seven engravings. On the death of Sir Isaac Newton, he was offered the lucrative place of Master of the Mint, which he refused, as being incompatible with his character as a clergyman; he died in 1729: his writings were very voluminous, and will remain a lasting monument of his uncommon abilities and profound learning.

Edward King, F. R. and A. S. S. was born at Norwich, in 1734; in 1748, he was sent to Cambridge to finish his education; he soon distinguished himself by his progress and regularity. Having obtained academical honors, he entered a student at Lincoln's-Inn, and from thence practised at the Bar for some time, with great credit; but coming to a large fortune by the death of his father, he quitted the profession, and applied himself to scientific pursuits; he was particularly calculated for profound research; he had long been an active and useful member of both the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, and became vice president of the latter in 1781, and president in 1783; he resigned the latter the year following; his works were numerous and his observations on Ancient Castles, is in great repute. He died in London, April, 1807. There are some other eminent men, who (although not natives,) have spent the princ.i.p.al part of their time in Norwich, of whom a slight notice may not be unacceptable.

Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop Norwich was born in Normandy, from whence he was brought by William the II. towards the close of the 11th Century: Henry I. appointed him his chancellor. He is said to have been very loose and wild in his young time, although afterwards he became quite the reverse, he was an excellent scholar for the time in which he lived, to atone for the extravagancies of his early years, he founded the Cathedral, the Bishops Palace, &c.

Joseph Hall, was born in Leicesters.h.i.+re, in 1574; at the age of fifteen was sent to Cambridge, to finish his education, and at the age of twenty-three distinguished himself as a wit and a poet, he became successively Bishop of Exeter and Norwich, but was soon bereaved of all his preferments and properly by religious persecution; in 1647, he retired to a little estate he rented at Heigham, where he died in September, 1656, and was buried in the chancel of the parish church there; he was by foreigners stiled the English Seneca; his works are numerous, which are collected and printed in three volumes, folio.

Norwich is 108 miles from London by Newmarket, 110 by Colchester, 114 by Bury St. Edmunds, and it is a remarkable fact, that Norwich, Bury and Lynn, form an equilateral triangle, each side measuring 42 miles, it is also 43 miles from Ipswich, and 24 from Yarmouth. The soil of Norwich is mixed the upper stratum is light of sufficient depth for the plough upon chalk, gravel and sand; the air is remarkably salubrious, it is screened from the easterly wind by Moushold Heath, and abound in springs of water of the purest kind.

There are five Banks in Norwich, which draw upon London, viz.-

_Messrs. Gurney's_, St. Michael at Plea, upon BARCLAY'S, TRITTON and BEVAN, No. 56, Lombard-street.

_Messrs. Harvey_ and _Hudson's_, King-street, upon HANKEY and Co. No. 7.

Fenchurch-street.

_Messrs. Ketts_ and _Back_, Orford-hill, upon h.o.a.rE, BARNETTS and Co. No.

62, Lombard-street.

_Starling_, _Day_ and _Son_, Pottergate-street, on FORSTER, LUBBOCK and Co. No. 11, Mansion-House-street.

_Thomas Bignold_, _Son_ and_ Co._ Market-place, upon STEPHENSON'S, REMINGTON'S, SMITH and Co. No. 69, Lombard-street.

_List of MAYORS during the last Century_.

1701, John Hall. 1702, John Atkinson. 1703, John Freeman. 1704, William Blyth. 1705, William Thacker. 1706, William Cooke. 1707, Peter Seaman. 1708, Thomas Havers. 1709, Mathew Nall. 1710, Robert Bene.

1711, William c.o.c.kman. 1712, John Goose. 1713, Nicholas Helwys. 1714, John Norman. 1715, Peter Attelsey. 1716, Augustus Metcalf. 1717, R.

Lubbock, died-T. Bubbin, died, A. Parmenter succeeded. 1718, Richard Mott. 1719, John Hall. 1720, Edward Coleburne. 1721, Benjamin Nuthall.

1722, Thomas Newton. 1723, Edmund Hunton. 1724, John Croshold. 1725, Daniel Fromanteel. 1726, John Custance. 1727, John Harvey. 1728, Thomas Harwood. 1729, John Black. 1730, John Pell. 1731, Robert Marsh.

1732, Francis Arnam. 1733, Jeremiah Ives. 1734, Phillip Meadows. 1735, Thomas Vere. 1736, Timothy Balderstone. 1737, John Spurrell. 1738, Robert Harvey. 1739, William Clark. 1740, John Nuthall. 1741, Edward King. 1742, William Wiggett. 1743, James Nasmith. 1744, John Black.

1745, Simon Waller. 1746, John Wood. 1747, William Crowe. 1748, Thomas Harvey. 1749, B. Nuthall, _second time_. 1750, J. Custance, _second time_. 1751, T. Balderstone, _second time_. 1752, Thomas Hurnard.

1753, John Press. 1754, John Gay. 1755, Peter Columbine. 1756, Jeremiah Ives. 1757, John Goodman. 1758, Nockhold Tompson. 1759, Robert Rogers. 1760, Bartholomew Harwood. 1761, T. Churchman. 1762, Jeremiah Harcourt. 1763, Benjamin Hanc.o.c.k. 1764, John Dersley. 1765, James Poole. 1766, John Patteson. 1767, Thomas Starling. 1768, John Day. 1769, Jeremiah Ives, jun. 1770, Robert Harvey, jun. 1771, Knipe Gobbet. 1772, Charles Weston. 1773, J. Addey. 1774, J. L. Watts, died.-James Crowe, succeeded. 1775, Richard Peete. 1776, Francis Columbine. 1777, Nathaniel Roe. 1778, Roger Kerrison. 1779, John Thurlow. 1780, Benjamin Day. 1781, John Morse. 1782, Starling Day.

1783, Jeremiah Ives Harvey. 1784, Robert Partridge. 1785, Elias Norgate. 1786, Jeremiah Ives, junior. 1787, Robert Harvey, jun. 1788, John Patteson. 1789, Charles Weston, jun. 1790, Thomas Watson. 1791, John G. Baseley. 1792, John Harvey. 1793, John Buckle. 1794, James Hudson. 1795, Jeremiah Ives, _second time_. 1796, William Herring.

1797, J. Crowe, _second time_. 1798, John Browne. 1799, John Herring.

1800, R. Harvey, _second time_. 1801, Jeremiah Ives, _second time_.

1802, Sir R. Kerrison. 1803, John Morse, _second time_. 1804, James Marsh. 1805, Ed. Rigby. 1806, T. A. Kerrison. 1807, Rob. Herring.

1808, Starling Day, _second time_. 1809, Thomas Back. 1810, John Steward.

_Members of Parliament for Norwich_, _from the Restoration_, 1660,

William Barnham, Thomas Rant.

1661 Francis Carey, Christopher Jay, who dying, were succeeded by William Paston and Augustin Briggs.

1678 William Paston, Augustin Briggs.